RPM MAG DIGITAL - JUNE 2020

4,500+hp Full Water Jacketed pro Mod engine

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Complete Turbo Charged engine packages available Power adder packages - ignition system, dyno tested and tuned ready to run N/A and N2O combos also available Contact us for specific pricing

750 E. Ellis Road, Muskegon, MI 49441 Shop Phone: 231-747-7520 stevemorrisengines.com Sales@stevemorrisengines.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..............................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..................TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA..................................................events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR...........SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com ART DIRECTOR............................................................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com Photographic Contributions: TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing.org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, WILL McDOUGLE, BART CEPEK, PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS, BLAKE FARNAM, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZOMBALDI, and STEVEN TAYLOR. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.

ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact

TRISH BIRO...........................519.752.3705.......trish@rpmmag.com

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

MEET THE RPM TEAM

PRODUCTION STAFF

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online.

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 21 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.

General Inquiries: 519.752.3705 info@rpmmag.com

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editor’s

Rant

by

Chris Biro

RPM MAG heads

FULL THROTTLE INTO THE FUTURE

T

here are two questions I would have never imagined the answers to 21 years ago when we started RPM MAG, yet both answers are exactly the same: The first question would be: Could you ever have imagined that RPM, starting from literally nothing but a vision, would have grown into the world’s top independent print car magazine? The answer: Never in my wildest dreams!

The second question: Could you have ever imagined that after growing each and every month for 21 years that RPM would be shut down in print in a matter of days due to a worldwide virus? We all know the answer (see above).

But to me, shut down in print and shut down are two entirely different things…

Those who know me personally know that nothing slows me down, keeps me down, or prevents me from doing what needs to be done. And this challenge is no different.

There have been many naysayers, haters, and copycats from day one all those years ago.

But for every one of them there has been 100 times that of positive, helpful, encouraging, supportive people along the way, so it’s simple math why RPM is what it is today. It is not because of us, it is because of you.

This pandemic essentially shut off 100% of the revenue that runs RPM MAGAZINE within a matter of days. With printers running skeleton staff and experiencing paper shortages, in addition to many of our customers closed or skeleton staffed, and the last thing on their minds being advertising, we simply could not print a magazine. So for the first time in 21 years RPM had to literally “stop the presses” and we did not print a May 2020 edition.

We’ve regrouped quickly, though, and it is because of our amazing, talented and dedicated team here, and through the overwhelming support of you, our readers and followers, and our incredible advertisers.

Armed with this, we were able to put every resource we have toward the goal of continuing RPM, and the results are amazing.

RPM is publishing this issue, June 2020, in a totally digital format at www.rpmmag. com. Our website, which has been totally overhauled and increased in traffic a staggering 720% the past 90 days, will also host content from around the world including your photos, videos, press releases and more.

That’s the good stuff that has come from this. That bad side is that, unfortunately, a print magazine is not viable at this time. That being said, remember that we are RPM, we are not “the other mags.” We are committed to making this transition right for every single one of our readers, print or digital.

Something that has burdened me and

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cost me a lot of sleep over the past month is part of what I said in response to TEN Publishing closing of 19 of its 21 print titles last December. I said, “Rest assured we will not shutter RPM in print as long as I am at the helm of the magazine!”

I can say with certainty that was 100% true—in that world. But I could never have seen this coming, never in my wildest dreams.

Something most print readers don’t know is, that despite paper costs rising over 60% during the past 2 year period (preCovid), despite constantly increasing mailing and shipping costs, despite the pressure to go digital-only by so many companies who said they “would” gladly advertise in RPM if it was wholly digital, we resisted. We dug in our heels and held steadfast to print and digital. I have always said that RPM is a family company with family values, we don’t think of it as our magazine but rather yours. Unfortunately, the destruction this pandemic has caused worldwide to life and economies is staggering, but together we will continue on and will grow once again.

To our print readers, whether it is a transfer to our digital RPM MAGAZINE subscription or a refund, make no mistake we are here to do this with morals and integrity. We have been working overtime to contact all of all you in 34 countries and will continue for months to come until everyone is satisfied with their outcome. I can say this, the response and support that so many of you shown so far has been overwhelming and has fueled our passion to continue.

TO ALL OF OUR RPM MAGAZINE DIGITAL READERS, WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS AND SUPPORTERS: You depend on us and we are here for you!

We get it. Now more than ever it is important for all of you to have an outlet, a hobby, a pastime, a simple way to break up your days and nights with something you/we enjoy, and cars and horsepower are what we all have in common.

RPM is fueled by valued advertisers that allow you to enjoy our content. They are the people that make and sell parts and provide the services we need. So in the coming weeks and months as economies re-open and start to function again, we ask that you click on that link, follow that story, contact those manufacturers and speed shops and help get things back to full throttle. Once you’re back to work, if you have the means, set that little bit aside once again for the car out in the garage. It’s up to all of us to create the ending of the “how our industry emerged from the 2020 Covid-19 crisis” story. Let’s make it a good one!

ADVERTISER INDEX AED Competition..................68

MagnaFuel...........................16

Air Flow Research

Manton Pushrods.................86

(AFR)........................5,56,57

Mark Williams....................107

AJE Racing............................68

Metal Products.....................63

American Racing Headers....56

Meziere Precision Mfg..........38

Aurora Bearing.....................64

Misener Motorsports..........101

Autoglym.............................43 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools..........40 Baer Brakes.....................31,35 BES Racing Engines..............32 Bill Mitchell Products......12,32 Billet Specialties...................66 C&S Specialties.....................69 Calvert Racing Suspensions..26 Canton Racing Products.......47 Chassis Engineering.............52

Moser Engineering...............62 Neal Chance Converters......104 Northern Radiator................60 Parts Pro Perf Centers...53, 107 PBM Products.......................13 Performance Rodware....39, 95 Piston Racing Engines........107 Profiler.................................63 PRW-USA...........................106

Clearshot Customs................80

Race Part Solutions........20, 74

CURT/NPW...........................52

Racequip............................. 63

Design Engineering..............42

Rage Wraps..........................63

Dynotech Engineering..........11

RAM Clutches.......................78

ECAM...................................80

RCD....................................106

Erson Cams...........................86

RM Racing Lubricants...........71

goDragRacing.org................80

Ross Racing Pistons..........7, 51

Goodson Tools......................56

RPM Magazine.......29, 94, 112

Granatelli Motorsports.........61

SG Metal Works....................70

GRP Connecting Rods.........101

SM Racecars.......................103

Harland Sharp......................27

Smackdown 4......................67

Hitman Hotrods...................57 HoleShot Wheels..................39 Hughes Performance..............7 Ian Hill Racing......................51 Icon Forged Pistons............102 Induction Solutions..............30 Jesel.....................................38 Joe Van O..............................57 JW Racing Transmissions........5 Karbelt.................................68

Summit Midwest Drags........41 Summit Racing Equipment ......................94, 103,110,115 T&D Machine........................15 The Supercharger Store........71 Ti64....................................111 Tom’s Upholstery..................85 Total Seal Rings....................62 Trailer Alarms.com.............106

Kinsler Fuel Injection......13, 63

Trick Flow.....................15, 103

LenTech Automatics.......27, 70

Tuned By Shane T.................68

Liberty’s Gears......................70

VFN Fiberglass......................62

Lutz Race Cars......................80

Wiseco...............................102

Magnaflow.........................102

World Products....................67

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June2020 Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 21 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

RIDES

The Real ThingThis.................................................

54 7-second street/strip Camaro is a full-scale threat!

Know the Rules.......................................................... 8

Big Shot..................................................................72

Do-Overmire..............................................................24

Project Pace Car Race Car ..............100 Part 1: How did we get here?

...Even when there are none!

If at first it isn’t perfect, do it again!

EXCLUSIVES & Tech

RPM

Shop Talk....................................................................38 Quarantine blues: All dressed up and nowhere to go!

Tony Harlin is a man who isn’t afraid to show some muscle— like, say his blown Hemi Dart, for example!

The Rebirth of Madness: Part 2..................................... 43 The resurrection accelerates!

Truck Stuff: Accessorize.................................................88 We add some accessories to the latest RPM truck

Company Spotlight: Oil Matters.................................... 97

We go inside Maxima Racing Oil to find out what makes it slick

READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6

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feature CAR

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QUITE THE OPERATION

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Pierre-Luc Mallet’s 1991 Mustang Coupe Grudge car was previously a show-stopping small tire Super Street class car that was rolled several times during competition a few years back. Mallet bought the wreck and rebuilt it in his own garage.

story by

Chris Biro

content consulting by

Steve Argiropoulos

photos by

Andrew Radiotis

!

E N O N E R A E R E H ...EVEN WHEN T

G

rudge no-time drag racing has grown from the roots of both street racing and organized street car style class drag racing. Add in the component of not having time clocks telling everybody what a car is capable of (that’s why it’s called “NO TIME”) and you just managed to level the playing field to almost flat! Almost…

Grudge cars and racers are a different breed. For the racers, it’s still about the rush of heads-up, even start (none of that TV head-start BS), first to the finish line, on-the-edge racing. But these

guys and girls also gotta know how to play the “Grudge Game.” By game, we mean how to beat the car beside you when have no idea what it can run. In martial arts there is a saying: “when you’re weak pretend your strong, and when you’re strong pretend you’re weak.”

This is the single rule that the grudge no-time racer must understand before they enter the ring. www.rpmmag.com

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POWER UNDER ’GLASS

The dual-scooped fiberglass hood is not just for show as the 509 big block towers over the fenderline of the Fox Body.

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Because there are not a lot of rules in grudge racing, if you’re the type who loves social media attention by posting your ET and the new parts you just installed last week online, then you suck at this game.

On the other hand, if you doctored up your time slip to be, say, 3 tenths slower (by the way we can help with that), then you are on the right track. If you took photos of your parts installed and happen to mention the

1050 cfm carb as an 850, you’re learning.

If you took photos of a buddy’s street driver parts as being installed on your car, you’re actually getting really good at this game.

There’s a lot more to it, but you get the gist.

It’s the equivalent of poker and never showing all the cards or letting everyone what you have, or don’t have. You have to find your poker face. To quote Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry Character “If you

Anywhere you see the RPM VIDEO EXTRA icon, click to see this feature in action!

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feature CAR

RPM

HUNNA DOLLA BILLS, Y’ALL

This handful of Canadian “Queens” after a big win is proof that Mallet knows how to play the Grudge Race game!

LIT AND READY

LAUNCH SEQUENCE

The narrower class legal tires need some heat to hook the big nitrous combination.

Mallet has the Mustang’s launch down to a science.

The left front wheel just scrapes the ground as the car leaves the line.

HARDCORE

INTAKES

SMALL BLOCK CHEVY 4500 CARB FLANGE 2.020” X 1.200” Ports

 RPM: 2500-7500  4150 Height: 5.625”  4500 Height: 6.385”  Made In America

4150 CARB FLANGE 2.000" x 1.180" Ports

HARDCORE QUALITY & PERFORMANCE

Valvetrain•Safety Equipment •Blocks •HeadsFuel •Manifolds •Horsepower Valve Covers Systems Combos•Hardware • • •

386-279-7131 | BillMitchellProducts.com

IN STOCK - BUY NOW: $475.60 12

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RPM Magazine

wanna play the game, you better know the rules…”

Ontario, Canada’s Pierre-Luc Mallet knows the rules of this game and has the mitt full of hundreds to prove it!

Before his foray into heads-up and subsequently grudge/

no-time drags with this car, though, Mallet was your average young car guy who drove his hot rods to the local car shows and nearby tracks in the Ottawa, Ontario area. All this innocence would soon come to an end when he and his father were invited to the OSCA

(Ontario Street Car Association) weekend with the Chove racing team and their ’69 EZ Street Camaro.

Once they got a taste of competitive headsup racing, the rest was history. In fact, it was mere months later that Pierre-Luc, with the support of MS Roofing (his

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GET ON UP...

Hooked up and wadding sidewall... what could be better? father’s roofing company), contacted Auto 500, who maintained the Chove Camaro, and started a plan to enter the world of heads-up drags.

To start with, the team purchased

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an all-motor ’95 Mustang which was raced for a few months then switched to a small block nitrous convertible that they campaigned in True 10.5 events at Napierville Dragway for two seasons.

At this point, the

RPM Magazine

fast-growing and big purse payouts of Quebec Grudge Wars began to make some serious noise in Canada and the NM-sponsored team got bit by the bug of N/T Grudge Racing.

Now let’s talk about the typical

grudge car: more often than not, the grudge or no-time car is a working man’s passion. On an average, or even an above-average income, you can only do so much, and this is where the second rule of grudge racing comes into

play; horsepower first.

Hey, if you got more cash and can make it a “show stopper” grudge car that wins, then all the power to you. But if you want to win at any cost, then that “cost” has to be dedicated to where it creates a win.

MoPower to You. Trick Flow PowerPort 190® cylinder heads are the new standard for small block Mopar engine builds.

Improvements over stock: A356-T61 aluminum castings; enhanced intake ports; CNC Street Ported runners; stronger rocker arm shaft bosses; and 3/8" pushrod clearance. There’s also standard features like bronze alloy guides, ductile iron seats, 11/32" stainless valves, PAC Racing springs, steel locks, and chromoly or titanium retainers.

PowerPort 190 heads fit all non-emissions, LA and Magnum 318-360 engines. That’s right, Magnum owners can now— bonus!—use LA parts on their builds using these heads.

What a great time to be a small block Mopar owner!

Airflow Results PowerPort 190

Lift Value

Intake Flow CFM

Exhaust Flow CFM

.100" .200" .300" .400" .500" .600" .700"

66 134 200 248 281 293 301

54 121 181 213 231 237 240

Tests conducted at 28" of water (pressure).

Bore size: 4.000"; exhaust with 17⁄8" pipe.

Your Recipe for Small Block Mopar Performance!

New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.

Track Heat® Intake Manifold Hot on the heels of the PowerPort 190 heads is this single plane Track Heat intake manifold. Perfect for all 273-360 Mopar LA V8 engines making peak power in the 3,000-7,000 RPM range, the manifold features a one-piece spider-type design with extended high-flow runners and a raised plenum floor to significantly increase horsepower and torque.

Retro-Fit Hydraulic Roller Lifters

COMING SOON!

These affordable retro-fit roller lifters permit roller camshaft conversions to be made to engines originally equipped with hydraulic flat tappet cams. The lifters are manufactured to factory tolerances for an exact fit and to provide precise oil control to keep your engine running smoothly.

Track Max® Harmonic Dampers Put Trick Flow’s advanced engineering to work for you with a Track Max harmonic damper. Engineered for safety and power, these SFI 18.1 rated, carbon steel dampers contain an injection-molded, bonded elastomer and removable counterweights. They also have engraved timing marks for easy adjustment and a corrosion-resistant black powdercoat finish.

TrickFlow.com • 1-330-630-1555 2006RPCT

Some parts are not legal for sale or use on any pollution-controlled motor vehicles.

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PIERRE-LUC MALLET’S 1991 MUSTANG COUPE GRUDGE CAR Chassis Type & Mods: 6.0 certified chassis/cage.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Front coilover conversion kit with Strange two-way shocks. Tubular K-member and manual rack. Aerospace brakes. REAR: 4-link with wishbone pro modstyle suspension with Strange double-adjustable coilover shocks.

Aerospace disc brakes.

Body & Paint: White body color spayed by owner, custom rear wing, Lexan windows. Fiberglass doors, hood, trunk and front bumper.

Engine: 509 cubic inch built by Auto 500 based out of Montreal, Laval, Quebec. Dart aluminum block, Sonny Bryant crank, GRP aluminum connecting rods and JE custom gas ported nitrous pistons.

55mm Cam, ISKY Red Zone solid bushing 937 lifters. ProFiler Hitman spread port 12-degree cylinder heads and intake ported by Auto 500.

Jesel rockers and pushrods, titanium retainers and PSI Springs. MLS head gaskets.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Quick Fuel Technology Dominator style nitrous carburetor.

Power Adder: Two-stage direct port nitrous oxide system.

Electronics & Ignition: 7531 MSD Ignition box, NOS two-stage timer, NOS progressive controller, and MSD coil.

Transmission & Driveline: 2-speed Powerglide by Bassi Automatic of Ottawa, Ontario. 158 Gear Set, FTI billet pump, Reid case, FTI converter.

Differential: 8.8 rear diff with Bear’s 31 spline axles, Bear’s spool and C-clip eliminator, and S&W rear housing brace.

Other info: Owner-built and painted in his home garage from wrecked to ready in 8 months. Owner driven in Grudge and No-Time drags.

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Generally, you build the car to look good but not give away too much. At the same time, though, you don’t want the car that looks so beaten up that it raises eyebrows as soon as you fire it up in the pits. Let’s face it, when a beat-tocrap “looking” car comes to the line that sounds like an F22 on steroids and has more chromoly cage bars than the local jail, something’s up.

A grudge racer has to find that balance between done and overdone, and Mallet has that, too.

This Mustang was originally the pristine ex-Super Street (True 10.5) Mustang that was driven by Sandra Grella in OSCA and QSCA competition on the north side of the border.

After that, the ’91 coupe was purchased by Montreal-based Leo Rea who updated the car and raced it for a few years.

Unfortunately, in 2013 at Napierville Dragway during the Outlaw 10.5 finals, driver Steve Argiropoulos lost control after a wishbone failure caused the car to violently turn into

both walls after the eighth. This was followed by multiple rolls, leaving the car as nothing but a beaten up cage that saved a life. When most considered the shell to be garbage, Pierre-Luc saw something different and purchased the bruised and bashed remains for a few thousand bucks.

He slowly began the resurrection of bringing it back to its former glory, and with lots of cash and time later, Mallet pretty much singlehandedly did the near-impossible

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GETCHUR NOSE OFF The removable front clip is a necessity to access the big block from all corners.

SMALL TIRE FRYER

A Ford 8.8 rear diff with Bears 31-spline axles, Bears spool and C-clip eliminator and S&W rear housing brace is suspended by a 4-link with wishbone and www.rpmmag.com Strange double adjustable coilovers

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HIGH CARB

This pony isn’t keto friendly! With the pin-on hood removed, you can see the towering single Quick Fuel carb and the copious plumbing necessary to feed the two-stage nitrous system.

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and had the shell ready for duty once again. “I built it and painted it in eight months in a small garage in my backyard,� he said.

Along with adding some fiberglass and Lexan to the body mix, with

a 6.0-certified chassis, 4-link pro mod-style rear suspension, Strange double-adjustable coilovers front and rear, and a tubular front K-member, the reborn Mustang was just waiting for some motivation.

To power the Fox Body Ford, Mallet looked no further than his tuner and engine builder for his previous racecars, Stef Koutis, owner of Auto 500 Performance. Koutis put together an alumi-

num-based 510ci BBC short block topped with a pair of Auto 500 hand ported 12-degree ProFiler spread-port Hitman series cylinder heads and intake, two stages of direct port nitrous and a Quick Fuel Technology

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carb. Inside the mill, a Bryant crank swings GRP aluminum connecting rods and custom JE nitrous pistons.

The heads are

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equipped with Jesel rockers and PSI springs with titanium retainers.

Backing the heavily-juiced big block is a

RPM Magazine

near indestructible Bassi Automatic (base out of Ottawa) 2 speed Powerglide with

JUICY DOUBLE

The big block is fed extra muscle via a two-stage/16-nozzle direct port nitrous system. Carburetion comes from a nitrous calibrated Quick Fuel Technology Dominator-style carburetor.

POWERED UP

An Auto 500-built 509-cube big block Chevy powers the mighty Mustang. A DART block houses a Bryant forged crank, GRP aluminum connecting rods and JE custom gas ported nitrous pistons as a rotating assembly. The ProFiler Hitman spread port 12-degree cylinder heads and intake were ported by Auto 500. A set of Jesel rockers and pushrods, titanium retainers and PSI springs were used.

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CUT QUARTERS

A grudge build focuses on power over pretty, so elongating the wheelwells to fit bigger tires is just a necessary part of the equation.

FINE INSIDES

The cockpit is clean and well thought out, but all go. Aside from a stock style dash everything else is meant to help Mallet beat the guy in the other lane, period.

Reid case, FTI billet pump, and converter.

A Ford 8.8 with Bears 31-spline axles and spool take the abuse out back.

Of course, being a grudge car we have absolutely no horsepower, dyno or elapsed time info because those are cards that Mallet holds close to his chest. What we can say is that Mallet wins on race day with the www.rpmmag.com

Mustang and both he and his car fit the grudge racer MO perfectly; run hard and don’t show your hand to anyone!

So take some advice from us, when you pull to the line beside Pierre-Luc Mallet, you better know the rules, even when there are none.

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S

ometimes it would just be easier, wouldn’t it?

You know…that friend you have who parks his ride in the closest spot in the parking lot without a care in the world? He never washes—let alone details—his

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car and he doesn’t mind if his commute manages to collect a rock chip or a door ding or twelve.

It’s safe to say if you are reading RPM, you aren’t in that category.

And neither is Daniel Overmire.

“This car was purchased in 2014 as an

RPM Magazine

incomplete roller.

It was just a bare shell on wheels and came with a ProCharged 406 small block,” he said. The ’65 Nova project had been painted red and white, and to hear Overmire tell it, the panels looked fairly straight.

It seemed like a good start.

story by

JAMES WILLIAMS photos by

TONY GORDON

T...

C E F R E P ’T N IS IT T S IR F T IF A

DO IT AGAIN!

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Except it wasn’t.

After assembling the front end, installing the interior, and sorting the drivetrain, it lasted all of 200 miles before the perfectionist grew concerned.

“As it turned out, the rear frame rails had not been installed correctly and had been cracked at the top,” he said.

The frame flex had buckled the rear quarters and the blown small block had underperformed.

“Due to the extensive frame repairs necessary, I decided to basically start over,” Overmire added.

Patrick’s Ultra Motorsports was brought in to assess the sit-

uation and start from scratch.

Patrick Skahan and Jessie Barnhart jumped in, constructing a gorgeous full chromoly tube chassis that sports Strange single-adjustable shocks and tubular control arms up front and a custom 4-link with double-adjustable Strange coilovers out back. A narrowed and braced Scribner housing was filled with goodies from Mark Williams, including 40-spline axles, center section, and 4.11 gears.

The Chevy rides on a set of polished Billet Specialties Street Lite wheels with Hoosier tires.

The 15x3.5s up

9WAY ADJUSTABLE

CR

SERIES REAR SHOCKS

WHY PAY MORE?

Calvert Racing’s 9-way adjustable twin tube design has what you require for all around best performance and maximum consistency. The external control dial allows easy adjustments to help control rear body separation and keep the tires planted. Constructed out of steel with heavy duty 5/8 shaft ensures durability in the most stressful conditions.

CR32150 Shown. Products vary by application.

ask a tech:

661-728-9600

Mon. - Fri. 8am-4:30pm PST

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MADE IN THE USA

www.CalvertRacing.com

1956 Chevrolet Brian Stockinger CalTracs, CR Series Shocks

se ing stock racing on fire

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SIZE DOES MATTER

The Nova sports a massive blown big block with zoomies up front, while an equally large fabricated rear wing and beefy Hoosier meats live out back.

The sinister black paint envelops the all-steel shell. In typical pro street fashion where understated is for sissies, Overmire ascribes to the “more is more� philosophy.

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MR. KLEEN

Check out the caliber of the fab work under the car! The tubework and tinwork is flawless.

front are shod with 26x5-15 skins while the 15x16s in rear roll on 33x1716 slicks.

A matched set of Mark Williams disc brakes provide the stopping power.

After getting the chassis and suspension all sorted out,

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Patrick’s also handled the all-steel body makeover. The rear wheel openings were stretched four inches to make room for the huge Hoosier steamrollers, a custom rear wing was fabbed, and the factory firewall was smoothed before the

little deuce was treated to a slick basecoat/clearcoat black urethane paintjob. The concours-level finish contrasts nicely with the flawless chrome bumpers, pristine factory brightwork, and polished billet wheels.

The final order of busi-

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feature CAR

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CHASSIS PORN

Many of the pristine bead rolled panels are held in place with quarter-turn fasteners to make servicing the car easier. Patrick Skahan and Jessie Barnhart of Patrick’s Ultra Performance in Puyallup, Washington handled the fabrication duties. Back in the trunk, a pair of carbon fiber tubs and a JAZ fuel cell have been mounted along with the battery and fuel pumps.

ness was to get the power in line with the rest of the build.

For that task, Overmire entrusted Walt Alstom Racing to piece together a noholds-barred 632cube all-aluminum

engine, starting with a 4.600-bore Brodix block with a 55-mm full roller raised cam bore. A Callies forged steel 3.750-stroke crank was partnered with Manley 6.700-inch

rods and Diamond pistons for a bulletproof rotating assembly.

Up top, a pair of ported and polished Brodix BB3Xtra heads with 380cc chambers have www.rpmmag.com

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DANIEL OVERMIRE’S PRO STREET 1965 CHEVY NOVA

Chassis Type & Mods: Full chromoly tube chassis by Patrick Skahan & Jessie Barnhart (Patrick’s Ultra Performance, Puyallup, Washington).

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Strange shocks and tubular control arms. Mustang II rack & pinion. Mark Williams disc brakes with 14-inch slotted rotors. REAR: Custom 4-link with Strange double-adjustable coilover shocks. Mark Williams disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors.

Body & Paint: Smoothed firewall and 4-inch stretched rear wheel openings to the all-steel shell. Gloss black basecoat/clearcoat urethane paint. All prep and paint by Patrick’s Ultra Motorsports.

Engine: All aluminum Walt Alstom Racing-built 632 ci engine. Brodix block with 4.600-inch bore and raised cam profile. Callies 3.750-inch stroke crankshaft with Manley 6.700-inch rods and Diamond pistons.

Full solid roller camshaft (.750 lift/285 duration) with 55 mm roller bearings. Jesel roller lifters. Ported and polished Brodix BB3Xtra cylinder heads.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: BDS aluminum supercharger intake. Twin Quick Fuel boost-referenced 850 CFM carburetors. Polished BDS Hilbornstyle scoop.

Power Adders: BDS 8/71 Stage 3 supercharger. NOS supercharger plate nitrous system.

Electronics & Ignition: MSD Grid ignition system. MSD Pro Billet distributor.

Transmission & Driveline: Trans Specialties Powerglide transmission with trans brake. 3,500 rpm stall converter. Aerospace Components Pro Eliminator air shifter.

Differential: Narrowed and braced Scribner 9-inch housing with Mark Williams 40-spline axles. Mark Williams center section and 4.11 gears.

Performance: 1,240 hp & 1,069 ft./lbs. @ 6,500 rpm (without nitrous).

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IN STOCK - BUY NOW: $4995.75 32

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MULTI-POWER ADDED

The 632 ci Chevy motor sports a BDS 8/71 blower and an NOS plate nitrous system. been equipped with Jesel Pro Series roller rockers. The big cam is spun via an RCD gear drive and front cover. Ignition is handled by an MSD Grid system and MSD Pro Billet distributor, while exhaust chores are managed by a pair of custom zoomie headers.

Power is added via a polished BDS 8/71 Stage 3 supercharger with an NOS supercharger plate nitrous system below, and twin Quick Fuel boost-referenced 850 CFM carburetors and polished BDS Hilborn-style scoop on top. The combo was good for 1,240 horses and 1,069 ft./lbs.

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of torque at 6,500 rpm on boost alone with the nitrous system good for another 150-shot.

Backing the big-power big block is a Transmission Specialties Powerglide transmission

that has been equipped with a trans brake and TCI deep pan and is shifted via an Aerospace Components Pro Eliminator billet air shifter.

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JAW DROPPING NICE

The build quility on the little Chevy is unsurpassed throughout. The carbon fiber and fabricated tinwork has been flawlessly installed .

power fore, while a Mark Williams chromoly driveshaft sends it aft.

Inside, Patrick’s handled the clean fabrication work, including a host of Dzus-pinned custom beadrolled panels along with clean carbon fiber work. A trio of gauges fill a custom insert behind the Grant GT

steering wheel, while five others flank them in the center. A pair of race seats are draped with Simpson restraints. The car even features a tilt column to make entry and exit easier.

In total, the build took four and half years and it wasn’t without its moments.

“The most memorable expe-

rience was going broke while building it!” Overmire said with a laugh. As it turns out, the only thing more expensive than building a wild pro streeter is building the same one twice.

The ends justified the means, though, as Daniel has gone on to enjoy campaigning the car at Hot August

Nights in Reno, Nevada.

And unlike that first iteration, this version is flawless…not to mention never parked anywhere remotely close to those danger zone spaces where the door dings typically gather!

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TALK

SHOP

QUARANTINEBLUES

!

O G O T E R E H W O N D N A ALL DRESSED UP

JT

story and photos by

I

pray this finds everyone healthy and safe from the global pandemic we are facing.

Home quarantine had

its perks during the first week, as I locked myself in my shop and never looked back.

Then the reality of our business not gener-

AFFORDABLE. REPLACEMENT. STEEL. Jesel Engineers have combined all of the features of our Pro Aluminum Rockers with the durability of our Pro Steel Rockers. Jesel Sportsman Steel Rockers provide engine builders with the option of high strength steel rockers at an extremely affordable price and can be ordered separately or as an upgrade to certain Pro Aluminum rocker systems.

For additional product details, visit us online at Jesel.com or contact us by phone at 732.901.1800

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ating ANY income right now set in and promptly removed the fun out of shop time.

During that first week, though, I was

able to give my Camaro “Big Red� a complete inspection and detailing. I checked every nut and bolt and went through every

1

2

TALK

SHOP

1: I needed some type of income, so I even offered to pick up my buddy’s Harley and bring it back to my shop for service.

2: The N-95 mask is at home in my shop but has nothing to do with the virus. It is just another day of grinding and making nasty dust.

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3: I did some major customizing on this bike last year for a buddy and it was in a million pieces on my shop floor. Besides turning this softail into a comfy touring bike with suspension upgrades, it got a fairing complete with bluetooth radio and gps. I also installed new custom saddlebags, and new larger wheels and tires. Every part was removed and either painted or powdercoated to match the new look of the bike. It was nice to have it back in the shop for a routine service and a thorough detailing. system with a microscopic approach to detail.

This was really fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed the marathon 8-hour shop sessions. That was until I received an official notice that the prestigious indoor car show I was invited to be a feature display at, was cancelled due to Covid-19. So the car is ready to race, ready to show, ready to start earning its keep in my garage, but I have nowhere to take it.

My motorcycle was next in line to get some love and attention. It got a complete service, and afterwards I spent

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an entire day cleaning and detailing every inch of it. I was also able to schedule bike service appointments for all of my annual customers and set up a “no contact” dropoff and pick up policy to help ensure everyone’s safety and health. I was so in need of some type of income that I even offered pick-up and delivery service to sweeten the deal a little. And for the record, it is stressful enough hauling your own bike on a landscape trailer let alone someone else’s pride and joy. I did not enjoy that process at all, but did what I had to

do to get jobs in my shop.

It is hard to comprehend the environment and make sense of it. A few of my buddies who have full-time shops were considered “essential” businesses and were fortunate enough to stay open. This ended up being just a legal perk, though, as customers were not using their cars or wanting to get them serviced. Their employees were also afraid to go to the shop and chose to collect unemployment instead of working.

Many of my friends are working long days just trying to salvage any

RPM

Exclusives

4: My personal Harley was due for some love and attention as my car has been getting all of it the past few years. I did enjoy having the time to completely service it with that same approach to cleanliness and detail. Both of my street toys are all dressed up and have nowhere to go.

5: There is not one nut, one bolt, one fastener, that hasn’t been checked, torqued, and re-checked.

And being the clean freak I am, it was cleaned and touch-up painted in the process. Yes, I have way too much time on my hands these days.

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SHOP

42

so taking it on the street is clearly out of the question. It will also be kind of hard to explain that I’m going food shopping on my Harley. So for now, my passion for motorsports has been limited to riding my dirt bike and 4-wheeler around our farm, which I’m actually thrilled about, because under normal circumstances I NEVER had time for that kind of fun. Who knows, maybe it’s time for a nitrous or turbo upgrade on my dirt toys, although, that could be fun and dangerous at the same time.

I hope this article brought you some enjoyment and reinforced that you are not alone during these unprecedented times. We are most definitely in this together, and I look forward to the future, looking back on this time with a sense of pride on our ability to weather the storm and emerge stronger than ever.

Until Next Time – Keep Wrenching!

TALK

type of income. Like me, most of them can only weather a few more weeks before being forced to close down permanently. I’ve run my small business for 30 years, and during that time I’ve had many ups and downs, but all of them were within some type of my control. What we are facing now is completely out of our control and has the potential to crumble the rock I’ve devoted my entire life to building for my family.

Proud to be an optimist, I look forward to being “allowed” to open and operate my business once again.

I will do whatever is necessary to keep the door open and provide a roof over my family.

I’m hopeful that the economy will surge to an all-time high and enable the “small business Joes” like me, to catch up and take a deep breath of relief.

As for my car, it looks amazing in my shop and runs like a champ in my driveway. But it was built to travel and attend events. Our state has a ban on all “non-essential” travel

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6, 7, & 8: Since all racetrack and car show activity was cancelled, it was time to dust off the dirt toys and have some family fun on the farm. We are so busy traveling every weekend that we never have time to get muddy anymore. I have to admit it was a blast gearing up and pulling wheelies on my dirt bike again.

I also thoroughly enjoyed sliding my daughter’s go-cart into every turn with my foot to the floor. My daughter asked me if we could do a nitrous upgrade on it for her. If we are quarantined much longer I can guarantee that will definitely happen.

REBIRTH of

RPM

Exclusives

S S E N D A M

ES? IK R T S T N E ID C C A N WHEN A WHAT CAN YOU DO Y LACRONE, YOU

IF YOU’RE TRO

story and photos by

TROY

LaCrone

PART 2: THE

RESURRECTION ACCELERATES 1: On the right is Marc Beilman and me on the left taken day after the wreck.

We were brainstorming to rebuild the car or not.

On the following Monday, Mark said “If you want to fix your car, we will fix it.”

T

his year was shaping up like no other.

“We were way ahead of schedule on everything” said Troy LaCrone.

In the April issue of RPM, we shared the unfortunate news of Troy’s testing accident where his stunning 1968 Tour Event/Grudge Camaro attempted to take flight. Post-accident Troy said; “well, schedule-wise for Drag Week things look about normal now. It will be a mad thrash again!”

This issue, in Troy’s own words, we’ll pick up at the point when the car arrived home on the roll-off.

REALITY CHECK

It didn’t even seem real.

The wrecked car was in my shop on the lift where it always sets. I dealt with it by staying out of the shop.

That wasn’t even my plan, just a natural, instinctive reaction, I guess. I remember a Saturday when I needed to do some work in my shop, and it was there.

I ended up detailing the interior because I could not stomach looking at it sand covered with broken glass and pieces everywhere. I bet I may be the only guy ever to detail a crashed car.

When the roll-off came to take it away to Beilman Fabrication in Wentzville,

REBUILD. 1

MO I was so relieved. I just needed it out of my line of sight.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Marc Beilman, owner of Beilman Fabrication had already looked the car over pretty good the day after the wreck, so, when it arrived there were no big surprises, save for the detailed interior. As a chassis builder, he knew there were some hurdles to overcome to be certain of the cars fate. Marc said, “we needed to get the body off the car, get it on the chassis table and start measuring ev-

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5 2 3

2: The last look at the Camaro before it went to the chassis shop.

3: Marc puts attention to detail in everything he does.

Check out the logo welded to the cage upright.

4: The car was taken down to only the frame and part of the floor pan.

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erything accurately.” He was leaning toward not enough impact to tweak the main 25.1E 6.0 NHRA Certified chassis he built years before. “It was a strong car that we built right. It rolled a bunch of times, but it never took a direct hit into the wall or anything like that.” But, with the mangled body sitting on it, all you could see was badly damaged metal. “It took us a few days to be able to make the call to Troy,” Marc added.

“It went like this… ‘I do not see anything we can’t easily fix.’ That was a cool call to make because I knew what the car means to Troy, its sentimental value is irreplaceable.” Somehow I knew it was going to be fine because I

4

could not let myself consider otherwise. Beilman builds cars from all over the nation and the quality of their build is second to none. I’ve had top-level builders look at my car and shake their head because it is pure art. To me it’s perfection and he is always fair on price, which is a rare combination.

THE PLAN

The general idea was to come back with the same car looks-wise. Same color combination of B17 Daytona Blue Pearl with bright white Z-28 Stripes. No pro mod stuff allowed, which means no big wing, doors must open and close like normal with factory hardware, standard

5: The drivers A-arms gave up when the car landed on them upright.

6: Everything else was removed and most of it discarded. The wishbone snapped without granting anyone what they wished for.

7: Road rash on the parachute mount.

6 7

8 8: Salvaged sponsor stickers from the back glass.

front end, no fender-exit headers, etc.

I demand that this be a street car, in the traditional meaning. We drive and cruise it everywhere. I want it to look like a 1968 Camaro that just runs a little better. Where the major changes come into play for version 2.0 is that it was time to lighten the car—a lot. This will mean that we would no longer compete in Drag Week’s Pro Street class but would now be in the Unlimited Class. That’s the only class the car

will fit rules-wise, but we will have fun and compete nonetheless. Also, when we run 6s we will be thrilled no matter how we finish.

Here are some of the major moving parts of the plan:

ENGINE

We have two: a 580ci and a 632ci.

Both capable of making upwards of 2,000hp with the nitrous flowing. The major difference, the 632 makes about

200hp more Naturally aspirated so it takes less spray to go fast. It also has a fatter torque curve, so the average numbers are better and that translates into lower ETs. We mostly plan to use the 632 as our grudge engine, and the 580 as our go-to for Drag Week. In each case, I rely on good friends for power. Straub Technologies is owned

by Chris Straub. He and I have forged a great friendship. Chris helps with all the engine parts and tech advice as well. When time permits, he also has

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11

9

10 9: Here is my pre-flight checklist, “ready to bang 2nd forward if needed” did that, but with the new engine, it just kept going up!

10: There wasn’t a straight panel to be seen, as it seemed like nearly every panel had rash on it somewhere.

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12 full engine building capability with his great team in Piney Flats, TN. The 580ci was born there under the skilled hands of Scott Foxwell. I also have my life-long friend Chris Nowack of Nowack Racing by my side. Chris now handles anything and everything that either engine needs. He has one of the best dyno rooms in the Midwest and is an extremely advanced tuner, builder, and airflow guy. Without Nowack, no way the car would be as fast or fun.

Finally, friend Jim Gray of Bullet Racing Engines is always willing to lend a hand. He has turn-key high-level engine capacities, too.

Jim took over last year as the one and only person calling the shots on our nitrous tune-ups. He is good enough that we have sprayed RPM Magazine

over 1,000hp of nitrous through a 580ci engine, problem free.

That’s a bunch and it is not easy or common. Of course, an incredible Induction Solutions direct-port nitrous system helps a lot. Even better when there are two of them on each engine. Steve Johnson is top notch. He cares about everyone who buys an IS system and helps even many that don’t. People buy brand X crap, have issues with it and Steve still sorts them out.

He often flow corrects systems no matter the origin of them. I just cannot say enough about IS. Both engines have Straub Technologies cams mated to Morel Black Mamba lifters and Smith Brothers pushrods. I prefer carburetors and rely on AED for everything related to them. They are top notch and

always spot on out of the gate.

Currently, the 632 that ingested a bunch of sand from the wreck has been returned to ‘like new’ and is on the dyno at Nowack’s and the 580 is going on next for some nitrous development work.

TRANSMISSION AND DRIVELINE

We rely on a well-built Hutch 400 3 speed auto. 2.10 first gear.

Friend Larry Busse inspected it after the wreck, all looked new.

CircleD built the converter. It is a very nice bolt-together unit they built for us with stators for both engines. It will flash stall about 5,700 on the nitrous and has very low slippage numbers at the stripe.

Dynamic Drivelines supplied

13, 14, & 15: I gave away different parts of the car to over 200 fans. We mailed small pieces all over the world.

Zach (photo 14) is a local fan who loves racing and we let him pick his piece.

While many auction off crash pieces, I gave the stuff to fans and even covered shipping!

13 11: Beilman cut off a bunch of parts that could not be salvaged.

12: A pile of broken stuff sitting in the floorplan.

14

15

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16, 17, & 18: New original GM body panels are installed. A local racer, Randy Matlock, happened to have already have a ’68 shell at Beilman Fabrication as part of a new build. He knew it would save us precious time, and he graciously sold it to me for what he had in it. We had it media blasted and during the process realized we needed a roof skin (pic 17). The body ended up with new roof, quarters, taillight panel, rear valance, and rockers, all steel. We lightened it as much as possible.

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the carbon fiber driveshaft, while the ford 9-inch third member comes from Strange. It is outfitted with a big 9.5-inch Pro ring gear, 3.70 ratio and bolted into a custom-fabricated housing built by Beilman.

Axles are gun-drilled 40-splines from Strange.

Supplying fuel is done via a proven Magnafuel 500 Pro Star pump and an assortment of braided lines lines and regulators all built and spec’d by myself.

Cooling this beast is handled by a complete system purchased from Be Cool.

We run 170 degrees cruising in the heat for hours, you can’t beat Be Cool.

RPM Magazine

CHASSIS AND BODY

While the engine and transmission remain the same in the post-accident build, the chassis does not.

The main frame remains, a Beilman built 6.0 cert chassis made from chromoly tubing and perfectly tig welded and inspection revealed zero accident damage. The front section of the frame started life as a bolt in Smith Racecraft chromoly unit. We replaced damaged sections of it from the accident, but some of it remains.

The new 2.0 build features Kinetic Engineering cus-

tom valved Penske shocks at all four corners. Chris Bell is a terrific addition to our team, with his shocks and help we have a shot to get our 60-foot under 1.0 second.

Other changes include replacing the heavy steel doors and fenders with Glasstek fiberglass replacements. Beilman along with Monehan Autobody will create a custom hinge that will allow the hood to still be raised like a factory hood. Or, when more involved work is being done, the front cap removes as one piece in seconds. All a combination of lightweight and functionality as a

17 19

REBIRTH of

S S E N MAD

18

20

19 & 20: We sectioned the new body on at the firewall and along the rocker panel pinch welds.

21 & 22: These photos show the front subframe after repairs.

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23 street, show, and race car. All OEM glass will be replaced with lighter weight Optic Armor. Again, it will be hard to tell because we will set it up with factory molding in place, so it doesn’t look like a pro mod. A Racepack street dash will replace all gauges.

Chris Nowack has already built a complete new wiring harness comprised of lightweight aerospace wire with an assortment of weather pack connections (part of the next

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story). Wheels were sourced from Larry Hodge whom I feel is the best wheel guy in the nation and for tires, we normally run a 33x17.50x16 Hoosier slick, but the car will fit a 35x17 as well.

Body and paint have not been started as of this writing, so we’ll cover that next time.

It will be equally as impressive and handled by Monehan’s Autobody in Villa Ridge, MO. Tom is next level. Few can even understand how skilled

RPM Magazine

he is, and the car will be a show case for a life spent perfecting the craft of autobody.

Our friendship dates back to junior high.

When all is said and done, we are thinking the 2.0 car will be at least 500 pounds lighter.

PERFORMANCE BY THE NUMBERS We averaged 7.77 on Drag Week 2018 and ran 7’s

every day. During testing just beforehand, we went 7.50 @ 182. In 2019 we ran a bunch more power, but it was at a local track we love that is 1/8th mile. Our best run was a 4.73, but we sheered to torque converter bolts about 500-feet into the run and mph was down 15. We believe that would have been a solid 4.60.

We ran more power than that run against Memphis Street Outlaw racer JJdaBoss, but that was a clocks-off event.

24 23 & 24: Once installed, with everything straight, the new body panels get aligned and the gaps are set. Glasstek doors, fenders and hood were used.

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HERE’S THE PASS WHERE THE MAYHEM OCCURRED...

25 The 632 has never made a timed run pass as we had only begun testing with it when the accident happened. The goal is for each engine to run a 6-second quarter-mile pass.

shows, cruising well for 1,000mile trips, and running 6-second quarter-mile times. But, the stress of that is not being shouldered by me alone. My team was just as hurt by the wreck as I was. All of us enjoy this car together—doesn’t matter if it is in person or watching a video of it donkey gapping ‘Ole Heavy’ our team has been blessed from great

THE TEAM

Most people cannot imagine bringing this car back to life in a matter of a few months. At a level of winning

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RPM Magazine

memories with this car. My wife Tonya is not stupid, she knew it would take a significant cash outlay to repair the car, but she was a trooper with 100% support. Her reaction to the wreck was first that I was safe, but right behind that was that we fix the car.

I’ve learned through this accident of hundreds of kids whom follow the car and love

25: The 1968 grill survived the crash and I restored it to look new. It is amazing how such a violent accident can absolutely destroy things like fabricated chromoly but yet leave something as fragile as 50+-year-old plastic unscathed. Lucky for me, though...chromoly is much less scarce than NOS trim!

it. I never realized that, so I’m happy the accident opened my eyes to know we are a small part of creating the next generation of gearheads.

You can follow our car and our racing on my Facebook page, Troy LaCrone – Drag Racing, Drag Week – Grudge / Outlaw Events.

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Alliston - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . (705) 435-6271 Barrie (North) - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (705) 728-5911 Barrie (South) - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (705) 726-6161 Bracebridge - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (705) 645-2247 Brantford - Misener Motorsports . . . . (519) 757-1200 Collingwood - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (705) 445-9311 Exeter - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 235-0290 Flesherton - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . (519) 924-1444 Goderich - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 524-8389 Hamilton - A&A Discount . . . . . . . . . . (905) 545-9339 Haliburton - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . (705) 457-2322 Hanover - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 364-2960 Harriston - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 338-3441 Huntsville - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . (705) 789-1818 Keswick - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . (905) 476-7721 Kincardine - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . (519) 396-3381 Listowel - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 291-1213 London - Performance Unlimited . . . . (519) 453-0337

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Bed Covers

Signature Low Profile Design Sitting only 3/4” above the truck bed, Lo Pro doesn’t distract but enhances your truck’s overall appearance .

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Midland - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . (705) 526-5488 Mitchell - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 348-9639 Mt. Forest - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 323-1530 Newmarket - ZZ Performance . . . . . (888) 572-8867 New Hamburg - Ideal Supply . . . . . . (519) 662-2411 New Hamburg - Rudy Held's . . . . . . (519) 662-2821 Orangeville - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . (519) 941-1510 Orillia - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (705) 325-1335 Oshawa - Karbelt Speed & Custom . . (905) 579-9884 Owen Sound - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (519) 371-0810 Parry Sound - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . (705) 746-9564 Pickering - Karbelt Speed & Custom (905) 839-4421 Port Elgin - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 389-4242 Seaforth - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 527-0880 Shelburne - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . (519) 925-6311 Stratford - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 273-0650 St. Marys - Ideal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . (519) 284-1090 Stoney Creek - A&A Discount . . . . . (905) 643-7700 Sudbury- Witrak Auto Specialties . . . . (705) 566-9870

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LIVE LOCAL

BUY LOCAL

For information on becoming a member location contact: USA

800•344•0368 Canada

888•527•2358

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story by

Toby BROOKS photos by

Brandon WILSON

RO A M A C P I R T/ST E E R T S !

D T N A O E C E R S H 7 T E THIS L A C S L

L U F A S I

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CLASSIC MUSCLE

It is hard to beat the lines and the looks of a ’69 Camaro, and this Z/28 is even better with machined aluminum Weld wheels and a rear drag ‘chute.

Need CBNs?

Goodson has CBN Flywheel Stones in stock ready to ship to the track or the shop!

Save 10%!

Order by July 31, 2020.

Use Code 2CBN

1-800-533-8010 • www.goodson.com/rpm

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RPM Magazine RPM-Mag-06.indd 1

3/16/2020 3:19:57 PM

S

outh Bend, Indiana’s Tony Karamitsos has one heck of a cool job. The Die-Cast Brand Manager and Designer for Johnny Lightning, Auto World, American Muscle, and Racing Champions is instrumental in turning cool real-life rides into small scale replicas for collectors and enthusiasts.

But he doesn’t just build the small stuff.

He builds the real stuff, too.

“I actually had another ’69 Camaro that got hit and totaled. After the accident, a friend knew I was in the market for another, and he told me that another friend actually had a ’69 Camaro project of his own,” he said.

It was a 1969 Camaro in principle and in title only.

“The car was a total basket case,” Karamitsos recalled. “It didn’t have quarters, a rear valance— no doghouse—not much of anything. But it was a

start,” he added.

After acquiring the car in 1996, the build commenced. By 1999, the car was back on the road but it has remained a steady project in progress ever since. Karamitsos handled the body work himself with help along the way from friends Brad Curtis, Shannon Montgomery, and Adam Podell. The car was treated to all new replacement steel along with a fiberglass cowl hood before Tony laid down a mile-deep coat of

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TONY KARAMITSOS’ STREET/STRIP 1969 CHEVY CAMARO Z/28

Chassis Type & Mods: Stock Camaro sub-frame with frame connectors and mini tubs.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: TRZ tubular upper & lower control arms.

Afco double-adjustable coilover shocks and Wilwood disc brakes. REAR: CalTrac traction bars and split mono-leaf suspension with Santhuff doubleadjustable shocks. TRZ anti-roll bar. Aerospace Components disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Fiberglass cowl induction hood with all remaining components factory including bumpers, trim, and glass (3,660 pound curb weight). All prep and paint by Tony Karamitsos with help from Brad Curtis, Shannon Montgomery, Adam Podell. Royal blue metallic DuPont basecoat/ clearcoat paint with white Z/28 stripes.

Engine: Ultra Tech Racing Engines 400 ci small block Chevy with Dart Little M block, Crower forged 3.750-inch stroke crankshaft, Callies 5.850 rods with ARP bolts, and custom ceramic-coated Diamond pistons with Hell Fire rings.

Custom spec Crane solid roller cam with Crower roller lifters and Trend 3/8inch chromoly pushrods. Cometic MLS head gaskets and full ARP stud kit.

All Pro SP 23-degree aluminum raised runner cylinder heads with Isky valve springs, titanium retainers, and 2.150 intake/1.60 exhaust valves. Full CNC port and T&D shaft rockers.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Dart raised runner intake (fully ported) with Edelbrock elbow and throttle body. E85 fuel system with Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump (primary) and ProSeries pump (secondary). Wilson fuel rails and Moran 235cc Billet Atomizer injectors.

Power Adder: Precision Turbo 98mm turbocharger with 66mm wastegate and ProCharger blow-off valve. RJC custom intercooler with custom hot and cold side tubing.

Electronics & Ignition: Holley Dominator EFI, Holley touch-screen dash, Nitrous Dave’s Racing Electronics custom wiring & relay board.

Exhaust: Stainless Works turbo headers.

Transmission & Driveline: RPM Transmission Turbo 400 built by Rodney Massengale, PTC Pro Mod Bolt Together Converter & Gear Vendors Overdrive. Action Machine 4-inch driveshaft with Mark Williams chromoly yoke.

Differential: Moser M9 housing with aluminum center section and 3.25 gears. Gun-drilled star flanged 40-spline axles with 5/8-inch studs.

DuPont Blue Pearl Metallic. White rally stripes went on next before several coats of DuPont clear sealed off the whole slippery, iconic first-gen Camaro envelope.

Chassis mods for the car are relatively straightforward but effective.

Up front, TRZ tubular upper and lower control arms work in concert with Afco double-ad-

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justable coilover shocks while custom disc brakes manage the braking chores. Custom subframe connectors work with a mild steel 8.50-cert cage to add stiffness (a newly-updated 6.50-cert cage is in the works for the off-season to get the tech inspectors off his back after blasting another 7-second pass).

Out back, a Moser M9

RPM Magazine

ROLLIN’ HARD

Whether on the street or at the track, Karamitsos’ Camaro not ony looks incredible, it perfoms incredibly well, too. It’s not easy to propel an almost all steel small tire street machine into the sevens, but Tony has done it (and plans to go deeper following some cage upgrades to keep the tech guy at the track happy).

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OL’ HEAVY

With only an aftermarket fiberglass hood straying from a factory steel, glass, or chrome component, the Camaro isn’t the lightest performer you’ll ever face, making its impressive on-track measurables all the more impressive. When weight is up and ETs are down, you know there must be some serious power on tap. housing was stuffed with a Moser center section, 3.25 gears, and 40-spline axles along with Aerospace Components discs. The diff is suspended via CalTrac split leafs.

CalTrac traction bars and Santhuff double-adjustable shocks that work along with a TRZ

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anti-roll bar to help the portly 3,600+-pound Chevy hook on pretty much any surface.

Helping the cause is a matched set of Weld V-Series wheels with super-sticky Mickey Thompson meats.

A mild mini-tub makes room for

double-beadlocked 15x12s with 275/6015 ET Street Radial Pro tires in rear, while 15x3.5s roll on skinny MTs up front.

As cool as the car is, what really sets it apart isn’t so much what’s outside as what’s inside—specifically what’s inside

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the engine bay where a potent Ultra Tech Racing Engines now dwells. Starting with a Dart Little M block, the 400cube Chevy was filled with a Crower forged 3.750-inch stroke crankshaft and Callies rods that swing custom ceramic-coated Diamond pistons.

A custom, top-secret spec Crane solid roller cam shoves on Crower roller lifters, while chromoly Trend pushrods reach skyward for the T&D

moserengineering.com

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SERIOUS POWER SMALL BLOCK

You may be surprised to see a small block between the fender wells, but the turbocharged 400 ci Ultra Tech Racing Engines mill provides plenty of motivation for the Chevy in a lighterweight envelope than a big block.

KINSLER NEW

Patent Pending

TOUGH

®

PUMP

Steady Flow at EXTREME RPM

Excellent Durability

Kinsler.com

248 362-1145 www.rpmmag.com

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ALMOST STOCK

The Camaro’s interior looks nearly factory, with a pair of stock buckets draped with RJS harnesses and a Holley digital dash where the vintage analog instrumentation used to live. shaft rockers mounted atop the aluminum All Pro 23-degree raised runner heads. Isky valve springs, titanium retainers, and 2.150 intake/1.60 exhaust valves ensure rock-solid reliability.

Up top, a fully ported Dart raised runner intake works with an Edelbrock aluminum elbow

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and throttle body. The E85 fuel system is fed via an Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump that serves as a primary and an ultra-high volume ProSeries pump as secondary.

Wilson fuel rails push the fuel to the Moran 235cc Billet Atomizer injectors that are managed by a Holley Dominator EFI system,

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while exhaust duties are handled by a pair of Stainless Works turbo headers.

Compressed atmosphere is pushed through a Precision Turbo 98mm turbocharger with 66mm wastegate and ProCharger blow-off valve and through an RJC custom intercooler with custom hot and cold side

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tubing. The combo was good for more than 1,300 horsepower to the wheels and is being coaxed for a few more this spring.

Backing the four-digit mill is an RPM Transmission Turbo 400 built by Rodney Massengale.

A PTC Pro Mod bolt-together converter provides punishing launches, and a Gear

RPM Magazine

Vendors Overdrive is handy for the long trips Karamitsos is known for, regularly competing in Drag Week, Power Tour, area races at Oceola Dragway and US 41 Dragstrip, and any number of other shows and events.

An Action Machine 4-inch driveshaft with Mark Williams chromoly yoke ensure

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Canada’s Performance Source!

8 Chisholm Ct. Ajax, ON. Canada 905-619-6660 www.karbelt.com

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PROUD PAPA

Having a cool die cast collectible is one thing.

Having a legit steel 7-second street car is another. But having a die cast collectible OF your street car? That is off-thecharts cool!! the power gets back where it needs to be.

Inside, the car has been treated to a cool mix of safety, style, and nostalgia. “The seats, dash, and console are actually the factory pieces out of my first Camaro, Karamitsos recalled.

A Holley digital dash resides behind a factory GM steering wheel and RJS harnesses keep occupants safe along with a cleanly fabricated cage.

The car has blasted a best of 7.99 @ 173.71 and is competitive nearly every time it hits an event. At the same time, it has also collected hardware at a variety www.rpmmag.com

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FLEXIN’ ON ‘EM

Karamitsos and crew enjoy a moment in the Winners’ Circle as he flashes the cash.

of shows and dyno challenges, all while being capable of pulling a trailer via a custom rear hitch.

But the coolest part? It’s available for purchase.

Well—sort of.

“Yeah, we’ve made a 1:64 scale version of it as part of our collectibles line,” Karamitsos said.

And that’s no small feat!

rmracinglubricants.com Master Distributor for Maxima Performance Auto Products Ian Hill Race Team Logo here when it arrives

Distributor of Champion Oil in Ontario & NY State

Proud Sponsor of the Ian Hill Race Team

905-658-7509 DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOME

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story by

Toby BROOKS

photos by

Louis FRONKIER

E MUSCLE — M SO W O SH TO ID A N WHO ISN’T AFR TONY HARLIN IS A MA

ART, D I M E H N W O L B IS H LIKE, SAY FOR EXAMPLE!

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S

loatsburg, New York resident Tony Harlin is no stranger to world-class performance. The former competitive track & field athlete was a highly decorated shot putter, finishing fifth in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials by launching a 16-pound steel shot over 66 feet.

Such results require lots of hard work, flawless execution, and plenty of muscle.

It’s no surprise, then, that more than three decades later, he’s still exhibiting those same things—only this time in the form of an incredible pro street Dodge Dart.

“This car was one of the first pro streeters built back in the day

by Robert Paul “Tach” Mooney in the mid’70s,” Harlin said. “I bought it in 2000 and it was in desperate need of www.rpmmag.com

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RIDIN’ HIGH

While modern pro street and pro touring involves a ground-scraping, slammed stance, classic pro street looked more like classic pro stock of the era. Forget tucking lug nuts...this Dart is barely tucking tire!

a refresh. I contacted Tach and told him I wanted to put the car back to its former glory,” he added.

A long silence commenced.

Mooney finally responded by asking what he could do to help. “We’ve been friends ever since and he helped me with every aspect of the build,” Harlin said.

The classic pro street stance is

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thanks to a modified Dodge A-body chassis that has been tied together front to rear and stiffened with a mild steel cage. Up front, a custom Bob’s Pro Fab tubular K-member reduces weight, while the QA1 coilovers smooth the bumps. Out back, a pair of massive tubs were installed along with a narrowed Dana 60 housing filled with Richmond 4.56 gears. A

custom ladder bar setup with track locator and another pair of QA1s help ensure decent street manners along with consistent hook at the track.

Rolling stock consists of a set of iconic chrome Cragar S/S big-nlittles, with 15x5s up front and portly 15x15s in rear. A set of Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires roll at all four corners, with mas-

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sive 33x22-15 steamrollers filling up the rear. A quartet of Wilwood disc brakes were installed to slow the nearly-allsteel Mopar.

Speaking of nearly all steel, the body was heavily modified before being treated to a luxurious Chrysler Dark Garnet Red Metallic basecoat/clearcoat

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hue. The rear quarters were bobbed and the one-off fiberglass GTS hood was a Tach Mooney special edition. All the factory glass, trim, and brightwork including a pair of likenew chrome bumpers were retained and the beige rag top adds a heavy dose of street cool to this fully

RPM Magazine

SHOWIN’ OFF

Harlin isn’t afraid to run the classic Hemi hard at the track, pedaling it to a best of 8.61 @ 165 mph. He is equally happy showing it off at a show or cruise like the 2019 OBX Festival (top right). With true zoomie headers, a real Hilborn scoop poking through the hood, and massive Mickey Thompson tires rolling out back, it is a treat for the ears AND eyes and always a fan favorite anywhere it goes.

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THE ELEPHANT COMETH track-ready creation.

A former world-class shot putter knows a thing or two about the track, but this Dodge is more interested in the quarter-mile strip than the 400-meter oval. Reaching skyward through the one-off

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hood is a Blower Shopprepped 8/71 supercharger crowned with a pair of Weber carbs and a polished Hilborn scoop. Beneath the 10% underdriven huffer lives a stout 572 Chrysler Hemi powerplant that provides all the muscle

RPM Magazine

Harlin could need.

Starting with an iron block, a 4.50-stroke forged steel crank was added along with NASCAR connecting rods and boost-friendly 7.5:1 compression Diamond pistons. A custom-spec’d roller cam orchestrates

The Blower Shop-blown 572 Hemi powerplant poking through the hood isn’t just for looks. It features bulletproof internals like a forged steel crank, NASCAR rods, and Diamond pistons to go with that polished 8/71 supercharger with Weber carbs and a matching polished Hilborn scoop.

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TONY HARLAN’S PRO STREET 1968 DODGE DART GTS CONVERTIBLE

Chassis Type & Mods: Dodge A-body chassis with full rollcage.

Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Bob’s Pro Fab tubular K-member and rack & pinion. QA1 coilovers. Wilwood disc brakes. REAR: Custom ladder bar suspension with track locator and QA1 coilovers.

Wilwood disc brakes.

Body & Paint: Custom California bobbed rear quarters and one-off fiberglass GTS hood by Robert Paul Mooney. Chrysler Dark Garnet Red Metallic basecoat/clearcoat paint.

Engine: 572 ci Hemi engine with 4.50-inch stroke forged steel crank, NASCAR rods, and 7.5:1 compression Diamond pistons. Ported and polished Chrysler Hemi cylinder heads with roller rockers. Custom roller camshaft.

Induction & Fuel Delivery: Blower Shop aluminum supercharger intake. Modified dual Weber 48mm carbs with polished Hilborn blower scoop.

Power Adder: Polished 8/71 Blower Shop supercharger with billet front and rear case plates underdriven at 10%.

Electronics & Ignition: MSD ignition box with Mallory distributor with FireCore50 8.5mm wires.

Exhaust: Custom one-off stainless zoomie headers.

Transmission & Driveline: 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed transmission with 9-inch converter.

Differential: Narrowed Dana 60 housing with Richmond 4.56 gears.

Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x5-inch Cragar S/S wheels with Mickey Thompson tires. REAR: 15x15-inch Cragar S/S wheels with 33x22-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires.

Performance: 8.61 @165 mph.

Special Thanks: Robert Paul Mooney (AKA “Tach”).

the Hemi valvetrain symphony aboard ported and polished Chrysler heads.

Ignition chores are handled by an MSD box and a Mallory distributor with FireCore wires, while exhaust duties are managed via a set of custom stainless zoomie headers.

Sending the power rearward is a 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed transmission with a 9-inch converter. The end result is a gleaming,

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growling, eye-popping, ear-splitting cacophony of blown Elephant motor excess capable of propelling the classic dart to a best of 8.61 @ 165 mph.

The cockpit of the classic Pentastar is a cool mix of purpose-built drag car and plush street cruiser. A hand fabricated dash has been plugged full of an octet of analog instrumentation. A center-mounted switch command center

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is within easy reach of the chrome Grant GT steering wheel and Hurst QuarterStick shifter with custom chrome skull shift knob.

The luxurious leather-wrapped buckets and matching French-seam stitched door panels add refined sophistication, while the polished trans tunnel, padded cage, and huge rear tubs scream RACECAR.

CHROME TO GET YOU HOME

The Dart has plenty of pristine factory trim and chrome to retain the classic good looks. The one-off fiberglass GTS hood retians the classic vibe.

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Every great athlete knows he’s only as good as the team around him, and Harlin is no different. “In addition to Tach, Bob’s Pro Shop in Ohio was instrumental in the rebuild. It’s an awesome shop and Bob is a great guy. Without him, the Dart wouldn’t be where it is today,” he concluded.

BIG TIRE? BIG TUBS

The Dart’s interior consists of a massive pair of carpeted tubs, a fully padded roll cage, a pair of leather-wrapped seats, and lots of polished aluminum tinwork. Analog gauges and a Hurst shifter round out the mods.

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Potential competitors, consider yourself warned: you’d be better off to just move along in search of an easier mark because owner Bob Harlin knows how to throw.

And his wicked blown Hemi Dart knows how to throw down. www.rpmmag.com

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Exclusives

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1

TRUCKSTUFF S IE R O S S E C C A D E D E E -N H C U WE ADD SOME M RUCK T K R O W M P R T S E T A L E TO TH 88

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2 1 & 2: You will have two rails, six clamps, a bulkhead seal, and an owner’s manual to work with.

3: A few hand tools is all you need. Read through the install instructions first.

3 story and photos by

George Pich

A

s our long time readers know, at RPM we’re pretty basic folks when it comes to our company trucks.

You won’t find the highend models in our lot, instead, we go almost barebones and then add what we need. We do this for a number of reasons, including the fact that we are using them for work, trying to stay on a budget, and turning them over every few years.

The more we spend on a new work truck with bells and whistles we don’t necessarily need, the more we lose when we decide to sell it. We’d

rather buy right and accessorize afterwards to make our dollars go a bit further, and in this postCovid world, that rings true now more than ever.

If you are any type of truck fan (which our data shows that 90% of you are), unless you have been hiding under a rock the past few years, you have noticed Truck Hero making some big noise in the world of truck accessories and at one point or another you have probably come across one if not several of their brands. Be sure to check them out at www.truck-hero.com We’re not going to bore you with step-bystep install instructions on our latest truck acces-

sories for two reasons; First, everyone in every mag and all over the web has done and overdone that. Secondly, if you’re reading RPM chances are you can turn a bolt, twist a screwdriver, and make sense of instructions (even though we generally don’t like instructions). So we’ll save you the filler and just add some pics and main points about why we chose the products we did and some hints for installing them.

Follow along as we outfit our latest bargain with the help of Truck Hero.

Our candidate is a 2020 F150, SuperCrew 3.5 Ecoboost and just happened to be the best

deal we could find on a fuel efficient pickup that could haul some serious weight. Aside from that, it doesn’t have much to it so we needed three things right away; a tonneau cover, bedliner, and some storage solutions. We chose the PRO X15 Tonneau cover, a BEDRUG Bedliner, and a Husky Liners GEARBOX. The first box to show up at the door was our Truxedo PRO X15 tonneau cover. We drove two weeks without a bed cover and it drove us crazy, so we couldn’t wait to get it installed! Why did we choose the PRO X15? Simple, because we had one on our last shop truck for the past few

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years and loved it! It is simple to install and remove, rolls up out of the way in seconds, is durable in all seasons (we get good winters in this neck of the woods) and as a bonus it is cost effective for our needs.

Install time for the PRO X15 is about 45 minutes. Yep, just 45 minutes! Long gone are long hours installing a quality bed cover, the PRO X15 is just plain easy. Yeah, you could do it in 30 minutes, but hey we had some lunch!

Like we said, no play-by-play here. Instead we’re just going to focus on the features and benefits of the products we chose and some hints during install.

4

5 4: No tonneau cover is completely watertight, but the PRO X15 does a pretty good job with both integrated seals and external seals to ensure that, with correct installation, most of the water will stay out.

IMPORTANT – As you set the PRO X15 cover side rail onto the truck bed rail be sure the built-in cover rail seal (SHOWN IN THE PHOTO) is not twisted or tucked under.

It should be visible, flat and tight along the entire bed rail when installed correctly.

Having one person hold the rail in place while another installs the clamps is a good idea.

6

5: The three clamps should be installed evenly spaced on each side rail. The grooves in the clamps interlock with the grooves in the cover rail for a secure fit.

6: There is also a bulkhead seal. This photo also shows the Truxedo PRO X15 tension adjustment screw, but we’ll talk more about that in a minute.

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7

TRUCKSTUFF 7: Once installed, the PRO X15 rolls completely out of the way and is fastened with straps (supplied) in seconds.

8

8: The unique PRO X15 fastening system “header guides,� we feel, are one of the top features of the cover. With these engaged (pushed toward the outside of the vehicle) the cover is completely installed in no time flat. To remove the entire rolled cover simply disengage the lock and pull the guides toward the inside.

9: These handy spring plunger screws on each of the PRO X15 rails make it fit square and tight. Initial fit and tension can be set up when installed but the manufacturer suggests doing a tension set during the warmest part of the day. Details on this can be found in your owner’s manual or at www.truxedo.com We found that our cover needed one more tension adjustment a few weeks after being exposed to the elements.

9

10: A single lever on the left rail (that cannot be accessed with the tailgate closed) releases the cover from the closed position and a foam rail-seal works with the cover end-seal to ensure a tight fit against the tailgate when closed.

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11

Next we tackled our BEDRUG. Again, we have had two BEDRUGS in the past and both held up very well, so we’re sold.

Install time on the BEDRUG is about 1.5 hours.

Doing this with two people would help. Unfortunately we didn’t have the extra staff during the pandemic to commit to helping.

In fact, our Editor In Chief did this one solo! Like we’ve always said, everyone at RPM is just regular folk. We’re not afraid of work.

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11: Another main reason we like the PRO X 15 is the fact that it is a flush-fit cover that is hardly noticeable thanks to the angled rails and hook & loop side fastening system.

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12: Once the truck bed is thoroughly cleaned, read the instructions and get on with it.

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13: One of the first steps is to flip the Bedrug’s individual sections upside down and zip them together. We’ll be honest, this takes some patience.

There was at least one point during the assembly of our last Bedrugs where we said to ourselves, there is no way these three completely flat pieces are going to zip together to become three dimensional! But yet each time, with some patience, they did. The zipper system is tough and virtually invisible once the BEDRUG is installed.

14

14: Tough stuff! The sides and floor cover are foam construction, so unlike spray-in and molded plastic liners the Bedrug adds impact protection, plus it’s far easier on the knees when you’re crawling around in the back of your truck.

15

15: Before you final install your BedRug make sure to remove any cargo control or lighting systems from your truck bed. You will need to locate them and cut the Bedrug accordingly BEFORE it is fastened in place.Here, shown upside down, you see the Bedrug assembly hook and loop fastening system, one side of which (identified by the red tape covering) adheres to the truck bed via automotivequality (AKA very sticky) tape. There are locators embossed into the foam backside of the Bedrug indicating where to place the fasteners, but they can be hard to see, so a tape measure comes in handy to ensure things are spaced correctly.

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16: When you get the assembly flipped right side up and wrangled into place FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

16

17: There is a specific sequence in which to stick the fastening system adhesive side to the truck…once it’s stuck to the truck, it’s stuck, so be careful!

17

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Complete details available in the Customer Service section of SummitRacing.com, talk via Live Chat, or Call.

1-800-230-3030

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18 18: The finished install looks and performs great!

Lastly for this round of Truck Stuff: Accessorize, we tossed in a Husky Liners GEARBOX. Literally, we tossed it in place. Ok maybe not tossed, but definitely set it in place, strapped it in and seconds later it was installed! Then we filled it with all the junk that had been rolling around under the back seat for the few weeks prior.

As for features and benefits, what can we say about the GEARBOX other than it helps keep you organized, and organization leads to productivity and peace of mind.

Here’s a quick story on why we all need

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19: An ingenious addition to the later generation Bedrug is the tough netting between the bed floor panel and tailgate panel. This eliminates those pesky rocks and parts from falling between the tailgate and body.

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our truck accessories, and can be lost without them. When this very truck was just a day old, our Editor took it on a hiking trip in the north.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t pack the shop gear like tow straps, quick links, hooks, booster packs etc. in it yet as we had no interior storage where it wouldn’t roll around inside the already packed to the roof truck. There was no was no tonneau cover on the truck yet either, so what was packed in the bed was mostly wood and larger gear. As luck would have it, the Editor’s daughter got her truck stuck in a snow drift and it took some oldschool thinking, lots of digging, and some luck to get it out just as the sun went down and temps dropped. If only that tow strap had been packed!

Watch for more TRUCK STUFF in upcoming issues of RPM as now that the economy gets rolling again we’ll be adding additional storage solutions and accessories that will make our work easier and our trucks look better, too!

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20

21 20: This is the way our Husky Gearbox showed up...

21: This it on the shop floor...

22: And this is it installed.

All this took about two minutes. In fact, it took more time to fill our GEARBOX with our gear than it did to install it.

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COMPANYSPOTLIGHT: RPM

Exclusives

OIL

1

MATTERS

OIL G IN C A R A IM X A M WE GO INSIDE UT WHAT

story and photos by

STUART

TO FIND O

Bourdon

COURTESY RM

RACING LUBRICANTS 1: Base oils as well as special additives are delivered by tanker truck or in 55 gallon drums and stored at Maxima Racing Oil’s facility for use in the company’s proprietary blending and formulation processes. All base products and additives are examined with particular scrutiny prior to blending, and all formulations are tested the lab and the field prior to development for packaging and sale.

O

il is oil is oil, right?

If you buy into that, well then you probably believe the world is flat and all blondes are natural.

All kidding aside, different brands of oil and other lubricants may look the same, but they certainly don’t perform the same way. Some are better than others, and we went inside Maxima Racing Oils to find out exactly what makes its product stand out in the crowd.

First, let’s get a little background on Maxima.

It all started back in the 1960s with successful drag racer Dick Lechien and his partner Roland Reed.

The two were developing custom blends of better castor oils to support their racing efforts. Together

K C I L S T I S E K A M

they owned and operated a Honda/Kawasaki dealership and also got into boats.

However, when Dick’s son Ronnie (a top motocross rider) began racing motorcycles, the drive to create better racing oils was the genesis of Maxima in 1979.

The company name was derived from the speed limit signs in Mexico, where Lechien did a lot of riding for fun and racing that read “… Velocidad Maxima.”

To this day Maxima strives to continue the development of new age synthetics, modified castors, and petroleum base stocks, helping to establish new standards for a multitude of products such as engine oil, gear oils, shock fluids, and more.

We met with Maxima’s president and owner Danny

Massie. Massie walked us through the Maxima facility to get the low-down on the what, where, and why of Maxima Racing Oils.

The first thing we learned was that Massie began working for Lechien more than 25 years ago. His first years at Maxima had him sweeping the floors, loading bottles on the production line, packing products, and filling in anywhere Mr. Lechien needed help. Eventually Massie became involved in the blending department, which led to today’s formulation strategy. He told us, “I am still part of the formulating team that creates new products and blends.

This is the most exciting part of what I do.”

Massie continued, “We begin the chemistry on

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paper with an idea, then we move to small samples that we test in cooperation with one of the most respected testing labs in the world (located in Ohio).

Once we are confident with the lab results, we put our racing partners to the test. All of Maxima’s products are tested in real world racing situations.

No product is commercialized without testing. Once we are satisfied with the performance of that lubricant product and its specific purpose, we move to commercialization, which is all done in-house here at our Santee, California facility.”

The base oils are brought into Maxima’s facility from very select refineries that produce the highest-quality Maxima desires. Then those base oils are blended with any number of additives to enhance the lubricant’s ability to perform its

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specific task.

When you see labels on Maxima Racing Oil products such as “Triple Shield Formula,” they are more than just marketing terms. The old “just add a lot of zinc and your problems are solved” Mantra just doesn’t hold water anymore. There is a purpose behind every Maxima blend.

Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) is a common anti-wear agent. Zinc reacts with the metal surface when the energy (temperature) is high enough.

This reaction provides a sacrificial layer to protect the metal surface.

Maxima goes a step farther by using a 2X Zinc formula. It’s two different types of zinc in the same formula.

The first zinc activates at low temperatures to protect your engine at cold start-up and carries through until the second zinc activates at higher operating temperatures, protect-

ing the engine and strengthening the oil.

After all, your engine doesn’t start up at 180 degrees F. Every engine oil Maxima makes contains its 2X Zinc formula.

You have probably read about esters, but what are esters? Esters are synthetic base oils that provide lubrication, friction reduction and act as anti-wear agents by reacting to the metal surface due to their polar nature. Think of esters as magnets in your engine, bonding to the metal surfaces. Esters are manmade synthesized molecules produced by reacting fatty acids and alcohol chains. These molecules have a polar end (head) and an oil-soluble end (tail). Once placed into service, the polar end of the molecule finds a metal surface and attaches itself.

So how does this benefit the end user? Not only do the esters’ polarity create a

RPM Magazine

2

2: The horseshoe-shaped rings are barrel warmers. They are wrapped around the 55 gallon drums to heat the fluids up to the desired temperature before blending. Some oils and additives must be blended at certain temperatures to produce the proper result.

3

3: Maxima Racing Oil uses a number of different sizes of blending vats in the production of its various lubricant products. This is one of the smaller vats, and you can see the blender mounted for work in this photo.

4

4: Samples are taken at various stages during the blending process of all Maxima Racing Oil products for testing to make sure that the proper formulation is taking place.

5

5: Once a product, whether it be engine oil, ATF, shock fluid, or any of the different lubricants created by Maxima Racing Oil has been properly formulated, large fast-working pumps are used to transfer the product to smaller tanks for the packaging process.

6 6: Large Mixers are used during the process as well.

7: The triple ester formulas in Maxima Racing Oil’s engine oil products can bind themselves to metal surfaces such as crankshaft bearings to provide long-lasting and superior lubrication properties.

7

8 9

8: Among the many lubrication products created by Maxima Racing Oil, its motor oils are some of its most popular. It also produces gear oils, and a cornucopia of other automotive, motorcycle, and even bicycle products.

9: The high-performance shock fluids from Maxima Racing Oil come in a variety of weights (viscosity) to help you better tune the damping qualities of the shock absorbers to match the needs of your specific vehicle.

barrier between the tolerances of your engines contact surfaces, but they can also be manipulated to perform very specific tasks.

Maxima RS full synthetic engine oils are triple ester formulas. Three different esters are embedded in the formulas for specific purposes. One ester helps to seal the rings and stabilize them at high rpm. The second ester has proven to rapidly build film thickness relative to engine RPM. This gives a racer options to increase horsepower by possibly dropping down a viscosity grade.

The third ester that makes up the triple shield protection is a very special ester that’s shown positive results on coated parts like DLC (Diamond like Coating) commonly found on wrist pins and coated bearings.

Among the many lubrication products that Maxima creates, its use of ester synthetics have put them on the map for high quality products.

These products include, but are not limited

to, engine oils, gear oils, and suspension fluids. Maxima’s engine oil lineup consists of 100 percent ester based synthetics, semi-synthetics that are a true 50/50 blend, highly refined conventional oils, petroleum break-in oils, heavy-duty diesel 15W-40, and a variety of two-stroke oils.

The gear oils that the company produces includes Maxima’s 100 percent synthetic Pro Gear oil that comes in a variety of viscosities: 75W90, 75W140 and 75W190.

Mineral based Performance gear oil includes an 85W140 and 250WT. Maxima’s ultrasuccessful hydraulic fluids include Synthetic ATF 20WT and 30WT, a full ester synthetic power steering fluid, and a full range of shock fluids available both in a synthetic and mineral based platforms.

By having the choice of Maxima’s 0WT, 3WT, 7WT and 10WT, you can finetune any damping situation.

Maxima divides op-

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erations into three segments: Powersports, Performance Auto, and Bike.

To complement its line of lubricants, Maxima also offers a complete line of aerosols. These products include detailing sprays like SC1 and Speed Wax, and product-specific cleaners such as Suspension Clean, Contact Cleaner, and Clean Up. Chain waxes, filter oils, and penetrant sprays round out the lubricant-based product line.

The people at Maxima ride and drive onand off-road, use the products, and demand it be the very best they can possibly provide. The tell all of a product’s quality is often times the use of that product by professional athletes, but that can often be a matter of sponsorship. However, there is no sponsorship money coming.

All of the riders, drivers, engine, and drivetrain builders we spoke to use Maxima Racing Oils’ products because they want to.

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PROJECT

PACE CAR RACE CAR Biro I

story and photos by

TIM introduction by

GEORGE

PART 1:

Pich

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

n this issue of RPM we’re introducing a new project; Pace Car Race Car (PCRC).

It’s more of a mini project considering it is an existing finished car that needed some serious attention after a year of trying to “make things work.”

A number of our RPM projects are street/ strip, however, PCRC will be a street car styled race-only ride.

The Pace Car Race Car will be a basic deal: avoid overkill,

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know the goal, and stick to it. Research and purchase parts that have a great track record and reputation.

Spend a bit more on what matters and budget for parts that will work and last for the purpose. Nobody wants to fall into the money and time pit and end up with a car sitting in the garage they can’t afford to enjoy.

The catch is that we plan to run this car in some type of pure heads-up class, eventually, and that doesn’t usually go hand in hand with any type

of “budget build.” Instead, it usually sends images of dollar signs hovering above our heads. So how does the average working man or woman run one?

Scrimp, save, eat a lot of mac & cheese—in other words, it takes sacrifice.

Many will choose Index-style drag racing over heads-up for this very reason, but we’re hoping for heads-up racing here, so it would have to be a fully ruled class as opposed to outlaw or grudge/no-time stuff.

The fact is that any type of motorsports

is expensive and gives back in satisfaction, the rush, the camaraderie, and shear fun far more than any type of monetary return.

In the case of the Pace Car Race Car it took a bunch of likeminded guys who just wanted to race to pool their parts and dollars in an effort to try to get into entry level heads-up action.

Let’s recap what heads-up drag racing is. Quite simply, it is side by side first to the finishline eighth or quarter-mile racing.

Both cars leave the starting line at the

same time and whoever trips the finish beams first takes the win. There’s no headstarts or handicaps. This is a game of power and skill. The quickest car may not always win, though, as things like starting line reaction, control of your car, and the ability to “play the game” with your opponent often affect the outcome of a race.

Now let’s look at what heads-up drag racing is not.

That short answer is cheap! Many times the biggest pockets win. Sometimes, however, hard work, driver skill and team ingenuity can prevail, but then after a while the money factor usually seems to come back into the equation and the snowball begins, again. The class gets faster and quicker which means you have to spend more to keep up.

Heads-up drags are also not to be confused with roll racing or timed drags on tour style-events where the quickest average ET wins.

Why is money the decider? Aside from well-de-

signed, more heavily ruled classes like those in the NMCA (National Muscle Car Association), many of today’s more “outlaw” heads-up classes (often labeled outlaw, street, no-time, or grudge), involve very little rules. With minimal rules, the door is left wide open for different types of exotic power, not to mention interpretation of the rules. That being said, what we often see at large events with big payouts is 30 cars show up to race and maybe a dozen of them actually have a legit shot at winning for no other reason than budget.

So how does the average budget compete in this insane game? First, you need to find a class and build the car to that class and be sure that it will fit other classes with minimal changes. There’s nothing worse than building a car for a specific class then having that class fail or cease to exist. The only ones that suffer are the racers who have invested time and money into their cars.

For a budget team, stay

away from minimal ruled more open classes and look for something with, at the very least, a tire, rear suspension, vehicle chassis, and body panel rules. Weight restrictions and even some engine (mainly cylinder head and induction) or power adder restrictions are also things to look for. The problem is that many promoters don’t want to restrict classes too much as it does involve more class tech inspection both before and after racing, especially if there are engine component and weight rules involved.

Study the class power combinations and performance to see if you can realistically fit in. You don’t want to show up to the gunfight with your pocket knife.

Also, competing at a more local level, at least to start, is a good idea until you get a handle on your car and where it can fit in. And always follow the golden rule of competitive motorsports: “test on test day and race on race day”…in short, do not

show up to an event with an untested car or you are just asking to spend more money.

If there is still no place to race, one of the best things you can do at a local level is create your own class with others like you. With social media it’s usually not too difficult to find others with similar cars. Get 12 to 16 of them together, develop rules that will keep everyone close on the track, and approach your local promoter or track to include your group in their event.

With the Pace Car Race Car project, given the effects of the global pandemic the past few months, our Techs (most of whom have other fulltime jobs and volunteer their time to this), have had some extra time to spend on it—from six feet or more apart, of course.

So sit back and enjoy our first installment of Project Pace Car Race Car. Maybe we’ve found a few ways to help you get some solid horsepower and results without breaking the bank!

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THE BACK STORY

Throughout our lives, we have to make decisions—some good, some bad. Often, these decisions are based on the point at which we are in our lives, and no doubt we have all been in the not-so-envious position of wishing we had made a better decision.

As a car nut, (AKA motorhead, gearhead, horsepower junkie, etc.), my own decisions were/are always (okay, almost always) based upon budget and need, but equally on how they impacted my family life. While sometimes we get carried away with the glitz and glitter, not to mention the power promises of that next part, I would like to think that most of us consider the impact on our finances and family in larger decisions surrounding our cars.

Our Pace Car Race Car story begins with some decisions made by a friend that ended up running a full circle.

Many years ago I owned and operated a speed shop. At that time, a lifelong friend, George Mitchell, owned a 1979 Mustang Pace Car. By necessity, it became his daily driver with a stock 302, automatic transmission, 7.5-inch rearend and two-chamber mufflers.

Despite dreams of a big-inch small block with nitrous, sticky tires, and all the go-fast goodies to make a cool fast street car, the financial commitment with that kind of a project made it impossible. So, with a young family, George drove his Pace Car on the street while saving for his dream.

Fast forward 20 years later...and another friend called me up and asked “do you remember that Pace Car your buddy George owned? I think I bought it. Does he want it back?” What are the chances of that?

To make a long story short, George bought the car back, albeit in very rough condition.

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Time had taken its toll on the old Fox Body, not to mention some interesting modifications along the way.

Nonetheless, he and I set a very modest budget and made a plan to resurrect it as a race-only car for all of us and our families to enjoy.

Everyone involved in the project is a working stiff with a family, and if you know how that is you understand that things don’t happen overnight.

Instead it’s over years!

Over the course of the next few years we pitched in and stripped the car, built a new chassis with 2x3 inch rectangular tubing (paying close attention to all the weak parts of the Fox Body platform) and we had a solid foundation. We then added the necessary legal roll bar and the project was finally ready for a new bullet, but stalled for a few more years due to budget and family considerations taking precedent.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

At a perfect time, along came another longtime friend, Scott Foster.

Scott, after turning his teenage street Mustang into a race car, then turning it back into a street car, driving it for a few short years and then selling it in 2019, was feeling the itch to hit the strip again. So when he approached me looking for a project to partner on, I had the perfect candidate.

Since there’s strength in numbers, the three of us came up with a plan and budget to build the Pace Car to run into the 8-second zone. First on the agenda was body and paint, but our budget wouldn’t permit anything fancy. Enter yet another buddy, Ken Green, who took care of the body and

1

THIS PONY HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS 1 & 2: The car showed up in winter 2018 at the newest owners house. This would be the third friend to get in on the project.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

3: Ken Green is another from the longtime circle of friends who stepped up to help with the car by taking on the body and paint. By the time the RPM staff saw the car, it was definitely fit for publication.

2

4 TIN ROOF...RUSTED (APOLOGIES TO THE B-52s) 4: It’s a real Pace Car that had an original sunroof which is a major point of corrosion and this car was no different. The roof was replaced a few years before the car caught the attention of RPM MAG.

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paint at his home garage.

And before you ask, yes this a real deal 1979 Pace Car. The engine would begin life as an entry level 351 Windsor short block that I had sitting on the bench.

Did we want an aftermarket block? Hell yeah, but we don’t have the resources for that just yet. The block was filled with a steel internally balanced crank, and a set of H beam rods. We needed pistons, heads and many more parts to make it a runner. We also made plans to upgrade certain components as more funds came available.

A Powerglide with Neal Chance 5,500 stall converter that we had from a previous car was available, keeping in mind the small tire drag racing for which the car was designed. The rear diff a group effort 8.8 with 9” ends, 33-spline Moser axles and Strange spool. Suspension wise there’s nothing exotic.

Out back there’s aftermarket upper and lower control arms and double adjustable coil over shocks. Up front, an aftermarket K-member was installed with Strange single adjustable struts.

5

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FROM SHAME TO SHINE

5, 6, 7, & 8: Ken Green tackled the body and paint, which was no easy task. Ken did a great job, especially considering the amount of repair and prep necessary to correct years of harsh weather and overall neglect. While the starting point was far from a rustfree perfect piece, Ken got it squared away and in great shape before laying down a slick factory-style two tone silver and black basecoat/clearcoat finish. The Mustang has seen all the weather you can imagine and there have been several hands on it over the years. It’s meant to go, but looking good is a bonus.

Project Car

RPM

6

7 8

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9

10

IT’S A STICK UP

9 & 10: Many hands make light work, Scott’s son Tom happens to be a graphics installer and was tapped to install the re-popped Pace Car graphics.

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THE LATEST IS NOT ALWAYS THE GREATEST!

Prior to the iteration you will see in our series of RPM articles, we did finish the car with what we “thought” were the right parts to meet our goals, when in the end they really only cost us more money, time and frustration in trying to get them working the way we were told they were designed to work. After trying to race a few months in 2019, we realized that we needed to cut our losses, regroup and refocus our efforts.

We’re not going to play the name and shame game here, instead we’re gonna suck it up buttercup, take our hits and move on in a positive direction.

Let’s just say that in trying to stay with the times and go with something “new” that also fit our budget, we chose a few key parts based on marketing and assurances.

Parts with little to no history or support, with hopes we could help create history and support. This was a mistake. After finishing the car, getting the chassis certification, chassis dyno time,

testing time at the track, and nearing the end of the race season with no satisfaction whatsoever, we tapped out after discovering, and having numerous other knowledgeable enthusiasts confirm, design flaws in a number of items we were trying to run with.

Suffice it to say that we were led down more than one garden path that was not exactly full of roses. Now that I have everyone shaking their heads and saying, “yup, I’ve been there.” Let’s move on.

It’s at this point where RPM entered the mix and the Pace Car officially became the “Pace Car Race Car” (PCRC).

No doubt many people reading this now have been there.

They took some advice and bought some parts for their car based on someone else’s information and it just didn’t work out. It’s a lesson learned and we get that at RPM. Our advice is to do your due diligence. Don’t take one person’s word for it. Instead, talk to as many as possible and stay focused on the facts. Racing is a win or lose game and we all want to win.

Nothing beats the saying “to be success-

ful, start by doing what successful people do.” Sure, there will always be that “one” person who made something work, but we can guarantee that it didn’t come easy.

OUT SHE COMES!

We rolled the PCRC into the RPM shop and pulled the motor late in 2019. We took stock of what we did and what we didn’t do on the track, and what we needed in order to do what we wanted to do. So we developed a new fresh plan over beverages out on the back deck one warm fall evening.

We decided that our block, crank and rods could (and would have to) do the job, and that those savings would give way to the ability to replace most everything else from pistons and camshaft right through to the cylinder heads, induction, and fuel systems.

Once we had our bullet built, we would obviously have to redo our chassis dyno sessions. Knowing that it takes approximately 850 hp to go high 8-second quarter-mile ETs in a 2900-pound car, we were looking in the 600 rwhp range while respecting the limits of our block. But wait, that’s a bit shy of 850 isn’t it?

Budget wise, it’s no secret that nitrous oxide is the best hit for the buck (I hate saying bang), so we planned on maxing out with a shot around 300 hp or so.

It’s at this point where another part of the equation came to light that has nothing to do with horsepower but everything to do with RPM MAG, so we’ll interrupt our story to add a quick interesting little sidebar.

THE BACK STORY OF THE BACK STORY

As we were writing this article RPM Magazine Editor In Chief Chris Biro messaged me wondering if this car could have possibly been a Pace Car that he owned in the early ’90s. After a number of calls and fact finding, everything checked out and sure enough, yes, this was indeed Chris’ car back when he was in his twenties! Imagine that!

“So these are the original pics around 92/93,” explained two-time previous owner George Mitchell. “Chris swapped a set of wheels worth $750 for the car back then. I rewired his yellow tubbed Capri and then gave him $250 for the car. 5.0 Depot with Larry Rook Installed a custom 6-point cage and around 1995 the car had body and paint by Ken Baker for a trade of an alarm system for his shop, as that is what I did for living. Tim was able to get a guy to copy the decals as the originals were expensive and rare. I did find the original wheels but the metric tires were so expensive I put a set of stars on it. Due to a job change in 1996 to 98 I had to use the car as a daily driver year round for my family, dropping my daughter at school with her squeezing over the roll cage side bar. My wife also didn’t really appreciate having to maneuver over the side bar as she got in and out of it, especially when she wore a skirt. I sold the car around 2000. About 12 years later, Tim called me to say that some guy might have my old car. It was a tough gutted shell but I bought it for $900 and brought it home. Tim and I slowly, slowly worked on the car. We did get an engine and tranny and assorted parts but I never got it running, although very close. Then Scott Foster took the car in 2018.”

Ok, now we’ve got the whole story, so let’s start talking turkey…

Performance Centers Throughout Eastern Canada

www.partspro.ca www.rpmmag.com

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PEGASUS: THE WINGED HORSE

11: The team would fab a rear wing in 2019 for the pace car.

11 STEP BY STEP

Hardcore enthusiasts know what it takes to make a solid attempt to get a car built, certified and raced successfully. In our Pace Car Race Car series of articles we will be exploring the trials and tribulations we all experience to pursue that dream.

Thanks to Comp Cams, Powerhouse Products, Trick Flow Specialties, and Wiseco pistons, we’ll be using parts from some of the top names in quality and longevity in the industry and our RPM Certified Red Seal technical staff will be assembling and installing every part of this project at our own facility. I’ll do my best to provide as much info and tech throughout the process, but as you know RPM MAG has an open door policy, so please feel free to email me anytime

regarding this project at rpmtech.tim@ rpmmag.com We’ll cover this engine program restructuring one step at a time, starting with one of the biggest decisions when making horsepower: the choice of cylinder heads. I had a couple sets of tried and tested used heads on the shelf, but they were well—no wait—very well used, so we decided to go new.

This time around, though, we are making parts decisions based on our own history and the mounds of information available through our peers in the industry, instead of trying re-invent the wheel.

We chose the Trick Flow Twisted Wedge R, 225, CNC Race Port cylinder head for the Pace Car Race Car. The SBF cylinder head market has

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12 & 13: The exhaust port is fully CNC ported to 100cc’s and is located .500” higher than the factory port to promote optimum exhaust flow. This TFS exhaust port flows 116 cfm at .200” lift to 271 cfm at .700” lift. The finished combustion chamber is CNC-profiled to 65cc’s.

13

12

CYLINDER HEAD SPEC SHEET: TRICK FLOW SPECIALTIES

SBF TFS Trick Flow® Twisted Wedge® Race 225 Cylinder Heads for Small Block Ford Part Number-TFS-5241T005-C01 “Trick Flow’s Twisted Wedge® Race 225 heads feature fully CNC-profiled Twisted Wedge combustion chambers and valve arrangement with port-to-valve seat blending (bowl blending), plus .500” raised exhaust runners and raised valve cover rails.

Top-of-the-line CNC Competition Ported runners with a high resolution surface finish provides maximum airflow and power over the entire powerband.”

“Twisted Wedge Race heads also have additional material for porting, thick decks and chamber walls for durability, stud mounts for roller rocker arms, and huge valve spring pockets.”

The Race 225 heads boast a 65cc Combustion Chamber Volume, 225cc Intake Runner Volume, 100cc Exhaust Runner Volume.

Intake valves are 2.080 in. diameter and Exhaust are 1.600 in.

Double valve springs with damper are included along with titanium retainers and associated hardware.

14 & 15: The 225 designation relates to the full 225cc CNC competition intake port.

Looking down each port of our actual heads you are able to see the high quality workmanship and design that TFS puts into every casting they manufacture. This port starts flowing 141 cfm at .200” lift and flows over 340 cfm at .700” lift!

AIRFLOW RESULTS Twisted Wedge Race 225 Lift Value Intake Flow CFM Exhaust Flow CFM .100” 67 59 .200” 141 116 .300” 213 159 .400” 270 205 .500” 308 244 .600” 331 259 .700” 341 271 Tests conducted at 28” of water (pressure).

Bore size: 4.125”; exhaust with 2” pipe.

15

14

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grown leaps and bounds and there is a head for every power level, but anyone who has built a hot street car engine or competed in any style of racing will recognize the TFS name.

In fact, the SBF 20 degree TFS High Port cylinder head was one of the first real Ford-style racing cylinder heads used by many successful drag racers back when 5.0L Mustang Fox Body racing began.

I, personally, have had success with the TFS “R” cylinder head when it debuted in the late ’90s. During my time with the speed shop, we had sold the heck out of the TFS Twisted Wedge 170cc cylinder heads.

TFS makes cylinder heads for every popular engine and combination and their heads flat out make horsepower. You can buy cylinder heads already CNC ported complete ready to bolt on, or bare castings “fast as cast.” Each pair of cylinder heads has a detailed specification and instruction sheet included. Plus, TFS has a great library of data based on real-world applications and solid support system for their product via their online service or by just picking up the phone and talking to one of their knowledgeable salespersons or technicians.

16

16: As mentioned, the TFS R-Series heads (ordered complete as TFS-5241T005-C01 ) come with very capable 1.560 O.D. double valve springs with damper good for .720 lift, titanium retainers and top quality associated hardware. When we originally ordered the heads there was a different camshaft and power plan, though, so when we changed to our final choice of COMP camshaft Part # 35-782-9, that meant that we needed to change-out to the recommended springs and hardware to go with it.

18

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110 june 2020 | RPM Magazine

18: Before final assembly of the cylinder heads we needed to obtain the correct valve spring installed height, our springs call for 2.050’’ install height netting us 300 pounds on the seat. Powerhouse Products valve spring height micrometer is the perfect tool for this job. They offer several different part numbers to suit any diameter retainer and valve spring height combination.

Project Car

RPM

17

17: Behold...the TFS R-Series cylinder head!

19

Harnessing the Competitive Edge

½" SOCKET HEAD WHEEL STUD WITH BULLET NOSE

VANESSA FLANAGAN OPEN OUTLAW RACING

LUG NUT KITS (5 PC)

19: Checking our valve spring pressure is a cinch with this slick Powerhouse Products Mini Valve Spring Tester (#5314). We are able to check our spring pressure at the valve spring installed height, and at camshaft lift and then finally measured height at spring bind. An old trick I acquired many years ago, is to compress and relax the new spring a couple times to get your final pressure readings.

5/8" WHEEL STUD KITS

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“EVERY NUT AND BOLT IN OUR CAR IS TITANIUM.” - ROCKY FLANAGAN GREAT PRICES!

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111

Project Car

RPM

21

20 22

20: The COMP 947-16 triple springs’ larger diameter meant that we had to slightly machine the cylinder head spring pockets.

These springs spec out as follows: Max Lift:0.845 Installed Height: 2.05 Coil Bind Height:1.145 O.D. of Outer: 1.66 Spring Rate: 681 Seat Pressure: 304 21, & 22: Here you see the COMP 947-16 triple springs with 722-16 & 725-16 retainers, 611-16 & 630-16 locks, 4708 and 4786 spring cups, installed using the COMP 4756 shim kit.

23: Here’s our shipment of COMP Parts as we unboxed them. We’ll discuss our bottom end parts in more details in the next installment of project PACE CAR RACE CAR.

23

112 june 2020 | RPM Magazine

Project Car

RPM

24

24: Just as we went live with this issue of RPM our short block was completed and we set our Trick Flow Specialties aluminum heads in place.

SOURCES Be sure to join us next time as we run through more of our Pace Car Race Car engine program assembly including choice of pistons,

114 june 2020 | RPM Magazine

camshaft, and lifters all the way up to pushrods, rocker arms, and stud girdle.

We will walk you through all the steps, tips, and tricks we’ve

picked up along the way. Until then, we managed to snap a sneak peek pic of the TFS heads sitting on the assembled block.

Trick Flow Specialties (TFS) 330.630.1555 www.trickflow.com

COMP Cams

800.999.0853 www.compcams.com

Let’s Build It Together

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Typographical, description, or photography errors are subject to correction. Please check your local laws/regulations. © 2020 AUTOSALES, INC.

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