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Having started tinkering in his father’s garage at the young age of 10, it’s no surprise that Ryan Hall took possession of his first car, a 1967 Mustang at the age of 13. What might surprise you is that he still has that car, and after years of wanting to add a Ford Falcon to his stable, he finally made that dream a reality with this 1964 Falcon.
“I was a part of a group of guys in high school and all we did was build, race, and repair our cars,” said the Lynneville, Indiana, resident. “We were constantly trying to go faster with very minimal funds.” With life and family taking center stage for a number of years, Ryan stepped away from the car scene, but got back into building cars in 2019. Hall purchased the Falcon from the previous owner near Nashville, Tennessee, but the Ford spent much of it’s life in Florida.
Story: Steve Baur
Photos: Stephen Taylor
One of the most impressive parts of the Falcon is the factory trim that has been kept in place. With the Falcon being such a rare bird, Hall went to great lengths to keep the car looking factory from the exterior.
“I bought it as a roller with no engine and it was previously raced in Florida. The car had been there since the mid to late 90s,” Hall noted. “I have a large folder with receipts from Port St. Lucie that are from the mid to late 90’s to 2016.”
Once the Ford reached his garage, the owner of Fleet One Repair got to work, stripping everything out of the chassis and starting from the ground up. That included fortifying the 9-inch Ford rearend with
braces and 35-spline axles. Said rearend was also fitted with a Quick Performance 3rd member with spool and 4.10 gears, and Calvert Racing’s Caltrac traction bars keep the rear tires planted despite what the leaf-spring suspension might have in mind.
At the front of the Falcon, a Rod & Custom independent front suspension was fitted to the factory chassis, which not only provides a more modern steering and suspension feeling with rack-and-pinion
Out back, the Falcon is surprisingly uncut and still relies on a leafspring setup, albeit modified with goodies from Calvert Racing and QA1. A braced 9-inch Ford rearend is equipped with 35-spline axles, a Quick Performance 3rd member, spool and 4.10 gears.
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steering and QA1 adjustable shocks, but also allows for the removal of the factory shock towers in the engine bay. By opening up the available real estate under the hood, it also makes it easier to work on the powerplant, and/or fit a larger one between the frame rails.
Along with the modified inner fenders, the firewall was also notched to make room for the 9.5inch deck height, Ford Windsor engine. Based on a 1971 stock block that has been bored .030-inch over, the small-block Ford features a stock crankshaft that swings Scat H-beam connecting rods and TRW forged aluminum pistons with a domed profile that bumps the compression ratio to 13:1.
When he got back into cars in 2019, Ryan Hall fulfilled his dream of having a Falcon with this slick 1964 hardtop. The 1993 Ford Calypso Green color suits the Flacon perfectly and is the work of Dan’s Body Shop and Landon Guthrie.
A solid roller camshaft controls the incoming air/fuel mixture from the Pro Systems 950 E85-spec carburetor through the Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold and into the Pro Comp 210 cylinder heads.
On occasion, the Edelbrock nitrous oxide plate system provides an additional charge of fuel and atmosphere for a 200-horsepower boost, and an improvement in on-track performance. As we write this, Ryan has upped the ante in the power department for the Falcon, and a fresh 466 inch small block Ford with upgraded block and crank is being built and designed to handle a considerable amount more nitrous!
The “current” motivation for the Falcon is a 9.5 inch deck height Ford Windsor block punched .030-over. H-beam rods swing domed forged pistons giving a final compression ratio of 13:1, which is perfect for adding nitrous oxide to the mix…and that’s exactly what Ryan did. Occasionally the small block will enjoy a hit of nitrous, but Hall keeps it under 200HP understanding the limitations of the current combination.
Pro Comp 210 cylinder heads are studded in place and a Pro Systems 950 E85-spec carburetor tops an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold. A fresh 466 inch small block Ford with upgraded block and crank is currently being built and is designed to handle a considerable amount more nitrous, and will be set between the rails of the Falcon for spring this year.
A Rod & Custom independent front suspension installed up front not only updates handling characteristics of the aging machine, but also allowed for the removal of the factory shock towers in the engine bay. The result is easier maintenance and space to install a cool front-exit fabricated bullhorn exhaust system with built-in bullet mufflers.
Certainly, one of the coolest features about Hall’s Falcon is the set of custom forward-facing exhaust headers. They flow forward and down to a pair of bullet mufflers before exiting beneath the front fenders in front of the wheels, giving the Falcon that racy, bull-horn look.
Hall relies on a MagnaFuel 500 fuel pump and an MSD ignition to keep the Ford powerplant fueled and firing properly, and he equipped the Falcon
with a B&M Racing shifted, 10-clutch, 1.80-geared Powerglide transmission with a BTE 8-inch torque converter.
Rolling on Weld Racing Drag Star wheels, the Falcon utilizes double beadlocks on the back wheels to keep the Hoosier DR2 275/60/15 drag radial tires gripping hard. Cooper tires reside up front and behind the aluminum hoops they’re mounted on you’ll find a custom GM-based disc brake setup.
Ryan Hall’s Nitrous Small Street/Strip 1964
■ Chassis & Suspension / Modifications:
Rod and Customs IFS front suspension with forward rack & pinion. No shock towers. QA1 single adjustable shocks. Firewall has been notched to clear 9.5 deck height in the Rod and Custom mount location, making room for the forward-facing headers and incorporating a bullet muffler in them. Rear is leaf springs with QA1 adjustable shocks and aftermarket lower/traction bars.
■ Body & Paint:
Paint & body work was done by Dan’s Body Shop. Color sanding and buffing and paint correction done by Landon Guthrie. Color of car is Ford 1993 Calypso Green.
■ Engine:
Current engine is a 1971 351 W block. 030 over giving a 357 inch displacement. Stock stroke crank, Scat H-beam rod with forged dome 13-1 compression pistons. ProComp 210 heads with upgraded valves and hardware. Comp Magnum roller rockers with stud girdles. Victor Jr. intake. NOTE: Currently building 466 inch small block Ford with aftermarket block and forged crank that will take a lot more spray!
■ Fuel System:
MagnaFuel 500 Pro Star fuel pump with Magnum fuel bypass regulation. Pro Systems 950 E85 carb.
■ Power Adder: Edelbrock nitrous oxide plate kit. Currently spraying 200 max on it.
■ Electronics:
MSD 6AL, MSD Pro Billet distributor.
■ Transmission & Converter:
10-clutch 1.80-gear Powerglide. Pro transbrake, BTE 8” “very loose” torque converter. Leave on prep surface at 5200 RPM. Leave on no prep surface at 4400 RPM.
■ Rear End:
9” narrowed to 47 inches and braced. Quick Performance 3rd member, Yukon case, 4.10 gear, 35 spline axles and spool.
■ Brakes:
Ford Falcon
Single piston GM style Rod & Custom disk brakes on front. Aerospace disc brake kit on rear.
■ Tires & Wheels:
Weld Drag Stars with Mac Fab double beadlocks on rear. Cooper tire on front & Hoosier DR2 275/60/15 rears.
■ Interior:
Dash is outfitted with Pro Comp gauges with GPS speedo & N2O Pressure gage. Sound deadening and carpet was installed. Fabricated shifter stand with B&M ’Glide shifter mounted on it.. N2O bottle with stand, 2
Pro Car cloth seats with G-Force 5-point belts. 6-point cage in rear right now that will be upgraded for 2025.
■ Most Unique Feature(s):
It’s dependable, drives great on the street or strip and is a blast to drive. The bullhorn front exit exhaust is probably the most unique feature as they have bullet mufflers incorporated inside.
■ Reason For Build:
I just have always loved the '64 Falcon.
■ Build Timeline:
I have had it close to 3 years. It is not done. Currently building a 466” SBF that will take a lot more spray.
■ Most Memorable Experience(s):
Not being a first-round duck at the first race I took it to.
■ Thanks to:
Jesse Raes for help on most of the work. Dan’s Body Shop & Landon Guthrie for making it look great. Will Farwick for the carpet and interior work, and my wife for her support with this project.
Aerospace Components disc brakes handle the stopping duties out back. On the inside of the two-door hardtop you’ll find sparse accommodations with racing in mind. The dashboard has been gutted in favor of a flat panel housing AutoMeter ProComp instruments and a simple, reli-
able switch panel to control main functions. These measures do well to cut the Falcon’s curb weight. Hall also fitted a nitrous bottle heater that uses a Dewalt 20-volt battery to power it.
To ensure proper street manners, a GPS-enabled speedometer offers a precise speed indication, and
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Hall installed sound deadening material beneath the carpet, though we would surmise that the rumble from the bullhorn exhaust would drown just about all road noise out. There is a pair of Pro Car racing bucket seats with G-Force safety harnesses that are surrounded by a sixpoint roll bar, and in the hands of the driver is a lightweight steering wheel with controls for the line lock and trans brake. The roll bar, of course, will also be up graded over the next few months to match the new power level and capabilities of the car, enabling it to come out swingin’, and legal, on the strip this year. Ford Falcons are cool in their own right and their body lines draw plenty of attention.
The factory interior is long gone. Instead, Hall opted for a race vibe that also serves a purpose since he frequents both prep and noprep events with the car. A pair of Pro Car racing bucket seats with G-Force safety harnesses are surrounded by a six-point roll bar, which is being updated over the off-season to ensure the car is legal with the new power combination.
Owner's Build Journal
Ryan started from near scratch on the Falcon, relying on a solid original body and chassis as a foundation for the build.
When he found it in Nashville TN, the Falcon was a rolling chassis that had been raced mostly in Florida since the mid-nineties. It was an OEM steel survivor that had been well taken care of and came with a folder of invoices for parts and work.
In addition, Hall had Dan’s Body Shop perform the body work and paint while Landon Guthrie provided the paint correction on the Ford Calypso Green color.
While Hall’s Falcon was built for street and car shows, it was also aimed at small-tire, true street, and no-prep drag racing. Hall leaves the starting line on prep at 5,200 rpm, but drops that down to 4,400 for non-prepped surfaces. Something he will have to adjust with several more
hundred horsepower under hood in 2025.
“I just have always loved the ‘64 Falcon,” Hall told us. “I have had it close to 3 years, but it is not done. It’s going to go a lot faster this year with the new 466inch motor and a lot more spray.” So far, Hall’s most memorable experience with the Falcon is “Not being a first-round duck at the first race I took it to.”
We’re thinking there are probably even more good memories to choose from in the future.
Article first appeared in the January 2021 digital issue.
RPM MAGAZINE Reprint IN Print!
RPM MAG’s commitment to features that appeared digital-only since June 2020.
There are many reasons car owners are attracted to racing their cars; for Wesley Evans, it came from family.
Growing up, both his mom and dad had hot rods when American muscle ruled the streets. Throughout Wes’ childhood he vividly remembers his mom driving a 1967 RS SS Camaro while his dad had too many to keep track of. All of their friends had hot rods and they all hung out and were one big happy family. This family tradition has carried over to his eight-year-old daughter, who became interested in cars at an early age just as Wes did. Even his wife is not the “soccer mom” SUV type and would rather drive a sports car with
three pedals.
Wes, a 39-year-old aircraft mechanic from Georgia, has owned a few mustangs over the years, from a Fox Body coupe to a “Terminator” Cobra and then on to a 2014 GT. He found his 1993 Cobra on Craig’s list back in 2013 in excellent shape and over 7 years slowly transformed it into a venerable street / strip car. At first glance it may not look like it’s all that fast; after all, other than some weld wheels, the car sits and looks fairly tame, but that is exactly the first impression that Evans wants you to have. Over the years, he’s had many visions of where he wanted to take his Cobra, and the one that stuck was to go as fast as possible, but look stock.
Finding a less than 100,000 mile 1993 Cobra Mustang is difficult enough, but finding one in the Cobra-specific Teal Metallic color is near impossible!
Story & Photos: Wes Taylor
Since this car is a real 1993 Cobra, which is quite rare, he wanted to maintain the Cobra-specific look as best as possible throughout the vehicle. In today’s world where many opt for stuffing a GM LS platform and automatic transmission in a Fox Stang, Evans wanted to keep his Mustang all Ford and even keep rowing through the gears on his way to low 8-second quarter mile ETs. Yep, we said low 8-seconds!
Eventually, the factory 302 just wouldn’t cut it for the direction Wes was heading, so he opted for a 1974 351 Windsor iron block to use as a base for a new engine build. From the beginning, Wes knew nitrous would be part of the equation, so the Windsor was built to handle it. Nitrous and cubes go together like bread and butter; the block was bored .040 over, clearanced, and line honed to accept a Scat stroker crank. Diamond 4.040 pistons and Eagle 4-inch stroker rods bringing the new short block cubic inch total to 410ci, with 12.8 compression ratio. Af ter decking the block, aluminum AFR 225cc 20 degree inline valve heads stuffed with oversized 2.08” exhaust and 1.60” intake valves and topped with 1.7 roller rockers found their away atop the fresh bottom end. To assist the high flowing heads, Wes called up Vincent Performance to spec him a custom grind cam, while a Melling M68 oil pump and a Canton pan keep ev erything adequately lubricated. Wes completed all the machine work at his buddies machine shop and he assembled the engine himself.
Wes likes to kid around, playing off like he has a set of GT40 heads on the built AFR 225-headed Windsor.
The stock block 351W based mill now boasts 410 cubes and 1000whp.
Engine:
Wesley Evan’s 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra
Make/year: Ford 1974 351W block
Current cid: 410
Bore/Stroke: 4.040”, 4.000”
Crankshaft: Scat
Pistons: Diamond
Connecting rods: Eagle
Compression ratio: 12.8:1
Engine built by: Wesley Evans. .040” over bore, clearanced, line bored and decked.
Name of shop: Extreme Engines Macon, GA.
Oil Pan: Canton
Oil Pump: Melling M68
Other Modifications:
Windage tray was clearanced for rod bolts. Also done by myself. ARP main bolts. ARP rod bolts.
Camshaft Make:
Vincent Performance custom grind solid.
Cylinder Heads Make/Type:
AFR 225’s 20 degree inline valve.
Material: Aluminum
Intake Valves Make/Size: /2.08”
Exhaust Valves Make/Size: /1.60”
Rocker Arms: LGM
Rocker Ratio: 1.7
Air & Fuel
VCM: Holley HP EFI
Engine tuner: Ryan McCain RMtuned of McCain Racing Huntersville, NC
Injector size: Holley 120lb
Pump(s): Twin Aeromotive 340’s
Regulator: Aeromotive
Pressure: 60psi
Intake manifold: Edelbrock 2828
Air filter: K&N
Throttle body make/size: Accufab 4500
Mass air meter/Map Sensor: MAP Holley
Other induction modifications: Intake was ported by Coupe Performance.
Coil: LS 5.3 stock coils
Wires: Custom Moroso Ultra 40’s
Plugs: NGK
Exhaust:
Headers: Long tube
H/Xpipe: Custom made by SOB Built Motorsports
Mufflers: Custom Aluminum
Pipe Size: 3”
Power Adders:
Nitrous Oxide System: Induction Solutions solenoids. NX direct port.
Jet size(s): 36
Single or multiple stage kit: single
Transmission:
Type: G-Force g101a
Clutch / Converter: Black Magic single 10” disc
Flexplate / Flywheel : Black Magic Aluminum 157 tooth.
Shifter: Long H pattern
Driveshaft size / material: Aluminum 3.5”
Safety loop: Custom
Rear End:
Type: Ford 8.8
Gears: 3.55
Axles: Strange Engineering 35 spline 9”
Spool: Strange Engineering
Chassis:
Front upper/lower control arms: Chromoly
Front shocks/struts: Strange 10 way
Front springs: UPR 14” 150lb
Rear upper/lower control arms: UPR Products adjustable.
Rear shocks: Menscer
Rear springs: 110lb
Sway bar: Anti roll bar
Subframe connectors
Wheels:
Front: 17x3.5 Weld Racing Alumastars
Rear: 15x10.25” Weld Racing RTS
Tires, front Mickey Thompson 26x4
Tires, rear (street/strip): Mickey Thompson ET Street Pro 275/60/15
Brakes:
Front: Strange 2 Caliper
Rear: Strange 4 caliper
Body:
Current original mileage: 118,000
Original/Current color: Original Teal Metallic
Body modifications: None
Hood: Kaenen 3”
Spoiler: Stock 93 Cobra
Ground effects: Stock 93 Cobra
Interior:
Upholstery, color, material: Black Corbeau FX1Pro
Roll bar/cage: Custom built by SOB Built Motorsports.
Other safety equipment: RJS seat harness
Gauges: Holley EFI 3.5” screen
Performance:
Best quarter mile ET: 8.20
MPH:168.3
60ft. time:1.21
Horsepower: 1000whp
Thanks To:
I’d like to thank the following:
- My wife Elisa. She helped in many ways whether it be hold a flashlight, pump the brakes, or just listen to me when I talk about a plan or issue.
- My biggest fan; my daughter Kimber. Her support and love for the car is genuine.
- My dad for showing me I can do anything if I try and for giving me this passion for cars.
- My mom for supporting it.
- All the social media followers and friends that show support.
- UPR Products for helping me all these years. Black Magic for the best clutches on earth.
- Lastly the best tuner on the planet, Ryan McCain RMtuned at McCain Racing.
Finishing off the mill is an Edelbrock 2828 intake manifold ported by Coupe Performance with an Accufab 4500 throttle body. To feed the small block, Evans chose Holley 120lb fuel injectors running off two Aeromotive 340 pumps with a constant 60psi going to them. There are many options for stand-alone computer control systems for EFI, and once again Evans went with Holley, using their HP EFI system.
Long tube headers along with a 3-inch exhaust fabbed up by SOB Built Motorsports keeps exhaust flowing well while maintaining a relatively “quiet” tone when compared to many. The fun part comes from a custom plumbed nitrous system that Evans put together using Induction Solutions solenoids and a single, dry, Nitrous Express direct port setup with 36 jets. With technology moving at a constant pace, it takes a mastermind to tune a combination to reach its maximum potential.
The interior of the
is about as factory appearing as you can get aside from the seats and cage.
Real Teal Mustang
Still a stick car, Evans relies on a G-Force g101a trans for transferring the nitroused ponies rearward to the fortified factory 8.8 rearend.
This Cobra still sports its original Cobra-only Teal Metallic paint...
While Wes tackled some of this on his own, he then turned tuning duties over to Ryan McCain of RMtuned at McCain Racing. It was the right move as with Ryan behind the keyboard Wes has logged his quickest/fastest passes ever.
Sure, with an engine like this an automatic trans would be an easy choice, but where’s the fun in that? Since there were already three pedals in the Cobra, Evans stuck with his roots and chose to
go stick racing. To take the abuse of the new nitroused stroker small block, he chose a G-Force transmissions g101a four-speed and Long H-pattern shifter. With racers trying to throw more and more power at the track, especially on smaller tires, driveline companies have to keep up and Evans went with a Black Magic clutch and built the factory Ford 8.8 rearend with strange 35 spline axles and spool, along with a 3.55 gear set.
Before and during races, Wes always goes over everything, including the spark plugs, which are a significant component in a nitrous fed engine.
Suspension wise, it’s no secret that the choices are endless for a Fox Body Stang. Evans installed chromoly upper and lower control arms front and rear as well as an anti-roll bar out back and subframe connectors to stiffen the chassis.
Strange Engineering 10way adjustable shocks control the ride up front while Menscer Motorsports units hang out back. Strange
also handle braking duties with their two-piston lightweight drag brakes up front and a four-piston setup out back.
It’s rare to see a Fox Body these days with factory paint, but this Cobra still sports its original Cobra-only Teal Metallic paint; and as if finding a clean 1993 isn’t rare enough, a Teal one is like a needle in a haystack.
With that in mind, the only change made to the body is the 3-inch Kaenen cowl hood. The car rides on Weld Racing 17” Alumastars wrapped in Mickey Thompson ET Street skinnies up front, while 15x10 Weld RTS wheels wrapped in 275/60/15 ET Street Pros keep the Cobra planted to
the pavement and also provide that “slightly more than a stock Mustang” look Wes was shooting for.
Inside, Holley’s 3.5 inch digital dash display monitors all of the vitals while black Corbeau F1X Pro seats replace the factory Cobra units to allow installation of RJS safety harnesses.
Video by Justin Bryant
The custom cage built by SOB Built Motorsports is about the only other noticeable change to the factory Cobra interior, well at least the front portion of it anyway! Open the hatch and you’ll notice not one, but two 10lb Nitrous Outlet bottles ready to go at any time.
Wes’ Cobra is truly the total package – a clean factory-looking Cobra packing a nitrous fed 1000-horse mill that can run the number, and that number to date is 8.20 at 168 mph in the quarter-mile
with a solid sixty-foot of 1.21 seconds! Evans is committed to turn 7s in 2021, and someday hopes to put his daughter in the driver seat. His wife and daughter love the Cobra as much if not more than he does, calling it the “Rocket,” and that’s what drives Wes the most.
So, if you happen to find yourself next to a stock appearing 1993 Teal Cobra with Welds and a slight rake to the stance, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a 12-second ride…because it isn’t!
The left front tire just tickles the dragstrip as Wes heads down Broadway on another low 8-second pass!
Pontiac’s Firebird and subsequent Trans Am models always looked fast, and many of them were equipped with capable Pontiac Ram Air powerplants, LT1 small-blocks, as well as the LS1 engine.
It’s no surprise then that these cars were often sought after by car enthusiasts everywhere, and when Alex Sanchez saw this Trans Am on the side of the road, he knew he had to have it.
“I was driving back home from work and saw a car with a for sale sign in it, so I turned around and called the owner,” Sanchez recalled. “He came out and gave me the bad news that someone had already put a deposit for it. The guy probably seen the expression on my face and asked if I wanted to test drive it. I was like, ‘Absolutely!’”
Story: Steve Baur
Photos: Amber Hynes
Back when he bought it, Alex Sanchez’ 1998 Firebird Trans Am was originally red and he added an air bag suspension, big wheels etc., but after his buddy Jesus Ortiz took him to some street races in Oakland, California, all bets were off, and he was quickly bitten by the racing bug.
The F-body had been equipped with some bolt-on performance parts and Sanchez fell in love with it, so much so that he offered the owner $8,000, $500 over asking price. The owner apologized and told him that he couldn’t do that, but let him know that if the prospective buyer backed out, that he
could come get it the next day.
“I left all sad,” Sanchez told us. “I think the guy felt so bad that he called me and said, ‘Man, I think this car needs to be yours. I can see it in your face and I can see you’re going to do something good with it,’ so he said, ‘Come back and take it.”
The year was 2010 and the 1998 Firebird Trans Am, shod in an eye-searing red paint, was fun to drive. Sanchez got right to personalizing it, first putting it on air bag suspension, and then adorning it with some trick 20-inch wheels. After his friend Jesus Ortiz took
him to some street races in Oakland, California, though, all bets were off, and he was quickly bit by the racing bug.
Eventually, the air bags and big hoops would have to make way for some lightweight, racing-specific performance parts.
Sanchez continued to modify his Pontiac over the next 14 years into its current form you see here.
Wrapped in Avery Dennison SW900 vinyl film, the once-red machine now sports a black and yellow theme reminiscent of the Pontiac’s 35th Anniversary Firebird
paint scheme. A quartet of RC Components finest forged billet aluminum wheels complement that look, with RC Exile front wheels measuring 17x4 inches up front and RC’s Deuce-2 15x14 rear wheels providing the home for the Mickey Thompson Pro Radials.
Fourth-gen F-bodies weren’t exactly known for stout chassis stiffness, and thus this particular Pontiac unibody was fitted with enough bars to earn a 25.5 safety certification.
Building on that, the factory torque arm suspension components were trashed, and the back end of the ‘bird was back-halved with a 4-link suspension from Tim McAmis Performance
Parts. Thanks to the capable craftsman at Burkhart Chassis, Sanchez was able to have a formidable, tubular front suspension in the Firebird that both lightened the entire chassis as well as provided much needed clearance in the engine bay.
A billet aluminum frontentry intake manifold sits atop the LS-based engine and is fed fuel by a spur gear pump and air by a sizeable single 107mm turbocharger.
Alex Sanchez’ 1998 Turbocharged No-Time Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
■ Body & Paint:
The car is wrapped yellow with Avery sw900 film.
■ Chassis Modifications:
25.5 certified chassis, rear back-half.
■ Suspension:
Front is a custom tubular suspension by Burkhart and rear is back-half chassis with custom 4-link suspension.
■ Engine:
441 tall deck Noonan billet LS block. Winberg billet crankshaft, RCD Gear Drive.
■ Cylinder Heads:
Noonan heads, Manton rockers and pushrods rockers, PSI springs, Victory 1 valves.
■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:
Aeromotive 25gpm spur gear Extreme pump.
■ Power Adder: 107mm single turbo by José at Forced Inductions.
■ Transmission:
M&M 3 speed TH400 with 2nd gear leave option. Bolt together 10” PTC torque converter.
■ Rear End:
Currently it has a Fab 9” with 40 spline gun-drilled axles, Ultra case and 3.89 gears.
■ Tires & Wheels:
RC comp Exile 17x4 front wheels and RC Comp Deuce-2 15x14 rears with Mickey Thompson Pro radials.
■ Interior:
Midwest Chassis steering column, M&M shifter, Racetech seat, Safecraft fire suppression system.
■ ET & MPH: No time.
■ Most Unique Feature(s):
There are only a few F-bodies that are known on the streets or track like Tweety Bird.
■ Reason For Build: It was my first muscle car.
■ Build Timeline:
I’ve been constantly making changes for the last 14 years.
■ Most Memorable Experience(S):
I will say doing the Street Outlaws show racing with my best friend Cali Nate.
■ Thanks To:
I want to thank all the people that have helped me out through the years.
Special thanks to my best friend, Nathan Schaldach, known as Cali Nate. He was involved on the whole build since the car was a street car until now, from tuning to suspension. Rest in peace brother, we miss you.
Lance Clontz at California Street Machine LLC. I could not do this without him. Every time we need something we get moved to the front of the line and he takes care of us. Thank you very much Lance.
For chassis I’d like to thank Arniebuilt Racing in Salinas CA, Aqcustums in Fresno, and my boys, Dave Philips and Bill Spain in Yuba City, they all help me with fabrication.
Mike at Rally Graphics in Menlo Park also makes sure the car is always looking good. One time he wrapped the car in 2 nights so the car looked good for a show.
Hunter Sanchez for travelling with me around the country and handling crew chief and tuning duties.
Juan Delgadillo for being part of my crew and always being there for any test sessions and mechanical work.
Dino Fry the smartest person I know, he does some engine work for me and is part of the crew.
Dan the man in Salinas CA, he does all my transmissions.
Special thanks to my wife Karina who allows me to keep chasing my dream.
You may not see the impeccable work on the underside, but you will definitely see the results on the track.
Cage bars to make up the 25.5 certification snake their way through the interior and include a funny car style halo for the driver. A composite dash does little more than hide electronics and carbon panels were used for trim and rear wheel-tub work.
Speaking of formidable, you have to have serious power under the hood when you’re in the grudge/notime racing game and this mean Pontiac has plenty of muscle. Replacing the much loved, but not up to the task 5.7-liter LS1 engine is a 441-cubic-inch, Noonan Race
Engineering billet LS block that is home to a Winberg crankshaft. Topping the talldeck block is a pair of Noonan cylinder heads that are chock full of top components such as PSI valve springs, Manton push rods and rocker arms, as well as Victory 1 valves and Jesel lifters.
There is nothing even close to being factory or “stock” inside the Trans Am. Instead, assorted race parts fill the cockpit including the billet shifter and single “gauge” being the oversized interactive display relaying all pertinent information to Sanchez, before, during and after every run
A billet aluminum front-entry intake manifold sits atop the LS-based engine and is fed fuel by an Aeromotive spur gear pump and air by a Forced Inductions 107mm turbocharger. After the boosted
mill churns out the horsepower, an M&M Transmission 3-speed Turbo 400 and PTC bolt-together torque converter transmit the crankshaft’s rotations back to a fabricated 9-inch rearend.
With such a potent engine combination easily producing 4-digit horsepower numbers, the 9-inch rear was fitted with an Ultra Case with 3.89 gears that spin 40-spline, gun-drilled axles.
Keeping “Tweety Bird,” as Sanchez calls his Trans Am, under control at the top end of the racetrack is a quartet of disc brakes. From inside, Sanchez conducts transmission operation using an M&M billet shifter while snuggly buckled in his Racetech seat and surrounded by a Safecraft fire suppression system.
The car, now known in the world of no-prep, no-time and grudge drag racing as “Tweety Bird”, was quickly modified over the years into what it is now. A heavily modified chassis and suspension provides the lowslung ride height and an Avery Dennison SW900 vinyl film wrap in a black and yellow theme reminiscent of the Pontiac’s 35th Anniversary Firebird paint scheme cover the body sheetmetal and composite parts.
Sanchez is hardcore into the notime/no-prep scene so we can’t divulge Tweety Bird's capabilities, but if horsepower can be calculated as the sum of the components used in the build, the math is pretty simple…plus, Sanchez wins races!
While some may not take as wild of a path with their first muscle car, Sanchez certainly did.
“I want to thank all the people that have help me in through the years, especially my best friend that a lot of people knew. He was one of the best in the no-prep world,” Sanchez told us. “Nathan Schaldach, known as
Cali Nate, was involved in the whole build since the car was a street car till now and from tuning to suspension. Rest in peace brother, we miss you.”
Cali Nate was also instrumental in Sanchez’ favorite memory with the car, which was appearing and competing on the Street Outlaws television show.
The late ‘60s and early ‘70s was a perfect time to be a car guy...
American muscle lived in every corner of the States, and all of the major car manufacturers had their hands in the pot. Chrysler marketed Dodge as their more “race” brand, and we all know why. From the Charger, Challenger, Super Bee, and all the Plymouth variants, Mopar really had it all. One that slides under the radar sometimes, though, is the Dodge Dart. Built from 19601976, the Dart started as a full-size sedan, but by
the fourth generation in 1967, it was marketed as a “compact muscle car,” but by today’s “compact car” standards, it’s still a sizeable ride.
Scott Cheek has always been a Mopar guy, in fact, he rode home in one after he was born. His mother drove a 1968 Dodge Dart that he still has, but this particular Dart has its own story. The 1968 Dart GTS on its own is a rare find; Dodge built only 8,295 GTS models that year.
Article first appeared in the April 2021 digital issue.
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Story & Photos: Wes Taylor
Growing up as a boy, Cheek pitched in wrenching and by 15 turned to street racing, where he met his wife, who enjoys car culture as much as he does. Before they got into a lot of trouble on the street, Scott decided to move his racing efforts onto the
track and started bracket racing. After a short stint with that, he started looking to jump over into heads-up racing and began looking for a project. And since he already had family ties to his mom’s car, a Dodge Dart was at the top of the list.
The Dart has a relatively low stance for a Mopar and works well on the track courtesy of a truckload full of aftermarket suspension products front and rear.
While it may be considered yesteryears technology, a correct designed and setup leaf-sprung suspension like this holds it’s own at the track.
Surprise! There’s more to this Dart than meets the eye. Lift off the hood and your greeted by an Indy Maxx aluminum block based 526-cube Mopar mill!
After scouring the web, Scott ran across this particular original GTS rolling shell with a 25.5 cage that needed an engine, transmission and other incidentals to go racing, and soon after, he made the trip to New York to pick it up. Interestingly, he’d followed the same car when it was sold 13 years earlier by a previ-
ous owner out of Tennessee, so he knew it and didn’t want to miss out this time through. Since he already had a powertrain waiting, finding a shell that already had racing potential was a slam dunk, and he took 2 years to “build it right the first time,” he said. Old school Mopar muscle has always been a favorite
A Thumper Carbs carburetor feeds the mighty big block via a fuel system from Magnafuel.
among horsepower junkies; the look of their offerings alone is enough to turn the heads of even the staunchest bowtie and oval fans. Chrysler Corp. had one of the strongest lineups of muscle back in the day, and even now offer a number of pretty wild power combos in body sizes
ranging from small to extra-large. Besides a fiberglass hood, the Dart is an original all steel car, now donned in Viper blue paint. Original emblems and trim have all been kept in place and the rear GTS black stripe is now complimented by the required parachute.
Everything Scott needs electronically is located right on the kick panel for easy accessibility.
The round marker light, iconic GTS badges and double black stripe signify this Dart is a rare breed.
The rear frame was tweaked and massaged in order to stuff those double bead-locked Bogarts wrapped in Mickey T 275 radials in, and there’s barely a feeler gauge clearance back there.
Although a 25.5 certified cage snakes throughout the interior, most of the remaining trim and equipment are OEM Dodge, aside from a race bucket seat with a 5 point RJS harness and a 10lb nitrous bottle that rides shotgun. The MSD ignition
system along with a nitrous controller is mounted in the kick panel area and a complete set of aftermarket gauges have been mounted to, as opposed to in, the dash.
Oh yeah, and any passengers can ride in the back, as the factory rear seat remains intact.
Power is delivered via a 526-inch big block. Starting with a 440-inch Indy Maxx aluminum block that S&S Mopar stretched out to a roomier 526ci, a Callies stroker crank, spins BME
Like any fast street car, Scott Cheek cruises with a chute hanging off the rear, which is cool when you can back it up, and he can!
Scott Cheek's Dart takes the win light!
Scott Cheek’s 1968 Dodge Dart GTS Street/Strip
Body:
All factory glass, all steel car (except for the hood), color is Dodge Viper Blue.
Chassis & Suspension:
25.5 cert cage, Caltracs with split mono leaf springs and sliders, antiroll bar, Menscer leaf spring nation Pros Series double adjustable shocks on all corners, Front suspension is a coilover conversion with rack & pinion from AJE.
Engine:
526 cubic inch Indy Maxx block big block with Indy cylinder heads, Harland Sharp rockers and Indy intake plumbed with an NOS Fogger system, Thumper Carbs carburetor with Magnafuel 500 pump and Magnafuel regulators.
Power Adder: Nitrous Oxide
Transmission:
727 Torqueflight with an ATI converter, TranzAct clean neutral valve body with a PPP shifter.
Rear End:
Strange 9-inch with 40 spline spool and gun drilled axles with a 4.10 gear.
Brakes:
Strange Engineering 4 wheel disc brakes.
Wheels & Tires:
Bogart Force 5 wheels. The rear wheels are double-bead-
lock with Mickey Thompson 275 Pro radials.
Interior:
Kirkey seat, factory rear seat, Autometer guages, Leash progressive nitrous controller, 25.5 cage, RJS 5 point harness.
Miscellaneous:
I built this car because I am partial to Darts and I love to race so it was a way to combine both of my passions. The build took about 2 years mostly due to lack of funds. I wanted to build it right the first time so I built as the funds came in. I also chose the street style platform because I prefer the street car look and enjoy making a heavy car competitive.
Thanks To:
First and foremost, to my mother. Vanada Performance for the engine and wiring, Dominic Thumper of Thumper Carbs, Tim Nicholson Race Cars for rear suspension, Kryptonite Motorsports and Bryan Welch for tuning and suspension.
aluminum rods pinned to Venolia pistons, and a Comp Cams roller cam finishes out the short block. GT Racing Heads worked their magic on a pair of Indy 440-1 cylinder heads while Harland Sharp rockers work with Smith Bros. push rods. Since Scott appreciates old school; the Dart stayed with its roots by not going EFI. A trick B LP carb from Thumper Carbs is mounted on an Indy intake plumbed with an NOS Fogger system. Fumes exhale through TTI stepped headers and dumbed Vibrant race mufflers. A complete Magnafuel fuel system gulps ample amounts race fuel to keep the sprayed big block happy.
Backing the big cube
Mopar is another Mopar product, a Torqueflight 727 transmission, beefed up with a TranzAct clean neutral valve body, a PPP shifter, and spec’d ATI torque converter. The factory Mopar rear end was tossed in favor a Strange Engineering fabricated 9-inch stuffed with their 40 spline gun drilled axles and spool. Valid to old muscle, stock style
suspension stays, mean ing the Dart still sits on a leaf-sprung suspension. Make no assumptions, leaf spring cars still have their place with the right parts, and Scott used them all. Caltracs with split mono leafs and sliders along with a TRZ anti-roll bar and Menscer Pro series double adjustable Leaf Spring Nation shocks keep geometry and launching capabili-
ties in check. Up front, an AJE coilover conversion complete with tubular upper and lower a-arms and Menscer Pro Series double adjustable shocks takes the place of stock parts.
Scott Cheek came by his love of all things Mopar naturally, and thanks to his Mom became hooked on building a Dodge Dart of his own, keeping it somewhat street-friendly but at the same time creating a solid performer on the track. So solid, that he won the King Of The Street class in 2018 at the Monster Mopar Weekend in Norwalk Ohio, plus he’s shown many of the local Mustang crowd that he means business.
ForNicholasPaone, carshavebeenpart oflifesincehewas
akid,literally.
With his father owning and operating a full scale wrecking yard during his childhood and teen years, Paone may very well have had the ultimate environment for a future gearhead to grow up in.
“I learned how to drive and how to work on vehicles through my father’s scrapy-
ard, and my passion for cars and trucks grew from there,” Nicholas told us. And if that’s not enough to gravitate a teenager towards fast cars, add in that both Nicholas’ father (Amo) and uncle (Anthony Paone) have raced in Pro Modified and Pro Stock/ Mountain Motor Pro Stock since the late 1980s.
Story: George Pich
Photos: Blake Farnan
“I grew up following my uncle and my father's team race these classes throughout the years with NHRA, PDRA and ADRL. I'd videotape the cars going down the drag strip and I would bring the cars
back up from the top end. In the later years they'd go to race in the Ultimate Showdown's Outlaw 10.5 class and I'd start to help out more, telling my dad that I'd like to get into these cars one day.”
The Lion’s share of this COPO build was completed by KB Titan Racing, including the chassis and suspension work and striking silver paint with black COPO hood graphics.
In 2019, Paone’s dad decided to give him the opportunity to get into drag racing, and Nicholas joined Ian Hill's Canada's Heads Up (CHU) series, first piloting his father’s 2015 Camaro ZL1. “It's a full body street car boasting almost 750WHP via a modified 6.2L LSA supercharged V8". Nicholas made a home in the 6.50 class with CHU, and while doing so became comfortable behind the wheel of a drag car.
He steadily became quite competitive, until the car was retired in 2023. So why retire a perfectly good car? That’s where this pristine silver 2023 Chevrolet Camaro COPO build comes into the picture.
Back in October of 2023, Nicholas’ father Amo received a call from longtime friend
and fellow racer Eric Latino (KB Titan Racing) about the opportunity to purchase a COPO that they had built. “Intrigued, in December of that year, my father, myself and his friend made the 12 hour drive right to Mooresville, North Carolina with the truck and trailer in tow.”
The naturally aspirated 416 cubic inch mill was created using a GM LS3 aluminum block with 4.065 bore, and 4.000 stroke, a forged Callies crank, Callies rods and custom forged Wiseco pistons. A solid Comp Cams LSR roller cam was matched with their lifters and pushrods. Ported LS3 821 heads complete the long block and a towering Holley EFI Hi Ram intake tops it off.
As you might guess, the Paone’s made the long trip, literally through sleet and snow, back to Ontario, Canada with the Camaro in the box.
The car was purchased as a fully wired rolling chassis that included a transmission and boxes of parts to
make it whole, it just needed a motor under the hood. The bottom line is: the car is as much a work of art as it is racecar.
With the goal of being ready for May 2024, Nicholas and his father installed a 416-inch LS to mate to the TH400 that came with the car.
The Camaro was built for a 350 S/C engine however the Paone’s decided to go with what they call their “driving school” motor for their first year out and
compete in either the 6.00 or 6.50 class with the CHU series, but with a much more competitive car that could easily be expanded on.
The car was originally built to compete in “Factory Stock Showdown” types of classes and in late 2025 will be fitted and tested with a purpose-built 350 S/C engine to reach that goal.
SPEED SAUCE T M PLUS INJECTION FLUID
Speed Sauce Plus water-ethanol mix comes premixed and ready to use straight from the bottle. Its 20/80 water/ethanol blend delivers more power per gallon. This ethanol-based fluid is not only less corrosive to fuel systems than methanol-based fluids but also safer to handle due to its lower toxicity.
• Provides 4% more power compared to methanol-based injection fluids
• Produces up to 15% more horsepower/torque than stock, with proper tuning
• Delivers added octane when needed thanks to the ethanol’s >115 octane rating
• Less corrosive than methanol version
While the trunk area of the Camaro looks factory, discreet mods have been made for the cage bars, ballast/weight and to hold the fuel cell and batteries.
Nicholas Paone’s 2023 Naturally Aspirated Chevrolet Camaro COPO Build
■ Body & Paint: 2023 Chevrolet Camaro body. COPO build, silver paint with black “COPO” hood graphics.
■ Chassis & Suspension Modifications:
KB Titan-built COPO, 4 Link suspension, HD sway bar, Strange COPO front struts.
■ Engine:
GM LS3 aluminum block,4.065 bore, 4.000 stroke, 416 CI. Callies crank, Callies rods, Wiseco pistons. Solid Comp Cams LSR roller cam, lifters and pushrods.
■ Cylinder Heads: LS3 821 heads, Katech CNC ported, Yella Terra roller rockers.
■ Induction & Fuel Delivery: Holley EFI, Holley Hi Ram intake.
■ Power Adder: None.
■ Transmission: TH400 Reid Case, ATI Converter serviced by John Keck Precision Transmissions.
■ Rear: 9" Housing, 4.56 Gear, 3rd member, 40 spline axles.
■ Tires & Wheels:
Goodyear Eagle Dragway Special Radial 30.0 x 9.0 x 15 REAR Goodyear Eagle Front Runner 26 x 4.0 x 15 FRONT on Racestar 63 Pro-Forged Black-Machined Accent wheels.
■ Interior:
MPI Suede steering wheel, Racepak IQ3 Digital Dash, Precision Performance Products TH400 Pro Hydro 3 Speed with clean neutral KWIK-SHIFT II shifter, COPO ignition Panel, MSD Shift light, Kirkey Racing seats, RJS Racing harness system.
■ ET & MPH:
6.41 @ 106.04mph 1/8-mile Sept 8 2024 at Toronto Motorsports Park.
■ Most Unique Feature(s):
The build quality of the car itself. It's truly an extraordinary piece. You could leave it in a museum as an art display.
■ Reason For Build:
The car was built to eventually run in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class, something that I may be partaking in this year.
■ Build Timeline:
It took KB one year to build the car.
■ Thanks To:
KB Titan for building the car from scratch, painting and fabricating the chassis. Eric Latino for his continued support with the car, Amo Paone for putting this all together and making it happen.
“After some struggles with fuel injection (my father is well versed in carburetors) I had reached out to TurboJoe.” Nicholas explained. “With his help, we got a base map for the Holley EFI system and got it to run and idle.
We actually used the same base map to get the car down the track to a 6.46 at 102mph while running out of injector. After upgrading injectors and coils and backing down the fuel, we began to be competitive.”
A race shifter sits atop a modified tunnel and a certified cage, race seats, MPI steering wheel and rear seat delete highlight the drag race intentions of the build. A Racepak dash is mounted on a carbon panel where factory gauges once were.
Being a “Factory Stock” style racecar you will obviously find a plentiful amount of OEM parts and trim inside the
Two races into the 2024 season, realizing the 416 couldn’t run the number in the 6.00 class, the Paone’s switched over to 6.50 and finished the season off in 6th place in the class. Over the course of the year, Nicholas managed to squeeze a 6.41 at 106mph out of the combination with conservative timing and an extra 200lbs of weight in the back (weighing in at around 3250lbs). Placing in the top 10 and taking a few wins along the way was a perfect way for him to end out his time in the 6.50 index class.
Camaro.
What’s Old Is New if you haven’t read it yet!
Each month we host some of our past issues of RPM Magazine in this section. If you haven’t read them yet, they are new to you! If you have, maybe there’s a favourite car/story you want to read again….here they are!
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For 2025 Paone will start out running the 6.00 class with the refreshed 416 LS and later in the season plans are to install the purpose-built 350 S/C engine for testing, and In the not so distant future, he would like to race the Camaro more competitively in the U.S. in NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and similar classes
Nicholas Paone makes a hit in his 2023 Camaro COPO build. Although he’ll start 2025 with the 416 inch LS engine refreshed, plans are to install the purpose-built 350 S/C engine for testing later in the season.
as that is what the car was built for.
More than providing a springboard into competitive drag racing though, Nicholas says the car has been instrumental in strengthening his enjoyment of the sport and his relationship with his father.
“I think the most memorable experience I've had with the car to date
is just putting it together with my father in the garage at the house. Long hours day in and out to get everything running and ready to compete. It helped build a better relationship with my father and got me more motivated to continue to race - whether it's with this car or another build for any other drag racing purpose.”
