RPM Magazine August Issue 2014

V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..........TRISH BIRO trish@rpm-mag.com E-MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR................................IAN RAE ian@rpm-mag.com EVENT MEDIA DIRECTOR...........................RAYMOND KNIGHT events@rpm-mag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR.....SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpm-mag.com Photographic Contributions: TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, BRIAN HANSEN, PETE “BOOMER” ORES, PAUL SCHMITZ, LOGAN WEBER, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOMMY LEE BYRD, STEVEN BUNKER, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS Editorial Contributions: IAN RAE, TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, TOMMY LEE BYRD, BRIAN HANSEN, BEN STRADER, MARK goDragRacing.org, RAYMOND KNIGHT, CHUCK GREEN, STEVEN BUNKER, GEORGE KLASS, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, BRIAN WOOD, PAT McGOWAN Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, BEN STRADER, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOMMY LEE BYRD

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

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The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including; Race cars, Musclecars, Hot Rods and Street Legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including Fast Doorslammer and Outlaw forms of Drag Racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on-the-edge with regards to design and power!

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EDITOR’S RANT

by

Chris Biro

because...

MORE RPM IS ALWAYS BETTER!

I

n our continuing effort to support the automotive performance and race industries, we’re once again offering a chance for related companies to take advantage of our “Industry Distribution Program” which sees FREE copies of RPM Magazine sent to performance & racing related businesses in the USA and Canada. So, if you own, operate, or manage any type of performance or race business (ie: speed shop, performance, race or chassis shop, manufacturing firm, installation facility, warehouse, etc.), you need to sign up for your FREE subscription to RPM Magazine today!

Simply complete this form and send it in along with your business card and you’ll start getting your complimentary copy of RPM, right to your business door each and every month...because MORE RPM is ALWAYS better!

We also offer an enhanced program that enables you to order MORE copies of RPM for an incredibly low price, to either give away free to your best customers or sell on your magazine rack.

Industry Distribution Program info can also be found at www.rpm-mag. com and completed online! Or by simply emailing trish@rpm-mag.com. Do it today!

COMING NEXT MONTH: Project aPocalypSe Horse....................................

Trick Mac Fab beadlocks go on and lots of chassis construction!

Cool show coverage and wild Pro Streeters!..........................

Tubbed cars old and new with Matt & Debbie Hay’s T-Bird and an insane PSI-blown Camaro!

THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT RPM!

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

ADVERTISER INDEX Accufab Inc............................ 56 AFCO..................................... 48 Alan Johnson Performance (AJPE)................................. 18 Alston Race Cars.................... 40 Alston Race Cars Fast Glass.... 89 Applied Racing Components (ARC).................................. 32 ATI Performance Products..... 17 Autoglym.........................28, 90 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 36 Baer Brakes......................10, 81 BES Racing Engines............... 86 Bill Mitchell Products............ 33 Blower Shop............................ 5 Borla..................................... 68 Browell Bellhousing.............. 58 BTE Racing............................ 43 C&C Motorsports................... 81 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 34 CFE Racing Products.............. 32 Chassis Engineering.............. 57 CN Blocks.............................. 11 Coan Engineering.................. 14 Competition Products........... 33 COMP Cams........................... 95 Crower.................................. 41 CVR Products......................... 53 DART..................................... 13 Design Engineering............... 26 Diamond Pistons................... 72 DIY Auto Tune/MegaSquirt EFI..................................... 78 Dynotech Engineering........... 74 Ed Quay Race Cars................. 75 Edelbrock.............................. 19 Engine Research & Development (ERD)........... 24 Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST)............................... 27 FastMotorsports.................... 11 Fast Times Motorworks......... 20 FORD Racing.......................... 55 Frankenstein Racing Heads .. 44 Gold Living............................ 37 G Force Racing Transmissions.86 Greg Smith Equipment.......... 93 GZ Motorsports..................... 73 Harland Sharp......................... 8 Holcomb Motorsports........... 30 HoleShot Wheels................... 12 Holley.................................... 80 Holley Ultra Dominator......... 23 Holley Ultra Double Pumper.. 74 Holley Ultra Street Avenger... 73 Howard’s Cams...................... 78 Induction Solutions............... 47 Innovate Motorsports............ 97 JE Pistons.............................. 46 JET Performance................... 93 J&K Converters...................... 20

K&N Filters............................ 73 Lokar Performance Products. 92 LUCAS Oil Products.............2, 88 Lunati.................................... 45 Mahle Clevite Inc................... 76 Manton Pushrods.................. 75 Meziere Precision Mfg........... 71 Mickey Thompson Tires........... 7 Midwest Converters.............. 74 Mile High Crankshafts............. 8 MSD Ignition......................... 85 Neal Chance Converters........... 9 New Century Performance.... 77 Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod.... 35 Nitrous Pro Flow.................... 85 Nitrous Supply...................... 45 Outlaw 10.5 Racing Assoc..... 71 Parts Pro Perf Centers.......... 100 Performance Improvements.. 10 Perf. Plus Connection.......71, 86 Powermaster Performance.... 75 Power Tank............................ 77 Precision Turbo/ProInjectors.. 15 Proformance Racing Trans..... 24 Pro Systems Carburetors...28, 31 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP).................................. 11 ProCharger............................ 29 PRW...................................... 79 PTC........................................ 44 Quik-Latch Products.............. 93 Racecraft............................... 39 Racepak................................ 22 Racequip............................... 73 Racing Radios.......................... 7 RAM Clutches........................ 91 Rev-X Oil Products............26, 94 Ross Racing Pistons................. 5 Rossler Transmissions............ 83 RPM Magazine...................... 98 S&W Race Cars...................... 82 Scorpion Racing Prods......21, 84 Scotty’s Racing Engines......... 14 Shafiroff Racing Engines....... 54 SM Race Cars......................... 21 Smith Racecraft..................... 25 Steve Morris Engines............. 59 Summit Racing Equipment... 99 TCI Automotive...................... 87 Ti64....................................... 83 Tom’s Upholstery................... 13 Trick Flow.............................. 42 TRZ Motorsports.................... 44 Two Guys Garage................... 96 Valvoline............................... 38 Virginia Hot Rod Show.......... 16 VP Racing Fuels................49, 79 WC Enterprises...................... 77 Weinle Motorsports.............. 84 Weldon High Performance.... 69

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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AUGUST 2014

Be sure to check out our Performance Directory on page 60!

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 15 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Racing WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!

THE

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

CARS

ACTION

RACE AND SHOW

COVER CAR

Auburn Shifters................................................... 32 Spotlight on beauty and horsepower in the Hoosier State

Passion for Performance...........50 Three countries were involved in shaping Steven Neimantas’ love of all things horsepower, and his most recent endeavor will blow your mind!!

Back In Action........................................................ 84 Food, fun, and horsepower in paradise

All the Luck....................................................................... 8

WARNING: The story of Mick Bodigon’s radical blown ’66 Nova will most likely lead to deep-seated jealousy!

PROJECTS TECH

THE

My First Car................................................................ 20

AND

A cool 1969 Chevelle and the amazing story of the man who owns it

Products and Innovations....................................................................... 48 EZ Oil Drain Valve

Mommymobile Sleeper....................................................................................... 72 Just because we can’t leave well enough alone

Project Update....................................................................................... 81 The Horse gets a new-look CNC logo and a host of other developments this month!

Part 5: It’s Miller Time.......................................................................................... 92 Setting up our metal fab area and assembling EZVJacks

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

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

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M

aybe it was blessed by a priest. Or maybe it has a secret compartment of fairy dust hidden somewhere in the dash. Or maybe there’s a four leaf clover ghosted into the clearcoat. We aren’t sure, but whatever it is, Mick Bodigon’s low-slung retina-searing red Nova is just rolling along in a charmed life.

Some guys have all the luck.

“I decided back in 2004 that I wanted to build a

8

tube chassis car,” recalled Bodigon, a maintenance manager from Fort Wayne, IN. “I started looking through some local trader papers and ended up finding a project car about five miles from my house,” he said.

So let us get this straight, Mick. You decide you want to build a

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

>>WARNING: The story of Mick Bodigon’s radical blown ’66 Nova will most likely lead to deep-seated jealousy! story by

Toby Brooks photos by

Steven Wiggins

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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ALL THE LUCK

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

BOOOOOSTED The wellfortified big block Chevy is topped with a massive 14-71 Blower Shop billet supercharger and twin Holley Dominators.

tube chassis car and you find one after searching for about two weeks. Five miles from your house.

With a solid body and the floorpans cut out ready for building. From a guy who lost interest in the project and decided to sell it for a song.

Sound about right? “So I bought the car and took it to a shop I had used before on another project. They got it in right away and after about five or six weeks, I picked it up,� Bodigon said.

That shop was Advanced Chassis in Antwerp, OH. The crew there wasted no time fabbing up a lightweight but rock-solid chrome moly round tube chassis with a custom 4-link rear, funny car cage, and custom extra-long wheelie bars. Suspension pieces from Art Morrison were selected for the strut front, while rear coilover shocks control the bumps aft. Tinwork from the skilled hands of Jeff Porter helps finish the already flawless install.

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ALL THE LUCK

In the meantime, Bodigon himself started putting together a brutal big block Chevy powerplant. He started with a DART Big M block poked to 565ci. A Callies crankshaft was used along with Diamond pistons swinging on Eagle connecting rods. Bodigon chose a SIG Erson roller cam and Morel lifters and employed a Milodon oiling system to keep everything happily lubricated.

DART 355 CNC heads were added next. Rocker arms from Crane and a pair

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

of polished fabricated valve covers rounded out the longblock before a custom Blower Shop intake was positioned next in preparation for the massive 14-71 billet Blower Shop huffer. As if that weren’t impressive enough, the CNC-carved boost-producing masterpiece was then topped with a pair of equally massive Holley 1150 Ultra Dominator carbs and a custom Dominator blower scoop.

The engine relies on MSD components for all ignition tasks, including a crank

PERFECT STANCE The deuce sits just right thanks to the full tube skeleton fabbed up by the crew at Advanced Chassis. Pristine tinwork, a polished fuel cell, and an Optima Red Top makes for an ultra-clean nofrills trunk. Meanwhile, the extra-long custom fabbed wheelie bars articulate with the bulletproof sheetmetal Ford 9-inch housing that helps hook the massive rear meats.

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ALL THE LUCK trigger distributor, an HVC coil, and high performance plug wires. Custom 2 1/2–inch headers were fabricated to scavenge the copious amounts of spent Dominator-infused race fuel the car consumes.

Backing such an impressive mill is a stout owner-built Turbo 400 tranny with a Coan Super Sprag and a number of other fortifying parts and processes. An ATI blower converter helps keep things streetable while still providing all the necessary hook required on the strip. A CSI carbon fiber shield rounds out the long list of modifications.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

HEAVY HITTER The car might run eights, but it isn’t because of lightweight replacement parts. With the exception of the heavily aerated fiberglass hood, all bumpers, panels, and glass are factory pieces.

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ALL THE LUCK Continuing to move rearward, a fabricated Ford 9-inch housing has been mated with a Mark Williams center section with 4.10 gears, while shortened 35-spline axles get the power to the pavement.

With the drivetrain well in hand, Bodigon had already hand-picked his paint and body man for the project months in advance. Wade Yost was called into action, prepping the all-steel body for paint. Yost first stretched the rear

16

wheel openings by four inches then customized the rockers with trick exhaust outlets.

He then modified and fit the wide open fiberglass hood before laying down a gorgeous PPG Fast Red paintjob.

Wheels for the rad red Deuce include 15x4-inch polished Rocket Launchers on the front with ginormous 15x16 Weld Alumi Stars in the rear. The set rolls on 165x80-15 front tires and gargantuan 22.5x33-15 slicks in the rear.

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

RACE READY The body color Advanced Chassis funny car-style cage provides ample protection in the event the nasty Nova fails to remain shiny side up. The modified factory dash features a gaggle of phantomfaced gauges and steering chores are handled by a Grant leatherwrapped wheel.

Factory-style door panels and headliner have been retained, but race seats from Kirkey and harnesses from RJS keep occupants secure.

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A full complement of disc brakes were added to handle stopping duties and a Hurst line lock was installed to further assist in warming the massive rear meats.

So with chassis, engine, paint, body, tires, and wheels all in hand with nary a hiccup along the way, one would probably think that sooner or later Bodigon’s luck would run out come time to finish the car’s interior. If so, one would be mistaken.

Kirkey seats with RJS harnesses keep occupants inside inside, while the gorgeous red coated Advanced Chassis cage commands the bulk of the attention. Phantom Series gauges continuously monitor the car’s vitals, while a FAST wideband data logger figuratively writes it all down.

An airshifter was employed to help Bodigon trip the gear selector on the factory dash.

The stock door panels and headliner were also retained and a tilt column and overhead switch console were added to lend some street appeal to the heavily strip-influenced cockpit.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

Bodigon cruises and shows the car regularly during the summer months; however, as beautiful it is, it is no trailer queen. The car is a regular at Muncie Dragway where the affable Hoosier has piloted it to a best elapsed time of 8.15 @ 166 mph in the quarter-mile. It takes more than luck to push an all-steel car with original glass that deep into the eights.

Bodigon is appreciative to his family and friends who have supported him along way since starting the build a decade ago. Wife Judy, daughter Lindsay, sons Brad and Dylan, and friends Fred Royer, John Ammer, Everett Bone, Mike Berry, Max Graf, Matt McBride, Tony McAfee, and Jeff Lake all played a role.

So as Project aPocalypSe Horse enters month eight of chassis fabrication, we here at RPM are beginning to really understand just how remarkable it is that Bodigan’s build went so quickly and without any major delays.

If we look a little jealous, Mick, there’s good reason.

We are.

Check out video of Bodigan laying down a 150+ mph pass!

ALL THE LUCK

A GREAT COMBO 1,081 HP & 841 ft-lbs. Torque

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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RPM FEATURE CAR

F irst

>>A cool 1969 Chevelle and the amazing story of the man who owns it

“T

hirty nine years ago, at age 14, I made a deal with my mom to keep her car clean for two years and at the end of that time she would give the car to me,” and the rest is history for London, Ontario’s Doug Box. This single deal set in motion a chain of events that would lead Doug into a passion for fast cars both on the street and eventually on the drag strips of Canada and the United States. His involvement, spanning almost four decades, would include not only owning and racing his Chevelle (in several different forms), but also running drag race events, assisting with technical inspec-

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

story by

photos by

tion during events, discovering a love for Stock/Super Stock drag racing and organizing a Stock/Super Stock series that continues to thrive today.

“On my 16th birthday, in my birthday card, I found the ownership to her 1969 Chevelle,” continued Doug. “I raced the car on the street with a 300hp small block, powerglide transmission and a 5.13 12-bolt rear end and certainly won my fair share of races on London streets.”

Over the next few years, by age 18, Doug pulled the car off the street and in for a major restoration. It went from navy blue to the current Hugger orange, and, with Doug wanting to go faster, it

Tia Biro

George Pich

received an LS6 crate motor, a new 400 turbo transmission with 3800 stall converter and Centerline wheels. He kept those tall 5.13 gears in the 12-bolt and basically transformed the car to a legal Stock Eliminator contender.

“Back then there were no decent street tires at all and I got tired of laying rubber on the street and just cruising anyway,” he went on to say. “Around that same time I bought a 1970 Chevelle that I also painted orange, added Centerlines and a mild 454 engine. This car became my matching tow vehicle for the ’69, which then became a full-time race car that I raced at St. Thomas Dragway for a number of years.”

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

It was 1987 and Doug and his then-girlfriend (now wife) towed the ’69 Chevelle on his open trailer with the ’70 Chevelle down to a Super Chevy Sunday event in Martin, Michigan.

“When we got to the show we were approached by the Super Chevy magazine editor who informed us that the cars had been chosen as Editor’s Choice of the event. The cars were subsequently featured in the July 1988 Super Chevy magazine, in a three-page spread.”

By 1989 Doug was getting deeper into racing and started to look for sponsors for the drag car, landing Dynomax Mufflers for a three-year campaign.

“As part of the deal, St. Thomas Dragway ran the Dynomax Street Machine Nationals for three years, for which I acted as Event Director. I helped create the

rules, teched and classified the cars, and even resolved my share of disputes,” Doug explained.

Right around that same time, a revived drag strip in Ontario (Canada), Grand Bend Motorplex, located close to the Port Huron, MI USA border, was just getting started and Doug was hired to help run their Street Machine Nationals for two years.

Now totally immersing himself into the sport, it was during this time that Doug also went to his first NHRA divisional event in Cayuga (Ontario) as a spectator, which changed his direction somewhat from that point on.

“I met Charles Sousa, who was running a ’69 Chevelle in I/SA,” Doug said.

“This car was a Stock Eliminator small block, running a 350 with a full interior and even had a spare tire mount-

MY FIRST CAR ORANGE YOU GLAD IT HAS A BIG BLOCK? The pristine 396 320HP Chevy big block boasts factory 290 cylinder heads, a cast iron intake and Q-jet carb, yep we said Q-jet! The mill was assembled by Tim Ferguson to meet the strict rules of IHRA Pure Stock and, with the addition of a 3-inch exhaust system and street tires, Doug enjoys street driving it as well.

1969 396 SS CHEVROLET CHEVELLE Owner: Doug Box Engine: 396 320hp, 290 cylinder heads, cast iron intake, Q-jet

by WA Lee, CP pistons, assembled by Tim Ferguson.

Transmission & Converter: 400 Turbo by John Hutchinson at Hutch’s Transmission. 2.75 1st gear, ATI 4800 stall 8-inch converter.

Rear Differential: Chevrolet 12-bolt, 4.56 gear, Strange axles, Moroso Brute Force posi unit.

Wheels and Tires: Weld Aluma Stars, DS-2 front tires, 9 x 30 radial slicks.

Interior: Factory-style black interior. Cheetah shifter, Autometer gauges, VDO tach, MSD 6-AL ignition.

Body & Paint: Body-off restoration. Paint and body by Jeff Gable, hugger orange w/factory SS stripe.

Rear Suspension: H & R Parts and Stuff, rear anti-roll bar, QA-1 shocks.

ed for ballast. It ran11.80s and really piqued my interest in Stock Eliminator.”

“I transformed my ’69 Chevelle into a G Stock Automatic, 325-horse, 396 that was built by Dave LeBrun of L & L Auto Machine in Groton, Connecticut, with a W.A. Lee Quadrajet carburetor, an ATI converter, a Hutchinson 400 turbo transmission and a 4.56 rear gear. I campaigned the car at a number of NHRA divisional and national events in Ontario, Quebec, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania for several years.”

Because of his interest in Stock and Super Stock racing, Doug wanted to be able to race more often locally and believed there were enough of these race cars in the area to be able to support a local Stock/Su-

per Stock series. Drag strip owners John and Sharon Fletcher organized an inaugural Stock/Super Stock race at St. Thomas Dragway that was met with great enthusiasm, but unfortunately they were not interested in running more of these events.

“I saw an opportunity to get together with other Stock and Super Stock racers in both Ontario and Michigan and we started the Can-Am Stock/Super Stock series. I was Director for the first nine or ten years of this series, which continues to this day,” he said.

In 1995, after returning from running the Chevelle in an NHRA divisional event in Martin, Michigan, Doug was speaking to good friend Scott Mackie, who, at the time was head of AC Delco Worldwide.

Best ET & MPH: 11.80 @ 118.18 MPH in D/PS trim.

Comments: When not at the race track, the ’69 Chevelle keeps company with a ’69 Camaro 396 375 HP that competes in the Can Am series in B/SA. “The Chevelle, however, will always have a special place in my heart as it was my first.”

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BETTER BY THE PAIR Seen here are a couple of vintage shots of the ’69 (in various forms) sitting with the ‘70 Chevelle “tow vehicle.”

CLEAN AS THEY COME WOW! This big block Chevelle is nice top to bottom and inside to out. During the car’s most recent transformation, a body-off resto completed Jeff Gable of Stratford, Ontario brought it back to better-than-new condition.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

MY FIRST CAR

THE THREE AMIGOS The ’70 Chevelle (far end) and Stock Eliminator 1995 Firebird have been sold over the years, but his first car, the ’69 Chevelle, remains Doug’s pride and joy.

ADD ANOTHER BOWTIE...

Doug’s recently acquired and built 1969 B/SA-legal Camaro is powered by a 375HP 396-inch big block and is every bit as nice as the Chevelle.

“I was complaining to Scott about GM’s lack of sponsorship support for the ‘little guy,’” Doug said with a smile. “He introduced me to John Middlebrook, head of Pontiac and shortly thereafter Pontiac Motorsports.

Not long afterward, I received a 1995 Firebird body-in-white and another com-

plete Firebird that had been crashed on their test track.”

Doug proceeded to park the Chevelles and concentrate on building the Firebird into a J/SA Stock Eliminator car. He had the 350 LT1 built by LeBrun and backed by a 350 Turbo transmission

by John Hutchinson.

The chassis was built

by Perry Tremblay

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MY FIRST CAR STEP ON IT Even with the Chevelle being so nice, Doug is not afraid to beat on it to the tune of 11.80 at over 111mph, and again, that is in D/PS (Pure Stock) legal trim!

of Hip Chassis. He campaigned that car at numerous NHRA and IHRA events in Canada and the U.S. for 10 years, and during that time he sold the 1970 Chevelle “tow vehicle.”

2007 came and it was time for a change once again. Doug sold the Firebird and pur-

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

chased a beautiful black 1969 B/ SA Camaro with a 396, 375hp aluminum-headed motor. Doug recounted how that purchase led back to the 1969 Chevelle, his first car.

“While racing the ’69 Camaro I started to redo the ’69 Chevelle again. This project snowballed

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BLACKED INSIDE Mostly original styling inside the Chevelle is accented by a factory SS steering wheel, race harnesses, a ratchet-style Cheetah shifter, and cool dash-mounted 5-inch VDO tachometer with digital recall. The car is passenger-friendly with a full back seat and no jungle-gym roll cage required for the D/PS class. The MSD ignition can also be seen on top of the trans tunnel.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

MY FIRST CAR

STREET OR STRIP The Chevelle is a potent performer on the track while still possessing good street manners.

Weld wheels and a miledeep Hugger Orange paint job add to the total package.

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MY FIRST CAR into a body-off-theframe restoration by Jeff Gable of Stratford, Ontario. Still having the basic Stock Eliminator drivetrain in the Chevelle, I wasn’t sure if I needed two race cars.

I decided to convert the Chevelle to a legal IHRA Pure Stock car, which required very few modifications. With the addition of exhaust and street tires I am still able to drive the Chevelle on the street in this current configuration!”

“During all the racing I have done, we have raised two children who each had junior dragsters from the age of 8, and who now each have full-size race cars

30

that compete at Grand Bend in the Street and Modified ET classes.

Our most recent acquisition is a 1969 Chevelle Stock Eliminator wagon

which runs K/SA and was W. A. Lee’s original car.

It is being campaigned by my 21-year-old daughter and her boyfriend.”

So continues the story of Doug Box and how his very first car, a 1969 Chevelle that he earned for his sixteenth birthday, changed his life.

“Looking back at all my years in cars and racing (35 in total!), the best things about drag racing are all the good people you meet, the friends you make, and the good times you have.”

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

GOOD DEAL! Doug Box and his first car that he earned from his mom by keeping it clean for two years for her!

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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s r e ft i h S N R U B U A

EXTREME EVENTS

MORE TO COME story and photos by

32

Brian Wood

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

The facility in Auburn is perfect for events like this. You can bet RPM will be back in 2015!

>>Spotlight on beauty and horsepower in the Hoosier State

A

uburn, Indiana, is famous for a number of things. Most notably it’s where the internationally-renowned Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles were designed and manufactured. On a more infamous note, Auburn is where, in October of 1933, notorious gangster John Dillinger and some accomplices raided the city’s police station, stealing guns and ammunition and locking officers in their own jail. Perhaps now a new chapter in the city’s history is being written with the coming of the ScottieDTV Traveling Charity Roadshow hosted by the Auburn Shifters car club.

In just its second year the show is growing and expanding to the point where

RPM Magazine added it to its RPM/Lucas Oil Extreme Events presented by Mickey Thompson schedule for 2014.

This year’s show took place at Auctions America Auction Park, a sprawling 235-acre facility recognized as the largest purpose-built, dedicated automotive auction facility in the world. The grounds include five auction buildings and over 1,000,000 square feet of paved surface as well as shaded areas dedicated to swap meet and car corrals.

There were things to do and see all over the park, with everything from rat rods to impeccably restored classics to factory and high-horsepower custom muscle machines on display.

Since this was an Extreme

GO-FAST CLASSIC This 1969 Camaro, an original factory RS/SS car, is owned by Ron Sproat of Fort Wayne. Motivation comes from a 588-cubic inch Chevy big block which is hooked to a Turbo 400 and a 3600-stall converter. The pump-gas car has run 9.82 at 136 mph.

With some chassis and suspension tweaks the owner expects performance in the mid 9-second range with no power adder.

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

33

AUBURN SHIFTERS

SWEET LUMBER This extraordinary 1951 Chevy, the “Tin Woodie,” is the product of the Big Oak Garage of Hokes Bluff, Alabama. The recently completed hot rod was making just its second appearance following a successful debut at the Goodguys show in Indianapolis, where it garnered two major awards.

Event, our focus naturally was on the most powerful cars. Our 13 hand-selected vehicles had pride of place in the dedicated RPM Horsepower Corral.

With everything from an 800-horsepower Mazda RX-7 to a 3,000 horsepower nostalgia drag car, we had it all.

“We were thrilled to have RPM/Lucas Oil Extreme Events presented by Mickey Thompson as part of this year’s event,” said Auburn Shifters member John Jinnings, one of the show organizers.

“The idea we had was to bring back the old-fashioned car show.” Jinnings said.

“These days, car shows have become events where you drive your

car in and then sit in lawn chairs until it’s time to go home.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but at the old-school car shows there was something going on all the time.

“Instead of having peers or ‘judges’ judge cars in the show, we switched things up a bit. Scott Dupre, from Knoxville, Tennessee, who owns ScottieDTV was on hand to determine what’s cool, and it doesn’t have to be the best paint, the best engine or the best interior. It’s just a car that grabs you, a car that makes you say ‘wow, I’d sure love to have that.’ So the idea was to bring Scottie in and have him go through the show, pick his

THIS CAT IS ON FIRE One of the wildest cars on the property was John Ammer’s blown 1971 Mercury Cougar, a full tubeframe car. Power comes from a 406 Ford Cleveland bullet with a 6:71 supercharger topped by dual carbs.

The owner, who lives in New Haven, Indiana, bought the car in 1979 and spent seven years making it look the way it does today.

34

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

AUBURN SHIFTERS B ROD DAYLIGHT This unique and beautifully restored 1941 Ford pickup was part of a five-car display at Auburn organized by Larry Burchette.

Burchette is the owner and founder of Knoxville, Tennesseebased B Rod or Custom.

GOT THE BLUES? Mopar lovers were buzzing about Jeff Platzer’s show-stopping 1973 Dodge Challenger.

Under the hood lurks an Indy Cylinder Headed 572 all-aluminum Hemi that has no trouble registering 835 horsepower on the dyno.

The car burns pump gas and runs cool and trouble-free on the street.

36

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

favorite cars, and put them on his site for everybody to enjoy.

“Another thing we did was have the RPM Magazine staff pick 12 cars for their Horsepower Corral,” said Jinnings.

The Horsepower Coral actually turned out to be a baker’s dozen of 13 badass cars and the owners all received trophies and a special load of goodies from RPM, Lucas Oil and Mickey Thompson. One car, the incredible 1969 street/strip big block real RS/SS Camaro of Ron Sproat, received a special award from Mickey Thompson, a $600 gift certificate towards tires.

Jinnings continued. “We

also had eight car clubs participate, so we had one club select a car from another club to receive recognition. The clubs then all got together and picked a best of show car. Vendors and club directors also picked award recipients, so throughout the weekend there were about 75 handmade trophies given out.

“We even had a driving competition in the form of an autocross sanctioned by the SCCA, and that attracted a lot of people. In addition to that we had a number of auto parts and services vendors, food booths, a dunk tank, piston toss competition and lots of other games for adults and kids.”

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

37

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

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AUBURN SHIFTERS NOW THAT’S HAULIN’ Bought as an abandoned project 30 years ago, Fort Wayne’s Tim Whitcomb has transformed this 1969 Chevy pickup into a screaming street and strip performer. Power comes from a supercharged 454 big block bored out to 468. Weighing in at 4,800 pounds, the truck has run a best of 6.72 in the eighth-mile.

Jinnings was quick to give credit where credit was due and recognized a number of other show sponsors.

“We have to thank Summit City Chevrolet of Fort Wayne and Steel Dynamics – Flat Roll Division for their great support.

Representing Summit City Chevrolet were John Garcia and Jeff Franke, while Glenn Pushis represented SDI. Special thanks also go out to Larry Burchette of B Rod or Custom of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Jim Posey, Will Posey, and Jason Latham of Big Oak Garage in Hokes Bluff, Alabama. Both groups traveled a long way to display some beautiful cars at Auburn. Another big contributor to the show’s success

was Dream Makers, which is located in Fort Wayne. They specialize in custom muscle and exotic cars. They hosted our car corral and brought a beautiful Ferrari and Lamborghini to display. John Justice is the owner,” he said.

“We also want to throw out a big thank you to the all the folks at Auctions America Auction Park. The place is phenomenal and the people were great all weekend long.

We are already talking with them about next year, and we’ll soon start planning for a bigger and better show in 2015,” Jinnings said.

“All told we had between 400 and 450 cars on the grounds during the weekend, and we know we can build on

SCAMP-TASTIC Now here’s something you don’t see every day. This 1974 Plymouth Scamp is owned and raced by Gerry Crager of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

39

AUBURN SHIFTERS FEAR THE CHALLENGE(R) This pure racing machine is a 1970 Dodge Challenger, owned by Gary Crager, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

ALCOHOL-IC CHEVY Wayne Greer, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, brought his nostalgic 1966 Chevelle to the show. The car is powered by a blown 3,000 horsepower alcohol engine and is a fixture on local dragstrips.

that number as this show’s reputation grows. For the first show at this venue we were very pleased with the turnout.”

There is a very strong social purpose behind events such as the recent car show, as Jinnings explained.

“The club is proud to be connected with the

40

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department and the Shop With A Cop program.

Last year we were able to contribute enough money to allow 20 kids to go shopping for Christmas.

We gave each one of them a Walmart card for a hundred and fifty dollars with the only stipulation being that they had to spend

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

41

Better Than Ever!

Something great just got better!

Trick Flow’s new Twisted Wedge® 11R 190 and 205 series cylinder heads for small block Ford deliver even more power thanks to new valve angles, restructured combustion chamber arrangements, race-inspired CNC-ported runners, and more—all engineered, machined, assembled, durability tested, and dyno proven to help your car stay ahead of the pack.

Dyno Results

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111

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150

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261

185

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298

212

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42

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

AUBURN SHIFTERS

CHECKIN’ THE SPECS ON THE ROTARY...

Something a little different was this great-looking 1993 Mazda RX-7, displayed by Banzai Racing of Pierceton, Indiana. The car’s highly modified rotary powerplant cranks out nearly 800 horsepower.

TYPHOON WARNING John Gerber’s 1993 GMC Typhoon is a masterpiece of design and execution. Built from the ground up, the pure white beast is a true wolf in sheep’s clothing. Propelled by a twin turbo NASCAR- based GM V6, Gerber’s Typhoon cranks out nearly 1,000 horsepower and runs 8.80s at 154 mph on pump e-85 fuel.

half of it on clothes. The rest they could spend as they liked. It’s amazing how many of them bought gifts for their siblings and parents out of that. We also gave their parents fifty dollars to spend on Christmas dinner for the family.

With fund-raising projects such as this show we want to try to get more charities and more

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

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$84995 www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

43

AUBURN SHIFTERS

EL CAMINO: SPANISH FOR AWESOME This 1971 Chevy El Camino was brought to Auburn by Mark Gibson, of Spencerville, Indiana. Originally purchased in 1990, the car today is powered by a 540-cubic-inch Chevy fed air and fuel by an 8:71 blower and two 850 cfm carbs. For a little extra punch the engine is plumbed for nitrous as well. With pump gas in the tank the combo develops between 900 and 1,000 horsepower.

GOLD DIGGER Jeff Spencer of Butler, Indiana, is the proud owner of this clean 1969 Chevelle SS. Originally purchased by the owner’s father to be made into a stock car, it eventually became Jeff’s first car. After an early career on the strip, Spencer spent seven years restoring it. The car is powered by a 396 Chevrolet powerplant topped by an oldschool-style tunnel ram and a pair of 650 cfm Holley carbs.

kids involved. That’s why it’s so important for us to grow this show so that we can do things for many more kids down the road through groups such as Turnstone, the Boys and Girls Club and others that do such great work in the local community.”

RPM Editor Chris Biro was also impressed with the inaugural event.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

“The weather was great and the members of the Auburn Shifters car club as hosts were amazing. These folks made us feel right at home from the moment we entered the gates,” Chris said. “Most impressive was the Auctions America venue.

This facility is incredible and the folks from Auctions America just want to help make every-

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

45

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

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AUBURN SHIFTERS This nasty 1970 Torino GT was recently featured in RPM. Owned

by John Jinnings of Churubusco, Indiana, the car’s 572-cubic-inch Kaase Boss Nine mill was recently upgraded by the addition of a fuelinjection system.

TOP: John Jinnings (left) accepts an award from RPM Magazine’s Chris Biro. Jinnings, a member of the Auburn Shifters car club, was instrumental in organizing the big show in historic Auburn, Indiana.

LEFT: Carl Cook’s bright red 1970 Chevelle attracted plenty of attention all weekend. The immaculate machine is powered by a 454 with an 8:71 blower and a pair of 800 cfm carbs.

Cook, 66, has owned the four-speed classic since it was brand new.

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thing right; they really care about the show and the entire community, so a huge RPM thumbs up to them.”

“Of the several hundred cars there were more than enough wild street machines for us to corral a dozen or so for a cool RPM MAG photo shoot and private awards ceremony. Thanks to John Jinnings, the Auburn Shifters and all who helped make the show happen.”

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

47

1

RPM QUICK TECH

PRODUCTS & INNOVATIONS >>EZ Oil Drain Valve

I

f you have been following along in our on-going series of features on outfitting the new RPM Magazine Hardcore Horsepower Garage, then you’ll probably recall the fact that we recently finished the install of our new Atlas 8000 four-post lift from Greg Smith Equipment. The lift has made working on the vehicles at the shop way easier, and we decided to perform some routine maintenance on our daily driver truck. Our ’98 GMC extended cab

48

with Scott Sullivan graphics was being prepped for the 2000+ mile round-trip journey to the 2014 Street Machine Nationals in DuQuoin, IL just prior to press time.

An oil change was in order.

We recently came across the new EZ Oil Drain Valve and decided to give it a shot.

The concept is simple: a positive locking quarter-turn drain cock that replaces your factory drain plug. We got the truck up on the lift and got to work. Follow along as we show you how!

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

by

Toby Brooks 2

3

4 2: We got the ol’ girl up on the Greg Smith Equipment lift and prepared for the oil change.

3: We pulled the drain plug and dropped the filter as per usual. Hunting up the appropriate wrench will be a thing of the past once the EZ Oil Drain Valve is installed. (Don’t judge us for wearing gloves. We were trying to protect our brand new camera from sludge!)

1: The EZ Oil Drain Valve for our small block Chevy application consisted of an A-107 male/female adapter (left), an EZ-107 valve (middle), and an L-001 90-degree hose adapter. All pieces feature rubber o-rings for a leak-free fit.

5

6

5: With the A-107 adapter installed and torqued to 20 ft. pounds in the oil pan and the EZ-107 installed into that, we’re almost finished.

With the lever closed and positively locked by a simple detent, our mouse’s lubricants are stored away.

6: With a simple depress and quarter turn of the lever, the ball valve opens, allowing you to quickly and easily drain your oil.

8: All buttoned up with an EZ Drain Valve and a fresh filter, and ready to go, we lowered the truck off the lift and added five quarts of 5W-30 synthetic and started it up. No leaks! Off to DuQuoin!

8 7

7: EZ Drain Valve sells both a straight and a 90-degree removable hose end. Hose direction is adjustable, and by slipping a piece of 3/8” hose over the bib, engine oil can be routed away from chassis and exhaust parts that are in the way on some vehicles.

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4: A quick swipe of oil on the rubber o-ring on both the adapter (shown here) and valve helps ensure a good seal.

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

49

story by

George Pich photos by

Matt Woods

>>Three countries were involved in shaping Steven Neimantas’ love of all things horsepower, and his most recent endeavor will blow your mind!

RPM COVER CAR

If the body on this 2004 Bentley Continental GT looks factory, it is because much of it is. A carbon fiber front end was fabricated along with the grill, hood, and rear bumper assembly, and the rest is Bentley original.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

AT HOME IN THE UK

W

hile Steven Neimantas calls the United Kingdom home, his past and present influence in the world of fast cars comes from both the United States and Canada.

“When I finished watchmaking school in Manchester then Switzerland, I started work and got my first American car, a `64 1/2 Mustang convertible (completely rotten),” explained Steve.

After the Mustang I then found a `70 Duster with a 383 and put a 440 in it.

All the local lads ’round here are Chrysler men and I stuck with Mopars or Mopar power ever since.”

However, Steve’s first exposure to fast cars and—in particular fast street cars—goes back even before his first car.

THE CANADIAN CONNECTION

Steve’s passion for power started early on, even before he was able to legally drive.

“I first started watching drag racing when I was about 15, at my local strip, York Raceway.

Then, when I was 18, I went to visit relatives in Toronto, Canada, and my distant cousin, Mark, had a ’64 Pontiac Parisienne convertible that he’d put a 409 W motor in. I spent a couple of nights cruising around in it with him.

Sure, it was probably only a 15-second car, but to me it felt like a rocket ship.

I was hooked from that point on and those Canadians are partly to blame!”

THE NEED FOR SPEED… MORE AND MORE AMERICAN POWER PLEASE

After the Duster came a 1969 GTX with a 440 and Neimantas started to get a bit more serious when it came to horsepower. Steve continued, “I put a blower on the GTX and ran low 12’s, but this car was also rotting under my feet so I found a fiberglass ’34 Ford hot rod and put the blown 440 in it.

The ’34 ran in the 9s and my claim to fame is being on Top Gear (about 20 years ago) and beating Jeremy Clarkson in a GMC Cyclone with my ’34.”

2004 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT Owner: Steve Neimantas Chassis Type & Mods: Webster Race Engineering. Custom SFI 25.2 chrome moly. With WRE tunable flex design. 108” wheelbase.

Suspension (Front and Rear): Strange GT strut with tunable limiters at the front, double adjustable damping. Rack and pinion steering. Rear link, diagonal link, anti-roll bar, double-adjustable 19” shocks, with 14” 120lb springs.

Body & Paint: Front fenders and grille panel custom moulded into one piece carbon fiber, with double skinned hood using original hinges and gas rams.

Custom carbon fiber rear bumper incorporating diffuser. Remaining body is all original, including fully operational electric windows and automatic rear active spoiler. The body also still utilizes full rubber seals for doors and trunk (for British weather!). Paint is original metallic grey by Brian Whitfield.

Engine: Steve Morris Engines, 615cu in, Brodix block, 14.5 degree heads. Callies crank and rods. Steve Morris billet Intake and valve covers, Moroso 5-stage dry sump.

Rotating Assembly: Callies 4.25” stroke crank. Callies 6.7” Ultra Beam rods.

SME custom camshaft, Jesel belt drive, Innovators West balancer.

Induction: Twin 88mm Bullseye turbos, WRE custom 321 stainless steel exhaust fabrication, WRE custom charge cooler and pipework, 5” Wilson throttle body, and SME billet intake.

Electronics: EPS Motorsport, custom loom and installation. Motec M800, Motec CL dash, Motec PDM, ignition control, knock control, and full compliment of system sensors.

Transmission: Andy Frost custom Powerglide using Reid Case, 1.54 low gear.

Neil Chance bolt-together converter.

Rear Differential: Custom 9-inch with 35 spline locker, 3.00 gear and heavy duty axles in a WRE custom casing.

Other Info: This car was built to compete in the UK Street Eliminator Series, with the goal to develop the car towards competing in the 2015 DRAG WEEK event.

Best ET & MPH: Shakedown pass on a slow build to 10psi boost during first Street Eliminator event 8.10 @ 174mph Special Thanks: Jon Webster, Steve Morris, Dave Rowe, my crew chief Dennis Wattam, and the rest of my crew: Ian Tubb, Mark Todd, and Bryan Whitfield.

cvrproducts.com 53 For more information visit

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www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

RPM COVER CAR Over the years following, various Mopars including a ’66 Charger, ’65 Coronet, ’64 Polara, ’64 Sport Fury, ’68 GTX Convertible and ’70 Challenger all at one time or another filled the vacant spot in Steve’s driveway.

“I then obtained an unfinished project from Al O’Conner,” continued Neimantas. “It was an Aston Martin Virage that was a body and chassis only. I updated and finished the chassis, put a 572 wedge Chrysler with 14-71 blower combination and ’glide in it, and also changed to Aston Martin

Vantage model front and rear bodywork on it. It would run 8.70s on Mickey T Sportsman street tires and 7.60s on slicks.”

WHAT, WHY AND HOW A BENTLEY?

Originally, Steve was going to get rid of the blower on the Aston and convert it to twin turbos, but by the time they figured in a rebuilt of the engine for the turbos, an upgraded transmission, new rear end, cooling system, headers etc. etc., it seemed like a better idea to start with a clean sheet

NOT EXACTLY LOW BUDGET IN HERE...

Inside you’ll find a pretty basic appearing set-up with most everything hidden neatly out of sight. The Webster Race Engineering custom SFI 25.2 chrome moly tube chassis is good to run in the sixes in the quarter-mile, which the Bentley is fully capable of doing.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

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Gary Yeomans Ford Daytona Beach, FL www.garyyeomansford.com (800) 231-6172 Chicago Parts and Sound LLC Elk Grove Village, IL www.clickoncps.com (630) 350-1500 Rod Baker Ford Plainfield, IL www.rodbakerford.com (815) 436-5681 Apple Valley Ford Lincoln Mercury Apple Valley, MN www.appleautos.com (952) 431-1414

Hilbish Motor Company Kannapolis, NC www.hilbishfordperformanceparts.com (800) 849-0233 Roush Yates Mooresville, NC www.roushyates.com (877) 798-RYPP Downs Ford Motorsport Toms River, NJ www.downsford.com (800) 378-3673 Team Ford Las Vegas, NV www.teamfordparts.com (800) 791-6436

Northcoast Performance Ontario, NY www.nthcoast.com (585) 216-1210 Tasca Automotive Group Cranston, RI www.tasca.com (888) 832-8272 Tommie Vaughn Motors Houston, TX www.tommievaughn.com (800) 944-4415

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

RPM COVER CAR

PUMP IT UP

One of the few real street car organizations left that demand the car not only be street legal but also street capable is the Street Eliminator (SE) UK series.

In SE competition, all entries must complete an honest-togoodness drive through city and country, plus make a stop at a local gas station for pump fuel.

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of paper and build a new car.

Steve went on to say, “I spoke to Jon Webster about it and a deal was struck, now we just needed to decide on a donor vehicle. I wanted to use a British car just to be different, and the only choices really were an Aston DB9 or a Bentley Continental GT. Because I already have an Aston, a Bentley it was!”

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Steve had been in touch with Steve Morris Engines before about a new powerplant, but admits he was partial to Chrysler’s Hemi.

“After many conversations with Alex at Steve Morris Engines, a twin turbo/EFI configuration was the preferred option.

I did really want to use a Hemi, being a Chrysler man and all, but it wasn`t really a streetable proposition and this had to be a street machine. In the end, as it’s a known combination that works well, we decided on a combination similar to what’s in Tom Bailey’s Sick Seconds Camaro, but with smaller turbos… if we ever get to use all 3,082 horsepower the motor makes now, then we’ll switch to bigger turbos!” Steve exclaimed.

Alex Esnaola from Steve Morris Engines gave RPM the

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RPM COVER CAR

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

ALL IN THE DETAILS

Sure, being a 3,000hp Bentley is rare, (and really, really cool), but it’s all the small details from the tuckedin Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials to the side exhaust, factory lighting, emblems, and functioning automatic rear spoiler that set this creation apart from the rest.

inside scoop on the new mysterious monster lurking between the Bentley frame rails. Well, they gave us as much info as they could without having us sign waivers and swear various secrecy oaths etc. etc. etc.

“Mr. Neimantas contacted us back in September of 2013 regarding one of our custom twin-turbocharged engines,” added Alex. “At the time we did not know what the chassis was going to be, but he wanted something in the neighborhood of 2,500 to 3,000hp. After various discussions with both Steve (Neimantas) and his chassis builder Jon (Webster Race Engineering), we

decided on a custom 615 cubic inch big block Chevy that was suitable for both street and strip duties.”

“This engine features quality parts from Brodix, Diamond, Callies, Oliver, Moroso, Moran, Bullseye Power, Waterman, and PAC to name a few. We designed and machined the intake manifold and matching billet valve covers at our in-house CNC department, along with all of the custom cylinder head porting.

Once on the engine dyno cart, Dave Rowe from EPS systems installed the MoTEC EFI system.”

“From the first pull on the dyno, it was evident that this engine continued on page 68

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Page 60

www.rpm-mag.com

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

Chassis Body Suspension

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Page 61

Page 62

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

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

The first to perfect the one-piece pushrod

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

Exhaust ALL

Carburetion Fuel Injection Intake Manifolds

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Media Marketing & Advertising Services

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Page 63

Performance & Race Parts ALL

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Page 64

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

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

www.rpm-mag.com

Page 65

Race Orgs, Tracks & Events

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

Page 66

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

Tires & Wheels

Safety Apparel & Communication

Transmission Converter Clutch & Driveline

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

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Page 67

MISC.

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

Tuning & Electronics

Incl. Ignitions, Control Systems, Parts & Service

RPM COVER CAR

STRIP READY...

The Bentley is easily transformed from street to strip.

So far a bottom 8-second pass was netted during shakedown runs with minimal boost. A quick trip through the sevens is expected very soon.

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was going to make some real good power. We tested it with three different fuels (93-octane pump gas, VP C-85 fuel, and C-16) and were able to make 3,082hp at 32-pounds of boost with VP C-16. Once Steve gets comfortable with the car and the power he has, the door is wide open to further upgrade the turbochargers and make even more!”

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

STREET AND STRIP

While cruising the streets in a 3,000 horsepower Bentley is pretty much at the high end of the RPM Cool Meter, Steve’s car was actually purpose-built to compete both on the street and drag strip in the United Kingdom’s Street Eliminator

BAVARIAN MOTOR WEAKLING We doubt the Beemer driver even had clue that he is about to pass a Bentley with over 3,000hp!

DASHING GOOD, CHAP! The dash is quite plain and free from excess gauges and instruments. Steve needs only his MoTEC electronic dash to monitor all functions of the car before, during and after every run on the strip or drive on the street.

CNC CRAFTED What can we say about the latest Steve Morris Engines mega street/strip 615 cubic inch big block Chevy between the rails of the Bentley aside from what the dyno sheets have already said. It is just plain bad and that billet intake manifold is pure artwork, as are the Bentley-logo’d billet valve covers!

De signed t o mee t t he demanding r igor s of r acing.

Engineer ed to WIN.

8 7 7. 9 3 5 . 3 6 6 1

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RPM COVER CAR ALMOST FACTORY Lots of custom carbon fiber decorates the interior of the Bentley. Look very closely and you can see the original Bentley stamp on the doors, the original Bentley glass and also the custom power window switch located to the lower right.

WATCH THIS Being a watchmaker, it is only fitting that Steve keep the high-end original Swiss made Breitling Bentley dash clock in place.

BUILT. FORD. TOUGH. The WRE built 9-inch rear differential is made to withstand in excess of 3,000hp!

Steve’s current cars are the new Bentley along with his “daily driver” Aston Martin, an all steel `33 Ford with 427 alky small block, a `68 Charger with 572 wedge and another Aston Martin packin’ a blown 572 alky Hemi with Motec EFI and 6-speed Tremec transmission.

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL The incredible build as it happened at Webster Race Engineering.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

(800) 208-1755

Meziere.com

Crafted in the U.S.A.

THIS CREW IS UNION, JACK. The Bentley team from left to right: Dennis Wattam, Mark Todd, Steve Neimantas, Ian Tubb, and Bryan Whitfield.

series, one of the few “street car” organizations left in the world that still demands vehicles in competition be fully street legal and street capable. To date, just last month in shakedown passes during his first full outing without rain, Steve was able to wheel the Bentley to a solid and almost effortless 8.10-second quarter-mile on a soft, and we mean soft, 10-pounds of boost. Obviously, given the full 3,000-plus horses waiting to be unleashed, the

Bentley will be well on its way to seven and then six second runs once car and driver become more comfortable with each other.

So next time you’re cruising on a Saturday night and a relatively mild looking, but “off” sounding, Bentley goes by, you’d best take another look because it might just be Steve in his killer twin turbo’d Continental GT…but we’re not saying he’s planning to ship the car stateside...

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RPM QUICK TECH

MOMMYMOBILE

Sleeper story and photos by

Loaded with luggage, a baby car seat, stroller and the AC blasting, we managed to get this newly tuned Explorer Sport down the quarter mile in 13.74 seconds.

T

hirty years from now car enthusiasts will look back and call these days we live in the seconnd golden age of muscle cars. For the first time since the early ’70s, despite the push from the petroleum haters for electric cars, we have a great selection of powerful new vehicles. Every native US car maker has revived old muscle car names or went to retro styling on their pony cars. The V8 engine is alive and well and today’s V8s are more powerful and more efficient than ever before. GM’s LS, Chrysler’s Hemi and Ford’s Modular V8 platforms are all great engines that have permitted enthusiasts and racers to push stock blocks and heads to amazing levels that were not possible with the OEM offerings of 20 years ago.

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Chuck Scott

>>Just because we can’t leave well enough alone.

The new Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers are great, but it’s not practical for everyone to have one for a daily driver. Ford’s Explorer Sport, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge’s Hemi Durango, Porsche’s Cayenne, Mercedes’ ML63 AMG and BMW’s X1 and X5 are all powerful and sporty SUVs. You can drop off the kids at school, pick up some groceries or take the family on a road trip, while not driving a soul-stealing 160hp “sensible car.”

When I met my wife in 2002 she was driving a 1999 Mustang GT and she said she would never ever under any circumstances drive a minivan. Eleven years later with our son on his way, it was time for a sensible new car with more room for a car seat and stroller. The compromise was a

2014 Explorer Sport with the twin turbo 3.5 EcoBoost engine.

The Sport not only boasts 365 flywheel horsepower and 350 foot pounds of torque, it gets a sportier suspension with quicker steering and bigger brakes compared to the XLT and Limited models. Still, the Sport has three rows of leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, backup camera, Microsoft Sync command center and would annihilate her old ’99 GT. This isn’t your usual big horsepower, sticky tires, and fender exit exhaust article you normally see in RPM Magazine. The first upgrades were a car seat and giant panoramic rear view mirror so we could keep an eye on little CS3. Right away I was thinking about what could be done

1

1: No “me too” cold air kit here. We went with the original. The K&N Performance Air Intake System isn’t just a pipe with an open element filter clamped on the end. It comes complete with OEMquality brackets, a nice heat shield with seal and a velocity bell type transition to adapt the filter to the pipe.

car to an ATV. Not only does a K&N air filter give you more airflow, but it will last forever.

You just wash the filter out, let it dry and re-oil the filter element. No more disposable filters to buy as long as you have the vehicle.

The added bonus on our turbo Explorer was the sound.

Before, with the factory air box, you couldn’t even tell you were driving a turbocharged

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RPM QUICK TECH 2

2: We ordered the hand held programmer from Livernois Motorsports with their 87 & 93 octane tunes. To get the full potential from the tune we also got the 160° thermostat and precision-gapped spark plugs.

vehicle. Once the K&N intake system was installed, we were rewarded with some nice turbo noises. I catch myself manipulating the throttle just to hear the whir.

K&N sends dyno results in the box showing 12.98hp gain from their Performance Air Intake System on a 2013 Explorer Sport, but we showed a 25.78hp peak gain coupled with only a 160° thermostat and tighter gapped spark plugs from Livernois Motorsports. With the stock tune it’s unlikely we gained anything from the tighter gapped

plugs since they only prevent misfires during high boost.

Livernois Motorsports has been at the forefront of EcoBoost performance from the beginning—so much so that we just had to get their programmer for this little experiment. We ordered one with an 87 octane and 93 octane tune. When talking with Andy Ricketts, he recommended their precision gapped spark plugs and 160° thermostat to compliment the tunes. When running the motor hard, you want a tighter gap on the plugs to keep

3

3: Nelson Ford is not your average new car dealership. Just like in the muscle car heyday, Nelson has a high performance department, Nelson Speed Shop, headed up by Eric McMillan. From simple bolt-ons to building certified race chassis. They even use brand new vehicles and build numbered Nelson Speed custom cars and are able to finance and warranty them with the upgrades.

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4: When we said they do everything and anything pertaining to high performance at Nelson Speed Shop, we weren’t joking. Here they are putting a Fox Body Mustang aftermarket K-member and strut suspension on a Dodge Dart.

5

5: Here you see the thermostat housing on the Ford Ecoboost engine in our Explorer. You have to remove the air filter box to get to it. Once the OEM air box is out of the way you can remove the housing and pop in the 160° thermostat in a few minutes. You should only lose about a cup of coolant and if you are lucky, can just top off the antifreeze without having to burp the system.

the boost from blowing out the spark. The iridium plugs are harder to gap without damaging the electrode, plus, the plugs supplied by Livernois are the latest updated Motorcraft plugs.

Ours ended up already having the newer style plugs but we went ahead and got the Livernois plugs anyway, just to be sure, and so we wouldn’t have to worry about trying to set the gap. The OEM thermostat is rated at 180°, so by switching to the 160° thermostat, you help keep the engine in its optimal temperature range for boosted power. Adding the plugs and thermostat provide a more sta-

ble situation for the tuner to do its job. Livernois offers a whole line of EcoBoost upgrades like exhaust and even rods and pistons if you really want to get serious. We’re thinking that there would likely be some pretty big gains from their stainless steel downpipes and exhaust system on the turbocharged EcoBoost engine.

After driving really fast V8 cars on the street, nothing else seems to feel that fast anymore.

Even though the stock Explorer felt pretty strong, it lacked the drama I craved due to the all wheel drive mild manners. You could just nail it and it would

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RPM QUICK TECH 6

6: After swapping out the thermostat, tech Jason Adams installs the K&N air intake kit. The install is simple, straightforward, and looks clean. The added power and reusable filter are reason enough to put one on every car you own, and the sound is why it’s a must have on anything equipped with a turbo. The only thing even remotely challenging in our project is the spark plugs at the back of the engine. Still, there is plenty of room to get a socket and ratchet on them. The whole job from thermostat to spark plugs took less than an hour for the pros at Nelson Speed Shop.

get up to speed quickly and pull you back in the seat a little, but that was about it. After our mods, as I was leaving Nelson Speed Shop, my buddy pulled up to me at the light and urged me to “hit it one time.” When the light changed, I floorboarded it and it tore off like Godzilla kicked it from behind. The tires actually screeched for mercy for the first time and I heard a chirp when the transmission shifted to second gear. The torque steer was much more pronounced, but I couldn’t believe the overall change in driving experience from only a 49hp gain.

Once I sat down and really looked at the dyno results, I saw why

it felt like a bigger gain.

It hit 300hp quickly and stayed above 300hp until Eric cut the throttle.

For most of the run under full throttle it was over 330hp. Throttle response and part throttle acceleration improved significantly.

The transmission still shifts comfortably for normal driving but holds the gear better and shifts firmer during hard acceleration. Our “RPM Magazine Edition” Explorer is an allround better drive and the sound of the turbos coming through the K&N air intake reminds you that you have some real get-up-and-go under your right foot.

The guys at Nelson installed the parts on Thursday and on

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

7

7: Brad Rakes of Nelson Speed Shop plugged in the new programmer to the OBDII diagnostic port under the dash and uploaded the 93 octane tune.

8

8: Eric McMillon is behind the wheel on the dyno. It probably isn’t very exciting compared to dyno pulls in his race car, “Vader.”

Bone stock the 2014 Explorer Sport made 290hp and 318lb-ft. to the front tires. With the new parts and tune installed the turbo V6 threw down 339hp and 335lb.-ft. If Ford rates the Explorer Sport at 365hp to the flywheel and we lost 75hp through the drive line, we should have well over 400hp at the motor now.

Saturday we drove down to Rockingham for the Holcomb Motorsports Spring Civil Wars. They were running the classes very efficiently with no gaps between classes where I could slip in and make a pass without interrupting the show.

Later that evening, when the sun was starting to go down, it got right above the trees making it hard for drivers to see, so Steve Earwood called for a pause in the action for a while to let the sun set. I took the opportunity ask permission to make a pass on the Explorer.

Steve said “sure, but hurry up we are going to resume racing as soon as you go down.”

I pulled around and realized the traction control was still on. I quickly fumbled through the Ford Sync menu to turn it off. I didn’t know what launch RPM or AWD setting would work best so I stalled it up to 2000rpm and left with it in normal mode. It rolled through with a 13.74 @ 91.59mph. I knew right away a couple more tries would bring the ET down a couple tenths because it didn’t feel as strong

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RPM QUICK TECH 9

9: Here you see the final dyno pull with the K&N Performance Air Intake, Livernois 160째 thermostat, precision gapped spark plugs, and the 93 octane tune. Notice how once it goes full throttle it jumps up well over 300hp and stays there until Eric cuts throttle.

Pull #1 Stock - 290.17hp @ 5.67rpm & 318.61lb.-ft. @ 4.47rpm Pull #2 K&N, Livernois plugs & thermostat - 315.95hp @ 5.83 & 308.17lb.ft. @ 4.51rpm Pull #3 K&N, Livernois plugs, thermostat & 93 octane tune - 339.20 @ 5.36rpm & 335.97lb.-ft. @ 5.04rpm

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10: My lessthan-stellar quarter-mile pass loaded with luggage, drag radials and the AC on.

I feel pretty confident with more than one minute of preparation the Explorer would likely go low to mid 13s. With an exhaust and downpipes, a 12.99 would definitely be possible. Our goal here wasn’t to drag race or break records. We just wanted to improve the performance of an already stout muscle SUV.

PARTS 11: Now that we’ve had our fun with the Explorer, it goes back to its original purpose and you can see what we really meant by sleeper.

as it had before. It was then that I looked back in that big rear view mirror and saw that the cargo area was still loaded down with luggage and a set of Mickey Thompsons all the way to the ceiling. I know, not very safe. I pulled onto the scales and found we weighed a portly 5275lbs.

Blake Holcomb jumped in and said “13.74 is pretty impressive with the AC on.” I realized for the first time I had the air conditioner on blast the

whole time. Whoops! I did everything possible to make the worst pass possible. I could have tried the Sand AWD mode or launched a little harder, shallow staged, took everything out like the spare tire and jack and found a 90lb driver, but my rushed ill-prepared pass is a better example of how the package performs in the real world at the stop light on Main Street.

• K&N Performance Air Intake System part # 69-3531TS – Holcomb Motorsports $266.99 • Livernois Programmer – Livernois Motorsports $599.99 • Livernois 160° Thermostat – Livernois Motorsports $62.99 • Livernois gaped Motorcraft Iridium Spark Plugs – Livernois Motorsports $90.00

SOURCES Livernois Motorsports livernoismotorsports.com 313.561.5500

K&N Engineering knfilters.com 800.858.3333

Nelson Speed Shop / Nelson Ford Mazda nelsonspeed.com (276)638-2331

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RPM PROJECT CAR

PROJECT UPDATE PART 8: >>The Horse gets a new-look CNC logo and a host of other developments this month!

T 1

his month, the first thing you might notice that’s new about Project aPocalypSe Horse is that the build got a hot new logo and wordmark. As much as we liked the old one, it was far too busy to use on CNC machined parts. After talking with our new friend Chad Fellabaum of CCTek, we decided to go back to the drawing board and come up with a cool new mark that could be strategically placed and incorporated into a number of custom machined aluminum components.

Thankfully, though, that wasn’t all we were up to. Most importantly,

chassis fabrication continues in earnest at Gebhardt’s Pro Cars. In addition to the S&W Race Cars parts that have already arrived, we also received a number of other pieces to help finish out the rear suspension. The S&W fabricated 9-inch Ford rear housing will soon be filled with a bulletproof Moser center section with 3.89 gears and custom shortened 40-spline Moser axles fitted with Ti64 titanium studs. The whole package will swing from an S&W 4-link suspended on Ride Tech Shockwaves. If all goes according to plan, we hope the back half of the chassis could be rolling by press time.

1: Rich and the gang at Gebhardt’s Pro Cars have completed fabrication of the lower structure and have started movin’ on up, tacking in the main hoop and the bulkhead that will eventually serve as the forward attachment points for the S&W Race Cars 4-link.

Completed installation of the curved cage tubes will mark a major milestone and the balance of the chassis work should power ahead steadily afterwards.of the box.

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RPM PROJECT CAR

3

Elsewhere, our one-off Budnik rear wheels have arrived at MacFab Beadlocks, where Tommy Kirk and the gang are adding one inch of rim width (15x15) and welding up their new “Blade” and “DXP” series beadlocks. We will have pictures of the finished wheels and full set of Mickey Thompson Sportsman SR radial tires next month.

With the rear wheels at Mac Fab, we grabbed the fronts and decided to mockup the raspberry powdercoated Baer calipers and cross-drilled rotors that came in our SS-4 Deep Stage disc brake system just to check out how 3: The one-off Budniks were designed to combine ’90s-era sculpted directional billet wheels with a common modern-day five-hole drag race design. Transparent raspberry powder coated Baer rotors combine stopping and style.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

2

2: This shot from the future location of the passenger side carbon fiber wheel tub shows the early stages of the vertical components of the cage. Notice the brake line routed inside the rail for a clean look.

the setup would look. With single calipers in the front and duals in the rear, the system will look as well as it performs!

Meanwhile, as the engine build takes off at Jon Kaase Racing, we have also started working on the Weinle Motorsports custom sheetmetal intake. Kim, Jason, Robert, and the crew at Metalcrafters of Monmouth will be taking over where we leave off to totally smooth the enitre piece, add

some custom CCTek billet components, install the TRE Performance injectors, and plumb the fuel rails and trick billet nitrous rails. We can’t wait to show you the finished piece!

One last piece of exciting news is that we also received our incredible new Dakota Digital VHX analog/digital dash panel and all sensors and wiring. Designed to be a simple plug-and-play install via the CANbus output on our FAST

4 4: This picture from the engine bay shows the intricate tube work involved in building a car of this caliber. It has taken us longer than expected to get to this point, but the end result will be well worth the wait.

Notice the plumb bobs hanging from the firewall mounting points.

5

5: The Dakota Digital VHX 1100 features analog water temp, speed to 160 mph, tach, and oil pressure while the twin white backlit LCD panels below can be configured to show all other data (including speed to 255 mph). In addition to fuel level, intake air temp, and boost readings, the panel is also equipped to display turn signal, high beam, and SES indicators.

XFI 2.0 controller, the piece adds the perfect old-school-meets-newschool look that we’ve been going for throughout the build.

Take a look at these pics and don’t forget to follow our facebook page for regular updates at www.facebook.com/ rpmmag!

www.rpm-mag.com | AUGUST 2014

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DRAG RACE ACTION

BACK IN Action >> Food, fun, and horsepower in paradise story and photos by

Tony Weber

Y

ou may have noticed that my name has been absent from RPM for some time now.

Without getting all deep on our readers, for the past several months I’ve struggled with many different aspects of my life from family to work and beyond into my racing world. Years ago I entered the world of drag racing as an escape from my “everyday life” and promised myself if it ever became a “job” or lost the “fun” aspect, then I would find something else to occupy that time. Little did I know how dangerously close I came to allowing that to happen. The details are not important, but what snapped me out of it was actually an event that reminded me that things should never get so bad that you forget your passion

1 and your love for something, which for me is the world of fast cars and all the friends I have made in shooting and writing about them. That event just happened to take place in a little slice of paradise over the course of eight days in May. It did come as a surprise when I was invited back for the Aruba 3rd Extreme Import International, especially since my comfort zone is primarily the powerful madness Stateside that is Pro Modified racing.

It’s a minor adjustment to go from eight cylinder monsters of mayhem to 4 cylinder screaming powerplants that are just short of terrifying.

Watching these micro machines run the quarter-mile in low 7-second form at speeds reaching the neighborhood

of 190 miles per hour will have you standing on your toes in anticipation.

And that’s not even bringing the rotary engine cars into the fray. The pilots of those pint size powerhouses are one step above insanity. So of course I accepted the invitation to return to one of the world’s premiere vacation destinations for some much needed R&R...you know, Racing and Recreation.

Once my plane touched down and it was evident my luggage was still headed north towards JFK International (yeah, don’t even ask) I was met with a smile and big hug from my friend Theo de Jongh. It was at that moment I knew, everything was going

1: Vicks 2RZ powered Starlet was clearly the odds on favorite and despite turning in an impressive 7.10, the “Street Drama” team from Curacao went just a little quicker with their personal best 7.08 to win their class.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

2

2: In years past, the DJ has been tucked away beside the tower working off a folding table but not in 2014! The promoters went all out this year and had an assault on both sight and sound.

to be alright. While Theo may work for the Aruba Tourism Authority, he is a lifelong diehard fan of the fast car scene, so it was guaranteed to be a week of cars, drag racing and reacquainting myself with friends on the island.

The first day was fairly relaxing and I used the time to sit by the crystal clear water of the beach and touch up on some of the Aruba culture as well as what’s gone on since I was

there last. In April of 2013 Crown Prince Willem-Alexander assumed the throne as King when his mother, Queen Beatrix, retired, becoming Aruba’s second head of state since becoming an independent nation in 1986. While some may consider Aruba to be fairly primitive, consider that their drinking water flows from one of the largest desalination plants around. Engineers see that flavor and purity is maintained by

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BACK IN ACTION 3

3: The MechTech sponsored “Rafaelito” ‘05 Mazda RX-8 is the current world record holder with an impressive 6.67 in the quartermile piloted by Luis Rivera. Although the team was to face “Hailey” for bragging rights, the world champion experienced serious tire shake and “Hailey” won the two-out-of-three grudge race series.

4

4: Otilio Trimon bought this 1978 Cobra Mustang in 1983 and worked on restoring it for a little over 10 years.

He put so much attention to detail in this gorgeous piece of art it definitely drew a lot of attention while it was being shot.

5

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6

6: The Jolly Pirate cruise mixed a relaxing sailing adventure with snorkeling and swinging from the pirates ropes. Several passengers enjoyed the mysterious “Pirates Poison.�

Fortunately for me they also served Coca Cola.

exposing the water to UV rays to prevent contamination rather than adding chlorine like everyone else. The water then flows through a closed system filled with limestone pebbles for flavor while removing particles and further preventing contamination. The entire system is quite remarkable for an island that only totals 77 square miles in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean.

Following dinner at Le Petit Cafe’ we ventured to the newer and larger “Do-It Center� for the pre-event car show which featured most of the cars squaring off during the event alongside a virtual what’s what in street cars and motorcycles.

With live music and a huge party atmosphere, race promoter/competitor Frans Ponson happily unveiled the new look ’93 Mazda RX-7 “Hailey� to the delight of everyone in attendance. The car has become a national icon to Aruba as Frans and his team travel to tracks in other countries not only as a race team, but as ambassadors for their beloved home. As is the norm, we returned late to the Tropicana Resort and Casino to rest up for what was sure to be another long day on the horizon.

Early day three we boarded the Jolly Pirate for an excur-

sion in snorkeling and sailing in the crystal clear waters. I was able to try my hand at some underwater video which had some fun results as the fish would literally swim right up to the camera and look at me as if to say “what are you doing in our world?�

The crew made it quite enjoyable and it was a much-needed break from reality for my body and soul.

Following the cruise, we headed to one of my favorite places, Urataka Center or “HQ� as we have affectionately dubbed it. Owner and operator Doke Croeze has completely remodeled the former smugglers den into a neighborhood hangout serving the best pizza and burgers you will find. We finished the day with a meal at the newly opened Carambola that served fine food all while playing old music videos from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. We spent most of the time simply watching, remembering, and enjoying the brief walk down musical memory lane.

Knowing it would be a long night leading into an even longer weekend, we rested on day four, I personally did something I never do and spent the morning on the beach. Poor Theo had to spend time in the office but he managed to pull

5: Yes it may look like an ad for tourism, but the ‘66 convertible Mustang of Robert Werleman is the epitome of eye candy on the beach. A five year restoration project, Robert had a book made documenting every step of the restore. The finished product is topshelf and even prompted one nice lady to come down from her hotel room for a closer look. Turns out, she had one just like it when they first came out and her eyes glistened at the memories. If the Island didn’t satisfy her vacation needs, there is little doubt this beauty did.

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8

BACK IN ACTION

8: There are ten of these huge windmills that generate electricity for the island. There is a constant breeze blowing in the northeastern direction and the energy generated by these monsters is impressive. The cactus is of a variety that are found all over the island and yes, they are very sharp!

7

9 7: Just another day at the office...yeah right. While it may have looked like there was rain in the forecast, not a single drop fell.

away in time to go to dinner at Hadicurari for some seafood and yes, I ate the Barracuda which was fabulous.

From there it was off to Palomarga International Raceway Park for the beginning of the marathon racing weekend. There were 13 classes that would wage war over the next three days with the Extreme Imports headlining in several rounds of all-out matches.

Extreme teams from Aruba, Puerto Rico, Curacao and America (OK, they brought a turbocharged V8 small block Mustang on X275 drag radials but hey, technically it was imported to the island!). Fortunately there was no stoppage in the action and the night rocked on in front of a capacity crowd complete with all the flashing lights and DJ mixed music that the Aruba racing nights have become so famous for.

Saturday began with a photo shoot featuring two of the island’s Mustangs, some of the more unique Stangs I have seen (and I have seen a lot over the years). Following a leisurely lunch at The Old Fisherman in downtown Oranjestad we enjoyed a little sightseeing before dinner at Papillon, a French

88

Caribbean fusion restaurant that brought a much different flavor than many of our previous meals.

The racing Saturday night saw several of the Extreme Import class teams hurt their cars as the action turned downright furious. Chapita Racing’s Mazda RX-7, “El Estretico” piloted

by Tony Negron, who like me was also coming off hiatus, was down, and “Cocoliso,” the Lexus SC300 powered by a Toyota 2JZ turbocharged mill that has had a string of high 6-second runs in America, spent most of the weekend running on 5 cylinders having hurt the motor early on but refusing to bow out and risk disappointing the fans.

Of course hometown hero Frans Ponson and “Hailey” were there with 6-second runs firmly planted in their minds but they would have to get through the MechTech sponsored Mazda RX-8 “Rafaelito,” the current World Record holder with a stout 6.67 in the quarter-mile.

Representing the USA was Lugo Motorsports previously mentioned Mustang. Lastly, Curacao’s own “Street Drama” Mazda RX-3 made the trek over despite a race being scheduled

AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

10: Clearly one of the most popular cars on the island among the hometown crowd is the RZ-2 powered “Superscion” that proudly posted a career best 7.27 in the quarter only to fall in both rounds of their matchup against “El Estretico.”

for the same weekend on their own island. “We told Frans we would support him and we keep our word.” driver Ingemar Meyer said with great conviction. I was glad they did, their little Mazda was one of the coolest looking rides out there. We actually didn’t stay as late as anticipated as Frans brought back something that hasn’t happened in many years...daytime racing! So we were set for a long day under the Aruba sun.

Sunday morning we

enjoyed a breakfast at Moomba Beach, which, in case you were wondering, just so happens to be on the beach. I made the mistake of texting a picture to my wife Sherrie of the view from my table. Let’s just say she was very gracious as she returned the message with a photo of her own declaring that I was number one!

I had a shoot planned for that morning so we headed off to the track. What was supposed to be about six hours of racing turned into roughly nine, but in the

10

11

11: My first reaction was “Even in the Caribbean there are rednecks!” No, it’s not an optical illusion and yes, it runs… This wild three-wheeled invention is the brainchild of a demolition derby driver who drives forward and then slams on the brakes causing the “car” to rock forward. He then slams it in reverse and wheelies around to the delight and laughter of everyone including me.

9: A pleasant surprise and extreme eye candy for gearheads is the ‘73 Dodge Dart of Jean-Carlo Reyes. With 440 cubic inches of muscle under the hood it’s no surprise Reyes won the Box, No-Box and Import vs. Domestic classes but came up short in the Extreme Bracket class. His performance had all lovers of American iron celebrating as he dispatched import after import to “muscle” his way to the win.

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BACK IN ACTION

12: After hurting his motor running a massive 7.07 shot, Frans Ponson and crew immediately dropped their RX7’s rotary motor and scrambled to put in a fresh bullet. “We wanted to run a 6 for the fans, that’s what they wanted to see,” Frans explained. Unfortunately there just was not enough time even with the help from three other teams. The Aruba home crowd would have to wait another day for their beloved hero to set that new personal best.

14

13: Aruba’s own “Nightmare” is a sleek Mazda RX-8 that boasts an impressive 20B rotary engine under the hood.

Nightmare successfully turned away all challengers in its class over the weekend, running a best ever 7.09 elapsed time.

14: Just like the sticker said...”Street Drama” is back and in a big way.

The ‘74 Mazda RX-7 driven by Ingemar Meyer boasts a killer turbocharged Mazda 13B tworotor engine.

15 15: The Curacao crew celebrates a very hard earned victory as they struggled earlier in the week with breakage. After racing back to the shop the guys were able to still make the call in a big way as they streaked away for the win in the finals.

16

16: At the Wednesday night car show, Frans Ponson unveiled the new “Hailey” for everyone to see. After a horrendous crash last year, Frans rebuilt the car, even employing a popular Facebook contest to settle on the final design.

Even little Hailey Ponson, Frans’ daughter, was happy with how “her” car turned out.

13

end it was some of the best quarter-mile action I have seen. Despite the worries of the promoters, the stands were full and it was standing-room-only along the fence.

We finished with a quick dinner at The Plaza Cafe’ and it was back to the room to get a few hours of sleep before heading to the airport on Monday.

I have to admit, while I have grown to love Aruba I missed my home state of Alabama and my family.

The friendships that I made in Aruba when I began going in 2011 have only grown, but what always stays in the back of my mind is the totally selfless manner in which these people go about making sure we as visitors are well

taken care of. In fact, last year some friends from Canada made a trip over and without even being asked, Theo took the time to make sure they had the best trip possible.

The efforts by Frans, Doke, Shaniro, and all the others who went out of their way to help pull me out of the funk I had fallen into are appreciated more than any of them can imagine. But especially Theo de Jongh—he is a definite asset to the ATA and the Minister of Tourism. Otmar Oduber, is lucky to have such a dedicated representative.

In short, if you need a place to go and find your mojo again, Aruba rocks!

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RPM’s continuing do-it-yourself shop series shows how you can put together your own modern workspace, too! by

Toby Brooks

L

PART 5:

ast month we showed you step-bystep how we installed our new Greg Smith Equipment 4-post lift and ran all the wiring and lighting in our brand new Nucor Building Systems utility building. After being in our new workspace for a few months, we decided it was time to start outfitting it with some additional equipment to not only make working on project cars easier, but to also help us in our never ending quest to improve our hot rodding skill set.

Ask most any high performance and drag race enthusiast what separates the pioneers from the posers and one skill almost always comes up: knowing how to weld. De-

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

>>Setting up our metal fab area and assembling EZVJacks signing and dreaming up combinations and bolting parts on is one thing, but actually building them is quite another. We decided it was high time that we started working on our metal fabrication skills, so we turned to the good folks at Miller Welding Equipment and Indiana Oxygen Company for help.

The first question that any would-be fabricator needs to ask him or herself is what exactly will be the most frequent material type and thickness to be welded.

For most, a versatile metal inert gas (MIG) setup is a great place to start. Miller offers an incredible variety of MIG machines, but given our needs we settled on a MillerMatic 211 unit. The 211 features a unique dual

voltage plug (DVP) that allows the user to utilize either household 110-volt current for smaller jobs or 220-volt service for heavier gauge materials.

In addition to the MIG welder, we also wanted to learn to use a tungsten inert gas (TIG) welder, nearly essential for aluminum and chrome moly work. For our purposes, we selected a versatile Miller Diversion 180 TIG welder. Our plan for now is to practice with the MIG and get decent at running some beads before beginning to learn the TIG process in earnest. To round things out, we also ordered one of Miller’s super cool and ultra-versatile Spectrum 375 XTreme plasma cutters.

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Loaded on this skid is a MillerMatic 211 MIG welder, a Diversion 180 TIG welder, a Spectrum 375 XTreme plasma cutter, two welding carts, and a cool Miller 30SX Arc Station welding table. Time to get to work!

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2: With everything assembled, we were nearly ready to rock.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the 12-2 wiring (orange) we had installed to supply the 220-volt outlets to power the units was too small to safely support our new equipment. As a result, we hit the hardware store and bought a roll of 4-2 wire and a quartet of higher rated 50-amp breakers to protect each circuit (TIG, MIG, plasma, and air compressor).

We ordered our setup with a variety of consumables and accessories. We also ordered up a pair of 50 cu ft. cylinders for the shielding gas required for both MIG and TIG processes from Indiana Oxygen Company (IOC). Located in Indianapolis, IN, IOC is

not only the nation’s largest authorized on line retailer for Miller Welding Equipment, but also carries an incredible assortment of welding supplies and protective equipment.

In order to MIG weld, a shielding gas mixture of 75% argon and 25% CO2 is typi-

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93

RPM GARAGE 3

4

4: Expect to spend about $50 to fill a 50 cu ft. cylinder.

Although smaller cylinder sizes are available, we didn’t want to have to run to the supply house all the time to have them filled when we ran out.

5

3: Our MIG setup 5: We scored is ready to go. this lightly used With a MillerMatic fairly heavy duty 211 running off drill press from an IOC cylinder, a a moving sale wide assortment advertised on of Miller protective Craigslist for a mere equipment and $75. We are still on welding supplies the lookout for a such as magnets, bandsaw, and in clamps, MIG pliers, our wildest dreams and a thermal a Bridgeport or even barrier, we were a small CNC mill. ready to give it a There are few things shot. Also pictured here is an assortment cooler than custom fabbed parts and of TIG welding rod the right tools are a that we ordered at necessity. the same time.

cally used. Meanwhile, for TIG welding, a 100% argon gas is usually used. Once our cylinders arrived, we took them to a local welding supply house to have them filled.

We were sorely disappointed to discover that while-youwait fills don’t happen, especially with new cylinders.

We dejectedly left (we were

ready to WELD!) only to return three days later when both tanks were filled and ready to go. Cost was about $50 each. Cylinders may also be rented, but we preferred the idea of a one-time rather than recurring expense.

With our cylinders filled and all hardware ready to go, we decided to give it a

shot. First, we donned our new Miller protective gear sourced from IOC, including a Miller auto darkening welding helmet and a variety of other cool stuff.

It is certainly going to take some practice, but beads are officially being laid down in the Hardcore Horsepower Garage! Granted, they look

!!!

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

7 6 6: So it isn’t pretty.

But it IS a start. Using the shipping frame that came bolted to our Greg Smith 4-post lift, we practiced running beads until we ran out of wire.

The MillerMatic 211 features Miller’s exclusive Auto Set feature that automatically adjusts the machine’s wire speed and power output based on material thickness. We also tried a few passes using manual settings to compare. Sound is at least as important as sight when welding.

A distinct “sizzle” usually means you’ve hit the mark with your adjustments.

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

more like burnt caterpillars than stacked dimes, but every expert started somewhere, right?

With our metal fab skills acquisition project well under way, we turned our attention to assembling our pair of new EZVJacks. Although our shop is relatively spacious, the EZVJacks can greatly increase the usability of a given area by making it easy to move a parked vehicle on the large caster set.

Designed and manufactured in the USA, the EZVJacks come shipped in three packages and are pretty quick and easy to assemble. Each jack (sold in pairs only) consists of a triangular body, two rectangular steel arms,

8

RPM GARAGE 9

10

7: EZVJacks come shipped straight from the manufacturer in Wisconsin in three boxes. 8 & 9: Each EZVJack consists of a body, two support arms, and three casters. Assembly is a snap but detailed instructions are included just in case you can’t figure it out (in which case you are probably reading the wrong magazine right now). 10: The unique caster swivel locking pin installs along with the caster on the EZVJack body.

11: A pair of quick release pins is used to adjust the width of the unit in order to accommodate various chassis widths. The design also allows the units to close up tightly for storage when not in use.

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RPM GARAGE

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SOURCES Miller Welding Equipment www.millerwelds.com 920.734.9821 14: Here’s how the EZV Jack installed under our Gen 3 Camaro. Moving the car can be accomplished with one hand and the locking casters ensure it will stay put when you finish.

12

13 The spring loaded pin can be locked out to allow the body-mounted caster to freely swivel (12) or locked to prevent the caster from swiveling at all (13).

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

three 8-inch phenolic swivel casters, a swivel lock pin, and all required hardware.

Assembly of each jack took about 15 minutes.

The jacks not only allow a parked vehicle to be easily moved, they also store the car 17 inches off the floor, which serves as a convenient back saver when doing brake maintenance and other service.

The pedestal pads on the

units come with a bolton polyurethane cradle pad to protect detailed chassis components from marring or scratching. In all, they are a handy piece of equipment to have, especially when a vehicle is non-running and needs to be moved periodically.

Tune in next month as we continue to finish out our workspace and try to get organized!

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(705) 435-6271 (705) 728-5911 (613) 962-7888 (519) 757-1200 (705) 445-9311 (800) 265-9800 (519) 235-0290 (519) 924-1444 (519) 524-8389 (905) 545-9339 (519) 364-2960 (519) 338-3441 (705) 789-1818 (905) 476-7721 (519) 396-3381 (519) 291-1213 (519) 453-0337 (705) 526-5488 (905) 564-2018 (519) 348-9639 (519) 323-1530 (888) 572-8867 (519) 662-2821 (519) 941-1510 (705) 325-1335 (905) 579-9884 (519) 371-0810 (705) 746-9564 (905) 839-4421 (519) 389-4242 (519) 925-6311 (519) 273-0361 (519) 273-0650 (519) 284-1090 (905) 643-7700 (705) 566-9870 (877) 351-5604 (519) 881-0980 (519) 357-3830 (519) 539-7483

ONTARIO

Alliston - Ideal Supply Barrie - Ideal Supply Belleville - Belleville Auto Parts Brantford - Misener Motorsports Collingwood - Ideal Supply Dorchester - Canusa Automotive Exeter - Ideal Supply Flesherton - Ideal Supply Goderich - Ideal Supply Hamilton - A&A Discount Hanover - Ideal Supply Harriston - Ideal Supply Huntsville - Ideal Supply Keswick - Ideal Supply Kincardine - Ideal Supply Listowel - Ideal Supply London - Performance Unlimited Midland - Ideal Supply Mississauga - CDC Warehouse Mitchell - Ideal Supply Mt. Forest - Ideal Supply Newmarket - ZZ Performance New Hamburg - Rudy Held's Orangeville - Ideal Supply Orillia - Ideal Supply Oshawa - Karbelt Speed & Custom Owen Sound - Ideal Supply Parry Sound - Ideal Supply Pickering - Karbelt Speed & Custom Port Elgin - Ideal Supply Shelburne - Ideal Supply Stratford CMAX - Ideal Supply Stratford - Ideal Supply St. Marys - Ideal Supply Stoney Creek - A&A Discount Sudbury- Witrak Auto Specialties Thunder Bay - DC Automotive Walkerton - Ideal Supply Wingham - Ideal Supply Woodstock - Ideal Supply

(450) 378-6993 (418) 872-3376

QUEBEC

Granby - Magnum Auto Sport Les Saules - Brossard Performance

NEW BRUNSWICK

(800) 565-3795

Haute-Aboujagane HP PowerHouse (506) 532-5900

NOVA SCOTIA

Truro - R&D Performancenter

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AUGUST 2014 | RPM Magazine

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