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november 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............................................................
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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, 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! RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.
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.
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At RPM MAG
we walk the walk!
Continuing to mix it up a bit in our Editor’s Rant section – honestly 22 years of writing Rants has burned me out a bit, and change is always good – we’re using this space to help RPM readers get to know one of our own. We’ve said it time and time again, unlike other mags, RPM staff are hardcore gearheads just like you! We build, we race, we drive!
Meet RPM contributing photographer David Gates – yeah, he drives a wild small tire Fox Body (watch the video), but also straps himself in front of about 7,000 pounds of thrust, just for kicks! A huge RPM MAG Congratulations to David for getting his Jet Car license this year! Mark gDR Photo
AED Competition ................. 38
Misener Motorsports ........... 56
AFR: Air Flow
Moroso Performance ........... 55
Research ...................5,75,83 AJE Racing........................ 108 American Racing Headers ... 70
Northern Radiator ............... 85
AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ......... 54
Parts Pro/Total
Baer Brakes ...................35,96
Truck Centers ....................... 71
BES Racing Engines ............. 17
PBM Products...................... 80
Billet Specialties .................. 38 Bill Mitchell Products ....12,89 BoulandMotorsUSA.com .. 104 Burns Stainless .................... 18
PRW-USA ............................ 18
C & S Specialties .................. 17
Race Part Solutions .......47,88
Deez Performance ............... 77
RCD ..................................... 77
Design Engineering ............. 58
RM Racing Lubricants .......... 35
ECAM .................................. 81
RPM Magazine .......24,42,70 RPM Magazine
Granatelli Motorsports ........ 52
Subscribe! .....................60,80
GRP Connecting Rods .......... 56
SM Racecars ..................... 108
Harland Sharp ..................... 55
Summit Racing
Hughes Performance.............. 7 Ian Hill Racing ...............10,88
Equip. ............... 43,104,111 Taylor Cable Products .......... 57
Icon Forged Pistons .......... 106
T & D Machine ..................... 70
Induction Solutions ............. 37
The Supercharger Store ....... 83
Jesel .................................... 73
Thermo-Tec ......................... 16
Joe Van O............................. 74 JW Racing Transmissions ........ 5 Kinsler Fuel Injection.....13,75
Ti64 ..................................... 73 Tom’s Upholstery ................. 58
LenTech Automatics ......12,82
Total Seal Rings ................ 106
Liberty’s Gears..................... 82
Trailer Alarms.com ........... 104
Lokar Performance .............. 81
Trick Flow ...................15,106
Lutz Race Cars ..................... 16
Tuned By Shane T ................ 81
Magnaflow.......................... 97 MagnaFuel .......................... 16 Manton Pushrods ............. 106
Ultimate Headers ................ 25 VFN Fiberglass Inc. .............. 18
Mark Williams .................. 108
Vortech ............................... 39
Maxima Racing Oils ................ 2
Weinle Motorsports ............ 38
Metal Products .................... 77
World Domination – RPM ... 23
Meziere Enterprises ............. 97
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
Ross Racing Pistons ......... 7,33
GoDragRacing.org ............... 39
Hitman Hotrods................... 74
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Rage Wraps ......................... 72 RAM Clutches ...................... 45
Erson Cams.......................... 33
ALWAYASVAORITE! FAN F
Racetronix ........................... 87
Clearshot Customs............... 97
Energy Suspension .............. 80
Watch Ned Dunphy’s Orange Viper make a wild pass!
Piston Racing Engines ......... 39 Profiler ................................ 74
Canton Racing Products ...... 26
David Gates lights the fuse, and...
Pinks All Out/All Out Live .... 22
Bullseye Turbo ..................... 19
Calvert Racing Suspensions . 32
“Cross Fire” debut Jet Dragster pass
Neal Chance Converters....... 76
Aurora Bearing .................... 85
Callies Performance Prod..... 25
David Gates makes a wild and crazy pass in his Mustang!
Moser Engineering ........41,72
World Products.................... 60
ENFORCER-HALF
JW-PERFORMANCE
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November
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!
Chris Corrado’s nitrous small block S10 hauls to the tune of 7-second hits in the 1/4! ................................................
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Dare To Be Different .................................................. 8 Kendall Collins Coyote Powered Twin Turbo Ford Maverick
Terminator ........................................................ 48 This boosted small block Cobra is ready for action Page 98
Page 100
Big power small package
Sasquatch..................................................................... 30
This big-inch nitrous no-time Nova can be very harmful to those that try to hunt it!
Stainless Steel Valves and Combustion Temperatures
Page 104
SLIDING OUR LS INTO ITS NEW H OME AND PREPARING FOR STARTUP!
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
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Growing up in and around the car scene, you get exposure to many different build genres as well as a whole host of makes and models.
O
f course, if your childhood years predate the influx of import/sport compacts roaming the streets, chances are you prefer American muscle. For Kendall Collins, his childhood was filled with everything from rod runs to drag racing and most had to do with good ole muscle cars. But there’s no rule against taking that dated technology and upping the ante with some serious high tech power. “I always enjoyed cars and as a young child I
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was a Hot Wheels fanatic,” Collins explained. “In Elementary school, I would get in trouble for drawing cars instead of my class work on a regular basis. My dad always had a hot rod or street rod of some type all through my childhood, too.” By the time Collins had reached his early teens, his father acquired a cool 1971 Ford Maverick Grabber as a daily driver that soon became a regular at their local drag strip. “I just fell in love with it, it had great
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
The Maverick has a killer, almost level stance with sizeable meats packed inside the rear wheel wells.
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The black and red stripes accenting the Ash Gray metallic paint along with the vinyl roof work very well on the Maverick body. Attention to detail is obvious; doors are tight, gaps are even, and it has all the functioning street equipment.
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
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No one thought of the Ford Maverick as a fast car, but the little 302 always impressed me.... KEN D A L L C O L L L IN S
From mild to wild...an early magazine ad shows how the lowly Maverick has evolved into a dragstrip terror. lines, and it was different from most of the cars that were at our track.” At this point, Kendall was residing in Savannah, Georgia and ready to get a hot rod of his own. Savannah seemed to favor the Chevrolet crowd, but Collins wanted to go against the grain a little bit. “No one thought of the Ford Maverick as a fast car, but the little 302 always impressed me.” They tried to find a Maverick but instead ended up with a 1970 Mustang for his first car, not a bad “second choice” we’d say. After the Mustang, a 1970 Ranchero with a 429 would occupy Kendall’s senior year of high school after which he’d spend 6 years in the United States Navy with a sweet ’64 Falcon during his enlistment. “Once I separated from the Navy, I purchased a tube chassis Fox Body that I bracket raced at Savannah Dragway.” The Fox Body craze was well underway and along with it the fast street car drag 14
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
The Maverick’s hood is often the topic of conversation and it was made by Kendall with help from his best friend Dana Brown and his dad.
TRICKFLOW
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Build photos
Kendall magically stuffed a late model Ford Coyote powerplant between the frame rails of this Maverick. Oh yeah, and he somehow plumbed in a pair of turbos that can barely be seen.
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For performance, street and strip durability and product support, Collins chose Bullseye Power Turbochargers and installed a pair of Bullseye 66mm units. Look hard and you might see them installed inconspicuously behind the headlights. race scene was gaining some serious momentum. Kendall purchased a Mustang to compete in Outlaw 10.5, but shortly after finishing the build, life took another change for him when he and his son Austin moved to Orlando, Florida. Austin had been racing BMX for a number of years but transitioned into racing motocross until he was 18, but when it was time for him to go to college, Kendall moved back into fast street cars. “Being a big Ford guy, I had always wanted a ’64 Fairlane. I tried to find one that was in good shape and afford-
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
able, but I didn’t have any luck, so after searching for a while I moved onto my next choice which was a Maverick.” He found a rust-free car in the Northern part of Georgia and quickly snapped it up, spending the next 5 years slowly piecing it together. “While I was building the Maverick I took about a 2-year break and bought another nice Fox Body street car to play with for about a year and ended up trading it for a ’71 Maverick Grabber that I drove for the following year..” By now, Radial Tire racing was starting to dominate street
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...That is one sick and one of the best Maverick builds yet... YouTube viewer
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
If these wheels make you feel a little nostalgic, you’re spot on. Kendall picked these slotted wheels up from a swap meet, polished them up and had them beadlocked. Equally nostalgic are the ET Gasser wheels up front.
This is what stock type suspension really looks like. It’s not often you see a street driven car this clean underneath, but it gives you a chance to check out the cool equipment installed, including Calvert split mono leafs and Caltrac bars along with the trick 8.8 rear diff and remote cooling fan.
car drags everywhere, and shortly after attending a popular radial tire event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, Kendall sold the ’71 Grabber and promptly got back to work on the ’70. “The motivation behind the build was that I wanted to build a cool ‘drive and drag’ type street car to cruise the streets, hit up car shows and take it to the track to run a decent number. I’ve always been a huge
fan of fast, ‘true’ street cars,” he said. “I built most of it in my 2-car garage with the help of best friend Dana Brown, my father Andrew, Jerry Waller, and my wife Kendra.” Daryl Waldrup came onboard and helped with the cage and the fab work under the car, along with the rear suspension. The body work and slick Ash metallic base coat clear coat paint along with the vinyl top were mas-
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
Kendall Collins’ Twin Turbo Street/Strip 1970 Ford Maverick Chassis Type & Mods: Stock frame rails with subframe connectors, 10-point cage 8.50 certified.
Suspension: Calvert split mono leaf springs with Caltrac bars, Menscer rear shocks. AJE front tubular K-member with Strange struts.
Body & Paint: Ash metallic base coat clear coat done by Gerald Smith.
Engine: Sleeved Coyote block, Boost line rods, Manley pistons, Boss 302 crank, hand ported heads and Boss 302 intake by owner. Custom Comp cams with MMR lockouts and PAC springs, Boundary oil pump gears and crank sprocket, Cometic head gaskets, Moroso oil pan and Fast throttle body.
Electronics: Fast XFI 2.0 and XIM.
Transmission & Converter: Camerons built TH400 and converter.
Rear Differential: Explorer 8.8 with Strange 35 spline spool and axles.
Other Important Vehicle Information: Custom hood done by owner, his father and Dana Brown. Seats custom made by Ken Marrow.
Best ET & MPH: 5.02 at 140mph
Power Adder: Twin Bullseye 66mm turbos, Tial wastegates and Turbosmart BOV, Treadstone A2A intercooler.
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terfully crafted by Gerald Smith. The upgrades kept on coming over the years, especially in the performance department. Initially, albeit for a short stint, the Maverick was 5.4L/turbo powered, however, a built Coyote with twins now sits between the rails. A sleeved Coyote block was equipped with a Boss 302 crank swinging Boostline rods and Manley pistons. Custom Comp Cams were used and heads are hand ported by Kendall along with the Boss 302 intake. A Moroso oil pan caps off the bottom end while a Fast Big Mouth throttle body is connected to custom plumbing up top. “The engine was built to withstand the twin 66mm Bullseye turbochargers I purchased from my good friend Bill Devine.” Transferring the power rearward is a Waller built Turbo 400 transmission with a Cameron’s torque converter. The factory frame rails were reinforced and tied with a pair of frame connectors. Out back, a seriously beefed-up Ford 8.8 is stuffed with 3.55 gears, a Strange spool and 35 spline axles. Like Kendall said, he is fan of “true” street cars, so not surprisingly the Mav rides on a stock type suspension – not coilover conversions that everybody calls “stock type”, but an actual OEM configuration with leaf springs and shocks! Calvert split mono leaf springs
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november 2021 | RPM Magazine
The interior of the Maverick has been meticulously restored using mostly factory panels and trim mixed with a spattering of race parts such as the 10-point 8.50 certified cage, custom race seats, Hurst shifter and FAST digital dash. FAST’s complete XFI 2.0 system controls the engine.
Build photo
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I plan on racing as many local small tire/street car type events as possible... KEN D ALL COLLLI NS
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with Caltrac bars and Menscer rear shocks providing the hook, while an AJE front tubular K-member with Strange struts was used up front. Strange brakes reside on all four corners and a custom Marrow Morphosis built parachute mount with single ’chute helps when needed. The rear wheels are old pro stock slots from the ’70s that Kendall acquired from a swap meet, polished up and had double beadlocked, and ET “Gasser” wheels occupy the front wheel wells. As with every single area of the car, the interior received a complete overhaul starting with the 8.50 certified 10-point cage and bracing throughout. Black was used over the factory red and trick custom covered race buckets replace the original front bench seat
with a matching rear seat installed, as well. A Hurst billet pistol grip shifter actuates gear changes while a FAST digital display is the only “gauge” device installed in the completely reconditioned factory dash. “I plan on racing as many local small tire/street car type events as possible” Collins continued. “I want to make it to the Mod Nationals and plan on taking it to the Turkey Rod Run in Daytona as my dad will have his ’39 Ford there and my son will have my other Maverick with him. I’d also like to hit up a TX2K or FL2K event next year as well as the Spring Break Shootout in Bradenton.” Stepping out of the box to build something different is something that Kendall Collins took very seriously and we’d say he did a darn good job of it. But don’t let this little Maverick fool you, it’s as reliable at the track as it is on the street…to date he’s ran a 5.02 best ET in the eighth-mile, and there’s no sign of slowing down anytime soon! RPM
Living in Southeast Georgia affords Kendall some great opportunities to compete at a number of premier events throughout Florida and Georgia. www.rpmmag.com
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The Chevrolet Nova is a classic icon of the muscle car era that was produced for five generations that started as the Nova/ Chevy II in 1962. The “II” was dropped for the third design and Chevy enjoyed its golden years from 1968-1971 with the Nova. During those years, you could buy them with various V8s from 327 to 402 big blocks and it was considered the bowtie’s last actual “compact” high power muscle car before things got weird in the mid-seventies and eighties. The Nova was an instant hit among street car enthusiasts and drag racers, and when Billy Betton started on his 1970 Nova back in 1995, he spent many years bracket racing it. After Mark Christ became involved with the program, he swayed Billy into prepping the car for small tire, no time, heads-up racing, which meant a complete overhaul. Rather than farming out the work, Mark and Billy completed almost the entire car on their own, which interestingly led to the birth of MC Fabrications, now Mark’s fulltime occupation.
CALTRACS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING.
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QUESTIONS? ASK A TECH:
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661-728-9600 CalvertRacing.com
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
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MADE IN THE USA
Taking it to the Limit
...this Sasquatch seems pretty laid back, unless provoked that is!
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Unlike many high power drag and street/strip cars we see these days, this Nova retains steel OEM style body panels, except for the hood.
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Red metallic With miles-deep Dark Cherry ! A Harwood paint, the Nova is a real looker d along fiberglass cowl hood was adde a custom MC with composite bumpers and Racecraft rear wing.
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Work begin to transform the Nova in 2019, and for the All-steel All-glass class in heads-up drags, everything (aside from the bumpers and hood) had to remain factory, meaning their Nova is pretty much the way Chevy intended it to be, body wise anyway. A Harwood fiberglass hood and bumper were installed and Mark fabricated the rear wing himself. Once completed, their good friend Mike Gray laid down a Dark Cherry Red skin over the car’s beautiful factory body lines. Much of the chassis and suspension needed reworking and Mark used his knowledge from the mud racing world to create a solid, tunable foundation. He installed an 8.50 certified cage for safety and strength and replaced the factory rear leaf springs with a ladder bar setup with Santhuff shocks to plant the rear tires. The entire front end got tossed and Mark fabricated a tube front with motor plate to be installed in its place.
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TRZ Motorsports upper and lower A-arms were used along with a pair of Santhuff shocks to take care of the bumps up font. The Nova rides on Keizer wheels, 17x4.5s wrapped in Mickey Thompson front runners and, because this class must run a 275 radial rear tire, a pair of Mickey Thomspon 275s were installed a rather large rear wheel in order to provide a maximum contact patch of rubber with the relatively small tire. The tire is generally a nice fit for a 10inch wide wheel and, while some racers stretch them onto a 12 for more contact, Mark went a step further and beadlocked them to a set of 15x14s! It’s often done in higher levels of radial racing, but Marks is one of a handful we’ve seen at this level; after all, it is street legal. Stopping the all-steel classic is a complete set of aftermarket disc brakes. The motor choices for this era are often a catalyst for conversation between any group of gearheads – big V8s with significant power (for the time) were the name of the game as the horsepower wars between the Big 3 American automakers was well underway. During a time where sayings like “there’s no replacement for displacement” became popular, they all had big blocks lurking under their hoods, and those
A sizeable Brian Roche Racing Engines-built 505-inch big block Chevy takes up the real estate under the hood of the Nova. Compared to EFI forced induction setups, a carbureted nitrous big block install looks spacious and relatively simple.
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platforms remain rooted in today’s high tech builds in all sorts of motorsports. Billy and Mark decided to follow suit and create a big block 454-based package for the Nova. Roche Racing Engines is responsible for the monster motor, taking the block and machining it .100 over to accept custom spec’d Diamond pistons. GRP rods found their way between the pistons and a 4.250 Callies stroker crank and as a result, the mill comes in at a whopping 505-inches, perfect for a nitrous fed application. A cam spec’d for lots of nitrous from Comp Cams finishes out the short block. Of course, monsters need to breathe well, and 40
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The roomy Rat boasts Dart Pro 1 heads capped by slick Moroso valve covers, and a ProFiler topped by a Holley 1250 Dominator carb. Inductions Solutions provides the spray via their Guardian plate kit. Monster 2 ½-inch primary tube headers with 5 inch collectors expel spent gasses.
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MC Racecraft completed all the suspension work for the ladder bar/coilover setup and a braced 9-inch housing is filled Moser parts.
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RPM MAG
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
Dart Pro1 heads can do that, especially in their 355 variation. Manley valves, Jesel rockers, PAC springs, and Comp Cam pushrods were used in conjunction with the Pro 1s. A Profiler Sniper intake manifold and Holley XP 1250 Dominator carburetor complement the top end while a MagnaFuel 500gph pump along with Holley regulators feeds C23 down the throat of the old-school carb. An Induction Solutions Guardian plate system is responsible for the copious amounts of giggle gas being poured into the
big block during a pass, and an MSD Grid was used along with an NLR NMS-1000 nitrous controller while a Holley Pro dash keeps all pertinent information in order. A huge 2.5-inch primary tube set of Lemmons headers merging into 5” collectors takes care of spent gases. Big cubes and nitrous oxide tend to make a recipe for tremendous torque that comes on quick, and if that force connects with the track without spin, well, there best be an excellent driveline, or things will break. Behind the 505
From left: Mark Christ, Jason Tribbitt and Billy Betton…. guess which one gave the Nova the name “Sasquatch”.
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Inside, the Nova retains mostly factory panels and trim. Twin race seats, the passenger modified to hold twin nitrous bottles, are joined by a race shifter and Holley dash. The cage and carbon work were done by MC Racecraft.
sits a capable ATI turbo 400 2-speed with a PTC torque converter built by Vince Fourcade. The braced Moser Ford 9-inch rear housing has all the goodies for nitrous abuse, including a Moser aluminum center section, spool and their gun-drilled 40 spline axles. Not only is Mark a master fabricator, but he’s a wizard with carbon fiber, too. He eliminated all the factory 44
parts and structure in the rear area to make room for the custom chassis and suspension work, and once that was completed, he hand-laid carbon fiber tubs and panels in the interior. From the twin race seats forward, the interior is mostly factory, including the dash and door panels. While he does have a passenger seat, the “passengers” most preferred for short trips, say an
november 2021 | RPM Magazine
1970 Chevy Nova Big Block Nitrous No-Time Drag Car
Owner & Driver:
Billy Betton owner, Mark Christ Driver.
Body & Paint: Original steel panels except hood. Dark Cherry Red metallic paint by Mike Gray.
Chassis & Suspension/Modifications: 8.50 cert cage and chassis by MC Racecraft. Rear ladder bar coilover setup with Santhuff shocks. Front, custom MC Racecraft tubular front with TRZ a-arms and Santhuff shocks. Carbon was hand-laid by MC Racecraft and wiring by MC Racecraft.
Engine: Factory GM block 505 CI built by Brian Roche Racing Engines. Callies crank, GRP rods, Diamond pistons and COMP nitrous cam.
Cylinder Heads: DART Pro 1 355cc, Jesel rockers, PSI springs, Manley valves, Comp Cams pushrods.
Induction & Fuel Delivery: Holley 1250 Dominator, Magnafuel and Holley regulators, Magnafuel Pro Star 500 pump, VP C23 Fuel.
Electronics: MSD Grid, NLR NMS-1000 Nitrous Controller, Holley EFI Pro Dash.
Power Adder: Induction Solutions Guardian plate system.
Transmission:
ATI 2-speed 400 turbo, PTC converter, built by Vince Fourcade at Fourcade Motorsports.
Rear: Braced Ford 9-inch with Moser 40 spline axles and Moser aluminum center section.
Brakes: Wilwood brakes, Wilwood master cylinder.
Tires & Wheels: Keizer wheels, 17x4.5 front/15x14 rears with Mickey Thompson 275 Pro Radials.
Interior: M&M shifter, Kirky seats, Simpson parachute, Grant GT steering wheel.
ET & MPH: This is a no-time car so we’re not telling!
Miscellaneous: We built the car to have fun, compete and be around good people. It was a six month project to reconfigure the car to run small tire radial no-time classes. It has been a memorable experience with driver and owner working side by side building the car then seeing the results in the winner’s circle!
Thanks to: Ron Rhodes and Dave Hanlon. Special thanks to Dawn Betton and Erin Christ for putting up with us building and racing drag cars.
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DON’T TURN Y OUR BAC
Billy Betton and Mark Christs 1970 Big Block Nova Nitrous car makes a killer pass!
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CK ON THIS NITROUS-BREATHING BEAST 1/8th mile or so, are two nitrous bottles. All of the car’s electronics are easily accessible in the passenger side kick panel area and the carbon fiber work continues into the trunk where a 10-gallon fuel cell is installed. For years, Billy’s nickname was “Sasquatch,” (see the group photo and you will understand why), so the car’s name was a pretty obvious choice and the Nova has become “Sasquatch”. They’ve had a blast with the car thus far, but for Billy and Mark, racing is as much about the camaraderie and enjoying time with others in-
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volved and interested in the sport. That’s what it’s all about. Sure winning is nice but having fun during the whole experience is just as enjoyable. Building the car as owner and driver alongside each other has been a wonderful experience on its own. Along with the racing family, they’d especially like to thank their wives Dawn Betton and Erin Christ for putting up with them. Much like the real-world tales of the beast that roams North American forests, this Sasquatch seems pretty laid back, unless provoked that is! RPM
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obra branding started back in the 1960s and ran with the Mustang into the ‘80s with variants such Cobra Jet or Cobra II along the way. Then there are the Shelby Cobra offerings which are some of the most rare (and powerful) to ever bare the Cobra name. It wasn’t until Ford started an extension of that with the release of the Special Vehicle Team or “SVT” lineup that lead to the rise of the later model Cobras. The 1993 Mustang Cobra in the Fox Body platform led to the 1994-1998 SN95 body style before ending with the New Edge 1999-2004 Mustangs. Ford might have just saved the best for last with the 2003-2004 “Terminator” Cobra that gained fame for being the “killer of the streets” during its production run. At a tick above Mustang GT pricing, the 4.6 liter 2v overhead cam motor got replaced by an Eaton supercharged 4.6 4v beast making 400hp. The number seems weak now, but the only thing in the ballpark at that time was Chevy’s C5 Corvette that also made 400hp, but at a considerably higher cost. Fast forward almost 20 years, and the Terminator still holds the hearts of many Ford Mustang fans and collectors. When I spotted Tommy Bauerlien and Eddie Deaver’s clean 2003 model sitting in the pits during a recent event, I couldn’t help but notice the missing Modular supercharged powerplant. Of course, my first thought was that they replaced it with an LS-based motor, since that’s the thing to do with Mustangs these days. Instead, not only did they keep the Ford power alive in the Cobra, but they chose the original small block Ford engine platform, too. I soon learned that this was an authentic Cobra with just 27,000 original miles on it before it’s transformation.
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This is the real deal an original 27,000 mile SVT Cobra. The car sports carbon doors, hood and frontend, Optic Armor windows and was repainted by Roger Levering in the original silver color.
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Tommy has had a few different bracket and small tire radial cars over the years but actually got his feet wet mud truck racing. “When we started heads up racing, we raced Real Street with a nitrous fed small block Ford in another Fox Body and after reaching the limits of the chassis and combo, the opportunity to purchase this Cobra came about,” Bauerlien said. It turns out that they actually purchased the shell from an owner that lost interest in the build. However, unlike so many “I bought it and found a bunch of prob-
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lems when I got it apart” scenarios, this car was just the opposite – the Cobra came as a solid build, already equipped with a long list of race-winning parts. Once the factory shell was at HFR Fabrication, a 25.3 6.50 certified cage was installed for strength and safety. The floor pan and firewall stayed OEM, however, the transmission tunnel required modifications for the incoming auto that would replace the factory T-56 six-speed. The complete rear independent suspension got the ax, and rear wheeltubs were installed. “Henry and his guys
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In the interest of weight savings and creating a clutter-free work environment, the Cobra interior is clean and simple with a 25.3 cage, Racetech seat, ice tank, M&M shifter and Holley display.
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finished the car from barely a roller to a work of art,” Tommy added. Much of the body panels were changed, as well. The factory doors got a carbon treatment and the heavy original glass was replaced with Optic Armor windows by Motor City. A onepiece nose and tubing structure up front is a sure-fire way of saving weight and making things far more accessible; and carbon work from Motor City finishes things off. A Feather Carbon cowl hood completes the body lightening mods and Tommy
Henry and his guys finished the car from barely a roller to a work of art...
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An owner-built 438-inch small block Ford started life with a Dart Iron Eagle block. A Callies Magnum 4” stroke crank spins GRP 1201 series rods and Diamond 4.175 bore pistons. 20 degree heads are fitted with Jesel shaft rockers and a Holley Hi-Ram with Wilson 105mm throttle body sits on a 1.5-inch spacer. Fuel is supplied by a Kinsler 750 pump and Holley 160 injectors.
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Bauerlien chose to go back to Ford’s roots with a traditional small block build...
did the work to smooth out the shock towers and firewall himself. A solid chassis deserves a well-designed suspension and that’s precisely what this Terminator has. With the factory independent rear gone, a tried and true setup for the Mustang was created using Racecraft upper and lower arms with an anti-roll bar for stability and Santhuff canister shocks. A Racecraft fabricated 9-inch rear is stuffed with a Mark Williams through-bolt aluminum case, 40 spline axles and spool. Santhuff and Racecraft goodies can also be found up front, with spindle mount struts, Racecraft arms and K-member. Lightweight Strange drag brakes reside on all four corners and the car sits on RC Components Comp 5 wheels, 15-inch skinnies in the front, and 15x10s out back running on 28x10.5 tires. Finally, Roger Levering put the finishing touches on the car, repainting it back to the original SVT Silver color. In 1999, Ford did away with its conventional “cam in block” small block Ford in favor of the more complex overhead cam modular motors. While the factory Cobra mod motor is quite capable of taking a good helping of aftermarket parts, Bauerlien chose to go back to Ford’s roots with a traditional small block build. Mark Small Machine prepped the Dart Iron Eagle block for Tommy to assemble. A Callies Magnum 4 inch stroker crank spins GRP 1201 series www.rpmmag.com
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A Racecraft fabricated 9-inch is stuffed with a Mark Williams center section, spool and 40 spline axles and is suspended by parts from Racecraft and Santhuff. rods with 4.175 bore Diamond Pistons slugs to top it off. A custom ground cam from Vincent Performance completes the short block and, with boost in mind, Tommy sourced a custom ported set of Brodix 20-degree heads by Kuntz to stud into place. Topnotch parts like Jesel rockers, lifters, and Manton pushrods were added to the mix and a Holley Hi-Ram intake with 1.5-inch spacer sits atop the small block. Fuel delivery comes via a Kinsler 750 fuel pump on a custom KFM cam mount. Q16 flows through Holley 160lb injectors, and their coils help light the fire. Lubrication gets rather complex, but for a good reason. For longevity, a Peterson R4 4 60
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stage dry-sump oiling system completes the assembly. There are no turbos here; and while a Cobra does come with a Roots style supercharger, it’s not like the centrifugal F1A91 ProCharger center-mounted on a Supercharger Store gear drive hanging off the front of this mill. A 4,000hp-capable intercooler and interior-mounted Shear Fab ice tank keep intake air temperatures in check and Tommy has all the information and control at his fingertips with the 7-inch display from Holley. Their Dominator stand-alone EFI system runs the show fed by a long list of Rife sensors to ensure as much information
A ProCharger F1A91 blower is coupled with a Supercharger Store gear drive.
Tommy Bauerlien & Eddie Deavers’ Supercharged SBF 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Body & Paint: Repainted by Roger Levering in original color. Carbon doors and frontend, Optic Armor windows.
Chassis & Suspension/Modifications: Full custom chassis / cage by HFR Fabrication. Racecraft reared & suspension components, Santhuff shocks out back and struts up front.
Engine: 438ci with SBF Dart Iron Eagle block. Rotating assembly consists of a Callies Magnum crank 4” stroke, Diamond pistons 4.175 bore and GRP 1201 series rods. Cylinder heads are 20 degree Kuntz/Brodix with Jesel shaft rockers topped by Harshman Machine billet valve covers. Star vacuum pump and Peterson 4 stage dry sump oiling system.
Induction & Fuel Delivery: Kinsler 750 pump, Holley 160 injectors, Holley Hi-Ram intake and Wilson 105 throttle body.
Electronics: Holley EFI Dominator system with Rife sensors.
Power Adder: ProCharger F1A91 coupled with a Supercharger Store gear drive.
Transmission: Toms Auto Powerglide / Hughes Gen 2 bolt together Pro SSX 9.5” converter.
Rearend: Racecraft fabricated 9-inch with Mark Williams center section, spool and 40 spline axles.
Brakes: Strange discs on all 4 corners.
Tires & Wheels: RC Components front and rear –28x10.5 rear tire
Interior: Racetech seat, M&M shifter, Holley dash.
Thanks To: Eddie Deavers (part owner) and Henry Fryfogle of HFR Fabrication.
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While Tommy Bauerlien (pictured) & Eddie Deavers’ SVT Cobra was originally purpose-built for running Ultra Street, they have done some No-Prep action and have taken a liking to it.
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Tommy Bauerlien’s 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra makes a killer pass.
YouTube viewer
as possible reaches driver and tuner. Eddie Grimes did a fantastic job fabbing up the intake tubes and headers, and a trick set of custom billet valve covers add a finishing touch of bling to the package. The Cobra’s manual transmission replacement is a trusty Powerglide built by Tommy, staring with an ATI case, a Sunnex 1.58 gearset and billet input shaft. A Hughes Nissan Gen 2 bolt-together converter spins between the motor and transmission. The interior is clean and simple with a paint-matched cage, a Feather Lite dash with Holley display, black carpet, and a seat. An M&M shifter sits next to the intercooler ice tank that takes
up the space where a passenger would once sit, and custom carbon panels finish off the rear of the cockpit. Originally, the car was purpose-built to run Ultra Street however, plans do change. “We were planning to compete in Ultra Street with this spec built chassis but we have had a lot of fun with the challenge of No Prep racing,” Tommy added. So, while they’re just getting a handle the capabilities of the Cobra in the No-Prep scene (and we can’t tell what those capabilities are because it’s a no-time car), we can tell you one thing, there’s little doubt that this Cobra will live up to its “Terminator” name.
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rucks have been a staple in the lives of North American’s since the very first one rolled off the line somewhere around 1925. Based on commercial vehicles, the thinking was that many people could benefit from owning something that would help make their day to day lives a bit easier. Man, did they hit the nail on the head with that one!
Since anything with a motor can be modified and raced, it wasn’t long before trucks started getting in on the action and eventually showing up in force on the street and strip. And here we are today with trucks having a distinct following in motorsports, and guys like Chris Corrado in his wild small block nitrous S10 bangin’ off 7-second ¼-mile ETs! Corrado has been in the automotive trade for 20 years. Fresh out of high school, he got a job doing oil changes and emissions testing and before long, he knew he wanted to pursue a career as an automotive technician. He was able to land an apprenticeship in his home town of Windsor, Ontario and that was when he bought his first S10 pickup, which would fuel his attraction to not only trucks, but speed, as well! “That first S10 had a 350 small block in it and from there I was hooked. It was a 1983 square body on leaf springs with a Dana 60 that I had made for it. It ran 12.80s naturally aspirated,” he explained. By 2008, Corrado, now a licensed technician, was stepping up his program and that’s when he found this particular 1994 S10 out of Atlanta Ga. It was a clean bracket truck that looked pretty well built, so Chris loaded up the trailer and a buddy to make 68
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Chris Corrado with his 1994 S10. Corrado bought the truck in 2008 as bracket class piece and gradually built it into the 7-second nitrous fed heads-up hauler it is today, doing most of the work himself. He did all the body mods, including lengthening and installing the ‘glass lift-off front end, doors, hood and scoop.
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A 408-inch Dart Little M block based engine is the weapon of choice and it is assisted by 2 direct port nitrous kits built and flowed by NX. SB2 heads are equipped with titanium valves and Jesel rockers and a custom DaVinci 1250 Dominator style carb tops the mighty mouse motor. The original long block was bought out of Illinois but was assembled by Chris and he does all maintenance himself, as well.
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One hit on nitrous and that was all it took, once again I was hooked! the 30 hour round trip with him and brought it home for $20,000 turnkey. “It was back-halved with a 400 sbc with ’Glide and 4-link that ran 10.40s naturally aspirated.” After one season running the truck as it was, Corrado decided to enter the wonderful world of power adders. “One hit on nitrous and that was all it took, once again I was hooked!” He exclaimed. But by year’s end the 400 needed some love, so out it came.
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Chris had built a 383 for his other truck and decided to slip it in the ’94 with a single plate nitrous system, which got him down to bottom 9-second quarter-mile times. Armed with a serious need for speed, the 400 was rebuilt and his addiction continued to worsen as this time two kits, a direct port and plate, were plumbed into the mix. In 2015 Corrado completed a comprehensive update on the S10 body with a one-piece Hairy Glass fiberglass removable front end and hood along with a set of their fiberglass doors, and completed any necessary chassis mods. By 2017, after reaching 8s with the two kits on the 400, he bought a complete long block Chevy SB2
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out of Rockford IL. and sent an intake to Nitrous Express to install and flow 2 direct port kits for the new combo. With the new mill installed and continuing to make changes and trying to lose weight out of the truck, Corrado has wheeled the S10 to 7s in the quarter-mile and 4s in the 1/8th. Chris did all the bodywork and mods himself, including adding the 6 inches into the front bumper, and the clean silver skin was sprayed by Aaron Etue at J&H Restoration in Windsor Ontario. Chassis wise, it’s still that high quality back-half and the 4-link sus-
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The sano interior is all about racing. A carbon dash holds the Racepak display while a B&M Pro Billet shifter activates the shift and twin nitrous bottles are kept in check by an ARC dual mount. Electronics are cage mounted on the passenger side for easy access.
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• Made from Hyper-Flex™ performance polyurethane. • For cars, trucks, hot rods, and competition vehicles. • Patented safety interlock design is safer and more durable than O.E.M. mounts. • Resistant to oils, coolants, and road contaminants. • Elastic enough to absorb vibrations for street yet strong enough to handle extreme racing conditions.
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The truck rides on a custom 4-link with Afco Big Guns and anti-roll bar in the rear and a complete TRZ setup was used with a Stiletto rack up front.
pension out back was upgraded with an anti-roll bar and AFCO Big Gun coilovers. Up front is a full TRZ setup with their upper and lower control arms, spindles and billet steering arms with a Stiletto rack. A TRZ coilover conversion kit was also used and the AFCO shocks up front are TRZ valved. A braced 9-inch
hangs out back with an aluminum Strange center section, 4.10 gears and Bear’s Pro axles. Along the way, Corrado learned to do the lion’s share of work and maintenance himself, including assembling his own engines. A 408-inch Dart Little M block was stuffed with a Callies Magnum crank spinning
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Chris Corrado’s Nitrous Small Block 1994 Chevrolet S10 Body & Paint: Owner installed fiberglass Pro Stock Hairy Glass one piece front end (with 6” added into the front bumper), hood, hood scoop and doors. Painted by Aaron Etue at J&H restoration in Windsor Ontario.
Chassis: Back-halved with cage.
Front and Rear Suspension: Up front is full TRZ front suspension. TRZ upper and lower control arms, spindles and billet steering arms. TRZ front coilover conversion kit, bearing style mount kit with TRZ valved AFCO front coil-overs. Stiletto rack and pinion. Rear suspension is four-link with Afco Big Gun shocks and anti-roll bar.
Engine: Owner assembled 408 ci small block Chevy with Little M Dart block. Callies Magnum crank, Oliver billet rods, Ross Racing pistons. M&M spec’d Comp Cams 50mm roller camshaft. M&M’s CNC ported SB2 cylinder heads with Delwest titanium valves, PAC springs, Jesel rockers and Trend pushrods. Moroso aluminum sheet metal oil pan. M&M’s fabricated sheet metal valve covers.
Induction and Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock intake with two Nitrous Express direct port systems built and flowed by Nitrous Express. DaVinci 1250 dominator carb custom built by Dan DaVinci.
Transmission: Transmission Specialties Powerglide with a PTC torque converter spec’d to engine combo.
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Rear End: 9-inch Ford with aluminum Strange center section, 4.10 gears with Bear’s Pro axles.
Brakes: Strange spindle mount front brake kit and Strange four piston rear calipers.
Wheels: Aluma Star 2.0 Anglia spindle mount fronts and Aluma Star 15x12 rear double beadlocks.
Interior: Carbon dash, Kirkey seat, Racepak IQ3 dash and V300 data logger. Leash relay boards with Leash nitrous timers and MSD Grid. B&M Pro Bandit shifter, ARC dual bottle bracket and Impact five point harness.
ET & MPH: Personal best are 7.77 @ 179mph in the ¼ and 4.84 @ 143mph in the 1/8.
Special Thanks: To Kirk Thompson for the help welding and with fabrication. Aaron Etue for the paint work. Codey smith, Mike Burleigh, Alex Rocheleau and Kirk Thompson for helping me at the track.
Oliver billet rods pinned to Ross Racing forged pistons. A top secret nitrous-grind COMP 50mm roller cam actuates the valvetrain and CNC ported SB2 cylinder heads are equipped with titanium valves PAC springs, Jesel rockers and Trend pushrods. An Edelbrock intake with two Nitrous Express direct port systems was custom built and flowed by Nitrous Express. A custom DaVinci 1250 Dominator style carb tops things off and a Moroso aluminum sheet metal oil pan caps the bottom end. Corrado chose a Transmission Specialties Powerglide with a PTC torque converter built specifically for the combination to transfer power rearward and hook is courtesy a pair of Mickey T 28x10.5x15W rear meats. Chris is cinched into a Kirkey seat and a Racepak IQ3 dash interfaced with the V300 data logger relays
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Aluma Star 2.0 Anglia wheels roll fore, and Aluma Star 15x12 double beadlocks wrapped in Mickey Thompson 28x10.5W ET Drags control the hook aft. dual bottle bracket keeps twin NOS bottles in place during the Gs of 7.77 1/4 hits and 4.84 1/8th mile passes. The S10 launches near perfect, just hiking the front wheels and making some serious steam as the nitrous comes in, and while it has bepertinent info to him. Leash come a bit tougher to find the relay boards were used as well small block nitrous guys still as Leash nitrous timers and in the mix of fast street car (or an MSD Grid system. The 1,2 truck) drags, this is one tough shift comes via a B&M Pro truck, and Corrado is a serious Bandit shifter and an ARC contender behind the wheel! RPM
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tooltechextra
Roll Cage Bending Easy Button
We go from bending with muscle on a bender that was in the middle of the floor to bending with a button on a bender we wheel out just when needed, thanks to Swag Offroad.
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By Chuck Scott
s bending with my Woodward Fab tubing bender (or any other manual bender) strenuous? I guess that would depend on the strength of the person doing the bend and the size, thickness and material of the tube. For the most part it is doable, although it does take some work. The big gripe for me, though, is the requirement to bolt the bender to the floor. When you are limited on floor space, having a tool take up a permanent spot in the middle of the floor can be a big deal, especially with how often you use the tool. Being able to wheel my bender over into a corner when not in use would be a big positive, however, we all know that the problem with simply putting wheels on a tubing bender stand comes from how the bender works. When operating a manual bender, you actually use leverage of the long handle and the torque multiplication of the notched ratcheting bar design against the bender stand and the bolts that hold it to the floor of your shop. Getting a bender that is portable and stowable requires the bender to be a powered hydraulic unit which also happens to cost much, much more than a simple manual bender. Working wage and frugal racers are in luck though, because a little company that specializes in Jeep gear and fabrication tools named Swag Offroad, just happens to make kits to convert your manual bender into a trick air over hydraulic powered bender. They have “you weld” formed
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On the left is Alicia manually bending from our original 2016 article. Fast forward to our new upgrade and she’s chillin’ while bending.
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To start this project, I needed to extent the bender’s platform base to give it a bigger footprint and add wheels to make it easy to move around. I used an old bed frame to make the new platform. This will keep the bender from tipping over when it has a longer piece of tubing in it. The caster wheels came from an old tool box. The casters were welded to the end of each rail piece so that the bender would sit flat on the rails and not roll unless the bender is tipped up. The rails were then welded to the bender base. For extra stability, I later added a fold out leg for the side that sometimes has long tubing hanging off.
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The 2 bolts that mount the bender to the stand are removed which also allows the bending handle and ratchet bar to be separated from the bender. Those parts will no longer be needed. The bender is now ready to convert to hydraulic.
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The machined ram mount clamp kit from Swag Offroad comes with everything you need for the conversion except the bender and a hydraulic ram cylinder. They also include a heavy bracket that you can use to mount your bender to a roller cart or build your own custom stand.
steel kits for $130, pre-welded formed steel for $165 and the newer machined clamp kit like I ordered for $210. They all use an inexpensive 8 ton air over hydraulic ram that can be picked up at Harbor Freight Tools for less than $100. The new machined clamp kit has the advantage of positioning the ram cylinder better by moving it inboard compared to the formed steel clamps. Follow along to see how for about 300 bucks, bending in my shop just became a much easier task!tually was a bit pricey and a chore to install. www.rpmmag.com
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The Swag Offroad kit was designed around the inexpensive Pittsburgh 8 ton air over hydraulic ram. You can use any brand as long as it is 80mm at the end of the cylinder where the clamp goes. Most rams are larger diameter and won’t work and these are less than $100 and sometimes cheaper when on sale.
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Before installing the ram onto our bender, we need to remove the pump handle mechanism. To get it off, just remove the cotter pins from the 3 dowels, the dowels pins lift out and the pump handle mechanism falls off.
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Following Swag’s instructions, reinstall one dowel adding the supplied large washer into the lowest hole. This will be the anchor point for the return spring later.
11 Remove both left side bolts and spacers from the bender. Reinstall an inner one, hooking one end of the Swag Offroad return spring. The outer bolt and spacer will stay out for now, but keep your bolt for a later step.
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Swag gives you a piece of steel flat stock and 2 longer bolts as tools to spread the clamp apart for sliding it onto the ram. Using a flat head screwdriver, spread the clamp enough to get the steel shim started and tap into place using a hammer. Be careful not to knock it in too deep or it will prevent you from getting the clamp slid over the ram body. Once the shim is in place the two long bolts are started on the threaded side of the 2 outer bolt holes.
14 Install the ram using the outer holes on the right side of the bender. The long threaded mount on the ram goes down since it will go all the way through your bender stand. You can put the top nut on but do not install the bottom nut until the bender is mounted to your stand. Make sure you have it oriented so that the thumb screw is facing up.
15 Turn the ram shaft so that the hole is running vertical to line up with the left outer hole in the bender that was left open earlier. Use the stepped spacers from the Swag kit and your old bolt to mount the shaft to the bender.
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Tightening them pushes into the shim and spreads the clamp even further. Only turn the screws in far enough to allow the clamp to go onto the ram cylinder. It goes on just past the chamfered part of the ram body. The short threaded mount on the clamp is aligned with the thumb screw on the other end of the ram. Remove the long bolts and tap out the steel shim and then you can install the 3 short bolts securing the clamp.
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Now for today’s workout. Pull the return spring bundle to the dowel pin and washer at the base of the ram and hook it with the carabiner at the end. Warning - This thing has some serious tension! I let mine slip and knocked down the wall, totaled 2 cars and killed the neighbor’s cat.
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Mounting the bender back onto the stand could be difficult without another set of hands. It isn’t hard to set in place but you will need both hands to bolt it down and another set to hold the bender up.
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Here you have the finished product. I will need some Woodward Fab blue to paint the new rolling base to match.
No more pulling the bar, stop, walk around the bender to
20 check bend angle, go back, bend a little more, repeat. Now
I can just stand at the degree gauge and watch the pointer move while leisurely operating the bender from the paddle switch on the air line. That right there is “movin’ on up” (to quote George Jefferson).
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The best part about this easy afternoon project is that now the bender can be wheeled away when you are done using it. Nobody puts their baby in the corner, but you can put your tubing bender there if you want. RPM
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Stainless Steel Valves and Combustion Temperatures An upgrade to performance valves is going to be money well spent Your engine relies on it’s valves to control the flow of air and fuel into the cylinder, seal the combustion in, and allow the spent exhaust gasses to exit. Seems simple enough, but engine rpm range, combustion temperature, exhaust gas temperature and other factors will place special demands on the valves, and as Mom used to say, if you can’t take the heat stay out of the kitchen. The choices available include stock valves, stainless steel valves and Titanium valves. Each has properties which are suited to particular applications. Stock valves are typically made from lower carbon steels, which work well in standard passenger car applications. Low carbon valves are actually harder than stainless steel at room temperature, but their strength decreases as combustion temperatures go up. Stock valves can often work in mild performance situations, but if an engine is showing signs of valve burning or premature valve failure, an upgrade to performance valves is going to be money well spent. Stainless steel valves, on the oth98
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er hand, increase in hardness and strength at elevated temperatures. Erson’s stainless steel valves are our most popular valves for street, dirt track and drag racing engines because of their ability to maintain their strength at high temperatures and their enhanced flow characteristics. They are available in two styles to suit varying levels of engine performance. Erson Sportsman Race (2000) Series valves are made from a one-piece forging of EV8 high strength stainless steel alloy. These valves are popular for street performance and sportsman racing applications. They are far superior to stock valves with much higher heat resistance. Erson 2000 Series onepiece stainless valves are popular for performance street use and sportsman racing.
Erson Competition (1000) Series valves are made from a one-piece forging of PS824 premium stainless alloy which can withstand temperatures up to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. Erson 1000 series valves are great for roller cam/high spring pressure applications and for higher temperature power adder use. Competition Series valves are recommended for roller cam applications or valve springs with 130 psi seat pressure / 450 psi open spring pressures or greater. These are popular valves for serious dirt track and drag racing engines, with alloys that can handle the high temperatures resulting from power adders. In addition to their superior high temperature durability, one of the advantages of using a high grade stain-
less such as EV8 or PS824 is that the margin on the valve head can be made thinner with less danger of cracking or burning, making for a lighter weight valve. Erson valve stems are hard chrome plated to reduce stem and guide wear. Chrome has the added benefit of microscopic surface pores that retain oil and help to reduce wear. Hard chrome plating is much thicker than flash chrome, making it far superior for valve stems because it is more durable and lasts much longer. Both 1000 and 2000 series stainless valves feature hard stellite tips, so that lash caps are not necessary. Stainless is not hardenable, so a hardened tip must be welded onto the stem to prevent wear, otherwise hard lash caps are required. (see photos A & B at right) Both series feature an undercut stem design which increases airflow and reduces valve weight by as much as 10%. The valve head is swirl polished and features a back cut which further improves the flow characteristics. For turbocharged, supercharged or nitrous engines, you may want to upgrade to an even higher temperature alloy exhaust valve for added protection. These applications may require Inconel exhaust valves. Inconel is a superalloy with high levels of nickel and chromium and a small amount of titanium, designed for use in highheat environments. It is also more dimensionally stable than steel under high-heat use, so it doesn’t tend to creep or grow as much at high temperature. Inconel requires high temperatures to perform correctly. The material is more brittle at lower temperature and becomes more elastic and stronger with elevated temps, so these are not a good choice for engines that will operate at a lower temperature. Titanium valves are designed to reduce valve train weight for high-rpm and extended high-rpm applications
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where valve weight is important and cost is not a consideration, as they are very expensive. However, for extreme-temperature situations such as blown, turbocharged or nitro engines, titanium may not be the ideal choice, particularly on the exhaust side. Titanium is also not a good choice for most street engines that won’t be torn down and serviced regularly. Stainless steel valves are the most commonly used types for the majority of performance and racing engines, offering great performance and durability at an affordable cost. Good quality valves which are correct for your application will be an investment you won’t regret. RPM
SOURCE:
www.pbm-erson.com 800-641-7920
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Big power small package We recently put the SH924 Shell 24,000mAh Jump Starter to the test and you might be surprised at the outcome...we were! By RPM STAFF
First, let’s clear the air, we are constantly on the lookout for products that RPM MAG readers would choose to add to their arsenal of tools and equipment. We don’t just review products, we test them, and if they fail to live up to what we feel is an expected level performance, we simply let the manufacturer know that their product may not be what it is cracked up to be, and you will probably never read about it in RPM. Our thinking is that why bash a product before we give the manufacturer an opportunity to make it better. On the flipside, if we test a really good product, even one that (in our opinion) could use some minor tweaks, we’ll write the review and note them in it. Now let’s get to the meat and potatoes of the Shell SH924 24,000mAh Jump Starter. We have a number of boost/power packs in the RPM shops as well as ones we carry in our work vehicles. Driving in two countries through most every type of weather over the past 22 years, it’s safe to say we have encountered more than our fair share of roadside fun. A few years back we reviewed two different “power/boost pack” products from one manufacturer and, while they did close to what they adver- The Shell SH924 Jump Starter includes instructions, charge adapter and USB cable for fast efficient charging of any device. 100
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tised during our first test, they failed miserably on multiple levels following that and now they are basically used as expensive phone chargers. In contrast, we also have “the ole standby” in the shop – a 7 year old 20 pound full size boost pack – that has never let us down. We haven’t really been overly impressed with jump starters combined with battery chargers/maintainers and have had little use for air pumps and other accessories installed in some of the bulkier units. That’s not to say we’ve never used the pump or standard 12V “cigarette lighter” style plug in them, we have The SH924 booster cables are not overly long, and they don’t need to be. Because just found that we’re using those the unit is very lightweight at just 3.66 pounds it fits anywhere, plus the magnetic things far less frequently and prefer base creates a stable mount when boosting. When not in use the cables snap other options over them. securely in the rear pockets. The main thing we look for in a booster pack is power, plain and simple. If we need it, it better be able to boost our vehicle. Secondly, we want it to hold a charge for a long period so we don’t have to have it plugged in to a wall socket all the time to keep it topped up (we have one of those here, too). Anything past that is a bonus. So what does the SH924 offer and how does it fit into the reality of everyday life? Our test unit was the “big boy” (in power, but definitely not in size or weight) of the lineup and we quickly put it to work. The SH924 comes with an 18V 1A adapter and a Micro USB cable (for fast charge of any compatible device) and also boasts a built-in flashlight and emergency lights (SOS and red). With advanced safety technologies such as short-circuit, reverse polarity, over-current, RPM Magazine Puts the over-charge and overload protecShell 24,000mAh Jump tion, even the least tech-savvy folks Starter To The Test can use it safely. Our interest was in the high current jump start feature (our test mule boasts 1,000mAh www.rpmmag.com
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When powered on the SH924 displays a vertical series of LED lights on the lower left rear. The lower 4 blue lights indicate the level of charge in the unit. The green light goes solid once the cables are hooked correctly to the battery. The red LED will flash various codes if there is problem during a jump start, such as reverse polarity, low battery etc. 102
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Many times we’ve had to boost vehicles at night. The Shell SH924 has a powerful integrated LED front firing light that can illuminate the entire underhood area, or be used as a flashlight. There is also an SOS flashing white function and bright red light that can be used as a marker when parked on the shoulder of the road.
Start Current, 2,000 A Peak Current with an output voltage of 12V and operating temps of -4F to 140F), but we found a few other options that were welcomed additions in real world situations. As far as the boost power goes, we drained several of our vehicles batteries to below 10 volts and went to work with great results, but the most impressive was the comparison test on our 6.8L gas engine. It’s big, bad and likes to eat up booster packs and spit them out. Not the Shell SH924 though, and we’ve got the video to prove it. We drained the 6.8L to 9.6 volts and it wouldn’t even turn over. In fact, the interior lights were flashing dim and there was not even so much as a “tick” when we tried the ignition. We hooked up the Shell SH924 and voila, we were rewarded with an instant start. In contrast, under the exact same conditions we hooked up our former go-to booster pack and, while it started the 6.8, it labored with a slow crank and no start on our first attempt and a start on our second crank. Again, the video tells the whole story. As for those additional welcomed options; how about a magnetic base that solidly sticks the SH924 in place during operation, a neat and tidy small form factor (10.23 in. x 5.23 in. x 4.7 in.) and very, very light weight at just 3.66 pounds. “They must have field tested the Shell SH924 24,000mAh Jump Starter pretty thoroughly,” said RPM MAG product test specialist George Pich. “Our jaws literally dropped when we hooked the SH924 to our dead 6.8 liter gas monster and it turned it over with ease.” In short, the Shell Jump Starter pack we tested pinned the needle on the RPM MAG cool factor meter because quite simply, it did what it said it would do and more, and we like that here at RPM! You can find Shell Jump Starters at a lineup of fine retailers by simply plugging “Shell Jump Starters” into your browser search engine.
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SLIDING OUR LS INTO ITS NEW HOME AND PREPARING FOR STARTUP! BY JAY MISENER 104
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Four short months ago, in the June 2021 issue of RPM, we were able to get our bad boy naturally aspirated 440 cubic inch LS on the engine dyno at New Generation Engines. The results were impressive to say the least. We had hoped for and expected to make 2hp per cubic inch and when all was said and done it came in at 969hp, which works out to 2.2hp per cubic inch. Now, with our LS mill completed and dynoed, it was time to shift gears (pun intended) back to the car once again, first by installing the motor into our Homegrown COPO chassis. It’s been a busy spring, summer and fall at the shop, not to mention life stuff, so finding time to work on the project has been tough. Luckily my Apprentice and son Brenden was able to help.
As anyone that has built a car knows, balancing work, family and our projects in the garage can be a difficult task at the best of times. Having a good, dependable apprentice in the shop makes the world of difference, especially when he’s your son. Brenden has been a tremendous help on our Homegrown COPO, maybe he thinks he’ll get to see the driver seat?
WATCH IT RUN...CLICK HERE
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This 5th gen Camaro chassis is actually quite easy to work on with lots of room to get at everything. At first glance under the hood of a factory car it looks crowded, but without all the OEM equipment and covers, it really is spacious. Over the years we have worked on a lot challenging cars but it seems all the late-model muscle cars of today are becoming easier to work on again, with their larger engine bays and the COPO is no exception. With the engine dropped in, it was time to install the flywheel, clutch, QuickTime bellhousing and my personal favorite the Gforce GF5R clutchless gear box and Long V-gate shifter… oh yeah! The install of this equipment is pretty straight forward in this car, however, there were a
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couple of pieces that had to be modified and fabricated. The first item was the clutch fork. We needed to use a clutch fork from a 2000 Mustang as that’s what works best on the QuickTime bellhousing. We had to notch the fork a bit to gain clearance around the long style pressure plate that is used with the adjustable clutch and then had to brace it so it wouldn’t flex. Now, as many of you know the 5th gen Camaro actually uses a hydraulic clutch setup, but we don’t feel that is the best way to go on a drag car of this caliber, so we are using a mechanical clutch pedal and linkage kit from the fine folks at S&W Racecars. In a much earlier article we also used an S&W Racecars chromoly roll cage and over the years we have used many of their
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After the engine was in place, next up was the flywheel, clutch, QuickTime bellhousing, the Gforce GF5R trans and Long V-gate shifter. We used a 2000 Mustang clutch fork and modified it from there by notching and bracing it.
To make our work flow much easier, we ordered a mechanical clutch pedal and linkage kit from S&W Racecars. With some minor cutting and welding we were good to go.
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products as the quality is always top notch. Their clutch linkage kit is fairly simple to use if you have even some light fab skills like I do. The advantage of the mechanical linkage is you will get a true feel for the clutch and a more accurate adjustment. We have also mounted the battery under the hood. We mentioned this in a past article and have had a few people ask why we would do that, considering the weight of a battery. Rest assured there is method behind our madness. With a front mounting position, you don’t have to run large heavy cable all the way to the back of the car, plus we will not have to run a disconnect switch. You might notice that we are using a large battery tray that will hold a standard large size battery, but we’re only using one of those for mock-up and we plan on running a small lightweight battery. We’ll keep the big tray though, as it will fit most anything in case we get in a pinch and need to borrow a battery. Once that was all installed it was time to start finishing up under the hood and we turned our attention to a number of smaller items - we installed our Lokar throttle cable and bracket, got the remote oil filter mounted and lines ran to it, mounted the Moroso breathBe mindful of clearances when setting up the mechanical clutch, we were very happy with the finished product on ours. It looks tighter than it actually is.
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...It shouldn’t be long before we have the car running and rolling on its own, finally!
We mounted a full size battery tray that will accept the appropriate hold down hardware. This big heavy battery is just for mock up as we will be using a small lightweight unit for regular use.
er tank for our vacuum system, and we have started running some of the electrical for the starter, battery, Holley EFI etc. As I said, it’s been busy, but even with life and business tending to slow down the process of building something for ourselves, we are still rolling along and hope to have this thing fired up in the next couple weeks. With wiring for the fuel pumps, water pump, fan etc getting attention next, it shouldn’t be long before we have the car running and rolling on its own, finally! While we might miss the last days of suitable testing weather on our part of the continent, we’re lucky to have our own in-house chassis dyno to work some bugs out. We’re counting the days until we can say mission accomplished on Project Homegrown COPO, but we have to admit, the journey has been worth the destination as this car has surpassed what we imagined it would be.
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Next, we made a mount for our remote oil filter and trick Moroso breather tank for our vacuum system, and once we decided on final placement we ran the appropriate lines. We also mounted our Lokar throttle cable and bracket.
As you can see, the heavy lifting is pretty much over and we’ve got just a handful more items to wire after which we’ll do a complete once-over on the whole package and be able to start it and hit the chassis dyno.
The car sits perfect with the engine and trans installed. We might just make some testing this year yet, but with the Dyno in-house, we’d rather take it slow and if we have to wait until spring, well, it will make for a longer winter…after 5 years in the making, we’re itchin’ to get this amazing build to the track! RPM
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