RPM PROJECT CAR
PART 6: by
Four states of metal
Toby Brooks
I
n science class, you probably learned that matter exists in three states: gases, solids, and liquids (For the record, there are actually five. Google it). In the case of Project aPocalypSe Horse, this just isn’t true. At the moment, our build exists in at least four states. But how could this be? Read on. In our last installment of Project aPocalypSe Horse, we told you about our incredible twin ProCharger induction system that Terry Woods and The Supercharger Store in Huachuca City, AZ scratch-built to help equip the world’s first double-blown Kaase Boss Nine engine. Using parts from March Performance, Tuff Stuff, PRW, and Innovators West, Terry added a custom gear drive and also carved up several one-off billet pieces to get the entire system buttoned up, working together, and ready to ship to Jon Kaase Racing Engines in Winder, GA. This month, TIG welders in two other states were humming, as Rich Gebhardt and the
>>Chassis and custom intake fabrication begin and the Horse gets a new set of shoes for the drag strip crew at Gebhardt Pro Cars in Jacksonville, IL got rolling on the full tube chassis and Mike Weinle at Weinle Motorsports in Cleves, OH neared completion on a trick one-off sheetmetal intake. Gebhardt started by taking the Mustang shell we had delivered and further stripped it down. Although the drivetrain and much of the interior had been gutted, we left the dash and door panels in place in order to help Rich build a cage that would fit closely around the factory pieces. Gebhardt’s crew promptly pulled the doors and front clip, stripped the remainder of the interior, and removed the remaining suspension and tires and wheels. Once nearly every bolt, nut, and screw had been removed, Gebhardt’s understudy Tommy Fox got out the Sawzall and happily cut away the front doghouse (Tommy is a diehard Bowtie fan, so cutting up our Ford gave him an extra satisfaction). The Pro Cars crew then pulled out the plasma cutter and blasted out the factory floor
pans and firewall after moving what was left of the shell over to the chassis jig. In order for the chassis to meet tech requirements once completed, a host of special construction features have to be included along the way. A veteran of over 500 completed race or high performance street machine chassis builds, Gebhardt could probably recite the various sanctioning body tech standards by heart if prompted. The first step in the process was to lay out the dual main bars that will serve as the primary attachment points for the remainder of the frame. Using S&W Race Cars 0.83 wall 1 5/8” chrome moly tubing, Gebhardt carefully positioned the pieces and initiated the build. The VFN Fiberglass nose for our project features a seven-inch stretch that provides a more stable extended wheelbase and also gives a bit more breathing room for our wild block-mounted induction
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1: Upon arrival at Gebhart’s Pro Cars, Rich and the crew stripped out the rest of the interior and removed the front clip prior to putting the car on the chassis jig. In this pic, the firewall has been readied for removal before being cut out with a plasma cutter.
JUNE 2014 | RPM Magazine