RPM December 2015 by RPMMAG

V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..........TRISH BIRO trish@rpm-mag.com E-MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR................................IAN RAE ian@rpm-mag.com EVENT MEDIA DIRECTOR...........................RAYMOND KNIGHT events@rpm-mag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR.....SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpm-mag.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR...........................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpm-mag.com Photographic Contributions: TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, PETE “BOOMER” ORES, MARK goDragRacing.org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MIKE COSTIC, TARA BOWKER, JOHN ULMAN, KRISTAL COWLE, and LOUIS FRONKIER Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, TOMMY LEE BYRD, MARK goDragRacing.org, RAYMOND KNIGHT, TOBY BROOKS, BRIAN WOOD, PAT McGOWAN, TABITHA SIZEMORE, KRISTAL COWLE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, and GEORGE PICH Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, TIM BIRO

ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact

TRISH BIRO .............519.752.3705.......trish@rpm-mag.com Art & Graphics Director: Toby Brooks Special Events Managers: Chris Biro, Raymond Knight events@rpm-mag.com Special Events Sales: Trish Biro: 519-752-3705 trish@rpm-mag.com Subscriptions/Address Changes: Circulation circulation@rpm-mag.com General Inquiries: 519.752.3705 info@rpm-mag.com

MEET THE RPM TEAM

EDITOR IN CHIEF.........................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpm-mag.com

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed in 34 countries and can be found on popular newsstands in the USA, Canada and select newsstands in the UK. If you cannot find a copy near you please call 519-752-3705 or email circulation@rpm-mag.com To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpm-mag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519-752-3705. The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including; Race cars, Musclecars, Hot Rods and Street Legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including Fast Doorslammer and Outlaw forms of Drag Racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on-the-edge with regards to design and power! RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.

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RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 16 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@ rpm-mag.com. Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published. Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT Responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article. Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.

Publication Return/Address Change Information USA RPM MAGAZINE (USPS Periodical #023474) is published monthly 11 Times/year, except for a combined issue in January/February by USA Publisher’s Agent, 10387 Main Street, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030. Periodicals Postage Rate is Paid at Fairfax, VA and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: RPM Magazine P.O. Box 24020 Brantford, Ontario CAN N3R 7X3 CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL INFO AGREEMENT NO. 40045044 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CDN ADDRESSES TO RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO N3R 7X3 OVERSEAS RPM MAGAZINE P.O. BOX 24020 BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CAN. N3R 7X3

EDITOR’S RANT

Chris Biro

remebering

THE GOOD OLD DAYS...

o cap off an amazing 2015, instead of talking cars I wanted to re-publish one of my past Rants that seemed to get a lot of emotion stirred at the time. I’m sure we have all seen it in some form on the internet, but it’s one that makes us think of “the way things were,” or maybe that getting back to basics or adopting the grassroots approach isn’t such a bad thing sometimes. Or, it might just get a chuckle on a dreary December day, and that’s ok, too. Before you go on though, just to be clear, I am all for progress, innovation, science, better health, and moving forward, however, some things—read “some” things—just might make more sense the way we used to do them rather than the way we do them today. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this with the spirit in which it was written. Congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS to all those born in the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, white bread, and tuna from a can. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets—not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking! Mom didn’t have to go to work to help dad make ends meet— she worked only if she wanted to. We would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags, and riding in the back of a pick-up on a warm spring day was always a special treat, not a crime. If someone cut us off while driving we’d flip them the bird, and they would return the favor, without getting out a bat, knife, or gun at the next light. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. Take-out food was limited to hot dogs, fish and chips, and maybe a pizza. You didn’t line up at the drive-thru for your morning coffee but got up earlier and made it yourself. Even though all the stores closed at 6:00 pm and didn’t open on weekends, somehow we didn’t starve to death. We shared one soft drink with four friends from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We could collect bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy a whole bag of penny candy, sports cards, bubble gum, and some fire crackers. We ate cupcakes, white bread, and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in them, but we weren’t overweight because... WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We’d leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us, yet we were okay. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes! We’d hop-up our bikes with banana seats and long forks and didn’t need some guy on a TV reality

show of the month to tell us how to do it. We built tree houses and played in river beds with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. We did not have any video games at all, and when we did finally get them it was for occasional entertainment with the whole family. No 200 channels on satellite TV, no DVD movies, no surround sound, no personal computers, no internet, internet message boards and forums or social media, no cell phones or other handheld devices, and no texting—we did have friends though and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. We were given pellet guns, jack knives, and slingshots for our 10th birthdays. We played with toy guns that looked like real guns, only because it was cool. And every young boy wanted to be a policeman or fireman! At 13, we learned to drive the family car at the empty mall parking lot on Sunday. Christmas was Christmas not Xmas—no really it was! We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled out for them. Football, baseball, and hockey had tryouts and not everyone made the team. And those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that! Getting onto the team was a privilege based on merit and not due to special rules, threats, fear, or guilt. There were no football, hockey, or soccer moms and dads who cared more about their kids becoming the next million dollar star over just letting them play and have fun. Strange but true! If a company we bought something from made a mistake we gave them the benefit of the doubt and simply confronted them about it, and they either fixed it or they didn’t, and they would live with the word of mouth (good or bad) AFTER we gave them a shot at fixing it. We did not go on social media (because there was none) and smear the company’s name first. We did not talk back or we’d get spanked, and knowing that kept us in line (most of the time). Our teachers used to belt us with big sticks, rulers, or leather straps, and knowing that kept us in line (most of the time). And bullies always ruled the playground at school until someone stuck up to them. The idea of a mom or dad bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risktakers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 70 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we LEARNED how to deal with it all! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS! You were allowed to grow up as kids before the lawyers, governments and big businesses regulated our lives for our own good. You may want to let your kids read this so they will know how brave their parents truly are. Have a great holiday season and fantastic 2016!

“YOU MAY WANT TO LET YOUR KIDS READ THIS SO THEY WILL KNOW HOW BRAVE THEIR PARENTS TRULY ARE.”

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

ADVERTISER INDEX ACC Performance................... 86 Accufab Inc............................ 31 Aeromotive......................... 109 AFCO..................................... 78 Alan Johnson Performance (AJPE)................................. 11 Alston Race Cars.................... 34 Applied Racing Components (ARC).................................. 49 ATI Performance Products..... 26 Auburn Gear.......................... 46 Autoglym............................ 102 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 37 Bad Attitude Engines............ 92 Baer Brakes......................10, 50 BES Racing Engines............... 76 Bill Mitchell Products.......29, 58 Blower Shop............................ 5 Borla................................... 110 Browell Bellhousing.............. 64 BTE Racing............................ 19 C&C MotorSports................. 106 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 33 Canton Racing Products........ 20 CFE Racing Products.............. 13 Chassis Engineering...........8, 59 CN Blocks.............................. 20 CNC Motorsports................... 35 Coan Engineering.............22, 62 Competition Products........... 91 COMP Cams......................... 112 Crower.................................. 51 CVR Products......................... 25 DART..................................... 18 Design Engineering............... 24 Diamond Pistons................... 23 DIY Auto Tune/MegaSquirt EFI..................................... 86 Drive Train Specialists (DTS)... 79 Dynocologists...................... 101 Dynomite Dynamometer...... 92 Dynotech Engineering......... 109 Earl’s Performance Plumbing.89 Ed Quay Race Cars............... 107 Edelbrock.............................. 94 Energy Suspension.............. 103 Erson Cams............................ 61 Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST)............................. 108 Flowtech Exhaust/Karbelt... 101 G Force Racing Transmissions.27 Greyhound Package Expresss.98 GZ Motorsports..................... 58 Harland Sharp....................9, 57 Holcomb Motorsports........... 65 HoleShot Wheels................... 80 Holley...............................44, 52 Howards Cams...................... 93 Ian Hill Racing..................... 111 Induction Solutions............... 28 Innovate Motorsports............ 95 JE Pistons.........................83, 96 Jesel...................................... 76

JET Performance..................... 9 J&K Converters...................... 80 LenTech Automatics.............. 42 Lokar Performance Products. 48 LUCAS Oil Products.................. 2 Lucas Oil Racing TV................ 56 Lunati.................................... 84 Magnuson Superchargers...... 99 MAHLE Clevite Inc................... 7 Manton Pushrods.................. 61 Meziere Precision Mfg............. 8 Mickey Thompson Tires...... 7,13 Mile High Crankshafts........... 12 Miska Trailers........................ 45 MSD Ignition......................... 15 Neal Chance Converters....63, 77 New Century Performance.... 15 Nitrous Express...................... 83 Nitrous Pro Flow.................... 88 Nitrous Supply.................... 105 Parts Pro Perf Centers.......... 116 PBM Performance Products... 42 Performance Improvements.. 10 Perf. Plus Connection.......11, 50 Powermaster Performance.... 49 Precision Turbo/ProInjectors.. 87 ProCharger............................ 16 Proform Parts.................53, 100 Proformance Racing Trans..... 29 Pro Systems Carburetors... 47,98 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP).................................. 14 PTC........................................ 67 Quick Fuel Technology......... 107 Quik-Latch Products............ 106 Racecraft............................... 97 Racepak................................ 43 Racequip............................... 81 Renegade Racing Fuels......... 41 Rev-X Oil Products............60, 90 RJ Safety............................... 36 Ross Racing Pistons................. 5 RPM Magazine Subscribe!.114 S&W Race Cars.................... 113 Scorpion Racing Prods......27, 93 Shafiroff Racing Engines..12, 22 SM Race Cars......................... 89 Smith Racecraft..................... 66 Steve Morris Racing Engines. 21 Strange Engineering............. 30 Summit Racing Equipment. 115 Taylor Cable Products............ 83 TCI Automotive...................... 82 Ti64....................................... 43 Tom’s Upholstery................... 67 Trick Flow.............................. 17 TRZ Motorsports.................... 88 Tuned By Shane T.................. 18 VP Racing Fuels..............32, 104 WASP Cam............................ 99 Weinle Motorsports.............. 79 Weldon High Performance.... 85 World Products..................... 82

Made in aMerica & designed for: • STROKERS • NITROUS • TURBOS • BLOWERS • NaTURaLLy aSpIRaTEd Ross carries hundreds of proven, race winning, domestic and Sport Compact piston designs to fit virtually any engine combination. along with an extensive line of piston accessories and coatings, Ross has over 35 years of experience in the design & manufacturing of custom piston applications! Call or go online to see what Ross Racing pistons can do for you.

Custom / Stock Pistons

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

december 2015

Be sure to check out our Performance Directory on page 68!

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 16 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Racing WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!

THE SO Much Horsepower Packed Into One Place... That Place IS RPM Magazine!

RIDES

COVER STORY

Deluxe Boost.................................................................. 8 Jay Friedrich turned this $2000 Chevelle into a wicked street/strip warrior

Who’s the Boss......................................... 54

With a blown 547 cubic inch Shotgun Hemi, Jamie Pipher’s 1970 Torino calls the shots

The Maverick............................................................24 This 1974 Ford isn’t afraid to stand out from the pack!

SPECIAL BONUS! ................................................36 RJS discusses safety terminology to raise awareness of SFI standards and testing

..................................................................38 Building stuff just got easier thanks to our new Miller ArcStation

...............................................................................40 Making what it takes to go fast, from the ground up!

...............................................................................42

RATATAK....................................................................76

Mic Sites’ heavily-nitroused big block ’72 Cheyenne “crowd pleaser” pickup

Key Reduction: Open all your trailer locks with your truck key!

...............................................................................48 Finishing up the details and adding some in-shop entertainment makes our shop feel like home!

PROJECTS

THE

Engine Build Part 2........................................................90 Finishing off the bottom end and assembling our cylinder heads

....................................................................97 We install Bushwacker Pocket Style fender flares and new 20-inch Raceline wheels with BF Goodrich KO2 tires on our heavy duty tow rig project

Fabbed in the USA.......................................................106 Billet aluminum, chromoly, sheetmetal, and fiberglass are all flying across three states as progress continues on our 2016 pro street Mustang project

READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPM-MAG.COM

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

DELIVERING PERFORMANCE WITH INNOVATIVE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS

SMART PRO(duct) www.mahle-aftermarket.com

H-Series performance bearings have high crush for better seating

Clevite® engine bearings have a precision wall tolerance of +/- .00015“ with strong, extra thin overlays to withstand high loading

All Clevite® engine bearings are manufactured on OE equipment, using OE knowledge

Visit us at PRI booth #1601

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

Chassis Engineering’s Four-Link Suspension and Subframe Kits

(Square & Round Tube Avilable) • Mandrel bent 2” X 3” frame rails, .083” or .120” • 1-3/4” x .134” round tube rails • 1-3/4” or 1-5/8” x .083” chromoly rails • Adjustable lower shock mounts • Strange Engineering aluminum coil overs with springs • Four-link of your choice • 4130 chromoly rod ends • Drive shaft loop • Bolt-on diagonal link • Upper shock cross member

NOTES: Rear end housing not included. Fabricated 9” and Dana housings available. Available welded or unwelded.

Starting from $1,484.95 Call for more details

(800) 208-1755

Meziere.com

Crafted in the U.S.A.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

The chassis prof30esyesioarnas ls for over

Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 Info & Tech: 561-863-2188

chassisengineering.com

story by

George Pich

“I

bought the car in 1986 while I was a sophomore in college,” said Jay Friedrich of his 1966 Chevelle Deluxe. “It was an all original six-cylinder car with 48,000 original miles.” That Chevelle would only make it one more year with the six in it as Freidrich was working feverishly after school and any chance he could, saving up his cash for the parts needed to convert it to a big block. “I graduated and got a job and then did my first big block Chevy

photos by

Pete Ores

swap when I went to a 396 in the Chevelle. And then another 396, a 427, then a 582 naturally aspirated, and one more time to the current 582 ProCharged set up,” he laughed. Jay has admittedly been hooked on cars and drag racing since the late eighties, even before he bought the Chevelle, and while he may have taken a slight bend in the road to focus on the show car scene for a while, with an Olds Cutlass he built, he quickly grew bored of not being able to enjoy the horsepower side of his hobby. “I built the Chevelle to be a street/strip car from the start,” he said. “I raced it in Super Chevy Sunday back in 198991 and I also crewed for one of my best friends who raced NHRA Comp Eliminator for 10 years. He currently races Top Dragster and Super Stock and our shops are together, so it’s

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

DELUXE BOOST

NOT YOUR EVERYDAY CHEVY While the six cylinder mill has long since been replaced by big block motivation, the Chevelle 300 Deluxe remains a pretty rare animal.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

pretty safe to say that horsepower and racing have been in my blood for many years.” The transformation to what the Chevelle is today was not a continuous project though, as Friedrich needed some time in between iterations to focus on family. “After I blew up the 427 in 2000, I put the car in storage for 10 years while my kids were growing up, but

when the itch came back (in 2010), I got the car back out and spent the next two years going through everything in the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, interior, wiring, etc. to get it ready for big power,” Friedrich explained. What makes this particular Chevelle special at first glance is the fact that it is a 300 Deluxe sedan

rather than a hardtop, but that’s not where its unique qualities end. “The paint is still from the 1970s and the car still retains 90% of its original interior except for the carpet, front seats, and cage,” he added. The motor now installed between the rails of the mid-sized Bowtie is a Steve Schmidt built pump gas 582-inch big block.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

XLRATINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHEVELLE No wheelie bars here, but the chute gives some clue as to what the capabilities might be.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

DELUXE BOOST

AWWW RATS... The 582-inch big block was originally built by Steve Schmidt and run for two years naturally aspirated at 865 horsepower, that is until Jay took part in the RPM Mag/10” Wide Cruise & Match Race. After that he knew he wanted to have an 8-second real street car! Jay ran the engine for the first two years naturally aspirated and, after participating in the RPM Magazine/10”-Wide Cruise & Match Race in Wisconsin, decided to step it up a notch… or two! “It made 865 horsepower at the crank and was lots of fun,” told Friedrich. “But in 2012 I participated in the Gus’s Drive-In cruise and match racing the next day

RULE THE

at Great Lakes Dragaway and all the 8-second cars were so amazing that I knew that’s where I wanted to be. I originally planned to go with nitrous oxide and I actually even put a plate kit on the car, but never used it. At some point, before I used the nitrous, I decided to go with a ProCharger which took another two years to accomplish.”

STRIP

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

DELUXE BOOST ON THE NOSE The low stance and 4-inch Glasstek cowl hood give this Chevelle the respect that a true street car with over 1,100 horsepower commands.

BILLET PRODUCTS THAT YOU CAN’T DO WITHOUT! BILLET TIMING POINTERS

One of the lightest pointers on the market! mar Fully CNC-machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum. All pointers have a 4 degree range of movement for finding that precise timing location. Stainless steel fasteners included.

BILLET SHIFTER HANDLES / PISTOL GRIP KNOBS

Universal shifter handles made from a solid piece of aluminum and machined to a stylish lightweight design. All handles have an anodized finish and are a available in either clear, or black. The top of the handle is equipped with a stainless 3/8”-16 stud and jam nut for easy shift knob installation. These lightweight pistol grip shift knobs will compliment any shift handle on the market. Kit includes hardware to mount 3/8”-16, 3/8”-24, or 7/16”-20 thread types.

www.prpracingproducts.com

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

LS PERFORMANCE

The most cost effective solution to mounting an electric water pump to your LS engine. These LS adapter kits are designed to mount a big block Chevy electric water pump to the front of your late model LS. Each adapter is O-ring sealed and comes complete with stainless steel mounting hardware.

268 Geiger Road • Philadelphia , PA 19115 Phone: (215) 969-3550 Fax: (215) 969-3548 Email: info@prpracingproducts.com

PACK LIGHTLY....THE TRUNKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALMOST FULL The trick combo fuel cell/water tank is a Chiseled Performance piece. Just like the rest of the car, the trunk of the Chevelle is clean and the high quality of work is clearly evident here as well.

The original chrome and trim are outstanding, and keeping the factory 230 badges is a nice touch!

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

DELUXE BOOST Out came the 582 for a teardown to double key the crank and reassemble it for the blower drive. Also during this most recent transformation, the 8.50 certified cage was

installed along with an intercooler mount, cold side plumbing, parachute mount, and Friedrich redid the entire fuel system and added a new SFI-cased Powerglide transmission with PTC

BULLETPROOF? Darn close! Check out the heavily fortified TRZ fabricated 9-inch rear diff out back.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

Win Big.

Trick Flow’s new PowerPort ® 365 aluminum cylinder heads were designed and built for you to win races. These new extreme performance race heads for big block Chevy engines flow a massive 424 cfm @ .900" lift. The high-strength castings can withstand enormous amounts of compression and RPM. Rectangular-shaped 365cc CNC Competition Ported runners, 119cc heart-shaped chambers, CNC bowl blended valve seat transitions, 24° intake valve angles with 4° side cants, and the highest quality valvetrain components help make PowerPort 365 heads the best choice for your car. Use PowerPort 365 heads on your engine and turn your goal of winning into reality! Dyno Results PowerPort 365

Test Engine: 14.3:1 compression 572 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 cylinder heads (TFS-4141T804-C02), solid roller camshaft (285°/296° @ .050"; .918"/.874" lift; 114° lobe separation), 1.7 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms, Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold (TFS-41400111), Holley Gen 3 Ultra Dominator 1,250 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow by Stainless Works headers (TFS-UBBC225238), 3½" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers.

1511RPCT

www.rpm-mag.com |

2015

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

GIVE YOUR FORD

POWER!

SHP SMALL BLOCK FORD ENGINE COMPONENTS DESIGNED FOR STREET, STRIP AND HEAVY DUTY APPLICATIONS

SHORT BLOCKS

• Available in 347, 363 and 427 C.I.D. • Built with SHP Cast Iron blocks • Assembled with your choice of cast or forged components • Balanced, blueprinted, CNC honed and assembled by Dart in-house engine professionals

TOP END KITS VISIT DART AT THE 2015 PRI SHOW – BOOTH 2211

248.362.1188 | DARTHEADS.COM

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

converter. And hey, why stop there, may as well address the rear diff and suspension as well. The 12-bolt and existing

suspension were swapped out with a TRZ Fab 9 nineinch, TRZ control arms and anti-roll bar. Of course the

gears were knocked down to a 3.50 ratio pro gear set that were installed in a Dewco case with lightweight spool

DELUXE BOOST

CLASSIC MEETS CONTEMPORARY Inside you’ll find mostly factory equipment except for a pair of race buckets, some gauges and of course the cage to keep Jay safe. We love the original steering wheel, dash and door panels! Jay wanted to be able to cruise with a car load of passengers so he placed the air/ water intercooler under the dash, leaving just enough leg room for the co-pilot.

800-626-1828 www.bteracing.com Bill Taylor Enterprises 2 Memphis Avenue • Mt. Pleasant, MS 38649 Some Parts Not Legal for Sale or Use on Pollution-Controlled Vehicles

ASSEMBLED POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSIONS re Signatuoduct r Racing P

Top Sportsman / Top Dragster FEATURES: New BTE Magnum SFI Approved Case, Ringless Vasco Turbo Spline Input Shaft, Mega Racing Band, Two Ring Servo, Performance Servo Spring, Coated Deep Aluminum Pan, BTE Straight Cut Gear set (Available in 1.80, 1.98, and 1.69 ratios), Roller Tail housing/Rear Cover, New BTE High Volume Pump, Roller Governor Support, 10 clutch drum, BTE Top Sportsman High Pressure Transbrake Valve body, Dyno-tested.

$359599 Bracket Powerglide FEATURES: 1.76 Gear set with 4340 forged output shaft and housing, Steel Clutch Hub w/ 5 clutch pack, Rebuilt Pump, Two ring servo, BTE Bracket Transbrake Valve body, Kevlar lined Band, Dyno-tested.

$84995 www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

HAULIN’ THE LAUNDRY The parachute is quickly removable for hassle-free street cruising, but I think we’ll all agree, keep it on Jay!

and 40 spline gundrilled axles. “It’s my first and only muscle car,” explained Friedrich. “I have owned the car longer than anything in my life and it has been with me more than half my life. Being a 300 Deluxe is different and even though they were the cheapest Chevelle, they are pretty rare with only

9,176 6-cylinder 300 Deluxes built. They are also lighter than the hardtops and this car is 3,340-pounds as it sits ready to race with the ProCharger. This current build took about five years in all to compete and I am pretty proud to say that that I did 90% of the build myself with the help of

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

DELUXE BOOST

TAKE THIS RAT AND BOOST IT! The F2 ProCharger and tubing fit snuggly under the hood and the attention to detail here will rival any show queen!

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

JAY FRIEDRICH’S 1966 CHEVELLE 300 DELUXE STREET/STRIP Chassis type & mods: Stock chassis and frame with 8.50 ET legal chrome moly cage. Removable parachute through license plate. Fabrication work by Hallowell Custom Fabrication. Suspension: FRONT: Stock-style suspension with AFCO double-adjustable BNC shocks and Santhuff springs. REAR: Stock-style with TRZ control arms, TRZ Anti roll bar, AFCO double-adjustable rear shocks by Mark Menscer and BMR 2-inch lowering springs. Body & Paint: Original color and body with Glass Tec 4-inch cowl fiberglass hood. Engine: 582 BBC originally built by Steve Schmidt in Indianapolis. 4.600 bore x 4.375 stroke. Dart Big M block, Edelbrock Victor 24 degree heads ported by Steve Schmidt, Manley valves, Steve Morris custom blower cam, Competition Cams springs and roller lifters, Crane Gold rockers and stud girdle, Milodon oil pan, Innovators West blower balancer and crank trigger. Rotating Assembly: JE 4.600 pistons (10.5:1 compression ratio), Manley rods, Callies crank. Engine made 865hp on pump gas naturally aspirated. Induction: ProFiler Sniper intake, C&S blow-through aerosol carb, Holley 1800 billet fuel pump, Aeromotive regulator (combo fuel cell/water tank by Chiseled Performance). Fuel Delivery: Aeromotive regulator, Waterman cable drive fuel pump. Power Adder: F2 ProCharger with Frozen Boost A/W intercooler under dash (5 gal water tank with Rule 2000 pump). Electronics: MSD 7531 ignition, MSD Coil, Firecore plug wires, NGK A/F Meter. Transmission & Converter: Powerglide with JW Case and bellhousing that came out of an X275 drag car. PTC 9.5” converter. Differential: TRZ FAB 9-inch housing, 40 spline gun drilled Strange axles, 5/8 studs, Dewco aluminum center section and Dewco lightweight spool. 3.50 Richmond pro gears. Exhaust: Lemons 2 1/4” primaries 4” collectors, Borla XR1 mufflers. Brakes: Wilwood 4-piston discs on all four corners. Wheels and Tires: FRONT: Pro Star 15x3 front wheels with Mickey Thompson 26inch front runner tires. REAR: (RACE) 15x10 Pro Stars, 28x10.5 bias slicks. (STREET) 15x8 Pro Stars, 295/55/R15 ET drag radials. Thanks: “First of all I couldn’t have done this without my wife Amy’s support with the hours and investment. Also, I want to thank all of my friends for lending an extra set of hands. Thanks to Brian, Earl, Mike, Duane, BC, Chris, and Barry for all the help (fab work, welding, engine assembly, hours of help, etc). Also, thanks to Roger Huddleston at C&S Carbs for the tuning and Hallowell Race Cars for the fab work.”

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

DELUXE BOOST

SET UP TO HOOK UP... Jay’s Chevelle is a true street car that can also play on the strip and out back the stock-style suspension is commanded by AFCO double-adjustable shocks. some friends. I only outsourced the original 582, chrome moly chassis work and cold side plumbing.” During this past summer, Friedrich made 1148 ft/lbs of torque and 1100 rwhp on the chassis dyno

with a paltry 13 pounds of boost at only 6,300 RPM. Later on, near the end of September a few test hits at the track netted mid 5’s in the eighth with ease, so the best is definitely yet to come. “We had a very safe

tune on C16 fuel when we had it on the dyno, and we picked the hottest day of the year—93 degrees in St Louis—I think I lost 10 pounds!” he continued. “But the slicks were wadding up and we had to stop at 6,300. Hope-

WE SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE... Say it slowly and mind the hyphens… “Acceleration.”

fully the best memories with the car are in the near future. We definitely have some sorting out to do—learning the power management has been a challenge, plus there’s so much to learn about shock and suspension

tuning with this level of power. I can say though that I have thoroughly enjoyed the project over the years, working on the car is my stress relief and what challenges me!”

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Call today: 586.792.6620 or visit diamondracing.net www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

Kristal Cowle

story by

an Bosco, just like the name of his Outlaw Limited Street “Maverick” suggests, isn’t scared to cross the line of conformity. No stranger to cars growing up, Bosco’s dad always had something that would turn heads in the driveway. For Dan though, there was nothing like the thought of going fast in a drag car, which is why he attributes his love of racing to his uncle.

“My dad always had a cool car, but my uncle Mark was the one that really gave me the go-fast bug as a kid. He had an all-out drag car, which couldn’t have been cooler to me!” explained Bosco. Dan has been racing since the age of 17 and just two years into it he bought his first race car—a 1988 Ford Mustang GT which ran mid-thirteens at the time. It may not have been an all-out drag car like uncle

photos by

Mike Costic

Mark’s, but Dan loved the Mustang nonetheless. Sixteen years later, when it came time to part ways with the ’Stang, it was still a bonafide street car, only now it was running 10.30’s…not too shabby at all! It was time to move on, though, time to step up his game, it was time to take those boyhood dreams of a dedicated all-out drag car and finally make them reality! Not only that,

but it was also time to stray from the norm. “I loved that Mustang but it was time to be different,” said Dan. And what better way to be different than to build

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

Chris Riniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nitrous Assisted Pro Mod ran a best of 3.75 & 199 MPH using an ATI T400 Outlaw Lock-Up, Outlaw Converter, Max Duty Super F and Super Damper!

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THE MAVERICK BETTER BITE

STEEL SKINNED

Since our photoshoot, Bosco has moved up to the wider Mickey Thomspon 10.5W tire, and the results were immediate.

The car is mostly original steel. Not that there’s much choice, I mean who makes 1974 Maverick fiberglass these days?

a car that had that very meaning its name. Three years ago Dan began the search for his “something different” and that search led him to Michigan and to his 1974 Maverick. The car had been advertised as “race ready” but it was clear to Dan once he

got there that it would need a lot of work. Still, not so bad of a deal as it was after all, a real 1974 Maverick Grabber. The deal was struck and the Maverick found its way to Dan’s garage, and so began a three year journey to take his dream to reality.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

THE MAVERICK

MOUTH OF THE MAVERICK Bumpers were converted to smaller versions by the previous owner and the chin spoiler keeps the frontend planted at high speeds. The large grille area provides plenty of airflow for adequate cooling.

Visit any given drag strip on any given night and you will no doubt find the lanes full of Mustangs, Camaros and Novas, to name just a few, but Mavericks? One or two at best. And to build one into an Outlaw Limited

Street class race car takes it about ten steps further. Outlaw Limited Street (OLS) takes care of business by making as much horsepower as possible and brutally slamming it down to the track on a 10.5-inch tire.

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28 december 2015 | RPM Magazine

STEALTH MODE The all matte-black paint coupled with the black anodized and machined wheels lends a sinister appearance that is hard to beat. The big fabricated rear wing and long wheelie bars complement the look, but they aren’t just for show!

DAN BOSCO’S 1974 FORD MAVERICK OUTLAW LIMITED STREET Chassis type & mods: Four link, back half car. Stock front frame rails, firewall and floor. 7.50 certified. Steel doors, 2900 pounds with driver. Suspension and Brakes: FRONT: Double-adjustable Strange front struts. REAR: Four-link setup with Penske shocks. Shocks and struts were done by Chris Bell at Kinetic Engineering. Body & Paint: Factory steel, satin “hot rod black” paint. Engine: 434ci Windsor-based small block Ford stroker. Yates C3 heads. 13.7 compression. Dart Iron Eagle block. 4.155 bore. 4-inch stroke. Jesel timing belt, Jesel rockers, Jesel lifters, Trend 7/16 pushrods. T.E.A. modified and assembled cylinder heads. Camshaft spec’d out by Sam Vincent at Vincent Performance. Rotating assembly: Callies Magnum 4-inch crank. GRP aluminum rods, Wiseco pistons, King bearings. Machine work by Michaels Machine in Macedonia Ohio. Assembled by owner. Induction: Edelbrock 2863 (9.2 deck) intake manifold with an 1150 APD Dominator-style carburetor. Power Adder: Two Induction Solutions direct port nitrous systems flowed by Steve Johnson.

And if you spent this past summer checking out some of the small tire heads-up insanity around the Northern Ohio area, then chances are good you came across

Dan Bosco’s sinister satin black Maverick. Dan had his hands full with the build and staying on budget, but still basically had to rebuild the car almost

bumper to bumper, or at least everything in between. There was nothing sleek, sexy or lightweight about the original factory bumpers on the 1974 Maverick

Electronics: MSD digital 7, Edelbrock 71900 progressive controller. Transmission & Converter: Marco Abruzzi Powerglide with Abruzzi converter. Differential: Braced Ford 9-inch housing with 4.30 Strange pro gears. Performance: 5.04 @ 140 mph eighth-mile (Less than fifteen passes on car to date).

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

THE MAVERICK and the previous owner had already done a conversion to smaller ones. Along with that, a roll cage was started and rear tin work completed, but the rest of what you see today is all Dan and his crew. The definition of Maverick also includes “an unorthodox person but one who’s unorthodox tactics gets results.”. While powering a drag car with a small block Ford is definitely far from unorthodox, putting it in a 1974 Maverick definitely is as parts for these cars are just not that plentiful these days. But as atypical as the body style is, using a healthy dose of Induction Solutions nitrous oxide will certainly get Dan results.

WICKED DOWNFORCE The cool scalloped fabricated rear wing helps keep the rear of the car in place during runs. This original Maverick Grabber is a dedicated race car and has not seen street duty in a long time.

BACK NINE The classic Ford compact has been backhalved with a 4-link suspension and a braced Ford 9-inch housing dampened via a pair of coilover shocks.

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

GETTIN’ THE GO FROM FOMOCO A nasty little 434-cube stroker small block Ford mill takes up the real estate under the hood.

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THE MAVERICK An owner-assembled Dart-blocked, Yates-headed 434 cubic inch stroked Windsor-based Ford powers the Maverick, and has been backed by an Abruzzi powerglide transmission and converter. A Callies Magnum 4-inch crank spins GRP aluminum rods and Wiseco pistons and when all is said and done the small block sports a nice and crispy 13.7:1 compression. A braced nineinch Ford rearend is packed with a set of Strange 4.30 pro gears and

heavy-duty race axles to take the hard hit of the nitrous. Interior and exterior treatments are spartan. Inside, Dan has a host of gauges and electronics within reach- an MSD digital 7 and Edelbrock 71900 progressive controller—while a tin dash and door panels cover what’s needed. Dan’s additions to the cage are evident and were required to certify the chassis for 7.50 quarter-mile elapsed times. The car still retains its factory

SMALL BLOCK, BIG SQUEEZE OF N20... A Dart block is complemented by a toughas-nails rotating assembly and topped by Yates heads, an Edelbrock intake and APD 1150 Dominator style carb. Meanwhile, twin Induction Solutions direct port nitrous systems feed the small block a healthy dose of juice that enables Dan to play with the big blocks of Outlaw Limited Street.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

THE MAVERICK

SAFE AND UPDATED NOT SO STOCK INSIDE FOR THIS OUTLAW... No original equipment left hereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even the dash and door panels are tin. Gauges, electronics, a race shifter, and other necessities of a small-tire drag car take up most of the interior. In the passenger side, a pair of Induction Solutions nitrous bottleshave been mounted to provide ample supply for the well-juiced small block Ford.

34 december 2015 | RPM Magazine

The Maverick was initially purchased with a cage and the rear wheel tubs seen here already installed, but Dan had the cage updated to meet a 7.50 quarter-mile ET certification.

DON’T STEER ME WRONG The front frame on the Maverick is factory original and the front suspension has been changed to adjustable struts with rack and pinion steering.

front frame section, firewall and floors but has been switched over to double-adjustable Strange struts with rack and pinion steering. The Maverick has been back-halfed to allow for the bigger tires and the rear 4-link suspension with coil over shocks. The body is mostly the original 1974 Maverick steel and the car has been coated with “Hot Rod Satin black.” Nothing fancy, but it keeps with the theme of the Maverick and gets the job done. The summer of 2015 finally came for Bosco after three long years of saving money, buying parts, and wrenching, and it was finally time to get some good seat time in the Maverick, but Outlaw Limited Street is no cakewalk! Competition can be fierce in this small tire,

high-horsepower playground so going rounds while figuring out a new car and new combination would be a handful at the best of times. Impressively though, Bosco’s small block held its own in a field riddled with nitrous-fed big blocks, and with less than 10 passes, a best eighthmile pass of 5.21 @ 135 mph was the result. A solid early number yes—but not enough to play with the big dogs in OLS. Bosco needed to put more power into the combination and move to a tire that could handle it. The decision was made to swap out to a set of Mickey Thompson 29.5 10.5W tires, and right off the trailer at the very next event with the new skins, Bosco and his team knew they were headed in the right direction. The car qualified #2 putting up a 5.04 @140 mph!

Bosco is very optimistic going into the off season.“When going up against mostly big block nitrous cars, it’s cool to have a fast small block. I am pretty confident we will be in the 4’s next season,” he said. A great racer never forgets who helped get him there and Dan wanted to thank those who have stuck with him for the past three years in getting the Maverick from dream to reality. “I want to thank my uncle Mark Meredith, Nate Inbody, Jason Emming, and Tim Meredith who have all helped me on the car. Also thanks to Randy Minadeo for helping me with the chassis, but none this would have happened without my cousin Mike Meredith spinning wrenches with me on and off the track, thanks Mike!”

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM EXCLUSIVE

MAX-OUT ON SAFETY WHENEVER POSSIBLE >> RJS discusses safety terminology to raise awareness of SFI standards and testing

Steve Coccaro G.M. RJS Racing Equipment

or our initial Safety First article we are going to discuss testing and T.P.P. (Thermal Protective Performance) ratings and what classification you need to be safe. Let’s face it, drag racing is a dangerous sport and the biggest fear on just about every drivers mind is fire.

FABRICS AND RATINGS

There are many different types of fire resistant fabrics available but FR Cotton, Aramid, Nomex and Kevlar Nomex blend are a few of the most commonly used fabrics. The materials used are not as important as the combination of materials. For instance, to reach an S.F.I. rating of 3.2A/5 commonly called a “dual” or “triple” layer combination of materials, a 6x6 inch square of the combination of materials is put into a T.P.P. test

machine. The T.P.P. machine uses 9 quartz heat lamps and 2 Bunsen burners to create heat, both thermal and radiant. The test equation, “The Stoll Curve”, represents the energy required to create a second degree burn from the heat passing through the material. It is important to note that the actual exposure time to a second degree burn may be LESS due to the heat retained in the fabric after the heat source(s) is taken away. The equation consists of: Cal/cm2 (CALORIES PER CENTIMETER SQUARED) W-sec/cm2 (EXPOSURE PER SECOND PER CENTIMETER SQUARED), and the time it takes to intersect The Stoll Curve indicates the Thermal Protection Performance of the fabric(s). In the case of the 3.2A/5 fabric, the T.P.P. rating is a 19, which indicates that the time to create a second degree burn is 10 seconds. Therefore, all combinations of materials used on an S.F.I. suit, jacket or pants must pass this test to achieve the 3.2A/5 rating. The difference in materials used is based on

the manufactures preference for appearance, comfort, durability and cost, but nonetheless, all of the combinations had to reach a T.P.P. rating of 19 before being used. In shopping for 3.2A/5 suit you may find that some combinations of materials from various manufacturers will have actually achieved a higher T.P.P., but the rule is that all MUST have reached

that minimum T.P.P. of 19 (10 seconds of protection before second degree burns are possible) to qualify for the specific SFI rating.

TIME TO UPGRADE

So now let’s consider this; a car traveling at 55 mph takes 6 seconds to stop in perfect conditions. The average bracket drag car

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844-904-RACE (7223) december 2015 | RPM Magazine

that will require a minimum 3.2A/5 suit has an elapsed time of 9.99 seconds or quicker in the 1/4 mile. Say you’re going 150 mph and your engine blows up during the run, the car catches fire and you have to think fast, really fast. After the panic of the explosion you pull the chute, hit the brakes and 15 seconds later you’re stopped. The fire rescue crew is al-

Pit Mat

ready next to your car putting out the fire but you’re 15 to 19 seconds in with a fire suit rated for 10 seconds—the math doesn’t work, and the outcome can be pretty frightening. At RJS we believe strongly that in order to better protect drivers there is a need to update the required 3.2/A ratings by the sanctioning bodies in order to keep up with the advancing technology that make today’s cars faster.

that the average entry level drag car starts at about $15,000, but can easily reach upwards of $75,000. Also take into consideration that we’ll need a truck to tow the race car, a trailer to put the car on or in, $400 in extra tires, $150 in race fuel and I think you get the picture. The point is to buy the suit that will protect you best, not what will protect you least as a “minimum requirement”!

THE THE BOTTOM ECONOMICS OF LINE running THE EQUATION 9.99Iforyou’re quicker in the In looking at the total investment in our racing program we can say with confidence

quarter-mile you must have at least a 3.2A/5 suit, however, YOU have the option to

wear /10, /15 or even /20 clothing, so why wouldn’t you? After all, you are investing money in saving your hide, and not much money in comparison to what each of us spend on making more horsepower to go quicker and faster. Nobody can see the future but one thing I can promise you is that fire will not care whether you are the guy going 3’s in the top fuel car or the guys going 9’s in the bracket car! That being said, I will leave you with one more thought on this - we will all buy a better crank and bigger cam for our motor along with a bigger fuel pump than most fuel system companies suggest, maybe build

a beefier transmission and rear differential to handle far more power than we ever intend on having, but we’re wearing just the minimum rated fire suit and using just enough safety equipment to get through tech for the capabilities of our cars? You can learn more about the SFI Foundation along with their various studies and tests on materials used in protective clothing at: sfifoundation.com Race Smart. Race Safe. Race Again!

SOURCES SFI technical staff SFI website www.Truckingtruth.com

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM COOL TOOLS

Work Smarter and Fab Better with Miller >> Building stuff just got easier thanks to our new Miller ArcStation by

James Williams

hances are, if you are into high performance street machines or doorslammer drag cars, you fall into one of two categories: you either can fabricate parts yourself or you wish you could. Unfortunately, around the RPM Hardcore Horsepower Garage, our fab skills aren’t yet where we’d like them to be. As a result, we decided to start to solve that problem by setting up a new fabrication workstation thanks to our friends at Miller Electric and

WeldingSuppliesfromIOC.com. Eventually, we plan to learn to TIG and MIG weld, plasma cut various materials, and use a sheetmetal brake and bead roller. However, before we started working toward any of those goals, we needed a heavy duty and versatile work bench. Enter Miller Electric. We first selected a Miller ArcStation 30SX (MSRP $590), an entry-level 30x30 inch bench that features a sturdy 3/8-inch thick top with a unique X-pattern slot system for use with their exclusive clamps.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

After receiving the bench from Miller, initial assembly took about 45 minutes and we were ready to go. The legs and cross braces are manufactured from sturdy powercoated steel and the frame bolted together easily with the supplied hardware. The only real problem we had was the Miller catalog, as we realized that for just a few hundred dollars more we could double our workspace, add more storage, and equip our 30SX with all kinds of cool matching accessories. So we did. First, we ordered a 30S side workbench (MSRP

$466). This unit doubles the length of the unit and really increases the versatility of the bench if you have enough floor space in your shop to accommodate it. We also added a matching Miller 5-inch vise and post mount kit (MSRP $192), a 60-inch weld curtain kit (MSRP $165), additional accessory shelf kits (interior and exterior, MSRP $51 & $63), a convenience kit (MSRP $43), and one each of Miller’s cool ArcStation 6-inch and 5-inch benchtop clamps (MSRP $48 and $39.50 respectively). Basically the only add-on we

1 didn’t splurge for was the available three drawer tool storage unit (MSRP $217) and the available caster kit (MSRP $158), which we didn’t need. By the time it was all said and done, our grand total MSRP was $1,657.50, but after finding nearly everything on sale at WeldingSuppliesfromIOC.com, that total was $1,411.50. If you simply want the top-of-the-line from the start and don’t want to add pieces along the way as budget permits, you can purchase Miller’s 60SX unit (MSRP $1860), available for around $1,500.

1: Fully outfitted with almost every option, our now 60-inch Miller ArcStation has already come in handy for a number of fabrication tasks. We add a couple of non-upholstered/ non-flammable science lab stools we scored on eBay for $40 for the pair and we’ve been comfortably laying beads as often as possible. 4 & 5: Initially we thought 2 & 3: All items come well the 30SX would be packaged and ready for enough, so that’s all we assembly. Items like this ordered with our MIG, TIG, add-on shelf kit (3) can and plasma cutter units. always be purchased We added the Miller 5-inch later thanks to the modular bench vise with mount (5), construction. Although the but if you already have instructions were probably a suitable vise, you can good, as usual we chucked also pick up a Mount from them in the trash and tried Miller that will drop right our luck. It still went togeth- into the bench and bolt up er without a problem. to any standard mount.

6: With the 30S addition and a 60-inch weld curtain, our setup suddenly looked and felt much larger.

6 7 & 8: The unique X-cut top and Miller ArcStation 6- and 5-inch clamps work great for keeping your work in place, whether you are welding or not.

9: We added the convenience kit, which provides handy storage for wire brushes, MIG pliers, and a welding torch.

10: Our buddy Chris Stoughton dropped by to give us some TIG lessons using the ArcStation and our Miller Diversion 180.

After using it for a few months, we can honestly say that the best part of the setup in our opinion is the unique benchtop clamping system. It makes it incredibly easy to get your workpiece precisely where you want it and keep it there. We fired up our Diversion 180 Miller TIG to practice laying some beads and were thoroughly impressed with not only how well the bench worked but with how versatile it was. In retrospect, the extra $200 for additional drawer storage would probably be wise, as we’d have a good place

for our TIG pedal, cosumables, and even our protective equipment. The good news is thanks to the ArcStation’s modular design, we can always add those extra items in the future. While the pricetag for the 60SX may seem a little steep as an initial investment for a workbench, doing like we did and piecing together the welding bench of your dreams a piece at a time is an appealing option. With some more practice, we can hopefully learn to lay some beads worthy of such a superior welding bench!

SOURCES Miller Electric www.millerwelds.com 920.734.9821

WeldingSuppliesFromIOC www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com 866.854.7380

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM EXCLUSIVES

Renegade Race Fuels

GOOD THINGS BREWING Renegade Racing Fuels’ Owensboro, Kentucky manufacturing facility

>> Making what it takes to go fast, from the ground up!

ftentimes we buy products without really knowing what went into making them, or how that particular company even came to exist. This issue we’ll put the spotlight on Renegade Racing Fuels and take an inside look at the business of making what it takes to go fast. Of the many companies in the racing fuel business, Renegade Racing Fuels has been noticeably working on enhancing brand recognition, increasing industry market share, as well as

continuing to focus on their high level of customer care. Owner/ founder Toby Batiste gives us an inside look at where the company came from, the trials and tribulations of growth in such a competitive market, and where the company is headed. “I started Renegade in 1996 in my parents’ garage after I had a bad experience with a drum of methanol purchased the previous year,” explained Batiste. “Thinking back, without this happening, I probably would not be in the race fuel business today.” Following his experience, Batiste contacted

Coogle Race Fuels to place a 20-drum order and became a dealer. From there, he found and old Quonset building that was built in the late ’70s and enclosed it, added a concrete floor pad, and poured his own dike walls for bulk tanks. “I now had capacity for up to 50 drums and 10,000 gallons of bulk race fuel, and became a distributor for Torco Race Fuels. By the end of 1999, Renegade was the third largest distributor of Torco in the U.S.” he added. In 2000, Koch refinery offered Tony the opportunity to come on board and manage the race fuel distribution for a seven-state area,

and the venture went so well that in 2001 he merged his Renegade distribution with Valor, LLC so that he would have more time to manage such a large responsibility for Koch. “In 2002, Koch refinery decided to pursue a different direction in the petroleum industry and ended their race fuel manufacturing/distribution,” Batiste said. “So I met with Gary Emmick, the owner of Valor, LLC and we expanded our partnership into a full-fledged race fuel manufacturing division of Valor. Today, the Renegade Race Fuel division of Valor, LLC has a state-of-the art manufacturing facility in

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

BOSS MAN Renegade Racing Fuels owner and founder Tony Batiste

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

After purchasing a bad batch of methanol in 1996, Batiste started exploring options to source and sell race fuels himself. As a result, he initially founded Renegade out of this modest two car garage owned by his parents.

Owensboro, KY, and storage and packaging facilities in Bowling Green and Louisville, KY.” With Renegade’s market now nationwide and growing in the western half of the U.S., they have also taken on international distribution in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. “Even through all of this tremendous growth, Renegade still maintains its focus of taking care of the ‘grassroots’ racer,” stressed Batiste. “This is where I started, this is what got me into the business, and this is something I will always be committed to. Many times we get asked why we don’t

GROWING QUICKLY The garage might have provided a start, but Batiste and Renegade quickly outgrew the space. This building served as an intermediate office and warehouse, but it wouldn’t belong before racer demand and growing business dictated yet another move to a still larger facility.

GO FOR THE GOLD

Renegade oil has the highest ZDDP content available, critical for new engine life

STILL GROWING Renegade Valor Oil Plant sponsor big series or put up big contingency programs. Those programs are great for marketing a product, but ultimately the racers are paying for them through higher prices. Renegade would rather support all racers—not just the one who wins that night. This philosophy allows us to maintain better price points which helps keep more racers on the track enjoying what they do.” “We listen to our customers when making new product decisions,” added Batiste when asked about their product line. “We are very racer focused, so if there is a need for our racers, we will look at how to best meet that need without developing so many product lines that racers get confused on what product(s) they should be using. New products are developed based on demand. We evaluate the opportunity then do the necessary research to develop a potential product. Once a new product idea is solidified, we build several test blends that we send out to be dyno tested and evaluated by the same type of racers/engine builders for whom the products are designed. Once everyone is in agreement that we have met the need, then we will add that product to our lineup.” “All of our marketing is targeted toward the racer,” he added. “Our products are distributed through authorized distributors and dealers nationwide and are also available direct for those who are not close to a dealer/distributor. We look at the markets where our products are and the market areas we want to move into to make our decisions on advertising dollars. We try to balance print media with online media and also maintain an onsite presence at select events.”

Renegade has a complete line of racing fuels, lubricants and track treatment products. Racing fuels are available in leaded, unleaded, and oxygenated blends for most racing applications, including a racing-grade methanol. The Renegade line of racing oils are available in popular viscosities which maintain the highest ZDDP content available in a racing oil and are alcohol compatible. Rengade’s traction compound is a new product and is showing great results at tracks across the country. Renegade is also quite proud of its new “Renegade Reach” program that gives back to the communities it serves. The Renegade Reach program supports special causes in the markets its distributors serve through charitable giving and other support. Batiste explained, “One of the main focal points for the Reach program is specifically taking on childhood cancer. Where you see the new gold decals, think that ‘Gold is the new Pink!’” So what’s in the cards for Renegade Racing Fuels moving forward? “Quality and service is a big focus for us. To reinforce that focus, we are moving to our new “Gold Standard” where our product packaging will evolve to a logo with gold in it for all our package products and our new purple drums. We want our customers to know that we are committed to providing an unparalleled level of quality and service for their racing needs. There may also be an opportunity coming up to work closer with Nostalgia Funny Car. Also, while we currently have a high grade racing methanol available, we have been approached about adding nitromethane. There is a lot involved with that particular fuel, so I can’t say for sure if/when a decision will be made concerning that.” “The best advice I can give to those wanting to get into business? If you have a dream and a great idea—put a plan to it. Also, when people are discouraging, move them off your important list, because you CAN do it!”

GIVING BACK AND PAYING FORWARD The Renegade Reach program was established to support a number of local and national causes, including helping out the children and families dealing with childhood cancer. Here, the Renegade team visits Riley Childrens’ Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana where they distributed gifts to patients at Christmas time.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM QUICK TECH

KEY REDUCTION >>Open all your trailer locks with your truck key!

eing an actual obsessive compulsive, I am big on minimizing. I have the smallest wallet you have ever seen a grown man carry and I carry very few keys. Even my

Chuck Scott

1 house uses a digital keypad lock. I already had all my padlocks keyed the same but I still carried four keys just for the enclosed trailer and the padlocks were getting in bad shape.

I was looking to replace my padlocks due to rust and needed at least five locks keyed the same. This time I wanted something with a rubber cover to keep the lock from rusting internally. I had

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

1 & 2: The new Bolt padlock comes with a removable tab over the keyhole to ensure it has never been keyed.

already replaced two receiver pin locks in the last year due to failure from rust. The first one I couldn’t even get off and the second wouldn’t lock back up. I knew there had to be a better solution. Enter Bolt Locks. Bolt Locks come with a nice rubber outer cover that helps keep water, snow (for those more northern readers) and dirt out and they actually do not come with a key at all. You order your locks by the brand of vehicle you

drive. Yes sir, that’s right— is that trick or what? Once you have your new locks in hand, you simply insert your vehicle ignition key and turn it clockwise until it stops. Your lock is then keyed the same as your vehicle. I was able to replace all my padlocks, the truck’s locking receiver pin, the trailer’s locking coupler pin, and the cable lock for the generator. That is a total of four keys gone from my keychain, and pocket!

ACCURATE GROUND SPEED REGARDLESS OF WHEEL SPIN OR WHEEL STAND

3: To set the lock to your vehicle key simply insert your key all the way and turn it clockwise until it stops. The lock should pop open and you are ready to put it into service.

Add ground speed to any Racepak V-Net recorder or dash, utilizing our new GPS Ground Speed module. • Requires no externally mounting rpm sensor pick-up • Requires no calibration or special programming • V-Net plug and play installation simplicity

SALES@RACEPAK.COM / 949.709.5555 / WWW.RACEPAK.COM

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

Take control of three new engine platforms with Holley EFI plug and play kits. Tired of jumping through hoops and having to play tricks with the factory ECU? Welcome to the better way. Is your cam too wild for a MAF? No problem. Power adders? Bring 'em on. We've got integral nitrous and boost control. Ready to rock and roll with the awesome new Coyote or Gen III HEMI? We've got what you need with plug and play kits. It has never been easier to make your Ford or Mopar do exactly what you want.

• Ford Modular 1999-2004 4.6L and 5.4L 2 and 4 valve engines • Ford Coyote 5.0L (Locked VVT) 2011 to Present • Gen III HEMI

The Holley EFI Digital Dash is completely customizable with a variety of gauge and indicator screens that can be programmed to display any parameter you need. The dash also offers a virtual switch panel, user defined alarms, configurable shift lights and can control on screen playback of your EFI data logs.

Part Number

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553-106

Holley EFI Digital Dash

• Designed for the needs of Drag Racing, Road Racing, Street, Drift, Marine, Off Road and more • Weather-proof aluminum housing engineered to withstand harsh racing environments • 7" Low Glare, High Brightness, High Contrast, Full Color Touch Screen, 800x480 resolution & Auto Brightness • Plug and Play connection with all Holley EFI systems via CAN bus • Completely customizable display of all EFI parameters including every user configurable input and output available. • Quickly toggle between multiple active screens (tune, warm-up, race, drive, etc.) • Virtual Switch Panel (replaces the need for physical switches) • Configurable progressive shift lights and light bar • Optional harness available to add physical inputs and outputs to the dash that can be used to perform multiple operations.

www.holleyefi.com | Tech: 270-781-9741 Legal for use on Uncontrolled (Non-emissions Controlled) vehicles or racing vehicles. december 2015 | RPM Magazine

RPM QUICK TECH 4

6 4 & 5: The old locks on the enclosed race trailer back door had definitely seen better days (4). The rust had begun to make them very hard to lock each time, I would have to practically beat them shut. The new padlocks from Bolt Locks should last for years without internal rust due to their rubber covering (5).

5 6: If I lose the key to the coupler pin now, I have bigger problems than getting the trailer unhooked. Having a locking coupler pin not only helps prevent thieves from unhooking your trailer from your truck, but also adds some security when the trailer is sitting without a tow vehicle.

BUY FACTORY DIRECT AND $AVE 1.800.306.2111 www.miskatrailers.com

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015 01/06/2015 12:39:47 PM

RPM QUICK TECH 7

7: Don’t come back from a round of racing to find your generator missing. Throw a cable lock from Bolt on it.

8: Not only does the receiver lock have a flip cover for the key side, the rubber on the pin side creates a seal to help keep out water and road debris. I also noticed the pin is solid unlike the popular brand receiver lock I replaced. It had a tube over a rod to allow for both a 5/8-inch or 1/2-inch receiver hole. This one would be a lot harder to break, whereas I was able to break the old one off with a big hammer when it failed to unlock.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

9: These Bolt locks are here to stay. No more fumbling with a mess of keys trying to find the one that fits or leaving “that one” at home.

PRICES & SOURCES Bolt Padlocks: Summit Racing $19.99 Bolt Receiver Locks: Summit Racing $29.99 Bolt Coupler Pin Lock: Summit Racing $27.99 Bolt Cable Lock: Summit Racing $37.99

www.boltlock.com

www.summitracing.com

RPM EXCLUSIVES Our shop is looking so nice inside and out that we might...

Never Go Back in

the House Again!

RPMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuing do-it-yourself shop series shows how you can put together and equip your own modern workspace, too!

1 >>Finishing up the details and adding some in-shop entertainment makes our shop feel like home! story by

Toby Brooks

t has been a few months since we last updated you on our RPM Magazine NUCOR Building Systems Hardcore Horsepower Garage, but we have been busy. With the majority of the structure up and in use, we decided

that it was the perfect time to add some finishing touches to make the space not only look better but also function more safely and efficiently. After a single weekend and a few hundred dollars, we are glad we did. The first order of business was to finish insulating and installing the 5/16-inch oriented strand board

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

(OSB) in and on the one remaining walls that we had not yet finished. While we were at it, we decided to fix a couple of windows that had been installed without an appropriate seal and had developed a leak. Once the walls were up and the leak sealed tight, we pulled out the oilbased primer and started coating

the unfinished OSB and the stains in preparation for paint. Things were looking better already. After priming and painting the walls, we began the process of painting a couple of large contractor packs of trim and moulding and then started making our way around the interior miter cutting

1 & 2: It has taken over a year, but we are happy to say that after the initial construction of the shell of the building, with the exception of some plumbing and a little drywall work, we have done everything on our shop construction project ourselves. After framing out the finished office space and adding a stairway to an upper-level storage loft, we had structure but it obviously was unsafe and unsightly. We added a heavy duty handrail a few months ago, but the rest pretty much remained as-is until this month when we decided to finish it off with a modern white and black paintjob. Adding just a little trim and paint made a WORLD of difference and really helped give our shop an overthe-top feel. The best part was it only took less than $500 and we did it in just a single weekend worth of work!

3: As usual, the clutter seems to creep in, so before we could get started we had to do some straightening. Notice the wall to the right of the photo had already been primed and painted, but the wall behind our Camaro was still unfinished. A coat of paint will not only lend a finished look to the whole space, but it will also make the entire area brighter and improve visibility.

4 4: Using a cordless saw, Taye quickly cut the remaining OSB needed to finish off the remaining paneling and insulated the walls prior to install. Locally, we found OSB for around $8 per sheet and ended up needing 10 sheets to finish our job.

5: With the final wall installed, we were ready for primer and paint. We also decided to install an old plasma TV we had in storage onto this wall, so we would need to do a bit more work to run the necessary connectors to it.

6: Two of our exterior windows had not been properly sealed by our contractor when initially installed. As a result, they both leaked any time it rained. We removed the adjacent panelling and liberally coated the perimeter of the window both inside and out with a flexible high durability sealant. After reinstalling the panels and hitting it with a coat of primer, it was ready for painting, too.

and installing the trim using an air-powered brad nailer. Some might consider this overkill in a shop, however, it actually had a purpose beyond simply looking good. Our West Texas location is well known for blowing dust. Not only does the trim help minimize dust blowing in any of the cracks and crevices, it also helps keep out bugs. And for just a few hundred dollars more, you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe the difference it will make. Our last little project was actually a bit of an accident. We happened to have an old 55-inch plasma television sitting in storage that, although

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM GARAGE

no longer cutting-edge, was still functional. And while ours was free, you could easily score one on the cheap for yourself if you just do a little bargain hunting. Once considered the pinnacle of in-home entertainment, plasmas have been replaced by newer technologies like LED and the new 4D displays. As a result, a quick check to Craigslist can often net large, fully functional plasma sets that would have sold for thousands just a few years ago for as little as a couple hundred dollars today. We saw our neglected set covered in dust and thought it might be cool to install it in the shop. For less than $100, we did. First, we needed to get signal to the unit. We checked eBay and selected a 75-foot HDMI cable for $40. We chose a name brand that included an in-line signal amplifier, essential for HDMI cable runs of 50 feet or more. Next we needed a wall mount. Again on eBay, we found a number of heavy-duty models, and we

7 & 8: We then applied a coat of primer (7) and two coats of flat latex wall paint (8).

9-11: With the walls all painted, it was time to paint the trim. Existing pieces already installed like the handrail and doors were cut in with three coats of semi-gloss black (9), while we chose to paint the trim yet to be installed first (10 & 11) before cutting it and brad nailing it in place.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

12: In this pic you can see the finished wall as well as the neatly trimmed windows, baseboard, and ceiling trim. The only thing left unfinished at this point is the ceiling and the loft storage space. We are looking at our options for spray foam in the ceiling and will be detailing how we finish off the loft in an upcoming issue.

RPM GARAGE 13

16: With the panel mounts secured and the wall mount firmly affixed to the wall, the monitor simply hooks in place and is locked down tight with two screws. Ideally, it is a three person job, because plasma screens are notoriously heavy.

18 13-15: We decided to put our old dusty plasma to use. After getting a mount from eBay (13), we secured the panel mounts using the supplied hardware (14) and affixed the bracket to the wall using toggle bolts (15). selected a swivelling unit for $39. We also found a connector to allow us to run audio from the TV through our stereo CD player. After running the cable through the wall and into the office and tidying the cables up using a cord keeper kit, we were done. Cable TV and Netflix with stereo was now ours. Now we can tinker in the shop while the game or race plays in the background. We

aren’t sure why we didn’t think of this sooner, but it is officially one of our favorite tricks to the whole facility and we are happy to say that you, too, can do it on the cheap. With a small but versatile loft space with storage left to finish up, we are happy to say that our shop is nearly complete. Tune in next time as we show you how to install an exterior window and finish up the project!

17: This 75-foot HDMI cable was significantly less expensive than we had feared. The cost of HDMI has come down considerably in recent years, making a project like this a viable option. The particular brand we bought included gold-plated connectors, but more importantly an in-line signal amp necessary for longer cable runs.

18: Success! The HDMI cable worked flawlessly and after tidying the power cord up using a little cord keeper, everything looked clean and neat. We found a minijack to RCA adapter in our inventory and can now run the TV audio through our portable stereo/CD player. Score!

MATERIALS, PRICES, & SOURCES LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE:

• 5/8-inch oriented strand board, 10 sheets, $7.95 ea: $79.50 • R19 batt insulation, 2 bundles, $69.95 ea: $139.90 • KILZ oil-based primer, 5 gallons: $69.95 • Interior flat latex wall paint, 5 gallons: $$69.95 • Interior semi gloss latex trim paint, 2 gallons, $19.95 ea: $39.90 • 3.5-inch baseboard, 12-foot length 12 piece contractor pack: $69.95 • 2.75-inch casement trim, 12-foot length 12 piece contractor pack, $49.95 • Cord keeper kit: $12.95

EBAY:

• 75-foot amplified HDMI cable: $40 • Multi-directional flat panel display mount: $39 GRAND TOTAL: $611.15

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

www.rpm-mag.com | october 2015

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

story by

Toby Brooks

photos by

Tia Elizabeth

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

WHO’S THE BOSS

e aren’t afraid to admit it. In a veritable sea of Mustangs and Camaros, we at RPM are suckers for relatively obscure body styles, alternative colors, and off-the-beatenpath engine and transmission combos—especially when such rides are able to crank out insane power. Don’t get us wrong—there are plenty of gorgeous mainstream cars out there. It sure can be difficult to stand out from the pack when you are modifying the same car with similar parts as the next guy. On the other hand, guys like Brechin, Ontario’s Jamie Pipher chose a different approach. If his 1970 Torino Cobra isn’t different enough for you, the Grabber Green paint is certainly enough to encourage a closer inspection. The wild blown Kaase powerplant backed by a Lenco trans further solidifies the beast as an alternative street pounder.

RIGHT ALL AROUND Pipher’s family heirloom 1970 Torino is undoubtedly a priceless musclecar, but he’s done plenty to make it all his own. The narrowed rearend, fat rear meats, and blown alkyinjected Boss Nine coupled with the unique Grabber Green paint make it about as unique as they come.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

WHO’S THE BOSS BLOWN & BOSSY There isn’t much that’s more intimidating under the hood of a Ford than a pair of huge Boss Shotgun Hemi valve covers— unless theres a big BDS huffer with alcohol injection on top.

The car was a factory-optioned 429 SCJ drag pack piece purchased brand new off the lot by Pipher’s father in 1969 and has been in the family ever since. “My dad gave me the car when I was 15 because I was going to buy a Duster,” Pipher recalled. A FoMoCo family to the core, the elder Pipher would have none of that Mopar talk, so the Torino was handed down—and destined for decades of modifications. “I first started out with plans to restore it, but I decided to cut into it in 1985,” he said. A veritable rolling laboratory of owner-done customizations, it was the first of several iterations of pro street style which Pipher admits saved him thousands and allowed him to craft the car precisely

the way he wanted it throughout the years. In its current form, the Torino features a full tube chassis constructed of mild steel. Up front, a Heidt’s Mustang II suspension has been fitted with double adjustable shocks to smooth the bumps and keep the all-steel Ford pointed in the appropriate direction. Out back, a custom ladder bar setup works in conjunction with double adjustable coil overs to suspend a braced 9-inch Ford rear. The differential has been equipped with a Strange center section and 36-spline axles along with a Richmond 4.56 gear set. Rolling stock for the Ford consists of Weld Pro Star wheels fitted with Mickey Thompson tires. Skinny 15x3.5 fronts

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No, sorry, although our shoot took place at the Brantford, Ontario Northway Ford dealership, you can’t buy an SCJ Torino there—although this particular car has been in Pipher’s family since the day it rolled off the lot brand new back in 1969.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

WHO’S THE BOSS

have been shod with M/T Sportsman Front Runners, while wide 15x14 rears have been equipped with equally obese 31x18.5-15 Sportsmans. With the chassis complete, Pipher turned his attention to the powertrain, again opting for something less common to complement the alternative body style. “The car has had more engines in it than I can count, with the first one being built by me in my high school

auto shop—but the current motor was built by Jon Kaase Racing,” Pipher said. The big Ford was first equipped with a Bryant 4.300 stroke billet crankshaft with Scat connecting rods. In preparation for old-school Roots boost, a set of modest 8.5:1 compression Diamond pistons were tapped into position in the octet of 4.500 bore cylinders. Valvetrain commands were entrusted to a COMP custom-ground roller

camshaft spun by a Ford Motorsport double roller timing chain. Crower roller lifters send the signals upward to a set of WW Engineering roller rockers that reside in the massive Kaase aluminum Boss Nine cylinder heads. As if the enormous factory-style shotgun hemi Ford valve covers weren’t enough, an equally huge polished BDS 8/71 huffer has been perched atop a custom BDS blower

!!! 60

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

JAMIE PIPHER’S 1970 FORD GRAN TORINO PRO STREET Chassis Type & Mods: Mild steel full tube chassis with ladder bar setup. Suspension: FRONT: Heidts Mustang II with 2-inch dropped spindles and double-adjustable shocks. REAR: Ladder bars with double-adjustable coilovers. Body & Paint: Owner prepped & sprayed Ford Grabber Green. Engine: 547 Kaase Boss Nine with Bryant billet crank, Scat connecting rods, and Diamond 8.5:1 compression pistons. COMP roller cam and Kaase Boss Nine aluminum heads with WW Engineering roller rockers. Induction: BDS aluminum blower intake with BDS 8/71 supercharger pushing 15 pounds of boost. Enderle mechanical injection system running on alcohol with bug catcher scoop. Fuel Delivery: Enderle 110 mechanical pump. Electronics: MSD 10-Plus box with Mallory Unilite distributor. Transmission: Lenco CS1 manual with McCleod clutch. Differential: Narrowed Ford 9-inch with Strange axles and Richmond 4.56 gears. Tires & Wheels: Weld Pro Star (15x3 front, 15 x 14 rear) with Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires (26x6-15 front, 33x18.5-15 rear).

GRAB IT

Performance: “Can’t tell ya or I’d have to kill ya.”

The unique Grabber Green paint is actually the car’s factory hue.

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www.mantonpushrods.com www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE BOSS

CLASSIC MEETS CONTEMPORARY The cockpit of the Torino features a full cage but still sports the factory dash and door panels. A pair of comfy pro touring-style buckets with RJS harnesses have been added to enhance the driving experience, and a gaggle of aftermarket gauges help Pipher keep an eye on the big blockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vital signs. MSD electronics in the passenger side kick panel lend to the race feel, as do the Lenco shift levers mounted atop the trans tunnel.

intake. Far from a mild-mannered daily driver, the big Ford is fed upwards of 15 pounds of boost from the system along with heavy doses of clean burning alcohol. An Enderle mechanical fuel injection system has been crowned with a 4.50-inch Enderle Bird Catcher scoop. Pressurizing that thirsty combo is an Enderle 110 mechanical fuel pump. Other details include a Kaase oil pump with a Canton 5-quart pan to keep the engine lubricated, a Mezeire water pump pushing through a Griffin aluminum radiator to keep things cool, and ARP fasteners to hold it all together. An

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE BOSS WELL DETAILED The braced and narrowed 9-inch rear rides on a coil over/ladder bar setup, while the trunkmounted aluminum fuel cell features a PRP billet cap and a pair of Taylor stainless battery boxes. Up front, chrome abounds on the suspension components.

MSD 10-Plus ignition box and a Mallory Unilite distributor combine to light the fires, while custom fabricated 2.25-inch steel true zoomie headers ensure that Pipherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbors probably despise him and his ridiculously loud Ford deeply. The combo is good for well over 1,300 horsepower and 1,000

ft./lbs. of torque. Sending that kind of power rearward is no task for a wimpy transmission, so Pipher selected a bulletproof Lenco CS1 manual unit equipped with a McLeod clutch. A Mark Williams chrome moly driveshaft articulates with the previously mentioned rear diff to put the power to the pavement.

The factory-color Grabber Green paint is actually the third complete repaint Pipher has applied to the car. The all-steel body has been painstakingly prepped and features flawless factory trim. The rare SCJ even sports the super rare factory back glass louvers along with all the factory badging, providing a unique

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

Check out the Torino entering our photo shoot by going to http://bit.ly/1PcUJPm or use your smartphone QR code reader to see it!

continued on page 76

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

Page 68

www.rpm-mag.com

RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry

Chassis Body Suspension

Fabrication, Parts, Service

Designing and manufacturing of quality drag racing suspensions and components for over 30 years.

Toll Free Ordering: 800-327-9402 chassisengineering.com

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Page 69

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Fuel & Intake Carburetion Fuel Injection Intake Manifolds

www.borla.com 1-877-GO BORLA @BorlaExhaust facebook.com/BorlaExhaust

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Manufacturer & innovator of high quality competition valve train components 800.326.8368 www.trendperform.com

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Page 72

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RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry

GET YOUR FREE CATALOG @ 888•233•8452 www.edelbrock.com

www.PerformanceImprovements.com

• Barrie • Brampton • Guelph • Hamilton • Oshawa • Pierrefonds • Toronto

Toll Free in Canada

1-877-471-6700

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(352)593-5900 inductionsolutions.com

Power Adders Incl. Nitrous Oxide Blowers/Superchargers Turbochargers, Systems/Parts/Service

www.rpm-mag.com

Page 73

Race Orgs, Tracks & Events

Page 74

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RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry

Transmission Converter Clutch & Rear Differential

Safety Apparel & Communication

Tires & Wheels

RPM Connections Performance Directory... Connecting YOU With The Industry

www.rpm-mag.com

Page 75

MISC.

Incl. Buildings, Flooring, Insurance, Tools, Canopies, Tents, Graphics

Tuning & Electronics

Incl. Ignitions, Control Systems, Parts & Service

QuiCkest ignition Wires on earth. Period.

FireCore50.com

866-973-WIRE (9473)

Strangeeng.net 847.663.1701 Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Just Race

1-800-306-2111 www.miskatrailers.com

BUILT canadian tough

WHO’S THE BOSS ZOOMIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY Gunning blown big block with open zoomies in traffic? In a word: YES! The neighbors weren’t happy, but we sure were!

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

Check out the Torino leaving our photo shoot by going to http://bit.ly/1HpEQic or use your smartphone QR code reader to see it!

NICE CAR, EH? Owner/builder Jamie Pipher.

contrast between classic muscle car and contemporary pro street style. Inside, the Torino features a nice mix of factory pieces such as the dash, door panels, and steering wheel along with custom components like black racing buckets, RJS harnesses, and aftermarket gauges. The fabricated roll cage and Lenco shift levers lend a hardcore racing touch, as well.Pipher isn’t afraid to step on the loud pedal from time to time, but he’s tight-lipped about the car’s actual performance (“Can’t tell ya or I’d have to kill ya,” he said). He certainly has a history of pounding the streets in his native Ontario hometown.

“I was street racing this guy with a Javelin years ago,” he recalled. “I spanked him hard but broke a push rod during the race. As I sat on the side of the road in the dark, the Javelin turned around and headed back,” he added. Oncoming headlights abruptly changed to blue and red as local law enforcement chased the AMC driver down as Pipher sat in the dark—ticketless. “Whheeeeww, lucky one there,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been building the car for 30 years,” Pipher said, adding that the Torino will never really be “done.” He is particularly thankful to his father Larry and son Kyle, and says the car kept him from trouble as a teen. However, as an adult, it is safe to say the classic Ford could certainly create its share of on-street shenanigans. After all, could you blame him for leaning on the four-digit horsepower on tap and lighting the open pipes? We certainly couldn’t…because a Boss like this expects to be heard!

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

>> Mic Sites’ heavily nitroused big block ’72 Cheyenne “crowd pleaser” pick-up

Stan Smith

story by

astside Raceway was the place where Michael “Mic” Sites first cut his teeth in drag racing. “It was 1976 and I was just 18 years old,” recalled Sites. “And I have to give my father, B. J. Sites, owner of Sites Parts Co.,

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thanks for helping me pursue my passion for racing. He is the reason I got hooked on all of this.” If you have the opportunity to meet Sites today, all these years later, his enthusiasm and energy for the sport is as contagious as it was

Louis Fronkier

back then. He definitely loves all things horsepower and has a special affection for his 1972 Chevy Cheyenne pick-up truck: RATATAK. Sites seemed to enjoy putting a name to his fast cars at early age, too, as he called his first race car, a

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

PORTLY BEAST The long mean, but not so lean, fightinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; machine of Mic Sites is a 1972 Chevy Cheyenne long bed pick-up that weighs 4,000lbs!

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RATATAK 1969 Camaro, “Super Mouse,” which incidentally at the time was on the top of the list of fastest street racers in Franklin, West Virginia. “I could be found at Eastside Raceway every weekend they were open and had several wins shifting a 4-speed M22 trans Camaro. Eastside was sort of famous back then as Bunny Burkette, also from Franklin, WV raced her Cotton Pony Pro Stock there, as well.”

Camaros 1967 thru 1969 and a Vega with a hefty small block, it was time for something different and this truck caught my eye,” he explained. “I actually followed it to the owner’s house and bought the truck, which had an LS6 454 in it at the time. It wasn’t but a couple of months later that I had Mike Butler install a 598 cu.in. Shafiroff engine...and then it was off to the car shows and track for some test and tuning to get it dialed in.”

DITCH THE CAMAROS RAT EVOLUTION Mic had One Stop Auto FOR A LONG BOX Paint paint the truck green and PICKUP white and soon found a one-

Several years later, Mic moved to Gloucester, Virginia after landing a job at the Newport News shipyard as a crane operator. While heading home from work one evening, he spotted a 1972 Chevy long bed truck driving beside him with a “for sale” sign in the window. “By this time, after owning 23

piece front end to help with weight and access to the motor. Kevin Floyd applied the faux grille paint treatment which looks like the real deal and he is also responsible for the carbon fiber hood scoop paint work. As the big, long hay hauler began to take shape and run some decent numbers at

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

HEAVY CHEVY The truck is all steel except for the fiberglass flip front end which helps with weight… well it helps a bit anyways!

LOUD AND PROUD The jury is still out on just how “street legal” side exit exhaust is, but no one has told Mic it’s not street legal…

NOSE TO THE HEAVENS POSE Once in a while RATATAK hooks so hard it launches literally on the rear bumper! Scan the QR code above with your handheld device to see the full wheelstand video that thousands of others have enjoyed. Julius Bonner photo

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RATATAK GRILLED TO PERFECTION The realistic custom paint work on the grille was done by Kevin Floyd who also gave the carbon fiber look to the massive pro stock-style hood scoop.

CAGED BEAST Through-theroof bars that tie the driver’s cage in with the frame are the handy work of Virginia Rod Company

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

various area drag strips, track announcers would often refer to the truck as “Beast of the East” or “Two Tons of Fun,” but it was Mic’s son Jackson who came up with the name for the truck that stuck. “Since big block Chevy engines are called RAT engines,

Jackson called it RATATAK one day,” said Sites. “I said ‘awesome, RATATAK it is!’ And it has been RATATAK ever since. RATATAK is a long box 4000-pound truck, it is not a plastic Pro Mod. Its real steel and all this adds to the excitement it brings to the line for every pass,” he added.

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Mic soon entered the Chevy Street Challenge at his local Super Chevy event where the participants have to leave the track for a 10-mile cruise and then run three round robin quarter-mile passes, and whoever is the most consistent in their class, wins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I went 10.03, 9.98 and 10.01, winning the 10 second class!â&#x20AC;? exclaimed Mic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it was from that point on that I got the itch to go faster, and about the same time I was introduced to Billy Albert of Albertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Racing Engines, Wytheville, Va.â&#x20AC;?

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone said I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any faster than 10 seconds...that my truck was a big box and had no aerodynamics, but I just smiled knowing that Albertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was in the process of building me a 706-inch all aluminum engine with twin 1350cfm Pro Systems carbs!â&#x20AC;? That 706 Mic had built was dynoed at 1350 HP on the motor, but Sites had a three stages of nitrous planned â&#x20AC;&#x153;to wake the beast upâ&#x20AC;? as he put it. The truck was soon blistering out pass after pass with each becoming quicker and faster. But with the new power came the need for some serious

MICHAEL SITES’ 1972 CHEVROLET CHEYENNE LONG BED PICK-UP Chassis Type & Mods: Full original frame front to rear. Full roll cage installed. Suspension: FRONT: Fatman Fabrications complete kit with Penske front double-adjustable coil over shocks and rack and pinion steering. REAR: 4-Link rear suspension with QA1 double adjustable rear shocks and anti-roll bar. Body & Paint: All original steel except for one-piece fiberglass front end with working headlights. The front grille and one piece front end were painted by Kevin Floyd and the rest of the truck was painted by One Stop of Yorktown, VA. Engine: 706 ci all aluminum engine. Dart Block, Brodix 14-degree heads and Sonny ‘s sheet metal intake. Twin 1350CFM 3-circuit Dominator carbs built by Pro Systems. COMP Cam, one piece upper pulley belt drive system by Jesel. Moroso 2-piece oil pan with external dry sump, belt driven oil pump. Rotating assembly consists of Scat crank, Eagle Rods, MAHLE Pistons, and Total Seal rings. Fuel Delivery: Pro Star 500 MagnaFuel fuel pump and regulators. Power Adder: Three stages of nitrous oxide. Also installed is a water injection system to cool the cylinders when needed. Electronics: Racepak instrument panel, MSD programmable Digital 7 Plus ignition box. Transmission & Converter: Coan Turbo 400 and 3500 stall convertor modified by Wayne Rodgers Transmissions. Reverse valve body, trans brake and cooled by a remote fan cooler. Cheetah Shifter. Differential: Complete Mark Williams. Other Info: Upgraded to funny car style roll cage. 2 3/8-inch Burns Stainless headers and Burns mufflers. 33x18 MT rear slicks, G-Force window net and Pro Series 5-point quick release harness. Be Cool radiator and DynaForce MSD Mini Starter. Performance: 4.99 at 149 MPH in the eighth, and 7.61 in the ¼-mile. Thanks To: Virginia Rod Company Donald Williams and Bobby Starcher, Dave Seally, Mike Balf, Michael Martin, Mic’s son Jackson, Billy Albert/Albert Racing Engines and all those who have helped with RATATAK along the way.

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

equipment to go along with it. Backing up the Dart aluminum blocked 706 nitrous fed monster is a Coan Turbo 400 transmission and 3500 stall convertor beefed up by Wayne Rodgers Transmissions. Power is transferred back to a complete

Mark Williams rearend installed by the folks at Virginia Rod Company. VRC also took care of fabricating the parachute mount, roll cage, including the custom bars coming from the top of the cab through the bed cover and into the rear frame, and while

they were at it, VRC also rewired the truck from front to back for Sites. The heavyweight Cheyenne maintains its factory full frame from front to back and Mike Balf installed the 4-link rear suspension and notched the rear frame

rails to lower the truck. Dave Seally takes care of all the chassis tuning and also looks after engine tuning duties, and Michael Martin AKA “Juiceman” installed the Fatman front suspension kit and funny car cage along with the custom nitrous bottle brackets.

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

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RATATAK A Fatman Fabrications suspension was used to eliminate heavy, poor-performing factory parts up front and allow full adjustability and installations of the rack and pinion steering.

HIGHLY MOTOR-VATED You can see how having the glass front end off helps with access to the big block. Imagine sitting on top of the fender trying to wrench on this beast. The massive twin 1350cfm Pro Systems Dominator style carbs sit atop a towering sheet metal intake.

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RATATAK PASSING THE TORCH – BUT NOT FOR KEEPS

“Two years ago I let my son Jackson, who I also consider my crew chief, make his debut in my truck at Super Chevy,” Sites said with a smile. “Now keep in mind he had never ever raced in his life, and was only 17. When he was in the burnout box, he didn’t heat the tires up enough and the truck went out of control, fishtailing until he got out of it. After the run, when I was towing him back to the trailer, I stopped to check the engine temp and it was all good, so I asked him if he wanted another pass…he grinned and said ‘yes, please and thank you.’ This time he got great heat in the tires on the burnout and when the green light came on, he carried the frontend four feet in the air for about 300 feet out with an ET of 5.74 in the 1/8-mile, on the motor!” With Mic in the pilot seat and the combination set to kill he managed to capture the pole position at MIR with the Virginia Outlaws this year, and made it to the semifinals where

THIS TRUCK CAN HAUL Inside, the funny car style cage surrounds Mic or Jackson, depending on who has driving duties, and the cool Racepak digital dash monitors all vital signs and relays the info back to the driver. Twin nitrous bottles sit in place of a passenger and are well used on race day. Mic runs both quarter and eighth-mile events with the truck going 4.90’s in the eighth and mid-sevens on the long track. Out back, just the aluminum fuel tank, MagnaFuel fuel pump and battery sit under the bed cover.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

THE PURGE Mic purges the nitrous at the Yellow Bullet Nationals. J.L. Ervin photo

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

RATATAK

PRO STREET? YEP! Big fat tires and all equipment necessary to do the odd short cruise on the streets.

NOT SO FAST, KID Mic (right) and his son Jackson (left) arm wrestle on the hood of RATATAK to see who gets to drive on the next pass. Mic says he’s gotta get to the gym to get more seat time these days. Hang in there Mic...he isn’t going to get weaker any time soon!

HORSEPAAAAR! The Albert Racing Engines built 706 actually looks right at home between the factory frame rails of the pick-up.

START

he shook the tires and got knocked out of competition. He can also be found behind the wheel at just about any big tire street car or outlaw event in the east and currently races with the Virginia Street Outlaws. “We (the VA Outlaws) have repeatedly called out the Oklahoma Street Outlaws, but they won’t race us,” Mic jokes. “This past August I called out Doc from the Oklahoma Street Outlaws for $600 at Richmond drag strip, and he declined. I just want everyone to know that the offer is still on the table to all the Oklahoma Street Outlaws…the VA Outlaws are not scared!”

POP CULTURE TRUCKIN’

“This truck just flat out hauls,” said Sites. “We all know that the ’72 Cheyenne has all the aerodynamics of a block wall, but although it has that massive eight-foot bed that adds weight, it also

adds the extra wheel base to provide traction and stability, even at big speeds on the top end. Trucks have a special spot in the hearts of many, whether used for work, to pull a toy, or just for fun,” he continued. “All you have to do to find out how popular they are is to listen to just about any country song and you’ll hear about a pick-up truck.

WANNA BET?

With Sites’ truck named ‘Beast of the East: the fastest truck on the east coast pound for pound’ he wanted to add one last callout, “I will race any truck 4000 pounds or more for $500 at the unprepped track of my choice, that’s why they call it the Beast of the East!” And whether it’s pounding out 4-second eighth-mile runs at 150mph or mid 7-second hits in the quarter, you can also bet that RATATAK never fails to amaze fans and put on a great show for all, wherever it goes.

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM PROJECT CAR

ENGINE BUILD PART 2

>> Finishing off the bottom end and assembling our cylinder heads

Tommy Eufemia

n last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue we machined and assembled the short block for our Back on Track Camaro project car. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to button up the bottom end and assemble the cylinder heads. This month, we selected an oil pump, oil pan, and oil pump pickup from Milodon to keep our mightly mouse well lubed. We also selected a pair of bare Brodix Track 1 heads and picked Mi-

lodon valves, Melling Select valve springs, and Manley titanium retainers, spring seats, seals and locks to equip them for use. First, in order to ensure proper oiling, we needed to mock up the oil pump and pickup and measure the screen depth to the bottom of the pan. I use a very simple method of placing a flat file across the screen, then using a tape measure, measure to the pan rails of the block. The file should then be

2: The Milodon pickup we used was designed for use with the high capacity Milodon pan we selected, but it is still a good idea to check to be sure that the inlet depth matches up with the sump depth of the pan. We verified that the pickup was at the appropriate depth before bolting the gold iridited pan in place.

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

1: With our ATI damper and timing pointer in place and the Milodon oil pan bolted on, our stout small block Chevy is nearing completion. We also dressed the Brodix Track 1 heads that we will be using, too. Follow along as we show you what we did this month.

3: The ATI damper came slightly smaller than the crank snout to allow for precise machining based upon the exact diameter of your crankshaft. Small variations can make for poor fit and potentially compromise engine life, so an exact fit is critical. After honing the damper hub to 0.001 of the crank snout, we had the perfect fit we were after.

4: Once the damper was installed, we then needed to properly index the adjustable timing pointer. Although you could use the old fingertip test to accomplish the task amateur style, a true professional uses the proper tool for the job. Once the number one cylinder is precisely positioned at top dead center, we adjusted the pointer to indicate the 0-degree mark on the damper.

laid across the oil pan in order to provide a reference point to measure to the bottom of the sump. You must also take into account the thickness of the pan gasket and 3/8inch to 1/4-inch is

what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for. The next step is fitting the cam button to the timing cover. Again, I use a very simple method for this. Using a black marker, I mark the inside of the

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

4: We ordered the Brodix Track 1 heads bare, so we needed to select the appropriate valves, valve springs, retainers, seals, and locks to get them fully ready for use. 5: Here, the Milodon valves, Melling Select valve springs, and Manley titanium retainers, spring seats, seals and locks are ready for install.

6: Next we needed to set the installed spring height. The installed height of a valve spring consists of the total height of the spring when the valve is closed and It is measured using a valve spring micrometer, shown here. The micrometer provides a precise measurement from where the spring meets the bottom of the retainer to where it rests against the cylinder head. timing cover where the button will make contact, which will leave a witness mark on the button. I trim the button until it just touches the cover, which leaves the thickness of the timing cover gasket as your clearance. After the timing cover and oil pan have been installed, I micrometer the crank snout and the inside of the harmonic damper hub. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using an ATI

Super Damper and I know from experience that we will probably hone some out of the hub to get the proper interference fit I am after. ATI dampers come on the small side just for this reason and I really like knowing the fit will be perfect. After honing, I had the .001 press fit I wanted. Once the balancer was installed, we needed to index the adjustable timing pointer to the

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

7: With one of our Scorpion roller rockers in place, next we checked to ensure proper rocker geometry. timing marks on the balancer. This is accomplished by locating TDC on number one cylinder then moving the timing pointer to TDC on the balancer.

Since we had not ordered pushrods yet, it was a good time to check for the length we needed. To do this, we installed a bare head with one intake and one

exhaust valve and checker springs. Then, using adjustable pushrods and a 12-inch dial caliper we were able to determine the length we needed. Since we’ve gone as

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

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far as we can on the short block, it was a good time to assemble the Project Back On Track small block Chevy cylinder heads. Using a height micrometer I checked each valve for spring installed height. If any corrections needed to be made, I marked them on the valve cover rails of the heads, but our Brodix heads all were within .005 right out of the box! The last thing I always do is vacuum test every port to insure all the valves are seated properly. This is extremely

important because you definitely don’t want to discover a miss in the engine after it is installed and running just because you assumed the valves were seated. Spending a bit of extra time here can save a lot down the road. Be sure to check back next issue as we’ll have our pushrods and a few other goodies so we can put the finishing touches on the Project Back On Track Camaro’s Bad Attitude engine!

SOURCES 8: Next we needed to determine the proper pushrod length so that we could get the appropriate set ordered. We first installed one intake and one exhaust valve in the bare casting using checker springs. Then, using adjustable pushrods and a 12-inch dial caliper we were able to determine the length we needed. 9: The heads are now fully assembled and ready for install. We’ll pick up some head gaskets and get our pushrods and we will be ready to magically transform our well-built short block into a well-built long block in next month’s installment!

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www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

RPM TRUCK TECH

TRICK OUT

YOUR TRUCK

A FLARE FOR story and photos by

NEW SHOES

Chuck Scott

y wife has a flair for new shoes and so does our vintage RPM F-250 hauler. Four flares to be exact, but only one set of new shoes. If you have been following the Trick Out Your Truck tech in RPM over the last several months, you have witnessed the transformation of the 2000 Ford F-250 from a stock truck

STYLING & , S L E E H W , S TIRE

>> This isn’t about a day at the mall...it’s about some Bushwacker Pocket Style fender flares and new

20-inch Raceline wheels wrapped in 35-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires for our heavy duty tow rig project

with a hand held programmer to a high performance tow machine with new found power from the Edge Products CTS programmer, Snow Performance water methanol injection and MBRP 5-inch stainless steel turbo back exhaust. Then we started bringing the old rig’s looks into the new millennium with front and rear ICI Magnum bumpers, Vision X

1: The 15 year old stock 16-inch alloy wheels on the F-250 looked a little out of place with the beefy ICI Magnum bumpers, Vision X LED lighting, Status grille, IPCW replacement lights and 5-inch stainless steel MBRP exhaust. The new fender flares, wheels and tires complete the transformation on our workhorse nicely, and best of all it is something any one of our RPM readers can do to spice up their older ride.

www.rpm-mag.com | december 2015

RPM TRUCK TECH 4-inch LED driving lights, 21-inch LED off road light bar and flush mount LED back up lights, new headlights, taillights, 3rd brake light and tailgate light strip from IPCW and a blacked out grille from Status. We saved the last step in the appearance upgrade for the part that is usually first for most truck owners. It is finally time for new wheels and tires and some cool fender flares to bring it all together. Back in 2000, auto manufacturers weren’t putting 20inch wheels on anything except tractor trailers. The 16-inch wheels that came on old red were premium back then

but these days most trucks come stock with much larger wheels. Swapping our OEMs for a set of black Raceline Havoc 20x10s with a machined finish, fake beadlock, and machined edges would not only help with the modernization of the truck, but also distantly mirror the styling of popular drag racing wheels. When deciding on a tire for our new 20-inch wheel package, towing capacity was first priority followed by on road performance, bad weather performance, styling and off road capability. You may ask why would off road capability matter? If you have ever had

3: Whe seal presses onto the part of the flare that goes against the side of your truck. To install, just peel back several inches of the red backing tape at a time while working the grove over the edge of the flare. The seal and bolts are left off in manufacturing in case you want to paint the flares to match or contrast your truck’s finish.

2: When you open the big box full of fender flares, you will find a bag of stainless bolts, washers and lock nuts, a star drive bit for the bolts, clips and screws, instructions, the flare-to-body seal and several Bushwacker decals. Don’t sweat the bolts and screws. The Bushwacker Pocket Style flares look like the cut out type flares but require zero drilling or cutting to install.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

4: The bolts are just for looks and serve no function in securing the flares to the truck. They are just long enough to go through the flare pockets.

5: Alicia quickly installs all the bolts with a drill while holding the nut on the backside with a wrench. 6: On the front, the flares are secured on by the factory screws that hold the fender liner to the fender lip. Just pull them all out, hold the flare in place and reinstall the screws.

to park in the weeds on race day you would know traction in mud, wet grass, or sand with 15,000 pounds hooked to you is pretty important. The new BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 looked like it would do it all and then some. BF Goodrich invented the all terrain tire and has kicked it up several notches with the introduction of the KO2. We got them mounted a few months

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8 & 9: With the flare in position, use a grease pen or Sharpie to mark the location of the other flare mounting holes onto inner wheel well lip.

7: The rear doesn’t have screws already installed like the front. The rear flares do, however, use the factory bolt on the bottom front of each wheel well that attaches the factory bedside brace. Go ahead and bolt the fender flare up using this bolt before marking the location of the clips. You can use masking tape to hold the rest of the flare if you don’t have an extra set of hands to help hold it in place. back and are actually anxious to try them out in snow as I have heard reviews saying they devour it. Our 10-ply E load KO2s are rated at 3860lb each at 80psi. That should get the job done in the towing department.

Then we needed some fender flares to bring the look together and protect the truck’s paint from rock chips, since our new wider wheel and tire package would peek out from under the wheel wells. The other added benefit

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december 2015 | RPM Magazine

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RPM TRUCK TECH

12: Photos of the Raceline Havoc wheels don’t do them justice. When I opened the first box I was greeted by the simple rugged style. If you are looking for “look at me” bling or some over the top busy styling, this ain’t the one for you. If you want a wheel that looks like it belongs on a heavy duty truck and has classic style that won’t be old next year, this is definitely a great choice. Besides street wheels like these, Raceline makes actual off road racing wheels with real beadlocks.

14: The new BFG All Terrain T/A KO2 is an all new tire. These things are combat ready with the toughest sidewalls in the segment. BFG put these through severe torture tests to insure they would be at the top of their class. BFG has several videos online showing the extreme durability of these tires. One shows them dropping a KO2 mounted on a wheel out of a plane. The new side-biter tread isn’t just for looks either, as it adds to the off-road tread footprint and gives additional puncture protection for the sidewall. BFG states a 20% tougher sidewall over the already top tier KO. The KO2 also boasts longer tread life compared to the previous versions. I chose the heavy 10-ply version to handle the load requirements of our ¾-ton truck.

www.karbelt.com www.karbelt.com

13: We took the new wheels and tires over to Qwik Time Performance in Roanoke for some help mounting 10 & 11: Center the new BF Goodrich KO2 tires on the adhesive the 20x10 Racelines. As you can backed pad see the 10-inch wide wheel is on directly over the high side of the recommended your mark and wheel widths for the tire. I figured if then slide the they can put 275 drag radials on 12included clips inch wide wheels, why not 285 truck over the pad tires on 10s? Needless to say it took and the inner some effort and a Cheetah tank wheel well to get them seated on the rim. The lip. The very idea was to put the most wheel and short screws tire possible on the truck without a included in lift- and we almost pulled it off, too! your hardware The 285/65 R-20 almost clears but pack will then just rubs the inner fender liner up hold the flare front when the wheel is turned to securely in place full lock. We will need to do a small threading into leveling kit to pick the front up a bit these clips. to be good.

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RPM TRUCK TECH 15: The Raceline Havoc wheels need tapered seat-type lug nuts so I picked up a set of Summit Racingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long spline-drive type. The spline-drive lug nuts arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the theft-proof type but unless the thief shows up with a spine drive socket, he will be out of luck.

would be getting rid of the OEM mud flaps. Bushwacker has several styles available for the truck from OEM look flares that barely add any additional tire coverage to the extreme cut out type that require cutting the wheel opening larger before installing. I chose the Pocket Style flare

that takes the rugged bolt-on look and significant additional tire coverage, similar to the cut out type, but has the easy nodrill, no cutting installation of the milder styles. Bushwacker flares all are made tough and flexible with a paintable 100% UV protected OE matte black finish.

16: Our old truck has manual lock out hubs so I had to cut holes in the front center caps so the end of the hub lock could stick through.

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17: The new Bushwacker Pocket Style Flares, Raceline Havoc wheels and BF Goodrich AllTerrain T/A KO2 tires brings our appearance package together. The flares cover the tires dead flush without the wheels looking sunk in or sticking out. How do the tires perform? They are the quietest and smoothest all terrain tire I have ever driven on including several sets of the prior BFG All Terrain T/As over the years. The road manners make you forget these are Baja race-ready tires. A quick test drive pulling a close to 12,000-pound trailer reinforced our belief that these tires were the right choice for our tow rig project.

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RPM TRUCK TECH

18: The old F-250 has spent most of its life parked outside collecting dirt and pollen waiting for its next time to be called on for tow or haul. I have a feeling it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be sitting around or go too long between baths anymore. 19: We gave the new wheel and tire package a good road test pulling the 32-foot tag loaded with Project 4 Lug Thug, tool boxes, and equipment to the RPM MAG Southern Fried Festival. The trip was almost 300 miles each way and the truck handled like a sports car. Well not quite, but it was a very stable, smooth pull, and a big improvement over the old 16-inch tires.

WIth the F-250 tow vehicle looking and performing sharp, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll turn our attention next time to the RPM Shop Hauler 1998 GMC extended cab. Tune

in next time when we trick it out with a much-needed facelift and a new pair of shoes of its own as we begin preparing for the summer 2016 show season!

SOURCES BF Goodrich Tires

Bushwacker

www.bfgoodrichtires.com 877.788.8899

www.bushwacker.com 800.234.8920

Raceline Wheels

Qwik Time Performance

www.racelinewheels.com 800.52.WHEEL

540.206.2597

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RPM PROJECT CAR

ast month we lamented slow progress as still being progress, but in all honesty we were really ready to see some major strides in the work on our 2006 Mustang pro streeter. After all...this thing is going on two years now, right? It is safe to say that major progress is precisely what we got this month, as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve checked some big milestones off the list with our engine and body both enjoying new parts and new fabrication ranging from an intake in Michigan to a rear wing in West Virginia and a front end and hood in Virginia. It is exciting to see the vision slowly coming into reality! First, in November we showed you the CAD rendering of the Visner Engine Development (VED) intake Dave Visner was cooking up for our build. The

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PART 20 >>Billet aluminum, chromoly, sheetmetal, and fiberglass are all flying across three states as progress continues on our 2016 pro street Mustang project

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Toby Brooks

1: It is finished! The insane all-billet intake is fresh off the 5-axis at Visner Engine Development. The finished piece not only looks incredible, it will perform, too, with provisions for 16 TRE fuel injectors and 16 NOS fogger nozzlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;four on top and four underneath each of the billet runner banks. With another four-nozzle plate behind the throttle body, the final plumbed piece will be a true sight to behold!

2: After completing the necessary CAD programming, Visner converted the digital masterpiece to a CAM file that would allow one of VEDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5-axis CNC mills to carve the upper and lower plenums, both runner banks, and the nitrous fogger plate from appropriately sized chunks of T-6061 billet aluminum. In this photo, the upper plenum has been initially machined throughout the inner surface. Once the operation is complete, the part is flipped over, re-affixed to the fixturing, and the flowing outer contour is cut.

3: Similarly, the lower plenum is also machined. With ports perfectly contoured to match our Boss Nine heads, airflow through the intake should be optimal. Note the O-ring provision around the outer lip to ensure proper seal between the upper and lower halves of the plenum assembly.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Visner followed through with an absolutely breathtaking piece that will not only look spectacular but perform, as well. The finished assembly consists of six precision-machined pieces, including an upper and lower plenum, two runner banks, a valley cover, and a custom nitrous plate. All this will be mated with a custom billet throttle body and a billet adapter to affix a pair of 4-inch Accufab clamps to the twin charge tubes. It really is something to behold, and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to have it bolted in place on our Kaase Boss 529 engine.

4: The finished assembly has been fitted with a quartet of FAST billet fuel rails and is awaiting install of the nitrous fogger plate and the custom billet throttle body.

5 4

5: Mocked in place, the intake and valve covers are absolutely incredible pieces that will not only improve performance, but look spectacular doing it.

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RPM PROJECT CAR

6-8: The rear wing was hand-built for the project by our friend Mark DePriest in West Virginia. The custom water jet-cut adjustable wickerbill out back (6) matches all the scalloped panel mounts used by VRC throughout the car, and the soft radius to the rear of the piece (7) adds style. DePriest mocked up the contoured spill plates on a donor car (8) before boxing it all up and shipping it to VRC for install.

9: VRCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Elliott pre-fits one of the many water jet scalloped steel strips prior to tacking it into position. These pieces have been used throughout the car to provide a consistent mounting point for the copious amounts of WildSide Composites carbon fiber panels. Also note the stainless real zoomie headers. Donald Williams should finish fabrication of the exhaust system next month, stemming off the Miller SpeedSports Zoomie Slide Valves with Borla collector mufflers and a full 4-inch exhaust through the rockers.

Meanwhile in Keyser, West Virginia, Mark DePriest of Badd Habit Customs finished up fabrication on a cool pro stockstyle rear wing. Using 1/8inch thick sheet aluminum for the custom contoured spill plates will assure that the piece will look great for years to come, as typical rear wing kits frequently use more lightweight but less durable 0.050 material. DePriest had a trick scalloped adjustable wickerbill cut on a water jet and designed the unit with a soft radius out back for a stellar look. Adding to the style and function is a set of Ed Quay wing struts.

The completed wing is currently en route to Newport News, Virginia, where Donald Williams, Bobby Starcher, and the crew at Virginia Rod Company head into the home stretch of fabrication duties before the car is handed off for paint and body. Before that can happen, though, a fair amount of fabrication remains. However, a fair chunk of that was completed this month. First, Starcher and VRC crewmember Chris Elliott worked on the front end and engine bay. After receiving the Saldana Racing Products aluminum radiator and SPAL brushless

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RPM PROJECT CAR electric fans, it was mounted to the chromoly chassis with some custom brackets. Since we had Saldana build the radiator absolutely as large as possible to aid cooling, it was critical that this piece was mounted first. With the rad in place, Starcher then started re-engineering the front sheetmetal mounting structure using chromoly round stock. Methodically making his way across the entire front clip, Starcher tacked in the headlight mounts and a

revised and refined system for rigidly attaching the stretched fenders and factory Ford 2014 front fascia. Stretching the factory-style LKQ front fenders five inches was quite a chore, and grafting in the 2013-2014 nose added another dimension of difficulty, but as we discussed last month, there was simply no way to efficiently stretch a factory aluminum hood. Coupled with the fact that we also wanted the added styling and clearance offered

10 & 11: The Saldana Racing Products radiator arrived and the build quailty was superb. Our unit is a tri-flow design and has been equipped with a billet flange to accommodate a Mezeire electric pump. The radiator also came equipped with a custom fabricated shroud to mount the dual SPAL NUOVO brushless electric fans. The large opening at the bottom (covered in cardboard for shipping in photo 9) butts up near the X brace in the chassis.VRCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Elliot holds the unit in position prior to further mockup in the Horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doghouse.

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12: The factory Ford HID 2014 Mustang headlamp assemblies are roughly the size of a small storage shed—give or take—on either side of the radiator. Unfortunately, despite the 5-inch stretch, there isn’t much extra room up front. “It’s pretty much like 10 pounds of crap in a 5-pound bag in the engine bay,” said Starcher. Nevertheless, his fabricated chromoly trees and brackets for the front sheetmetal look stellar.

13: Speaking of tight fits, with the radiator finally in place, we can at long last start finalizing the induction routing. First, we opted for the biggest, baddest Spectre Performance cone filter assemblies we could squeeze into position. Using 4-inch aluminum tubing from Spectre, Starcher will fabricate the inlet tubes with a mandrel bend flowing out the base of the filter, through the twin rails of the chassis, and into the ProCharger inlet and repeat on the opposite side. We’ll probably also fabricate an airbox to take advantage of the factory fascia’s lateral lower openings to feed cool air into the blowers.

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RPM PROJECT CAR 14

14: What a difference it makes in the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance with the HID headlights mounted up and the (as yet unmodified) Harwood fiberglass hood lowered into position!

15 & 16: Q: What do you get when you combine two Harwood hoods, a die grinder, and Michael Seal? A: The beginnings of an awesome stretched hood and some very itchy skin. Just kidding...of course, be sure to take the proper precautions any time you are working with fiberglass, as the dust is one of the most potent skin irritants known to man. Here, Michael carved up some pieces to prepare for the stretch.

only by a cowl induction hood, we turned to industry leader Harwood for a solution. While Harwood does not sell a stretched version of their 2013-2014 Mustang cowl induction hood, they do offer the item in both a bolt-on and pin-on variety. We ordered one of each and got it on the way to Newport News. Michael Seal is an aerospace industry veteran who is a wizard at composites of all types. He also happens to be personal friends with VRC owner Donald Williams and lives near the shop. We recruited Michael to slice and dice our pair of Harwood hoods until he ended up with a single smoothed and stretched unit. Within a matter of hours, Seal had sectioned the pin-on hood to sweep dramatically all the way

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RPM PROJECT CAR back to the Mustangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s windshield. The look is incredible, but would be unworkable with the factory-style single plane pivot hinge. For that chore, we ordered up a pair of Ring Brothers billet aluminum hinges originally intended for a first-gen Camaro. The GM hinge not only pivots the hood open, but also lifts it up and away from the windshield, ultimately providing the necessary clearance for the long stretched cowl. We are continuing to make good progress and as we go to press, we are no more than three weeks away from loading the Horse up and heading to Strange Motion Customs for paint and body. Tune in next month to see the last installment of Virginia Rod Company awesomeness as we keep working to usher in the Second Coming of Pro Street!

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SOURCES Visner Engine Development www.visnerengine.com 616.726.6600

Badd Habit Customs http://on.fb.me/1HmJT2Z 304.813.4338

Ed Quay Race Cars www.edquay.com 800.477.5786

Virginia Rod Company www.varodco.com 757.596.7275

Saldana Racing Products www.saldanaracingproducts.com 317.852.4193

17 17 & 18: The wild stretch to the Harwood hood is coming along, but there is still much to do to get it all looking smooth and seamless.

december 2015 | RPM Magazine

SPAL Automotive www.spalusa.com 800.345.0327

Harwood Industries www.eharwood.com 800.822.3392

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