RPM Magazine August 2021 Car features, Tech articles, Project builds, Products

smackdown-full

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august 2021 | RPM Magazine

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

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: MARK goDragRacing.org, GEORGE PICH, MATT WOODS, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, STEVEN TAYLOR, DAVID GATES, and ANDREW RADIOTIS Editorial Contributions: CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, and SCOTT FORBES Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TIM BIRO and JAY MISENER

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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, muscle cars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

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Chris Biro

editor’spix

Videos that are too hot to keep hidden

Watch Ed Brown’s 2016 Ford Super Cobra Jet Mustang

AED Competition ................. 36

Manton Pushrods ................ 96

AFR:

Mark Williams ..................... 96

Air Flow Research ......5,60,61

Maxima Racing Oils ................ 2

AJE Racing........................... 99

Metal Products .................... 69

All Out Live.......................... 22

Meziere Enterprises ............. 83

American Racing Headers ... 60

Misener Motorsports ........... 48

Aurora Bearing .................... 91

Moroso Performance ........... 65

AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ......... 50

Moser Engineering ........38,66

Baer Brakes ...................32,85

Neal Chance Converters....... 68

BES Racing Engines ............. 12

Northern Radiator ............ 104

Billet Specialties .................. 69

Parts Pro/Total

Bill Mitchell Products ....12,77 BoulandMotorsUSA.com ..... 87 Bullseye Turbo ..................... 35 Burns Stainless .................... 18 C & S Specialties .................. 17 Callies Performance Prod..... 25 Calvert Racing Suspensions . 49 Canton Racing Products ...... 27

Watch Matt Glassford’s Nitrous 1972 Nova at Canada Heads Up

Clearshot Customs............... 86 DART ................................... 72 Deez Performance ............... 36 Delta Performance Auto Grp.21 Design Engineering ............. 40 ECAM .................................. 78

Watch Ed Thornton kicking butt at 3.83 @ 193.96 MPH!

“And They Walked Away” .....As the new Red Bull Corvette nears completion, Watch Shannon “Big Dookie” Poole’s Crash Video

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PBM Products...................... 70 Piston Racing Engines ......... 37 Profiler ................................ 67 PRW-USA ............................ 37 Race Part Solutions .......21,77 Racetronix ........................ 105 Rage Wraps ......................... 66 RAM Clutches ...................... 42 RCD ..................................... 69 RM Racing Lubricants ....32,75 Ross Racing Pistons ......... 7,31 RPM Magazine

Energy Suspension/NPW ..... 73

..................... 19,36,60,109

Erson Cams.......................... 31

RPM ZONE ........................... 24

GoDragRacing.org ............... 37

RPM Magazine

Granatelli Motorsports ........ 53

Subscribe! ..................19,107

GRP Connecting Rods .......... 48

SM Racecars ........................ 99

Harland Sharp ..................... 36

Summit Racing

Hitman Hotrods................... 61

Equip. ..................10,99,113

Hughes Performance.............. 7

Taylor Cable Products ....... 104

Ian Hill Racing

T & D Machine ..................... 75

Productions ...................11,95

The Supercharger Store ....... 75

Icon Forged Pistons ............. 87

Thermo-Tec ......................... 16

Induction Solutions ............. 23

Ti64 ..................................... 65

Jesel .................................... 41

Tom’s Upholstery ................. 40

Joe Van O............................. 61

Total Seal Rings ................ 111

JW Racing Transmissions ........ 5

Trailer Alarms.com .............. 87

Karbelt ................................ 25

Trick Flow ......................15,86

Kinsler Fuel Injection.....13,67

Tuned By Shane T ................ 71

LenTech Automatics ......47,74

Ultimate Headers ................ 25

Liberty’s Gears..................... 74

VFN Fiberglass Inc. .............. 18

Lokar Performance .............. 70

Vortech ............................... 18

Lutz Race Cars ..................... 16

Submit your video for the Editor’s Pix: videos@rpmmag.com

Truck Centers ....................... 63

Magnaflow.......................... 86 MagnaFuel .......................... 16

Weinle Motorsports ............ 17 World Domination – RPM ... 11 World Products.................... 41

ENFORCER-HALF

JW-PERFORMANCE

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August

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!

Fury .........................................................................58 From the street to the salt flats this off the wall 1960 Plymouth is a force to reckon with!

No Boost Nova .................................................................

8 Matt Glassford’s Nova gets it done on juice!

American Super Car...................................

44 Ed Brown’s 2016 Cobra Jet is a thing of beauty!

Meant to be ................................................................ 28

Ramblin’ Man.................................................80 This wicked Pro Street Rambler was built with unbelievable love and determination.

This killer nitroused Camaro was bought, built, sold and then found its way back to the Doldo family garage!

You’ve Been Dusted

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Oil Is The Gasket

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This big-tire big-inch nitrous Duster rocks 6-second ETs!

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august 2021 | RPM Magazine

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M

att Glassford started racing back in 1991 at the “I just-got-my-license” age of 16, testing and tuning his 1978 Firebird street car. He would continue to hit the local T&T scene and grudge race his buddies whenever he could, that is until the Nova came along and he, along with his mom and dad, decided to build a dedicated race car. But Matt himself would not find the powers of nitrous oxide until a bit later in his racing days The Glassford Nova was originally built by Matt and his dad Bob as an 8.50 certified chassis in 2002.

They campaigned the car in the OSCA (Ontario Street Car Association) 9.90 index class in 2004 and then moved into the heads-up gig by swapping up to OSCA’s naturally aspirated Pro Stock class, where they raced from 2006 until 2009. With the car eventually reaching its ET limits for the chassis, and the Glassford’s wanting more, Chris Fernandes was charged with the job of a complete body-off 25.2 chassis job prior to the 2010 season, and the results were over the top.

Armed with their new chassis, the Glassford’s would now enter the world of power adders on a serious level with nitrous oxide as their weapon of choice, and since 2012 they have been running in power adder/small tire classes, mainly the EZ Street class. Sure, these days it seems like the masses are turning to boost, but remember, the advances of

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august 2021 | RPM Magazine

■ The 1972 Nova is an original steel body tub and quarters. In the spirit of weight loss, fiberglass fenders, doors, trunk lid and hood have been installed.

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nitrous oxide in racing played a big part in the development of boosted technology, too. Racers were tired of getting beat by nitrous so the R&D that went into boosted technology received a huge “boost”. And its guys like Steve Johnson from Induction Solutions, the nitrous provider of choice for the Nova, that work hard to make sure nitrous cars are still winning races.

Matt now had the pieces of the puzzle coming together – cool car, killer chassis and power adder chosen – now he needed a motor and trans that would be competitive and dependable. To run at the top, it’s wise to draw your knowledge and parts

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august 2021 | RPM Magazine

■ Tony Bischoff and his BES crew put together a solid big block Chevy mill using top quality parts. The roomy 582-incher boasts a Dart Big M block with Callies crank, GRP aluminum rods and Ross nitrous pistons.

BES chose the custom grind nitrous cam, massaged the Headhunter heads and added goodies from PSI, Jesel and Trend. Nitrous comes in courtesy an Induction Solutions direct port single stage system.

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■ The Chris Fernandes-built chromoly cage snakes its way through the interior among a single race seat, Precision Performance Products shifter, some analogue gauges and, of course, the nitrous bottle.

The stock dash was kept in place.

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TRICKFLOW

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■ A custom 4-link/coilover rear suspension hangs a braced factory 9-inch housing filled with a Strange Ultra center section and Bear’s 40 spline gun-drilled axles. The single-run fuel cell, battery and fuel filters are at home in the well detailed spacious trunk area.

from the top names in the industry, so to complement that new 25.2 chassis, Matt and Bob chose Tony Bischoff ’s BES Racing Engines to create a killer nitrous-friendly big block Chevy.

The roomy 582 cubic inch Rat started with a Bischoff

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prepared Dart Big M block.

A Callies Magnum crankshaft rotates GRP aluminum rods that ride on Clevite bearings and are pinned to Ross custom nitrous pistons sealed with Total Seal rings. A BES 55mm custom nitrous Camshaft coupled with Isky lift-

■ Matt’s dad and Crew Chief Bob Glassford wrenches on the Nova between rounds. Bob is a well-seasoned car guy and freshened the motor top to bottom last winter to prepare it for 2021. And they won their first event!

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ers actuates the valvetrain and BES Brodix Headhunter conventional style cylinder heads are equipped with titanium valves, PSI springs, Jesel rocker arms and Trend pushrods. A Moroso fabricated aluminum oil pan caps the bottom end while a BESported Edelbrock Super Victor intake is topped by an APD custom Dominator style nitrous carb. Bob (Glassford) freshened the engine through this past winter to get it ready for this season.

Extra go is added into the equation via an Induction Solutions flowed single stage direct port nitrous system with all lines and fittings also from Induction Solutions.

A Nitrous Outlet quarter turn valve & digital nitrous pressure gauge along with ARC bottle bracket and heater compliment the system.

Hutch’s Transmission Service built a custom TH400 with Neal Chance bolt-together converter to back up the nitroused mill

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■ The Nova gets up and out off the line just as a nitrous car should. Glassford has been racing it for 18 years, starting out in Index classes and then moving to heads-up racing with nitrous in 2012.

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and electronics consist of an MSD Grid with ARC, a Racepak Sportsman datalogger (from Ian Rae at HeadsUpRacer. com) and an NLR NMS1000 Progressive Nitrous Controller to control the squirt.

The car rides on a Chris Fernandes custom 4-Link rear suspension with coilovers that suspends a braced 9-inch Ford housing with Strange aluminum Ultra center section and 40-spline gundrilled axles by Bear’s Performance. The Nova maintains a stock firewall and front chassis along with the stock style front A-arm suspension that was tricked out with TRZ tubular control arms and travel limiters, QA1 shocks and TRZ rack & pinion steering.

Body wise, the Nova retains its OEM assembly line body tub with mods in the form of Glasstek fiberglass fenders, bumpers, cowl, doors and trunk lid, a Harwood hood and Pro Stock style scoop.

The doors and trunk, along Proglass rear and side polycarbonate windows, were installed by Webber Chassis and paint and bodywork was completed by Michener Autobody in Chatham, Ontario.

Chassis and tin work visible inside the Nova is finished in silver to match

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■ Matt with his wife Laurie.

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Matt Glassford’s Nitroused Big Block 1972 Chevrolet Nova

Chassis Type & Mods:

Electronics:

Suspension:

Transmission & Converter:

SFI 25.2 4-link back-half chromoly chassis built by Chris Fernandes, Certified to 6.0 at 3200 lbs. Stock frame firewall forward.

Stock style front A-Arm suspension with TRZ tubular control arms and travel limiters, TRZ rack & pinion and QA1 front shocks. Custom 4-Link rear suspension by Chris Fernandes with Mark Menscer shocks.

Body & Paint:

Glasstek fiberglass fenders, bumpers, cowl, doors, trunk lid, Harwood hood, Bickel Pro Stock scoop. Proglass rear and side windows. Custom door, trunk & window installation

by Webber Chassis. Paint and bodywork by Michener Autobody in Chatham, Ontario.

Engine:

BES (Bischoff Racing Engines) 582 cubic inch big block Chevy. Dart Big M block, Callies Magnum crankshaft, GRP aluminum rods, Ross custom nitrous pistons with Total Seal rings. Clevite bearings. BES 55mm custom nitrous camshaft. Comp Cams belt drive, ATI balancer, CVR billet oil pump, MSD distributor, ARP bolts and studs throughout.

Cometic head and intake gaskets, Moroso vacuum pump, Moroso fabricated aluminum oil pan.

Cylinder Heads:

BES Brodix Headhunter conventional style cylinder heads w/ titanium valves, PSI valve springs, Jesel rocker arms, Trend pushrods, Isky Lifters.

Induction:

BES ported Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold, APD Custom Dominator style nitrous carb.

Power Adder:

Induction Solutions flowed single stage direct port nitrous system. Nitrous Outlet quarter turn valve & digital nitrous pressure gauge, ARC bottle bracket and heater. All lines and fittings from Induction Solutions.

MSD Grid Ignition system with ARC system. Racepak Sportsman datalogger (from Ian Rae at HeadsUpRacer. com). NLR NMS1000 Progressive Nitrous Controller.

Custom TH400 2-speed by Hutch’s Transmission Service.

Neal Chance bolt together torque converter by Hutch’s Transmission Service.

Rear Differential:

Modified/braced Ford 9” rear housing with Strange aluminum Ultra Case center section, 40-spline gundrilled axles by Bear’s Performance.

Other Important Vehicle Information:

17” RC Components Exile-S Front wheels from Misener Motorsports with Mickey Thompson 17” front runners. 15x14 Weld V-Series double beadlock rear wheels with Mickey Thompson 28x10.5 slicks.

Best ET & MPH: 4.74 @ 152.5 mph in the 1/8th.

How Many Years Racing:

28 years total with 18 years competitively.

Division/Class Run:

OSCA 9.90 Index (2004-2005), OSCA All Motor Heads-up “Pro Stock” class (2006-2011), currently in the power adder, small tire class named EZ Street (2012 to current).

Team:

The car is raced, maintained and tuned by Matt and his team. Crew Chief Bob Glassford (father), Laurie Glassford (wife), Chris Fernandes, Enzo Pecchini, Domenic Perriccioli and Paul Gomes. Missing from this list of crew, however, is Monica Glassford, Matt’s mom. “Mom unfortunately passed away this past March, so this season is definitely dedicated to her, and since we won the first event of the season last weekend, we are off to a good start honoring her memory,” said Glassford somberly.

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■ Enjoying the 2020 victories. Matt took the Nova to the EZ Street Championship in one series and overall runner-up in another last season.

■ [Left to right] Laurie Glassford, Matt Glassford, Paul Gomes, Paul Melo, Domenic Perriccioli.

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the exterior. A single race seat and quick release steering wheel are used and Matt’s passenger is the good ol’ bright blue NOS bottle that made the brand famous. A trio of gauges are bar mounted in front of the original dash pad that was kept in place complete with all the now non-functioning original controls.

The combination is good for 4.74

at 152.5 mph in the 1/8th on the 28x10.5 slicks, and Glassford has more than a fistful of race wins to back it up. On top of his most recent class win in EZ Street a few weeks back at Ian Hill Racing Production’s first CHU event of the year, Matt also took the 2020 EZ Street Championship at Toronto Motorsports Park and placed second in the 2020

EZ Street Championship that was part of Ian Hill’s series last year.

One thing’s for sure, in a sea of boosted mills and similar body styles it’s always refreshing to see a good old school muscle car on nitrous taking home the win. And if Glassford’s start to 2021 is any indication of how the rest of the year will go, those wins will just keep on comin’!

RPM

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Y

ou might say it was destiny for Frankie Doldo to be around fast cars, after all, he grew up helping his dad modify most anything they had in the garage. “I have been surrounded by muscle cars my entire life due to my father’s passion for the sport,” Frankie explained.

“From modified street cars, to competitive drag racing, I have been involved for many years. I was always the ‘crew guy’ helping, fixing and running around to get the car ready for the next round, until it was my turn to be in the driver’s seat for the past 5 1/2 years.”

A licensed mechanic and truck driver, Doldo also chose to pursue a career working with cars, engines and all things mechanical.

In the early 1990s, Frankie’s father Pat purchased an original 1984 Chevrolet Camaro 30

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I have been surrounded by muscle cars my entire life due to my father’s passion for the sport...

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Since returning to the Doldo family and undergoing a substantial overhaul, the Camaro has taken on a whole new look with the custom VFN lift-off front end with Sunoco style scoop.

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With hard wheels-up launches, version 2.0 of the car has become a winning combination.

Frankie won the 2019 EZ championship and along the way took every race and event win, too!

Z28 and soon after transformed it from street machine to race car. To fuel his own fascination and passion for power, Frankie immediately joined in, helping with any work on the car and working as part of his dad’s crew

on race day, but he had always dreamed of being in the driver’s seat someday.

Unfortunately, his dad would sell the car, seemingly dashing that dream of piloting the Camaro.

As often happens in the close knit race

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The engine is based on a DRCE 2 block with ProFiler heads. The unique 3-piece intake and inline 4-hole throttle body are more than just pretty conversation pieces.

Bosch injectors are tapped into the lower intake as are the nitrous oxide nozzles just below them. The combination is good for mid 7 second ETs in the ¼ and 4.79 in the 1/8th.

Look close and you’ll see how the factory firewall, front frame rails, wheelwells and strut towers were incorporated into the chassis work.

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The interior takes you back to the early days fast street car drags with factory floors, dash and door panels. The Camaro goes one step further with the factory tilt column and steering wheel!

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community, a few years passed and the opportunity came up to buy the car back, and the Doldo’s jumped at the chance!

The Camaro needed work, but being a mechanic and having all those years of hands-on experience with fast cars and horsepower, it came naturally to Frankie to be working on the Camaro again. “As all racers know, there is a lot of work, dedication and money in-

volved in restoring and building a car. Being my father’s car, it holds sentimental value to my entire family, but we were all curious to see the potential it had and went right to work.”

That dream of piloting the Camaro down the dragstrip was now well within reach, and over the course of a Canadian winter (from November until April), the Doldo family, with help from friends and quality

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industry contacts, rebuilt the Camaro into a solid small tire, 7-second 1/4-mile weapon.

The 3rd Gen’s body tub itself, meaning the roof, rear quarter panels, rockers and firewall remain factory OEM steel. The doors still have roll-up windows with factory glass and the factory rear hatch remains, as well. A VFN composite liftoff front-end was added with Sunoco style scoop and a custom fabricated rear wing sits out back. 7/27 Autobody is credited for laying down the slick metallic deep blue paint job.

To remain class legal back in the day (not to mention add cool factor to the build),

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Moser Pro Extreme 40 Spline Axles The Newest tech using floater flange alloy axle flange design for maximum power in a press on bearing design.

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Frankie Doldo with the Camaro he was destined to drive!

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Power comes from a 500-inch big block based around a DRCE 2 iron block.

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The Doldo Family’s Nitroused Small Tire 1984 Chevy Camaro Z28

Body & Paint:

Body and paint was done by 7/27 auto body. Front nose is aftermarket fiberglass from VFN and the rear wing is custom built. Body panels including the roof, rear 1/4 panels, rockers, doors and rear hatch are OEM steel.

Chassis Type & Mods:

Full tube chassis fitted with factory front frame rails and k-member, stock floor, firewall, inner fenders and upper strut mounts.

Suspension:

Front suspension is aftermarket custom lower control arms and Racecraft upper strut mounts with Strange single adjustable struts.

Rear suspension is custom 4-link with Santhuff coilover shocks.

Engine:

500 cubic inch DRCE 2 iron block with ProFiler heads and Jesel valvetrain. Bryant crank, Diamond pistons and MGP connecting rods custom billet intake

Induction & Fuel:

Custom billet 3-piece intake, O-ring sealed all around, Bosch fuel injectors, Switzer throttle body.

Power Adder:

Direct port nitrous oxide single stage dry system using Speedtech nitrous solenoids.

Electronics:

MSD ignition, Big Stuff 3. Wired by Speedwire Systems and has a Braille battery. Racepak datalogger and IQ3 dash.

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Transmission & Converter:

2 speed Powerglide from Cameron’s Torque Converter Services.

Rear Differential:

Braced 9-inch housing with aluminum center section and Strange axles.

Brakes:

The rear brakes are Strange 4 piston calipers with drilled rotors and front single piston with slotted rotors.

Tires & wheels:

Weld magnum wheels all around. Fronts are spindle mount with 25.5x4 tire. The rears are 15x14 double beadlocks with Mickey Thompson 29.5x10.5W ET Drag tires.

Best ET & MPH:

4:79 at 150 in the 1/8 mile and 7.49 at 193mph in the quarter mile all at 2,950 pounds on the 29x10.5W tire.

Thanks To:

I would personally like to thank my father for everything, for exposing me to racing at a young age where I gained a great deal of interest from the start. I would also like to thank my family for their ongoing support.

I would like thank Rob Zarcone for tuning my car, Tony Starkey for lining me up and helping me in the pits, and L.E Chassis for helping get the car down the track, pin straight every pass.

I would also like to thank the following:

7/27 Autobody for the body and paint, Speedwire Systems for the wiring, Sandro Barberio for the engine, Cameron’s Torque Converters for the trans, Driveteck for the driveshaft, and Zex Racing for the rear gears.

the full tube chassis that was fabricated for the Camaro was worked in with the factory front frame rails and k-member along with the stock floor, firewall, inner fenders and upper strut mounts. From there, aftermarket lower control arms were used with Racecraft upper strut mounts and Strange single adjustable struts. Out back, a 9-inch rearend hangs from a custom 4-link coilover setup.

The interior is like stepping back in time with the factory floor, dash and door panels intact along with the factory tilt steering column and steering wheel. The race portion of the build includes a pair of Sparco race seats – the passenger side holding the nitrous bottle and the driver’s equipped with Impact belts and surrounded by extensive cage work. Doldo is fed all pertinent information via the dash

From left to right: Chris, Sandro Barberio, Pat Doldo, Frankie Doldo, Tony Starkey and Rob Zarcone. mounted Racepak IQ3 digital dash panel and shifts gears using a Hurst billet pistol grip shifter.

Power comes from a 500-inch big block based around a DRCE 2 iron block. A Bryant crank, MGP connecting rods and Diamond pistons rotate inside the block, while a pair of ProFiler heads with Jesel rockers were studded in place and a custom fabricated 3-piece o-ringed intake is topped by a unique billet 4-hole inline throttle body. A Big Stuff 3 controls the EFI system and a 2-speed Powerglide from Cameron’s Torque Converter Services backs up the

juiced big block.

The combination is tuned by Rob Zarcone, while engine servicing duties are in the hands of Sandro Barberio. On the 29x10.5W tire at a fairly hefty 2,950 pounds, the Camaro has run a best of 4.79 at 150mph in the 1/8th and 7.49 at 193 in the long haul. Nowadays, though, Doldo competes in mostly 1/8th-mile classes including EZ Street. In fact, he took the 2019 Canada Heads Up EZ Street Championship, winning every event and round of competition that year to top it off!

Some people believe that if you set something free and it returns, it was meant to be yours. So if you believe in fate, then from the very first time Frankie Doldo set eyes on his dad’s new 1984 Z28, he was meant to end up in the driver’s seat of it!

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hen we first met Ed Brown in summer of 2016, he had just taken delivery a few months earlier of his wild factory drag car; a 2016 Ford Super Cobra Jet Mustang. We saw him pull in to the Ohio track, unload, stage the car and bang off a seemingly effortless high 8-second quarter mile hit...with our jaws dropped, we were impressed to say the least! A lot has happened since then.

Fast forward to 2020, and by March the pandemic slowed most of the economy (unless you sold PPE or built houses) and closed

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race venues and most anything to do with the race and performance car culture, but we still had our eye on featuring Ed’s Mustang.

Always a car enthusiast and a race fan, Brown became serious in 2002 after attending a drag race that his two brothers were competing in, and soon after purchased a new 2003 Mach 1. He bolted on some race tires and joined in with his brothers. “They both cautioned me on buying a new car and possibly upgrading because of the cost and the technology involved,” said Brown. Both brothers were carb

guys so neither could help Ed with tuning, and he learned through trial and error. “After blowing up two motors trying to run nitrous, adding a single then twin turbos and using countless performance shops mostly out of state; not to mention thousands of dollars, I finally had enough. I guess you could say my wife really had enough, but she never said stop and always was and is extremely supportive.” Supportive indeed, as it was Ed’s wife who suggested he look into factory prepped race cars, specifically, the Cobra Jet Mustang he had been

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talking about.

After Ed opted out of the corporate world and decided not to pursue his passion in music as a pro drummer, the pair would eventually come to own a string of Spas as well as beauty schools.

Their now sizeable business interest required a lot of their time and attention, so getting a factory prepped race car meant that Ed could spend less time wrenching and fixing, and more time enjoying. In order to get his first factory race car, a 2014 Cobra Jet, he sold a 2014 GT500 and his Mach 1. “To my surprise, right off the trailer at Norwalk Raceway Park the car ran an 8.90 at approximately 150 mph. I was both shocked it ran that fast and unbelievably excited. I had spent many years and a lot of money trying to get the Mach I into the 8s and this car did it right off the trailer, with only adding C16 fuel and lowering the air pressure in the rear slicks!”

It seems that Ed made all the right contacts when he acquired the 2014 as the following year Ford contacted him and asked if he would be interested the quicker and improved 2016 CJ. “Don’t

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What’s not to love about the 2016 Ford Cobra Jet Mustang? The stance, wheels, graphics and every single body treatment is near perfect. Ed added a chute to stay legal at the track. Regardless of personal brand preference, we appreciate all the super cars from the big three, especially when they lay the smack down on rides twice the price (or more) from other manufacturers. www.rpmmag.com

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Inside the Mustang is an 8.50 certified cage and more equipment related to winning races, and most of it is “Ford Performance” branded. Four gauges sit where the stereo and screen would be on a street legal production car. The start button below the gauges has 4 switches to the right of it and a label plate below them. A PPP shifter commands gear changes while a large face tach with shift light sits atop the dash pad. Additions and nuances to the factory race prepped car are just too numerous to list. Ed added a V300 Racepak system to collect data.

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we all always want to go faster,” Brown added with a smile. “Now, with two Cobra Jets, I convinced my brother to sell his ’65 Ford Falcon drag car and buy the 2014 CJ as a much safer and quicker option.”

“The 2016 is number 28 of 50, actually both were. I added the parachute, a Racepak data recorder, changed the rear gears and installed a trans-brake to run Super Stock. Front and rear JR Race Shocks and a Precision Performance air shifter were all installed by my new go to performance shop, Hutter Performance.”

The CJ is built to race plain and simple, and while it is based on the production car, there is no VIN number, but instead, as Ed pointed out, a production number. There’s not much we could possible say about the exterior of the car that isn’t better explained in the photos and video. The car body with Super Cobra Jet graphics is simply stunning and looks fast, even standing still. Hood pins have been added and the front fascia is identical to the production line 6th-gen but without fog lamps. Out back, the CJ received flared wheelwells to fit the beefy slicks, and Ed ordered his with the wheelie bar and added the chute himself. The rake of the Stang is perfect, sitting a bit higher in the rear, reminiscent of the golden age of musclecars and hot rods.

Suspension wise, for 2016 Ford added a new four-link coilover rear suspension design and, while the production line car went with IRS, the CJ kept the solid rear differential, going with a Strange Engineering 9-inch unit and 3.89 gears that Brown swapped out for 4.11s. Adjustable struts were swapped in up front and the sway bar www.rpmmag.com

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The “go” part of the package starts with Ford’s 5.0L Coyote that is heavily modified and assembled by Performance Assembly Solutions... was removed. Lightweight Strange race brakes with slotted rotors were used on all four corners and the Weld 5-star race wheels are emblazoned with “Cobra Jet”, the CJ Snake and “2016”.

Ford kept much of the factory dash and trim inside the Mustang. An 8.50 certified cage and rear seat delete are the first things you see along with twin “Cobra Jet” embroidered race seats and 5-point RJS harness for the driver. Four gauges sit where the stereo and screen would be on a street car and the start button below the gauges has 4 switches to the right of it and a label plate below them. The PPP shifter commands gear changes while a large face tach with shift light sits atop the dash pad.

The “go” part of the package starts with Ford’s 5.0L Coyote that is heavily modified and assembled by Performance Assembly Solutions. The engine starts with a 9.5:1 compression ratio and a forged steel crankshaft swings Manley H-beam connecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts and Mahle forged pistons. An ATI SFI-approved crank damper and billet steel gerotor oil pump gear set were also used along with Cobra Jet cams, American Racing Headers long-tube headers, a racing-engineered FEAD (Front Engine Accessory Drive) and Ford Performance Cobra Jet Valve Covers. An Aeromotive fuel system with trunk-mounted cell provides fuel to the small block and a new electric water pump from the C-Max Hybrid was used to allow coolant to be pumped even while the car is not running.

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The race prepped 5.0L Coyote (302 cube) mill is equipped with a forged steel crankshaft, Manley H-beam connecting rods, Mahle forged and anodized pistons, an ATI SFI-approved crank damper and billet oil pump gear set. It also boasts a racing-engineered FEAD (Front Engine Accessory Drive), Cobra Jet Cams and American Racing Headers long-tube exhaust headers. A Whipple 2.9L Supercharger provides boost to the Coyote and the package is good for 8.60s in the quarter mile as it sits. Now that’s factory fun!

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Ed Brown’s 2016 Ford Cobra Jet Drag Car Chassis Type & Mods:

Factory Mustang Cobra Jet chassis with 8.50 ET certified cage.

Suspension:

New for 2016 4-link rear suspension with coilover shocks. Adjustable Ford Performance front struts with Anti-roll bar removed.

Front and rear JR race shocks/struts are now installed in place of factory units.

Body & Paint:

2016 Ford Mustang white with graphics.

Engine:

5.0L Coyote built at Performance Assembly Solutions. Racing-engineered FEAD (Front Engine Accessory Drive), Cobra Jet Cams and Ford Performance Cobra Jet Valve Covers. American Racing Headers long-tube exhaust headers.

Ford V8, 5.0-liter (302 cubic inches) displacement 92.2mm bore x 92.7mm stroke 9.5:1 compression ratio. Forged steel crankshaft, Manley H-beam connecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts, Mahle forged and anodized pistons with Grafal® coated skirts. ATI SFI-approved crank damper, billet steel gerotor oil pump gear set. Aeromotive fuel system.

Power Adder:

Whipple 2.9L Supercharger.

Electronics:

Ford Proprietary engine control software and calibration. Added V300 Racepak data acquisition system.

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Transmission & Converter:

Joel’s on Joy C3 trans with a Coan converter and SFI bellhousing.

Owner installed trans-brake and Precision Performance Products shifter.

Rear Differential:

Strange Engineering 9” solid rear axle, 4.11 gear set.

Interior:

Sparco quick-release steering wheel, Corbeau 1-piece FIA-certified racing seats, RJS 5-point racing harness.

Other Important Vehicle Information: The car is assembled for Ford by Watson Engineering.

Best ET & MPH: 8.64 at153.

How Many Years Racing: 10 Division/Class Run:

NHRA Factory Stock, NMCA Factory Super Car, 8.90 index.

Sanctioning Body: NHRA

▲ VIDEO EXTRA! Watch Ed Brown’s wicked Cobra Jet in action!

Atop the souped-up Coyote sits a Whipple 2.9L supercharger and the entire package is controlled by Ford proprietary engine control software. A Joel’s on Joy race-prepped C3 trans with a Coan converter and SFI bellhousing back up the boosted mill.

“I would like to add that Ford’s support is off the charts great!” continued Brown. “I have met many amazing people both as engineers and drivers involved with the program and they have all gone out of their way to help with advice and answers to my many questions.

I purchased this car to race, and I have not been disappointed. It is an amazing car and worth every penny, I only wish I would have bought one sooner!”

When the 2016 CJ debuted, Ford said it would run 8-second quarter mile elapsed times right out of the box, and we can attest to the fact that this car does see plenty of beating at the track!

“The best time I have run to date is an 8.64 at 153 mph” tells Brown. In our books that definitely qualifies this racebred Mustang as a true American Super Car! RPM

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he words “salt flats” may take regular RPM readers by surprise, but it’s no surprise that this masterpiece of a street/race machine is the result of the efforts of Greg Friedrich, owner and operator of Gizmos LLC. Pretty much every car featured in RPM has to resemble a production car in some way, and everyone knows that we love street legal cars with big power. If it’s got some race cred, too, even better! Being just completed, this 1960 Plymouth Fury street/land speed car has a bit of both, with plans for it to be driven (yep, that’s right we said driven) in August from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Bonneville, UT. (a 1,350 mile 20 hour trip, one way), then raced at Speed Week with the goal of reaching 200 MPH, and then driven back to Minnesota.

This is not the first time Friedrich has been involved in the wild world of street legal land speed cars. Before this project,

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The all steel body, albeit similar in basic look to the original, has been drastically altered. Gizmos converted it from 4 door to 2 door, chopped the top, redesigned the front fenders and grill, and all of the work was completed by hand in-house.

Vescio’s Auto Body handled the body finishing and paint work

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Forgeline created both the street and race wheels for the Fury. Streets are wrapped in low profile Mickey Thompson tires while race tires are experimental units for land speed racing.

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he partnered with Tom Conlan in creating the 1934 “Land Shark” real Henry Ford steel-bodied Coupe with 572 EFI Hemi, featured in the April 2015 issue of RPM. While living in Cali-

Harnessing the Competitive Edge

fornia and working for Hanson Race Cars, Greg originally met Tom in Bonneville at the Speed Week event way back in 2005. “I saw this 1934 Ford in the staging lanes with a Minnesota license plate. This was

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The naturally aspirated 528 Hemi is the creation of Wheeler Racing Engines and includes parts from Eagle, JE, COMP, Mopar Performance, Hogan’s and Manton among others. It’s a far cry from the original 6 cylinder engine shown on page 63

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the only plated racecar at the event and it was from my home state, so I had to investigate.” It was totally unrelated, but about a month later Greg found the Plymouth wagon in Torrance, CA and thought it would make a great base for some type of project down the road.

He didn’t know it at the time, but he was connecting the dots of his

future. Soon after, he packed his bags and moved back to Minnesota with the wagon to start his own shop called Gizmos. Tom would eventually become one of his customers with the Coupe, and it took the pair about 6 months before they realized they had met back at that Speed Week event 05.

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Greg kept things basic inside the Plymouth but everything is hand formed in-house at Gizmos, including the seat! AEM handles all the engine/EFI electronic control duties and their Carbon 7-inch dash sits front and center. Yes that’s a third pedal! A Jeffco 4-speed manual trans with Browell bellhousing, triple disc clutch and Gear Vendors overdrive were used.

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away and it was their partnership in the ’34 Coupe that inspired Greg to build his own street legal land speed car. “After Tom passed, I decided to build a new car that included all the modern advancements and continue the path of the ’34 Ford – to drive the car to Bonneville from Minnesota, race it at Speed Week and then drive it back home.” explains Friedrich. “I set out to engineer and create a very unique Bonneville Salt Flats land speed car.”

Greg learned his craft of chassis and car building from the late Don Ness, one of the highest quality builders of some of the fastest drag cars in the world, and Friedrich certainly used these skills along with his own engineering talents in creating the Plymouth.

The build, dubbed “Project 606”, has taken 2-1/2 years to complete and the hours of design and labor put into it are simply mindboggling. The car has a crazy amount of

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A 4-speed Jeffco transmission withBrowell bellhousing and triple disk Mantic clutch was used in the build, necessitating the third pedal. A Gear Vendorsoverdrive unit was added to the mix for long tours.

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metal work alone – a chopped top, four door to two-door conversion, and redesigned front fenders and grill are just some of the metal hand-forming Greg and his talented crew at Gizmos did to change this grocery-getter into high power rolling art. Yes, this car is all metal, including the removable front clip! And while that might not be good for power to weight numbers, it sure does pin the needle for cool factor.

A complete custom tube

chassis provides the bones for the project and Greg used 4130 chromoly tubing from front to back, which includes a full roll cage to keep him safe while in race mode at 200-plus mph.

As for power, Gizmos worked with Wheeler Racing Engines to create a 528 naturally aspirated, fuel injected, pump gas Hemi. An Eagle crank and rods with JE pistons spin inside the block that is topped by Wheeler re-worked Mopar heads, a custom Hogan’s intake and electronic

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Greg Friedrich’s 1960 Plymouth Fury Wagon Street/Land Speed Race Car Body & Paint:

The body is all steel. Gizmos completed a 4 to 2-door conversion. Many parts are hand-formed steel. The paint work was done by Vescio’s in Rogers, MN, 3M supplied all the body filler and supplies. House of Kolor paint was used and the custom color was created between Jon Kosmoski and BO, (owner of Vescio’s)

Chassis Modifications:

All of the chassis is a hand built tube chassis built from 4130 chromoly tubing. All of the suspension and steering components were also hand built out of 4130 in-house at Gizmos.

Suspension:

The front is a C6 based IFS suspension that was built out of chromoly and FK rod ends. This includes a stout front anti roll bar and custom built rack-and-pinion steering.

The Rear is a very custom 4-link with Gizmos own billet Watt’s Link. Another custom anti-roll bar is in the rear keeping the body stable.

Afco shocks were custom built and valved for the front and rear.

Engine:

The 528 HEMI is fuel Injected by AEM electronics. JE pistons, Eagle rods and crank. Mopar heads ported by Wheeler. Mopar rockers, Manley stainless steel valves and Comp Cam springs.

Manton push-rods and a Comp Cam custom roller cam and lifters were also used.

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Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Hogan’s custom intake, electronic fuel Injected with AEM engine management, bird catcher injector hat. Aeromotive fuel pump with a 32 gallon ATL Fuel Cell.

Transmission:

Jeffco 4-speed transmission, Browell bellhousing, Mantic USA triple clutch and a Gear Vendors overdrive.

Rear Differential:

Winters “Champ” Quick Change Rear axle.

Brakes:

Brembo GTS 6-piston calipers in the front with Brembo 4-piston calipers in the rear.

Tires & Wheels:

Forgeline custom built the street wheels and the race wheels.

Mickey Thompson street tires and experimental Bonneville race tires.

Interior:

Not much for a traditional interior but everything was hand built at Gizmos including the seat. AEM carbon dash unit.

Miscellaneous:

This build was documented along the way and is posted on Gizmos Youtube page to show how much work it takes to build a car, unlike today’s TV shows.

The ‘60 Plymouth is now turning heads at the race track, on the street, and at car shows...

Gizmos designed a trick Watt’s link for the custom 4-link/coilover rear suspension system.

fuel injection system. “Wheeler built this engine to last both on the race track and the cross country roads, all while running on pump gas,” said Friedrich. The EFI Hemi is controlled

by AEM electronics with everything from their coil-on-plug system to their carbon digital dash.

Behind the Mopar mill resides a 4-speed Jeffco transmission with Browell bellhousing and triple disk Mantic clutch plus a Gear Vendors overdrive unit. That’s right, this big bad Plymouth is a stick car! Rounding out the equation is a Winters Quick-Change rear axle suspended by a custom 4-link/Afco coilover suspension. Greg designed a trick billet Watt’s link and stout anti-roll bar to keep the body stable.

Vescio’s Auto Body handled the amazing body finishing and House of Kolor paintwork, while Porter Muffler took care of the custom-built SMALL BLOCK CHEVY Lorem Ipsum I N TA KES

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mufflers and exhaust system.

With countless hours of engineering, fabricating, metal forming, and detailing, the ‘60 Plymouth is now turning heads at the race track, on the street, and at car shows. The special touches on this car are endless, from the custom pump gas EFI Hemi, to the full tube chassis and front to rear belly-pan that transitions into the rear air diffuser. For Greg Friedrich, not only is the Fury a personal tribute to his friend that inspired him, but it’s a testament to Gizmos high quality craftsmanship and ability to create a functional street driven, 200 mph track capable hot rod.

RPM

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W

hen it comes to building a car we all have own preferences, after all, variety is the spice of life.

Just imagine if we all had Gen 1 Camaros or Fox Body Mustangs…wait, I think most of us have actually had a Fox Body Stang. The bottom line is, your project should be done for you and whatever motivates you to continue. No matter what the build brand or style is, when someone puts their heart and soul into something the results can be amazing, especially when you see how the project started – often from an old car or a simple shell of something that was once the pride and joy of its first owner. At RPM MAG we love solid horsepower, a slick build and especially

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the story behind it. So sit back and enjoy something a little different, and the story of how a family came together for the love of their husband and father to finish what he started.

Bill Brautigam is a car guy, plain and simple. He grew up loving all things horsepower and even became a technician 40 years ago so he could live his passion. “My first car was a 1973 Chevelle Laguna,” tells Bill. “It was originally my father’s car and when I turned 16 I started driving it.” The first mods to the Chevelle were mag wheels and fat rear tires and before long Brautigam found himself drag racing. “I had a friend whose father drag raced a car called Spoiled Rat, and that’s how I got started drag racing.” Just as Bill was hitting the strip, this new era

As you can see, Bill Brautigam can build a world class car and most of the Rambler was built right in his home garage.

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The body of the car is art-like, with unique lines and trim work. From the side, you can clearly see a similar design used on the ’64 Ford Falcon, and the cowl hood just fits with the whole package. It’s a narrow car, which makes those big Mickey rear meats look even bigger!

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That Rambler wagon in the background of this shot is the Brautigam family’s next project, this one is being built for Carrie though.

of street machine was taking the performance and race world by storm; Pro Street. Being based on Pro Stock and Pro Mod drag cars, Bill became instantly hooked on Pro Street and decided to tub out his Chevelle and slide a big block Chevy motor between the rails.

Working his way through college and earning an Associate Degree in Applied Science, he started a career in the automotive field. Around 1997 Bill’s wife surprised him with an unusual Christmas gift, a 1951 Henry J. Although it was a basket case, Bill used his talents to turn it into a topshelf hot rod that was featured in many magazines and won countless awards. Building hot rods was definitely his passion, and Bill was really good at it, and by 2005, on top of his full time gig he started working part time at a hot rod shop. He even built cars for his daughters for their high school graduation present!

After driving and showing the Henry J for 10 years, Bill’s wife Carrie urged him to pursue another project.

Since Bill liked the off-the-beatenpath stuff, he found a solid, complete and fully operational 1962 Rambler American in 2014 just 20 miles from his house. For the sum of $3,800 it was in his garage and he went straight to work.

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The Box Performance-built big block Chevy started with a DART block. The motor worked out to a roomy 600-inches and includes a Manley crankshaft, Manley H-beam steel rods, JE forged pistons, TRW bearings and Total Seal rings. A Comp Cams roller camshaft custom grind with .750 + lift was used and Patriot Performance aluminum cylinder heads are equipped with Manley valves/springs and Scorpion rockers. A Profiler Sniper 4500 flange intake manifold is topped by a Quick Fuel Dominator style 1050 carburetor.

With his years of experience, Bill knew that he’d be just spinning his wheels without a solid plan, so step 1 was to plot out the build, which started with removing the body from the frame and envisioning the end result, and then making the long list of work and parts needed to accomplish that vision. Brau-

tigam wanted to create a professional quality build that was clean and functional. As anyone who has done anything on cars knows, there are often stumbling blocks and challenges that can seem insurmountable, but few have had to face what Bill was up against.

First, Brautigam constructed a

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Bill Brautigam’s Pro Street 1962 AMC Rambler

Chassis Type & Mods:

Mild steel 12-point roll bar by Bill Brautigam. Chris Alston’s Chassisworks Eliminator I 1 5/8” round steel chassis.

Wheelbase is 100 inches.

Suspension:

Rear Suspension is 4-Link with diagonal panhard bar, QA1 double adjustable shocks, Wilwood brakes (4 piston).

Front suspension is strut with QA1 double adjustables.

EPAS electric steering rack, Chassisworks steering column.

Body & Paint:

All steel 2 door car, 5” cowl scoop molded to factory hood.

Body work by Bud at Wentz Hot Rods, Alliance, OH. using PPG products. Stock chromed front and rear bumpers and door panels. Modifications include door locks shaved, body molding shaved, gas door filled, dash moved back.

Interior:

Racepak dash, Billet Specialties steering wheel, Honda Civic seats, RJS 3” seatbelts. Interior upholstery by Miracles Upholstery.

Engine:

DART block, 600 ci. Machine work and assembly by Box Performance, Strongsville, Ohio. Manley crankshaft, Manley H-beam steel rods, JE forged pistons, TRW bearings, Total Seal rings. Balanced. Comp Cams roller camshaft custom grind with .750 + lift. Patriot aluminum cylinder heads, Manley valves/springs and Scorpion rockers.

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Miscellaneous:

Meziere electric water pump, 16” Spal electric fan and Champion 3 core aluminum radiator. Powermaster 150 Amp chrome alternator, fabricated aluminum valve covers, billet thermostat housing and timing cover and all stainless hardware. Kit-built headers, 2 1/4” primary tube into 4” Summit exhaust with Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers.

MSD 6AL, Blaster 2 coil, Pro Billet distributor and MSD 8.5 wires. Racepak dash and Summit Racing 20 gallon aluminum fuel tank.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Profiler Sniper 4500 flange intake manifold, Quick Fuel Dominator style 1050 carburetor, Billet Specialties air cleaner.

Transmission & Converter:

Turbo 400 with manual reverse valve body assembled by Box Performance. Hughes 9” 5200 stall converter. B & M shifter.

Rear Differential:

Braced Ford 9” 3.70:1 gear ratio, Detroit Locker limited slip, Moser axles.

Wheels/Tires:

Centerline wheels 15 x 4 Front, 15 x 14 rear. Mickey Thompson radial tires 26 x 7.50 front, 31 x 18.5 rear.

The Rambler is an all-steel car that Bill frame-off restored and heavily modified.

It sits low thanks to the owner-built mild steel chassis. He also did the 12-point roll bar work using parts throughout the chassis from Chris Alston’s Chassisworks.

Bill bought the Rambler American as a complete fully functional survivor. He found it just 20 miles from home and paid just $3,800 for it. The wheelbase is 100 inches. round tube chassis using components from Chris Alston’s Chassisworks and designed the tinwork throughout the build along with having Box Performance build a 600-inch 850hp big block Chevy to power the street machine. After the fabrication work was done, which took a couple of years, he took the car to his friend’s hot rod and restoration shop to have the body work done.

“By the end of 2017, Bill was noticing that he was having some fa-

tigue in his arms and hands,” Bill’s wife Carrie recalled. “Holding his arms up and gripping tools was becoming difficult. At first, it seemed like his 40 years of being an automotive technician were taking its toll, but unfortunately this was not the case, and in March 2018 we received devastating news. Bill had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.”

Carrie continued, “This is a devastating disease that is ultimately fatal and takes away all your muscle

Check out the depth and metallic in the deep orange skin laid down by Bud at Wentz Hot Rods.

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The Miracles Upholstery interior is tastefully Pro Street and not overdone. The factory dash and structure were relocated and a Racepak dash now sits front and center with equipment from Billet Specialties, B&M and RJS as well.

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So into cars, Bill built rides for his girls as grad presents! function such as; being able to walk, talk, swallow, speak and ultimately breathe. Bill’s disease started with his arms and hands, so being able to assemble his car would be virtually impossible without help.” But that did not stop Bill. With his guidance, Carrie, along with their two daughters, Nicole, 28 and Samantha, 24 and family friend Bud Wentz helped assemble his car.

They had a goal to have the car ready for the 2018 GoodGuys Car Show in Columbus, Ohio, and working day and night, Bill’s loved ones busted their knuckles to complete the project. “It gave me a whole new perspective on the talent and time it takes to build these custom hot rods,” Carrie added. “We were able to get the car done and Bill and Samantha were able to attend the car show, but it took a toll on Bill. Later that summer, he attended a local car show where he won Best Of Show and at Summit Rac-

ing’s car show he won Best Paint, which made everything worthwhile.”

During the following fall, winter and early spring, Bill’s family continued to fine tune everything in preparation for the next season, but Bill’s health continued to deteriorate. He continued to lose strength in his hands and being able to shift and steer had now become an issue. Carrie and her team changed the steering to an electric power rack and pinion system, but unfortunately Bill did not have the strength to steer or shift it.

“It is hard to imagine what it would be like to put your heart and soul into a project and not be able to drive it or have it be seen,” Carrie said somberly. “His design of the custom Rambler had to be seen – it was important to me that everyone sees his talent and creativity, so I am the driver of the car for him.

He is the brains and I am his hands.”

With Bill’s guidance, Carrie, along with their two daughters, Nicole, 28 and Samantha, 24 and family friend Bud Wentz helped assemble his car.

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It wasn’t that long ago that 6-second quarter-mile hits at the dragstrip were reserved for Pro Mods and the likes, but these days a variety of class, grudge and no-time racers pilot rides capable of reaching that mark at over 200mph, and Jeff Gabel’s slick Mopar is one of them.

F

or a whopping 32 years, Gabel has been campaigning the same car and over that time it has progressed through ranks of timed drag racing from running tens in Super Pro into a consistent 6-second 200-plus mph performer in the upper echelon of Top Sportsman. Most Top Sportsman cars today are pro from top to bottom and front to back, and the fact is that you better come to the show with some serious power and skill if you want to take the win light, and Gabel has more than a few of them under his belt.

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Although the car still has the OEM styling, long gone are any hints of the original Duster body, all swapped out for weight and aerodynamically superior composites, including the removable front end. Gabel jokes that the rocker panels are probably the only original body panel left on the car.

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From left to right: Alexis Grasby (Jeff’s step daughter who drives a Jr. Dragster), Karley Faubert and Dustin Gabel (they share the driving duties of the top dragster), Jeff Gabel and wife Mandy Gabel.

The car started off as a real deal 1972 Plymouth Duster that rolled off the assembly line as slant 6 powered Mopar that eventually had been neglected by its previous owner, despite being just 19 years old when Jeff found it. As opposed to being a “barn find”, it’s rumored that

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the original Duster was a “behind the barn find” and was minus the leaning tower of power motor, but it had disk brakes, something that the diehard Mopar fan in Gabel appreciated. Now, the body is amazing compared to its former self, but maybe that’s because Jeff spe-

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Best Machine Racing Engines built the Keith Black block based 645-inch wedge.

The 5-inch stroke/4.5 inch bore raised cam block was topped by Predator heads from Indy Cylinder Heads, a cast intake with twin 1050 cfm Dale Cubic tricked out Holley Dominators and two stages of direct port nitrous oxide.

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cializes in body and paint and admittedly there’s little if any of the original panels left in the mix, including the composite body, doors and hood replacing the originals. Jeff says that the rocker panels are probably the only original body part left. Along with the body, every part of the car has been swapped out and upgraded along the road to making it what it is today.

Originally built by ES Automotive, the chassis was upgraded by Tom VanDerGeld of Lowdown Hot Rods and is now a 6-second ET certified double rail chromoly skeleton. Strange struts ride up front while the 4-link rear with Penske shocks suspends a fabricated Bear’s Performance 9-inch sheet metal housing with Strange Ultra Case, 4.11 gears and Strange 40 spline gun-drilled axles.

Quick elapsed times don’t come easy, so Gabel decided to undertake a massive overhaul in the power department a few years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Sporting a monster 645 cubic inches, the mill, built

by Best Machine Racing Engines in Farmington Hills, Michigan started off with a 5-inch stroke/4.5 inch bore Keith Black raised cam “Wedge Race Block”. A Callies forged crank spins forged rods and pistons while a Best Machine custom 55mm roller cam-

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Jeff Gabel’s 1971 Top Sportsman Plymouth Duster Chassis Type & Mods:

Electronics:

Suspension:

Transmission & Converter:

Double rail chromoly.

Strange struts-front, four-link rear, Penske shocks.

Body & Paint:

Completed by Jeff Gabel-owner/operator of car.

Engine:

645 cubic inch built by Peter and Chuck at Best Machine Farmington Hills Michigan. Keith Black raised cam block, 5” stroke, 4 1/2” bore. Callies crank, forged pistons. Predator heads from Indy Cylinder Heads.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Twin 1050 CFM carburetors by Dale Cubic.

Power Adder:

2 stage direct port nitrous system.

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MSD Digital 7, Racepak computer on board.

2-speed, assembled by Ken Langlois of Lang Transmissions.

JW case, 10 ½” Abruzzi torque converter.

Rear Differential:

Bears Performance 9” sheet metal housing with Strange Ultra Case, 4.11 gears and 40 Spline gun drilled axles.

Other Important Vehicle Information:

The car was originally built by ES Automotive and has had many updates by Lowdown Hot Rods of Cambridge, Ontario.

Best ET & MPH:

¼ mile ET is 6.882, best MPH is 205.

INSIDE THE DUSTER, IT’S ALL BUSINESS! Gabel has been racing the car for 32 years and the chassis was originally built

by ES Automotive with Lowdown Hot Rods completing numerous upgrades to bring it to a 6-second capable (and legal) ride.

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shaft was used to actuate the valve train. Predator heads from Indy Cylinder Heads were studded in place and when all was said and done, the package provides a whopping 14.5:1 compression. Up top, twin 1050 cfm Dale Cubic tricked out Holley Dominators control the mix of fuel and air, and if that’s not enough,

how about two stages of direct port nitrous oxide for good measure.

Power transfers through a Ken Langlois (Lang Transmissions) built 2-speed Powerglide trans with JW case and 10.5 inch Abruzzi torque converter.

Inside the sleek bodied Mopar you will find an interior made for the

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business of winning races, that is, only necessary stuff need find its way into this space. That 6-second spec chassis is evidenced by bars snaking their way through the interior to keep the driver’s compartment, and the driver himself, intact. Carbon fiber was used for the massive rear wheeltubs, dash and door panels and also overlaying the door bars. A Hurst billet pistol grip shifter controls the gear change, while a column-mounted Racepak digital dash is the only “gauge” to interface between car and driver. As for pas-

sengers, Jeff ’s best friend on the track, his nitrous bottle, rides shotgun.

Gabel has nothing but praise for his engine builders as they have helped him realize his dream and ultimate goal with his behindthe-barn find Mopar, and that dream is to compete alongside the baddest of the bad in Top Sportsman. So, after the race, when you’re hooking up to tow back in the return lanes and the driver next to you extends his hand to say “good race”, it’s a good bet that you’ve just been dusted by Jeff Gabel and his killer ’71 Duster!

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o experienced engine builder would intentionally bolt a cylinder head to a block without installing a gasket between the block and cylinder head.

Why? Because the gasket seals the block deck surface to the cylinder head surface. As we all know, a piece of metal that looks smooth is actually Fig. 1

rougher and wavier than it appears.

That microscopic surface roughness and waviness creates leak paths, especially under high cylinder pressures.

Gaskets are used to fill the voids and contain those high pressures. That’s why really high horsepower engines O-ring the blocks and heads! (Fig.1) So what does this have to do with motor oil? Well, those same microscopic peaks and valleys also exist on the cylinder walls, piston rings and piston ring grooves. (Fig. 2, next

page). What fills in those valleys and covers those peaks? Motor oil, which acts like a gasket to seal those components together.

If you’ve ever leaked down an engine both hot and cold, you’ve probably seen a difference in the readings.

Part of that difference is thermal expansion of the parts, but part of the difference is also the amount of oil on the cylinder wall and piston rings.

A dry cylinder wall and piston rings will leak more than when wetted with motor oil.

Now you might be thinking that A properly o-ringed smoother surface finishes on the cylcylinder head.

O-ringing (steel wire inder wall must be the answer, but a certain amount of roughness is needis inserted into a ed. machined groove) Just like the deck on the block, the an engine block cylinder walls need roughness to hold or head is usually the oil. Because the oil is fluid and not done in higher level a stationary gasket, the roughness on power-adder applithe cylinder wall retains the oil so it cations as it helps the can function as that gasket to assist seal between head with ring seal. and block.

I experienced this first hand back

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Fig. 2

when the NASCAR and NHRA Pro Stock teams began to experiment with mirror smooth bore finishes. The idea was to reduce friction, but these super smooth bores didn’t retain enough oil. As a result, blow-by increased and crankcase vacuum decreased. In an effort to fix the problem, higher viscosity oils were employed, but the in110

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[Left] The Profilometer shows the trace of cylinder bore surface finish.

The cross hatch pattern on the cylinder bore helps create the valleys on the surface which retain oil. Oil acts as the gasket between the ring, piston and cylinder just like a head gasket seals between the block and cylinder head. creased fluid drag off-set any reduced friction due to the smoother cylinder wall finish.

In the end, getting the correct plateau finish was the best answer.

Smooth on top, but with deep valleys to hold the oil (Fig. 3).

Now you might be thinking to yourself, I’ve never had any problems

Fig. 3

The cylinder bore under magnification after honing. You can see the valleys. getting my engines to seal up, so why even worry about plateau finishing.

Well, the traditional honing and finishing techniques tend to leave a rougher surface, which is good for retaining oil. However, the peaks from those rougher surfaces can wear the face of the ring faster, especially with the softer molybdenum face coatings.

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Different ring materials have different levels of porosity. Here we see the Moly Faced Ring (Fig. 4) and the PVD Faced Ring (Fig.5).

While Moly is great at holding oil, it has more porosity than PVD coatings; it is softer, so it will wear faster than a PVD coating...

While Moly is great at holding oil – it has more porosity than PVD coatings – it is softer, so it will wear faster than a PVD coating. When combined with a rougher cylinder wall finish, a Moly faced ring will break-in quicker, but it will also wear out faster, especially with low lubricity fuels like Methanol and E85 (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5).

The more fuel the engine consumes per cycle, the more oil needs to be retained in the valleys on the cylinder wall. Why? Because the piston

ring is a lubricated component, and proper lubrication is having the right oil (type and viscosity) in the right place, at the right time and in the right amount. It is the oil retained on the cylinder wall that both lubricates the ring and seals. Fuel is diluting the oil, which can wash the oil off the cylinder walls. When that happens, bad things occur – increased blow-by and ring wear.

Accordingly, more valley depth is needed from the cylinder bore fin-

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ish to retain oil when higher levels of fuel are being consumed. For example, a 410 CI, Methanol Injected engine needs a deeper RvK (valley depth) than an EFI, gasoline fueled engine. Why? The injected methanol engine typically runs twice as much fuel through then the EFI gasoline engine. As such, deeper valleys are required to retain more oil to offset

the increased fuel wash (Fig. 5).

In addition to the deeper valleys, advanced piston ring materials and coatings can also improve ring seal and extend engine life.

A PVD coated piston ring with a plateau bore finish will provide a lower amount of friction, the highest crankcase vacuum, and the longest ring/bore life.

Using modern honing machines, surface finishes, ring materials and coatings all combine to create a more efficient engine, and part of that efficiency is the “gasket” formed by the motor oil, so the next time you are building an engine, think about the “gasket” that you pour into the engine.

Fig. 5

The Profilometer results over the course of the plateau honing process.

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