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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............................................................
JIM McHARG
Photographic Contributions: TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing. org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, BART CEPEK, PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, STEVEN TAYLOR, and EDDIE MALONEY. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, and EDDIE MALONEY. 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 519752-3705. 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 topshelf 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.
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RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 22 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 - Real World Project Central RPM MAG prides itself in being the first real-time real-world car magazine in the world. In a sea of big corp. magazines regurgitating the same old same old, RPM started the wave 22 years ago to bring content that is Exclusive to RPM MAG and do so in a timely fashion in a way that our readers can identify with. We’re hardcore car and horsepower enthusiasts just like you, so why should we pretend to be anything, or anyone, different. The bulk of RPM Mag readers are just like the entire staff here at RPM, hardworking folks out trying to make some extra dough to make their car run stronger, quicker and faster and look better doing it. We also won’t pretend that a build, fix or re-fit that should take weeks, months or years can be done in one article or episode, because it can’t. As I have said many times, at RPM we’ll tell it the way it is – the good, bad and ugly. Don’t be surprised to see grease under our fingernails and blood on our knuckles because we do the work that needs to get done ourselves, without the window dressing. In RPM you will see actual bud-
get oriented builds on cars that are not always show quality, imagine that! Sure, we love to cover the big power ultra-clean bigger ticket stuff too, like Tom Bailey’s Sick 2.0 engine build or Glenn Hunter’s blower to turbo 56 Chevy upgrade but you can bet your sweet potatoes we love getting our hands dirty with folks like Chuck Scott and Project 4 Lug Thug and more recently Project Pace Car Race Car. Or maybe we’ll just check out a new tool for your garage, or run through the upgrades to a new suspension setup, bigger badder cylinder heads, a carburetor swap or the install of a fuel injection system. No matter how you slice it, RPM Projects always give you the reader the straight scoop! Check out the trailer ad below for our most recent engine build project “World Domination”. Also watch for continuing articles on Project Homegrown COPO, COOL TOOLS, Products & Innovations, Project Acadian Revival, Trick Out Your Truck, Street Thunder Fairlane, Shannon Poole’s Red Bull Restoration and we may even have a visit from Toby Brooks and Apocalypse Horse.
ADVERTISER INDEX AED Competition ................. 77
Manton Pushrods ..............100
AFR:
Mark Williams ...................103
Air Flow Research ...... 5,56,57
Metal Products .................... 63
AJE Racing........................... 77
Meziere Enterprises ............. 32
American Racing Headers ... 56
Misener Motorsports .........103
Aurora Bearing .................... 77 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ......... 50 Baer Brakes ................ 31,108 BES Racing Engines ............. 66 Billet Specialties.................. 66 Bill Mitchell Products ....12,73
Parts Pro/Total Truck Centers .....59,102,110 PBM Products...................... 13
Bullseye Turbo ..................... 35
Piston Racing Engines ......... 93
C & S Specialties .................. 92
Profiler ................................ 63
Callies Performance Prod .... 21
PRW-USA ............................ 96
Calvert Racing Suspensions . 45
Race Part Solutions .......47,73
Canton Racing Products ...... 26
Racequip ............................. 63
CFE Racing Products ........... 62
Racetronix ........................... 18
Chassis Engineering ............ 66 Clearshot Customs............... 93 Deez Performance ............... 93 Delta Performance Auto Grp 20 Design Engineering ............. 39 Dynotech Engineering......... 11
Rage Wraps ........................ 63 RAM Clutches ...................... 51 RCD ..................................... 92 RM Racing Lubricants ....21,71 Ross Racing Pistons ..........7,30
ECAM ................................102
RPM Magazine ........... 88,101
Energy Suspension/NPW ..... 52
RPM Magazine Subscribe!
Erson Cams........................101
................................... 63,103
GoDragRacing.org .............102
SM Racecars ........................ 78
Granatelli Motorsports ........ 61
Steve Morris Engines .............. 2
GRP Connecting Rods .......... 67
Summit Midwest Drags ....... 97
Harland Sharp ..................... 38
Summit Racing Equip.
Hitman Hotrods................... 57
.............................78,88,109
Hughes Performance.............. 7 Induction Solutions ............. 49 Jesel .................................... 48 Joe Van O............................. 57 JW Racing Transmissions ........ 5 Karbelt ................................ 77
Taylor Cable Products ........100 T & D Machine ..................... 71 The Supercharger Store ....... 71 Ti64 ..................................... 60 Tom’s Upholstery ................. 48 Total Seal Rings ................... 10
King of The Mountain
Trailer Alarms.com .............. 36
No Prep ............................... 27
Trick Flow ......................15,78
Kinsler Fuel Injection.....13,63
Tuned By Shane T ................ 65
LenTech Automatics ......38,70
Ultimate Headers ................ 77
Liberty’s Gears .................... 70
VFN Fiberglass Inc. .............. 62
Lokar Performance .............. 66
Weinle Motorsports ............ 17
Lutz Race Cars ..................... 17
World Domination – RPM ... 92
Magnaflow.......................... 96 MagnaFuel .......................... 16
february 2021 | RPM Magazine
Neal Chance Converters ....... 23 Northern Radiator ............... 99
BoulandMotorsUSA.com ..... 96
Icon Forged Pistons ............. 36
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Moser Engineering ............. 62
World Products.................... 67
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February
2021
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 22 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!
Showout .............................................................. 54 This turbo Fox Body will put you on the trailer!
Challenging Times ...................................................... 8 This blown small tire Challenger takes on all comers!
Thanks Mom and Dad! ........................... 42 When your parents tell you to buy a ‘70 Chevelle, you just nod your head and say yes!
Phoenix Rising........................................................ 28
Mercury Rising ................................................ 74 Richard Shelly’s Nitrous-powered 1981 Mercury Capri
This big power ‘Vette is more than just a pretty face!
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Building a small block Ford using World’s 6 bolt per cylinder 9.200” deck Man O’War block
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More Air Means More Horsepower
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Fire In The Hole! Follow along as we finish up the Pace Car MSD Power Grid system install and run through the basics of firing up a fresh build.
READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6
february 2021 | RPM Magazine
+
CUSTOM IN STOCK PISTONS
TRUSTED BY THE FASTEST RACERS, ELITE ENGINE BUILDERS AND HIGHEST HORSEPOWER MACHINES ON THE PLANET, FOR OVER 40 YEARS!
WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100 SALES@ROSSPISTONS.COM ONLINE
FACEBOOK.COM/ROSSPISTONS @ROSSPISTONS
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B
ack in 2010, Newark, Delaware’s John Reed bought a pristine 2009 Challenger with just 7500 miles on it from a local Dodge dealer. His plans were to bolt on a few goodies and street drive it, yeah, sure, how did that work out for you John? “I was looking for a stick shift non sunroof car and the original plan was to lower it, put wheels and exhaust on it. Well, that lasted a few months, at least I think it was that long,” Reed said with a chuckle. Next up was nitrous and most anything else Reed could find to bolt on the Mopar. “Let’s just say I got the bug for racing again,” he added. Something he had lost with the passing of his dad in 2006. The pair had run a 1971 Dodge Demon over the years, so it’s safe to say that Mopar roots were well set early in life for John. A Hyundai Master Mechanic by day and horsepower junky during off-hours, John soon had the Challenger running 11.0s, which made way for a more serious effort involving a stroked 394ci mill that Reed got his first taste of forced induction with when he
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installed a Vortech supercharger on it and made 1000+hp to the wheels. This work added a whole new dimension to street driving the Challenger, which eventually became the turning point from street/strip to making it a dedicated small tire drag car. Along the way, John created Reed Motorsports where he sells Menscer suspension parts and sets up cars, something that has helped motivate him towards his goals with his own car. First up, Reed had RPM Transmissions build a TH400 and his buddy Frank at The Driveshaft Shop set him up with an IRS 9” kit with cv axles and a carbon driveshaft that would take the power when the car hooked hard at the strip. Reed now had an 8-second car and became the first IRS Gen3 Hemi in the 8s, and to top that off won that same event he set the record at. By 2017, a new goal of being the first in the 7s with this platform was set and some big changes were part of the formula to get there. “I like thinking outside the box,” said Reed. “Especially when people say something can’t be done.”
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Rhodes Custom Auto created the 25.3 cert chassis along with the fiberglass front end, doors, dash and the stunning paint work on the car. Suspension was upgraded as well, but most of all the power combination was completely retooled by Billy Briggs Racing Engines. “The first time back out, ac-
tually while doing my licensing passes, I went an 8.23 at 160mph to reclaim the record. Then, at the end of 2018 on the second pass out at an ATCO event, we went 7.82 at 178...we did it!” Reed added with a smile. 2019 saw Reed try running the car in a new Ultra Street Series at Cecil County Drag-
LESS WEIGHT = PERFORMANCE Bill Mitchell Products creates nothing but the best blocks from 357-T6 Aluminum as our standard.
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february 2021 | RPM Magazine
The Challenger retains its OEM steel roof and quarters, but Reed had Rhodes Custom Auto work a fiberglass front end and doors into the mix.
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Make no mistake this factory looking small tire Challenger is a serious contender, running 4.60 in the 1/8th-mile and easy mid-sevens in the ¼.
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Old School Looks with Modern Performance.
You don’t have to choose between vintage looks and modern power for your small block Chevy—Trick Flow DHC™ 175 heads deliver both!
The aluminum heads have the exterior styling and straight spark plug holes that nostalgia buffs prefer. On the inside, CNC-profiled chambers, Fast As Cast® runners, and a small cross-section intake design deliver the performance that power fans crave. Trick Flow DHC 175 cylinder heads come fully assembled— just paint them Chevy Orange and they’re good to go. Heads are sold individually; they are available with or without accessory bolt holes. Airflow Results
Dyno Results
DHC 175
DHC 175
Lift Value
Intake Flow CFM
Exhaust Flow CFM
.100" .200" .300" .400" .500" .600"
65 133 192 233 258 254
53 104 136 180 198 207
Test Engine: 10.2:1 compression 350 c.i.d. with Trick Flow DHC™ 175 cylinder heads (TFS-30210003), Trick Flow Track Max™ hydraulic roller camshaft (TFS-31402001), 1.6 ratio roller rocker arms, Trick Flow chromoly pushrods, Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold, Trick Flow Track Heat® 750 cfm carburetor (TFS-20750R), Hooker Super Competition headers with 13⁄4" primaries, 3" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers.
Tests conducted at 28" of water (pressure). Bore size: 4.030"; exhaust with 13⁄4" pipe.
Your Recipe for Small Block Chevy Performance! New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.
Track Max® Camshafts Give your small block an even bigger power boost with a Track Max camshaft. They are dyno-proven to produce significant power increases over the entire RPM range, not just a particular RPM.
StreetBurner® Intake Manifold This manifold brings out the best traits of the DHC 175 heads and Track Max cams. Its dual plane, open air design helps pack more air and fuel into the cylinders to significantly boost power and torque in the 1,500-6,500 RPM range.
Roller Rocker Arms Finish off the horsepower recipe with aluminum roller rocker arms. Each set includes lightweight aluminum CNC-machined rocker arm bodies with premium needle-bearing fulcrums and roller tips to reduce valvetrain weight and friction.
TrickFlow.com 1-330-630-1555 2103RPCT
Some parts are not legal for sale or use on any pollution-controlled motor vehicles.
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A Billy Briggs built 426ci Gen3 Hemi started with a stock block and houses a Winberg crank, GRP aluminum rods and Gibtec pistons. way, and it was the best decision he had ever made. He qualified at every event and ended up 6th in points with a best 1/8th mile ET of 4.87. “Man that was the most fun I had racing in years!” he exclaimed. “After that, it was time to upgrade!” During 2020, considering racing would be reduced, Reed reworked his combination with
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what he describes as “a beefier version of the last one with a little more thinking outside the box”. The most recent mill is a stockblock Billy Briggs built 426ci Gen3 Hemi with Winberg crank, GRP aluminum rods and Gibtec pistons. Thitek cylinder heads (8 plugs) are mated to a modified Mopar Drag Pack intake with a Wilson elbow and drive by wire
february 2021 | RPM Magazine
Real world flames are incorporated into the hood stripes.
The license plate is for looks these days as once John passed the 1,000hp mark he made the call to end its street cruising days and added more power for the strip. www.rpmmag.com
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Reed is a diehard Vortech fan and this monster gear driven version helps push the power to 1600-plus at the rear wheels!
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The current combination is good for just north of 1600hp to the rear wheels!
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Rhodes also created the 25.3 cert chassis and fiberglass dash.
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throttle body. That out of the box attitude also included a switch from the belt drive Vortech YSI to the Vortech V30/94 gear drive, switching from gas to methanol and having a 2 speed TH400 with Coan converter built to back it up. The current combination is good for just north of 1600hp to the rear wheels!
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John Reed’s Ultra Street Supercharged Hemi 2009 Dodge Challenger Chassis Type & Mods:
Stock floors and frame rails with 25.3 certified cage.
Suspension:
Stock style front and stock style rear IRS suspension with Menscer Motorsports coilovers, BMR suspension arms and bushings.
Body & Paint:
OEM steel roof and quarters with fiberglass doors and front end that look stock with lights. Has true fire flames in factory style stripes on hood.
Engine:
426ci Gen3 hemi (stock block), Thitek cylinder heads and only running 8 plugs. Built by Billy Briggs Racing Engines.
Rotating Assembly:
Gibtec pistons, GRP aluminum rods and Winberg crank.
Induction:
Modified Mopar Drag Pack intake with a Wilson elbow and DBW throttle-body.
Power Adder:
Vortech supercharger v30/94 gear drive.
Electronics: Holly EFI
Transmission & Converter:
2 speed th400 from RPM Transmissions, Coan converter.
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Rear Differential:
9” IRS differential with CV axles from the Driveshaft Shop
Other Important Vehicle Information:
It was the first IRS Gen3 hemi in the 7 second zone with a 7.82. Holds the Gen3 IRS records in 60ft, 1/8 and ¼-mile.
Best ET & MPH:
1/8-mile 4.69 at 153mph and ¼-mile to date is 7.59 at 145 coasting from the 1/8. Makes 1600+hp to wheels.
Division/Class Run: Ultra Street Thanks To:
I would like to thank all the people that helped me: My uncle Joe Truszcienski and Scott Chalfant who always has my back and works on the car with me. George Weicker who makes sure I’m always lined up in the groove. Darcy Kyle for always supporting everything I do. Craig Thibeau for being my go to guy with my ideas and cylinder heads. My buddy Dan Leazier for welding when needed. Brian Ellis with Vortech Supercharger, Jack French of Billet Atomizers, Frank Rehak from the Driveshaft Shop, Frank Steadman at BMR Suspension, Mark Menscer of Menscer Motorsports, Trevor Manton at Manton Pushrods, Rodney Massengale at RPM Transmissions, Dale Heiler and Dennis Moore for helping me learn how to tune a car. Also, thanks to Joe at Deters Custom Finishing for all the polish work under the hood.
Joe Truszcienski ,Scott Chalfant, Justin Chalfant and John Reed
Getting parts was definitely an issue last year, so it was late in 2020 when John got back behind the wheel, but the wait was worth it. On just the 3rd hit the Challenger went
4.69 at 153mph with a only 1.18 60ft; “I was just creeping up on the power to get data, so there’s a lot of potential there to go really fast,” Reed said of the latest results.
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You’re looking at the first IRS Gen3 Hemi in the 8s, and then smashing that when it hit the seven second zone late in 2020.
As this new year unfolds, there’s no doubt that the tracks of the world will resume a more usual pace and new builds will hit the asphalt throwing down record after record in the wake of an usual
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2020. For Reed, though, he turned those Challenging times into better times for his supercharged small tire Challenger, and did so before a year most would rather forget even ended! RPM
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Story & Photos : Eddie Maloney
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Is there anything more American or more iconic in the automotive industry as the Chevrolet Corvette?
S
ince its inception in 1953, the Corvette has been widely known as “America’s Sports Car.” Now in its eighth different design variation, it remains one of most
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popular performance machines across all generations. According to duPont Registry, the C6, Z06 Corvette was a pretty awesome machine compared to its predecessor.
february 2021 | RPM Magazine
The Matte Blue Iced Titanium color is a wrap and looks amazing on the Corvette.
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Priced right around 70,000 USD, the Z06 pushed 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque right out of the box. This version was capable of running high 10 second ¼ mile times and top speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour. We’d say that’s darn impressive, but for Bosko Tanackovic, a stock Corvette just wouldn’t cut it. We stumbled across Tanackovic’s 2008 Z06 at, of all places, a local west coast car show on a bright sunny October morning. What caught our eye first was the hood. The car, donned in a Matte Blue Iced Titanium wrap was stunning to look at, but that hood led us to suspect something more was up with this particular Vette. Most
anyone will bolt a set of aftermarket wheels and tires on a car to give it that “drag race look” but a section of the front hood of this car had been expertly cut to allow a slight “snail-like” lump to poke through, and behind that, a large diameter hole was cut to allow a pipe to protrude. Chances were pretty good that this was not just a looker. Further inspection revealed a rear wing and parachute, both are not something the average Joe would think about installing on their 70k Vette “just for looks”. There was no truck or trailer that we could see either, which meant he drove it to the show, now we knew we were on to something. “Ever since the C6Z Corvette
We set up the photoshoot on the Corvette the day after we met Tanackovic, and in true 1,700 plus horsepower street car style he drove it there with his son by his side.
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I had a C7 model making over 1000hp, but it just didn’t do it for me. came out, it was one of my favorite body styles,” Tanackovic explained “I had a C7 model making over 1000hp, but it just didn’t do it for me. I sold it and made a decision to find a car that I could buy and go racing with
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right away.” As it turns out, though, things didn’t go as planned. Bosko found the car, coincidentally, in Phoenix, Arizona, advertised as a ready to race car capable of running in the 7s, but unfortunately, it was far from being race ready. “Upon closer inspection, after the purchase, I found out that I got myself into some deep water, the car was a disaster.” Once he got into the engine, Tanackovic found some pretty major issues such as blown head gaskets, threads pulled out of the pedestals for the rockers, oval cylinder bores, scuffed pistons, the list went on and on. “The car was what it was, and I still wanted it, so I knew I had a long road ahead of me in order to get it
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to where I wanted it,” he added. Knowing he was in for a new build on the engine, Bosko contacted good friend Mario Mikha at Mikha Motorsports to help get him through the project in the right direction. “We set a goal for the build and went to work immediately. Slowly but surely, we got it back running, better in every way than what the car was intended to be.” As we all know, one thing leads to another when build-
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ing a race car, and Tanackovic went from just doing a simple engine rebuild to a full-blown race engine ready to make some serious power. Some of the new additions to the car itself included a completely redesigned fuel system, ProEfi engine management and new suspension. “We got carried away,” he chuckled, “but I am happy with the progression of the car.” Tanackovic credits a few people and companies that lent
A built 427 LS occupies the space between the rails on the Vette. The mill features an LSNext block, Brodix ported heads, a John Bewley custom turbo cam, Callies crankshaft, Oliver billet rods and Wiseco pistons. All to support a sizeable turbocharger.
This Garret GTX5594R turbo is the rest of that slight lump you see poking through the Corvette hood when approaching from the front.
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Tanackovic’s Z06 maintains a street feel throughout with all the factory functioning street equipment minus the air compressor for the air conditioning. The cockpit has now been upgraded to a full cage.
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a helping hand during the lengthy process, including; Jason Siebels at ProEfi and Dragan at Delta Towing who transported the car from place to place during the build. Once the car was just about finished, the Phoenix was ready to hit the dyno for some tuning. The Vette put down some good initial power and torque ratings but once again, ran into
some problems. As the Phoenix reached about 1,000 horsepower on the dyno pull, the transmission scattered. By now, Bosko was used to this sort of thing happening but kept his focus on the end goal. After removing the busted parts he sent the transmission to Sean Britzius of Top Gear Motorsports in Mesa, Arizona for a rebuild. Once the new components
The roll bar, cooler tanks and Outlaw shifter sticking out of the console are dead giveaways to the level of the build.
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The Pro EFI 112 stand-alone ECU is the brains of the Corvette’s operation. The pillar mounted Pro EFI Pro5 Display Logger allows Bosko to monitor all of the car’s functions in real time.
Bosko Tanackovic’s 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 Street/Strip Chassis Type & Mods:
Stock chassis, RPM roll bar. As of this being published, has been updated to full cage.
Suspension:
Viking double adjustable front and rear coil overs, Zr1 rear sway bar.
Body & Paint:
Factory body, Zr1 front splitter, side skirts, Carlyle drag wing, KPMF Matte Blue Iced Titanium wrap, Stroud parachute.
Engine:
Kelly Bluebaugh WFO 427 LSNext short block .
Rotating Assembly:
Callies CCW 4.000” Crankshaft , Oliver billet 6.125” rods, Wiseco 4.130” pistons.
Induction:
Brodix BR7 LME ported heads, John Bewley custom turbo camshaft.
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Power Adder:
Dedicated Motorsports turbo kit, Garret GTX5594R with Tial turbine housing, Tial 60mm Wastegate, Co2 controlled.
Electronics:
ProEfi 112 Standalone ECU tuned by Jason Siebles.
Transmission & Converter:
RPM Powerglide trans, PTC billet converter and solid drive shaft.
Rear Differential:
RPM C6 Zr1 differential 3.42:1 gearing.
Other Important Vehicle Information:
Car is on Billet Specialties 15x10 bead locks rear and 17x5 front WELD fronts, Fore 3-pump fuel system, ID2600cc Injectors, Holley Hi output coils.
were installed, it was back to the dyno for the Corvette. In its current configuration, the Phoenix is making well north of 1,700 street legal horsepower. Unfortunately, being stuck in the middle of pandemic, there is not much racing going on, especially on the West Coast. Bosko is pre-registered to attend TX2K21 and this will be the first official event for the car. Most recently, Bosko attended a private track rental at Phoenix, Arizona’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Testing went extremely well for the first time out, showing some very promising numbers, which Tanackovic is holding close to his chest, for now. No race car project is truly ever complete though, and considering the power he’s making, Bosko plans a to upgrade to at least a 7.50 certified cage and anhance safety equipment throughout the car. Most importantly, he vows to keep his Vette street legal to cruise the streets of Las Vegas with his son. RPM
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Stan Hutchison’s 1970 Pro Street Chevelle boasts all OEM steel except for the 4” fiberglass Cowl hood.
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W
e all choose our own reasons to modify a car and for Riverside MO’s Stan Hutchison he decided that he was going to build the first car he ever owned into a meticulously built Pro Street ride. Mission accomplished Stan! Pro Street is arguably the largest movement to ever happen within the automotive performance and race world. The first builds in the eighties and nineties were inspired by drag racing’s Pro Stock and Pro Modified classes, and many of them saw as much dragstrip action as they did street cruising, and yes, street racing. Before long, every single racing organization had some type of Pro Street inspired tubbed out class (usually more than one) for racers to enjoy, and fans ate it up! Some magazines, many with their own agenda to satisfy, would eventually declare Pro Street “dead”, but they were dead wrong, it didn’t die, it only died in their publications. In the real world, Pro Street cars contin-
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ued to be built, street driven and raced and independent magazines (like RPM) kept featuring the results of these talented individuals who simply wanted to build what they wanted to build, not what they were told or influenced to build. Fast forward to the past 10 years and Pro Street 2.0 has taken a firm hold of the market, and it includes builds like this Chevelle mixing old school with new cool to keep the Pro Street movement alive and well. fascinated by cars and spent 44
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hours watching his neighbors working on them and eventually developed an interest that needed to be nurtured. As he grew through his teens he worked in various auto repair shops and in 1976 bought his first car, a 1970 Chevelle. “We bought the car from Castle Dodge in Cedarburg, Wisconsin,” he explained. “I worked at Schlitz Brewery in Milwaukee, and mom was tired of us not having an extra vehicle for me to drive to work, so we bought this car. My parents actually picked it because it had
the smaller motor of the two cars they looked at, so they thought it would be the safer option.” Little did Stan’s parents know how the car would evolve. During his early motorhead years, Hutchison was in The Outlaws of St. Louis car club and hung around with many friends who were also interested in cars. “We spent many weekend nights cruising Chuck-A-Burger, White Castle, etc.,” he said. The Chevelle has been there with him through it all, but interestingly was not modded
Hutchison’s Pro Street build was completed in 2013, long after the first wave of Pro Street had settled down, as such you’ll find subtle, more contemporary additions on it such as this modern rear wing.
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The interior cage and tin work has been crafted and painted with unbelievable attention to detail.
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The car sits on a full tube chassis with ladder bar/ coilover rear and strut front suspension. A heavily modded 12-bolt rearend sends power out to the monster Mickey’s.
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into a big tire brute until after the first wave of Pro Street had calmed and Pro Street 2.0 was in its infancy. Instead, the car had been through two prior renovations with the factory chassis and small tires, however, this iteration (completed in 2013 and updated with a new engine in
2019) had to be a tube chassis big tire build. As they say, the third time’s a charm. The build is serious, using serious parts. This is not a street car that looks the part but performs like mom and dad’s mini van. We’ve all seen recent builds with empty blowers, fake tubros,
unhooked nitrous kits, stockish motors…you get the picture. In contrast, once you review the Tech Sheet on this Chevelle, you should be impressed. The car would definitely hold its own on the strip, but that’s one place Hutchison has no plans to flog it. So, for our dedicated strip
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NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON’T A fabricated panel hides the fuel cell and battery in the trunk so the only thing you see is twin 10lb nitrous bottles that flow up to an NOS Fogger system.
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Don’t be fooled into thinking this Chevelle is all show by the level of finish in the engine bay. Just have a look through the Tech Sheet and calculate what the Merlin IV block stuffed and topped with goodies from all the big names is capable of.
enthusiasts, sorry, but this one is for street use only. Let’s get right into what you don’t see. Built and installed in 2019, motivation for the car is provided by a 540 cubic inch big block. A Merlin IV 4.50 bore block was filled with a Scat 4.250 stroker crankshaft swinging Eagle 6.385 H-beam connecting rods and JE/SRP forged pistons. An Erson solid roller cam (.680/680 lift, 253/263
@ .050 duration with a 110 lobe center) activates Erson roller lifters, PBM 3/8 .080 wall push rods and Isky 1.72 roller rockers. Cylinder heads are PBM Strike Force 320s with 1.88 exhaust and 2.30 inch intake valves. An Edelbrock Super Victor is topped by a Holley HP carb and fuel is supplied by Magnafuel. Power adder of choice for Hutchison was nitrous oxide. An NOS Fogger system
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Stan built the Chevelle to be driven, and with into the 4 digit zone, it’s a fun drive! is plumbed with two 10lb trunk-mounted bottles supplying the juice, while a separate fuel system with 1 gallon fuel tank and Holley pump supply the fuel to mix with it. A full 1 5/8” round tube chassis was constructed for the Chevelle and a narrowed and heavily for-
tified 12 bolt differential is suspended by a Competition Engineering ladder bar/coil over rear suspension. Strange struts with rack and pinion steering were used up front. As a result, the car sits near level when cruising, with both the front and rear meats tucked neatly up
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in the confines of the rear tubs and front fenders respectively. One of the outstanding unique features of the car isn’t that the interior cage and panels are painted, but rather, that they (including the floor pan by the way) have been crafted and painted with the same painstaking detail as the exterior. The factory dash is filled with a full array of aftermarket gauges. Sure, with today’s high tech instrumentation Hutchison could have chosen a single display to do all the work, but where’s the fun in that? Pro Street 1 period correct race buckets were used along with a B&M Pro Ratchet shifter, billet parachute release pull and Safecraft fire suppression system. The exterior of the car speaks for itself, it’s flawless, but don’t let that fool
you, it was built to drive and Hutchison does a lot of that, with the occasional stab of the throttle of course, just to keep it running clean. Original OEM sheet metal remains, aside from the Glasstech 4” cowl hood. Paint is PPG Tornado Red base coat clear coat with black stripes and the original trim work is complemented by the contemporary polished rear wing and rear chute mount. Stan Hutchison’s Chevelle looks flat-out amazing, but like we said, it has the parts to back those looks up and you can bet that at the push of the go peddle, plus the push of a button if necessary, Hutchison has more than enough to satisfy even those most curious about the Chevelle’s capabilities. RPM
Stan Hutchison’s 1970 Pro Street Chevelle Chassis & Suspension /Modifications:
Full 1 5/8” round tube chassis. Strange struts on the front. Rear suspension is Competition Engineering ladder bar. Aluminum Koni rear coil over shocks. Mustang II rack & pinion. Steering column kit from JBRC. Track locator from Pie’s Chassis.
Body & Paint:
Stock body with Glasstech 4” cowl hood. Paint is PPG Tornado Red base coat, clear coat with black stripes. Body work and paint by Mike (Jr.) Freeman.
Engine:
540 cubic inch BBC Merlin IV block 4.50 bore. 4.250 stroker forged crank. Cylinder heads are PBM Strike Force 320 intake, 119 cc combustion chamber. Valve size 1.88 exhaust and 2.30 inch intake. Assembly internally balanced. MLS head gaskets, King Racing main and rod bearings. PBM 3/8 push rods 7.650 exhaust with .080 wall. Intake 3/8 push rods 8.750 with .080 wall. Isky 1.72 roller rockers. Sheet metal fabricated valve covers. Hamburger 1488 oil pan. Comp cams belt drive. Crane stud girdle. ARP head studs. Meziere electric water pump. March pulleys. Griffin radiator. 16 inch Flex-A-Lite fan. Stant 22 psi radiator cap. 3 qt. Moroso Accusump. 8 inch Fluidamper.
Rotating Assembly:
Scat 4.250 stroker crankshaft. Eagle 6.385 H beam connecting rods. JE/SRP pistons, Erson solid roller cam, .680/680 lift, 253/263 @ .050 duration. 110 lobe center. Erson roller lifters. Melling oil pump, ARP oil pump drive.
Induction & Fuel:
Edelbrock Super Victor intake. Holley HP carburetor. Lokar throttle cable. Magnafuel pump. Harwood fuel cell. K&N air filter. Fuel lines and fittings all from Fragola.
Power Adder:
NOS Fogger. 2 10 lb bottles. One gallon fuel cell with Holley blue pump. It is a stand alone system.
Electronics:
All MSD ignition 7AL-2 with front drive distributor, MSD HVC coil, MSD plug wires, Optima red top battery, Tilton starter, GM alternator, ARC panel, ARC nitrous panel.
Transmission & Converter:
TH400, Trans Parts 4200 stall convertor, Fairbanks reverse valve body. Derale cooler pan. Earl’s transmission cooler. 3 inch driveshaft w/1350 solid u-joints.
Rear differential:
Narrowed 12 bolt, Mark Williams axles, 4.10 ratio. Eaton posi unit, TA Performance rear axle girdle cover. Brakes: Front – Strange HD. Rear – Mark Williams HD.
Tires & wheels:
Front wheels – 15 x 3.5 Weld Drag Lites. Rear wheels – 15 x 14 Weld Drag Lites. 3 inch backspace. Rear tires – 31-18.5 x 15 Mickey Thompson Sportsmans. Front tires – 165 R15 Cooper.
Interior:
AutoMeter gauges and tach, Grant steering wheel, B&M Pro Stick Shifter, full roll cage, Jaz bucket seats, Safecraft onboard fire system, Simpson 5 point harnesses, Simpson parachute, Lokar remote battery switch, JBRC parachute release, No sound system – too loud to hear it.
Misc:
Owner built mufflers and stainless steel exhaust. All painted interior. Owner built headers – Nitroplate ceramic coating.
Thanks To:
My understanding wife, Sally, for not minding the countless hours in the garage and at car shows. Mike (Jr.) Freeman for the paint and body work. Donny Cross at Jerry Bickel Racecars for help in getting the latest and greatest parts. Mike Facchin for his unlimited car knowledge and hands on help. Todd and Wendy Gillliam, owners of Terry’s Machine Shop, for their help and guidance with the new motor.
What is the most memorable experience you have had with the car to date? 2013 DuQuoin Street Machine Nationals – winning Best Pro Street and Best of Show.
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W
hat happens when a street car junkie finally hops in a small tire drag car and wins at his first race? He builds one of the baddest radial cars on the planet, that’s what! We’re not going to mince words here, Wally Farbaky’s 481X based twin turbo ’88 Mustang Coupe is off the hook nasty. From its 25.2 chassis to 572 inches of AJPE billet based twin 91mm tubocharged power all the way to the killer Rage Wrap skin, you’d be hard pressed to find a higher quality, cooler or quicker small tire car, anywhere. Go ahead, we dare ya! Farbaky is surprisingly new to the small tire drag race scene but got pulled in quickly by the power and rush it offers those who dare to explore it. “I have always loved and had street cars my entire life and wanted to get into drag racing, but getting married and having kids at a young age took precedent,”
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You can show up or showout, Wall Farbaky and his Mustang chose the latter.
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The turbos were mounted cocked slightly inward and once covered by the custom front end create a clean yet threatening look, one of Wally’s favorite parts of his car.
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Twin 91mm Work Turbochargers sweeten the pot to produce approximately 4,500 horsepower.
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he explained. As his business started grow, so did his draw towards mixing it up on the dragstrip, and he finally had the time and resources to build the caliber of car that would satisfy his drive, or so he thought. He got into the sport with a stock style suspension car and at his very first race, the “River Redemption”
event at Cordova International Speedway, he took the win. “After 2 seasons and 3 different motor combos, we felt we were at the point where the stock style suspension was holding us back. I grew as a driver and needed/wanted more. Since I fell in love with the Pro275 classes, I decided to build a car that could compete on
A Proline-built AJPE 481X Stage 4 billet based mill graces the real estate between the Mustang’s double framerails
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Stroupe Race Cars completed the 25.2 cert chassis on the radial tire Mustang. The interior is clean and organized with a Holley EFI dash and single oil pressure gauge relaying all pertinent info to Wally.
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This fabricated 9 inch filled with Strange parts is tougher than Superman himself!
that level.” Looking to expedite a purpose built Pro275 car project, Wally did his due diligence on how to do it and who/what companies to involve in the build, but he still needed a car to use as a base. A friend directed him to an unfinished Mustang that looked promising, but after a 6 hour drive the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement. A week later, he decided to sweeten the pot and offer his Harley Davidson on top of the original offer and shortly after, drove back to pick up the Mus64
tang. Working with Steve Roden at Legend Racing as his “CEO of the build”, a plan was set out for the new car. SRC (Stroupe Race Cars) of North Carolina was called upon to complete the chassis and with a motivated group of people, the car was built in just 4 months! “There was a lot of driving during that 4 months,” says Farbaky. “The chassis was done in North Carolina, wiring in South Carolina, then back to Illinois for the wrap, and finally to Wisconsin for fabrication and final
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Front strut and rear 4-link suspension are the work of SRC as well and Santhuff struts and coilover shocks were used respectively
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This Mustang speaks for itself with a modern, rip style graphic using blacks and vibrant reds.
finishing touches.” Let’s start with what you see first on the Mustang. If you don’t know about Rage Wraps, look ’em up! This Mustang speaks for itself with a modern, rip style graphic using blacks and vibrant reds. Whether its paint or a wrap, the look of the car gives fans and competitors that first impression, and you only get one shot at it. “Phil Delaney, owner of Rage Wraps, took the image from my head and got it spot on with a killer seamless install,” added Farbaky The backbone of any race car is the chassis, and the SHOWOUT Mustang boasts an SRC 25.2 certified chassis. “Wally Stroupe and Brandon Johnson did all the chassis work including the double frame rail and getting me to fit in the car perfectly”. Stroupe also fabbed up the suspension which consists of a rear four-link with Santhuff coilover shocks out back and struts with rack and pinion steering up front. An indestructible fabricated 9-inch housing (one of the nicest we’ve seen) is stuffed with a Strange Engineering Ultra aluminum center section and their 40 spline axles and spool. Inside, the Mustang will not disappoint, but don’t expect to see anything reminiscent of a 1988 Coupe here. Instead, top-shelf build quality includes a maze of strategically placed cage bars mixed with carbon panels and a partially Chassis Engineering’s Outlaw “TRIPLE” Adjustable Ladder Bars The ultimate ladder bar for heavy, high horsepower race cars. 360 degree housing brackets w/integrated shock mounts. Lightweight Chromoly construction for strength. Includes all rod ends, hardware and brackets. 3606 Outlaw adjustable ladder bar kit $569.95 pr 3606A Outlaw adjustable ladder bar weld-up kit $544.95 pr
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Wally Farbaky’s 1988 Ford Mustang Coupe Small Tire Radial Drag Car Chassis Type & Mods:
SRC Motorsports 25.2 chassis under the SRC ’88 Mustang with carbon interior and titanium drive shaft tunnel. Designed to fit me perfectly by Wally Stroupe and Brandon Johnson.
Suspension:
SRC Motorsports 4 link. Santhuff shocks and struts. Strange Engineering center section and a PST carbon fiber driveshaft.
Body & Paint:
Complete custom wrap designed and installed by Phil Delaney at Rage Wraps.
Engine:
Proline Racing built 572 inch all billet stage 4 481x. AJPE Stage 4 billet heads and block, Bryant billet crank, GRP billet rods, Wiseco forged aluminum pistons, Jesel lifters, T&D rockers, Victory titanium valves, topped off with a Visner engineering billet intake.
Induction:
Visner Billet intake with custom throttle body.
Power Adder:
Work Turbo Garrett based GTX 91mm twins, custom built for us by Reed at Work Turbos. Custom built headers and turbo kit done by FTR Performance.
Electronics:
Holley Dominator EFI system with MSD CDI ignition. Davis Technologies VPS. The entire car and custom engine harness was built and designed by Devin Vanderwoof at HCR innovations.
Transmission & Converter:
Proformance 2 speed TH400 with internal and external dump valves, 1-3/16” input shaft, and a bolt-together PTC torque converter.
Rear Differential:
Fabricated 9” Strange Ultra case with Pro gear and 40 spline spool.
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Other Important Vehicle Information:
This purpose built car has been designed, spec’d, built and tuned by Steve Roden at Legend Racing. Initial dyno tuning done by Larry at ASSC Racing.
Vehicle Owner/Driver Info/History:
Owned and driven by Wally Farbaky- Showout Racing
Division/Class Run (Race Only): Small Tire N/T & Grudge racing.
Thanks to:
First and foremost Steve Roden of FTR performance in Wisconsin. Not only did Steve complete the car, it was his research and experience that helped me choose what parts to use and who was doing what on the car. Steve was basically the CEO of the build. Wally Stroupe and Brandon Johnson of SRC in North Carolina did all the chassis work including the double frame rail and getting me to fit in the car. Devin Vanderwoof of Hate Crime Racing (HCR) wired the entire car and supplied us with complete diagram of every wire and what it was for. Along with labeling each wire, it is the nicest wiring job I’ve ever seen. Phil Delaney, owner of Rage Wraps took the image from my head and got it spot on with a killer seamless install. Proline Racing for the engine and support. RedLine Motorsports owner Matt Bell gave us a killer tune on his badass hub dyno. Dave Klaput of Performance Transmissions for a killer 2 speed TH400. Reed Patridge of Work Turbo built us the bad boy twin 91s that push the motor. Doug Roden of Legend Racing for his vast knowledge of the sport and expertise when it comes to machining, fabbing, setup, and freshening up stuff. His knowledge is invaluable. Last but not least my wife Crystal Farbaky, my son Nick Farbaky and daughter Alyssa Farbaky for helping me load and unload the trailer each and every time we go racing! Rain, snow, light or dark they’re always there supporting me.
The ultraclean wiring job is credited to Devin Vanderwoof of Hate Crime Racing.
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What was once the trunk area is filled with carbon tubs, a battery and not much else.
open titanium trans tunnel to showcase the Reid-cased Proformance-built 2 speed TH400 trans with PTC converter. Unnecessary gadgetry is purposely omitted from the equation with a focus on safety and information, the latter being supplied via the Holley EFI full color interactive dash and a single oil pressure gauge to the left of Wally. Power wise, hold onto your hat because this is where things get really interesting. Interesting to the tune of 4,500 horsepower! A Proline Racing-built 572-inch all billet AJPE
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ClearOne Photography Photo
ClearOne Photography Photo
481X occupies the space between the rails of the Stang. An AJPE Stage 4 billet block is filled with a Bryant billet crank, GRP billet rods, Wiseco forged aluminum pistons and a top secret camshaft actuating Jesel lifters. The matching Stage 4 billet heads have been fitted with Victory titanium valves and T&D rockers. The
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mill is topped by a Visner Engine Development billet intake. Pretty wild stuff for a 275 Radial car, right? Now take a few deep breathes and relax, because nearing the end of the build Farbaky had twins…twin 91mm turbos that is. A quick calculation tells us that’s 182 mm of turbocharger forcing air into 572 inches of
billet big block, yep 4,500 horsepower sounds about right! “I love everything about this car,” says Farbaky. “The unique turbo placement and how the front bumper mold came out. The look of the front end and how the color schemes and wrap work with the entire build. The stance of the car and how nicely
ClearOne Photography Photo
ClearOne Photogr aphy Photo
the back tires tuck under it.” But mostly, Farbaky is blown away with the car’s performance. “Although the car is fairly new, my favorite memory to date is the last race we were at, The Snowbird Nats in Bradenton, FL. We really learned what the car wanted and for 4 straight passes we kept reaching personal best times and mph. It was our first entry into a Pro275 race and that’s why we built her!” He added. With a car like this Mustang, built for Pro275 radial tire racing, it’s pretty safe to say that for Wally Farbaky there are two choices; show up or showout…guess which one he prefers? RPM
Reinforced Ribbing w/ Lifter Cross Oiling Max Bore 4.560”
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Richard Shelly along with Bill and Michelle Wallace has as far campaigned this car throughout the West Coast and as Texas for a decade and a half.
N
o, it isn’t a Mustang, but it certainly is a Pony Car! While the popularity of the Mercury Capri never came close to matching that of the Mustang, over the years they have been picked up for restorations and projects for both street and strip use, and show up once in while at events, much like how we unearthed this 1981 model during a WCHRA event at the famed Auto Club Famoso Raceway. The Mercury Capri is a name marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994. From 1979 to 1986, the Capri was one of the more sporty offerings of Mercury, following along the lines of its Mustang counterpart, both built on the very popular Fox Body a regular He has competed in the PSCA, WCHRA, AZFSC, and is platform. The cool thing about s. at the annual Street Car Super Nationals in Las Vega ! there i And yes, it is typically the only Mercury Capr
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owning one is that, aside from body parts, most items are interchangeable with the Mustang. For some reason, the Capri garners more attention today than it ever did. Perhaps that’s because there seems to be more Fox Mustangs at most events than all the other body styles combined. Popularity of different automotive body styles come and go, but Capri’s had nowhere near the productions numbers of Mustangs and are becoming harder and harder to find. For Richard Shelly, drag racing was part of his childhood in
a big way, so it was no surprise that he’d end up in the driver’s seat of something built for the dragstrip. “When I was young, my parents worked at Phoenix Raceway Park and my brother drag raced along with my dad. After I received a baseball injury, I couldn’t play the game anymore, so we started looking at getting involved in Junior Dragsters,” Richard explained. He started racing juniors Sometimes, less is more, and this little nitrous assisted small block Ford built by Outlaw Race Engines in Phoenix, Arizona is simple and reliable.
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orm except The Capri, despite being identical to the Mustang platf tough to find for body panels, never enjoyed its popularity, but it’s . one anywhere these days, let alone the at the dragstrip
The Merc has been a true workhorse at the track consistently going rounds and taking wins in heads-up class and bracket racing. www.rpmmag.com
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Bill and Michelle Wallace & Richard Shelly Heads Up No-Time/Grudge 1981 Mercury Capri Door Car Chassis Type & Mods:
Stock type suspension, stock frame rail. Suspension: Front TeamZ Motorsports K-member with Viking double adjustable struts. Rear: TeamZ Upper Relocation Kit and TeamZ lower control Arms. Strange Double Adjustable Shocks.
Body & Paint:
Paint By Lamonte. Bright Silver with charcoal Gray. Painted in 2010.
Engine:
SBF with Brodix 20deg cylinder heads. Cast aluminum manifold with a 950 HP Series Holley carb. Callies crank and Callies Enforcer rods and Gibtech Pistons with Total Seal rings. T&D shaft rockers with Manton pushrods and crower lifters.
Power Adder:
Single Entry 4150 nitrous plate by Robert Lane.
Electronics:
MSD Grid with Nitrous Outlet Progressive.
Transmission & Converter:
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Proshift Trans with Pro Torque Converter.
Rear Differential:
8.8 rear with Strange axles and spool and Ford Motorsports gear.
Other Important Vehicle Information:
Engine completed at Outlaw Race Engines. All fab work copleted By CKR Fab works. Vehicle was on speed channels Pass Time and Pinks All Out. Car has won numerous events and championships along the west coast. Recently Won the WCHRA Ultra Street Championship in 2019.
Sponsors:
Outlaw Race Engines, CKR Fab Works, Total Seal Rings, Callies Performance Products, Robert Lane @ Fast Lane Nitrous, Eric Mitchell, EFI University, Manley Products, Dialed Performance Innovations.
Vehicle Owner/Driver Info/History:
Bill and Michelle Wallace/Richard Shelly/ We have been racing together for 20yrs. Started racing together in Junior dragster then went to bracket racing and then made our way to the West Coast heads-up scene.
I bracket raced it for a while and then my buddy Jason and I decided to try a little heads-up racing with it
at the age of 12 and in his second full year competing, finished 2nd in the points chase at Firebird Raceway. From there, he transitioned out of the junior ranks in his family’s 1981 Chevrolet Malibu. “I bracket raced it for a while and then my buddy Jason and I decided to try a little heads-up racing with it.” That Malibu would start a whole new level of need for speed for Richard, and from that point on he wanted to go heads-up racing in a fast nitrous car. From there, Richard would drive cars for several friends in the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA) as well as some
local bracket races. He had been racing for many years with his good friends Bill and Michelle Wallace who owned a 1981 Mercury Capri and started racing that car in both bracket and True Street classes, and became very successful at it. “After a while, we wanted to go play in the Outlaw 8.5-inch tire world,” he said. Eventually, as they increased power, the car would get to the edge of safety for its OEM chassis and build, so they decided to slow it down just a bit and start running it in the Ultra Street category. The Mighty Merc runs a single stage, nitrous assisted small block Ford pow-
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The basic interior in the Capri is as Spartan as Spartan gets, serving two main purposes, safety and control.
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erplant. Brodix 20-degree cylinder heads with T&D shaft rockers are held in place by ARP hardware. Rotating inside the block is a Callies forged crank swinging a set of their Enforcer rods pinned to Gibtech forged nitrous pistons. Topping the juiced small block is a cast Super Victor 351 intake with a Nitrous Outlet plate nitrous system and a 950 CFM Holley HP carb. Power is transferred to the sus-
pension through a beefed up Proshift transmission and a converter from Pro Torque. In order to run many of the small tire heads up classes, the stock frame was not modified. Suspension upgrades consists of a Team Z Motorsports K-member and Viking double adjustable struts up front. Out back boasts a Team Z Upper relocation kit, lower control arms and Strange double adjustable shocks, all in their stock location. The rearend is a fortified Ford 8.8 that houses a Ford Motorsport spool and Strange axles. It’s a pretty straight forward
but winning combination. For the past 15 years the Capri has been nothing but consistent and reliable. Richard has won events in both heads-up class events along with bracket categories. When we asked about best ET Richard was tight lipped. The grudge scene in Arizona is escalating quickly and he plans to try his hand in that with the Merc and felt it best to keep potentials under wraps. No matter what the class or form of racing, there’s little doubt that the Capri will continue its winning ways with Richard at the wheel. RPM
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Story & Photos by Tim Biro
Building a small block Ford using World’s 6 bolt per cylinder 9.200” deck Man O’War block Over the past 22 years, RPM MAG has had an amazing relationship with most every major parts manufacturer in America, we’ve been each other’s support in survival during the tough times, and in growth during the good times. Even during a year like 2020, there’s still a lot going at RPM Project headquarters in two countries, including getting setup and caught up from things delayed last year. We try to stay on the cutting edge of technology in the automotive sport we all love, and after hearing about the introduction of World Products new 6 bolt per cylinder 9.200” deck block, we naturally needed to get our hands on one for a closer, touchy feely, let’s build one experience. As a mechanic/engine builder/drag racer, like most, my life has been filled with highs and lows in the automotive world. I have learned to respect the process, learn from experience, and greet the low points as part of the process. If you know me, you know that I treat every part as if it will, at some point, fail. Failure is due to many factors like: taking parts past their design limits; incorrect installation techniques; wrong material for 84
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■ We’ll be using Kraushaar Machine Services for machining and balancing all
the engine parts as well as assembling at their shop. The lower section of the World Man O’War block has a very chest pounding 40,000 psi iron alloy area. intended use; clearance issues; tune up; over use, and the list goes on. So many factors and forces come into play when an internal combustion engine is not only just running, but is being pushed to its limits. Keeping all this in mind, we try to choose our parts wisely through experience and the intended use of the engine. High performance street and race engine
builders try their best to plan, machine and assemble every engine to produce as much power as possible within these parameters, while trying to meet a budget. In this series of articles, we will take you through each stage of the process to help identify key items to help when planning, machining and assembling your next engine. Unlike our Pace Car Race
■ A Close-up of the added material under the pail rail and in the main web for increased strength in this 9.200 deck Man O’War block.
■ World has added strength to these main caps,
first in the material and secondly through their massive size. Ours has the optional billet main caps. Note the ARP hardware which is part of every block World makes.
■ This part of prepping a block has always been time consuming, clearancing for stroke. The rods can hit the bottom of the cylinder bores when increasing stroke. World has hit the nail on the head with this modification. All I need to do is knock off the sharp edges. Wow, what a time saver!
Car small block Ford budget engine build, this is a higher power level engine and as such we will up the ante, so to speak, with regards to a number of parts critical to survival, starting with the engine block. That’s not to say budget doesn’t come into play, but we’re realists when it comes to the additional costs that accompany higher performance rated parts. We had reached out to World Products (pre-pandemic) regarding one of their Man O’War 9.200 blocks, and secured one hot off the line. First impressions are everything, and we were so impressed with the design, workmanship and quality of this piece that it prompted us to start this new series of articles based on the World
block. As always, the first order of business was to plan a parts/ work list needed to machine and assemble a 427ci small block Ford based on the 6 bolt World Products block. I added a pair of Bill Mitchell Products’ killer 6 bolt 10 degree aluminum cylinder heads, a forged steel 4.0 inch stroke crankshaft and chromoly steel forged H- beam lightweight connecting rods from PBM. When it came time to add a slug to swing inside the block, it would demand a custom piston designed to take heavy loads of nitrous…did I say nitrous? You bet! We are planning on spraying this combination with a lot of juice, so we contacted Ross Racing Pistons and they were happy to help.
■ World’s block design has extra material jutting out the
side of the block to house the extra cylinder head retention hardware that make up the 6 per cylinder design. www.rpmmag.com
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■ I think Tim The Tool Man would just say, “URH URH URH!!” The plan is to spin this bullet past 8000 rpm, so we will need a reliable valvetrain and chose Jesel for their tried, tested and true products. The camshaft and lifters are from Erson Cams, another company with a longstanding history of quality and reliability, and they personally helped us choose both an in-stock N/A grind, as well as a custom grind for the nitrous pulls.
And so Project “World Domination” was born! ...with liquid hot magma! (Almost sounds like an Austin Powers movie!) Most things in today’s world of multiple online videos are “I want it right now and make it quick”, but because magazines are engaged with for longer periods of time, we’ll take that time during this series to familiarize readers with each company whose
■ Finally the 6 bolt
per cylinder deck surface, top-shelf engineering! This block also has an expanded cooling area for improved cooling.
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parts are involved in the build. Since 1987, World Products have been engineering high performance cylinder heads and blocks to meet the needs of all forms of motorsports. It all started with their innovative small block Chevy cylinder heads and evolved into an endless level of block and head castings. World’s blocks and heads are cast in the USA, using special high density iron alloy, and machined on precision CNC machining centers for unparalleled accuracy. They have evolved into a world leader in well-engineered, durable, race winning parts. World has taken the weaknesses associated with the Chevrolet and Ford blocks and totally redesigned them. World Products, PBM and Erson Cams are your one stop parts suppliers for popular North American V8 horsepower parts and packages. We’re excited to see the new tech-
■ Because the Man O’War block is designed for 6 bolts per cylinder head retention, we had to pick up a slab of aluminum and make a new SBF torque plate. Thank you to Ryan Chatterson at Chatterson Machine and Tool Co. LTD. for spending the time to finish it off.
■ Our Jesel 1.7 shaft rocker system on the BMP 10 degree cylinder head.
■ The Jesel timing belt system to keep our cam
synced with our crank. I love the ease of adjustment on this piece.
nology that World Products has implemented into this engine block. I personally have been waiting a long time for a Cleveland deck height (9.200”) block to be produced with this kind of engineering behind it. Your cylinder block is one of the most important parts for the longevity of a racing engine. I remember building many engines using factory GM and Ford blocks back when there were very limited options on aftermarket blocks, let alone affordable ones, only to have them fail as we applied more forces through boost, nitrous oxide and multiple power adders, all in the quest to be the fastest. Many times
I dropped the laundry at over 8500 rpm hoping my “stock junk” stayed together. Back then, we dreamt of an engine block that was designed to be as strong as possible, and not too long after they started to surface. Offerings grew and with that so did affordability, and well, here it is, that block I have waited so long for, and the extra bonus is that I am still young enough to enjoy it! To add to the party, World Products has upgraded the iron in all of their blocks to a 40,000 psi alloy and added material to the main webs. The Man O’War front web is now .080” thicker and the center three are increased
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■ Ross Racing Pistons nitrous piston is a heavy duty design made from a strong forging to withstand copious amounts of juice.
Let’s Build itTogether Low Cost, No Hassle, Landed Cost Shipping. Landed Cost shipping includes all duties, taxes, and clearance fees. In-stock parts are shipped FAST, delivered to your door with no unexpected fees. Questions? Complete details available in the Customer Service section of SummitRacing.com, talk via Live Chat, or Call.
1-800-230-3030
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■ The PBM H-beam rods look
ready for high rpm duty with their strong 2 piece chromoly forging and lightweight design. Notice the rods are bolted together with the ARP 2000 hardware and register each half with dowels. by .030”. Factory Ford 351 Windsor blocks and most other aftermarket blocks are equipped with 1/2 inch main cap fasteners. World Products has changed from 1/2” main cap fasteners to 7/16” ARP fasteners, leaving more material in the webs in order to strengthen the main web structure. All five main caps are fastened with four fasteners each and feature #2, #3 and #4 splayed main caps with dowels and stepped registers - ARP fasteners are standard. You have your choice of nodular or can opt for billet main caps as an upgrade. In keeping main journal diameter to a minimum due to friction, World Products gives the customer the choice to use the 302 Windsor crankshaft main diameter at 2.248 inches or the 351 Cleveland diameter at 2.749 inches. The Man O’War is the only SBF block with 6 head bolts per cylinder, thus giving the opportunity to create
an unprecedented clamping force between block deck and cylinder head. No worries though, as any factory 10 bolt head can still be bolted to the block using factory style bolts or aftermarket studs. The cylinder barrels are extended into the crankcase at the bottom by an extra 1/2” to provide superior piston support with long stroke crankshafts. The bottoms of the cylinder have been CNC cut to clear most any stroke, and our 9.200” deck block can take a sizeable 4.100” stroke. World Products has also implemented a new low restriction priority main oiling system in their block design, as well as an improved oil drain back system from the cylinder heads. This gets oil to the crank first and aids in getting oil back in the pan. All the Man O’War blocks come with provision for dry sump applications. They offer many standard Ford
■ We’ll be using a PBM 4.0 stroke 4340 forged steel crank, which has precision ground and micropolished journals. It also features straight shot chamfered oil passages and lightening and large radii on all journals.
deck heights from 302 Windsor 8.200 inches all the way to the 351 Windsor 9.500 inches which can boast an enormous 4.25 inch stroke crank to make 450 plus cubic inches! Each block deck height option is CNC clearanced for a maximum stroke crankshaft. World has been able to engineer the use of standard SBF components in all their Man O’War blocks, all in a package that weighs approximately 200 lbs. All these features and benefits help make the Man O’War block a top choice for your next project. “World’s Man O’War Ford small block was designed to be rugged enough for serious power adder applications. The 9.200” deck version allows shorter, lighter connecting rods and pistons to be used which improves acceleration and high RPM operation,” said Jack McInnis from World Products. “We are excited to see the results of this build with RPM Magazine when it gets to the Dyno and the track.” Throughout this extended “real time” series exclusive to RPM MAG, we will analyze each part and explain why it has been chosen. We will review all the steps in machining and assembling the SBF World Domination mill, followed by a report on a naturally aspirated, as well as a nitrous oxide engine dyno session. Finally, we will install the World Domination engine into an RPM test drag car and have some fun! See you next time! SOURCES WORLD Products www.pbm-erson.com 877-630-6651
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Engine Efficiency
A “Tax Shelter” for Racing Engines
Story by
Lake Speed Jr.
Photos supplied by
Total Seal Piston Rings
Y
ou work hard to earn your paycheck. Imagine if only $0.10 of every $1.00 you earned made it to your wallet! You wouldn’t be happy and you’d want to do something about it. That poor earning efficiency would be highly motivating to find a way to reduce that “tax” in order to improve your earning efficiency. Now imagine that every gallon of gasoline is like that $1.00 you earned. According to a US Department of Energy study on engine efficiency, only 10% of the energy from your vehicle’s fuel ends up actually moving the vehicle. That’s a 90% “tax” rate, which is an incredible amount of energy loss across the engine, transmission and the rest of the vehicle. Looking at the chart, it is easy to see why turbochargers are becoming so popular! With 35% of the energy potential (in the form of heat) going out the exhaust, recapturing that energy and converting it to useful work just makes sense. Today’s Turbo V6 engines, like Ford’s EcoBoost, make more power with better fuel economy than big V8’s from 20 years ago – clearly demonstrating the performance potential of turbocharging. What’s next on the chart, and what about non-turbo engines? Upon a closer look down the chart, friction stands out as the next largest “tax” on energy efficiency. Of the energy moving the pistons and creating horsepower, another 12% of that energy is lost to friction. Accordingly, reducing friction in the engine is the next best way to increase efficiency (even with a turbocharger). With friction playing such a major role in engine efficien-
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Gas ported rings help increase dynamic ring seal, which reduces blow-by. cy (AKA fuel economy), it’s no wonder why motor oils have changed so much in the last 20 years. Modern, synthetic lubricants contain way more friction reducing additives than regular motor oil did 20 years ago. However, an examination of the sources of engine friction reveals the piston ring and cylinder wall account for over 45% of engine friction. In light of that, reducing piston ring and cylinder wall friction is actually the number one area of increasing engine efficiency. What’s the best way to reduce piston ring to cylinder wall friction? Thinner rings with friction reducing coatings provide the largest reduction in cylinder wall friction. Top engine builders in Formula 1, NASCAR, NHRA and other forms of professional motorsports utilize piston rings 1/3 of the size of piston rings found in production cars 30 years ago. Made from advanced materials such as 440B stainless steel or M2 tool steel and coated with friction reducing aerospace grade coatings, modern piston ring technology provides significant reductions in friction.
When combined with lower viscosity, synthetic motor oils, thinner piston rings greatly improve fuel economy, and that is why the major car manufacturers have all gone to thinner piston rings and lower viscosity motor oil – efficiency. For proof, just look at a 1990 Chevy Silverado compared to a 2020 Silverado. Back in the day, the 5.7 Litre V8 featured a 2.0 mm compression ring along with 10W-30 motor oil. Today’s Direct Injected 6.2 Litre V8 features a 1.2 mm compression ring that’s lubricated by 0W-20, and despite the extra cubic inches, to-
Cylinder finish and ring ends gaps are areas for improving engine efficiency as well.
Engine Efficiency
Over 45% of all engine friction relates to the piston ring and cylinder wall interface. day’s Silverado gets 30% better gas mileage than its older brother. While motor oil can reduce friction, thinner piston rings offer a 2 for 1 – reduced friction and better sealing efficiency. What’s sealing efficiency? Piston rings provide the seal which keeps combustion gases and pressure above the piston and out of the crankcase. Consequently, another area of “wasted potential” is blowby. Combustion gases that leak past the piston rings are not pushing on the piston, so that power is wasted. We call that blow-by, and better piston ring seal equals less blow-by. Now you might be wondering how a smaller, thinner ring can seal better. Wouldn’t a larger ring work better? On the surface that seems to make sense. However, cylinder bores in engines are not perfectly round nor are they perfectly straight. A thinner piston ring is more conformable to the irregularities in the cylinder bore. Think about a thick piece of
metal, it is nearly impossible to bend, but a thin piece of wire is easily bent. As such, a thinner piston ring conforms to the changes in cylinder bore geometry as the piston travels up and down the bore, and with less friction! Piston ring engineering aims to provide a ring strong enough to maintain proper tension and form, yet flexible enough to conform to the irregularities of the cylinder bore. When that happens, engine efficiency improves! So, when you’re looking for a “tax shelter” that will allow you to keep more of the power you worked hard to make with manifolds, heads, camshafts and fueling, don’t forget about the piston ring. SOURCE:
www.totalseal.com 1-800-874-2753
With the cancellation of PRI due to COVID-19, the inaugural Engine Performance Expo stepped up to fill the information exchange gap. As a live virtual event with pre-recorded seminars and demonstrations, the Engine Performance Expo allowed engine enthusiasts from around the world to tune in to hear from leading engine builders such as Warren Johnson, Pat Musi, Jon Kaase and others. Since the event was recorded, you can still watch the recordings at www.EnginePerformanceExpo.com , and admission is FREE. We would also like Congratulate Steve Christophersen for winning the $10,000 valued LS Short Block that was built during the Expo at Straub Technologies Facility. Thank you for CNC blueprinting by Rottler Mfg., CWT Industries, Axe Equipment and Ultrasonic LLC. Thank you also for Performance Parts provided by DART, Liberty Performance, Diamond Racing, Total Seal, Morel Lifters, C.H.E. Precision, and Straub Technologies.
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More Air Means More Horsepower Story and Photos: JT
I
Guy from Spectre made sure that I had the correct couplers to mate all of the different size openings together. Besides seeing it in my head, this was the first time I saw all of this come together.
n our never ending quest for more horsepower and more importantly, affordable horsepower, gearheads have tried every known trick in the book. Back in the day, taking your air filter off and adding octane boost were the go-to moves before a street race. Simple weight reduction tricks like removing the rear seat, spare tire, jack and anything else that made a home in the trunk helped the power to weight ratio, giving you an immediate advantage over someone who did not pay attention to these “secrets.” Removing your air filter certainly helped to introduce more air into your carburetor, but it also introduced any dirt and flying debris that happened to be within a vacuum pull away. We quickly found out that not all air is created equal. Non-filtered air brought a host of problems into the engine. Hot air from high under hood temperatures brought little to no value to the “increased air” philosophy. Then came the introduction of the factory ram air and cowl induction. This not only brought cooler, fresh air into the carburetor, it was filtered and it also increased the velocity of it. This primitive form of boost made a significant difference and was a very cool This is the genius air bulb that allows the CO2 to pass through it and upgrade to the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s. chill the incoming air that flows past it. Remember that CO2 is -80 Functioning ram air and cowl induction degrees out of the bottle. That is pretty cold.
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By now hopefully you all remember that my daughter was responsible for naming our race car Big Red. I mean it made sense, big block, big tires, and she was red. When my wife came in the shop and saw the completed hood closed over the top of the induction tubes she said it looked like a bull and we should call it “El Toro”. It was a great idea but a year or so too late. We already named the old girl and bought way too much merchandise to change names. On a side note, it never ceases to amaze me how many people think it is a turbo car when the hood is closed, but then notice the two CO2 purge tubes by the opening of the cowl and think it is a nitrous car. Listening to people dispute that is the perfect segue for me to share the entire concept and work that went into creating it. The engine and engine bay was not yet fully assembled, but I needed to get those induction tubes cut so I could see what kind of real estate this was going to consume. I used a lot of painter’s tape that day joining those tubes together and making it all work.
This is how it all turned out. Not only does it function, but it looks pretty cool as well. systems required serious engineering along with a host of custom hood and body modifications making it not viable for the backyard mechanic to fabricate in their driveway. So because necessity is the mother of all invention, the introduction of bolton cold air kits became the craze. It was a simple concept carried forward from old school experimentation with modern day engineering. Fresh
and cooler air was brought into the front of a vehicle away from high under hood temps. It was then directed into an air box that housed a high-flow oversized air filter. From the filter it was sent directly to the carb/throttle body via a closed circuit
tube. This air box and closed-circuit tube allowed the maximum amount of air flow while still fitting within the factory engine bay. Fast forward to modern times, and this technology has evolved into absolute perfection. There is a cold air
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The factory underneath air dam design forced me to find a way to get more air into the front of the car and get into my custom air boxes. This was actually an extremely painful moment for me as I drilled into a once perfect front bumper.
This is what lives behind that front bumper. It is an actual steel bumper. If I wasn’t going to still drive this on the street, the easy thing would have been to simply remove it and save the weight while allowing more air. So I carefully drilled holes in places that would allow air to pass through and not be stopped by what lived behind it. It was also a great time to weld in a towing/winch bung so I could thread in my custom winch hook when getting it in and out of the trailer.
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There was no turning back after this. I took a brand new highly polished dual plenum and used a drill, an air saw, a grinder, and even pressed four nutserts into it. Some say, “measure twice cut once,” I am more like measure fifteen times, cut once.
Here I am in the process of making the first test panel. That tape measure helped me build that car and my house, but it was time to break out the digital calipers and make things precise. On a side note, after nearly 20 years of hard work helping me with all of my projects, that tape measure died on me the other day. For those that have tool problems like me, it was an extremely sad moment.
system available for most every performance car and truck on the market. This is where my story begins and my quest to maximize a naturally aspirated high-horsepower engine was born. Our race car (Big Red) has become a test platform for maximizing cold air into its 572 cubic inch lungs. With the help of the fine people at Design Engineering, I was sold on the idea of being able to lower ambient temperatures as much as 50 degrees with the assistance of CO2. I was also sold on reducing under hood temperatures as much as possible and underwent extensive research on ways to reduce engine coolant temperature, fuel temperature, header temperature and engine bay air flow, as I have written about in previous articles. I needed a way to incorporate the CryO2 system into some sort of a cold-air intake system. I contacted several companies before forming my opinion that Spectre Performance and KN Filters are by far the leaders in that industry. Spectre put me in touch with their custom intake design specialist, Guy Smith. After listening to my design wish list, Guy requested that I send him all of the data on the Cryo2 bulbs I would be implementing into the system. He also needed all of the “top secret” specs on my engine so he could formulate how much air she needs to not only survive, but thrive. Guy was able to design a system for me that incorporated one of their custom dual plenum top hats, massive induction tubes and high flow filters. The only problem, and obstacle, was I had to find a way to make it all fit and work. Shoving or as they say “shoe horning” a 572 cubic inch big block into a 4th gen Camaro engine bay left no room to make home for this design. VFN Fiberglass makes a beautiful 6 inch cowl hood for the Camaro, but even with the added 6 inches the system would not fit. I decided to move past that obstacle and design the rest of the system to fit within the engine bay, and worry about the hood at a later time. I made my own custom air boxes on each side of the radiator to make home for the filters. The next problem was that the 4th gen Camaro used a lower air dam design to force air from under the car into the engine bay. I needed a way to get air from the front of the car into the induction system. I made a grid on the front nose and the steel bumper that lives behind it, and drilled a series of holes that would allow fresh air to enter my custom air boxes. After a lot of work, Guy’s custom dual plenum design and my obsessive compulsive engineering, all came together and worked inside of my engine bay. www.rpmmag.com
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After a few failed attempts, I finally figured out a way to cut all three layers of the filter evenly and join them together by melting the edges. Super glue failed, silicone failed and took way too long to cure. I rigged up a small propane torch and eventually came up with a way to make a perfect seam along the edges. Note in this picture that the plenum had the pilot holes in it. I was about to get the courage to take my air saw and cut a giant rectangle into it. The only problem was that even with the 6” custom cowl, there was no way that hood was even coming close to closing. In fact it was over 8 ½” from the front fender. I wrote an entire article on how we were able to modify the hood and allow it to close over the top hat and have those induction tubes protrude from each side of the cowl. The rest is history and it proved #OSWORTH $&6 6 3CALE 7ORKING %NGINE ,IMITED 0RODUCTION
WATCH IT RUN...CLICK HERE NOW! 7!4#( )4 25. #,)#+ (%2% ./7
GLENN BOULANDMOTORSUSA COM WWW BOULANDMOTORSUSA COM
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to be a “super cool” (pun intended) way to maximize my goal of making as much naturally aspirated horsepower as possible. You can visit www.rpmmag.com and read every detail in previous Shop Talk articles by simply typing Shop Talk into the website search engine. After a season of testing, I found
that my engine was capable of making even more horsepower than we originally tuned and dyno’d for. The only problem was that when I added more jet size my air/fuel mixture was off. There was no way to increase the size of the plenum or the induction tubes, so I needed to get clever and figure out a way to get cooler filtered air into the carb. I ran my idea and
This is the view from inside the car. When the hood is closed you can still see the panel and red filter from the opening of the cowl.
All of the precautions I took to not only not scratch this highly polished piece of jewelry, but not completely ruin it as well, all paid off. I was extremely pleased with how this project turned out and could not have done it without the help from Guy Smith at Spectre Performance. Despite us being on completely opposite sides of the country, we were able to make it work through email and phone conversations. needs past Guy from Spectre, and he advised me that I needed to introduce another 600 cfm of air to even out the jet size I wanted to use. I figured out exactly how to modify the top hat to get 600 more cfm. The only problem was that I had to fabricate this idea and make it work once again. I did not want to limit myself by just designing this for a 600 cfm increase. If I was going to cut into my car again it was going to be friendly for any future upgrades and air needs. I strategically cut the top/back of the plenum and made a rectangular hole in it the entire length of the top hat.
This would allow way more than 600 cfm of air into the carb, but was not filtered or tuned to the specs I needed. I designed a series of removable plates that would allow me to custom drill each one to allow the increased air I was seeking. I even made a blank panel to seal off the opening just in case I ever needed to go back to my original tune, like during the 30-mile mandated cruise before a True Street event. I used nutserts as anchor points to attach my pre-tuned panel idea, and began the painstaking job of making each individual panel, drilling them for each tune, polish-
ing them, and fitting them perfectly to the plenum. K&N sent me a really large high flow, flat air box filter for me to figure out how to make my own filter for this modification. I figured out how to cut and join all three layers of that filter and make it fit with my new custom panels. At the end of this journey, I was able to keep a perfect air/fuel ratio with my increased jet size which resulted in an increase in my 60 foot time and overall E.T. more than I hoped for. Friends, it’s no secret that more air makes more power. There are things like superchargers and turbochargers that make huge gains in power, but come at a price tag and require a different combination to maximize their benefits. I guess I am just the stubborn guy that wanted to do it the hard way. Until Next Time – Keep Wrenching,
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Fire In The Hole!
Story & Photos:
Tim Biro
Follow along as we finish up the Pace Car MSD Power Grid system install and run through the basics of firing up a fresh build. With Christmas and New Years behind us, it’s really just a few months before we will be racing again, and Project Pace Car Race Car has been moving along well. In the December issue of RPM, we introduced the parts we’d be using to wire the car, and over the past month or so we got down to business with the job. In this issue, we will discuss the ignition installation process and then outline the steps taken to fire the fresh engine up from a DIY standpoint. Most readers will be well versed on this, but for newcomers it’s as good a time as any to go over the basics as we all have to start somewhere. After getting our budget engine build between the frame rails of the 98
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Pace Car and installing all the supporting systems, we needed to wire the car’s electrical system. The easy way to do this is to separate each system that you will require. 1. Starting system, which consists of the ignition-on and crank. 2. The cooling system, which in our case, consisted of a water pump and cooling for engine and transmission. 3. The fuel system, which included two fuel pumps. 4. Transbrake. 5. Nitrous oxide activation. 6. Ignition System - MSD Grid, supported by an MSD crank trigger and a golf tee (locked out) distributor.
Each system draws a certain amount of power, so you need to match wire gauge size to each system’s requirements or draw. The use of breakers, fuses and relays will all make your decisions easier. We generally plan, then plot the electrical system on paper, gather all the required parts and then get to it. Remember, a race car sees a lot of vibration so every connection needs to be tight and solid. When using solder, make sure you use heat shrink, and always cover your positive connections with non-conductive shields. There are many wiring diagrams available from the parts manufacturers, so take advantage of them as they know their product requirements best.
1 This was the PCRC interior before the MSD Power Grid install. As our ignition board was already laid out for another older version of MSD and fuel injection parts, we had to really think outside the box to physically install all of the new components. Making the ARC and dual wide band tuning modules fit on our board ensures easy tuning and maintenance and keeps everything neat and tidy in one location. Using MSD ignition for so many years, it was honestly a no brainer that our ignition would be nothing but MSD. We chose their Power Grid system after researching the product and simply asking others who use in it in similar applications about their experiences with it. For us it was definitely the right choice. First, the total cost of our investment is affordable for most, even entry level racers. It also makes sense as it is a modular system, meaning it is expandable
by simply adding modules based on our future needs. I can hardly wait to use the ARC Module which should be the ticket for traction control with our small tire application, especially on some of the non-prepped surfaces we may visit. That brings a story to mind. It was mid-October back in 2003 while sitting in the lanes in my small tire, small block, nitrous drag car that ran high 8s at the time. I was three cars away from my elimination run and there it www.rpmmag.com
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2 Once the old equipment was removed it’s a matter of pulling and collecting all the wires, making sure everything is sized correctly and rerouting as necessary. It’s a bit more complicated when you are working with an ex-street car that has so much original wiring left in it.
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MSD Power Grid Ignition System
3 The AGM battery was mounted in the appropriate case with spec hardware in the passenger area of the interior. was, snow falling on my windshield. EEEK! Thoughts of doom started going through my head, man I wish I had an ARC system back then! With the Power Grid, if you are accustomed to using an ignition “box”, get ready to enter a whole new world as it is so much more than “just” an ignition system. The data logging capabilities and expandability of the system are fantastic. Our setup is pretty basic, but we also added a
wideband 02 system module to monitor and tune our air / fuel ratios. We ran through each part with a description in our last article and also discussed how we simply added modules to our Power Grid 77203 System Controller box to meet our needs and budget. Next, we’ll recap each module that we added, factor in any associated equipment and provide a basic costing breakdown, as well.
Total Retail Cost from leading parts suppliers should be approximately $2854.15 plus distributor. Part #7720 The Ignition ...................... $540.95 Part #7730 The Power Grid Controller $486.95 Part #7555 The Inductive Spark Plug Wire Pickup ................................. $117.95 Part #7761 ARC Module ...................... $661.95 Part #7766 Dual Wideband O2 Module .............................................. $559.95 Part #7740 CAN-bus hub .......................$89.45 Part #8640 Flying Magnet Crank Trigger .............................................. $396.95 Golf tee distributor (locked out)-swap meet ....$20-$50 In our case we had a used brand x Billet distributor ...................$50.00 We might be a little high on our estimated cost, but we wanted to work from published retail. In the end, for an ignition system with this much flexibility and control, we are quite happy with the investment of under $3000. We should never need to upgrade, but at the same time have the
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Finding places to run wires before you start is wise. In the PCRC, the back seat area had been modified and covered with tin work, an excellent place to run wires out of sight, but because it was permanently fastened in place, the wires had to be carefully fished through. Having a decent wire fish tape in your toolbox is always a good idea.
5 A wideband 02 using a weather tight connection was installed under the floor of the Pace Car. Be mindful of wiring harness placement due to the extreme heat of the exhaust. The pre-made harness from MSD made it easy to install the dual wide band system.
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6 The MSD HVCII coil was kept from the previous system and re-mounted on the left inner fender panel. Be sure to use proper wire protective coverings when going through steel or in areas where heat is a concern.
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7 Making progress. The main components are installed, just need to route and clean up the wiring. The planning process is very important to wiring all components, as some may need to be wired to common connections. Components can share grounds and some, depending on draw, can share 12 V power supplies.
8 A nice clean finished product. It was tight but we made it all fit onto the existing board. Be sure to label everything and it doesn’t hurt to keep a map or schematic of your wiring in the car. Now we’ll move back under the hood to finish up there and soon be able fire this budget beast up.
When you see oil pressure, it is wise to rotate the engine by hand a couple of times to make sure the oil gets everywhere it should.
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ability to add to the system’s capabiliFirst, be sure that the oil pump ties through simply adding modules. drive shaft is installed and centered. After wiring was completed and I am sure you are wondering why I tested, we pulled the rocker covers called the distributor a golf tee earlier. and set the valves for the first fire up. Well, it’s because in this application, After the valves were set, we dropped it is dead. Our crank trigger tells the some oil in the engine and hand ignition when we need spark. There primed it with a tool and drill. Be is no ignition in our distributor. It is mindful of the direction your pump there to do one thing - distribute the turns to pressurize the system. When spark. Establish which post on your you see oil pressure, it is wise to rotate distributor cap is going to be number the engine by hand a couple of times one and mark it. At that post, drill a to make sure the oil gets everywhere ½ -¾ inch hole through the top of it should. With the priming tool re- a spare distributor cap, close to the moved, it is now time to drop in the number one post, inline with the cap distributor. Photo by Neil Zimbaldi coil connection post. The hole is to
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Moving back to the engine bay, with a few more wires to go we are almost ready to start the engine.
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10 This photo shows the fuel system of PCRC. We chose to mount the fuel system in the front of the car. The Pace Car is definitely all business up front and party in the back!
see the rotor spin under the cap while running. I like to place a white mark on the rotor and a white mark across the hole, the same way you would mark a timing mark on your crank damper/harmonic balancer. Rotate your engine to around 20 degrees before TDC (top dead center) on the compression stroke. The crank trigger pickup should be near a magnet, if not, adjust the crank trigger pickup. Be sure your trigger air gap is within specification. Drop the distributor in and align the rotor to the number 106
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one post as you slide the distributor home, and be sure to engage the oil pump shaft. Your ignition timing is now roughed in. Next, we’ll move on to the fuel system. Be sure that you fill your tank with the correct fuel and it is essential to purge the system of any debris before the final installation onto your fuel log. Check for leaks. Now, to the coolant system - fill and test for leaks. At this point, if you haven’t already done so, ensure that your battery has a full charge.
Turn on your electric water pump to purge the system of any air. If you are running a mechanical pump, keep the cap off for air to escape from the coolant system until you see a little heat in the engine. Top it up and cap it while running. Keep extra water nearby. Now double check your battery charge, hook up a timing light and you are ready to go! With the fuel system primed, using quite a few shots of fuel, turn on the ignition and the engine should fire with the roll of the starter. After start
11 Marked by the yellow pointer is the hole in the top of the golf tee distributor cap. Rotor phasing is a must to keep your spark contained to the correct distributor post in the cap.
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A close up of the nitrous oxide system wiring - It’s hard to see, but behind the fuel log is a cool nitrous micro switch mount. With the new FST carburetor installed, we found ourselves having to find a suitable micro switch mount location. The best option was to machine a bracket which securely mounted to the nitrous plate, thus ensuring we will be capable of inhaling massive amounts of juice at wide open throttle!
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13 Wired, plumbed and ready to rock! Join us next time as we visit the dyno with Project PCRC and see how much HP we can squeak out of our budget built small block Ford.
up, verify timing and fine tune the timing with your crank trigger position using your timing light, adjust the trigger if required. Next, while the engine is running, ignite your tim-
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ing light through the hole in the distributor and align the rotor with the number one post by rotating the distributor. This is called phasing your distributor. Keep in mind, if you ad-
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vance or retard your timing from this point, you must re-phase your distributor. Phasing is a must to contain that spark and not let it scatter around the cap. Since we are running a solid roller camshaft, camshaft break-in procedures do not apply. If you are not using a solid roller, refer to your cam manufacturer for break-in specs. Next, tune your fuel and throttle blade opening for a consistent idle, and hit a couple thousand rpm. If everything goes well, no leaks (coolant, vacuum, fuel) and temperature is in the motor, shut her down. Next pull the rocker covers and set your valvetrain
again. Start it up and drive the car to seat the rings, if you haven’t already done so on the dyno. Get it up to temp and gradually run it down the road with varying rpm, allowing the rpm to pull the vehicle down in speed. After a couple miles, you should be ready for the dyno. RPM
Stay tuned, next time we meet we’ll have the Pace Car Race Car on the dyno at Misener Motorsports! In the meantime, have a great time enjoying your family and building the cars you love.
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