V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..........TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR..............................................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA..........................................events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR.....SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR...........................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com Photographic Contributions: TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing.org, TARA BOWKER, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, WILL McDOUGLE, BART CEPEK, BENOIT PIGEON, KAYLA WOOD, and PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, RYK LEE WADDELL, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.
ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact
MEET THE RPM TEAM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.........................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com
RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed in 34 countries and can be found on popular newsstands in the USA, Canada and select newsstands in the UK. If you cannot find a copy near you please call 519-752-3705 or email circulation@rpmmag.com To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519-752-3705. The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, musclecars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power! RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.
WANT YOUR CAR IN RPM?
RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 20 years and has support locations in Ontario, Canada, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, along with contributing writers and photojournalists worldwide. If you have a story that may fit within the focus and scope of RPM Magazine’s coverage, please email our Editor In Chief at editor@ rpmmag.com. Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published. Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article. Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.
Publication Return/Address Change Information USA RPM MAGAZINE (USPS Periodical #023474) is published monthly 12 times per year by USA Publisher’s Agent, 10387 Main Street, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030.
TRISH BIRO ...............519.752.3705.......trish@rpmmag.com
Periodicals postage rate is paid at Fairfax, VA and additional mailing offices.
Art & Graphics Director: Toby Brooks
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
Special Events Manager: Chris Biro events@rpmmag.com Special Events Sales: Trish Biro: 519-752-3705 trish@rpmmag.com Subscriptions/Address Changes: Circulation circulation@rpmmag.com General Inquiries: 519.752.3705 info@rpmmag.com
RPM Magazine P.O. Box 24020 Brantford, Ontario CAN N3R 7X3 CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL INFO AGREEMENT NO. 40045044 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CDN ADDRESSES TO RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO N3R 7X3 OVERSEAS RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CAN. N3R 7X3
EDITOR’S RANT
by
Chris Biro
because...
MORE RPM IS ALWAYS BETTER
W
e’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our RPM Magazine advertisers and readers for your overwhelming support, and also welcome you to our 20th
year of RPM! We’ve stuck to our guns, kept our promise and kept RPM “REAL”...20 years later RPM is still all about YOU, and YOUR cars and stuff that YOU are into—street, strip, and once in a while, just to shake things up, something completely off the wall. But no matter what, we want to assure you that we intend to continue to set the trends instead of follow them, innovate, not imitate, and above all continue to give you the best original, exclusive high-horsepower badass rides and cool real-world tech and articles you deserve in the world`s top car mag! In our continuing effort to support the automotive performance and race industries, we’re once again offering a chance for related companies to take advantage of our “Industry Distribution Program” which sees FREE copies
of RPM Magazine sent to performance & racing-related businesses in the USA and Canada. So, if you own, operate, or manage any type of performance or race business (ie: speed shop, performance, race or chassis shop, manufacturing firm, installation facility, warehouse, etc.), you need to sign up for your FREE subscription to RPM Magazine today! Simply complete this form and send it in along with your business card and you’ll start getting your complimentary copy of RPM, right to your business door each and every month. Because MORE RPM is ALWAYS better, we also offer an enhanced program that enables you to order MORE copies of RPM for an incredibly low price to either give away free to your best customers or sell on your magazine rack. Industry Distribution Program info can also be found at www.rpm-mag.com and completed online or by simply emailing trish@ rpm-mag.com. Do it today!
COMING NEXT MONTH:
Project Updates...................................................................
We finally revisit RPM Project Acadian Revival and the lessons learned when trying to do the heavy work without back-up!
4
THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT RPM! june 2019 | RPM Magazine
ADVERTISER INDEX ACC Performance................. 110 Accufab Inc............................ 60 Aeromotive........................... 10 AFCO..................................... 80 AFR: Air Flow Research.......... 19 Alan Johnson Performance (AJPE)................................. 61 Alston Race Cars.................... 18 ATI Performance Products..... 47 Auburn Gear........................ 112 Aurora Bearing...................... 11 Autoglym.............................. 41 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 44 Baer Brakes......................10, 98 Be Cool.................................. 90 BES Racing Engines............... 16 Bill Mitchell Products.......25, 85 Blower Shop............................ 5 Borla..................................... 36 C&C MotorSports................... 51 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 43 Canton Racing Products........ 27 CFE Racing Products.............. 66 Chassis Engineering...........8, 22 CN Blocks.............................. 95 CNC Motorsports................... 42 Coan Engineering................ 105 Competition Products......... 108 Crane Cams........................... 91 Crower.................................. 34 CVR Products....................... 102 DART................................... 111 DaSilva Sick Kids Show.......... 39 Design Engineering..........26, 58 Diamond Pistons................... 96 DREAM JOB........................... 99 Drive Train Specialists (DTS)... 13 DRIVEN Racing Oil................. 49 Dynocologists........................ 39 Dynomite Dynamometer...... 20 Dynotech Engineering........... 66 Edelbrock.............................. 94 Energy Suspension...........46, 98 Erson Cams............................ 20 FUELAB................................. 24 Granatelli Motorsports.......... 87 GRP Connecting Rods............ 30 GZ Motorsports..................... 44 Harland Sharp....................... 22 Harwood............................... 64 HoleShot Wheels................... 35 Holley.................................2, 45 Howard’s Cams...................... 97 Hughes Performance............... 7 Ian Hill Racing....................... 85 Induction Solutions............... 32 Indy Cylinder Head................ 93 Innovate Motorsports.......... 103 JE Pistons.......................53, 107 Jesel...................................... 14 JW Perform. Transmissions.. 113 Kinsler Fuel Injection............. 81 LenTech Automatics.............. 38
Lokar Perf. Products............ 106 MagnaFuel.............................. 9 Magnuson Superchargers...... 31 MAHLE Clevite Inc................. 50 Manton Pushrods.................. 66 Melling/NPW........................ 83 Meziere Precision Mfg............. 8 Mickey Thompson Tires......7, 28 MS3-Pro EFI/DIY Auto Tune... 33 MSD Ignition......................... 28 Neal Chance Converters....29, 65 Nitrous Pro Flow.................... 97 Nitrous Supply.................37, 82 Parts Pro Perf Centers.......... 116 PBM Products........................ 12 Percy’s................................... 86 Performance Engineering..... 82 Performance Improvements.. 79 Perf. Plus Connection.......31, 92 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP)...........................59, 109 Powermaster Performance.... 38 Precision Turbo...................... 76 ProCharger............................ 21 Proform Parts.................89, 100 Pro Systems Carburetors.23,107 PTC........................................ 59 Quick Fuel Technology........... 25 Quik-Latch Products.............. 83 Racecraft............................... 88 Racepak................................ 95 Racequip............................. 101 RAM Clutches........................ 40 Renegade Racing Fuels......... 52 Ross Racing Pistons............5, 30 RPM Events/Woodward PreParty................................. 63 RPM Magazine Subscribe!.114 RPM Pro Street Palooza......... 67 S&W Race Cars...................... 77 Scorpion Racing Prods............. 9 Shafiroff Racing Engines..33, 78 SMACKDOWN 3 Event............ 62 Steve Morris Racing Engines. 51 Strange Engineering............. 84 Summit Racing Equip.....12, 115 TCI Automotive...................... 13 Ti64....................................... 11 Tom’s Upholstery................... 16 Trick Flow.............................. 15 Tuned By Shane T.................. 86 VP Racing Fuels..............48, 104 World Products................14, 35
TRUSTED PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY!
TY TUTTEROW
KEVIN RIVENBARK
JOHN STRICKLAND
THE ONLY PISTON THE GALOT MOTORSPORTS TEAM TRUSTS TO STAND UP TO THEIR HIGH HORSEPOWER DEMANDS! Ross Racing Pistons carries hundreds of proven, race winning, Domestic and Sport Compact piston designs to fit virtually any engine combination. Along with an extensive line of piston accessories and coatings, Ross has nearly 40 years of experience, in the design & manufacturing of custom piston applications.
WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100 facebook.com/rosspistons
@rosspistons
sales@rosspistons.com ONLINE
SETTING THE STANDARD
HIGH-HELIX ROTORS 120 degrees of twist
vs the old standard 60 degrees *60 DEGREE ROTORS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST SPECIAL ORDER
BLOWER SPACERS AVAILABLE FOR 6-71 THROUGH 14-71
EFI PLATES
AVAILABLE FOR 6-71 THROUGH 14-71
STREET • RACE • MARINE FIND US AT TheBlowerShop
208-985-7650 • FAX 208-985-7655 880 W. AMITY ROAD • BOISE, ID 83705 • EMAIL: INFO@THEBLOWERSHOP.COM
BELT GUARDS
WWW.THEBLOWERSHOP.COM www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
5
june2019
Be sure to check out our Performance Directory on page 68!
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 20 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Cars WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!
THE
SO Much Horsepower Packed Into One Place... That Place IS RPM Magazine!
RIDES Factory Stock........................................................ 82 The Big Three are back…with a vengeancel Game On.............................................................. 54 Brace yourselves...Winters is coming!
Snowballed.................................................................24
Robert Martin is the first to admit that his wild Camaro build got a little out of hand
Double Trouble........................................................... 8 With two blowers and two different types of power adders, this twin-supercharged and nitrous-assisted Nova gives new meaning to the term “Chevy II”
THE
PROJECTS & TECH
Paper Chasin’....................................................... 42 Chris Whitney used money earned from his paper route to purchase this classic 1967 Ford Fairlane 500
Shop Talk......................................................................38
Easy There, Stud............................................102
The Build: Patience is a Virtue
Sleek, hidden-fastener mounting couldn’t be easier thanks to the JHP Fasteners capacitive discharge stud welder
Strap it Down..............................................................98 Hold your ride safely with Mac’s Tie Downs
HOME Grown COPO
Ready to Stop But Not Go Just Yet................106 Our COPO project gets brakes, wheels, and engine prep
READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
STANDING ON THE GAS SINCE 1963.
Mickey Thompson was unstoppable. He was the first American to 400+MPH at Bonneville & the manager of Lions Drag Strip. At heart, Mickey was a drag racer, now his DNA lives on in the innovative winning products we build today for drag racers like you. UNCOMPROMISED CONSTRUCTION / UNDISPUTED PERFORMANCE.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
7
W
hen it comes to drag racing, there is no shortage of legends. Names like “Snake,” Schumacher, Force, and Glidden are synonymous with winning.
But there is arguably one name that stands apart even in the most elite of company. And to most drag racing fans who know their history, it’s little more than a single syllable: “Big.” “Big Daddy” Don
Garlits was known for two things: winning and innovating. Sometimes the innovation was based in safety— like the time he built a new rear-engine dragster he designed from a hospital bed to be safer and faster fol-
lowing a catastrophic starting line explosion that nearly took one of his feet off. Big then took the new design to the winners’ circle less than a year later. Other times, the innovation led to the winning—like the time
Chassis Engineering’s Outlaw “TRIPLE” Adjustable Ladder Bars The ultimate ladder bar for heavy, high horsepower race cars. 360 degree housing brackets w/integrated shock mounts. Chromoly construction for strength and lightweight. Includes all rod ends, hardware and brackets.
3606 3606A
(800) 208-1755
Meziere.com
Crafted in the U.S.A.
8
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
$499.95 (pr) 36” Outlaw Adj. Ladder Bar Weld-up Kit $474.95 pr
The chassis prof30esyesioarnas ls for over
Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 Info & Tech: 561-863-2188
chassisengineering.com
story by
Toby Brooks
photos by
Jerry Garrison
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
9
DOUBLE TROUBLE ARTISAN BLUES The cool icy blue Artisan Turquoise hue was actually a factory color available on the ’66 Novas. It looks clean and crisp on Rieker’s ride.
SLIPPERY WHEN WET The beefy Goodyear slicks provide bite on the track, and they are the only aspect of the car that isn’t street legal. Rieker could swap on street tires and cruise the streets if he wanted to.
10
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
Around the world or around the track, you won’t find a higher quality line of bearings and rod ends with Aurora’s proven 40 year track record.
R
Aurora Bearing Company 901 Aucutt Road Montgomery IL. 60538
Complete library of cad drawings and 3D models available at:
www.aurorabearing.com
he took his “Swamp Rat XXX” streamliner dragster (complete with cockpit canopy some 30+ years before the same innovations became prevalent in the Top Fuel class) and shattered the NHRA record books. The aero dragster was so influential that it was eventually enshrined in the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History. So for a young, wet-behind-the-ears hot rodder looking to learn, anything to do with Don Garlits is probably a step in the right direction. Luckily for then-Tampa, Florida-based Brent Rieker, he caught on with a job
at Big Daddy’s engine builder, Jon Zorian’s shop where he learned the secrets to high performance powerplants and met industry icons along the way. “My love for cars and drag racing goes back as far as I can remember,” Rieker recalled. “My mother used to give me money for the gumball machine, and in those days you could actually buy pictures of cars— mostly drag cars—in a machine right next to the gum,” he said. While most kids were buying baseball cards, Reiker was snapping up photos of his favorite fuelers and door slammers.
Ph: 630-859-2030
As many of have discovered, a career in fast cars can be a tumultuous ride at times, and Rieker checked out for a time in the 1990s. “I gave everything [having to do with drag racing] up for the lack of money and moved to California,” he said. However, after a 20+ year hiatus, he decided to give it another go. As founder and former owner of Rieker Machine, Brent set out to build a wild classic door slammer using the skills and tooling he had managed to acquire over the years. Starting around 2011, he picked up a stock but solid 1966 hardtop Nova and commenced
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
11
DOUBLE TROUBLE
NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE The Competition Engineering 4-link works in concert with a pair of QA1 shocks to provide great hook on the track as evidenced by the wadded up Goodyear slicks on the launch. Meanwhile, the factory brightwork, trim, and bumpers look great doing it. on a ground up build. The first step was to fabricate a chassis capable of putting up with four-digit horsepower and consistently putting it to the ground. Shop foreman Brad Woolard—who would later purchase the business—headed up the effort to graft a Mustang II front clip up front along with a Competition Engineering 4-link out back. Tubular control arms work in concert with drop spindles and single-adjustable QA1 coilovers
Let’s Build It Together. 1-800-230-3030 12
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
To Run Like A Pro... Use The Best
$% ' ' '( #$, ) ) . ' + )' # ( )*% ! + '( , ## # + #) # $) % ' $'" # # *' ! )- $# ) )' / ' $, ' ! ' #(" (( $#( ' * !) $"%! ) !- # , , ) # " ) ' !( # $#) # $+ ' - '( $ . ' , ## # (* (( # #$, $, $ %' ( !- " ) ) % ! ) ( $ ) / $, ' ! ' #(" (( $#( . !($ $ '( $" %! ) ! # $ %' " *" )$'&* $#+ ') '( ! )$ # ! $'( %$, ' %%! ) $#( ) ( ()' # ) $#+ ') '( # *()$" * !) $' !$ $' " !! !$ # # ( , ) "*!) %! () ( $ %$, ' '(
• Available in (12) unique setups with 1.98, 1.80 or 1.69 Straight-Cut 12DPI Super Set Planetaries for unrivaled performance & durability pass-after-pass • Feature a 2-Piece HDT-Coated Reid Case (standard or shorty), PRO-X™ Ringless Input Shaft & Aluminum Gerotor Pump & X-Wide Kevlar Band, plus countless other
• Available in (7) unique setups for Powerglide racers or TCIŽ
• Utilize a custom-designed steel stator, billet mounting ring, urnace-brazed as well as hand-brazed turbine & pump assembly, three sets of internal bearings & heat-treated & reinforced steel turbine splines 9382k
TRANS HELP™ 1.888.776.9824 • TCIAUTO.COM
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
13
DOUBLE TROUBLE
up front, while a pair of double-adjustables suspend a narrowed 9-inch out back. Rectangular main rails were paired with a chromoly cage certified to 8.5 (“We’re
pushing it to the limits,” Rieker said with a grin). Strange 35-spline axles and 4.56 gears take the brunt of the abuse. With the car down to a more
THE
respectable altitude, a classic set of Weld Draglites was installed, with 15x3.5s up front and 15x14s in rear. They roll on Moroso super-skinny front runners fore
ORIGINAL
B ELT D R I V E SYST EM Patented High Torq Drive™ reinforced belt runs dry, spins with less friction than timing chains or gear drives and absorbs harmonics. Kit hardware is all Grade 8 Allen and Torx™ design. Cam timing is externally adjustable. 2 Piece Pulley is infinitely adjustable ±10°. Solid Pulley is adjustable ±8° in 2° increments. Crank Pulley is heat-treated steel and incorporates a High Torq Drive™ tooth configuration. Hard coated Billet Aluminum Upper Pulley features patented High Torq Drive™ tooth configuration. Teflon® coated vacuum cam and crank seals. Accessories available to run distributor drives, fuel pumps or oil pumps off front of cam. For product videos and information, visit us at Jesel.com or call us at 732-901-1800
14
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
QUITE A PAIR The twin Vortech V-2 belt-driven blowers take center stage in the engine bay where they have been cleanly mounted via custom machined billet aluminum bracketry. The custom induction tubing feeds into a one-off machined billet hat atop a blow-through Quick Fuel carb.
Win Races. These extreme performance race heads for big block Chevy are designed and built for you to win races. The high-strength castings flow a massive 424 cfm @ .900" lift and can withstand enormous amounts of compression and RPM. Rectangular-shaped 365cc CNC Competition Ported runners, 119cc heart-shaped chambers, CNC bowl blended valve seat transitions, 24° intake valve angles with 4° side cants, and the highest quality valvetrain components help make PowerPort® 365 heads the best choice for your car. Use Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 heads on your engine and turn your goal of winning into reality! Dyno Results PowerPort 365
Test Engine: 13.86:1 compression 572 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 cylinder heads (TFS-4141T804-C02), solid roller camshaft (285°/298° duration @ .050"; .900"/.828" lift; 114° lobe separation), 1.8/1.7 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms, Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold (TFS-41400111), Holley Gen 3 Ultra Dominator 1,425 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow by Stainless Works headers (TFS-DBBC238250), Q16 racing fuel.
Your Recipe for Big Block Chevy Performance! New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.
Trick Flow by Wiseco PowerPort® Forged Piston Sets These lightweight pistons are fully skirted and precision-machined from premium alloy to fit big block Chevy engines equipped with PowerPort 365 cylinder heads. Features include 3D profile dome milling, oversized valve reliefs, precision-fit wrist pins, and Spirolox retainers.
Track Max® Camshafts Give your big Chevy an even bigger power boost with a Track Max® camshaft. They are dyno-proven to produce significant power increases over the entire RPM range, not just a particular RPM.
R-Series Intake Manifold Optimized for PowerPort 365 heads on 500-plus c.i.d. engines, the R-Series rectangular port intake uses a high-rise single plane design with high-flowing extended runners and raised plenum floors to significantly increase power and torque in the 3,500-8,000 RPM range. There are also bosses for nitrous nozzles and extra material for custom port work.
TrickFlow.com • 1-330-630-1555 1906RPCT
Some parts are not legal for sale or use on any pollution-controlled motor vehicles.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
15
DOUBLE TROUBLE
BRENT RIEKER’S TWIN-SUPERCHARGED 1966 CHEVY NOVA Chassis Type & Mods: Custom rectangular tube chassis with chromoly cage by Rieker Machine. Sportsman 8.5 cert.
and fat Goodyear Eagle slicks aft and are stopped by a matched quartet of Wilwood disc binders. With the chassis work all sorted, Rieker turned his attention to paint and body, where he pretty much just
trusted the engineers at General Motors to handle the beautification. The mostly-steel 1966 Chevy II body was treated to a fiberglass cowl induction hood and deck lid but otherwise left stock. Even the paint color—
Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Mustang II with tubular upper & lower control arms, custom drop spindles, and QA1 single-adjustable coilovers. Rack & pinion steering and Wilwood disc brakes. REAR: Custom Competition Engineering 4-link with panhard bar and QA1 double-adjustable coilover shocks. Wilwood disc brakes. Body & Paint: Steel GM body with fiberglass hood and decklid. Prep and paint by Terry’s Auto Body in Oceanside, California. Factory Artisan Turquoise color in PPG basecoat/clearcoat. NOS and restored factory trim and brightwork retained. Engine: DART 400 block with Scat crank and Scat H-beam rods and JE 9:1 pistons. RHS aluminum cylinder heads with 2.02 intake and 1.6-inch exhaust valves. Milodon deep sump oil pan. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock aluminum intake and Quick Fuel 850 blow-through carb. Custom fabricated aluminum hat & ducting system. Aeromotive variable pressure electric pump. Power Adders: Twin belt-driven Vortech V-2 superchargers and NOS Cheater nitrous system currently jetted for 185-shot. Custom machined aluminum drive brackets by Rieker Machine. Electronics & Ignition: MSD 7AL3 box. MSD Pro Billet distributor and MSD 8 mm wires. Transmission & Driveline: Turbo 400 with TCI 4,000 RPM stall converter. Differential: Narrowed 9-inch Ford housing. Strange 35-spline axles with Strange 4.56 gears. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15 x 3.5-inch polished Weld Draglite wheels with 25x4.5-15 Moroso front runner tires. REAR:15 x 14-inch polished Weld Draglites with 31x19-15 Goodyear Eagle slicks. Performance (eighth-mile): 5.50 et @ undisclosed MPH. Special Thanks: Brad Woodard, Phil Woodard, Monte Woodard at Machine Tech, Curt Beam, Kris at Paradise Motorsports.
16
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
JUICED AND BOOST The DART 400 small block was built to withstand the abuses of life on the track with a Scat crank and H-beam rods along with JE pistons. The purdy blue bottle in the trunk is a dead giveaway that Rieker is using more than just blowers to boost power. The deep sump pan is from Milodon.
Artisan Turquoise— was a factory-available hue. The well-detailed shell features all the perfect factory trim and brightwork as well as the original factory glass. But’s let’s be honest here…as cool as that
ATTENTION TO DETAIL Every step of the Nova’s construction was tackled with craftsmanship and precision.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
17
WHO’S THE FAIREST? chassis and body work may be, they aren’t the reason a machinist chose to build a fast muscle car. It was always all about the power. And Rieker had a unique idea in mind when it came time to piece together the little Deuce’s heart. Rieker started with a Dart 400 ci block and fitted it with a Scat crank, Scat H-beam rods, and boost-friendly 9:1 JE pistons. A custom grind roller cam was selected, and a pair of
18
free-flowing RHS aluminum heads were massaged and readied for use. The unique induction system consists of a pair of belt-driven Vortech V-2 superchargers mounted via custom machined billet brackets. A 185-horse shot NOS Cheater plate nitrous system has also been sandwiched between the Edelbrock aluminum intake and Quick Fuel 850 blowthrough carb. An Aeromotive variable pressure electric pump
keeps the high test flowing freely, while a custom machined aluminum hat and one-off induction tubing complete the form and the function. The combo was good for 865 horses before nitrous, and Rieker is confident that there’s more where that came from. A GM TH400 automatic trans has been equipped with a TCI 4,000 RPM stall converter and further beefed up to keep pace with the double-blown small block.
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
The bright aluminum interior has been buffed to a mirror-like finish, while the chromoly cage adds stiffness and safety.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
19
Inside, the machinist’s craftsmanship and attention to detail is evident, as a full polished aluminum interior, trunk and firewall adds some blingy goodness to the build. A pair of fabricated aluminum racing buckets have been outfitted with
20
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
Simpson 3-inch harnesses, and a gaggle of Autometer analog instruments have been column mounted behind a quick-release steering wheel. All vestiges of carpeting, door panels, and headliner have been removed for the sake of weight reduction,
but the cockpit still manages to retain a refined, finished look and feel absent in many drag cars. Rieker has piloted the Nova to a best of 5.55 in the eighth and is confident he can dip that number south of the 5.40s in the near future. But in the
DOUBLE TROUBLE
3,000+ HP PRO MOD C7 Z06
3.84 @ 194 mph, ProCharger F-3R-136
(913) 338-2886 • www.procharger.com
F-3X NEW UCES D PRO 0+ HP ! 3,50
Our industry-leading, extremely rugged superchargers have helped customers win more records and championships over the past 15 years than every direct competitor combined. No matter your class of choice, call us today to take your racing and winning to the next level.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
21
DOUBLE TROUBLE meantime, he’s enjoying it— and the group of friends supporting him in his efforts—just the way it is. “Brad Woodard was my shop foreman and bought the company from me in 2014. He’s a huge talent and is responsible for the chassis and building of the frame, ride height and so much more. I am very lucky to have him and his Family help me,” Rieker said. “We had problems getting down the track, and Phil Woodard made the chassis work with just one visit. After spinning the
cam bearings on the dyno, Monte Woodard at Machine Tech changed the cam and put the motor back together,” he added. Others have helped, too. “Curt Beam did the sheet metal at CRB, and Kris at Paradise Motorsports helped me with the tune. It’s been a blast,” he concluded. And it doesn’t hurt that that “blast” is further pressurized by not one but two blowers and further encouraged by nearly 200 horses worth of laughing gas!
CREW’D BEHAVIOR ABOVE RIGHT (L to R): Brett Reiker, Phil Woodard, Spencer Simonini, and Brad Woodard enjoy working together to help the little Chevy perform on the track.
Chassis Engineering’s Four-Link Suspension and Subframe Kits
(Square & Round Tube Avilable) • Mandrel bent 2” X 3” frame rails, .083” or .120” • 1-3/4” x .134” round tube rails • 1-3/4” or 1-5/8” x .083” chromoly rails • Adjustable lower shock mounts • Strange Engineering aluminum coil overs with springs • Four-link of your choice • 4130 chromoly rod ends • Drive shaft loop • Bolt-on diagonal link • Upper shock cross member
NOTES: Rear end housing not included. Fabricated 9” and Dana housings available. Available welded or unwelded.
Starting from $1,484.95 Call for more details
The chassis prof30esyesioarnas ls for over 22
Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 Info & Tech: 561-863-2188
chassisengineering.com
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
23
story by
Toby Brooks
“I
t’s a long story,” said Tulsa, Oklahoma native Robert Martin. “It was a friend’s car and
24
photos by
Patrick Williams
he started building it back in 1992. It was an on-again/off-again project for 10 years and finally he sold it,” he said. Little did he know his path would cross
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
with the unfinished Chevy again. After all, it had been part of his life nearly as long as he could remember and it was only a matter of time before a wicked, brutally fast
ride was his to play with. “I started racing when I turned 16 and got my driver’s license,” Martin said. Along with his buddies from high school,
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
25
SNOWBALLED the gang would work on their cars all week and then take them to Saturday night midnight drags at nearby Tulsa Raceway Park to throw down and establish bragging rights. “The cars we raced were slow, but just being out there with all my friends was some of the most fun I can remember,” he said. A brief foray into bracket racing followed, but after a while, home and family started pulling Martin away from his time at the track. “Finally, I stepped away from racing altogether,” he added. At least for a while. Once the kids
were grown and gone, Martin found himself with time on his hands again so he offered to pitch in with a friend’s sprint car. It wasn’t drag racing, but just being around the open headers and spent race fumes was enough to rekindle that old love for straight line speed. “When I realized that drag racing was what I wanted to do, I started looking online for a car to build and found the unfinished car that I had wanted to build years before,” he said. However, with a family and the responsibilities that come along with it, he hadn’t
WARMED UP Martin heats the hides before another run. The wild airbrushed paint and hidden headlight grille is certainly cool, but most competitors probably only get to see the Chevy’s taillights!
THE HEAT & SOUND
AUTHORITY
PROTECTIVE LINE SLEEVE
Beat the Heat Before It Beats You! What kind of problems are created by engine heat? When engines create power, they also create heat. Underhood components such as wiring, cables, lines and hoses are susceptible to the harmful and damaging effects of heat that can break down mechanisms prematurely. And it’s not just heat. Moisture, oil, dirt, road and track grime are other environmental factors that can cause damage.
any vehicle. This protection is a relatively inexpensive preventive measure compared to the parts and labor costs of replacement. It can be as simple as covering the hose or line with products specifically designed to protect them from the heat and other damage.
Why should I protect my under-hood components?
Protecting a vehicle’s electrical wiring, coolant hoses and other lines is vital to the overall performance and operation of
For more from Design Engineering, Inc., go to DesignEngineering.com/TechCorner
26
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
With so many different components doing different things, how do I know which sleeve to use?
DEI offers over a dozen affordable and highly effective cable, hose and line protection solutions. From insulating to reflecting damaging heat, there are several effective options that feature
Available at
flexibility, different temperature ratings and are light weight. Protection for spark plug wires to prevent burning and cracking Installation is easy with What kind of DEI products sleeving that simply wraps around wiring, would you recommend? secures with hook and loop closure or Choose from the popular selling DEI Heat slides over. Sheath™, the highly abrasion-resistant EXO™ How do they work? Series Sleeve with its stainless-steel outer Utilizing different types of braided glass covering, the new Vapor Block™ fuel line and basalt base material, the various styles sleeve or the extremely light-weight, racing of DEI sleeves/shrouds protect components application, Ultra 47™ Sheath. such as wiring, cables, hoses, fuel/oil/brake/ DEI has the correct wire, cable, hose and transmission lines-even speedometer cables. line solution to protect you from potential They work by reflecting heat away or insuunder-hood, heat-related problems later, lating from heat, in turn, protecting critical when you least expect them. components from thermal damage. Depending on your needs, some sleeves can protect up to 1800°F direct heat and 2500°F radiant. These coverings also protect from cold, moisture, oil, dirt, road and track grime.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
27
LOW SLUNG STYLE The full tube chassis is equipped with Menscer shocks all the way around, while the polished Mickey Thompson Pro5 wheels compliment the wild paint scheme nicely.
RULE THE
28
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
STRIP
SNOWBALLED
been able to build the car of his dreams. Finally he could. “I had lost track of the car, but in 2013 I happened to come across it,” he said. Always wanting a full tube chassis car, the ’68 not only had the “bones for goin’” but it had also never been finished—meaning it hadn’t been thrashed and beaten to death. It was essentially a new car that just
needed finished. The aforementioned full chromoly tube chassis was a good starting point but by no means complete. Martin got the car back to his shop where he spent the next year updating and finishing major fabrication including suspension and a full sheetmetal interior. Up front, Menscer double-adjustable shocks were partnered with Strange disc brakes to smooth
the bumps and slow the roll, respectively. Out back, a custom Skyview Race Cars 4-link is suspended via another pair of double-adjustable shocks and a dual caliper-per-wheel Strange disc brake setup. Apparently the factory GM sheetmetal on the car had seen better days. “The car was taken to Street Dreamz Auto Body where we assessed the damage and decided
Jeff Kline photos
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
29
SNOWBALLED that it would be cheaper to cut the body off and replace it with a fiberglass shell. A 4-inch cowl hood was included along with an aluminum rear wing. “This was before everyone decided composite bodies couldn’t be used in no prep, so future plans may involve replacing it with a steel shell or building a new car altogether,” he added.
After mounting the new shell, the crew at Street Dreamz spent the next two weeks completing the wild multi-hued riveted steel tear away airbrushed graphics, where a striking red and black two-tone is split with a faux-bare metal fuselage-looking paint scheme. The end result is
A GLOBALLY TRUSTED NAME IN
HIGH PERFORMANCE RACE PISTONS! TRUSTED BY TODAYS TOP RACERS! Through nearly 40 years of hard work and dedication to superior product development, Ross Racing Pistons has become a global name in high performance racing components.
Ross Racing Pistons can be found under the hood of Big Chief’s “Crowmod” and Doc’s “Street Beast” from The Discovery Channels Street Outlaws, as well as Top PDRA Pro-Boost Racers like Melanie Salemi, Todd Tutterow and the entire Galot Motorsports Race Team! facebook.com/rosspistons @rosspistons sales@rosspistons.com ONLINE
30
310.536.0100 WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
ROBERT MARTIN’S 1968 CAMARO Chassis Type & Mods: Full tube chassis and fabricated aluminum interior. Front clip updated by Skyview Race Cars. Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Menscer double-adjustable shocks. Strange disc brakes. REAR: Menscer double-adjustable coilover shocks with custom 4-link and brackets by Skyview Race Cars. Strange disc brakes. Body & Paint: Fiberglass replacement body with cowl induction hood and pro stock-style aluminum rear wing. Custom paint and air brush graphics work Street Dreamz Auto Body in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Engine: 588 ci big block Chevy by Dyno Services of Oklahoma. Brodix aluminum block, Callies crank, GRP aluminum connecting rods, and Ross pistons. Hunter aluminum heads ported and flowed by Weingartner Racing. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock Victor, Jr. aluminum intake with Wilson 105mm throttle body and Billet Atomizer 16-injector system. Power Adders: Twin Comp 91mm oil-less turbos. Hot and cold side induction fabrication by Skyview Racing. Electronics & Ignition: FuelTech FT600 system installed and wired by Toyspeed Motorsports. Transmission & Driveline: Two-speed Turbo 400 by BTE Transmissions. Reid aluminum case. BTE 4,500 RPM stall converter. Differential: Quick Performance fabricated and narrowed 9-inch housing. Strange Ultra case with Strange 40-spline axles. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: Spindle-mount 15x3.5-inch polished Weld Racing V-Series wheels with 25x4.5-15 Mickey Thompson ET Front tires. REAR: Double beadlocked 16x16-inch polished Mickey Thompson Pro 5 wheels with 33.5x17-16 Hoosier slicks.
Features
TSV Technology
Rick Kowalczykowski photos
We started from a clean sheet to create the most efficient, most advanced supercharger ever created for GM LS engines. Our revolutionary new intercooler design delivers more power than the competition run-after-run, regardless of how hot it is outside. With factory-like drivability, a bypass valve for enhanced fuel economy, and OEM-level fit and finish that looks great under the hood, Magnuson's Heartbeat is true horsepower without compromise.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
31
SNOWBALLED a memorable look for the “Twisted Okie.” With a paint job that wild, you better be able to back it up with some serious muscle, and the Camaro certainly does. Starting with a goal of 3,000 horses, Martin tabbed Dyno Services of Oklahoma to machine and assemble the lightweight but bulletproof 588 ci big block. A Brodix block was stuffed
with a Callies crank and GRP aluminum rods swinging Ross pistons. A roller cam commands the valvetrain, while a pair of ported and flowed Hunter aluminum heads from Weingartner Racing direct the intake and exhaust with minimal restriction. Induction for the Camaro consists of a pair of Comp 91mm oil-less
DRAG DETAIL The candy red chassis, chrome accents, and pleat-style tinwork proves this isn’t some clapped out drag car. The Quick Tim Lewis photos Performance fabbed rear is powder coated black for contrast.
Soft Line Kits Now Available!
Our kits have a larger diameter tubing than competitors’ kits resulting in more horsepower from similar tunes
Our kits have options for different solenoids, nozzles, and jets because we know every racecar is NOT the same!
In order to be the BEST, you have to have the BEST!
www.inductionsolutions.com • (352)593-5900 • www.woodys-plumbing.com
32
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
33
34
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
SNOWBALLED
EVIL TWINS The twin 91mm Comp oil-lees turbos push oodles of boost through Skyview Racing fabricated induction tubing, helping the 588 ci BBC breathe easier.
turbos blowing through Skyview Racing-fabricated hot and cold side tubing. An Edelbrock Victor, Jr. aluminum intake has been equipped with a 16-injector system featuring Billet Atomizer injectors driven by a Fuel Tech FT-600 controller. A Wilson 105mm throttle body directs the pressurized atmosphere appropriately. A beefy BTE TH400 trans in a Reid
aluminum case with a BTE 4,500 rpm stall converter backs the potent powerplant. Out back, a fabricated 9-inch rear was equipped with Strange 40-spline axles and a Strange Ultra case before a pair of ginormous Mickey Thompson 16x16 double beadlocked wheels with massive Hoosier slicks were bolted in place. Up front, a lightweight
and stylish pair of spindle-mount V-series wheels with M/T ET Fronts minimize the rotating mass and look darn cool doing it. The unique red sheetmetal interior has a look of diamond tuck interior, but such is a well-executed series of bead rolled details, instead. A lone fabricated racing bucket sits on the driver’s side, while the passenger side is home
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
35
SNOWBALLED to a Mezeire remote electric water pump and a CO2 cylidner. An M&M Racecraft shifter is mounted to the trans tunnel, and a quick release lightweight sprint car style steering wheel eases ingress/egress. Much of the Toyspeed Motorsports-installed wiring has been cleverly and cleanly hidden behind Dzus-fastened beauty panels for a sleek, uncluttered look. The finished product is more than Martin originally bargained for, but beautiful and fast nonetheless. “I only intended to build an 8-second car to go have fun. It has kind of snowballed into way more than what was originally intended,” he added. Indeed it has, Robert—and we here at RPM couldn’t be happier about it!
36
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
SHOW QUALITY As this clean cockpit proves, a fully finished interior doesn’t always mean plush leather and cushy seating surfaces.
Nitrous Power Buy Factory Direct! Nitrous Supply, the company headed by Mike Thermos (founder of NOS) is a primary resource of components used by many popular brands. The company now offers compete nitrous oxide kits for racing and street applications.
NEW!
t SupePrasdjuhso ta b le 1 2 5 -2 5 0 H
For Holley 4150 or 4500
O nl y
5 $379.9 erican-made
t of Am This complete ki es: ud cl in components lb. bottle (blue) 0 1 um in lief • Alum ve with safety re al v • Hi-Flo 660 ts • Bottle bracke s) . bottle (fits 10 and 15 lb eel line (14 ft.) st s es nl ai Get everything st d de • Brai you need to olenoids l s ue F plumb a manifo nd ts ke • Nitrous a as g ld yourself; ith w te la p us stainless steel l • Thin 5/8” nitro s (4) ines, ud st b no ar zzles, fittings, e • Longer c itches tc. er and arming sw el • Throttle trigg fu d an s ou itr r n fo gs in • Filter fitt 50, 200 Similar systems also available • Jets for 100, 1 ts for EFI applications at $379.95 and 250 HP sho
Do-It-Yourself Plumbing Kits
Bottles Galore!
Nitrous Supply has aluminum bottles in a multitude of standard and “candy” colors and sizes ranging up to 64 lbs. Includes Hi-Flo bottle valve with gauge port. Our most popular sizes are: 10#.......$201.50 15#.......$241.50
Refill Stations
Ideal for high volume
Properly delivering and atomizing fuel and nitrous is the key to power. NS offers a range of Fogger-style nozzles up to the new “Fang II” design that outperforms anything on the market today. Let our experts help you set up the most effective system for your application.
Solenoids
PLUMBED FOGGER SYSTEMS
Supercharger Setups
Optimize the power available through your supercharger performance retailers, with a custom-built plate the N/S station runs off from Nitrous Supply. We your shop’s compressed can build a readyair to quickly and to-install system or safely refill nitrous provide you with the bottles. Complete with components to do plumbing, hose, and it yourself. Call for gauge. New sportsman details. pump refill station starting at $799 Only $3.95 each when purchased in handy 56-jet kit. ™
REPLACE WITH NEW nitrous usersCOPY or
New Hi-Flo Fang
Nozzles
Send your intak e m our experienced anifold to NS and te professionally s chnicians will et up a system to specifications. P y riced from $400 our . Call for quote.
Upgrade your system or build a new one with the latest in solenoids from Nitrous Supply. They range from small solenoids that can support 175HP to high capacity 800 HP-rated models, including “Trash Can” and “Dragon” styles. Nobody has more experience with nitrous than our staff…call for personalized tech assistance.
Powervalve
Absolutely the highest flowing valve on the market, it accepts an extra large 5/8" siphon tube and AN-8 outlet. Quick ¼-turn for on/off and spring-loaded safety pin to prevent accidental opening, the exclusive N/S Powervalve™ fits all popular 5-20 lb. aluminum or carbon fiber bottles.
ight R e h T t Parts a s Who t h g i R e Get Th m The Expert ! t o Price Fr trous Oxide Bes Know Ni
Jets
Get the maximum power from your system through jetting it. Our premium quality stainless steel (not brass) jets are precision made and totally consistent. Individual jets…$4.50
Components
Everything you need to build a new system, or refurbish an existing NOS, N/X, Zex, Edelbrock or other nitrous kit is available from Nitrous Supply. This includes lines, fittings, distribution blocks, jets, solenoids and other parts that will enable you to increase power.
Visit www.NitrousSupply.com or call
714-373-1986
The NS tech team includes Mike Thermos, the nitrous pioneer who founded NOS over 40 years ago and “Pro Mod Wad” Haman, who has been working with the world’s quickest nitrous racers for over 30 years. Nobody has more experience in nitrous than the NS team!
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
37
SHOP TALK
THE BUILD PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE JT
story and photos by
I
t doesn’t matter what you are building—a daily driver, a classic show car, a weekend street pounder, a quarter-mile bracket car, or
38
an all-out 3500 horsepower Pro Mod—much patience will be needed to see the project come to completion. All of us have some type of specialty when it comes to building our cars. Some of us have exception-
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
al fabrication and mechanical skills, while others excel in design and autobody/ paint. Some may be wiring specialists or transmission gurus. But one thing I believe in my heart to be true is that no one can
be world-class at every specialty. There is simply too much time, money, and equipment to invest in to be an island of your own. Let’s use me as an example. Being the son and apprentice of an old-school
master craftsman, I have been blessed to be mentored to hone skills in multiple specialties. Wiring, custom design and fabrication, suspension, mechanicals, and tuning emerge as my strong points. Machin-
1: Try to remember that when you ask someone a favor, it HAS to be on their time—not yours.
2
2: At the end of the day, good things come to those who wait. The wait part is the only problem.
1
3: While you are waiting for someone else to work on your car, it’s a great and wise opportunity to attack your “honey-do” list and get as much as humanly possible completed. When your car comes back, you will have no time left to get anything done around the house. ing, transmissions, and autobody are without a doubt my weaknesses. I have found specialists in these areas who I respect and rely upon when it comes to my own vehicles. These specialists all have a
business to run and can’t shut their shop down every time I need help with Big Red. While I may understand this cold and hard fact, I do not have to like it. I have an extreme work ethic and have
no problem at all spending an entire night in the shop so I can finish a project. I have gone without sleep hundreds of times in order to get the job done and done on time. The way I see it, sleep is
3
4: It has been said that patience is a virtue. I say it is clearly a virtue that I have not developed at all.
4
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
39
SHOP TALK overrated and takes up way too much of the limited time we have here on Planet Gearhead. The great Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “If you need more than 6 hours of sleep, you need to learn how to sleep faster!” In a previous article, I explored how to get what you pay for, and how when you are pulling favors from friends, you often “don’t get what you aren’t paying for.” Such is the case with me and the recent upgrades to Big Red that are out of my wheelhouse. The warm weather is finally showing a glimpse of better days and my car is nowhere near ready to enjoy it. They say that patience is a virtue. This is definitely a virtue I have not mastered yet. My mind is so focused on getting my car back into my shop so that I can begin reassembling it for what will be the fourth or fifth time that I can barely think of anything else. Once assembled, there is testing to be done. After testing, there is tuning and then any necessary modifications that are of course followed by more testing. By the grace of God, there is at some point a moment in time where your car is doing what it is supposed to do and is bringing you joy. This is the elusive pink unicorn that I’ve written about before. Until that unicorn decides to show its face, we must all remember that our cars are NEVER truly quite finished and are a
40
constant work in progress. It’s only when it leaves our own shop that patience—or a lack thereof—tries to steal our joy. What can we do in the meantime? We can make sure all of the parts we need are ordered and waiting to be installed when our cars arrive back home. We can give the garage a good cleaning and organize our hardware. We can attack the broken fence, stuck kitchen window, leaky shower faucet, or change the air filters in the house. While we are at it, we may as well give the daily driver a tune up, oil change, and a thorough detailing. Accomplishing all of this should give us some grace with our significant other for when we get completely absorbed in getting our cars back together. Admit it: you know that life around you comes to a complete stop when you are thrashing on getting the car ready for something. For me, this is usually May through October. Well my friends, I will leave you with another deep thought until next month: they say that patience is a virtue, and it tests not only our faith but the very core of who we actually are as a person. While I may feel like a crying little three year-old who can’t wait for his ice cream, I aspire to roll with the punches of life and accept that some things are just out of my control. Until next time – keep wrenching!
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
5: There is a fine line between being curious about any progress on your build and being obsessed with every detail. I have zero patience and understanding for projects being delayed or simply “put on the back burner.” 6: When you set that skill dial to expert, you better be ready to wait. Experts have a long and weary waiting list because their finished product is worth it.
5 7: The specialist or specialists in your life are priceless. They are experts at something you are not. Treat them as royalty and understand that they are in high demand.
6
7
8
8: Time is a tricky thing. It either flies at the speed of light, or it lingers on forever causing you much grief. Very rarely does it fall into our own time table the way we want it to. This is why it is best to develop that much sought-after virtue called patience.
SHINE. FOR lONgER.
Achieve perfect paintwork with teamwork. At Autoglym we’ve been developing car care products that work seamlessly for over 40 years so you could say we know a thing or two about paintwork. Your 3-step cleaning routine for bodywork combines Autoglym Bodywork Wash & Wax our award winning Super Resin Polish and Extra gloss Protection. It’s a winning combination that provides a superior shine, is quick and easy to use and more durable than ever, which means you and your car get to look good for longer. Clean, Polish, Protect for perfect results. That’s the Autoglym way. Always has been. ≤≤≤≤≤
www.autoglym.com
P A S S I O N for P E R F E C T I O N
Now exclusively available at Canadian Tire and PartSource
42
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
story by
James Williams photos by
Jerry Garrison
P
arenting is hard work. Most any parent worth their salt is constantly faced with
the struggle between wanting to give their kid the best, most fun childhood possible while also not unleashing an ungrateful, insufferable brat
on the world. Give your kid too much and they’ll never learn the value of a dollar. Work them too hard and you’ll go to jail for child abuse
and violation of child labor laws. The struggle is real. Chris Whitney’s folks might be considered old-school in
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
43
PAPER CHASIN’
刀椀瘀攀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀
䴀甀氀琀椀ⴀ䘀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 唀渀氀椀洀椀琀攀搀 倀漀猀猀椀戀椀氀椀琀椀攀猀 䄀嘀䄀䬀 䴀愀砀䐀甀琀礀 䘀氀攀砀 吀漀漀氀 䬀椀琀 ∠ ㌀ⴀ椀渀ⴀ㨀 刀椀瘀攀琀Ⰰ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀 ∠ 䘀氀攀砀椀戀氀攀 栀愀渀搀氀攀猀 昀漀爀 攀愀猀礀 猀琀漀爀愀最攀 眀椀琀栀漀甀琀 氀漀漀猀椀渀最 愀渀礀 氀攀瘀攀爀愀最攀⸀ ∠ 唀渀椀焀甀攀 儀甀椀挀欀匀眀椀琀挀栀 昀攀愀琀甀爀攀 昀漀爀 爀愀瀀椀搀 昀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 挀栀愀渀最攀 ∠ 䠀攀愀瘀礀 搀甀琀礀 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀椀渀最 猀琀愀椀渀氀攀猀猀 昀愀猀 昀愀猀琀攀渀攀爀猀 愀渀搀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀愀氀 昀愀猀琀攀渀攀爀猀
刀椀瘀攀琀
today’s society, but that’s fine by him. At the tender age of 13, he fell in love with this classic 1967 Ford Fairlane 500—but he didn’t beg Mom or Dad to cut a check. Instead, he ponied up his own hardearned dough collected while completing his duties on a neighborhood newspaper route. And he learned some
valuable lessons along the way. “My family has always been passionate about cars—especially Fords,” the California native said. His grandfather worked at a Ford dealership back in the day and his parents courtship began after meeting at the hallowed Bonneville Salt Flats. With a family that was crazy about fast
⼀㐀ᴠ ⠀㘀⸀㐀洀洀⤀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⼀㈀ᴠ ⼀ 䴀㈀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀 㔀⼀㘀ᴠ ⼀ 䴀㠀
刀椀瘀攀琀⼀刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 䐀爀椀氀氀 䄀搀愀瀀琀攀爀猀
䔀û漀爀琀氀攀猀猀 愀渀搀 䔀ϻ挀椀攀渀琀 䜀攀琀 琀栀攀 樀漀戀 搀漀渀攀 昀愀猀琀 䄀嘀䄀䬀 刀嘀䐀 愀渀搀 刀一䐀 䐀爀椀氀氀 䄀搀愀瀀琀攀爀猀 ∠ 䰀攀瘀攀爀愀最攀 琀栀攀 瀀漀眀攀爀 漀昀 瀀漀眀攀爀 琀漀漀氀 昀漀爀 攀û漀爀琀氀攀猀猀 爀椀瘀攀琀椀渀最 ∠ 唀瀀 琀漀 ㈀砀 愀猀 昀愀猀琀 愀猀 洀愀渀甀愀氀 琀漀漀氀猀 ∠ 匀洀愀氀氀 瀀爀漀漀氀攀 昀漀爀 攀砀琀爀攀洀攀 瀀漀爀琀愀戀椀氀椀琀礀 ∠ 唀猀攀 礀漀甀爀 搀爀椀氀氀 昀漀爀 搀爀椀氀氀椀渀最 愀渀搀 爀椀瘀攀琀椀渀最⸀ 一漀琀 漀渀攀 漀爀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀⸀ 䴀漀搀攀氀猀
刀嘀䐀ⴀ 㨀 唀瀀 琀漀 ⼀㐀ᴠ 爀椀瘀攀琀猀 刀一䐀ⴀ ⴀ嬀匀⼀䴀崀㨀 唀瀀 琀漀 ㌀⼀㠀ᴠ 漀爀 䴀 爀椀瘀攀琀 渀甀琀猀
FLYING IRON 刀一䐀ⴀ
刀嘀䐀ⴀ
44
圀圀圀⸀刀䤀䐀䜀䔀䜀䄀吀䔀吀伀伀䰀匀⸀䌀伀䴀
刀䤀䐀䜀䔀䜀䄀吀䔀 吀伀伀䰀匀 ☀ 吀䔀䌀䠀
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
The well maintained and meticulously restored Ford factory sheetmetal has been sprayed 2008 Ford White. Aside from the Mickey Thompson Pro5 wheels, the look is nearly factory fresh.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
45
Fords, the Fairlane was a logical choice. By the age of 17, Whitney was ready to start on his dream of turning it into a fierce competitor in Stock Eliminator with the help of his dad. Unfortunately, the elder Whitney passed before the car could be completed. “I put ‘Daddy’s Dream on the car out of respect for my dad,” he said. Whitney then spent the next 17 years successfully campaigning the car in NHRA events. With the help of friend Robert Pond, Whitney and his Ford held two different records in two different classes for five years straight. However, despite the achievements, years of racing and abuse had taken their toll, so he opted for a full restore and rebuild in 2011.
46
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
ROTISSERIE-STYLE Most folks who underwent a painstaking nut-and-bolt restoration wouldn’t dream of doing a burnout, let alone running at the track. Not Whitney though!
PAPER CHASIN’
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
47
PAPER CHASIN’ “I took the car down to the bare metal and did a rotisserie-style restoration,” he said. The bare shell was prepped and the entire car was stitch welded for added rigidity. The stock-style front suspension was retained but upgraded with Afco double-adjustable shocks. Out back, a 9-inch Ford housing was assembled by Speedway Engineering, who beefed it up with internal
bracing, Mark Williams 35-spline axles, and a Mark Williams spool. Suspension consists of factory mounts with mono leaf springs, DMR traction bars, and Calvert rear shocks. Braking chores are handled by Lamb discs up front and 11-inch factory drums in back. Tires and wheels were updated during the resto, too, where a pair of 15x4-inch polished Mickey Thompson
Pro5s with MT front tires fill the factory openings nicely and a meatier pair of 15x10-inch double beadlocked Pro5s with 29.5x915 MT slicks stuff the stretched rear wheelwells. Speaking of which—the laser-straight exterior is devoid of any mods other than those stretched openings, and Ford Auto Body handled the paint and prep work, eventually slathering the Ford
READY FOR THE
NOT ‘TIL YOU’VE CHECKED WITH VP! DON'T LEAVE POWER ON THE TABLE
VP East
(DE)
VP South
(GA) (706) 335-3355 I vpsouth@vpracingfuels.com
For assistance with fuel selection and tuning, contact VP Tech Support today!
VP Midwest (IN)
(812) 466-1175 I vpmidwest@vpracingfuels.com
VP Central
(TX)
(210) 635-7744 I vphq@vpracingfuels.com
DragTech@VPRacingFuels.com or 812-878-2025
VP West
(CA) (951) 696-5100 I vppacific@vpracingfuels.com
(302) 368-1500 I vpatlantic@vpracingfuels.com
VPRacingFuels.com
48
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
49
PAPER CHASIN’ steel with 2008 Ford White basecoat/clearcoat. The factory chrome and polished brightwork was all painstakingly restored by Ace Plating in Van Nuys, California and the finished product is a gorgeous throwback muscle car look with the tires and wheels adding just a hint of modern flavor. That muscle car vibe is further fortified in the dog house, where a wellbuilt, high-compression, naturally aspirated 427 Ford medium-riser powerplant resides. Starting with a Robert Pond aftermarket cast iron block, beefy internals were added in the form of a Castillos Crankshaft-modified steel crank, Carrillo rods, and 14.8:1 CP pistons. No cheap gas for this bad boy! A Line Performance custom roller cam directs the valvetrain, and Barrington Machine handled all the machine work C5AF heads were outfitted with adjustable
rockers that are actuated by Manton pushrods. Induction consists of a factory 427 Sidewinder intake with a 780 cfm carb built by Jason Line. A whole host of MSD ignition products light the fires, and spent gases exit via Ref Custom 2-step headers with merge collectors. Backing the strong mill is a Jerico 4-speed tranny with a McLeod clutch and a lightened aluminum flywheel. Whitney fabricated the custom clutch linkage himself using roller bearings and Heim joints. Inside, the car sports a well restored interior with a vinyl covered bench seat and a padded cage all done to perfection by Chatsworth Upholstery. A monster tach on the dash compliments a trio of Autometer instruments mounted within it, and Simpson safety belts are partnered with a Simpson helmet and
DELIVERING PERFORMANCE WITH INNOVATIVE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS
SMART PRO(duct) www.mahle-aftermarket.com
H-Series performance bearings have high crush for better seating
All Clevite® engine bearings are manufactured on OE equipment, using OE knowledge
Visit us at PRI booth #1601
50
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
Clevite® engine bearings have a precision wall tolerance of +/- .00015“ with strong, extra thin overlays to withstand high loading
CHRIS WHITNEY’S STOCK ELIMINATOR 1967 FORD FAIRLANE Chassis Type & Mods: Factory Ford chassis taken down to bare metal in rotisserie-style restoration. Custom fabricated 8-point chromoly cage. Suspension & Brakes: Factory front suspension with Afco doubleadjustable shocks. Lamb Components discs. REAR: Factory configuration with mono-leaf rear springs, ¾-inch Heim joints, DMR traction bars, and Calvert Suspension rear shocks. Factory 11-inch drum brakes. Body & Paint: All steel body (3,600 pounds with driver) with stretched rear wheel openings by Chris Whitney. 2008 Ford White basecoat/clearcoat paint by Ford Auto Body. All factory chrome & stainless brightwork restored to factory look by Ace Plating. Engine: 427 Ford medium-riser with cast iron Robert Pond Motorsports aftermarket block (bored 0.050 over). 391 steel crank modified by Castillos Crankshaft. Carillo rods and CP Pistons 14.8:1 compression pistons with Total Seal rings. C5AF Ford heads with 2.19-inch intake/1.73-inch exhaust valves, stock adjustable rockers, and Manton pushrods. Line Performance custom roller camshaft. CVR water pump. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Factory 427 Ford Sidewinder aluminum intake with 780 cfm Holley carb built by Jason Line. Power Adder: None. Electronics & Ignition: MSD 7AL3 ignition with MSD Pro Billet distributor, Pro Power coil, ignition wires, and two-step delay box. Transmission & Driveline: Jerico 4-speed manual transmission with McLeod clutch, lightened aluminum flywheel, soft-lock clutch, and 10-inch pressure plate. Long shifter with Hurst T-handle and custom shift rods. Differential: 9-inch Ford rear by Speedway Engineering. Lamb Components custom center section with 35-spline Mark Williams axles and spool. Special Thanks: “Thanks to my wife Jill for always supporting my crazy hobby. The Whitney family and Lance & Jason Line for all the support over the years. Paul Lee at McLeod Clutches, Mickey Thompson Tires, Rick Panneton at CP-Carrillo, Kevin Studaker at Total Seal, Chris at Cometic Gaskets, and Ref Headers.”
WELL RESTORED The Fairlane sports a clean, uncluttered interior. Chatsworth Upholstery recovered the factory bench seat and padded covers for the 8-point chromoly cage. The 5-inch dash-mounted monster tach looks cool behind the factory steering wheel. Meanwhile, the spartan trunk is now home to a 5-gallon fuel cell and a Holley electric fuel pump. Matt Trombley photos
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
51
PAPER CHASIN’
driving suit on race day. A Long shifter works in concert with that increasingly peculiar third pedal to ensure quick launches when the hammer is dropped and the clutch is dumped. In the trunk, the spacious but spartan cargo area has been equipped with a 5-gallon Jaz fuel cell, an Optima battery, and Holley 150 electric pump. The clean ½-inch stainless
52
hardlines are Whitney’s handiwork, too. The re-finished product is a fitting tribute to a Ford-crazy family with a penchant for straight-line speed. “I’ve held records in F/S with a 390 engine and B/S with a 427, and I’ve won class eliminations in this car for 25 years,” Whitney said. “My dad and I started building the car when I was 17, but he passed away when I was 18 and never got to see me
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
race in it,” he concluded. There’s absolutely no doubt he’d be one proud papa of this potent Ford. Our only question is just how fast Chris can deliver the news in it these days?
RAPID DELIVERY Chris Whitney proudly shows his Fairlane. No doubt it’s way faster than the bike he used to sling papers off of.
The latest technology for your Big Block Chevy 3D milling
OTHER BRANDS 2.930'' JE FSR 2.500''
Introducing Lightweight Big Block Chevy FSR Pistons with 3D Milling! This new design was custom-engineered with 3D machining and drastically reduces piston assembly weight with shortened wrist pins (-26 grams) and a low-friction ring set (-25 grams). The end result provides additional material in critical piston areas, ultimately increasing strength and durability! • The only off-the-shelf 3D machined BBC piston available! • 60 popular BBC high compression combinations available off-the-shelf • Compatible with popular open chamber heads • 2618 alloy high strength forging (FEA designed) • Lateral gas ports improve ring seal • Superior JE Pro Seal Ring Package utilizes a .043” steel top ring, .043” Napier hooked 2nd ring, and 3.0mm low tension oil ring. • 100% engineered, forged, and manufactured in the USA
Wrist Pins • High quality 2.500'' pin further reduces reciprocating weight • Carbon steel wire locks included
7 1 4 - 8 9 8 - 9 7 6 3 • i n f o @ j e p i s t o n s . c o m • w wwww.rpmmag.com w. j e p i s t o n s . |c may o m 2019 53
54
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
Toby B rooks
story by
B enoit P igeon
photos by
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
55
GAME ON
G
enerally speaking, there are two ways to go fast: add power or reduce weight. And usually, the first few steps down either of those paths is fairly easy and relatively affordable: a new set of headers to boost engine performance or a new
56
set of wheels to reduce rotating mass. However, as the limits of performance start to creep in, improvements become harder—not to mention more expensive—to come by. Taken to their logical extreme, the ideal combo is crazy four-digit horsepower in as lightweight of a package as the track
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
tech inspectors will allow. Doug Winters is no newcomer to the concept of max power and minimum weight. The Kernersville, North Carolina native first started his straight line addiction back in 1992 when he blasted a relatively mild ’56 Chevy bracket car
TUCKIN’ LUGS
The sinister stance of the Chevelle is accentuated by the stretched and sloped nose of the AMRC Chevelle body that covers nearly all of the top half of the front wheels. Meanwhile, nearly all the of the Mike Janis supercharger lives above the hood and the injector hat soars above the roof line!
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
57
down the local tracks in central North Carolina. That rapidly escalated to an IHRA Sportsman entry before purchasing a proven tube chassis ’55 Chevy and moving to the wildly popular
Top Sportsman class in 1996. It wasn’t long before the need for more speed led to another upgrade, this time in the form of a new 1958 Corvette-bodied car in 1997. It was
about this time that the Super Chevy series debut the wild new Nitro Coupe class, which Winters and his crew competed in along with Top Sportsman events through the late 1990s before taking a bit of a break
from racing in the early 2000s. Winters decided to return to racing in 2012 with a pro mod 1957 Chevy campaigned in NHRA sanctioned events. After a few years of competing their ’57, Keith Evans of Meritor saw
the potential of Winters Racing and NHRA and helped build their current ride: this incredible 1969 Chevelle built by Andy McCoy Race Cars (AMRC) in 2016. The first step was a complete chromoly tube K HEAT! KEEP OIL COOL & BLOC
ED BY HEAT! DON’T GET STRAND
LD VERSA SSHHIE IELD STARTERTESR FAILURE
• PREVENT STAR FROM HEAT SOAK HOOK & LOOP • EASY TO INSTALL -
800.264.9472 • DesignEngineering.com
58
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
OIL FILTER HEAT SHIEOLLD • KEEPS OIL COOL • EASILY ADHERES TO NEW FILTER U • USE EVERY TIME YO L OI UR YO CHANGE • DISPOSABLE NOW AVAILABLE AT
GAME ON
RUNNIN’ WITH THE BIG DOGS
Winters and his crew will be campaigning the Chevelle on the NHRA E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Series in 2019 thanks to the support of many, including Craig Kruckerberg and his Bandit Big Rig Series.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
59
60
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
GAME ON
PREPARE FOR TAKE-OFF
Winters heats the big Hoosier rear slicks before making another pass. To date, the Chevelle has posted a best of 5.770 @ 254.71 mph in the quarter during NHRA competition and 3.791 @ 198.32 mph in the eighth in other events. chassis that incorporates every trick, tip, and tweak known to man to maximize strength while minimizing heft. Up front, a custom strut setup with Marc Smith Racing components to handle the bumps and Strange lightweight binders to slow the roll. Out back, a beefy full custom AMRC 4-link suspends the bulletproof Strange
housing via a pair of JRi Shocks double adjustable coilovers. The diff was stuffed with 40-spline Mark Williams axles and Richmond gears. The composite body is fully removable and weighs less than a big bag of dog food. It features tons of stretches and tweaks right out of the mold, so other than chopping out a hole for the blower and zoomie head-
ers, it was installed as-is and still rocks a sleek, sinister, stretched out stance. The look is further augmented with a custom Burke Designs-designed vinyl wrap installed by 1320 Media. Power comes from good old fashioned Hemi motor-vation. A JanCen 526 ci 4.8-inch bore block was outfitted with a Bryant crank, billet MGP
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
61
GAME ON
62
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
rods, and Diamond pistons. MBE aluminum heads are mated to a Janis Superchargers aluminum intake that has been crowned with a massive 14/71 blower overdriven at +16.5%. Fuel delivery comes via a Rage mechanical pump feeding a Rage mechanical injection system. A towering carbon fiber hat meters airflow via an asymmetrical trio of butterflies. Ignition duties are handled through an MSD 44 magneto, an MSD Grid system, and an MSD 7730 box. A set of Pro Fab zoomie headers deliver the thunderous tympanic membrane-splitting exhaust tone the moment Winters drops the hammer.
SUBTLE IT AIN’T
In an era where many have turned to flat hoods and turbos, that’s not the combo in pro mod, where the Roots-blown Hemi still reigns supreme. The Jan-Cen Racing 526 in Winters’ Chevelle makes more than 4,000 hp—a number only seen in nitro cars just a decade ago.
FUNDRAISER FOR THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF MICHIGAN FUNDRAISER FOR THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF MICHIGAN
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2019 FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2019
Wildwood Park: 2700 Joslyn Ct., Lake Orion, MI Wildwood Park: 2700 Joslyn Ct., Lake Orion, MI MULTIPLE HEADS UP ALL OUT STYLE ET MULTIPLE HEADS UP RACE CLASSES! ALL OUT STYLE ET RACE CLASSES!
SPONSORED BY, AND SPONSORED HOSTED BY, ANDAT: HOSTED AT:
EVERY EVENT IS TELEVISED AND LIVE STREAMED EVERY EVENT IS TELEVISED AND LIVE STREAMED
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
63
GAME ON All that power makes its way rearward via a Quick Drive with Liberty 3-speed. A Neal Chance converter works inside a Trick Titanium bell. There’s little distinction as to where the transmission ends and the interior begins, as it resides exposed within the dual frame rail chassis with nothing more than a ballistic blanket between Winters and the case. What the Chevelle lacks for cruising comfort it makes up for in speed, and the purpose-built cockpit plays host to a column-mounted Racepak digital display, a single carbon fiber
EHARWOOD.COM
1962 - 1965 CHEVY II NOVA 4” COWL INDUCTION HOOD
$368
LIFT-OFF #13034: USE #192 FASTENER KIT
Fastener Kit
1987-1993 MUSTANG
1981 - 1987 CUTLASS
FRONT END
#26000: $1024
Performance... ON THE
TRACK!!
$89
#192: Harwood 10- piece quarter-turn kit is ideal for installing lift-off hoods, deck lids, front ends, etc.
Style...
ON THE
STREET!!
4” COWL INDUCTION HOOD
SHOW SERIES
BOLT-ON #B-28104:
$604 $368
LIFT-OFF #20101: USE #192 FASTENER KIT
LIGHTWEIGHT RACE CAR DASH
MADE IN
AMERICA
$295
HOODS/SCOOPS/DECKLID/WHEEL WELL OPENNINGS/BUMPERS/DOORS/POLYCARBONATE WINDOWS/ACCESSORIES to to POLYCARBONATE WINDOWS one piece 201104 CAMARO 197887 MALIBU 20 19
REAR DECK LID WITH SPOILER
#B12501: $572
64
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
C L E A R OR T I N T E D ( G R E Y ) Tinted not available for Windshields
BUMPER WITH 3” SPOILER #23050: $298
MARCH/2018 RPM
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
65
DOUG WINTERS’ 1969 CHEVY CHEVELLE Chassis Type & Mods: Andy McCoy Race Cars (AMRC) pro mod chromoly chassis with removable body. Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Marc Smith Racing struts and shocks. Strange carbon fiber disc brakes. REAR: AMRC custom 4-link with JRi Shocks double-adjustable coilover rear shocks. Strange carbon fiber disc brakes. Body & Paint: Complete AMRC carbon fiber body with 1320 Media wrap designed by Burke Designs. Engine: Jan-Cen Racing Engines 4.8-inch bore Chrysler Hemi with MBE aluminum cylinder heads. Bryant crankshaft with MGP billet connecting rods with Diamond pistons. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Rage fuel systems mechanical injection with Mike Janis Superchargers carbon fiber hat and Rage cam-driven mechanical fuel pump. Power Adder: Mike Janis Superchargers 14/71 Roots blower with NHRA 16.5% overdrive. Electronics & Ignition: MSD Grid system with 7730 box, MSD 44-amp magneto, and NGK plugs. Optima batteries. Transmission & Driveline: Quick Drive with Liberty 3-speed and Neal Chance converter. Differential: Richmond gears with Mark Williams 40-spline axles in a Strange billet 9-inch housing. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5-inch polished Mickey Thompson Pro5 wheels with 29x4.5-15 Mickey Thompson front tires. REAR: 15x15-inch polished Mickey Thompson Pro5 wheels with Hoosier slicks. Performance: With legal NHRA trim (eighth-mile): 3.791 at 198.32 mph; quarter-mile: 5.770 @ 254.71 mph. Special Thanks: Allen, Tyler, Clay, & Erin Winters. Rick Isenhour, Steve Thompson, Edward Neeley, Keith Evans, Sam Mathias & the rest of the Winters Racing family.
It’s not a secret anymore!
The Strongest Pushrods in the World!
High Performance Custom Pushrods Tapered or Straight Tube in the Following Diameters
3/16” • 1/4” • 5/16” • 11/32” • 3/8” • 7/16” • 1/2” • 9/16” • 5/8”
Toll Free:
1.877.626.8667
Fax 951.245.6563
www.mantonpushrods.com
66
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
seat, and little else. Exposed wires are neatly run, but there are no beauty panels or hidden channels just for the sake of
aesthetics, and that’s just fine. After all, this Chevelle isn’t pro touring…it’s pro mod.
The massive carbon fiber wheel tubs not only look cool, they also continue the lightweight theme and prevent the mas-
GAME ON
continued on page 76
1107 Petersburg Rd., Boiling Springs, PA Just minutes from the world famous Carlisle Fairgrounds southmountainraceway.com
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
67
Page 68
www.rpm-mag.com
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
Chassis Body Suspension
Fabrication, Parts, Service Designing and manufacturing of quality drag racing suspensions and components for over 30 years.
Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 chassisengineering.com
Engines & Cylinder Heads Parts, Service, Machine Work
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
www.rpm-mag.com
#1 CHOICE FOR ASSEMBLIES CRANKS RODS 662.796.7373
SB-CHEVY
eaglerod.com
SB-FORD Call Call for for details details
661-257-8124
www.airflowresearch.com
You’ve Tried The Rest,... Now Use The BEST!
Harland Sharp
TM
Proudly Producing The Highest Quality 100% Made In USA Roller Rocker Arms Since 1960!
248.362.1188 | DARTHEADS.COM
440-238-3260 www.harlandsharp.com
Page 69
Page 70
www.rpm-mag.com
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
Exhaust ALL
Fuel & Intake
The first to perfect the one-piece pushrod
Carburetion Fuel Injection Intake Manifolds
Manufacturer & innovator of high quality competition valve train components 800.326.8368 www.trendperform.com
www.borla.com 1-877-GO BORLA @BorlaExhaust facebook.com/BorlaExhaust
Celebrating nearly 40 years in the manufacturing of in-stock and custom high performance pistons and accessories
WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | (310) 536-0100 Email Us: sales@rosspistons.com
facebook.com/RossPistons
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
Media Marketing & Advertising Services
1879 S. Wolf Lake Rd. Muskegon, MI 49442
www.pro-system.com
www.renegaderacefuel.com 800.733.3381
KINSLER NEW
Patent Pending
TOUGH
®
PUMP
Steady Flow at EXTREME RPM
Excellent Durability
Kinsler.com
248 362-1145
www.rpm-mag.com
Page 71
Performance & Race Parts ALL
Page 72
www.rpm-mag.com
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
www.PerformanceImprovements.com
• Barrie • Brampton • Guelph • Hamilton • Oshawa • Pierrefonds • Toronto
Toll Free in Canada
1-877-471-6700
GET YOUR FREE CATALOG @ 888•233•8452 www.edelbrock.com
Page 74
www.rpm-mag.com
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
Transmission Converter Clutch & Rear Differential
Safety Apparel & Communication
Tires & Wheels
Page 74
www.rpm-mag.com
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
Transmission Converter Clutch & Rear Differential
Safety Apparel & Communication
Tires & Wheels
RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry
www.rpm-mag.com
Page 75
Strangeeng.net 847.663.1701 Don’t Just Race
MISC.
Incl. Buildings, Trailers, Tools, Canopies, Tents, Graphics etc.
Tuning & Electronics
Incl. Ignitions, Control Systems, Parts & Service
KEYSTONE BLUES
76
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
FINE TUNED
Modern pro mod isn’t just about raw power—it’s about putting it to the track effectively. Data acquisition and adjustments from run to run often mean the difference between winning and losing. sive rear meats from entering the driver’s compartment. Mickey Thompson Pro5 wheels measuring 15x15 with Hoosier hides spin out back, while matching
polished 15x3.5-inch Pro5s with Mickey Thompson front tires help point this rocket ship toward the finish line. Winters is thankful for the team of
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
77
GAME ON
78
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
friends and associates who help him campaign the car, not the least of which are Craig & Robyn Kruckerberg, whose Bandit Big Rig Series adorns the car’s flanks. “Without their help, we couldn’t compete in NHRA racing,” Winters said. The Chevelle is
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
79
GAME ON
NO I IN TEAM
Winters and the rest of the Winters Racing crew tune, maintain, and race the Chevelle together. They’ll make a dozen stops on the NHRA tour this season.
80
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
KINSLER TE
OYO RD C
FO
®
NEW
We Do It All
REL
4 BAR
Excellent Durability
STOM
CU ifolds Made Man ! Set Records
Our
Monster MeshTM Filters
T LS
BILLE
Huge amounts of premium quality filter media for minimum pressure drop.
K-140 Pressure Relief Valve
of NASCAR Used on 90% 500 cars DY IN d an p Cu
Quick Disconnect Bypass
12AN & 8AN Fuel Rail Largest on the Market WORLD’S
ER BLOW
HATS
Largest Stocking Distributor
Kinsler Leak Tester
Check engine leakage; barrel valve setting. Most accurate and repeatable on the market
Kinsler.com
©
ad e R his T
Monster MeshTM Filter
scheduled to appear at all 12 events in the 2019 NHRA E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Series and Winters and crew are looking to im-
prove upon the car’s already impressive current best of 5.77 @ 254.71mph in the quarter. To the rest of the pro mod field, con-
sider it a warning: Brace yourselves:
The Game is on. Winters is coMing.
10/3 Element
EXCELLENT FOR EFI
We service injectors
EFI Injectors, Lucas Metering Units, and all makes of Pressure Relief Valves need 3 micron protection, but 3 micron filters plug up too quickly, so most racers use 10 micron, which is too coarse. We made this new element for NASCAR Cup cars: 10 micron premium paper top layer to take out 95% of the dirt, with a 3 micron precision Fiberglass lower layer. Details: Kinsler.com home page.
Tel: 248-362-1145
sales@kinsler.com
Handbook/Catalog at kinsler.com Troy, Michigan USA
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
81
RPM EXCLUSIVES 1: Longtime Ford man and muscle car collector Don Fezell rides the wheelie bar all the way to a low 8-second pass at Maple Grove. Fezell made history in 2012 becoming the first stocker into the 8s running 8.95.
1
FACTORYSTOCK story and photos by
Tim Lewis
>>The Big Three are back...with a vengeance!
W
hen it comes to the American muscle variant of the performance automobile, the Big Three of Ford, Chevy, and Mopar have been at war for over 60
years not only on the sales floor but also on the race track. Whether it was NASCAR or drag racing, the saying “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” held true for many years with race fans. Beginning in the early ’70s through the
Nitrous Kits
125-250 HP adjustable For Carbs or E.F.I.
379.95
$
Buy Manufacturer Direct And Save! • Bottles • Valves • Solenoids • Hose/Fittings • Nozzles • Jets • Fogger Systems Nitrous Supply provides components to many popular brands, and is owned by Mike Thermos, the founder of NOS.
82
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
www.NitrousSupply.com
714-373-1986
mid-’90s, pro stock was as hot (or hotter in some cases) than any other class—including the fuel ranks. The pro stockers got their start as a heads-up class in 1969. York US30 was the chosen place to hold the class at what has
been called one of the greatest drag races in history: the 1969 Super Stock Magazine Nationals. Brothers Fred and Tom Shallcross piloted their newly-built ’67 Chevy Nova to victory, taking out the biggest of the big: the poplar and
2: Steve Carter and father Howard stepped away from a brand new top sportsman Mustang to get into the factory stock wars with his Virginia-based 2013 Cobra Jet. The blown Pony runs in the mid 8s.
2
USA
800•344•0368 enationalperformance.com Canada 888•527•2358 npwcanada.com
• High pressure upgrade. • Standard volume. • No modifications required. • Supplied with high pressure and stock pressure relief springs.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
83
FACTORY STOCK well-funded Sox & Martin team. Recognizing the potential, pro stock was born as a legit heads-up class the very next year with a few changes. With the start of the 1972 season, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins came out with the first tube chassis door car. The little Vega established the record at 9.42@147mph. This gave competitors something to strive for in ’73, and by then, the “little” cars were becoming the rage. Vegas, Pintos, and Colts were being built for all the biggest teams. It’s safe to say that the trajectory of cubic dollars started early, eventually leading to a class with relatively few teams and competitors left simply due to the staggering cost of doing business today. Meanwhile,
pro stock’s true roots as the class for the factory doorslammers has never been hotter. Factory-built drag cars arrived on the scene beginning in the early ’60s, but most programs all but dried up in the ’80s and ’90s with more funding being poured into NASCAR. However, Ford rekindled the fire in 2008 with the debut of their new Cobra Jet just in time for the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Within a few years, Chevy followed suit with a new COPO Camaro, while Dodge followed with a new Drag Pak Challenger. Depending on just how deep your pockets are, combos can range from naturally aspirated to the wild blown cars. Now it’s only natural to think that any of the
3
Starting at $4,800
847-663-1701 • Strangeeng.net
84
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
4
3: Here you can see one of the reasons why people love the factory stock cars so much. Jonathan Allegrucci in the Flying Wedge 2 wheelies his way to an 8.89 on the 10.00 index in his FS/B 2011 Challenger.
4: The #1 on the window tells you that Leah Pritchett was the champ in 2018. The NHRA top fuel star became the first into the 7s in NHRA competition with a 7.93. -Eric Karr photo
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
85
FACTORY STOCK above would make for one bad machine on the street. Scratch that idea! None of the three models are street legal and it is impossible to tag any for highway use. And while not a street cruiser, for the asking price of $90,000$120,000 (depending on what model and options you order) you can hit the track in a top-of-the line stocker and start having some serious fun. However, that’s just the beginning. The cars making headlines in these new index classes have been treated to extra work, and in some cases these modifications can equal or even exceed the initial cost
of the car. The popularity of the revitalized class is impressive and growing, even spurring some racers who had stepped away from the sport to make come backs behind the wheel of a stocker. In 2018, backed by the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology (SAM Tech), the class competed at 7 races on the NHRA tour. SAM Tech class drivers put on great shows in front of what looked to be some of the biggest crowds in past years at NHRA national events. Whipple-supercharged Chevys and Fords have been limited to minimum weight of
5
5: Former pro stock team owner and racing engine builder Victor Cagnazzi got his start at the age of 17. A highly successful businessman, Cagnazzi gets his racing fix now with a factory stocker. Here Vic is running in FS/E. In 2018 he moved up to FS/E with the car running in the 9.50s on the 10.60 E class index.
86
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
6
6: David Barton launches hard with the Gary Wolkwitz’s owned 2015 COPO Camaro, a car many thought would be the first in the 7s. After having a small brush with the wall at the Gators, look for the Barton crew to come back even stronger.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
87
7
7: 2018 NHRA pro stock Champion Bo Butner heats the tires on the Darrel Herron-built Ford. The Summit Cobra Jet missed the cut at the 2019 Gator Nationals but look for the pro stock champ to turn the wick up as the year goes. -Eric Karr photo
88
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
FACTORY
STOCK
8: One of the best looking Drag Pak cars is the Carp Construction Challenger. The FS/C entry heats the tires at the famed Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway.
FACTORY STOCK
8
of 3,525 lbs., while the Eaton-supercharged Fords tip the scales at 3,275 lbs. minimum. Challengers are restricted to a slightly heavier weight of 3,575 lbs.. Despite the weight limitations, top fuel pilot Leah Prichett wheeled her Mopar-backed Drag Pak into the history books with the first official 7-second pass in NHRA competition, blasting a 7.93 @ 172mph. Teammate and ex-pro stock racer Mark Pawuk—who has been out of the pro stock scene for the last 12 years—then followed that up with a 7.92 @ 171 mph at the same event in his Empaco Equipment sponsored ride. However, these two runs were not the first in the 7s. The Blackbird Challenger
driven by Geoff Turk ran 7.99 @ 170mph at Bradenton during an NMCA event early in 2018. The Blackbird has since been as quick as 7.97 @ 170mph. Likewise, David Barton made headlines two years ago when he ran an 8.07 behind the wheel of the Gary Wolkwitz-owned COPO Camaro. The Factory Stock/AA entry ran the .07 at the Maple Grove Raceway Dutch Classic in October 2016. With the air being so good that time of year in the Northeast it was the perfect time to try and bust off the first ever run in the 7s with a stock classed race car. The .07 run was 1.3 seconds under the class index! But for the racer who does not want to race one of the wildest
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
89
FACTORY STOCK cars in stock, you can still pick one of these supercars from the Big Three and race it. There’s no need to go heads up unless you are willing to fork out the extra cash for the needed upgrades for what it takes to run with the baddest of the bad. Being in the Division 1 area of the NHRA, there are a good number of late model stockers knocking down some very good numbers in the class. Racers can run in a number of index classes within stock and the best part of the class is seeing cars that you wouldn’t normally see go down the track together fighting for the win light without breaking out. At the NMCA Bradenton event, the 7-Second Club was filling up quickly as Scott and Leonard Libersher,
9: The baddest car in the Factory Shootout, the Skillman gang has not one but two 7-second Fords in their camp. The team took the win at the Gators, setting a new record in the process. Look for the father and son team to keep pushing the limits as the year proceeds. -Eric Karr photo
9
Competition Series Racing Module Assemblies are designed for drag racing. Scirocco–Style Modules are engineered and designed for the Professional and Sportsman racer alike. Featherweight Racing Module Assemblies are built for Sportsman and Bracket racers using a super lightweight radiator that features a 1” core.
WELDED - TESTED & MADE IN AMERICA
90
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
1.800.691.2667 | www.becool.com
World’s Fastest Door Slammers Rely On Crane cams
Wooo Nation's Keith Berry drove his Z06 Corvette to victory at the 2016 “Lights Out 7” event at South Georgia Motorsport Park. His 4.500 inch bore-space, Small Block Chevy engine was built by Pro Line Racing LLC, using a Crane Cams custom-made, tool steel WoooDoo WoooDooo™ Cam.
MATCH-UP ulti THE ultimate Tool Steel Cams
8620 Steel Billet Cams
Gold Race™ Rocker Arms
Ultra Pro™ Mechanical Roller Lifters
• • • •
Through hardened heat treat For 4.500”–5.300” bore spacing Any journal size, any firing order Resistant to surface wear, twist and deflection • Ability to withstand high loads
• Lightest, strongest, most ratio-accurate • Stud mounted • Built from extruded aluminum billet • Full-roller fulcrum • Heat treated steel roller tip
Sales and Tech. Support 8–5, M–F | 866.388.5120 | cranecams.com
• • • •
Copper plated carburized steel Custom profiles available Standard or large journal sizes Precision ground to close tolerances • Standard or special firing order
• Heavy duty roller wheels • Drop-in vertical tie bar • Precision matched needle bearings • Surface finished billet 8620 steel body • Bearing Focused Oiling™
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
91
10
FACTORY STOCK
10: Brian Martel wheelies the 2010 Challenger on a qualifying pass at Maple Grove. The FS/D Mopar ran 9.84 on the 10.60 class index on the warm May afternoon.
92
11: Top sportsman racer Bobby Tag picked up a 2017 COPO to join in the factory stock class. The FS/B Camaro had some minor issues at the Dutch, running 9.43 on the 10.00 class index.
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
11
12: Does this look like a 7-second engine? How about 7.70s at over 175mph! It may look factory fresh, but it proved to be an incredible performer round after round. The blown Ford gets cooled off here at Gainesville between record setting rounds. -Eric Karr photo
12
Carl Tasca, and Chuck Watson all ran into the 7s. Watson was the first with a 7.880— almost .05-seconds quicker than the national record of 7.929 set by Pawuk. That was followed up by Libersher’s runs of 7.97 and 7.93, then followed up by Team Tasca Ford running an incredible 7.82 to Gardner Stone’s 7.85. Paul Roderick then made his way into the 7s, going 7.96. Following this, the Skillmans—father and son Bill and Drew—came to the starting line. First, Bill wheeled the Chris Holbrook-powered 2014 Cobra Jet to a 7.731 @ 176.47mph! That was followed two
pairs later by son Drew in his 2019 Cobra Jet with an incredible 7.704 @ 176.29mph! This would prove to be but a taste of what was going to happen at the 50th Annual NHRA Gator Nationals in March. At the end of qualifying, 22 out of 31 entries had posted a run in the 7s! Bill Skillman sat on top with a 7.74 followed by Tasca’s 7.75 and Holbrook’s 7.77. Leah Pritchett was the lone Mopar to make the field with a 7.852. Randy Taylor became the quickest COPO ever at 7.853 with Stephen Bell right on his heels with a 7.856 in his Chevy. It took a 7.920 just to make the show—num-
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
93
FACTORY STOCK bers seen only in the fuel classes at the birth of the factory-backed stock class back in the ’60s! With the numbers put down at the Gators, what could possibly be in store for the class in the future? Some are saying that the class went way too quick way too fast, while others say “let ’em fly!” A number of people have suggested that some rule adjustments could help keep things under control and prevent it from turning into a spending war like pro stock has become. A few such rule changes have already been implemented following the first race of the 2019 season. The supercharger top pulley size was changed from 3.350 inches to 3.500 inches on the COPO and 3.250 inches to 3.500 inches on the Cobra Jet, effectively decreasing the COPO supercharger overdrive from by 10.9% and the Cobra Jet by 17.6%.
13
548 cubic inch big-block ario, California dyno tested a Vrbancic Brothers Racing in Ont ched with an Edelbrock or 24° CNC cylinder heads mat Chevy with Edelbrock/Musi Vict r 1,550 horsepower ove in . This combination resulted Super Victor II intake manifold and 1,100 ft-lbs. of torque! Manley dual-spring valve ds feature an extra thick deck, Edelbrock/Musi Victor 24° hea ilable bare or complete. ava are y The for up to .880” lift. springs and titanium retainers 270 tor intake manifold #29 The Edelbrock Super Vic e larg tch ma to ts por the features a 3/4”radius in oval port cylinder heads. CNC’d for a variety of custom This manifold is suitable er, ow sep hor for modern high cylinder heads required HP. + 950 g s makin large displacment engine FOLLOW US ON:
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT EDELBROCK.COM FREE CATALOGS: 800-386-8326 • TECH LINE: 800-416-8628, 7am-5pm PST. M-F.
©2017 EDELBROCK, LLC
94
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
ALL PARTS FOR USE ON RACING VEHICLES ONLY.
ACCURATE GROUND SPEED REGARDLESS OF WHEEL SPIN OR WHEEL STAND
14 13: The car everyone was jumping about, this COPO wheeled by David Barton was the one that really got the buzz going over these cars shooting for the 7s.
14: A look under the rear of a COPO. Some of these cars are becoming closely guarded secrets as the performance picks up to unreal numbers. We’re lucky we didn’t lose our camera over this shot!
Add ground speed to any Racepak V-Net recorder or dash, utilizing our new GPS Ground Speed module. • Requires no externally mounting rpm sensor pick-up • Requires no calibration or special programming • V-Net plug and play installation simplicity
SALES@RACEPAK.COM / 949.709.5555 / WWW.RACEPAK.COM
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
95
FACTORY STOCK 15
15: The famous Tasca Ford boys heating the tires at VMP. Long time Ford kingpins, the Tascas have been reppin’ fast Fords since the mid ’60s. A long line of ‘Mystery” named cars have been a thorn in the side of the Chevy and Mopar racers. Carl Tasca, seen here in 2017, ran in FS/AA index. The 8.53 on the 9.40 index put him in the #9 spot.
FACTORY
STOCK With Pro Line Racing Engines and Diamond pistons, Q80 Racing team resets quarter-mile doorslammer record at 5.46 seconds and 272mph “Diamond’s contributions have been invaluable.” Doug Patton, Pro Line Racing Engines
Diamond’s turbo pistons make big power and combat heat and pressure. • Forged from 2618 aluminum with Herculean pin bosses that accomodate tough TP-1 or H13 tool steel piston pins • Lower skirt rigidity maintained by full-circumference designs that boast the strongest-known stiffening ribs • Hard-coat anodizing, ceramic crowns, and moly skirt coatings available • Fastest turnaround time on custom pistons Questions? Knowledgeable Tech Support: M-F, 9AM-5PM EST
96
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
Call today: 586.792.6620 or visit diamondracing.net
16
16: Mike Letellier in the Bob’s Auto Sales COPO. It may look like a stocker, but in this pic was racing in super stock FGT/C index of 9.80. In the sweltering August heat at Cecil County Dragway, he was only able to run 0.299 under index to get to the #63 spot with a 9.50. These factory race cars can fit into a number of indexes inside stock. All other permitted combinations will remain unchanged, but the blower pulley rule change is effective immediately. The NHRA continues to monitor performance to ensure parity and reserves the right in the future to make additional rule changes to control performance. With rules already
being moved around to try to make things a bit tighter, it’s yet to be determined how the season will unfold, but regardless, it is important to remember the history. Pro Stock came from Super Stock and Super Stock came out of the Stockers. Did anyone ever think a stocker would run in the 7s?
If you would have said that out loud a few years back, you might be spending time in a padded room. But as time ticks by, the ETs continue to tick down. The question is just how much further down can they tick? Stick close and find out!
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
97
RPM EXCLUSIVES 1
1: With race and show season in full swing, we thought it was time to talk towing, and strapping your ride down with quality tie downs can be the difference between arriving safely and a brush with disaster. Our Mac’s Tie Downs kit is the best you can get.
STRAP itDOWN story and photos by
Toby Brooks
>> Hold your ride safely with Mac’s Tie Downs
98
S
pring and summer mean the weather is better, school is wrapping up, and race and show seasons begin in earnest. While lots of gearheads spend the winter months
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
making improvements to their rides, one thing that’s critical but easily overlooked is the quality and condition of your towing equipment. Not only is it critical to check out your truck and trailer, it’s also absolutely essential
to make sure your tie downs are up to par. After all, all those winter upgrades will be for nothing if the unthinkable happens and things come loose in the trailer! While there are options when it comes
to tie downs, a word of wisdom: do not cheap out under any circumstances. Considering the fact that you are tryng to secure a vehicle worth tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars, don’t even think about doing it
2
YOU’RE A GREAT MECHANIC...
3 2 & 3: Our Pro Pack kit came with four 10,000 lb. axle straps that are covered with a fleece protective sleeve. Soft as a microfiber towel, it lovingly secured our powder coated chassis components and S&W Race Cars coated housing without marring the finish in the slightest.
3
4
4: The rachet straps feature a 10,000 lb. capacity, as well, and the gold-iridited hooks are corrosion resistant and easy to use. A thumb release on the back of the hook makes it simple and pinch-free to latch in or unlatch.
Dream Job www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
99
RPM COOL TOOLS
5
Subscribe to the channel at www.pegarage.com to keep up to date!
5 & 6: The rachet straps feature handy hook releases. 7: The Pro Pack comes with this durable padded carry bag. with a $20 set of import store garbage. Write it in stone: if you do, you’ll regret it. With that little rant out of the way, what are your alternatives? For our project car, we opted for a set of Mac’s Custom Tie Downs. Mac’s has been around since 1993 and the differences are in the details. Mac’s uses double stitching on all straps, they are made in the USA, and are part of an entire line of towing and trailer accessories for both automotive and UTV applications. We selected a Mac’s Pro Pack Premium Tie Down kit which includes four 10,000 lb. 2-inch rachet straps, four 10,000 lb. axle straps with ultra-soft fleece sleeves, handy strap wrap storage sleeves, and a convenient heavy duty padded bag. Available in six cool colors, we figured Project aPocalypSe Horse would go well
100
with the pink color, and if nothing else they make for a fun conversation starter when folks see our ’Stang strapped in the trailer. The kit is complete, works great, and most importantly it is effective. At first blush, the $249.95 price tag of the Pro Pack may seem a little high, but trust us, the function and the peace of mind offered by the Mac’s kit is more than worth it. There’s a reason Mac’s straps are used by top automotive museums when transporting their priceless vehicles. Before trusting your ride to chintzy imported orange straps, do yourself a favor—visit macscustomtiedowns.com and order yourself a new set of tie downs. Your ride and your trailer will thank you!
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
6
SOURCES Mac’s Tie Downs www.macscustomtiedowns.com 800.666.1586
7
Covered Wagon Trailers www.coveredwagontrailers.com
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
101
RPM EXCLUSIVES
1: This capacitive discharge welder by Lynx that we sourced from JHP Fasteners is compact but powerful! After using it for just a few minutes, we saw right away just how versatile and useful it will be when we get back onto sheetmetal fabrication in the shop.
EASY THERE,STUD story and photos by
Toby Brooks
>> Sleek, hiddenfastener mounting couldn’t be easier thanks to the JHP Fasteners capacitive discharge stud welder
1
W
e have steadily been stocking up on metalworking tools and skills for the past several months and have plans to put it all to use on our project car in the very near future. In the past few months, we’ve shown you some of those new tools right here in these pages. And as cool as all those Cool Tools are, this month’s installment prom-
ises to really step up our fabrication game in a way few other tools have so far. It all started when we were looking for creative ways to hide the fasteners on sheetmetal work. While evenly-spaced, recessed Allen screws or even quick-release fasteners can certainly look good, we wanted something even cleaner. That’s when we discovered capacitive discharge (CD) welders and the convenient and ultra-versatile
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
110-volt unit that comes ready to go right out of the provided ballistic hard-sided case. With an appropriately-sized stud loaded in, all you do is press the gun to the base metal and pull the trigger. A simple amperage adjustment ensures proper penetration and the low thermal impact means the opposite side of the metal will not be discolored or marked. To say we were im-
cvrproducts.com For more information visit
102
Lynx CD welder available through JHP Fasteners. Based in Walker, Michigan, JHP has been in business since 1970, offering metal fabrication products and fabrication services. And while CD fastening systems are certainly an important part of JHP’s product line, they offer an incredible array of other products, too. Anxious to try the technology out, we ordered a Lynx4 Modular stud welding system, a
www.cvrproducts.com
2 4
3: The stud simply pushes into the gun and is held in place by a slotted collet with an o-ring. Collets are size specific but can be changed quickly using the provided tool. The Lynx 4 comes with #8, #10, 1/4-inch, and 5/16 -inch collets.
3
2: A CD stud has a small “nib� on the mounting surface. When current is applied, the nib momentarily liquefies in the intense heat and the stud is welded to the base metal. Here, we’re showing a 1/4-inch stud but JHP has countless lengths and thread pitches available.
5 4 & 5: Once the stud is loaded, all you need to do is set the voltage according to the stud size and thickness of the base metal then simply pull the trigger. In less than a second, you have a durable mounting point for a standard nut, or even a cool anodized fastener like this Performance Engineering component. It gets no easier!
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
103
RPM COOL TOOLS 6
7
9 pressed with Lynx4 system is an understatement. It will add an incredible new dimension to your sheetmetal work, and although the price tag may be beyond some budgets, the time saved and versatility added to your next
sheetmetal project may make that number more reasonable than you might expect. Contact JR Prahl and the crew at JHP today to grab one of your own. We can’t wait to put it to further use very soon!
6 & 7: The low thermal impact of the process means that the backside of the metal (20-gauge steel, in this case) is completely unmarked. We even intentionally welded one stud too hot and it still did not alter the back side of the piece.
8
104
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
8: The Lynx4 kit comes with four collets, tools, instructions, and a durable, padded, hardsided travel case.
9: We ordered #10 & 1/4-inch studs in 1/2-inch length, but JHP offers a wide assortment of both SAE and metric sizes and several different lengths to suit most any application.
SOURCES JHP Fasteners www.jhpfasteners.com 800.783.0910
Performance Engineering www.pebillet.com 806.781.8482
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
105
HOME Grown
COPO
RPM PROJECT CAR
by
READY TOSTOP but not
Jay Misener
>> Our COPO project gets brakes, wheels, and engine prep
I
n the March 2019 issue of RPM we gave a brief overview for new readers of how our Project Homegrown COPO started life, and has developed since, and the
build looks to be on track for completion and testing by late fall of this year. Also in our last installment, we covered mounting theHolley ECU and our Leash wiring board along
GO
just yet
with the trick VTX-20 16V 16-volt lithium battery from Antigravity Batteries battery we chose to power our tribute COPO. We saw the Camaro lights get turned on and now
finally have the proper factory-style connections in-hand to begin wiring the rest of the car in earnest. Moving inside, we gave a first glimpse of our Summit Racing aluminum race seats
©2018 Lokar Inc.
Anchor-Tight® Locking Transmission Dipsticks
Mounting Brackets & Spring Return Kits
U.S. Pat. No. 7,546,693
Interior Battery Disconnect Lever Kit
INTERIOR BATTERY DISCONNECT LEVER KIT
TOLL FREE 1-877-469-7440
©2018 LOKAR, INC.
106
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
(865) 824-9767 • FAX (865) 824-9761 • catalog@lokar.com • tech@lokar.com
TOLL FREE 1-877-469-7440 LOKAR.COM (865) 824-9767 • FAX (865) 824-9761 • CATALOG@LOKAR.COM • TECH@LOKAR.COM
LOKAR.COM
1 2: RC includes free stickers in every box, and the sinister black and machined finish looks good even in the shipping bag!
2
1: Our RC Components Hammer wheels arrived just after the last article and we couldn’t wait to unbox them.
and Precision Performance shifter. Now, here we are a short three months later catching up with more progress. Just after the last article, our badass RC Components Hammer wheels arrived. The rears are beadlocked 15x10s with a 4-inch backspace and the fronts are 17X4.5s. We have to say that we were blown away by the quality, the weight (or we should say lack thereof) and
the downright mean, modern good looks of these wheels. We chose to go with beadlocked rears, as the plan is to use the car as a testbed for various power adders down the road and possibly a manual trans (or both). The 17x4.5s on the front work well with the large wheelwells while also adding a modern look and show off our blingy jewelry-like Mark Williams brakes! We went with 27.5/4.0R-17
JE_BBC_RPM_2015_Layout 1 8/11/15 2:29 PM Page 1
The latest technology for your Big Block Chevy 3D milling
OTHER BRANDS 2.930'' JE FSR 2.500''
Introducing Lightweight Big Block Chevy FSR Pistons with 3D Milling! This new design was custom-engineered with 3D machining and drastically reduces piston assembly weight with shortened wrist pins (-26 grams) and a low-friction ring set (-25 grams). The end result provides additional material in critical piston areas, ultimately increasing strength and durability! • The only off-the-shelf 3D machined BBC piston available! • 60 popular BBC high compression combinations available off-the-shelf • Compatible with popular open chamber heads • 2618 alloy high strength forging (FEA designed) • Lateral gas ports improve ring seal • Superior JE Pro Seal Ring Package utilizes a .043” steel top ring, .043” Napier hooked 2nd ring, and 3.0mm low tension oil ring. • 100% engineered, forged, and manufactured in the USA
Wrist Pins • High quality 2.500'' pin further reduces reciprocating weight • Carbon steel wire locks included
7 1 4 - 8 9 8 - 9 7 6 3 • i n f o @ j e p i s t o n s . c o m • w w w. j e p i s t o n s . c o m
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
107
RPM PROJECT CAR 3
4
108
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
COPO
HOME Grown
5
6 3 & 4: Fronts are 17X4.5 and rears are beadlocked 15x10s. 5: We ordered the complete Mark Williams brake kit for front and rear…and we mean complete! 6 & 7: Finished brake installation front & rear.
Mickey Thompson ET Front tires and a pair of used 30x9.0s as mock up tires that will be replaced by Mickeys as the car gets close to making its debut. The front brakes (part #75530) feature cross-drilled rotors and our kit included hubs with Timken® bearings, seals, rotors, dust covers, four piston calipers with linings and caliper mount brackets. All required fas-
teners and wheel studs are also included. The Front low drag wheel hubs are number 75538 and are a direct replacement for the heavy and high drag OEM unit bearing hub with a rotating torque 75% less than the OEM assemblies. There’s also a weights savings of 6 pounds per pair. While it may not seem substantial, we learned quickly on our naturally aspirated
Billet
7
Caps
The largest cap on the market!
No need to fight getting ice into your intercooler again! With PRP’s new billet machined extra-large filler caps it is not a problem at all. These one of kind extra-large caps offer almost a 7” opening and are sealed with a Buna-N O-ring for a water tight seal. All kits are completed with an anodized finish in either clear, red, blue, or black. Two available styles complete with stainless steel hardware in either a weld on version, or bolt on version.
www.prpracingproducts.com
268 Geiger Road • Philadelphia , PA 19115 Phone: (215) 969-3550 Fax: (215) 969-3548 Email: info@prpracingproducts.com
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
109
RPM PROJECT CAR Coyote Mustang that the low drag and rotational weight savings are very important, especially in class racing. The rear brakes (Part # 71525) include 5/16inch thick 7075 aluminum caliper mounting brackets, aluminum brake hats that are drilled to accept 5/8-inch drive studs, a slot-drive rotor attachment system, all required mounting hardware, and MW 4-piston calipers with linings. Now on to the heart of the matter—the mill we will be using to power HGC—a naturally-aspirated 427 cubic inch LS 7
with a goal to make 850-plus flywheel horsepower. We mentioned last year that we would be using an aftermarket block—specifically the DART LS Next (#31837211) 6-bolt block with a 4.125inch bore. As DART states, “designed from a clean slate approach, the LS Next iron block has addressed the shortcomings of the LS platform. By utilizing conventional style main caps and oil pans with LS rotating assemblies and related components, Dart has addressed the windage and oil control problems which result from the factory LS engine’s separated crankcase bays.”
8
8: Deburring the block should be step one in any build. Spend the time now to save dollars later if contaminated oil caused engine failure. 9: Our block is now ready to be bored, honed, cleaned, then assembled.
9
9 110
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
REDEFINING PERFORMANCE 10 10 & 11: We now have our .800+ lift custom grind COMP cam and custom 14:1 Ross pistons to go along with our Lunati Pro Series crankshaft and I-Beam rods but are waiting on a few more items to start assembling the short block.
SHP LS NEXT PRO
11
Features and benefits of the block include:
• Priority main oiling system • Siamesed cylinder bores with extra thick walls • Cylinder barrels extended .375-inch at the bottom • Extra thick decks ensure reliable head gasket seal • Blind head bolt holes don’t go through to water jacket • Scalloped water jackets increase flow around cylinders for better cooling • Clearance for 4.100-inch stroke with steel rods • Splayed outer bolts on middle main bearing caps • LS or Gen I-style motor mounts • Provisions for OE stock roller lifters and cam • Uses stock timing covers and stock rear cover • All OE bolt holes for starter, water pump, etc. retained • Driver or passenger side starter mounts
We started by deburring the block of its casting flash. This is one of many small details to building a strong reliable engine. Most blocks need this kind of work, but not many people will spend the time doing it. Pieces of casting can come off blocks over time and get into the oil, which can only spell trouble. Plus, with less material in its way, oil will run smoother throughout the engine. While our block didn’t need much, it is always a good idea to complete this step toward building the best engine possible. Think of it as insurance. Progress on actual engine assembly is slow going. To go along with our Lunati Pro Series crankshaft, I-beam rods and custom Ross pistons, we now have our custom grind COMP Cams solid roller camshaft that is in the neighborhood of .800-inch lift, along with set of matching valve springs part # 996-16 and a set of #733-16
• Superior strength 220 BHN Cast Iron • Full skirt design for use with OE type oil pans and windage trays • Standard LS 9.240” deck height • Bore sizes from 4.000” up to 4.185” • Factory oil filter provision • Priority main oiling • 4-bolt Steel main caps with upgraded ARP main studs • 6-bolts per cylinder capability • 8 counterweight machining
PRO1 LS 12° 285cc CNC • LS7 compatible • RMR Cast Aluminum Alloy • High flowing 285cc CNC intake ports • 12° valve angle with 2.200” x 1.625” valve job • 66cc CNC combustion chambers • 6-bolt per cylinder Q U A L I T Y. S T R E N G T H . P E R F O R M A N C E . S I N C E 1 9 8 1 .
248.362.1188 | DARTHEADS.COM
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
111
RPM PROJECT CAR titanium retainers. An ATI Balancer and flexplate are also in the house, however, we still need our shaft rockers, timing chain, oil pump and pan. Andrew Blanchard from New Generation Engines has been busy prepping the Mast Motorsports cylinder heads. The heads required a touch of machining to the spring pockets to get the spring installed heights just perfect, which is another detail required when planning to make north of 800 hp and spin an engine over 8000 rpm. Once the heads were bang-on, New Gen lapped the valves in for a good seal and began installing the hardware, spring cups, valve seals, springs, retainers and locks. We’re moving
112
12
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
13
14 12: A valve spring height micrometer is an invaluable tool in the engine room.
15 13: Andrew Blanchard works his magic on our Mast Motorsports heads. They needed some minor machining in the spring pockets to get the valve spring heights bang on.
14 & 15: Lapping the valves in before assembly will ensure that everything is sealing air tight or reveal any concerns that can be addressed before assembly. As you can see our valves and seats (supplied by Mast with the heads) are perfect.
www.rpmmag.com | june 2019
113
RPM PROJECT CAR 16 & 17: Valves are carefully installed by Andrew and then our COMP valve springs and a set of COMP Titanium retainers and locks are installed as seen here. Blanchard rigged up an attachment to a drill press to use as a valve spring compressor.
16
17
along, but its busy season again in the shop and with racing activities. Stay tuned a few months down the
114
road as we’re hoping to get on with the short block assembly along with finishing the wiring so we can install the interior
june 2019 | RPM Magazine
and then tackle the remaining glass install. Be sure to check back in then!
SOURCES DART
Mast Motorsports
www.dartheads.com 248.362.1188
www.mastmotorsports.com 936.560.2218
Mark Williams Enterprises
RC Components
www.markwilliams.com 866.508.6394
www.rccomponents.com 800.360.0915
Let’s Build It Together
Stage 3 Performance Fit Aluminum Radiators Clutch Kits Keyword: SUM Fit Row Each as low as $219.99 USD each
Keyword: SXC Stage 3 Clutch as low as $260.10 USD kit
AirWerks Turbochargers
Downdraft EFI Stack Intake Manifolds
NT 555 R Tires
Varex Mufflers
Electric Exhaust Cutouts
Camshafts for GM LS
Universal Camshaft Bearing Installation Kit
High Performance Series Differentials
Wrenchware Tableware Set
Keyword: NIT 555 R as low as $160.00 USD each
Keyword: XFO Varex Muffler Each as low as $314.99 USD each
Keyword: SDM Stack Kit as low as $2,266.00 USD kit
Keyword: BWW AirWerks as low as $738.26 USD each
Keyword: QTP Electric Cutout as low as $368.16 USD pair
Keyword: BTR LS Each as low as $389.00 USD each
Low Cost, No Hassle, Landed Cost Shipping. Landed Cost shipping includes all duties, taxes, and clearance fees. In-stock parts are shipped FAST, delivered to your door with no unexpected fees. Questions? Complete details available in the Customer Service section of SummitRacing.com, talk via Live Chat.
Keyword: WMR Universal Bearing WMR-W89220 $101.99 USD kit
Keyword: AUB High Series Each as low as $407.99 USD each
Keyword: WWR Wrenchware WWR-WW1 $24.99 USD set
GET MORE FOR LESS—WE DELIVER THE BEST BOTTOM LINE PRICE TO YOUR DOOR—GUARANTEED!
Int’l: 1.330.630.0230 1.800.230.3030
SCode: 1906RPC • Prices subject to change without notice. Please check SummitRacing.com for current pricing. Typographical, description, or photography errors are subject to correction. Please check your local laws/regulations. © 2019 AUTOSALES, INC.
FIND IT AT
www.rpmmag.com | may2019
115
PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS
PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS
PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS
X-Series Gauges
Featuring a 2-1/16" diameter housing for mounting in a standard gauge pod and with an incredibly slim overall depth of under 0.825”. Supplied with a black bezel and faceplate. For customization, optional silver bezel / white faceplate accessory kits are available separately. PN 30-0300 UEGO Air/Fuel Controllers
PN 30-0302 Water / Trans / Oil Temp 100º~300ºF / 40º~150ºC PN 30-0308 60PSI / 4BAR Boost Display
PN 30-0311 OBDII Digital Display
Long Tube Headers for '11-'17 Mustang GT BBK developed these 1-3/4" Headers with one thing in mind – getting even more horsepower and torque out of the 5.0 liter Coyote Mustang. Chrome finish. PN 1633 Also available in Silver Ceramic and 304 Stainless Steel finish.
Flex-Wave Reversible Electric Fans
Patent pending design. Featuring more airflow, and quieter operation than traditional S-blade and straight-blade designs. Available in 12", 14" and 16" diameter.
Ask For Details Make Your Car Handle
Better Than New
with a new set of performance polyurethane stabilizer bushings. Installing these bushings will allow your vehicle's sway bar system to positively work near 100% efficiency, yet will not have any adverse effect on the ride.
Economy, Efficiency, And Easy Installation!
Formulated to meet the demands of performance and modified engines. Recommended for vehicles no longer under manufacturer warranty and for those seeking a higher level of performance and protection. Available in 5W30, 10W30,10W40 and 20W50.
Synthetic Oil
HPS™
• Heavy-walled can and cover to withstand extreme burst pressures (up to 500 psi). • High temperature nitrile baseplate gaskets withstand racing temperatures up to 300°F. • Zinc chromate-plated baseplate provides low surface friction and is corrosion free. • Metal end caps provide element strength and prevent filtering bypass.
Oil Filters
Racing
Available For All Popular Engine Applications
• Meets SFI 18.1 specification. • Laser engraved timing marks. • Available in black epoxy or polished steel. • Externally balanced dampers include removable counterweights. • Accurate crank bore for a proper pressed fit. • Manufactured from high-grade carbon billet steel.
Steel Dampers
Injected-Elastometer
PQx® SFI-Rated
Ask For More Details
The 8650 chromemoly material and arched, web-like design deliver increased strength and rigidity while still reducing the moment of inertia and optimizing the dynamic balance. 1601-16 Chevy; 3/8" Stud, 1.52 Ratio 1602-16 Chevy; 3/8" Stud, 1.6 Ratio 1605-16 Chevy; 7/16" Stud, 1.6 Ratio 1620-16 Chevy; 7/16" Stud, 1.7 Ratio
Ultra Pro Radiance Pod Magnum Accessory Lights Rocker Arm Upgrade Kits
Feature-packed, with a black exposed printed circuit board and forward projecting optics that optimize the light output and back-lighting available in white, green, amber, blue and red. Featuring a high-grade aluminum alloy housing and heatsink and stainless steel, mounting brackets. PN 20200 White, PN 20201 Blue, PN 20202 Red, PN 20203 Green, PN 20204 Amber.
ThunderVolt 50 10.4mm Spark Plug Wires The absolute best .409", 10.4mm diameter high tech, high performance ignition wire available. DYNO-Tested and Track Proven, achieving 5 HP and 7 lbs. torque better than the competition. 40 Ohm/ft Ferrite Spiral-Wound coated core blend of exclusive copper/ nickel alloy bonded by a conductive acrylic cover. The low resistance core provides optimum RFI and EMI suppression and is compatible with use on most electronic ignition systems and components.
Racing
Spark Plugs For many years NGK Spark Plugs has been firing racing engines throughout the world. NGK Spark Plugs has become an icon in spark plug technology.
Ask about a set for your project vehicle
Pro-Series
Chevrolet LS1
Head Stud Kits
Manufactured from premium 8740 chrome moly steel and heat treated to 190,000 psi. They are thread rolled after the heat treating process, which vastly improves their fatigue tolerance compared to bolt kits that are threaded before heat treatment. PN 234-4110 Gen III LS Series small block (’03 & earlier), 4 short, 16 long
BUY LOCAL
(705) 435-6271 (705) 728-5911 (705) 726-6161 (519) 757-1200 (705) 445-9311 (519) 235-0290 (519) 924-1444 (519) 524-8389 (905) 545-9339 (705) 457-2322 (519) 364-2960 (519) 338-3441 (705) 789-1818 (905) 476-7721 (519) 396-3381 (519) 291-1213 (519) 453-0337 (705) 526-5488 (519) 348-9639 (519) 323-1530 (888) 572-8867 (519) 662-2411 (519) 662-2821 (519) 941-1510 (705) 325-1335 (905) 579-9884 (519) 371-0810 (705) 746-9564 (905) 839-4421 (519) 389-4242 (519) 925-6311 (519) 273-0650 (519) 284-1090 (905) 643-7700 (705) 566-9870 (877) 351-5604 (905) 936-4292 (519) 881-0980 (519) 357-3830 (519) 539-7483
visit us online at www.partspro.ca
LIVE LOCAL
ONTARIO Alliston - Ideal Supply Barrie (North) - Ideal Supply Barrie (South) - Ideal Supply Brantford - Misener Motorsports Collingwood - Ideal Supply Exeter - Ideal Supply Flesherton - Ideal Supply Goderich - Ideal Supply Hamilton - A&A Discount Haliburton - Ideal Supply Hanover - Ideal Supply Harriston - Ideal Supply Huntsville - Ideal Supply Keswick - Ideal Supply Kincardine - Ideal Supply Listowel - Ideal Supply London - Performance Unlimited Midland - Ideal Supply Mitchell - Ideal Supply Mt. Forest - Ideal Supply Newmarket - ZZ Performance New Hamburg - Ideal Supply New Hamburg - Rudy Held's Orangeville - Ideal Supply Orillia - Ideal Supply Oshawa - Karbelt Speed & Custom Owen Sound - Ideal Supply Parry Sound - Ideal Supply Pickering - Karbelt Speed & Custom Port Elgin - Ideal Supply Shelburne - Ideal Supply Stratford - Ideal Supply St. Marys - Ideal Supply Stoney Creek - A&A Discount Sudbury- Witrak Auto Specialties Thunder Bay - DC Automotive Tottenham - Ideal Supply Walkerton - Ideal Supply Wingham - Ideal Supply Woodstock - Ideal Supply
(800) 565-3795
QUEBEC Mirabel - Wizzo Performance (877) 560-9178 St-Augustin-de-Desmaures - Brossard Performance (418) 872-3376 Terrebonne - Para Performance (450) 492-0141
NOVA SCOTIA Truro - R&D Performancenter
888•527•2358
Canada
800•344•0368
TM
For information on becoming a Parts Pro member location contact: USA
may2019 | RPM Magazine
116