April 2023 RPM Magazine

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Story:George Pich

Photos:James Cummins

It may look similar, but this wicked street fighter has undergone some serious retooling, and while we’re not in the in the practice of featuring the same car twice in RPM Mag, Jason Nolan’s Chevelle was just too cool to turn down.

Nolan entered an over 4-year rebuild of an already capable street/ strip car for one reason, he explains; “This was a running, driving car and probably the quickest it had ever been when we got beat one night during a big street race. After that night I felt that if I had just a little more power or another nitrous kit I likely could have caught the guy.” Yes, just as many hardcore horsepower junkies might have guessed, it took a lost race to inspire Jason to go bigger…and not go home! “That following Monday I started looking for a bigger engine to buy or build.

The Chevelle looked great and ran strong before Jason Nolan’s “Blitzkrieg”, now with well over 600-inches and 4 stages of nitrous at his disposal, this bad bowtie can be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

It only took one loss where Nolan figured that “with just a little more” he could have won. That set in motion over 4 years of work and a parts list as long as your arm to bring the Chevelle to what it is today.

My idea was to do a 632 or something similar, something that wouldn't require too much modification so that I could get right back out there. I stumbled onto an engine that a friend had for sale, although it was quite a bit larger than I was looking for, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.” As it turns out, that prerequisite of doing very few mods to get back in the game quick never materialized, but something much much

bigger did. Backing up for a few minutes to how this all started, it was the very first street race that Nolan ran while in his teens that got him hooked on the more un derground area of fast cars. Let’s face it though, the roots of drag racing and fast cars started on the streets for most of us and some chose to keep it there; the grudge and no-time drag racing of today provides a way to do that on a dragstrip as well.

...the roots of drag racing and fast cars started on the streets for most of us...

Jason bought this exact car in the 1990s, and although his original plan was to restore it into more of an original street cruiser piece, once he experienced the street racing scene, he quickly changed direction. “I saw cars similar to mine out there tearing up the street and having a good time doing it,” Nolan explained. “These guys would work all week and use their Friday paycheck to buy parts for the following week’s racing, each week coming out with a little more and being a little faster. Some weeks would be major setbacks, at least for those days. A detonated piston, lifted head or some other parts failure would usually lead to a badder, faster hot rod the next time out.

This Chevelle has a bunch of factory equipment left in the mix including the original steel body tub and doors along with factory roll up windows, OEM front frame and even the factory lights with original high beam switch!

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Little did I know this was the beginning of an addiction and to what would be the only way I know in drag racing.”

“Blitzkrieg” (Nolan had to slightly modify the spelling on his license plate to get it approved) is an intense military campaign intended to bring about a swift victory, and Jason Nolan set out to bring victory back home through an intense rebuild of the Chevelle, all coming to fruition in 2022.

Once Nolan got the big inch big block back to his shop, he quickly realized that this would be far more than just an engine swap – almost none of the existing parts would work with the new power plant. For starters, since the new engine was a 5 inch bore space motor, the headers were not going to work, and the new dry sump setup meant that the original engine bay cross member and rack and pinion were in the way.

Needless to say, quite a bit of fab work was needed to make this thing fit.

Once Jason got past the initial obvious challenges, a host of other issues needed to be considered – this new motor was going to make almost double the power of his old combination so upgrades to the transmission and converter were needed as well as going with bigger rear wheels and tires, which meant a new rear suspension setup.

Check out the slick photo work by James Cummins on this purge shot!

Nolan wanted “Blitzkrieg” or something close, but had to modify the spelling on his license plate to get it approved.

Jason Nolan's Take 2 on this Chevelle has a killer outcome

Lots of OEM parts remain inside the Chevelle. Things like the original door panels, steering column and dash pad were kept to maintain the car’s street vibe. Carpet was nixed revealing the amazing condition of the original floor. Jason wanted a serious race car but one he could legitimately street drive when the need arose.

Blue light show

The blue lights have always been Nolan’s choice for lighting the interior.

“What was supposed to be a simple transplant, really turned into the biggest transition this car has ever gone through,” Jason added. In all, the list of upgrades to get the car back put back together included:

- Fulton/WFO engine

- Dale Cubic split Dominator carbs.

- New custom stainless steel headers built by PRK Automotive.

- 4 stages of nitrous and controller

- An Alan Pope Racing

transmission with Hughes Pro Billet bolt together converter, dual dump valves and controller.

- Upgraded 4-link and wishbone custom fabricated by Allen DeBeor.

- Larger parachute.

- Adding a funny car cage by 1320 Industries to attain a higher chassis certification.

- Longer wheelie bars.

- Mark Williams rear end with

billet yoke.

- Larger 16x16 rear wheels with larger tires.

- Cut and raise the cowl scoop to keep the engine under the hood.

- Repaint of the entire car (completed by James Cummins).

- Racepak dash and data logger.

- An upgraded Magnafuel fuel system and countless number of fittings and miscellaneous parts from Ramjets Speed Shop.

As you can see, Nolan touched on pretty much every area of the car. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I would have such a wild ride. Numerous times I thought I would never get it done and wanted to throw in the towel, but each item that was getting checked off the list brought a new and shorter list, until the list was finally done.”

But don’t think that all this work transformed what was a slick street machine into a lightweight drag car, on the contrary, Nolan’s ride is still respected in both realms. “I think what makes this car unique is that it is still able to be street legal.

It has roll up windows, all real glass, steel doors and the doors and trunk still use the same keys I had when I was a teenager!

The big inch Donovan 5" bore space billet aluminum block mill came across Nolan’s radar from a friend and was just too good a buy to pass up. Assembly is credited to Kelly Bluebaugh @ WFO Racing and Machine and includes a billet crank, GRP billet aluminum rods, JE nitrous pistons and 18 degree CFE cylinder heads equipped with parts from Jesel and Manton. A pair of split Doms by Dale Cubic at CFM top a towering custom sheet metal intake.

Jason Nolan’s 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Nitrous Big Block Grudge Car

■ Body & Paint:

Original production steel body tub and doors with all glass roll-up windows. Fiberglass front clip, steel bumpers, Innovative Racecraft rear wing and custom satin metallic blue paint done by James Cummins.

■ Chassis Modifications:

The car is a 25.5 cert chromoly round tube back-half with funny car cage and original front frame from front bumper back to the front seats.

■ Suspension:

Front has single adjustable coilovers with custom made lower control arms and rack and pinion. Rear suspension has double adjustable coilovers, 4 link, antiroll bar and wishbone to keep it all in line.

■ Engine:

Donovan 5" bore space billet aluminum block with all ARP hardware prepped and assembled by Kelly Bluebaugh @ WFO Racing and Machine. 5 inch stroke with billet crank, GRP billet aluminum rods and JE nitrous pistons.

■ Cylinder Heads:

18 degree CFE cylinder heads with Jesel components and Manton pushrods.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

All Magnafuel fuel delivery. Sheet metal intake with custom split Dominators built by Dale Cubic at CFM.

■ Power Adder:

4 stages of Speedtech nitrous oxide.

■ Transmission:

“Turboglide” built by Alan Pope at Alan Pope Racing Transmissions. Two stage dump valves with controller and Pro Billet bolt together torque converter from Hughes Performance.

■ Rear:

Dana 60 with 4.10 Pro gears, Mark Williams spool and billet yoke.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Front wheels are Bogart 15x4 with Mickey Thompson front runners. Rear wheels are 16x16 Weld with dual beadlock with hydrodipped carbon fiber beadlock rings with stainless fasteners.

■ Interior:

Ultralight gauges, Racepack lQ3 dash, race seats and quick release 5 point harness.

■ ET & MPH:

No ET shared – Grudge car.

■ Special Reason For Build:

I think I originally built this car because it was what I had at the time and couldn't afford anything else back then. Times have changed because nowadays this type of car is a sought after car to build and I am fortunate enough to have kept mine all these years.

■ Build Timeline:

Just about 4.5 years (this time).

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

I have had this car so long that I don't think there is just one great memory. I am probably one of very few people that is able to say that this car has brought me a lifetime of memories and that I am fortunate enough to share with my kids and a lot of great friends.

■ Thanks To:

Special thanks to my bad ass group of friends for pushing me to finish this on the days I was ready to throw in the towel.

Kelly Bluebaugh and Debb Woodard for the tune ups and always building me kickass engines while pushing me to go to the next level.

Robbie Ward and the amazing team at Magnafuel fuel systems.

Fred Silvers for making all the goodies communicate.

Michael Horton for always being there (even when he does not want to be) and having that cold beer ready.

Tony Kane and the team at Hughes Performance.

Dale Cubic at CFM performance.

Alan Pope at Alan Pope racing Transmissions.

Daddy-O, Laura and the rest of the team at Ramjet’s Speed Shop.

James Cummins (Paint and bodywork) at If It’s Got Wheels for always being there and ready to fix whatever we cut up.

Phillip Gaeta and Dane Martin @ PRK for the Custom stainless headers and numerous last minute fab ideas.

Tim Mitchell & Anthony Altvare @ 1320 Industries getting this ole ride up to modern times with the upgraded cage, chute mount, seat mounts, custom crossmember and numerous other and awesome fabrications.

Bill Beck and Paul Ponzetti are the two that keep all of this moving along as these guys work tirelessly on this ride especially between rounds to get us onto the next round.

Kim, Tony and Todd Cahill for being like family and always ready to lend a hand.

Every one of these guys and gals are special to me, and I appreciate them more than they will ever know.

From small tire warrior to big tire monster. Jason heavily fortified the existing Dana rear differential and went to a coilover 4-link suspension with antiroll bar and wishbone. He also had the chassis beefed up to a 25.5 cert chromoly round tube back-half with funny car cage to meet the car’s new potential.

Jason Nolan's Take 2 Chevelle grudge car launches straight and hard!

Jason credits a very long list of friends and companies for helping get the Chevelle completed over the past 4 years and admits he never dreamed of having a car at this level. MOROSO

It has the original turn signals, hi/low beams (with the original floor button), original door panels, and I have a race seat with harness for the passenger for when the bottles are not in the cab! I even still take short rides around my area from time to time and even caught some street action once when leaving my nearby pizza joint.”

Being primarily a grudge and no time car though, there are a few cards Jason obviously holds close to his chest – the exact engine displacement for one, and of course any type of actual numbers with regards to the capabilities of the Chevelle.

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We can tell you that testing in 2022 garnered some decent results which led to entering a few events.

During the first they smoked the tires in pretty much a full track burnout, then late in the year Nolan was ousted in the second round due to a small glitch that was overlooked during the rebuild. We’re confident though, just as the word Blitzkrieg implies, that Jason Nolan’s intense campaign of rebuilding his Chevelle will bring about swift victory in 2023!

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Story & Photos:Wes Taylor

Each generation of automotive enthusiasts has a way of passing the torch onto the next, usually by simply allowing a younger generation to experience the fun and excitement of what horsepower on wheels can bring.

For Jeremy Ortiz, it was the inspiration of his Grandpa's dirt track midget car racing days that grabbed his attention. Although Jeremy was not around when his Grandpa built midget sprints and other cars, he knew he had a passion for cars and racing in his blood, and there was

As soon as he could drive, Ortiz began tinkering with his own car, a 1984 Topaz and soon after school he saved up for something he could dive into for test and tune night at

An import guy at heart, he naturally leaned in that direction with his first project, a 1998 Nissan 200SX. He gained tremendous knowledge from modifying his 200SX but soon realized he wanted a real project car capable of going faster. The next step up was an Eagle Talon TSi; with this platform, Jeremy honed his skills in putting motors together, tuning the car himself, and getting better on the track. Fast forward a few years, and he found himself a clean 1995 Nissan 240SX he now calls "Hybrid" for good reason. Most 240s spend their time on a road course or sideways somewhere set up for drifting. However, you'll rarely find a 240 out on the drag strip, which drove Jeremy to start the build.

Jeremy kept the exterior 240SX as factory as ple Black Iridescent WRapcision in Indianapolis.

exterior of his 1995 Nissan possible. The Matte Purwrap was completed by Indianapolis.

After multiple turbo four-cylinder cars, after some time and research, an LS1 backed by a T-56 six-speed manual replaced the factory four-banger. Jeremy did the entire swap in his apartment garage, and not only that, he made sure everything worked as it should from the factory! He used it as a daily driver for a few years before wanting to get into competitive racing and switching the transmission out in favor of an auto.

Compact has nothing to do

power in the Nissan 240SX of Jeremy Ortiz

with the

The heart and soul of this once four-cylinder 240 now rests in a built 5.3, assembled by Jeremy, while Simple Engine and Machine handled all the machine work. "Hybrid" uses a stock iron block with a Molnar Power Adder crank as the base for the rotating assembly. Molnar Power Adder rods and Wiseco Boost pistons were used and the short block was completed with a BTR stage 3 Turbo cam.

Mike Lough Racing Engines provided Brodix 5.3 heads stuffed with all the goodies from BTR, and Jeremy topped off the built long block with more BTR goodies, including their intake manifold and trick valve covers.

Next, Nick Taylor, AKA "Nicky Bobby," fabricated the turbo kit around a Bullseye Turbochargers NLX 88mm inside a T4 housing. Nick placed the turbo discretely (and neatly) behind where a factory passenger side fog

Nothing to hide here

light goes. You’ve got to really pay attention to see it (we had a hard time getting a photo of it) but the stealth aspect is a nice touch.

The 240 runs a complete Fuelab fuel system consisting of a Pro Series spur geared pump, pre/post filters, and a regulator. That system pushes E85 through Injector Dynamics ID1700X fuel injectors. In addition, a Dominator ECU helps keep the turbo 5.3 in check. The level of knowledge Ortiz has gained through the years not only

allowed him to assemble his motor ,but also to handle all of the tuning.

For the class racing Jeremy wanted to compete in, an auto trans had to replace the stick. He decided on a three-speed TH400 from Coan Engineering; due to the car's weight, he felt no need to change the gearing up. However, they did build the unit from front to back with all of their goodies, including a manual valve body, and converter.

The slightly raked stance on this import is definitely not meant for corner carving. While the front right turbo install was completed with a level of stealth, it’s hard to hide the passenger side dump up front let alone the wing and chute out back.

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While the 240SX isn't designed for drag racing, its happy place is drifting around a corner; there are companies like Import Drag Solutions that make going straight with substantial power much easier.

Jeremy uses their coilovers front and rear, but the back has something unique. A Ford 8.8 with 35 spline axles that's shortened to fit the 240 width specs without other modifications was installed.

Jeremy's Hybrid rides on a combina-

tion of 15x4 RTS S71 wheels up front beadlocked 15x10 Alumastar rears. Mickey Thompson Radials are mounted at each corner. 300ZX four-piston caliper brakes were used along with drilled/slotted rotors up front, and four-piston race brakes with two-piece rotors were installed out back. Despite having a vehicle with parts from so many other platforms, Ortiz chose to keep both the exterior and interior as factory and “uncut” as possible.

Harnessing the Competitive Edge

5/8" WHEEL STUD KITS

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VANESSA FLANAGAN OPEN OUTLAW RACING LUG NUT KITS (5 PC)

Here’s where the fun really begins on this Nissan! A Bullseye turbocharged 5.3LS fits under the hood so nicely it could have been a factory option! Nothing has been heavily changed or altered for the install and Jeremy did the Lion’s share of the work in his small apartment garage.

Ortiz completed the assembly of the LS himself, as well, and started with a stock iron 5.3 block then filled it with a forged Molnar crank and rods pinned to Wiseco boost spec pistons and topped it with Brodix heads and a BTR intake.

Jeremy Ortiz’ 1995 Turbo LS Nissan 240SX

■ Body & Paint:

Car is still 100% stock body with a KPMF Matte Purple Black Iridescent wrap done by WRapcision in Indianapolis.

■ Chassis & Suspension Modifications:

Front and Rear Import Drag Solutions coilovers as well as their full bolt in 8.8 SRA kit.

■ Engine:

Stock Iron block 5.3 LS. Wiseco 5.3 Boost pistons, Molnar Power Adder rods and crank. Machine work done by Simple Engine and Machine, assembled by owner. BTR Stage 3 Turbo cam.

■ Cylinder Heads:

Brodix 5.3 heads from Mike Lough Racing Engines. BTR Ultimate RPM Dual Valve Springs, BTR pushrods, stock rockers w/ BTR Trunion kit, Johnson short travel lifters.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Complete Fuelab setup consisting of their Pro Series Spur Gear pump, pre and post filters and regulator. Injectors are ID1700X.

■ Electronics:

Holley Dominator tuned by owner.

■ Power Adder:

Bullseye NLX 88mm turbocharger in a T4 housing.

■ Transmission:

Coan Engineering TH400 with stock gears 3 Speed Manual Valve body and converter.

■ Rearend:

Mustang 8.8 shortened with 35 spline axles and limited slip differential. Ford Performance 3.55 rear gear.

■ Brakes:

Front brakes are stock 300ZX TT aluminum 4 piston calipers, drilled and slotted rotors. Rears are Wilwood 4 Piston Race Brakes with 2 piece race rotors.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Weld 15x10 Alumastar rears with Mickey Thompson 275/60/15 ET Street Pros. Weld 15x4 RTS with MT Sportsman S/R 26x5 fronts.

■ Interior:

Mostly stock Nissan interior with Kirkey race seats, TCI Outlaw shifter, MOMO steering wheel, Holley 7” dash and an 8.5 Chromoly roll cage.

■ ET & MPH:

8.06 @ 170.68 mph all out in the ¼ mile. “Looking to get a 7 second pass this year.”

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

I think at the time 12 years ago it was unique to have an LS swapped car, especially a 240SX. Now I’d say it's more unique with the wrap color it has and that it's at the drag strip competing with really fast cars vs. going around a drift track as most 240s are.

■ Build Timeline:

This is always a tricky question. The “initial” swap was about a year with parts and building but as far as I’m concerned a build is never done and we are going on 12 years now!

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

I think the most memorable moment in the car would be back in 2019. After doing really well at four Street Car Takeover events I knew I was just one event from qualifying and possibly winning the point series. Originally I was going to go to Route 66 Raceway in Illinois but the event was unfortunately rained out. So this meant I would need to travel 10+ hours to Tulsa Oklahoma for a final race. We arrived Friday night, opened the trailers at the track and drove the cars into the city to enjoy the night meet. Saturday came and we are locked into Street Racer Mild with a good group of about a dozen cars. Most all of which were late model muscle cars with turbos, superchargers or nitrous. After going on the mandatory cruise we got back and started racing in the crazy heat of the day. The car was on point all day long and after a number of rounds we took home the big win and couldn't be happier! Certainly one of the best events I’ve done and to come back home with the win and locking in the points series was just amazing!

■ Thanks To:

There are probably too many people to thank between friends/family/companies supporting me throughout the entire build. A huge shout out to my wife Kaylee who learned early in our relationship what a car nut I am and has always supported me in my passion and drive to build and race my car.

The KPMF Matte Purple Black Iridescent wrap really makes it stand out from the crowd and WRapcision killed it with the installation. The interior remains mostly factory with the exception of race seats and an 8.50 Chromoly cage added for safety, a Holley 7-inch digital dash to

monitor and control vitals from the cockpit, and a TCI Outlaw shifter to control gear changes. It's been a long road for Jeremy, but it has paid off in recent years, as "Hybrid has been a best of 8.06 @ 170.68 mph, and he'll be looking for his first 7-second pass this year.

The car acquired its slick drag car stance via IDS coilover conversions front and rear and the solid rear Ford 8.8 axle. 15x10 Alumastar wheels with Mickey Thompson 275/60/15 ET Street Pros reside out back while 15x4 RTS’ with Sportsman S/R 26x5 tires were used up front

In addition, he enjoys traveling with the Streetcar Takeover event series where he's taken home multiple wins and a championship in his "Street Racer Mild" class that requires drivers to go on a 25-mile cruise and return back to the lanes for a run. As a result, he earned the prized Streetcar Takeover jacket. Jeremy likes to drive his car, and winning that class has pushed him to look into drive-and-drag events as the next notch in his belt. No matter where Jeremy races next one thing’s for sure, with a turbo LS under the hood there’s nothing compact about the power in this 240SX!

Ralph J. Miolla’s Custom 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Race

From the pages of RPM Magazine, July 2015

RJMiolla found his passion for drag racing after trading an ATV for a basic 11-second Chevelle race car. He didn’t know it at the time, but letting go of the trans brake in that rattley big block Chevelle would change him forever.

From the Chevelle, RJ parlayed a trade into a nasty 1966 pro street Corvette, and would then trade it for a 1967 Chevelle with a 555 big block. Now in the mid 9’s in the quarter-mile, the 8’s were looking interesting and RJ found a 1955 Chevy that would satisfy his urge, for a while anyway, as the trading continued. With a best of 8.87 at 160mph RJ quickly found himself running out of chassis for his need for speed, but that all changed the day he did a quick search on a popular race car website and found someone looking to trade their pro mod 1955 Chevy Cameo truck with a 6.0 certification for a 55 Chevy Bel Air. And since RJ had the 55 Bel Air, with nothing to lose, he offered up a trade, and a roller for roller deal was struck.

RJ repowered the beast and ran it in its 90s multi-color

With the body panels removed, you can really notice the quality and attention to detail through out the Pro Cameo chassis and all areas of the build.

Truck “Pro Cameo”

RJ Miolla dealt his way up to this sleek 7second 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Drag Truck

paint job glory for a while, but the truck worked hard and was getting tired. It needed a rework mechanically and body wise. The nose was damaged from being removed so many times as were the doors and other panels. After the truck bested a 7.43 with a cast intake and simple plate nitrous system it was time for a makeover.

RJ enlisted his good friend and fellow racer George Rubistello of Georges Restorations to rework the trucks body. Not an easy task considering every panel on the truck was custom. RJ mostly wanted easier access to the motor, so George whipped out the sawzall and wasted no time making the hood removable. He also wanted to give the lifeless truck some soul with a chrome Corvette grill and real headlights and bezels. While this added some weight, a pair of carbon fiber doors that were acquired by the original owner offset the gain. Every nut, bolt, and fastener was removed from the truck in order to properly restore it and bring it back better, stronger and faster than it was before.

Photos: Lucio Vergara

Inside is just as nice as outside.

RJ enjoys a full array of electronic devices to keep the truck consistent in the game of NHRA Top Sportsman drag racing. The hammer finished floor panels fit so well with the theme of the truck.

Engine:

632 Merlin blocked Big Chief headed mill built by Dave Gagnon Racing Engines (dgreshop.com) 14:1 compression with Callies crank and rods, Comp 840 lift camshaft. Hogan sheet metal intake with dual Demon 1100 carburetors. JW Fabrication zoomie headers.

Power Adder:

One stage NOS 500hp fogger system

Transmission & Converter:

Turbo 400 by Accurate Transmissions of Connecticut Anthony Appuzzo with Neal Chance 5000 stall convertor

Chassis Type and Modifications:

Complete chrome moly chassis with NHRA 6.0 certification. Built to Pro Mod specifications by BlackStone Race Cars Boise ID.

Suspension:

Front – Lamb struts and shocks, rack and pinion, All Lamb disc brakes.

Rear – 4 link suspension coil over shocks and 9” Ford with Mark Williams center section and 40 spline axles.

Body and Paint:

Custom body work and paint by George Rubistello of www.georgesrestorations.com. House of Kolors black, with candy red accents. Air brush work by Alan Pastrana Plainville CT. Wiring by Mike and Al Cortina of County Electric Bridgeport CT.

Customized hood – Created a removable hood out of the fiberglass one-piece nose. The front of the fiberglass nose was cut out and customized to include an early Corvette chrome grille. Fabricated custom headlight bezels to accommodate the original headlight assemblies. Hours of body work and sanding created a flawless paint job.

Class of Racing: Top Sportsman

Best ET & MPH: 7.43 @ 175mph (1/4-mile)

Thanks To:

RJ thanks his friends and the talented folks who helped make the Cameo what it is today. He is especially grateful to George Rubistello of GeorgesRestorations.com for his tireless dedication to the project and managing all the phases of disassembly, bodywork and reassembly. This project could have easily lived in a body shop for many years if not for his efforts.

The new dual carbureted nitrous injected 632 mill promises to put the truck even deeper into the sevens.

A thank you panel graces the rear of the truck so onlookers know those that helped RJ with the build.

The Pro Cameo is not just a show pony either, it goes deep into the 7-second zone in the quarter

Story: George Pich Photos: Robert Richard

Back in the mid-90s, the Vinson’s ran with the NMCA and later with the NSCA in the Limited Street class, a highly contested small tire class with some pretty solid rules to keep the playing field level. As opposed to open outlaw and grudge style notime racing, the fields of ruled, timed classes are so tight that any race is up for grabs and winning the championship in a series means working the rules to make more power for each event as well as a solid commitment to the series. And in 2007 the Vinson’s took the championship.

Since the tender of age of 15, Mark Vinson has been into cars and he shares this love, or as he calls it “disease” with his brothers, and together they are no strangers to fast street car action.

Mark and his brothers have some pretty serious cars, a few of which have been featured over the years right here in RPM, but this particular Mustang means the next step for Mark as he enters into the ring of X275 class racing.

“We do most all the work on our cars ourselves except for the paint and body work,” says Mark. “The best part of this car is that it was built mainly by

my brother’s Matt and Ray and myself. Working together in a hobby we all enjoy is the fun part, as well as the racing of course.”

Although this 2014 Shelby Mustang was bought as a previously raced car, it was a bare body shell stripped down to nothing – no engine or trans, no suspension, wiring, interior etc., so this ride is definitely built not bought.

This ride is definitely built not bought...

Behold the fruits of labor – this wicked X275 warrior is donned in the Shelby Cobra GT500 paint theme and looks as mean as it is. A composite one piece front end was added to the OEM body tub and the chassis was built to 25.3 specs and mini tubbed with stock configuration suspension front and rear.

It was fall 2020 when Mark found the car as an Ultra Street race car that the owner lost interest in, and when Mark got it home, he and his brothers along with a number of friends went to work with the goal of running X275. Starting with the basic chassis work the rear of the car was mini tubbed

with the lower control arms relocated inward for tire clearance. The factory 3-link design was kept and Racecraft components were installed for max performance. The chassis was built to 25.3 specs and then taken to Vanishing Point Race Cars for finishing work and some fab.

Mark Vinson’s Shelby Cobra Mustang X275 car was definitely built not bought. He found the car in 2020 as a previously raced car and then an Ultra Street project that the owner lost interest in. it was a bare body shell stripped down to nothing – no engine or trans, no suspension, wiring, interior…nothing.

VPRC finished all the tin and carbon work in the rear of the car, fabbed the zoomie headers, fabricated the fuel, dry sump and breather tanks, finished mounting the engine, mounted the front end and installed the carbon seat and fabricated the belly pan. “They had close to 100 hours in the zoomies alone,” Mark added. “The guys at VPRC, Jim, Don and

Bruce are awesome. We brought the car home in early April of 2022 and mocked it together.” The Vinson’s wired, plumbed, and finished mounted all components and then disassembled it all to be taken for powder coating, paint and body work.

Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive in Butler Pa. handled all bodywork and paint.

VPRC has 100 hours in the zoomies alone, and it shows!

Inside the meticulously laid out Mustang interior a number of factory panels and trim such as the carpet and pedals, door panels, SVT sill plates and dash pad have been installed along with necessary race parts. The dash is quick release in order to gain access to wiring and various parts for servicing. Mark’s brother Matt completed the arduous task of wiring and plumbing the Mustang.

“Jeff’s handywork is all over the car including the one piece front end that he has over 40 hours alone in shaping the hood and fitting it to the car.” Jake Brake Customs did all the powder coating on the car.

Once the heavy lifting on the body and coatings was complete, it was back to assembly, and getting fire into the belly of the new motor, also built by Vinson.

Mark started with a Dart aluminum 9.2 deck block and filled the bottom end with a Bryant 4 inch stroke crank swinging GRP rods and forged CP boost-spec pistons.

All machine work was completed at Domhoff Automotive Machine and when all was said and done, the engine came in at 436 cubic inches. Heads are from MBE and based on a CID casting that MBE gets raw and machines to their specs. They are solid cast heads with a 12 degree valve angle with Victory valves, Jesel steel rockers and Smith Bros. pushrods. The MBE intake is also

cast and ported and is mated to a Wilson elbow and throttle body.

700pph injectors introduce fuel into the mix supplied by an Aeromotive 25gph crank driven pump with regulator.

Power adder-wise, boost was the choice for Vinson since the onset of the project and Mark chose a ProCharger F-3 102R blower driven by a ProCharger crank drive.

As evidenced by the install under the front end, workmanship throughout the Mustang is topshelf. An aftermarket k-member was used to fit the mill within the confines of the stock firewall, front frame rails and strut towers.

Mark Vinson’s 2014 Supercharged X275 Shelby Cobra

Mark Vinson’s 2014 Supercharged X275 Shelby Cobra

■ Body & Paint:

OEM body with one piece composite front end. Body and paint by Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive in Butler Pa.

■ Chassis Modifications:

Vinson Racing and Vanishing Point Race Cars. 25.3 cert Chassis. Mini tub.

■ Suspension:

Front suspension consists of AA Performance k-member, control arms and rack. Menscer Motorsports front struts. Rear suspension uses Racecraft Inc. upper and lower control arms, Santhuff shocks.

■ Engine:

Built by Mark Vinson. All machine work was done at Domhoff Automotive Machine in Harmony Pa. The engine is 436ci. Dart aluminum block w/9.2 deck, Bryant 4” stroke crank, GRP rods, CP pistons.

■ Cylinder Heads:

MBE-built 12 degree valve angle heads. Ported, Victory valves, Jesel steel rockers and Smith Bros. Pushrods.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Cast CID piece that MBE ported and did the fuel rail install on. Wilson elbow and throttle body. Billet Atomizer 700 pph injectors. Fuel pump is an Aeromotive 25gph crank driven unit w/Aeromotive regulator.

■ Power Adder:

Procharger F-3 102R blower driven by Procharger crank drive. The base tuning on the car is done by Brad Personett. He is responsible for the base tune in the Fuel Tech and makes the calls on converter and gearing changes as well.

■ Transmission:

Rossler Transmission 3speed TH400 w/Reid case and Rossler adjustable dump valves. Converter is a Coan SuperMega bolt together.

■ Rearend:

Built by Marty Merillat at Merillat Racing. Chromoly with Strange floater kit, axles and brakes. It is clear powder coated.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Front wheels are V-Series spindle mounts w/MT ET front tires. Rears are V-Series 15x13 w/MT 275 Pro Drag Radials.

■ Interior:

Car is outfitted with a complete Fuel Tech ECU and data acquisition system including EGTs, 4 wheel shock sensors and ride height sensors. Shifter is an M&M w/clean neutral. Also, the car has a complete 17.1 spec fire suppression system from Lifeline. Driver seat is a carbon base from JBRC with a pour in place system from ISP seating. All wiring and plumbing was done by Matt Vinson.

■ ET & MPH:

6 shakedown runs with best of 4.55 at 158 mph to date – goal is min 4.20s in the 1/8.

■ Thanks To:

I want to thank my brother Matt for all the work from start to finish. Also to Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive for the paint and bodywork, Jake Brake Customs for all the powder work, Domhoff Automotive Machine for the machine work and Brad Personett for the tuning help and advice.

Intimidation Factor!

Hanging off the front of the motor is a ProCharger F-3 102R blower driven by a ProCharger crank drive.

The Mark Vinson-built 436-inch mill boasts a Dart 9.2 deck block filled with a Bryant 4 inch stroke crank swinging GRP rods and forged CP boost-spec pistons. All machine work was completed at Domhoff Automotive Machine. Those monster cylinder heads are custom MBE pieces as is the cast ported intake.

With just 6 test passes on the car in fall of 2022 the best to date is 4.55 at 158 mph in the eighth. Mark knows he needs to be 4.20s to be competitive in X275 and has made a few changes over the winter to get there.

A Rossler 3speed TH400 with Reid case, Rossler adjustable dump valves and Coan SuperMega bolt together converter back the capable boosted bullet. The fabricated chromoly floater rearend was built by Marty Merillat at Merillat Racing. “We clear powder coated the rearend to show all the beau-

tiful welds, it is a piece of artwork in itself,” added Vinson.

All wiring and plumbing on the Shelby was completed by Mark’s brother Matt. A Fuel Tech ECU and data acquisition system was used and the tuning is done by Brad Personett who is also responsible for the base calls on converter

and gearing changes. Two years after finding the shell, the Mustang was ready to shakedown, and late in 2022 Mark and his team were able to log 6 test passes with a best to date of 4.55 at 158 mph in the eighth. “We need to be in the 4.20s to be competitive in X275,” Mark pointed out. “And we can surely get there. We have since made a major

change to the converter’s stator and pump as it was extremely tight as a starting point, and we are now ready to take the car to Fuel Tech’s hub dyno and get the tune up and converter lined out.” And after a long Pennsylvania winter, Mark along with his brothers and the rest of his team are chomping at the bit to see just how much bite this Cobra can dish out!

By Alfie Bilk

HOW DECEITFUL RACERS SUCCEED

For racers allured by deception, what are the risks? Their first transgression is usually overfilling the nitrous bottle. Secondly, they might not always use a safety valve. Thirdly, some audacious racers conceal the pressurized bottle in the most hazardous places: inside the dry sump oil tank or within a fire extinguisher case - even inside their fire suit!

Twenty years ago, Rusty Glidden shook the drag racing establishment when he admitted illicit use of nitrous oxide in his Pro Stock Ford Probe. His father, Bob, had exhausted the NHRA’s patience with repeated accusations of nitrous use in the class, causing the sanctioning body to react.

Accordingly, NHRA’s then senior VP, Graham Light, vigorously denied the allegations, proclaiming them as nonsense and fiction.

Then Glidden’s son, Rusty, presumably in an attempt to defend his father’s reputation and in so doing ruining his own, confessed that he, in fact, had been an offender, thus conclusively proving the point. Furthermore, he left no doubt as to how the deceit had been perpetrated, disclosing full technical details in the magazine Super Stock published late in 1995. It defined in unambiguous detail how the weight bar at the rear of the car had served as the nitrous holding tank.

“The nitrous line started there,” Super Stock reported, “went over the rear axle housing right up to the front. It ended at the motor plate, which was rifle-drilled. One of the supports holding the hood scoop was also rifle-drilled. This tall slender rod delivered the nitrous to the top of the hood scoop via a small stainless steel line that terminated with two jets centered over the carburetors. With those two 0.029in jets we made 120lb ft more torque at 7,000rpm and averaged 90 more horsepower.”

The disclosure’s startling immediacy is still an astounding thing to remember, the significance of what he’d done and how ingeniously it had been orchestrated. Father Bob

Glidden later declared the nitrous oxide system was detection-proof.

To prevent a tech inspector from activating it by switching on the ignition and opening the throttle, a combination of events were required.

“The shock switch had to be on, the computer switch on, the engine running and the throttle fully open. Trust me, this isn’t fiction,” Glidden concluded. While the Glidden affair had been regarded by some as a heroic episode—uncovering how the devious mind could succeed—other alleged offenders have been less forthcoming, confounding prying minds for years.

Though the Jerry Eckman – Bill

Orndorff Pro Stock nitrous explosion at Columbus, Ohio in the late nineteen-nineties couldn’t be denied, details of the Dodge Boys alleged transgressions remain unsubstantiated. In the Eckman incident, a nitrous cylinder had been concealed in the dry-sump oil reservoir, which, unsurprisingly, overheated and exploded—and with it Eckman’s career.

The most prominent indicator in the alleged deception of the Dodge Boys Pro Stock entries was the incident involving a flaming explosion that back-fired through the air entry of the hood scoop. “Well,” said Thermos, “I’d seen those back-fires many times over at the IHRA with the nitrous cars—they could shoot out four feet due to the volatile mixture of race fuel and nitrous. But Pro Stock back-fires were never as severe as that.”

Equally condemning had been Warren Johnson’s out-spoken observations. Johnson, as intelligent a man as ever developed a race car, had calculated that the performance of the Wayne County Mopars in the high altitude conditions of Denver, Colorado was impossible for any naturally aspirated car at that time.

In addition it was also widely speculated that the Chrysler Dodge Corporation, who were active sponsors of the NHRA races, were informed of the strong likelihood that the leading Mopar cars were engaged in the illicit use of nitrous. Obviously, no corporation wishes to be embroiled in cheating.

To bring the matter to a head, it was alleged that the NHRA advised the team that they would be investigated at the next race. But the circumstances of the events that preceded the race shocked the drag racing world.

An audacious break-in occurred at the Wayne County Speed Shop

Mike Thermos Nitrous oxide’s first apostle and keynote speaker at the 2016 AETC conference prior to the PRI show in Indianapolis.

...I once saw a nitrous oxide system concealed within a brake booster; the illicit charge was transmitted by way of the vacuum line and into the intake manifold. Another bamboozle I recall prevailed by delivering nitrous through the heater hoses...

Unless youfrisk him, noone would know...

Some cunning racers conceal a tiny nitrous oxide cylinder within their fire suit. They route a small bore plastic line through the firewall and connect it to the PCV valve, which directs the nitrous to the intake manifold. Triggered by the red button, they will then withdraw the small-bore line, tucking it inside their fire suit when the run is completed.

man famously put it thus: “But they had a hole chopped in the side of their building with some really quiet chain saw or a bulldozer—or something really quiet like that—and went in there and damaged all the engines—but not the trailer, not the cars, not the transmissions, and not the machinery. Isn’t that strange?”

Of course, Eckman echoed the widely held presumption that the team knew their cars would not be competitive without nitrous and had deliberately sabotaged their own race efforts. Predictably they claimed the motors were too severely damaged to race, which ultimately led to their bowing out of racing.

Sometime later, though, the engines in question arrived at the New Jersey engine shop of drag racer Pat Musi. “The guy who owns my daughter’s Pro Mod car had them—I guess he bought them after the break-in. When I dyno-tested them they were down 70 to 80hp from where they needed to be.”

old friend Bill Jenkins had alerted him years before of the inherent shortcoming of the symmetrical exhaust port—meaning “an exhaust port connected like a 440-style would be uncompetitive in NHRA Pro Stock.”

More interestingly still was the encounter of Musi’s senior engine assembler. “My guy, Robert, who has been with me since the early 1980s, was over at Frank Iaconio’s shop and on the day of his visit one of the Dodge Boys’ engines was being tested on Frank’s dyno. ‘Well,’ Frank told them, ‘you’ve got a number 16 or 17 qualifier here.’ The engine averaged 75hp down from pole-position power. Yet, at the next race they go to the pole!” exclaims Musi. “I’ll give them this,” he conceded, “within that container of engines and engine parts there must have been 200 camshafts and miles of exotic plumbing. So they were trying to make power but none of it was working.” Four of the Dodge Boys’ engines are now racing

in Curacao, a Caribbean island off the Venezuelan coast.

In common with Glidden’s arrangement, nitrous on those winning Dodges most likely would have flowed up from the motor plate to the hood scoop via its rifle-drilled attachments rods. Where it might have differed, lies in the method used to transfer the nitrous from the rear of the car to the engine mounting plate. This was probably achieved by an artificial battery or battery box and cable with the copper wires removed to enable the flow of nitrous.

Says Mike Thermos, “It’s so easy to make significant power increases with nitrous oxide and, therefore, its elicit use has always been a temptation, particularly when competition is tight. A 0.030in orifice would generate an additional 50 to 60hp.” Nonetheless, it takes a person of rare perception to uncover a fraud executed by an exceedingly cunning

Making substantial power with nitrous oxide is easy. A 0.030in orifice generates an additional 50 to 60hp. Devious racers might use a 2lb bottle, a jet with a small-bore high pressure nylon line. Radio-controlled, the transmitter works in conjunction with a small battery-operated receiver concealed in the battery box.

mind.

“Devious racers might use a 2lb bottle, a receiver, a jet with a smallbore high pressure nylon line much like an oil pressure gauge line,” says Thermos. “It could be radio-controlled, like a model airplane, and the transmitter would work in conjunction with a battery-operated receiver no bigger in size than a cigarette pack and concealed in the battery box.”

He goes on to suggest the line would run through the battery cable—the ground side as it connects to the intake manifold bolt. The bolt would be drilled and the tube would enter under the manifold and into the lifter valley area where it can be plumbed into the plenum. Of course the clever trick is having it discharged from a remote control— perhaps by someone in the push truck. The driver may be entirely unaware! Extra fuel would be sup-

plied to the carburetor to enrich the nitrous mixture.

“The car would stage and the light would turn green,” adds Thermos. “Then the guy in the push truck would remotely activate the supply of nitrous. He might depress the button for three seconds. His sole objective is to put just a wheel or a fender ahead of his rival. The mile-per-hour component wouldn’t change; it wouldn’t be detectable. The way they are caught is when they run 10mph faster than the field.”

Alas, deception usually leads to resentment, ruptured relationships and much worse. Interestingly, Mike Thermos, an unusually pleasant, good-natured man, believes the position of his then fledgling nitrous business was similarly precarious. “Wrongdoing blighted our chances, too,” he maintains. “We had no desire to be the tarnished symbol of cheating.”

Though fraud persists in racing and its participants rarely escape its stressful nature, it’s fascinating how racers perceive it. Take Lance Armstrong for example. Armstrong, who lied unwaveringly for years, was stripped of all his racing achievements (7-time winner of the Tour de France) and condemned by the United States Anti-doping Agency as ring leader of “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program the sport has ever seen.” Yet Armstrong told the BBC in a 2015 interview that “If you take me back to 1995, when doping was pervasive, I would probably do it again.”

Source: Nitrous Supply Huntington Beach, California (714) 373-1986

www.NitrousSupply.com

Story & Photos: Wes Taylor

Whether it’s the distant memory of a particular place, person or object, some things just stick in our minds and years later somehow find their way back into our lives. And although Zach Yasko's parents opted for a Harley Davidson Edition F150 over a new off the showroom floor 2003 Ford SVT Cobra Mus-

tang dubbed the "Terminator" that they test drove with him, he knew then and there, long before he could drive, that the Cobra was his dream ride.

Like most car guys, Zach grew up around the hobby and by 2010, when it came time for his first car, he stepped into a 1995 convertible 5.0 Mustang.

He immediately started modifying his pony and learned the hard way the dos and don’ts of what should be done, and what shouldn’t.

During his early years he would eventually build a turbo motor for his convertible, ultimately leading to him blowing it up and parting the car out.

He always remembered his one true love, the Cobra, and as time passed he saved all he could until a pristine 40,000 mile 10th anniversary 2003 Torch Red SVT Cobra that he'd always desired was spotted. A factory Terminator comes with an Eaton supercharged four-valve 4.6, making an impressive 390hp/390tq. Back then, it was at the top of its class, hence the name "Terminator." Zach couldn't bear to keep his beloved Cobra stock long though, and almost instantly bought a set of CCW wheels, pulleys, and had it retuned.

Finding a pristine 2003 Ford SVT Cobra is a difficult task, but Zach Yasko dreamed of owning one at 8 years old after his parents took a brand new one for a test drive. Sadly, they opted for a Harley Edition F150 so he’d have to wait a long time before his dream came true.

Ford played a small fib when debuting the supercharged pony. Sure, the posted numbers may have been 390hp, but most performance shops saw 10% higher numbers in stock form. They also reacted exceptionally well to "bolt-ons" like a full exhaust, cold air intake, smaller blower pulley, and a tune. Once Zach got his to top shape he had a ton of fun with it, but got the itch to start drag racing and bought a drag pack wheel/tire combo for

the car, and from there the fun really started! Once he broke into the 10s, he claimed to have the most fun with the car, but wanted 9s, and then, of course, 8s in the quarter with the H-pattern shifter, stock block and blower as a power adder. After a drag-n-drive event win in the stick class, Zack swapped to a Holley EFI system and a ginormous 3.0L supercharger and blasted into the 8-second zone at the Mod Nationals 2021.

2003 Mustang Cobra 10th Anniversary Edition

Zach Yasko’s H-Pattern Shifted Street/Strip

It’s hard to see under here, but Zach reached the level where he had to swap out the rare factory independent rear suspension that Ford tried out on the ’03Cobra. A heavily fortified 8.8 rearend now hangs from a host of aftermarket factory style suspension components.

The trunk spare tire area is now reserved for the cooler tank, but also serves as an example of just how clean this car is.

So what was next? Why to go faster, of course! The new goal is to be the first Mod motored H-pattern shifted blower car in the 7-second zone.

Now everyone has their own version (opinion) of what a “street car” should or should not be, and usually it represents what they have sitting out in their own garage, but when you tear it down to the bare bones, it would be tough to find a car that is more “street” than this Terminator. If you were to pull up beside Zach at the stop light, aside from the DB Motorsports 4-inch cowl hood, shaved antenna, and drag pack, you'd never know how much of a punch this pony is packing.

The car sits quite nicely on 10-way adjustable coilovers with Viking springs up front, and DA valved small tire shocks in the rear. Additional suspension components used come from a variety of manufacturers. The front end includes a Team-Z K-member and upper and lower control arms with

solid bushings throughout. For the SVT Cobras, Ford decided on a different approach to their solid axle rear; they went with an independent rear suspension to pursue the Corvette on the road course since there wasn't a current-year Camaro to compete with at the time.

It’s all stock and that’s exactly the way Zach wants to keep the rare interior of the Cobra. Of course various items such as a roll cage, race seat, shifter and harness were added for legal racing and safety reasons. The factory Mach 460 stereo system remains though, as does the ultra rare Cobra gauge cluster. A Holley EFI system was used in conjunction with the factory ECU to enable using things like the factory gauges.

Zach rows through the gears via a Tick shifter bolted to a built T56 Magnum trans with G-force faceplated gear set, external fluid pump and Black Magic 3 lever 11 inch stamped adjustable clutch.

It works well, even in a straight line scenario, but in Zach's case, it was time for the switch to a solid axle. To do so he installed Team Z upper and lower control arms, Racecraft lower control arm relocation brackets, spring perch mounts and added an anti-roll bar as well. Of course subframe connectors were also installed. The reworked rear suspension holds a Ford 8.8 in place stuffed with 31 spline axles, c-clip eliminators, an Eaton Tru-Trac and a Ford Racing 3.73 gear set. A Ford Racing girdle gives it strength and finishes the new rear axle build. Zach's pony sits on a set of 17inch Alumastars up front and 15-inch S71 models out back. Mickey Thompson rubber rests on all four corners.

Under the cowl hood rests a new mill to help achieve Yasko’s latest goals; a Modular Head Shop prepared beast. They began with Ford’s Nemak block, boring it over .030 and installing a set of Wiseco boost friendly custom flat-top pistons at 10:1 compression.

Zach Yasko’s H-Pattern Shifted Street/Strip 2003 Mustang Cobra 10th Anniversary Edition

■ Body & Paint:

Factory 2003 Cobra with factory bumpers, wing, body panels etc. DB Motorsports 4-inch lift-off bubble hood with Motion Raceworks Dzus rails. Ford Torch Read paint code, shaved antenna hole on passenger fender.

■ Chassis & Suspension/Mods:

Team Z k-member and control arms, subframe connectors, upper and lower control arms (solid bushings). Racecraft lower control arm relocation brackets, factory spring perch adjustable mounts and anti-roll bar. Viking 12-175 rear springs and 12-175 front springs on 10-way struts with Strange coilover kit. Strange small tire valved DA factory location rear shocks, travel limiters on front control arms. Maximum Motorsports caster/camber plates.

■ Engine:

Ford 4.6 Nemak block, 281 CI Prepared by Modular Head Shop. Bore/Torque Plate hone to 3.562" bore. ARP fasteners. Manley forged 4340 center counterweighted crankshaft with stock 3.543" stroke, Dyers Top Rods H-beam 5.933" rods, Wiseco custom 10.0:1 compression flat top pistons with full round skirt, Trend Performance H-13 tool steel wrist pins and Total Seal custom piston ring set. Clevite H-Series main and rod bearings. MHS Stage 5 blower cams. Tool steel oil pump gear set, Melling high volume / high pressure oil pump, Innovators West harmonic balancer.

■ Cylinder Heads:

MHS Cobra DB9 cylinder heads with 4.6L / 5.4L 4V Stage 4 Competition CNC Porting Package and Inconel exhaust valves.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Fuel system consists of Fore C head billet fuel rails, Bosch 210 fuel injectors, -10 feed and –8 return PTFE braided line. Behind Bars Race Cars 14-gallon aluminum sump tank, powder coated black. Fuelab Pro Series brushless 2 speed 6gpm gear pump controlled by Holley EFI with Fuelab primary and post stainless filters, Magnafuel pressure regulator, all ran on ONE Ethanol R.

■ Electronics:

Holley HP EFI with NTK o2 sensor, Rife temperature and pressure sensors, combined with the stock ECU to retain many OEM features such as the Cobra instrument cluster.

■ Power Adder:

Whipple Superchargers Gen 5 3.0 supercharger with their race port and competition rotor pack.

■ Transmission:

Ford T56 Magnum with G-force faceplated gear set, external fluid pump and Tick shifter. Black Magic 3 lever 11 inch stamped adjustable clutch.

■ Rear:

Ford 8.8, Strange 31 spline axles with c-clip eliminators, Eaton 31 spline Tru Trac differential, 3.73 gear and girdle.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Rears are RTS 15X10 6.5” backspace wheels with Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radials and fronts are 17X4.5 Alumastars with M&H 26” front runners.

■ Interior:

Factory 03 Cobra reverse glow gauges, factory 10th Anniversary Cobra steering wheel, MGW gripper handle on Tick shifter, Series 55 seats, Beilman fabrication custom 8.50 cert cage, Stroud window net and parachute, Motion Raceworks parachute install kit and MAF Racing parachute mounting bar. Factory Ford radio and Mach 460 sound system. Schrader Performance rear seat delete panel. Roll bar mounted fire extinguisher.

■ ET & MPH:

Best ET to date best is 8.880 at 151.63 mph, best mph is 157.39. Looking to take this factory H-pattern shifted blown combination into the 7 second zone with the new engine combination.

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

We were racing at or close to sea level on the coast during Rocky Mountain Race Week. I have never experienced bad air and the car slowed much more than expected. We were in a good position to keep the lead but knew we had to do something to get the car back to where it needed to be. So to the Nitrous Outlet tent we went to put together a dry kit from what they had brought with them. Out in the parking lot over the course of maybe 45 minutes we installed this thing. I guessed at a tune up in the car that would not blow it up and by the end of the week we had used it to shave over ½ second from our ETs and won our class!

■ Most Unique Feature(S):

I would not say there is one exact unique feature of the car but my favorite part currently is that I kept the factory iconic gauge cluster as well as the car is completely streetable still. I have a full exhaust with tailpipes that I run on it for drag and drive events to make cruising much more enjoyable. Maybe another thing is how far and long we pushed the stock long block with 0 failures before we installed the MHS engine.

■

Special Reason(s) For Build:

I always dreamed of having one of these cars since seeing one on the showroom as an 8-year-old kid. I know I turned a low mileage “collector car” into a race car but I see it as more fun actually getting them out and enjoying them. It was my first semi fast car, so the racing bug bit and here we are.

■ Build Timeline:

The car has been in a constant state of build, race, build race since I bought it in 2017 so we could say 5 years and counting.

■ Thanks To:

Beilman Fab for cage and suspension setup, Whipple Superchargers for the blower, Coffee Collision for the paint/body work, Modular Head Shop for the badass bullet, Avid Speed for the perfect tune

The factory stroke stayed using a forged Manley crankshaft and a set of custom Dyers Top Rods 300m steel H-bean rods, giving the short block a total of 283ci. The rotating assembly is balanced and blue-printed, and MHS also applied their black magic of the Mod Motor

world into the build, supplying their stage four ported heads with oversized Inconel exhaust valves from Manley, PAC valve springs and a long list of goodies to complete the heads from top to bottom, along with their stage five blower cams.

To date, this full weight stick shifted Cobra has been a best of 8.880 at 151.63 mph. With the new motor sporting over 1,200 horsepower to the wheels and counting, Zach hopes to reach the 7-second milestone this year. And once he does, the fairly mild mannered look of this true street machine will be its most prized secret weapon.

A Whipple Gen 5 3.0 blower with race port and competition rotor pack force air into the fully built modular long block.

Holley HP EFI controls fuel coming from a Behind Bars Race Cars 14-gallon cell. A 6gpm two-speed brushless fuel pump from Fuelab pushes One Ethanol R to Bosch 210 injectors, and the factory ECU maintains ev-

erything else so Zach can use the factory Cobra dash.

It takes skill to take a manual car to a single-digit quarter mile, even more so with a heavy, street-driven blower car. So Zach chose to use a Tick Performance built T56 Magnum, complete with a faceplated G-Force gear set, external pump, and Tick shifter.

He uses an adjustable Black Magic 3 lever 11-inch clutch to achieve a smooth launch.

Zach's Cobra is very much a street car and one look inside will confirm that. Almost everything is factory, right down to the premium Mach 460 sound system. However, he does run a race seat and, of course, has to be surrounded by an 8.50 certified cage, which Beilman Fabrication built. Motion Raceworks supplied him with the parachute kit, and he has a fire extin-

guisher for safety. The rear seats had to go, so a Shrader Performance rear seat delete went in their place to save some weight.

To date, Zach has been 8.88 at 151 with his last combination, which only scratches the surface of what this new setup is capable of, even at a heavy street car weight. With 1250whp on tap, and what he and the 2nd Shift Racing crew have accomplished thus far, he'll break that all-blower stick record he's after in no time at all.

It's hard to say whether Zack's smile is the result of his impeccable build, success on the track or the jealous stares of those who would give anything to own such a potent machine. We'd guess that it's all of the above.

What’s Old Is New if you haven’t read it yet!

Over the coming months we will be hosting some of our past issues of RPM Magazine in this section.  If you haven’t read them yet, they are new to you!  If you have, maybe there’s a favourite car/story you want to read again….here they are!

John Andrade, Jr.’s boosted 1982 Hurst/Olds-clone Cutlass

From the pages of RPM Magazine, May 2015

Adrenaline on full flood and heart rate pounding, John Andrade, Jr. stood in disbelief, staring at the mangled mess of GM G-body in front of him.

The likeable Oklahoman had called out the “Dominator” on the popular Discovery Channel show Street Outlaws and was hoping to make his way up “the list”—the top 10 of Oklahoma City street racers—in his nitrous-assisted small-tire 1982 Hurst/Olds-clone Cutlass. Unfortunately, within the first few hundred feet of unprepped surface, the car made a hard right, crossed the centerline, jumped the curb, and

I honestly wish I could have kept it small tire, but street racing like we do, I had to go backhalf just to keep up with the Joneses...

John Andrade, Jr.

Cutlass

After assessing the smoldering mass, the car had sustained some serious damage all around. Up front, the car had a broken rack and pinion, a pair of snapped tie rods, two blown shocks, a broken coil spring, and bent one wheel. The rear didn’t fare much better, as the rear suspension was bent, both rear brakes were damaged, and both rear wheels were bent. Unshaken, Andrade set out to rebuild and put the car back on the street—stronger than ever.Andrade first acquired the car two years ago, when a phone call from friend Justin “Big Chief” Shearer prompted him to seek out a new ride. “Justin called me about being on a TV show. He said, ‘Are you in?’ I told him sure, but I also informed him that I didn’t have a car at the moment, as I had just sold another,” Andrade recalled. A longtime lover of the GM G-body, he found the ’82 and— with the help of family and friends— managed to get it pulled together one week before the start of filming. “The first time I ever drove it, I was racing on a nationally-televised TV show. It was pretty wild.”

Photos: Rich Adams

The minimalistic interior sports carbon fiber race bucket with a pair of custom-covered ’84 Hurst Olds door panels from gbodyparts.com. The trick Hurst Olds lookalike shifter is a custom Kilduff Machine works Lightning Rods unit, and the cage and custom tinwork is again the handiwork of Josh at ASR. A composite replacement dash has been installed to reduce some heft, while the Racepak 103 digital display helps Andrade keep an eye on all the Olds’ vitals. A Kicker audio system handles the jams.

A phone call to Texas Speed and Performance (TSP) was instrumental in transforming the Cutty from juice to boost. TSP started with a 2001 LSX block punched to 408ci. First, a K1 stroker crank and Wiseco rods were chosen along with 10.5:1 Wiseco pistons to round out a boost-proof stroked and balanced rotating assembly. ARP fasteners were used throughout, and a top-secret COMP cams grind was specified. Precision Race Components (PRC) 225 aluminum heads were ported, polished, and otherwise massaged before being torqued into place.

Up top, a Ricky Childers one-off billet runner intake helps distribute the fuel and air. A Big Stuff 3 EFI system with 225-pound Precision Turbo injectors handles distribution tasks for the E-85, while a trick new Aeromotive dual-stage Stealth Eliminator “Cutty Series” fuel delivery system keeps pace with the massive demand. This system, first developed by Aeromotive just for this application, allows anyone with big power and high fuel demands to simply drop in a single Stealth fuel cell with twin Eliminator pumps that will keep up with virtually any fuel needs up to 2,100hp whether idling around town or going all-out on the dragstrip (look for a tech install on this trick new piece in an upcoming issue of RPM). And in Andrade’s case, with up to 27 psi of boost on hand, that demand can be significant.

A massive V3 94mm Forced Inductions GT 55 turbo provides all the visual and audible evidence necessary to determine that the classic Olds is adding power with something other than the bottle these days. A custom Chiseled Performance air-to-air intercooler has been added upstream to help chill the compressed atmosphere, while a 60mm wastegate and blow-off valve and a Hyperaktive Hypercontrols boost controller were added to better manage the charge. All fabrication work was again handled Linsenbarth and ASR, with the legendary Mike Murillo handling the final tune.

Rounding out the engine bay, a Milodon 8-quart oil pan provides extra volume, while a Mezeire electric pump pushes the coolant through a trick twin radiator setup to keep the mighty Chevy cool. A pair of billet Texas Speed LS valve covers add some bling, while a Mechman high output alternator keeps the electrical system fully charged.

The silver and black paint with Hurst/ Olds graphics was handled by ASR, but not before a number of mods to enhance appearance and performance were completed. A Glasstek front end and cowl hood have been paired with a factory replacement 1984 Hurst/Olds grille. Out back, a lightweight VFN rear bumper has replaced the factory piece and modified to accept a custom rear parachute mount and notched to clear the extended length wheelie bars.

The Cutty is back. With a vengeance.

STICKEY MICKEYS