RPM Magazine September 2018 by RPMMAG

V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..........TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com E-MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR.................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA..........................................events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR.....SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR...........................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpmmag.com Photographic Contributions: TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, PETE “BOOMER” ORES, MARK goDragRacing.org, TARA BOWKER, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, and WILL McDOUGLE. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, RAYMOND KNIGHT, TOBY BROOKS, BRIAN WOOD, TABITHA SIZEMORE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, RYK LEE WADDELL. and GEORGE PICH.

MEET THE RPM TEAM

EDITOR IN CHIEF.........................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.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@rpmmag.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 regard to design, performance, and power! RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.

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RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 19 years and has support locations in Ontario, Canada, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, along with contributing writers and photojournalists worldwide. If you have a story that may fit within the focus and scope of RPM Magazine’s coverage, please email our Editor In Chief at editor@ rpmmag.com. Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published. Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article. Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.

Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.

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EDITOR’S RANT

Chris Biro

IT’S UP TO YOU...

SUPPORT YOUR SPORT!

lmost 20 years ago I started to use this space once or twice a year to encourage participation in all things horsepower – drag racing, street machines, building pretty much anything performance & race related, and even attending events as fans – and each year I still like to put a fire under our butts to remind everyone that the industry cannot survive without you! Whether it is tracks, speed shops, parts manufacturers or race and show events and the promoters behind them, they all need you! Building a car to race, show or just street drive, or maybe you have one sitting in the garage that you have been talking about updating for years? Stop talking and just go out and do it. Maybe you’re that person who just loves cars and power, then get out and enjoy more events with your family or your buddies. Events need cars in the lanes or on the show grounds and fans coming through the gates. Sure, we have a handful of large, heavily marketed events that are everywhere and anywhere on social media, but what about the rest of them? The point is, that whether you’re a racer or fan, you can enjoy this industry. I have written before, the internet can help or hurt people and their events, and for some promoters, the more trash and controversy they can create around their event, the more people that come to it…I get that marketing technique, and it works! Especially in outlaw, grudge and no-time style events. Most other lower key or local promoters and organizers, though, depend on a more positive interaction. And they need your support, too. As a participant in a race event, try to look at the positive aspects before writing it off or going online to trash it. If you have a problem or concern with class rules, call or email the organizers to get another side of the story before going online. Most times, simple interaction and communication can solve

the challenge. If not, then at least if you decide to go public there will be two sides of the story on the web, so readers can make a more informed decision. Try your best to collect as many facts as possible before taking the situation to that next level, though, as it is surprising how many people think that “if it’s on the web it must be true”, and internet trolls and keyboard snipers just love those people. And, if you’re that troll or sniper that gets off on posting crap and stirring the pot about every event that you never intended to race in anyway, just go away, you’re a waste of skin! The same thing goes for car shows, there are the big ones that no matter what happens will still be big, and then there are the smaller local ones, and they too, need your support, or next year they may not be around. We’ve been to a number of shows and events that should have been large, but just didn’t get the cars and fans they should have. Charity shows, where cars have come from several hours away, yet for some reason, the local car club isn’t there. We all have egos (especially us car people) and the fact is that these egos can ruin things if we let them get the better of us. Sometimes it’s ok to set differences aside and just go have some fun, and in a case like a charity show, benefit a really good cause. At the end of the day, participation is just a good thing. The ripple effect of your actions can be amazing and help the industry you love or be detrimental to it, and it’s up to you to decide how that will play out. It takes a lot of time and money to put on these events, whether race or show, for profit or for charity, and a little understanding for those who run them can go a long way. So get out participate and don’t be so quick to jump all over them for what you feel they did wrong as opposed to commending the many things that went right.

COMING NEXT MONTH: Does this guy know how to party or what??.........................

Exclusive coverage and features from Tom Bailey’s Woodward Pre-Party/RPM Takeover!

THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT RPM! september 2018 | RPM Magazine

ADVERTISER INDEX ACC Performance................... 98 Accufab Inc............................ 53 Aeromotive........................... 10 AFCO..................................... 89 Alan Johnson Performance (AJPE)................................. 83 Alston Race Cars.................... 18 Applied Racing Components (ARC).................................. 33 ATI Performance Products..... 45 Auburn Gear.......................... 30 Autoglym.............................. 97 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 48 Baer Brakes......................10, 58 Bear’s Performance............... 37 Be Cool................................ 102 BES Racing Engines............... 17 Bill Mitchell Products.......40, 79 Blower Shop............................ 5 Borla..................................... 88 BTE Racing............................ 68 C&C MotorSports................... 12 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 94 Canton Racing Products........ 29 CFE Racing Products.............. 66 Chassis Engineering...........8, 36 CN Blocks.............................. 91 CNC Motorsports................... 41 Coan Engineering................ 103 Competition Products......... 111 Crane Cams........................... 99 Crower.................................. 32 CVR Products....................... 105 DART..................................... 20 Design Engineering..........43, 81 Diamond Pistons................... 76 DIY Auto Tune/MS3-Pro EFI... 83 Drive Train Specialists (DTS)... 13 DRIVEN Racing Oil................. 28 Dynocologists........................ 66 Dynomite Dynamometer...... 13 Dynotech Engineering........... 93 Ed Quay Race Cars................. 42 Edelbrock.............................. 90 Empire Dragway.................... 82 Energy Suspension................ 50 Energy Suspension/NPW....... 93 FUELAB................................. 63 G Force Racing Transmissions.23 Granatelli Motorsports.......... 44 GRP Connecting Rods............ 12 GZ Motorsports..................... 77 Harland Sharp....................... 23 Harwood............................... 21 HoleShot Wheels................... 40 Holley.................................2, 39 Howard’s Cams...................... 25 Hughes Performance............... 7 Induction Solutions............... 19 Indy Cylinder Head................ 64 Innovate Motorsports.......... 112 JE Pistons.........................20, 35 Jesel...................................... 14

Justice League..................... 106 JW Perform. Transmissions.. 100 Kinsler Fuel Injection............. 47 LenTech Automatics.............. 42 Lokar Perf. Products.............. 95 MagnaFuel.............................. 9 Magnuson Superchargers.... 109 MAHLE Clevite Inc............... 108 Manton Pushrods.................. 66 Meziere Precision Mfg............. 8 Mickey Thompson Tires......7, 92 Miska Trailer Sales................. 84 Mr. Cool................................. 14 MSD Ignition......................... 26 Neal Chance Converters....27, 65 Nitrous Pro Flow.................... 33 Nitrous Supply...................... 80 Ontario Grundge Wars/ SMACKDOWN2.................. 79 Parts Pro Perf Centers.......... 116 Performance Engineering..... 26 Performance Improvements.. 24 Perf. Plus Connection.......25, 96 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP).............................46, 57 Powermaster Performance.... 24 Precision Turbo...................... 85 ProCharger............................ 61 Proform Parts...................... 113 Pro Systems Carburetors...50, 62 PTC........................................ 77 Quick Fuel Technology........... 36 Quik-Latch Products.............. 67 Racecraft............................... 78 Racepak................................ 38 Racequip............................... 51 RAM Clutches........................ 49 Renegade Racing Fuels......... 52 Ross Racing Pistons............5, 37 RPM Magazine Subscribe!.114 S&W Race Cars.................... 111 Scorpion Racing Prods............. 9 Shafiroff Racing Engines..11, 82 Smith Racecraft..................... 87 Steve Morris Racing Engines. 31 Strange Engineering............. 16 Summit Racing Equip.....22, 115 Taylor Cable Products.......... 104 TCI Automotive...................... 91 Ti64..................................... 110 Tom’s Upholstery................... 92 Trick Flow.............................. 15 TRZ Motorsports.................... 17 Tuned By Shane T.................. 56 12 Strong............................ 101 VP Racing Fuels...............34, 86 World Products..................... 22

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

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 19 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Cars WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!

RPM

EXCLUSIVES

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

RIDES

Smackdown 2....................................................... 78 The Battle at the Bend...back for more!

Targeted for Termination.......... 54 This turbo’d rotary Escort has you in its sights!

Barn Door...................................................................40 This chopped top, all-motor ’47 Chevy pickup has all the aerodynamics of a barn door!

Lucky..........................................................................................8

After a five year labor of love, this 1986 Ford Mustang is the complete package

Fresh Picked............................................................92 Tommy & Joy Pfister’s citrusy-sweet’67 Camaro RS is so deliciously smooth, it’ll make your mouth water!

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Street or Strip? YES.

Shop Talk...................................................................36 Magic Kingdom...for Gearheads!

PRODUCTS & INNOVATIONS

Safe & Sound: Serious Theft Protection..........106 Secure your ride with Tuffy Security Products

Lines of Excellence........................................... 110 Nitrous, fuel, and other hard lines made simple thanks to Imperial Tool

READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6

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STANDING ON THE GAS SINCE 1963.

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story and photos by

Tabitha SIzemore

teven Dowell has a long relationship with drag racing and Mustangs—a relationship that has spanned decades, starting when his father would take him to the drag strip back in the ’70s. “My dad and his brothers all raced the muscle

cars from the ’60s: Fairlanes, Torinos, Chevelles—all the big block stuff,” explained Dowell. Steven’s first car was a 1976 Ford Ranchero with a 351 Cleveland, and as he got more and more into cars, he went after Fox body Mustangs through the ’80s and ’90s.

“I love Ford, and I love Mustangs. I even work at Ford Motor Company and I have for the past 25 years,” he added. In fact Dowell is a third-generation Ford man, as his grandfather worked at Ford in the ’40s, followed by his dad in the ’60s and himself in the ’90s.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

LUCKY

Carrying on the tradition is his daughter, who has been at Ford for five years. “Ford has taken care of my family for a lot of years. I guess you could say that is why I love them,” he added. Dowell started racing back in the ’80s when he was 15, during the heyday of street racing. He

ALL IN THE FAMILY Steven is passionate about Ford and Mustangs. Considering four generations of his family have worked for the blue oval, it is no question why! A little help with wind forces from the fiberglass front air dam and headlight covers.

would eventually hit the dragstrip for his need for speed. Racing on and off for the next several years, he joined the Army and started a family not too long afterwards, so getting back into cars took some time. When Dowell did return to racing, though, he jumped in with both feet, eventually building a

killer 1986 Mustang GT. The Mack Truck Silver 4-eye Stang is an amazing piece of work. The attention to detail is incredible, and saying it’s clean from top to bottom truly seems like an understatement. Steven found the car on a popular drag race forum about five years ago and fell in love with it. $4500

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

bought the Mustang and a golf cart. According to Dowell, the GT was already in great shape but needed to undergo a few changes because he wanted to go faster. “When I first got the car, I was wheelin’ and dealin’ on anything I could to get the best parts for the car.” Parts came in

BIG BOOTY The ‘86 hatchback is rounded out nicely with a 17-inch carbon fiber wing and Stroud parachute.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

LUCKY from all over and from wherever Dowell could gather them. The transmission came from Missouri, the motor came from the Chicago area, and other parts from here and there. As time went by, though, those parts needed upgrading, as did the chassis. The chassis went from an 8-point cage to a 25.5 certified chassis, and an 8.8 rearend to a fabricated 9-inch. A complete new sus-

pension and braking system was installed, and to lighten the car, the GT would be introduced to a host of fiberglass parts. The weight loss

program would see the Stang drop from 3,000 lbs to 2,725 lbs. For a power adder, nitrous was a no-brainer for Dowell as he had taken

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

a liking to it many years prior. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I chose nitrous because when it first started coming out in kits during the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s I fell in love with it.

LIGHTWEIGHT HORSE All fiberglass body panels are from Motor City Solutions, including the front fascia, hood, doors, and the hatch. All windows are tinted from Pro Glass Windows, while the big rear spoiler is constructed of carbon fiber.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

LUCKY

BIG FUN. SMALL TIRE. It’s amazing how fast cars like this are going on such a small radial tire—in this case the Mickey Thompson ET Street R. A coilover conversion with AFCO double adjustable shocks was completed and a fabricated 9-inch installed during the transformation from mild to wild.

We had a lot of fun with those kits. We blew a lot of motors and tore up a lot of pistons. Mainly since we had no idea what we were doing to tune it, but it sure was a lot of fun.” Dowel was confident that with today’s nitrous equipment and tuning technology, those burnt piston days were left back in the ’80s The transformation took five years to complete

THE

but was worth every minute, as the car has posted a best time to date of 4.94 at 140.5 miles per hour. So not only is it quite the head-tuner, but it’s quick, too. The impressive factor of the silver 4-eye Stang doesn’t end on the exterior either. Open a door, the hatch, or hood and you’ll find the same quality and detail.

ORIGINAL

B ELT D R I V E SYST EM Patented High Torq Drive™ reinforced belt runs dry, spins with less friction than timing chains or gear drives and absorbs harmonics. Kit hardware is all Grade 8 Allen and Torx™ design. Cam timing is externally adjustable. 2 Piece Pulley is infinitely adjustable ±10°. Solid Pulley is adjustable ±8° in 2° increments. Crank Pulley is heat-treated steel and incorporates a High Torq Drive™ tooth configuration. Hard coated Billet Aluminum Upper Pulley features patented High Torq Drive™ tooth configuration. Teflon® coated vacuum cam and crank seals. Accessories available to run distributor drives, fuel pumps or oil pumps off front of cam. For product videos and information, visit us at Jesel.com or call us at 732-901-1800

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

Win Big.

Trick Flow’s PowerPort ® 365 aluminum cylinder heads were designed and built for you to win races. These 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: 13.86:1 compression 572 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 cylinder heads (TFS-4141T804-C02), solid roller camshaft (285°/298° duration @ .050"; .900"/.828" lift; 114° lobe separation), 1.8/1.7 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms, Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold (TFS-41400111), Holley Gen 3 Ultra Dominator 1,425 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow by Stainless Works headers (TFS-DBBC238250), 3½" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers, Q16 racing fuel.

1809RPCT

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

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

LUCKY Under the hood is an 8.2 deck 302-based mill built by Tim Knieriem. The 382 cubic inch Dart Iron Eagle block houses a Bryant billet crank, GRP

rods, Ross dome coated pistons, and a 55mm solid COMP Cam. Sitting atop is a pair of Trick Flow Systems Twisted Wedge R heads, a Roush/Yates

intake, and Quick Fuel RQ-1050-3 carb. For nitrous delivery, Dowell opted for a single Steve Johnson Induction Solutions direct port nitrous system.

OFFICE SPACE The Mustang was upgraded to a 25.5 chassis, replacing the original 8-point cage.

Billet 3.812 bore case and support / D2002 HD 40 spline lightweight steel spool 10â&#x20AC;? Pro gear set / U1604 chrome moly 1350 yoke / U1610HD cap kit...... $4,895 Upgrades available 847-663-1701 â&#x20AC;˘ Strangeeng.net

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

STEVEN DOWELL’S EXTREME STREET/ULTRA STREET 1986 FORD MUSTANG GT’ Chassis Type & Mods: 25.5 Chromoly by Fast Chassis. Suspension & Brakes: AFCO double adjustable shocks on all four corners. TBM brakes. Body & Paint: Mack Truck Silver. All fiberglass body panels are Motor City Solutions (front fascia, hood, doors, and hatch). All windows are poly tinted from Pro Glass Windows. 17-inch carbon fiber wing and Stroud parachute. Engine: 8.2 Deck 302-based Tim Knieriem built engine. 382 cubic inch Dart Iron Eagle Block. Bryant Billet crank. GRP rods. Ross dome coated pistons. 55mm solid COMP Cam. 13.0 compression. Trick Flow Systems Twisted Wedge R heads. Titanium valves. Cometic head gaskets. All ARP studs. Jesel Rockers. BAM .904 double offset lifters. Manton pushrods and Jesel belt drive. Induction & Fuel Delivery: 8.2 Jack Roush/Yates SVO Intake, 4150 Quick Fuel RQ-1050-3. Power Adder: Steve Johnson Induction Solutions single direct port nitrous system.

HEY FOUR EYES... There are a whole lot of Fox body Stangs out there, but fewer of the 1979 to ’86 four-headlight models. True GT bodies in the early iterations are even more rare, and the numbers thin out even more when you consider how well done this car is.

Electronics & Ignition: Sebastion Domingo NLR Systems AMS-2000 pro nitrous controller, Brian Black’s Racewire Solutions plug and play motherboard and roll cage LED backlit switches. MSD Grid system. Racepak Ultra Extreme replay dash. Fuel, nitrous, oil, water, transmission and driveshaft Racepak sensors. Transmission & Driveline: Transmission Specialties 5500 Proline Powerglide, Sonnex 1.69 first gear dump valve all rebuilt by Bilbrey Transmissions. PTC bolt-together converter, pistol grip shifter. Differential: 9-inch fab rear-end built by Fast Chassis. Strange rear axles and Strange aluminum third member. 4.30 Richmond gear. Class/Times: Extreme Street in NMCA or Ultra Street classes. Best ET and MPH: 4.94 at 140.50 miles per hour.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

NITROUS AND CHILL An Induction Solution direct port nitrous kit is plumbed to the Roush/Yates intake that is topped by a Quick Fuel 1050 carb while a custom chiller system was installed instead of a typical radiator and fan setup.

Instead of a radiator and fan, Dowell fabbed up a unique ice chiller system to help keep the car much cooler in the summer months. “I made the ice chiller with the help of Fast Chassis. I made it exactly like a Yeti stainless steel cup would be made, so that

it does not sweat when in the heat,” he said. Out back, the ’86 sits on a 9-inch fabricated rear end built by Fast Chassis complete with Strange rear axles, Strange aluminum third member, and a 4.30 Richmond Pro gear. On all four corners, Dowell

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

LUCKY

NO LS HERE Yeah, it’s still a small block Ford, anything less and it is a pretty sure bet that Steven would be banished from the family. The 382 cubic inch small block Ford, built by Tim Knieriem has propelled the Ford to a 4.99 at 138 miles per hour.

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www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

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SHP LS NEXT PRO (NEW) • Made from superior strength 220 BHN Cast Iron • Full skirt design for use with OE type oil pans and windage trays • Standard LS 9.240” deck height • Bore sizes from 4.000” to 4.185” • Lifter oil crossover with restrictor provision • Priority main oiling • Steel 4-bolt main caps with upgraded ARP main studs • 6-bolt per cylinder capability

“My wife Somer, for allowing me to do this, I have always wanted to get back into racing but was not able to. Second, I would like to thank my friend, Tim Knieriem, for his personal time and dedication to making this little motor go so fast. Third, I would like to thank my good friend, Richard Deaver, for always being there to help me work on the car at home and at the track. I could not have gotten this far without these three. Also, I would like to thank all the people and their products for helping me out: Fast Chassis (Darrin Sanders), Sebastion Domingo (NLR Systems), Brian Black (Racewire Solutions), Wayne Bilbrey (Bilbrey Transmissions), Steve Johnson (Induction Solutions), Lane (PTC Converters), Steve (Motor City Solutions), and Daryl Reynolds for helping us to line up the car at the track when he can.” JE_BBC_RPM_2015_Layout 1 8/11/15 2:29 PM Page 1

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LUCKY has AFCO double adjustable shocks and TBM brakes. The SBF gets the power to the ground by ways of a Transmission Specialties 5500 Proline Powerglide that was rebuilt by Bilbrey Transmissions. After a five year journey, the Mustang is finally complete and has been given the nickname Lucky. Dowell explained, “I was very lucky to find the car, and I’m also very lucky that my wife is onboard and into racing. So we both came up with the name

PRIZE FIGHTER RIGHT: Dowell prepares Lucky and blasts a qualifying pass at the 5th Ohio Valley Dragway Prize Fight from June 2018. LEFT: Richard Deavers (L) and owner Steven Dowell (R).

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Lucky.” Although the car is always undergoing upgrades (which seems to be the story of any and all racers) Dowell is having fun, and to him that’s all that matters. He currently runs in NMCA Extreme Street or any type of Ultra Street class he can.“We are always upgrading things, trying to keep up, but we seem to always be a bit behind,” says Dowell. “But we are having fun, and that’s what counts. When it’s not fun anymore, that’s when we’ll be done,” he added.

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september2018 | RPM Magazine

efore we dive in to all the juicy details on this sleek ’99 Corvette owned by Eric Gash, there are probably a few Vette enthusiasts scratching their heads

saying to themselves that FRC doesn’t stand for Fast and Rowdy, as implied in the title— and that would be absolutely correct. However, if you ever have a chance to see this Fixed Roof Coupe in person, you’ll quickly

understand why we decided to name it Fast and Rowdy…and it’s a nickname well deserved. A Kentucky native, Eric has been involved extensively in the drag racing scene for nearly two decades.

Although his first exposure to it was with a turbocharged AWD 5-speed 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX, that car was eventually sold off in favor of a C5 Corvette. After trying a couple different combos with

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

FAST & ROWDY

FRC? It’s a Fixed Roof Coupe!

the C5, he wheeled and dealed and went through a few more of the iconic Chevy’s before ending up with his current ride. “As the general manager of Haltech USA, I am around a lot of very knowledgeable people in motor-

sports. I decided that it was time for me to build a car for myself, but I wanted a street car that I could drive wherever I wanted, on either pump 93 or pump E85 (or VP C85 at the track) and run in the mid to high 8s,” Gash shared. Even

just 10 years back, that would be no small order, however, technology has made once lofty goals like Eric’s that much more attainable today. For whatever reason, Gash couldn’t get away from Vettes and he picked up this

september2018 | RPM Magazine

’99 from his good friend “Header.” They had traded and swapped vehicles numerous times over the years, which just happened to mostly be Corvettes, and when Eric found himself looking for a project car, Header just happened

to have a car that he was ready to let go of. “When I bought the car it was in need of some minor repairs, but not too much,” said Gash. When he bought the car in the fall of 2017, it was a stock ’99

LOOK CLOSELY A casual glance would reveal a fairly standard-issue 1999 Corvette, but a closer inspection shows a set of sticky Mickey Thompson with RC Components wheels and a big intercooler behind the front fascia. Something isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so stock...

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

SITTIN’ LOW AND RIDIN’ RIGHT The ’Vette rides on Menscer/AFCO double-adjustable rear coilovers, and ECS 15-inch drag spindles. It has also been equipped with a C6 Corvette rear cradle and a PFADT rear drag sway bar. While most Corvettes are corner carvers, this C5 is built for launch. FRC. He added a C6 Z06 shifter and some wheels and tires and took it to the track a short time later. He busted off 13.04, 13.05, 13.02, 13.17, but could NOT break into the 12s. “The next day, after that track visit, I disassembled it to begin the build.” Eric first pulled all of the

september2018 | RPM Magazine

original drivetrain out and sold it all to help fund the project, which took 4 months almost to the day, with the first startup of the entirely new combo occurring on Feb 25th 2018.” “The catalyst for the build was a conversation between Eric and Jessie Coulter at the

FAST & ROWDY

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

september2018 | RPM Magazine

FAST & ROWDY STOPPING POWER Eric swapped the rear brakes to the front, being smaller and lighter than the stock front C5 brakes. And yes, they stop just fine he explains, at least there’s been no problems from 160+ miles per hour! NMCA Finals about the owner of RC Components Wheels, Rick Ball’s C5 Corvette, which was on display at the event,” Gash said. “We were discussing Corvette drivetrains, and he indicated that Rick was considering upgrading his car from the 4L80E to a more race oriented transmission. I made an offer to buy

the drivetrain out of the car, a deal was struck and I started making plans and buying and collecting parts.” Eric knew that for a power adder he wanted to go with a turbocharger, but also knew that it’s not as easy a path as some make it out to be, especially in a Corvette chassis. Packaging a turbo system on

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

FAST & ROWDY

the C5 can be difficult and he was inspired by a build thread on CorvetteForum where a member had used parts from a CXRacing C6 turbo kit retrofitted to his C5. Instead of going with a complete kit, Eric wanted to customize

things and run larger piping, a different intercooler and route things quite a bit different than the kits. He picked up just the forward facing turbo headers, and built the rest of the turbo system himself. “I was on a tight budget for this build,”

september2018 | RPM Magazine

he added. So, to keep in tune with that budget the Vette was equipped with a more economical billet 88mm T6 turbo. Of course the turbo has to be attached to something, and that something is an LM7 5.3 block, Wiseco 3.8” bore

ERIC GASH’S STREET/STRIP 1999 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

CLONE WARRIOR

Body/Paint/Cosmetic/Chassis: All stock C5 chassis, all original paint. C5Z Clone: Z06 Mod Red interior, badges, exhaust plate, and rear brake ducts. Suspension: Menscer/AFCO double-adjustable rear coilovers, ECS 15-inch drag spindles, C6 Corvette rear cradle, PFADT rear drag sway bar. Engine: LM7 5.3 Block, Wiseco 3.8-inch boost pistons, Manley Pro HD I-beam rods , Manley 3.622 crank, BTR Stg III turbo cam , BTR Ti retainers, dual valve springs, BTR pushrods, LS7 lifters, Melling HP HV oil pump, IWIS timing chain, ICT valley cover, SFI 25% UD balancer, Manley stainless Intake & exhaust valves , 799 Heads, LS9 head gaskets, ARP 2000 head studs, ARP main studs, ARP cam bolts, LS2 C6 oil pan, stock rocker arms with trunion bearing upgrade, Dorman 615-901 LS2 Intake, LS2 throttle body, ARP intake bolts, billet EGR intake plug. Short block machine & assembly by Estes Machine, Nicholasville KY. Heads cleaned, milled and assembled by Back’s Cylinder Head, Lexington KY. Motion Race Works engine diaper. Remaining assembly by owner. Fuel System: Walbro 485 in-tank pump, ECS fuel ring for E85 (8AN/10AN), Magnafuel 750 EFI pump, Magnafuel pre & post pump filters, Magnafuel regulator, billet fuel rails, Fragola 10AN and 8AN lines and fittings, Deka 212-lb/ hr injectors. Power Adder: CX Racing C6 turbo headers, crossover and merge collector built by owner. VSR 88mm billet 96x88 1.32 T6 turbo, compressor and turbine flanges from LJMS, Precision 46mm wastegates (2), Tial 50mm blow off valve , Treadstone TR1260 intercooler, CX Racing 4-inch and 3-inch aluminum piping, custom 3-inch and 4-inch intercooler piping fabrication by owner, T6 turbo blanket. Electronics & Ignition: Haltech Elite 2500-T, Haltech WCB1 Wideband, Haltech Boost Control Solenoid, Haltech 4 BAR Motorsports MAP sensor, Haltech I/O Expander Box A (additional sensors and switches), Haltech I/O Expander Box B (running the 4L80E transmission), Haltech CAN Hub, Haltech 12 POS Rotary Trim Module x2: (boost control, power management/traction control), Haltech Flex Fuel Sensor, Haltech High Output IGN1 Coils & Chevy V8 coil harness, ICT billet coil brackets, MSD 8.5mm plug wires, NOS solid state relay (trans brake), custom wiring harness built by owner. Transmission & Driveline: Rossler 4L80E w/ trans brake, Precision Industries triple disk convertor, RPM Transmissions built torque tube, RPM Transmissions billet splined input shaft coupler, RPM Transmissions C6 ZR1 differential 3.42 gear, Driveshaft Shop axles, ECS transmission/rear diff brace, C5 auto shifter & brake pedal swap, dual Hayden trans coolers w/ 9-inch fans. Performance: April 20, 2018 at Morocco, Indiana: 1.31 60-foot; 5.61 at 126 mph and 8.72 at 158 mph.

The previous owner turned the C5 into a C5Z clone swapping in Z06 Mod Red interior, Z06 badges, and a Z06 exhaust plate. Eric added the C5Z rear brake ducts to complete the look!

SPECIAL THANKS

“To my wife Michelle Gash, she has patience with me spending a LOT of time in the garage. Kyle at Brian Tooley Racing (BTR), John at LJMS, Jared (formerly) at BTR, Robbie at Magnafuel, Jessie at Jessie’s Garage, Rick at RC Comp, Brint at Fragola, James at ShorTuning, Tommy at Mickey Thompson Tires, Doug at East Coast Supercharging, Doug at Motion Raceworks, Buck at Buck Performance. And most of all my best bro Michael ‘Elic’ Blackburn for helping me in the garage along the way, helping me every time I go to the track, and working extremely hard to clean the car back up after I get dirt, rubber, oil, fuel and whatever else all over it.”

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

september2018 | RPM Magazine

FAST & ROWDY Eric Gash photo

FORTIFIED AND PRESSURIZED After all was said and done the Vette would be powered by a 5.3 with Wiseco 3.8” bore “boost” pistons pinned to Manley Pro HD I-beam rods swung by a Manley 3.622 crank. Boost comes via a single 88mm turbo and the combo is good for in excess of 900 horsepower.

“boost” pistons, pinned to Manley Pro HD I-beam rods, swung by a Manley 3.622 crank. A BTR Stage III Turbo cam provides the heartbeat and a set of 5.3 799 heads equipped with Manley valves, BTR dual valve springs and titanium retainers were installed. Sitting atop the mill is a Dorman 615-901 LS2 intake. The short-block

was machined and assembled by Estes Machine in Nicholasville, Kentucky and Eric assembled the rest himself. For electronics, according to Eric, there is an assortment of components from, you guessed it, Haltech. All of which control everything from fuel and spark, to boost, the transbrake bump/creep, the 4L80E transmission,

the power management, traction control, as well as monitoring and data-logging critical engine and drivetrain operations. Helping get the horsepower to the ground is a Rossler 4L80E transmission with transbrake and a Precision Industries convertor. Out back, an RPM Transmissions C6 ZR1 differential with 3.42

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

FAST & ROWDY Eric Ga sh photo

Er ic Gash phot

SNIP AND TUCK The modifications that the ‘99 underwent to clear the Rossler 4L80E. After the tunnel had been reassembled, Eric had to use a heat gun to remold the center console to fit the expanded tunnel. gear and Driveshaft Shop axles takes the punishment of the boosted LS. Initially, the 4L80E would not clear the transmission tunnel, so a little surgery was involved to solve the issue. Gash even had to remold the center console to fit. On the outside, aside from the slick wheels skinned with Mickey Thompson radial rubber, the Vette looks like a cool street machine. The

previous owner had already made the car a C5Z clone by swapping in a C5 Z06 Mod Red interior, ZO6 badges, and Z06 exhaust plate, while Gash added the C5Z rear brake ducts to complete the look. “I figured it didn’t matter if it was a ‘poser’ Z06, since it makes three times the power of a stock one,” smiled Eric. In Morocco, Indiana, Gash laid down his best past to date, putting the

Eric Gash (left) and Michael ‘Elic’ Blackburn (right).

FRC in 8-second territory with an 8.72 at 158 miles per hour. And RPM just happened to be on hand when he drove the Corvette to the winners circle at I-64 Motorplex at the WVMS Shootout in the Street King class. Eric is not done by any means, however, and already has plans for a larger cam in the 5.3 and for the summer of 2019 you just might see the Cor-

vette appear armed with a 6.0L/364cid with Trick Flow heads. And, Gash added, “every car I’ve ever raced has had a bottle on it, so don’t be surprised if we hit this one with a little ‘spool up’ shot in the future.” The reliable street/strip machine Gash was looking for seems to have become a reality as with 20 pulls at over 900hp on the Mainline Hub Dyno, 10-15 wide open throttle pulls on the

street, 35+ passes at various tracks (most of which were in the high 8 to low 9 range in the quarter or high 5 sec eighth-mile range), along with street miles, the only parts breakage so far is the aftermarket LS2 water pump. That’s a pretty darn solid track record, but don’t worry, Eric replaced it with a Genuine GM LS2 pump and has not had any issues since.

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s we get older, “first times” become few and far between. Narrowing down the list of possible “first times” to

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young, I have experienced more than my fair share of amazing gearhead “first times.” Speaking of firsts, I’ll never forget the first time I took my daughter to Disneyland. She was at the perfect age and was able to

experience every ounce of the famous Disney Magic. From meeting all of the princesses, to seeing the Magic Kingdom for the first time, she was truly in awe and had a smile from ear to ear the entire trip. Last year, I had the honor

1: As you walk through the parking lot of zMax Dragway, this is what stands in front of you. The fun and excitement that awaits you behind that wall is a must on every gearhead’s bucket list.

3: The Gearhead Disney experience came into full bloom when these four Funny Cars fired up and shook the earth with 40,000 horsepower. The sensory overload is unexplainable at this moment. The brutality and violence of those mammoth engines are not only heard, but felt as well. -Rick Belden photo

2: I stumbled across this amazing display of iconic metal while walking through the pits. It was such an honor to see this collection in one spot just months after Glidden’s passing. of taking my 46 year-old brother to Disney for the first time. It was amazing how that magical place turned him into a five yearold little boy once again. So why am I sharing my family Disney memories, you may be asking? Well this past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the NHRA Carolina 4-Wide Nationals for the very first time, which hands down is Disney World for Gearheads. Held at the beautiful zMAX Dragway, for me, this event was every bit as awe-inspiring as the Magic Kingdom was to my daughter. zMAX Dragway is not only a world-class facility, it’s been called the “Bellagio” of dragstrips. Need I say more?

My attendance at the 4-Wide Nationals was actually not a recreational visit. I was there on assignment with my dear friend Rick Belden who is one of the premier portrait photographers in the motorsports industry. We were tasked with shooting over a dozen of the NHRA’s top racers for future magazine covers. When we pulled into zMAX Dragway, I immediately had that awe-struck feeling. The facility is by far the most impressive dragstrip I have ever been to. To further enhance our experience, we had all-access media passes complete with the ability and privilege to go into the roped-off sections for each race team. I witnessed

everything from the top teams setting up their pits, to complete rebuilds after a hard pass, and this was all within inches from the cars and drivers who pilot them. Racers like John Force, Robert Hight, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Shawn Langdon, JR Todd, Megan Meyer, Angelle Sampey, and sportsman legend Dan Fletcher were just a few that we were assigned to photograph. And as if that wasn’t enough to make me feel like I was king for the day, we toured through the top fuel, funny car, and pro mod haulers, standing trackside to a 40,000 horsepower launch and having my

3 eyes water from pure nitro overload. This truly was the Magic Kingdom…for gearheads! There were times over the four days of motor madness that I simply walked the staging lanes and witnessed everyone’s unique pre-race habits and rituals, from how they put their gear on, to the fist bumps with the crew, to the

various “touching” they did to the car before climbing into the seat. I even studied all of the crew chiefs and how they paid close attention to whoever was in their lane, even 3-4 passes in front of them. I always loved the pro mod series, but I discovered a whole new level of respect and admiration for them after a thorough inspection

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of all 37 participants during qualifying. The variety of body styles and power adders and the shear brute force power of these cars is a must-see on every gearhead’s bucket list. As my zMAX “Disney” experience was coming to an end, I happened to walk into a section of the pits I hadn’t visited yet and stumbled upon the ENTIRE Bob Glidden pro-stock collection which was on display to honor the true pioneer he was and the legacy he left behind. I was even fortunate enough to witness the famous Ford Pinto that he campaigned in 1975-76 fire up and drive around the pits. Just when I thought my weekend couldn’t get any better, I walked back to the media center to collect my belongings and sitting at the table next to our camera gear was none other than the legend herself, Shirley Muldowney. For 30

minutes or so, I had the pleasure of talking with her and was privileged to hear many stories from the golden era of drag racing. She is such an amazing woman who opened the door for female racers and will be forever cemented in the history books of our sport. When it comes to “first-time” experiences, I would be hard pressed to choose who had the better time: my daughter at Disney’s Magic Kingdom or me at the 4-Wide Nationals. My mind raced on the flight back to New Jersey. I could not wait to put my fire suit on and at least do a burnout in my driveway. When I arrived home, I debriefed my wife and daughter on the weekend of gearhead utopia. My wife told me it had been a long time since she saw that look in my eye. When I asked her what that look was, she said, “you were like a little boy again.”

I often say that I feel sad for those who simply look at the automobile as a means of transportation. For me, it has defined my life and provided some of my most fond memories. I left North Carolina with a new-found respect for all of the national race teams. Their achievements are the result of a lot of hard work and dedication, and they are blessed to be able to showcase their talents on a platform of such great magnitude. The child that lives inside of me is already looking forward to next year and attending the event with my daughter. The shear magic and excitement of the Carolina 4-Wide Nationals is something I recommend every gearhead experiences. For us, it truly is the most magical place on earth. Until next time – keep wrenching!

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

story by

Stan Smith

hoice. It’s a pretty important part of everything we do in life. Sit back for a moment and think of things that have affected your choices, big and small. Was it a positive or negative experience that inspired you to do something? Was it advertising and marketing that sparked

photos by

your interest in a certain brand or style? Or maybe a family a member somehow got it into your head that you just had to have something specific. In cars (and trucks) choice is a pretty big thing. Are we choosing a specific brand and model, engine, transmission etc. and what has created that favoritism of one over another?

Patrick Williams

We have all heard sayings such as, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” “different strokes for different folks,” “to each their own,” and so on, and our cars and trucks are choices in life that often become an extension of who we are. Now, take the choice factor 1000 times further for the performance and race enthu-

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

BARN DOOR siast. We have to first choose our brand and model. However, those choices are made simply to get the ball rolling. From there, some choose street or strip, while others want to create a build for one specific purpose. And from there, each

and every part of that build is a separate (and sometimes agonizing) choice all on its own. Tuttle, Oklahoma’s Roger Johns is first to admit that his ’47 chop top Chevy pickup may not be the most slim, trim, or practical choice for drag

racing, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s round and rotund body features pretty well match the owner,” laughed Johns. But the 64 year-old engineer, hot rodder, drag racer, and oil and gas industry

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

FARM FRESH Chances are that despite being located in “farm town America,” this hauler will never see any payload other a few gallons of methanol ever again. A chopped top, slightly raked sinister stance, wild green paint and high-winding small block Chevy give this ’47 pickup an identity of its own…”The Hoodlum.”

SLICK BUT NOT SLEEK Seriously, this truck has all the aerodynamics of a barn door—closed, of course. But it sure looks cool. The only non-original factory steel part on the truck is this fiberglass hood…that right there must have saved 100 pounds!

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executive sees building the full-figured ex-hay hauler to go fast as a challenge—with benefits. “Being in the southwest and from small farm town America, we grew up with trucks,” continued Johns. “As an engineer, the challenge was to make it go fairly

fast utilizing basic mechanical fuel systems, a basic ignition system, and a small block Chevy that is the cornerstone engine of drag racing.” Johns found this particular street-rodded truck in the Tulsa area and immediately fell in love with it, sold his ’55 Ford pro

street show car, and picked up the pickup. He drove the truck as it was for a short time then returned to his racing roots and built a mild steel round tube chassis and started racing it. Since Johns had no golf game or any interest in stick and ball sports he took an early

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WATCH YOUR HEAD The chopped top adds style to an already cool build, and the cool â&#x20AC;&#x153;Luckys Speed Shop door art gives a cool retro vibe.

interest cars, and making them look cool and go fast. His first car when he turned 15 was a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;55 Chevy with a high-winding 265 small block Chevy

that he street raced and hot rodded around Northern Oklahoma and Southern Kansas. He also tried his hand at some open road racing at the

Big Bend Open Road Race (Texas) in a 1964 Lincoln that was skinned over a Laughlin NASCAR chassis and ran in the 162 mph tech speed

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

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class. He even had a short stint in NASCAR as a front tire changer and Chassis Engineer but chose not to relocate to the Carolina’s. It was these experiences that would help fuel his passion for fast cars

and eventually lead him to building his ’47 “Hoodlum” pickup. After taking two years to complete the initial build in his own garage and racing the truck for just shy of 20 years,

in the winter of 2017, Johns contracted Lewis Fabrication in Perkins, Oklahoma to build a 4130 duplicate chassis as well as work on

LOWERED EXPECTATIONS The ol’ Chevy no longer sits up in the air on rickety leaf springs...it rides on a state-of-the-art suspension consisting of Sathuff struts up front and QA1 double-adjustable shocks on a custom 4-link out back. The chromoly Lewis Fabrication chassis is certed to 8.50.

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ROGER JOHNS’ 1947 CHEVROLET “HOODLUM” DRAG TRUCK Chassis Type & Mods: Lewis Fabrication 4130 chromoly round tube, NHRA 8.50 cert. Suspension: Santhuff struts and Strange disc brakes in front with Micro Blue ultra low friction wheel bearings, 4-link w/QA1 doubleadjustable shocks and QA1 150# springs and Wilwood disc brakes in rear. Body & Paint: 4 inch chopped top, all steel except the hood. Special mix urethane “Really Greeen” color code. Door art and lettering by Mik’s Artwerks Engine: 413 sbc by Brand Racing Engines, Curtis Boggs RFD 15-degree Brodix heads, World Products Motown II block, titanium valves, PAC Springs, Callies Magnum crank, GRP custom aluminum rods to piston design. Chamber molded Diamond pistons with ultra low drag Total Seal rings. King bearings, Bullet cam custom profile for methanol on Timken 50mm roller bearings. Custom Milodon oil pan and Royal Purple XRP 10w-30 racing engine oil. Mechanical Fuel Injection on Methanol. 917 hp at 645 lb ft of torque. 16:1 compression. Power Adder: “Hahahaha – We don’t need no stinking power adder!” Electronics & Ignition: RPM Performance data logger and digital dash. MSD 7531T Ignition, Speedwire switch and power distribution. Transmission & Converter: Wilson Racing Transmission Powerglide with Reid case, lightened internals and 1.98 1st gear. Coan billet aluminum bolt together converter, 6,900 stall speed. Rear Differential: 9-inch Ford with Mark Williams aluminum center section, lightened spool, and 35-spline Superlight Hi-Torque gun-drilled axles, Richmond Gear 4.57 lightened Pro gears. Other Info and Performance: 9.18 @ 146 mph (quarter-mile) 5.79 @ 121 (eighth-mile) .

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刀嘀䐀ⴀ㄀㨀唀瀀琀漀㄀⼀㐀ᴠ 爀椀瘀攀琀猀刀一䐀ⴀ㄀ ⴀ嬀匀⼀䴀崀㨀唀瀀琀漀㌀⼀㠀ᴠ 漀爀䴀㄀爀椀瘀攀琀渀甀琀猀

BARN MOUSE The mill was built by Brand Racing Engines using a World Products Motown II block, Callies Magnum crank, GRP custom aluminum rods, and Diamond pistons. It’s topped with Brodix heads, a custom tunnel ram and single mechanical fuel injection throttle body on methanol.

刀一䐀ⴀ㄀

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刀䤀䐀䜀䔀䜀䄀吀䔀吀伀伀䰀匀 ☀ 吀䔀䌀䠀

various other weight reduction redesigns. “That winter the truck lost 333-pounds at fat camp!” Johns said with a chuckle. With the popularity of trucks these days—both on the street and strip— Johns says that when he unloads at a new track for the first time it is like a rock show with the crowd that assembles to look

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

at “The Hoodlum” truck. The 413 small block Chevy powering the heavyweight is based on a World Products Motown II block and was built by Brand Racing Engines. A Callies Magnum crank swings GRP custom aluminum rods with Diamond pistons. 15-degree Brodix heads hold titanium valves and PAC Springs and a

Bullet cam was custom profiled for methanol and turns on Timken 50mm roller bearings. A tunnel ram-style intake was fabricated for a single throttle body and mechanical fuel injection nozzles. When all was said and done, the naturally aspirated combination dynoed in at 917 horsepower and 645 pounds of torque.

BARN DOOR COMPRESSION FOR DAYS Under the hood, the 413 Chevy small block is all motor and sports a whopping 16:1 compression ratio, and as Johns put it, “We don’t need no stinking power adder.”

FARM HANDS The Hoodlum has a solid fan base everywhere it goes.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

BARN DOOR

IN THE TWEEDS A Wilson Racing Transmission Glide with Reid case, lightened internals, 1.98 first gear and Coan billet aluminum bolt-together converter transfer

the power of the mighty mouse back to a “fatcamp approved” 9-inch Ford with Micro Blue ultra low friction wheel and carrier bearings,

Mark Williams aluminum center section, MW lightened spool, Richmond Gear 4.57 lightened Pro gears and MW 35 spline Superlight Hi-Torque gun

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

A race interior is graced by tweed door panels and billet aluminum handles. The original build was completed in the 1980s and Johns says, “since I’m 64, I left it for nostalgia reasons”. Speedwire, MSD and RPM Performance Products are Johns’ choice for electronics.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

BARN DOOR drilled (hollow) axles. The 4-inch chopped top definitely suits the sinister look of the all-steel (except for a glass hood) pickup, and if that doesn’t grab your attention, the special mix urethane “Really Greeen” color certainly will. Inside, it’s race time, except for the interestingly 1980s tweed interior panels. “The tweed interior dates it back to the late ’80s when it was first built, and since I’m 64, I left it as it was for nostalgia reasons,” tells Johns. The obvious bright green paint is a sure attention getter, and the clean crisp sound of a high-compression (very high at 16:1) small block will win over

any race fan, but kids seem to especially gravitate to the truck at every event. “I’ve had a bus load of special needs children attend the races and they all wanted to come by and see the truck. We must have taken 100 pictures and autographed any and everything they had on for clothes! To me, that is one of the best benefits of this build. It’s always moving to see the kids for a few moments enjoy something that is not social media-related or involves looking at their phone. It appears to put them in a special place for a few moments and gives them an idea of what they might be able to build one day,” he added.

HITS LIKE A SLEDGE HAMMER The forces at work to lift the wheels on this heavyweight are incredible. It’s hard to believe it’s done by a naturally aspirated small block Chevy!

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

www.rpm-mag.com | february2018

story by

G eorge P ich

photos by

M att Woods

TARGETED FOR...

t RPM we’re often asked “what’s it take to get in the mag…?” Since we don’t cater to a specific sanctioning body or group, care to rub elbows with the high society types, or kiss up to the flavor of the week that’s trending, we always say the same thing. “All you gotta have is a cool car with some solid power.” Oh yeah, and we usually ad something like, “different always helps, too.” Most RPM feature cars have two out of three boxes checked: cool car and serious HP. But every once in a while, we come across that third check mark, and Qormi, Malta’s (yes that is in Europe!) Justin Muscat nailed it with his turbocharged rotary powered 1969 Ford Escort mk1.

Ahem, if there is someone out there that disagrees, please by all means, let us know. At the age of 12, Justin’s father bought him his first car which had to be a Ford Escort mk1 13GT. After three years of proud ownership they decided it needed more power and slid a 2.0 liter Pinto engine in it. At the age of 15, Muscat started to compete at national events in Europe. With the stock chassis and the 2.0 liter naturally-aspirated the best ET was 11.80 in the quarter. Justin was learning the ropes bracket racing the car and in 2009 managed to win 14 out of 17 events. With the need for speed ever increasing for Muscat, rather than cut a rare piece of history up to go faster (in Malta, most

RARE ROTARY

You won’t see many, if any, 1969 Escort mk1’s stateside— especially with over 1,100 horsepower!

september2018 | RPM Magazine

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

everybody has a soft spot for Escort mk1 and 2s), they decided on finding another mk1 that was more of a donor car. As luck would have it, a friend of Muscat’s happened to have a project Escort, so a trade deal that worked for both was struck. Justin’s father, a former drag racer himself, had a lot of spare parts to build an mk 1 which made the decision to

build one that much easier. By 2010, the new Terminator was back out on the dragstrip, leaner and meaner with a much lighter chassis and better suspension setup. The result was a personal best of 10.63 with the exact same engine combo. Looking for something more exciting, Muscat entered into the Pro Stock category at his home track and his 10.63

at 124mph run set a naturally aspirated Pinto engine world record. Soon after, the evolution of turbochargers started and Justin wanted to be part of it. “When we decided to go for the rotary setup, we never intended to go this deep, but on the other hand I know how it always works,” smiled Muscat. Justin and his team started the rotary proj-

september2018 | RPM Magazine

THOUGH IT BE BUT LITTLE, IT IS FIERCE...

Upgrades to the Escort chassis have been ongoing since the car was built in 2010 and now, with low 7-second capabilities, dual chutes and rear wing are necessities for the compact Ford.

...TERMINATION

LIVIN’ THAT ISLAND LIFE...

In Malta (that’s about 4,600 miles from NYC), the early Escort mk1s are known and loved by most of the population of the tiny island—and we’re pretty sure this is the wildest Escort to ever escape its borders. This one is still an original production steel body tub with carbon fiber front clip and fiberglass doors.

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

TARGETED FOR...

ect in August 2013 and went testing in March 2014. Since then, they have rarely missed a weekend working on the car. “My family and friends are into this and we all spend time together working on Termy,” he said. For their first attempt at a rotary combination, a few alterations to the front of the chassis

were required and larger wheel tubs were installed out back for the bigger 29-inch tires along with the installation of a rear wing, chute, and wheelie bar. “We pulled the car out and immediately made a 9.90 pass on an unprepped track.” The team broke a record during their second event where less than 24 hours earlier

september2018 | RPM Magazine

ROTARY PUBLIC

The twin rotor Mazda 13B engine leaves a lot of people scratching their heads. A 98mm Garrett turbo sits high up front of the well engineered combination packed tightly between the framerails. At just 1.3 liters this combination makes 1,100 horsepower to the rear wheels!

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september2018 | RPM Magazine

...TERMINATION JUSTIN MUSCAT’S TURBO ROTARY POWERED 1969 FORD ESCORT MK1 Chassis Type & Mods: Chromoly 3/4 chassis by Ladmu chassis. Funny car cage. From driver’s seat forward all stock chassis and floor panels. Suspension & Brakes: Modified GAZ front struts and spindle-mount wheels. Strange disc brakes and calipers. Strange double-adjustable rear shocks, 4-link with wishbone suspension and Pro anti-roll bar. Body & Paint: Carbon fiber one-piece front end. Fiberglass doors and trunk lid. Roof structure and rear body is steel. Modified rear wheelwells to fit 32-inch tires. Alloy drag wing, Lexan windows. All built and modified by Ladmu Chassis. Prepared and painted by Vella Brown Garage and airbrush and decals are by Ro designs. Engine: 1.3L Mazda 13B twin rotor rotary engine. Custom CNCmachined rotors, fully dynamic balanced rotating assembly by Maurice Caruana Eng. 6-port engine all ported and built by Ladmu Rotaries. Powerseals apex seals and o-rings. Fully studded with titanium studs from GarageREG. 321 stainless steel exhaust manifold by Ladmu Chassis and ceramic coated by Goliath coatings. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Water-to-air intercooler from Chiseled Performance. Extreme Rotaries intake manifold, E&J billet 12 injector 4-barrel throttle body. Power Adder: Turbocharged by a GTX55R turbo with CO2 boost controller. Electronics & Ignition: Microtech EFI LT16C ECU & Microech 7’-inch Pro Dash and data logger. M&W Pro Drag 4 ignition box. AMS1000 boost controller. MSD shift light. Transmission & Driveline: Airshifted Jerico 5-speed with McLeod twin disc clutch. Differential: Pro Strange Engineering chromoly 9-inch diff with 40-spline axles, billet spool and third member built by Ladmu Chassis. Performance: 1,100 hp to the rear wheels. Quarter-mile best of 7.188 seconds at 192.6 mph.

the car caught fire and they came back to run a low 8.35 pass. Since that run, numerous mods to the rotary power and chassis have been made to get the car where it is today, running 7.188 seconds at just shy of 200 mph—and Muscat has his sights set on going quicker and faster! “2016 matured me as a driver,” Muscat explained. “I had a big incident at the top end were the engine broke

and fluids went under the wheels and I hit the wall at 160 mph. From there, I learned a lot. I feel much more comfortable in the car now. I know the limits much better.” The car has matured, as well. As it sits now, the Escort is powered by a Mazda 13B twin rotor engine with a displacement of 1.3 liters and makes 1,100 horsepower to the wheels! The package includes custom CNC

machined rotors and a fully dynamic balanced rotating assembly by Maurice Caruana. It’s a 6-port engine, all ported and built by Ladmu Rotaries. It’s also fully studded with titanium studs from GarageREG and an Extreme Rotaries intake manifold was used along with an E&J billet 12 injector 4-barrel throttle body. Turbocharging is handled by a sizeable GTX55R 98mm

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

TARGETED FOR...

ALL BUSINESS

The cockpit of the Escort is about one thing: going fast. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much here aside from a steering wheel, seat and digital dash. An airshifted 5-speed with twin-disc clutch transfer the power rearward. All chromoly chassis work and fabrication was completed by Ladmu Chassis.

september2018 | RPM Magazine

Garrett piece and the water-to-air intercooler is made in America by Chiseled Performance. An air-shifted Jerico 5-speed trans with McLeod twin disc clutch backs up the boosted rotary. The chromoly 3/4 chassis (the front is still factory) was completed by Ladmu chassis and includes a funny car cage to keep Muscat safe. Modified GAZ front struts and spindle-mount wheels were used along with Strange disc brakes and calipers. Out back, a 4-link with

wishbone, anti-roll bar and Strange double-adjustable coilovers suspends a Strange chromoly Pro 9-inch differential with 40-spline axles, billet spool, and third member built by Ladmu chassis. The main body structure of the short wheelbase vintage Euro Ford is steel while a carbon one-piece front end, fiberglass doors, and fiberglass trunk lid were used to bring the weight down as much as possible. Once the body was assembled at Ladmu Chassis,

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

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september2018 | RPM Magazine

...TERMINATION

JOIN THE CLUB

Fans love when a turbo car shoots flames on the starting line. That, combined with the unique combination, the look of the car, and its capabilities have garnered a solid following for Justin Muscat and Terminator.

it was sent to Vella Brown Garage for prep and paint and then to Ro Designs for the eye-catching airbrush and decal work. At one point, Justin acquired a Mazda RX8 to build, but after breaking records

and realizing that the unique combination of the ’69 Escort/turbo rotary was gaining a following, he quickly shelved the idea. “In my opinion, Termy is one of the crowd favorites known for its long burnouts, flames continued on page 76

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Race Orgs, Tracks & Events

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TERMINATOR SQUAD

Justin has a lot of help with Terminator!

There a big list of people who helped me build Termy and that still help me to keep it alive. First of all I would like to start by thanking my father Eddie better known as ‘Ladmu’ for all his dedicated work, time and money. Christian or ‘Burbinu’ as we call him who does all the wiring stuff on the car, Joe, Nigel, Lydon, Aaron, Dylan and Owen who all know the car pretty well, all our girls including my mum who gives a helping hand on the car, keeping tools clean and our bellies full. I cannot forget to mention Colum Chadwick and all Team Extreme guys from UK. Apart from these awesome people I would also like to thank all my followers and fans who give me a great boost on the track. Last but not least I would like to thank my sponsors who are: Fanal Restaurant, Ro designs, Rockstar Energy, Maurice Caruana Eng, Vella Brown Garage, Cumina, Sullivan Maritime, Grimaldi Lines, LMS Transport, Electech by Burbinu, RF Interiors, Rokku Auto Dealer, Usag Tools, Forch, Lucas Oil and GarageREG.

Out back, a shortened and heavily fortified 9-inch Ford rearend is suspended by a 4-link with wishbone, anti-roll bar, and Strange coilovers.

With Pro Line Racing Engines and Diamond pistons, Q80 Racing team resets quarter-mile doorslammer record at 5.46 seconds and 272mph “Diamond’s contributions have been invaluable.” Doug Patton, Pro Line Racing Engines

Diamond’s turbo pistons make big power and combat heat and pressure. • Forged from 2618 aluminum with Herculean pin bosses that accomodate tough TP-1 or H13 tool steel piston pins • Lower skirt rigidity maintained by full-circumference designs that boast the strongest-known stiffening ribs • Hard-coat anodizing, ceramic crowns, and moly skirt coatings available • Fastest turnaround time on custom pistons Questions? Knowledgeable Tech Support: M-F, 9AM-5PM EST

september2018 | RPM Magazine

Call today: 586.792.6620 or visit diamondracing.net

and awesome launches. It has a unique color scheme, low ride height, is always shiny and accompanied by a uniformed team,” said Muscat. At under 30-years old (he’s 27 now), Justin was the first to pilot a rotary to run in the 7-second zone in all of Europe and has set and re-set records

at various tracks (including UK’s famed Santa Pod) for his class and engine. “I think that breaking the records was my greatest achievement, not just as a driver but also as an engine builder and tuner. I’m on the hunt for breaking the 6 second barrier now!”

www.rpmmag.com | september2018

RPM EXCLUSIVES 1: KillaCole first time without the training wheels, put it on the bumper in round one of testing.

story by

Stan Smith

photos by 5252RPM.com and Damian Pereira

>>The Battle at the Bend ...back for more!

PM Magazine SMACKDOWN2 melted its way into Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

Ontario July 13-15 and Ontario Grudge Wars was there as part of the action giving racers and fans the biggest No Time/ Grudge based event Canada has ever

seen! 50 of the baddest No Time street class cars showed up to claim their share of the $32,000 purse. OGW (Ontario Grudge Wars) promoter Ian

Hill and his small-tire shootout-style event has been gaining traction around Central Canada as the go-to event of the summer. Coupled with the commentary

2: Drag Syndicate Super Street standout Pano Moros chasing the $15,000 Outlaw purse. 3: Ryan Cavener, one of the classes original “Outlaw” cars making a pass on 29.5x10.5w slicks.

of Kelly Cooper and pairing up on the weekend with the Drag Syndicate and their street car based event, the July 2018 SMACKDOWN event did not disappoint! Friday night’s Real Street Shootout saw the plated and insured cars making some serious steam down the evening racing surface! Shortly after the sun went down and the racing surface tightened up, there was a major oil down just before the semi-final round was called to the lanes. Unfortunately, the oil down was serious enough to shut the track down for the night and killed the class with just three cars left. Glenn Tovey and his gorgeous 1968 Chevelle show car (Ontario Street Outlaw’s top dog in the 519), Phil Sampson and The Blue Brute ’68 Camaro (OSO’s Unlimited list racer) and Louie Braccio

and his gorgeous 1980 Camaro split the pot to end the night. The Friday night Plate Nitrous Class was also cancelled because of the oil down which happened shortly after their last test session. Saturday morning saw the sun rise on what was a day to be filled with 80% chance of rain. Even though the track was ready and very well equipped for drying major down pours in a hurry, all the fuss was for nothing as the sky stayed slightly cloud covered with hot temps all day. OGW was back on the track in the late afternoon. With the pit area streaming with spectators and two rounds of No Time test passes on the afternoon schedule, everyone knew as the daylight would fall, so would the ETs! Nighttime is for Grudge racing, and by 7pm

July 13-15, 2018

Congratulations to our Class Champions

Canada in rs a C e ir T ll a m The Nastiest S

www.facebook.com/ontariogrudgewars

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

SMACKDOWN 2 4

5 4: Canadian Tom Smith and his beautiful twin turbo small block No Time Grudge Firebird came heavily armed for the $15,000 Outlaw shootout.

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

OGW’s first round of eliminations was called to the lanes….Power Tech Hydraulics’ OUTLAW $15,000 shootout was the first to hit the run order. Once the staff of the Drag Syndicate and Grand Bend Motorplex did their thing for the surface prep, the 315’s and 10.5w tire cars were ready to make

their hits. By first round of eliminations everyone had their wheelie bars off and it was go time! Drag Syndicate Super Street’s Pano Moros showed up on kill with his killer GTO, but it was late class switcher Chris Sheridan in his badass Limited Outlaw Ford powered by a 385ci with single 94mm

5: EZ Street standout Nino Meglio doubled up on his weekend entries joining the $15,000 Outlaw Shootout.

6: Night time is for No Time racing! Outlaw finalist Frankie Doldo drops the bottle pressure in his gorgeous ’68 Chevelle grudge car. This is a full tube chassis piece powered by a 740-inch big block Chevy with TH400. There are four nitrous kits on board of the LE Chassisbuilt muscle car, just in case.

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www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

SMACKDOWN 2 Precision turbo that ran through for the win as Moros got out of shape and let his chances of sharing the purse slide away. Rob Zarcone and his wicked twin turbo Hemi 1968 Camaro laid down a squirrelly pass over Ryan Cavener’s stunning Grand National sitting on 29.5x10.5w’s. Tom Smith and his gorgeous twin-turbo small block Firebird were also removed from the second round ladder by Nino Meglio and his awesome, hard-hitting 565-inch single-stage nitrous-powered 1980 Corvette. In the next pairing, it was Noel Borg laying down the perfect pass to take out KillaCole and his insane wheelstand-

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

ing blue, black, and white Fox Mustang. The last pairing saw Grumpy Pete being knocked out by Frankie Doldo in his ’68 Chevelle with his new 740-inch nitroused BBC engine combo. Second round saw Frankie take out Sheridan and Zarcone moved on over a red lighting Borg. Meglio, with his wheel-standing Corvette, pulled the single into the semis. The semis had Doldo pull the bye into the final, while Rob Zarcone beat a red-lighting Nino Meglio. The final round saw a jammedpacked starting line as everyone wanted to see these nasty-fast race cars. As the cars rolled in and the fists full of cash

starting popping up for their favorites to win, it was clear we had the starting line of a southern-style no time brawl on our hands. With Doldo and Zarcone at the tree, it was all horsepower, and the race was left to chance. At the hit, it looked like a great race and with everyone holding their breath, and it was Zarcone’s win light that flashed up on top of the scoreboards—meaning he was $10,000 richer! Next to take the track was Mark’s Automotive Limited Outlaw. These backhalf and stock-type suspension cars very closely resemble x275 cars, only with a whole lot less restrictions and weight in

7 7 & 8: Eventual Outlaw Class Champion Rob Zarcone stages in round 1 of eliminations then lays down another killer pass. Zarcone runs a 521ci BAE Hemi by Protech Racing with twin 94mm Garret Gen 11 turbos from Quick Time Motorsports.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

SMACKDOWN 2

10 9 most cases. The 28-inch tall tires were definitely the limiting factor for the horsepower being applied as most racers were driving their hot rods on every pass Saturday night! First-round pairings saw Luc

Ricard and his brand new single turbo SBF combo (and first time on 28s) take out Mark Azevedo’s beautiful ’68 Chevelle. Nick Kokkas and his ultra-consistent ’88 Mustang beat newcomer Roger

Paridis’ ex-Pavlov ’80 Malibu in an all small block nitrous match-up. In a battle of Pro Tech Racing teammates, Ian Hill’s Booger ’84 Mustang took out Darcy Cummings’ x275-legal ’84 Camaro, Eric

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

Phillips and his sleek black Mustang was taken out by Adam Bastarch and his bright blue 2004 Cobra Mustang while Vince Melao pulled the odd-numbered stick and took the bye run into

second round. Round two and Ricard blasted to a win over Kokkas, Melao took out Bastarch and in the bye run Hill turned it up to show off a midtrack 150-foot power wheelie to go into the semis.

9: Noel Borg and his hardlaunching Outlaw 10.5 car showed up to try to take the big money shootout win. Borg runs a 455inch BBC with aluminum Donavan block, Big Chief heads and F3R-136 ProCharger. 10: OGW front man Ian Hill was the eventual Limited Outlaw runner-up in his 84 Mustang, “The Booger”. Booger is powered by an RCR 430inch SBF with 88mm pro mod turbo backed by an ATI Powerglide.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

SMACKDOWN 2 11

11 11 & 12: Mark Azevedoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hardcharging nitrouspowered big block tries out Limited Outlaw from his EZ Street roots.

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

14 13: Heads-up racing rookie Roger Paridis’ Limited Outlaw nitrous small block-powered 1980 Malibu made a first round exit, however stunned the crowd with killer nitrous hard-hitting launches.

14: Quebec’s Luc Ricard’s single turbo small block chops the tree down on his way to the Limited Outlaw Class win. Ricard runs a 398 Yates-headed Dart blocked SBF with Precision PT118 turbo backed by a Glide with TCS converter.

Third round of competition and with the wicks turned up, the pedal-fest started. Both Ian and Vince were all over the track as both of them pedaled to keep the cars in their lanes, in the end it was Hill that made the 660 in the shortest distance. Ricard moved into the finals with a bye run. Once again the finals saw the starting line jammed with people as they watched the two baddest cars of the day rolling into the burnout box. Luc Ricard’s Stang and Ian Hill’s Booger Fox body, both turbocharged, launched with nearly identical reaction times and both spun

the tires at the same spot on the track, both pedaled, however it was Luc’s bright orange Mustang that recovered the quickest as he jumped a car length in front of the Booger and they stayed that way through the rest of run until Ricard’s win light lit up gaining his team the $8000 class champions purse. The biggest class of the weekend, Clearshot Customs Street275, had some breakage in the test session and as such first round saw some unavoidable competition singles. Going into the quarter finals, Greg Zack’s nitrous-powered ’86 Mustang took out PSP’s Chris Damovski’s super clean four-eye Stang powered by a PSP-built 336 CI SBF with F1R ProCharger and Holley EFI.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

SMACKDOWN 2 Jeff Bloom laid down a killer run to take out Brandon Dasilva, and Drag Syndicate’s True Street guru and winner of last year’s SMACKDOWN1 Plate Nitrous class, Jeff Williamson, took the win over Eric Webber’s Green Bastard Mustang. In semifinal action the tightest race of the night was Jeff Bloom taking out Greg Zack while Jeff Williamson pulled the bye into the finals. In the battle of the Jeffs, it was Bloom once again proving that no time grudge racing is king as he narrowly beat Williamson to the stripe! The weekend could not have gone off without the great people at Grand Bend Motorplex,

the OGW partnership with the Drag Syndicate and all of the event sponsors: RPM Magazine, Clear Shot Customs, Marks Automotive, Priority Collision, Zack’s Classic Construction, Hoosier Tire Canada, Dilts Piston Hydraulics, 5252RPM.com, Misener Motorsports, Cheapside Auto, Protech Racing, Kered Contracting, New Generation Racing Engines, RCR Race Cars, PSP Motorsports and LenTech Automatics. It was fantastic to see some of the big names in street car and fast doorslammer drag racing watching the show as well. Pro Mod and Super Street standout Mike Yedgarian, Enzo Pec-

14: True Street standout Jeff Williamson, who also won last year’s Plate Nitrous class, double classed into the Street 275 scene to try his luck at the $5000 purse.

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

15: Jeff Bloom took the win in Street 275 over a large field of fast rides. Bloom runs a PSP-built small block Ford with Hutch’s Powerglide. As for power adder, Bloom says “no comment!” 15: Spectators coming to the SMACKDOWN with all sorts of combinations of their own.

17 15

17: The first round of the Real Street Friday Night Shootout. There would eventually be a semi-final split including Phil Sampson and the Blue Brute ’68 Camaro (far lane).

18: First round of the Friday Night Real Street Shootout is called to the lanes.

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RPM PROJECT CAR chini, former Street Car Shootout Pro Street champion Ricky Carlos, Lou Custodio and many others were noticed hiding in the shadows watching the event, which has us all too excited over what we might see for competition in 2019! Many have been supporters of RPM and their events from day 1, not to mention drag racing in both USA and Canada, and for this we thank you. The hype has already started for 2019 and word is that event promoters will keep the same format, with a few wild additions for good measure…see you at SMACKDOWN 3!

20 19 19: Ian Hill of Ontario Grudge Wars welcomes Ontario Street Outaws’ Paul Norris to the SMACKDOWN 2.

20: Jeff Patterson-Bloom accepts his award as Street 275 Champion. Custom awards were supplied by Drag Syndicate. 21: Luc Ricard came all the way Quebec to take the win in Limited Outlaw.

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story and photos by

Toby Brooks

ometimes in life, we are confronted with challenges that even we aren’t sure we are up for. When faced with any daunting task, there’s a fine line between being wise enough to know when to pass and brave enough to know when to pounce. Take Bloomington, Illinois native Tommy Pfister, for example. Back in 1990, he had stumbled upon a pretty good deal on a used-up and rotted out 1967 Camaro RS. While the lines were clean and

the hidden headlights were cool, the typical road-salted and cancerous Illinois floorpans, missing trim, and tired old 350 with a 2-speed Powerglide were enough to convince Pfister to keep looking. “It belonged to my landlord at the time, and he was moving out of state,” Pfister said. “I had looked at it a couple of times, but I was going to pass on it due to its (terrible) condition,” he added. It was rough, for sure: a “custom” pair of Vise Grips had been “cleverly installed” (read: rigged) to allow

RULE THE

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

STRIP

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

FRESH PICKED

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

PRO STREET SMOOOTH

Pfister pulled out all the stops on the Camaro’s incredible paint and body. A very taseful and understated ducktail spoiler was added to the upper lip of the rear quarters and the decklid, while the rear bumper was shaved and the rear filler panel smoothed. All factory trim was painted body color for a sleek monochromatic look that really pops with the tinted windows.

the busted factory shifter to continue to function. Restoring the car would take a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money. It would probably be best to just move on and find a car that wasn’t so near a total loss. However, Pfister’s girlfriend and eventual wife Joy had other plans. “She talked me into buying it,” Pfister acknowledged. After acquiring the car, Pfister managed to get it in running order and drive it unrestored for two years. “My friends all joked about it being a piece of $@#t and how I shouldn’t fix this one,” he added. And if Joy’s insistence to purchase

the car had helped nudge Pfister to the initial purchase in the first place, it was a new job opportunity that ultimately nudged him toward restoring it. The car was rebuilt with an all-aluminum small block, a full cage, and a fresh paint job. “It ran low sevens in the eighth and it was all I wanted…and that was a pretty quick street car back in the day,” he said. Life soon came calling, though, and with the Pfister’s growing family in need of a down payment for a house, the Camaro was sold to a co-worker in 1997. Unfortunately, with Pfister at the wheel at a local drag strip later that

same year, a mechanical failure grenaded the engine and locked the transmission up on the top end, sending the classic Chevy into the wall front to rear, nearly destroying the car. “I felt awful about what happened, so I offered to buy it back,” he said. It took Pfister six months to afford to re-purchase the wounded ride, but as soon as he took possession, it went to Keith Dolly Machine & Welding to get pieced back together—this time with a full back half. A Chris Alston ChassisWorks ladder bar setup with a diagonal link was employed in a 2x3 custom mandrel bent chassis. QA1 single

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FRESH PICKED

SHINY SIDE ALWAYS UP?

Photos simply don’t do this car—or this color—justice. The smoothed top side is rivaled only by the equally orange-y undercarriage, where the fully boxed and smoothed frame has been equipped with tubular control arms up front and an Alston ladder bar setup out back. The floor pans have been smoothed, sprayed body color, and color sanded/buffed, too.

adjustable shocks help the narrowed GM 12-bolt ride smooth. Assembled by Gene Kuntz, the differential has been fitted with a Strange spool, Richmond 4.56 gears, and Moser 35-spline axles. A paint and body man by trade, Pfister decided that when he finally rebuilt the car, it would be a showcase of his talents. Subtle body mods abound and the sheet metal is reference-level straight. The longer you look, the more you

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

notice. Starting out back, the rear bumper has been shaved and the void filled and smoothed along with a trick fabbed metal rear spoiler. The wheel openings in the rear quarters were opened up an additional four inches to accommodate the big rear meats, and all the factory drip rails and handles were shaved. A 4-inch cowl induction hood was added, and the factory firewall was smoothed and recessed

3 inches to add some much-needed space under the hood. Pfister’s smooth touch wasn’t simply restricted to the top side of the Camaro though, as he also fabricated custom floorpans and spent over 200 hours prepping and painting the chassis alone. Once all was lovingly worked until perfectly prepped, Pfister laid down one of the most gorgeous, eye-popping, bright orange paint jobs the world has ever seen.

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FRESH PICKED Case in point: we noticed the glistening citrus from a distance of over 400 yards at the Street Machine Nationals! The House of Kolors three-stage Sunset Pearl color is difficult to adequately capture on film, but trust usâ&#x20AC;Śit is absolutely incredible. Although at first glance the car appears to be devoid of graphics of any sort, a factory-style RS stripe on the nose has been ghosted in pearl. We were 50 photos into the shoot before we noticed it, but man is it ever cool! With paint this perfect, other upgrades were a necessity in order to propel the wild first gen to pro street stardom. First, a monstrous 572 big block now dwells where the factory

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

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www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

TOMMY & JOY PFISTER’S PRO STREET 1967 CHEVROLET CAMARO Chassis Type & Mods: 2x3-inch mandrel bent backhalf by Dolly Machine & Welding. Suspension: FRONT: Chassworks 2-inch drop tubular control arms with QA1 shocks. REAR: Chassisworks ladder bar setup with diagonal link and QA1 single-adjustable shocks. Body & Paint: Prepped & painted by Tommy Pfister. House of Kolors three-stage Sunset Pearl paint with ghosted RS stripe. All steel with shaved rear bumper, shaved trim, and fabricated metal duck tail spoiler. Fully finished undercarriage painted body color. Engine: GM Performance 572 ci BBC. Callies 4340 forged crank with GM Perfromance H-beam rods and SRP forged aluminum 9.5:1 compression pistons. Lunati billet hydraulic roller camshaft. GM Performance rectangular port heads. Induction & Fuel Delivery: GM Performance hi-rise aluminum intake manifold with Jet Performance 4500 series 1050 cfm Dominator carb. Barry Grant 400 series electric fuel pump. Power Adder: Nitrous Oxide Systems port nitrous system. Electronics & Ignition: MSD ignition & MSD distributor. Leash Electronics nitrous controller. Full custom audio system by Kent Biedenharn at Twin City Upholstery. Transmission & Driveline: Coan Turbo 400 trans with manual reverse valve body. S&W flexplate and Coan 4,000 rpm stall converter. Differential: Narrowed GM 12-bolt rear with Moser axles, Strange spool, and Richmond 4.56 gears. Assembled by Gene Kuntz in Bloomington, Illinois. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x4 Weld Pro Star wheels (black powder coated) with 25x6-15 Mickey Thompson tires. REAR: 15x15 Weld Pro Star wheels (black powder coated) with 31x16.5-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires.

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327 once did. The GM Performance block sports a 4.360 bore and the Callies 4340 forged steel stroker crank generously swings 4.375 inches to create the engine’s spacious displacement. GM Performance H-beam forged 4340 rods have been mated to SRP forged aluminum 9.5:1 pistons with full floater wrist pins. The entire assembly was balanced and blueprinted for maximum performance. Valvetrain for the big Rat consists of a

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

Lunati hydraulic billet roller cam sporting a 0.744/316 intake and 0.744/326 exhaust lift profile. A GM Performance double roller timing chain spins the cam, while a set of Lunati 7/16-inch pushrods actuate the GM Performance 1.7 ratio aluminum roller rocker arms. A pair of ported and polished GM rectangular port heads was selected, and the large stainless valves ensure free flow through both the intake and exhaust sides. The GM Per-

formance aluminum high-rise intake manifold has been equipped with a 500-horse NOS fogger port nitrous system and a massive JET Performance 4500 Series HP Holley Dominator 1050 cfm carb. A Barry Grant 400 Series fuel pump keeps the big thirsty Chevy adequately supplied with flammable liquid and a Leash Electronics controller ensures that the hit of nitrous doesn’t blow the tires off. The engine did 740hp (6,250 rpm)/720 ft./

FRESH PICKED NO SCURVY... BUT BEWARE OF THE RAT

The fortified big block Chevy sports a Callies 4340 crank with GM Perfomance rods and SRP forged pistons. The NOS nitrous system can be jetted for up to 500 additional ponies when needed.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

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FRESH PICKED lb. (4,500 rpm) on the dyno without nitrous, and keeping those high-performance internals adequately lubed is a Melling high volume oil pump in a Milodon 6-quart pan with windage tray. An Edelbrock aluminum water pump has been coupled with a big BeCool radiator and a pair of Show-N-Go polished SPAL electric fans. Ignition duties are carried out by an MSD multiple spark distributor coupled with a Digital 7 box. The March billet StyleTrack serpentine setup with high output 1-wire alternator and polished AC compressor ties it all together, and other underhood bling such as the FeslerBuilt billet hinges

and GM Performance aluminum valve covers finish it all off. Rumor has it a single turbo may be in the works. That said, exhaust chores for the Rat are currently handled by a pair of 2-inch Sanderson Jet Hot-coated headers plumbed into a Joe Tyner-fabricated 3.5-inch exhaust. All tubing has been steel luster coated, and a pair of Flowmaster Racing Series 50 mufflers help keep the throaty rumble (barely) legal. Backing the big engine is a Coan TH400 three-speed trans with a reverse manual valve body. The S&W flexplate has been bolted to a

Coan 4,000 RPM stall converter that serves to enhance the car’s street manners. Power is sent rearward via a Moser 3-inch steel driveshaft. With all that power, acceleration isn’t really much of a problem, so Pfister upgraded the braking system to help the fast-moving Bowtie slow down as well as it speeds up. Wilwood 13-inch disc brakes have been installed all the way around. A trick SSBC polished master cylinder is

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FRESH PICKED

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perched on the firewall, and polished stainless SSBC lines work well while looking great. With the paint and powertrain complete, further chassis enhancements were performed up front, as a pair of ChassisWorks 2-inch drop spindles and tubular A-arms helped get the nose of the car closer to the pavement. A pair of QA1 single-adjustable shocks keep the ride smooth, and the custom rolling stock completes the killer stance. Weld Pro Star wheels have been powder coated black, with 15x4s up front and 15x15s out back. With Mickey Thompson 15x6 Sportsmans up front and 31x16.5-15 ET Street tires out back, the look is perfect. It is rare that a car with such a bright paint color can look so sin-

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

ister, but Pfister pulls it off with the combo of the black wheels, blacked out factory hidden headlamps, and dark tinted glass. The only downside to the tinted glass is that it serves to conceal an absolutely flawless Kent Biedenharn/Twin City Upholstery two-tone cinnamon leather interior. The street rod-style CSI seats have been treated to a custom-stitched patterned leather with trick aluminum accents and the incredible sculpted door panels match perfectly. The rear ventilated and sculpted beauty panels not only conceal the big tubs, but also house a number of electronics components including the MSD box, a Dakota Digital Commander 10000, and some of the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audio system pieces. A

double-DIN Pioneer AppRadio 3 head unit with Apple CarPlay handles the tunes and its central dash mount is within easy reach of the cockpit occupants. A pair of Rockford Punch 10s and two Marix Audio 6.5-inch components serve to accurately reproduce the sounds. The stock dash openings have been plugged with Dakota Digital factory replacement gauges and GlowShift nitrous gauges. A Hurst Quarter Stick with line lock and trans brake switches has been nestled into a custom full-length console. The push-button start and push button controls add a high tech touch, while the black roll cage blends in nicely. A trick Billet Specialties split grip wheel adds a trick touch inside, while the fully finished

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You barely even notice the black cage as it blends in with the rich leather-appointed cockpit. Kent Biedenharn of Twin City Upholstery managed the full-blown street rod-inspired interiorthat boasts low back bucket seats, a full audio system with Apple car play, and even Vintage Air A/C. Dakota Digital instruments add more high-tech flair and function, too.

Tommy and Joy Pfister

leather-trimmed trunk completes the whole glorious package. Pfister is thankful to several people who helped him turn what was once a rust-infested nightmare into a citrusy-sweet dream come true. “My boss Kurt Zimmer of Kurt’s Auto Body in Bloomington let me use his shop and materials, and Toby at Mobile Audio in Normal did an awesome job on the stereo,” he said. Jeff Meyer and Tim

Kupec assisted with metal fab, metal finish, and tons of other fab work, while the late Keith Dolly initially performed the back half. “Kent Biedenharn and the gang at Twin City Upholstery are true craftsmen and I couldn’t be happier with the interior,” he said. “Lastly, I’m especially thankful to Joy and the kids for letting me do what I do, along with my mother and father-in-law for the special gifts along

the way,” he added. So the next time you look at that pile of parts, stack of papers, or other nearly insurmountable task, consider Tommy Pfister. With a little bit of encouragement, quite a bit of help, and a whole boatload of work, he was able to turn this nearly hopeless ’67 RS into one of the tastiest street bruisers you’ll ever see. We’d “pick” that kind of motivation any day!

cvrproducts.com For more information visit

www.cvrproducts.com

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

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RPM EXCLUSIVES 1

PRODUCTS & INNOVATIONS

SAFE & SOUND: SERIOUS THEFT PROTECTION >> Secure your ride with Tuffy Security Products

e were recently looking for a way to conceal and secure certain items in our truck knowing that they would be safe (short of someone stealing the entire rig). One thing we have learned from our friends

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in the law enforcement and insurance industries is to “make it hard for a thief and they will move on to the next easier target”—at least in small time theft such as breaking and entering into vehicles. Personally, I never leave anything on my console or visible in my vehicle that might attract

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

2 the eye of a petty thief....except once. Generally, a thief will approach a vehicle and have a quick look inside before breaking the window or door lock so as not to waste time on a vehicle with no potential valuables. Once, I left about $90 worth of change in the console of my truck completely by accident. The next day it was gone, proving a theory that thieves prob-

ably check your vehicle a few times a week for quick cash, cell phones, or anything else of value that they can grab quickly and cleanly—you just don’t know it. Enter Tuffy Security Products – www.tuffyproducts.com – Manufactured and designed in the USA (at their stateof-the-art plant in Cortez Colorado) Tuffy makes hardcore, extensively engineered and

1 & 2: Unboxed and ready to go, the install of our Tuffy Security Console Insert (LEFT) took all of about 20 minutes… not bad for the peace of mind it can provide. The Tuffy Portable Safe required about 5 seconds of set-up by simply installing the 2000-pound security cable.

3: First install the Security Insert hinge hardware and adjust as desired.

4: Install the “retracted” Security Insert into your console as instructed. In our case, on its side, diagonally.

5 & 6: Next, install the rear and front security plates with provided hardware and expand the console legs… it’s a snug fit. Then install two base plate brackets with the hardware provided, and you are done! 7: With the factory rubber console mat installed you would never know it is there.

field tested security products for most any type of vehicle. We started with a simple fix for our specific needs, a Tuffy Security Console Insert, and while we were at it we opted for a portable safe (SKU: 300) that we could easily remove from the truck as needed. Get ready, because this whole console insert job will take you all of 20 minutes!

Simply attach the hinge hardware and adjust to suit. Insert the Tuffy Security Console into your vehicle console as directed in the instructions (in our case it was on its side diagonally. Position as instructed, then attach a rear and front security plate and two base mounts, and you’re done. Don’t let the ease of install fool you into thinking that this is some sort of

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

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RPM EXCLUSIVES cheap knock-off wannabe security box... the Tuffy products are tough. Just for fun, we pulled, pried and prodded on our Tuffy Security Console (without busting up a 2017 truck, of course), and we couldn’t budge it. Needless to say we spent three or four minutes trying to get into it. A thief knows that in most cases, they only have less than a minute to get in, grab what they can and get out. If they used a hammer, good luck! They would be better off to bust up the vehicle’s console, but again that would be loud and take far too much time. As for our portable safe, it conveniently fits into the Tuffy Security

8: All secure! The Tuffy Security Products safe is good to go.

9 & 10: The Tuffy Portable Safe fits nicely into the Security Console Insert, even with all of your usual “stuff” in there. The Portable Safe can hold cash, important documents, watches, jewelry, a small handgun, and much more.

DELIVERING PERFORMANCE WITH INNOVATIVE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS

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

H-Series performance bearings have high crush for better seating

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

Visit us at PRI booth #1601

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september 2018 | RPM Magazine

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

12 11 & 12: Now you see it, now you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The Portable Safe fit nicely into one of our staffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purse.

Features

TSV Technology

13: While carrying it around the downtown core might attract a thief, it is small enough to slip into an inconspicuous bag to transport outside of your vehicle.

13 Console when we need it to be with us on the road and fits in a bag or purse when we leave

the truck. It also has a 2,000-pound rated security cable to carry or fasten it with.

We started from a clean sheet to create the most efficient, most advanced supercharger ever created for GM LS engines. Our revolutionary new intercooler design delivers more power than the competition run-after-run, regardless of how hot it is outside. With factory-like drivability, a bypass valve for enhanced fuel economy, and OEM-level fit and finish that looks great under the hood, Magnuson's Heartbeat is true horsepower without compromise.

SOURCE Tuffy Security Products www.tuffyproducts.com 800.348.8339

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

109

RPM COOL TOOLS 1

LINES

OF EXCELLENCE >> Nitrous, fuel, and other hard lines made simple thanks to Imperial Tools

story and photos by

Toby Brooks

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september 2018 | RPM Magazine

abrication requires skill and experience, but there is no doubt that the right tool can turn a challenging fab chore into a much easier proposition. Case in point, tubing benders for brake, nitrous, and fuel hard lines come in a number or sizes, shapes, and overall design. Poorly designed tools can result in improper fit, kinks, and leaks. On the other hand, a quality tubing bender will result in tight, clean lines than not only look great but offer leak-free function, too. We first discovered the importance of a quality bender when plumbing the brake and nitrous lines on Project

aPocalypSe Horse several months ago. After trying several different brands and designs, we came across the Imperial 664-FH heavy duty 180-degree tube bender on a recommendation from a friend. The bench vice-mountable design affords the fabricator with a more stable tool than typical hand-held designs. Additionally, the articulated twostage handle and the pivoting tube lock hook make removing tubing that has been formed on the lower mandrel much easier than other benders. After trying the 664-FH-04 out on 1/4-inch steel and stainless steel lines with great results, we decided to step

1: Bending stainless hardline can be a real chore without the right tools. Thankfully, Imperial Toolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heavy Duty 180 Â° tube benders with indexing handle are available to make clean and quick work of 1/4-inch (bottom), 3/8inch (middle), and 1/2inch (top) O.D. tubing. The handy vise-mount design and Roto-Lok handle make fitting up lines a breeze.

up to the 664-FH-06 for 3/8-inch tubing and the 664-FH-08 for 1/2-inch tubing more common in fuel lines and other larger plumbing needs. In addition to the vice-mountable design, the Imperial bender also features a unique two-stage handle. A quick-release handle pivots to prevent the crossing of the upper and lower handles during a bending operation,

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111

RPM COOL TOOLS 2 4 2 & 3: The 1/4-inch 664-FH-04 bender is perfect for brake and nitrous lines. With the bender mounted in our bench vise, we tested it out on a piece of standard steel line.

3 making it easier to form the tube without the risk of pinching a finger. The nickel finish is holding up well after regular use and the

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rollers in the bending handle prevent scoring of the tubing in the bender and result in smoother overall bends. After using the Imperial

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

5 4 & 5: The 1/4-inch bender features a 9/16-inch bend radius with that is perfect for fabricating lines clean and tight. The indexed bending face allows the fabricator to bend anywhere between 1-180 degrees.

www.rpmmag.com | september 2018

113

RPM COOL TOOLS 7

benders on a variety of tubing sizes and various bends, we really like the overall design and ease of use. Operation is simple and the ergonomic handles allow

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for smooth, kink-free bends. The tight radii make fit up a snap and ensure that the fabricated lines are routed as cleanly as possible. Imperial

benders can be purchased online and are also available at many big box home improvement stores. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d highly recommend them!

september 2018 | RPM Magazine

8: The 664-FH-08 allows for a 180-degree bend of 1/2-inch tubing on a 1 1/2-inch bend radius. It can be found online for less than $200.

6 & 7: The 664-FH-06 is designed for 3/8inch tubing and boasts a 15/16inch bending radius. The indexed stationary lower mandrel makes for quick reference from 1-180 degrees and also allows for easily repeated bends for mirror image or even light production pieces.

SOURCE

Imperial/Stride Tool www.imperial-tools.com www.stridetooldirect.com 888.467.8665

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FIND IT AT www.rpm-mag.com | july2018

115

Black Magic The "Thumpr" uses profiles and grind characteristics that produce a powerful and hard hitting exhaust note and a rough idle without sacrificing power output or streetability. Available for many popular applications.

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Ask a sales rep. for details

• Each kit contains 12 groups of fasteners. • Available in either black oxide finish 8740 Chrome Moly steel or polished ARP stainless steel. • Stronger than any hardware grades. • Choice of hex head or 12-point heads. • Available for all popular engine types. Note: hese kits are designed for carbureted engines. Newer EFI applications may require the purchase of additional fasteners.

Engine & Accessory Fastener Kits

Complies with NHRA Rule 8:1. Fits most battery sizes. 3 piece .040" aluminum box design allows access without removing the battery from the box. Hard mounts battery to the frame with supplied 3/8" bolts. PN 48101 2 ga. kit PN 48103 1 ga. kit

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S-Blade Fans Reversible electric fans featuring 3,300 cfm of airflow. These fans feature a durable injection-molded shroud to draw air through 21 1/2x17 1/2 inch area. The S-Blade fan design with continuous outer ring provides quiet and efficient operation. PN 185 '79-'93 Ford Mustang Direct Fit PN 188 21.5" W X 17.5" H, Without Thermostat

Fast Orange Wipes

Each pre-moistened wipe has a textured surface on one side that is ideal for cleaning the toughest grease, tar and grime from hands, tools and work areas. The wipes also have a smooth side for general purpose cleaning.

Platinum SuperCool Water Pumps Precision-made ball/roller bearings and spin-balanced fan hub sustain higher RPMs. SuperCool option includes a custom water impeller that flows 30% more coolant to reduce water temperature by up to 20 degrees.

Available for Chrysler, Ford and GM engines

Shark Tooth Oil Pump The new gear design provides the engine with an improved flow of oil without the usual pulsing found in traditional gear pumps. This reduction in the pressure ripple from the pump will also provide benefits to the distributor and camshaft drive. Available for SB Chevrolet. Cats Iron Models: PN 10550ST - 5/8" diameter press fit pickup PN 10551ST - 3/4" diameter press fit pickup PN 10552ST - 3/4" diameter bolt-on pickup PN 10555ST - 3/4" diameter bolt-on pickup Billet Aluminum Models: 10550ST-825SS - For 8-1/4" deep oil pans 10550ST-725SS - For 7" deep oil pans

Pro Series Differentials Auburn Gear Pro Series Differentials outperform all competitors. Auburn's unique cone clutch arrangement provides the advantage over plate or gear type limited slip differentials. Available for Dodge, Ford, GM, and Toyota applications. Ask for details.

HPS™ Synthetic Oil Formulated to meet the demands of performance and modified engines. Recommended for vehicles no longer under manufacturer warranty and for those seeking a higher level of performance and protection. Available in 5W30, 10W30,10W40 and 20W50.

Shorty Headers for'09-'17 Ram 1500 5.7L 2WD & 4WD Designed for direct bolt-on performance to the existing stock exhaust system. CAD designed and manufactured with 1-3/4" CNC mandrel bent tubing for unrestricted exhaust flow.

Available in Chrome or Silver Ceramic finish.

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Ask a sales rep. for details

With the most comprehensive line of piston rings, compression rings, and oil rings in the world, we have a piston ring for practically any application— racing, automotive, heavy-duty transportation, agriculture, industrial, small engine, and more.

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