July 2023 RPM Magazine

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Story: George Pich Photos: Blake Farnan

You see, Michael’s dad is none other than Paul Silva, a man who has made a solid name for himself in the world of fast Ford racing for the past 3 decades. He builds, races and tunes on them, and of course, raised his kids around them. But we’ll save that for another story in RPM Mag.

Born into the sport, from as far back as he can remember, Michael was around cars. He

worked his way up from watch ing his dad, to being a spectator, then moving into a Junior Dragster and then into the 1,000plus horsepower cars he and his brothers run today. “I was born into racing with my dad being one of the top engine builders for the small block Fords,” Michael explained. “Some families go camping or on trips, my family went racing almost every weekend.”

There was little doubt that Michael Silva would end up in the world of fast cars and drag racing, and zero doubt that it would be in a Mustang...

Michael Silva scored a solid deal on this super clean 7.50 cert. chassis ’86 Fox Body Coupe from family friend and fellow racer Carlos Dinis. Within the following year it was retooled for the boosted combo from Silva’s “War Fox” Mustang and to accept smaller radial tires, plus a host of other changes and upgrades….and so “Weapon X” was born.

Most everyone enjoyed the glory of the Fox Body Mustang Platform, and the Silva family is no exception. Michael was schooled by his father Paul and along with his brothers grew into racing as a part of their lives. “Some families go camping or on trips, my family went racing almost every weekend. Racing is our lives, not just a hobby.” --- Michael Silva

For the Silva boys, it wasn’t just about getting behind the wheel of a fast car as soon as they could, but more of a total package approach. They were taught to respect the power and participate in every aspect of cars and racing, and most of all, to work as a team. “The amount of information my dad has about this

industry is crazy and my brothers and I are always trying to learn from him. We are always at the track with dad either racing our cars or helping our PSP customers and Race Team. We all work so well together at the track, all of us have our duties and we are always consistent, which is a big deal in racing.

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Test Engine: GM 6.2L LS3 short block with 10.43:1 compression, Trick Flow GenX® 255 square port cylinder heads (TFS-3261T002-C01), Trick Flow Track Max® hydraulic roller cam (TFS-32603001), stock L92 intake with 90mm throttle body, Kooks headers with 17⁄8" primaries, and dual exhaust with 3" Flowmaster mufflers.

The only problem we have with all of us loving racing so much, is having space for all of our cars and parts.”

After the Junior Dragster, Silva obviously couldn’t wait to experience the door cars he watched his dad race for so many years. As soon as he got his driver’s license, and before he even drove a car on the street, he was behind the wheel of his dad’s yellow 1994 Mustang. “The first weekend out while doing my NHRA license passes I went 9.60s at 16 years old!” Silva added.

As you can imagine, it wasn’t long before things got quicker and faster; by 17, Michael and his brothers added nitrous to the car for the True Street class and ran 8.60s. They each were allowed to run one event that year in the car, and Michael took the win at his.

Fast forward a few years to the age of 22 and Michael built his 1989 Mustang Coupe he called War Fox. “What a beast War Fox was; a full interior street car that went 5.20s in the 1/8 mile and won the Street275 class championship that year.” As happens to us all

when horsepower gets a hold of us, Silva’s time slips just kept getting better! The next year War Fox took the Outlaw 235 Championship while running solid 5.01 eighth mile hits, and from there Michael took a year off to build this 1986 Fox Body; “Weapon X”.

A belt driven ProCharger F1-X centrifugal supercharger with all the trimmings was used to provide Weapon X’s boost and propel it to its current best ET of 4.80s in the 1/8.

The PSP-built small block Ford works out to 427 cubes. A Dart block was filled with a Callies crank, Carrillo rods, Diamond pistons and top secret PSP-spec camshaft. Legendary TFS Twisted Wedge R heads were also used.

American

He swapped all the parts from War Fox into a more suitable “race car” chassis and ended up being 200 pounds lighter in the process, and Weapon X was born. While more is always better in this game, even a simple parts swap (in this case form a dual championship winning car) can come with its own set of challenges. Knowing the car

would now go well into the 4-second zone, Silva decided to run with the “big boys” in the Canada Heads Up EZ Street class. Transmission issues throughout the season would keep him out of the Winner’s Circle, but not before posting a personal best in the 4.80s. “It took many late nights and overtime work with my dad to get this car done.

American Racing Headers

Michael Silva’s 1986 Supercharged Small Block Ford “Weapon X” Mustang

■ Body & Paint:

OEM production car with fiberglass front end, doors, front fenders. Engine bay body work and paint by Paul Silva. All glass windows and roll up windows.

■ Chassis Modifications:

7.50 certified cage.

■ Suspension:

Racecraft k-member and a-arms with single adjustable front shocks. Ladder bar rear with Strange double adjustable back shocks.

■ Engine:

427ci small block Ford. Dart block. Callies crank, Diamond pistons, Carrillo rods.

■ Cylinder Heads:

Trick Flow Twisted Wedge R heads with T&D rockers.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Weldon fuel pump and fuel is controlled by a Holley EFI system. Also has a Shearer Fabrications low profile high ram intercooler.

■ Power Adder:

ProCharger F1-X - Belt Driven

■ Transmission:

2 speed Powerglide transmission.

■ Rear End Assembly:

9 inch rear end with Moser axles.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Weld 10 inch rear single beadlocks with 275 Mickey Thompson drag radials.

■ Interior:

B&M shifter, Jazz bucket seats, MPI steering wheel, Fire Bottle fire system, Holley screen, dash wrapped by New Image, also have back seats, roll up windows, carpet, door panels.

■ Miscellaneous:

Holley coils, Taylor ignition wires.

■ ET & MPH:

1.11- 60ft, 3.15- 3.30, 1/8 mile best is 4.84 @ 148mph to date.

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

Back seats and Chucky as a passenger- Chucky has been in this car every pass I’ve ran with it, so he has been 4.80s too. You can say Chucky has been faster than some other people… wink wink.

■ Special Reason For The Build:

Building a car with my dad and brothers makes it special to me. Being able to build and race as a family is very special to us, racing is our lives not just a hobby.

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

The most memorable experience is getting to pull beside and race my dad in the first qualifier at the last event of the 2022 season. Being able to race the person that makes what I’m doing possible meant a great deal to me.

■ Thanks To:

Paul Silva Performance, my Dad- Paul Silva-engine builder, brothers- Ryan-mechanic and Brandon Silva-parts guy, mother- Lucy Silva, tuner- Ernie Zambri (tunedbyEZ), ProCharger, Greg and Peter at Ice Boy Toronto - sponsored ice for intercooler and UPR.

This is the same motor that won the Street275 championship in 2019 and Outlaw 235 in 2020, and even though we lost 200 pounds, the car is still also almost 100lbs overweight for the EZ Street class rules, so it’s capable of more.”

The car itself was purchased from long-time family friend and fel-

low racer, Carlos Dinis; “I can’t thank Carlos enough for helping me out and giving me such a good deal on the car” Michael said. The car was a nitrous car previously, but since it was bought as a roller, Silva was able to prep it for his Paul Silva Performance-built ProCharged small block.

Michael Silva,s WeaponX Sticks to the track

Over the year-long build they worked on changing ladder bar angles, installing an all new interior and adding intercoolers, water boxes, some big shiny cooler piping, re-wiring the car and a number of other changes and upgrades. The Mustang was also previously campaigned on bigger tires, so it was refitted as necessary to accept the 275 radials. The chassis itself carries a certification to go 7.50 elapsed times in the ¼. The ladder bar coilover setup out back suspends a 9-inch Ford with Moser axles. Racecraft takes care of the front end duties with their k-member and a-arms along with a pair of single adjustable shocks.

At this level most driveline parts have to be pretty solid to hold up. The existing ladder bar / coilover suspension set-up was tweaked for the new combo and Silva stayed with the braced 9-inch fortified with Moser parts to take the hit out back.

Brandon Silva, Ryan Silva, Jayce Silva, Michael Silva and Paul Silva.

Up front you’ll find a selection Racecraft goodies to keep things on the straight and narrow. Fuel is supplied by Weldon, while TCI transmission parts are at work in the fresh ’Glide.

Inside, the Mustang boasts a well thought-out interior ready for the track, or maybe for passengers? Not only does this Fox have roll up glass windows but it also has a back seat and a permanent passenger, “Chucky”, who has seen 4.80 eighth-mile hits!

The PSP 427-inch small block Ford started life as a Dart block. A Callies crank swings Carrillo rods pinned to custom Diamond pistons while legendary TFS Twisted Wedge R heads were studded in place to finish off the short block. Providing boost is a belt driven ProCharger F1-X centrifugal supercharger. A Shearer Fabrications low profile high ram was also used and Holley EFI controls the package. A fresh Powerglide was installed for 2023 in hopes that the car can now reach its full potential.

“I bought the car in March 2021 and finished it early in 2022,” Michael continued. “I can’t believe I have such a badass car of my own now!

Spur Gear pressure sections based off Moroso’s highly successful Billet Wet Sump Pump Design

But none of what I have achieved would be possible without my dad’s passion and capabilities with building the cars he does, and the support of my mother who’s always making sure we are taken care of and staying fed and hydrated at the track on those long hot days.”

So, while it’s safe to say that Michael Silva was destined to pilot a badass Mustang, rest assured that while his dad is responsible for educating and pointing him the right direction, Michael is definitely the one making a name for himself on the drag strip.

Michael Silva,s Wicked Stang wins yet again!

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Story & Photos: Wes Taylor

As a rule, most car enthusiasts will do almost anything to meet or beat their goals for a build, and Jason Leiva is one of those people. He had been into the custom car stereo scene and wanted something different, and the performance end of things seemed to grab his attention, so at the tender age of 20 his days of going fast began.

Jason bought a 1999 Pontiac TransAm and began modifying it to street race; unfortunately, in doing so he was involved in a wreck that put him in the hospital for three weeks. Once he was back on his feet, he purchased a 2002 Trans-Am of the same spec and color. During his adventures in street racing, Jason formed a friendship with Ron Mowen, a local street racer with a small shop that later became Vengeance Racing. “Ron put the clutch in on a lift at the car stereo shop I worked at. There wasn’t a Vengeance Racing at the time, but he had the fastest 4th gen Camaro SS around, so I trusted him with the job,” explained Jason. They modified the car to the point past "daily driver" friendly, and he ended up selling it and taking a break for several years.

What,s not to love about the 6th Gen Camaro, sadly it will be the last generation...or will it?

Once the bug to go fast returned, he snapped up a 700whp CTS-V and continued on with a few C6 Corvettes until ultimately arriving at his more family-friendly 2017 Chevy ZL1 Camaro. Knowing he'd be starting the mods as soon as it left the dealer’s lot, he chose the tag "No Mods”.

Jason and Ron immediately got down to business, doing the typical pulley, ported

blower, intake, cam, etc., but soon wanted more, and the goal to become the fastest blower/stock trans car was set. After a blower swap, a built 416ci motor, and dipping into the 8s, Jason wanted still even more. “Despite continuously fighting with the transmission, we weren’t deterred from adding more power.

The car’s best pass for over a year was an 8.48 at 162 mph,

but at 1,120 rwhp”. Continuing to “fine tune” the combination, Jason now focused on the challenge of belt slip by adding a TooHighPsi 10-rib belt drive and custom Vengeance Racing idler.

It’s no secret that the Camaro is heavy, however, the ultra light carbon doors and trunk lid hiding under the factory color paint on Jason Leiva’s ZL1 are a little known fact.

Digitized Pass

“Without belt slip, the car gained 6 psi and went from making 1,120 rwhp at 22 psi on C16 to 1400 at 30 psi on Ignite Red. This unfortunately proved to be too much for the 416ci LT4 and cracked a stock cylinder wall before making a full pass.”

Since Jason planned to take his ZL1 as far as he could at its full weight of 4,130lbs and keeping all the factory amenities, another tear down began towards the Camaro’s current configuration. To achieve this, The Vengeance team started with a Noonan billet water-jacketed block with a retrofitted Holley oil pan to retain a Katech billet wet sump oiling system, as Jason does let the Camaro loose on street drives.

The Camaro sports a killer old school muscle car stance courtesy 15x10 wheels and meaty Mickey Thompson radials in the rear and 17-inch skinnies out front with less sidewall.

Jason Leiva,s Gorgeous 2017 ZL1 Camaro,s

Next, nothing but the best went inside the billet artwork, using a Late Model Engines blue printed Callies 8 CWT crank, Dyers billet H-Beam rods and a set of custom 2K Diamond Racing forged pistons. A spec'd Comp cam finishes off the bottom end. Finally, LME had their hands in the top end, porting a set of CID LT heads and using Victory titanium valves, Manley pushrods, T&D roller rockers and upgraded solid roller valve springs. Ultimately, Jason decided to push the Magnuson Superchargers 2650R even further, too.

Jason Leiva,s ZL1 Camaro preparing for a pass

Justifiably proud, Jason Leiva poses with his impressive Gen 6 Camaro, an enviable build with a winning reputation.

Due to the stock block finally saying enough is enough, Jason went with a Noonan billet water-jacketed block with a retrofitted Holley oil pan to retain a Katech billet wet sump oiling system. A Late Model Engines blue printed Callies 8 CWT crank swings Dyers billet H-Beam rods and a set of custom 2K Diamond forged pistons. A spec'd Comp Cams finishes off the bottom end.

Fueling on the LT generation of General Motors products takes a different direction with both port and direct injection. Although the direct injection can be, and in some cases, is deleted, Jason and the team decided to keep it and use it to their advantage. A Big Bore fuel pump with 30%-over injectors takes care of the direct injection side and is

used in conjunction with a TooHighPsi torque-plated system with eight additional 1000cc LS3 injectors for port injection. A Fore Innovations triple pump supplies Ignite Red or pump E85 into the system. Jason’s ZL1 retains the entire GM PCM and ECU with the addition of a Holley Performance controller for the port injection.

Jason Leiva’s 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

■ Body & Paint:

2017 Camaro with carbon fiber doors and trunk deck lid. Stock GM silver paint, even on the carbon parts.

■ Chassis & Suspension/Modifications:

Stock chassis with the addition of a cradle bushing lockout kit and solid differential bushings. The stock magnetic ride and springs are still on the car. It also has a Carlyle 15” conversion kit that swaps out the rear arms to clear the smaller wheels.

■ Engine:

427ci Noonan billet water jacketed LT with retrofitted Holley oil pan to retain wet sump. Katech billet wet sump oil pump.

■ Rotating Assembly:

Callies 8 CWT crankshaft with Late Model Engines (LME) blueprinting, Dyres 300M billet H beam rods, Diamond/LME 2k HP forged pistons.

■ Cylinder Heads:

CID LT heads (ported and milled by LME) with top fuel hoops. T&D LT1/LT4 adjustable stainless steel roller tip rocker arms, Victory 1 titanium valves, Manly pushrods, upgraded solid roller valve springs.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Dual methods of fuel delivery with direct injection and port injection. On the DI side there is a Lingenfelter Big Bore High Pressure Fuel pump and Fuel Injector Connection +30% injectors. For port injection there are TooHighPsi port injection plates with 8 additional 1000cc LS3 injectors. On the low side there is a Fore Innovations triple in tank pump system. The car primarily runs on Ignite Red but can do pump ethanol if desired.

■ Electronics:

Stock ECU and TCM with a Holley Dominator to control the port injection system.

■ Power Adder:

Magnuson Superchargers 2650R.

■ Transmission:

Pure Drivetrain Solutions 10L90 with an OEM GM converter.

■ Rear End Assembly:

OEM 6th gen ZL1 eLSD differential with Driveshaft Shop 1400hp half shafts and chromoly driveshaft.

■ Brakes:

Aerospace Drag Lite drag racing brakes on all 4 corners.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Bogart custom drag wheels – 17 x 4.5 front; 15 x 10 rear. Mickey Thompson ET Street Fronts (front) and Micky Thompson Radial Pro 275’s (rear).

■ Interior:

Tillet B1 carbon driver seat, RPM 6pt roll bar, racing harness, and fire extinguisher. Shrader rear seat delete kit.

■ ET & MPH – Race Only:

8.37 @ 169 MPH

■ Most Unique Feature(s):

It is the quickest and fastest OE style transmission 6th gen in the world (as far as we know).

■ Special Reason For Build:

Not initially but now it has turned into the challenge and competition. Not as much about heads up racing or winning races as it is making the most out of the car relative to others.

■ Most Memorable Experience To Date:

This has to be running the first 8 second pass with every feature and comfort the car came with in place.

■ Thanks To:

This is 100% a Vengeance Racing car so thanks must go there. I ask far more than a typical customer and they always deliver, even when I choose the most difficult path for everyone. We truly have succeeded (and at times failed) together. Pure Drivetrain Solutions has really stepped up to help us conquer what seems to be the unconquerable with the transmission. Magnuson Superchargers has helped us secure a standby supercharger should we finally kill mine and need to hot swap it at the track. LME turned around the new engine in record time as we pushed to make TX2K and has continued to be there for support. TooHighPsi has kept us up to date with all their innovations around belt drives and port injection for the Magnuson 2650R, not to mention just ongoing text and phone call support. The owner is the former President of Magnuson Superchargers and a wealth of knowledge.

SPEED SAUCE T M PLUS INJECTION

FLUID

Speed Sauce Plus water-ethanol mix comes premixed and ready to use straight from the bottle. Its 20/80 water/ethanol blend delivers more power per gallon. This ethanol-based fluid is not only less corrosive to fuel systems than methanol-based fluids but also safer to handle due to its lower toxicity.

• Provides 4% more power compared to methanol-based injection fluids

• Produces up to 15% more horsepower/torque than stock, with proper tuning

• Delivers added octane when needed thanks to the ethanol’s >115 octane rating

• Less corrosive than methanol version

VPRacingFuels.com/

The most challenging part Jason and the Vengeance crew have faced with this build is the factory 10L90 transmission; there needs to be more aftermarket support, and tuning one can be frustrating, especially for a full-weight high horsepower car. Nevertheless, they continue to push forward while others move to take the easy route and go to the tried and true TH400 threespeed, which downgrades the car's street manners. Naturally, this is the last thing Jason wants; thankfully, companies like Pure Drivetrain Solutions are there to help with clutches, input shaft, and other goodies to make it live under extreme circumstances.

Harnessing the Competitive Edge

5/8" WHEEL STUD KITS

½" SOCKET HEAD WHEEL STUD WITH BULLET NOSE “EVERY NUT AND BOLT IN OUR CAR IS TITANIUM.” - ROCKY FLANAGAN

FLANAGAN OPEN OUTLAW RACING

NUT KITS (5 PC)

The mostly stock interior doesn’t help in the weight department, but Jason made the choice to keep all the creature comforts in place. He did add a carbon seat with harness and rear seat delete to help a bit, but added in a 6-point bar for safety.

Due to the nature of the blower, Jason uses a factory GM torque converter. The OEM ZL1 pumpkin and eLSD differential transfers power to Driveshaft Shop 1400hp rated axles.

The ZL1 comes with a set of larger Brembo brakes from the factory, meaning running a 15-inch wheel is only possible with modification. Thankfully, there are ways to save weight without cutting the car up; Jason installed Aerospace Drag Lite brakes on all four corners and some big and littles, cutting down rotating mass. Carlyle Performance reengineered lower control arms were also used and cradle lockout and differential bushings finish off the chassis modifications. Jason chose Bogart wheels with 17-inch skinnies out front and 15x10s in the rear and runs Mickey Thompson radials on all four corners.

Bodywise, this is a heavy production car that needs some help in the weight loss department so carbon fiber doors and trunk lid were installed and hidden under the factory color paint.

The same is said for the interior; to save some weight, Jason rides in a Tillet B1 carbon fiber seat equipped with a racing harness and added a Shrader rear seat delete. He doesn't run the car down the track with a passenger seat but has one for street use. A 6-point roll bar protects him just in case, but otherwise, the Chevy looks factory inside.

Jason has pushed his ZL1 to an 8.37 at 137mph but wants that 7 second time slip, even though he holds the record for the fastest blower/10-speed Camaro. Once he

surpassed his goal of an 8-second pass with every luxury item Chevy offers, anything else is just icing on the cake for him, so regardless of making it to the 7-second mark, he's reached his goal and then some. He gives Ron and

the Vengeance team 100% credit for helping him get to this point as well as Pure Drivetrain Solutions and Magnuson Superchargers for not giving up on the difficult road Jason choose to take with his “No Mods” Camaro.

This small tire heavyweight real street car is not only fully optioned but also bangs off low 8-second quarter-mile hits at the drop of a hat (or the lights). And we’re confident those time slips will soon be in the 7s!

Bruce Mcconnell’s Ultra-Cool ’46 Dodge Hauler

From the pages of RPM Magazine, March 2015

Alucky find on the internet led to Bruce making a deal on the ’46, which he initially used as his daily driver, tweaking it along the way to make it more to his liking. The drag strip was soon calling Bruce’s name once again and his first trip back was a disappointing 15.73 seconds in the quarter-mile. “Heck, I had run faster than that in 1963. But I knew I was hooked again!” laughed McConnell.

After that weekend, Bruce was on a mission to see what was available to help make his rig faster. “I was amazed how much had changed in my 30 plus years of absence from performance,” he continued. “I thought the best thing was to put it on a dyno and see what could be done to make it a little better. Again, I was truly disappointed with only 158 rear wheel horse power.”

ZZ4 crate engine found its way into the Dodge and the next trip to the track saw high 13-second runs.

2015 and Bruce’s now heavily modified wild Dodge runs 5.29 at 136 mph in the 1/8-mile and 8.21 at 166 in the 1/4.

While most trucks turned loose on the dragstrip see huge wheeltubs and massive meats stuff inside of them (because they can), Bruce opted to go small tire drag racing and hasn’t looked back for second!

Keep On Truckin’! From left to right is Erin Grant, Brett Hewson, Bruce McConnell (behind), Doug Driggers, Twila Andring.

Inside, the factory dash is splashed with a full set of gauges along with enough switches to keep an airline pilot busy.

Even under the hood, where things are surprisingly cramped, the first thing you see is quality. Like Bruce says, “wow ‘em on the track and at car shows as well.”

Chassis Type & Mods:

“WC” Chassis. Truck maintains original frame with McCabe Racing full roll cage. Front and mid motor plates. Truck is 3860lbs W/driver.

Suspension (Front and Rear):

Front: Mustang II type front suspension. Heidts Tubular upper and lower control arms. TRW manual steering rack. Aldan double adjustable shocks. Wilwood 4 piston caliper disc brakes.

Rear: Chassisworks adjustable pro ladder bars, Aldan double adjustable coil over shocks. Wilwood 4 piston caliper brakes (2 calipers per rear wheel) .

Suspension completed by McCabe Racing .

Body & Paint:

Chrysler Black Pearl/Sunburst Orange. Paint by JM Collision Center, Laveen, AZ .

Engine:

406 cubic inch small block built by Arizona Race Company. Dart little M block, Callies Magnum series crankshaft, Oliver connecting rods, JE pistons, Total seal rings, AFR 227 23 degree cylinder heads, Jesel shaft rockers, Custom Arizona Race Company turbo grind camshaft. Jesel Belt drive, Moran Billet Atomizer injectors.

Induction:

Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold, Wilson 105mm throttle body and elbow, Precision PT-2000 Intercooler.

Power Adder: Precision 98mm ball bearing turbo with 1.5 a/r exhaust housing .

Electronics:

MSD 7 series ignition, Big stuff 3 fuel injection, AMS 1000 boost controller, Davis Bump Box

Transmission & Converter: Hughes Performance Powerglide with custom 1.58 first gear, Hughes Pro Series torque converter.

Rear Differential:

9” ford with 35 spline spool. 4.30 gear (1/8th-mile) 3.70 gear for ¼-mile.

Other Important Vehicle Information:

Nicknamed “The Orange Blossom” after the Papago Brewing’s Orange Blossom craft beer.

Best ET & MPH (Race Only):

5.29/136 1/8th-mile 8.21@166 ¼-mile (will be faster at SCSN X!!)

Its turbo time! After toying with nitrous for a number of years Bruce went turbocharged based on his positive experience with them many years ago in road racing.

The ‘46 evolved from a daily driver and work truck to a mean hauler hell bent on tearing up any dragstrip it

This is no run-of-the-mill ‘46 Dodge pick-up with a few mods here and there. Instead, Bruce went to great lengths to see that so much of the original truck was preserved during the build, and then added a hint of cool custom things like the bumpers and rear wing. Heck, it even has side view mirrors and a windshield wiper! it encountered

Despite all the laws of physics being against it, with Doug Driggers at the wheel, Bruce’s Dodge assaults the dragstrip with impressive numbers; 5.29 at 136mph in the 1/8thmile and 8.21 at 166 in the ¼. “With more to come,” said Bruce.

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!

Story: George Pich Photos: James Cummins

While James Romaine may have officially started drag racing in 2018, the roots of his love for cars, horsepower and one particular 1966 GTO go way back to when he was just 5 years old. “My uncle Eric Nau had this car that he was absolutely obsessed with,” Romaine explained. “I never quite understood at the time that it was a GM, but it wasn’t. It was built in the same factories as the Camaro and Chevelle

were, but it was different. It was a Pontiac GTO, aka Goat!”.

In a time when General Motors manage ment banned divisions from involvement in auto racing, a few savvy employees found a loophole. The name GTO comes from an Italian abbreviation Gran Turismo Omologa to. In English – Grand Touring Homologat ed. GM would use the first three letters of the Italian version for their new car.

The car would become officially FIA certified for racing in the European grand tourer class as a true production car, and as such, could continue production. And the 1966 model would be the first standalone GTO.

James’ uncle Eric purchased this car for a steep $500 price tag when he was in high school in 1970s. It had been mostly disassembled and hadn’t run for many years, but it was this project that would guide the next several years of his life as he worked on it with his dad many long nights.

During the original restoration the pair stayed as close to factory spec as possible, with the exception of the motor.

There were few original Pontiac 335 HP 389 cubic inch mills (like the one that came with this GTO), and the pair could not bring themselves to take the easy route and drop in the more economically priced and more powerful 454 big block Chevy. So fully understanding the cost involved and limited availability of parts, they opted to hunt for a Pontiac mill. The pair sourced a 1970’s era Pontiac D port

high output 455 powerplant and the car has stayed true to its brand ever since.

“My uncle raced his 1966 Pontiac GTO every chance he could, and when he wasn’t racing he was plotting, scheming, and wrenching.

The GTO underwent many changes over the years, but it was always Pontiac powered. I had the pleasure of being right by his side through a lot of this.

Our favorite spot was Speedworld Raceway Park in Whitman, Arizona. He would head out for test and tune sessions most Friday nights, and of course participate in the sanctioned cash races whenever they came around.”

Unfortunately James’ uncle Eric passed away unexpectedly in April of 2018. “This was devastating to me,” he continued. “This man was one of the few idols I had when growing up, he was Superman to me; I spent every chance I could at the tracks with him.” When James was told that his uncle’s project and passion of over 30 years would be sold off to a stranger in an estate sale, he simply refused to let that happen and found a way to make the car his.

The shear length of the 1966 GTO can’t be appreciated until you see it from the side. It is a monster but with an amazing shape and stunning body lines. The body is Romaine’s Goat, an original steel production GTO with a composite removable front end and hood with Pro Stock style scoop.

...the GTO underwent a complete overhaul front to back and was completed in 2022...

limited understanding of drag racing, James vowed to continue his uncle’s legacy.

From that point, the GTO underwent a complete overhaul front to back and was completed in 2022. Since the chassis and suspension were mostly in

on the engine transmission and rear end.

The car maintains its OEM steel body tub and a fiberglass lift off front end and hood were added. The chassis is a completely fabricated chromoly tube piece that is certified for 7.50 quarter-mile ETs.

The 535-incher sports a 4.350 bore, 4.5 stroke and an ear splitting 14.75 to 1 compression. AllPontiac Tiger heads with titanium valves are complemented by a Jesel Mohawk rockers system.

Suspension wise, the rear is a ladder bar coilover setup and the front rides on tubular a-arms with coilovers, while a custom rack and pinion steering setup keeps the big bodied Poncho pointed in the right direction.

It was a must for James to keep the car Pontiac powered and he also wanted to run it naturally aspirated, for now anyway. The new Pontiac mill started with an aluminum block with a 4.350 bore and 4.5 stroke. A Scat

crank was mated to a set of their H-Beam rods pinned to a slick custom set of RaceTec forged pistons, bringing compression ratio to whopping 14.75:1. Needless to say, when this big inch Poncho fires up, earplugs are mandatory! Aluminum AllPontiac Tiger heads that flow in excess of 400cfm were fitted with Titanium 2.300 intake valves and 1.8 exhaust valves and a Jesel Mohawk rocker system.

Keeping his late uncle’s GTO all Pontiac was a must for James Romaine. Going with an aluminum-blocked, 950 horsepower naturally aspirated bullet was a bonus that James is sure his uncle would be proud of.

It couldn,t be any other way for this Goat!

Induction-wise, a port-matched high rise cast aluminum intake manifold is topped by a 1450 CFM AED Dominator style carburetor. When all is said and done the mill produces in the vicinity of 950 horsepower, and that is without any help.

Backing the aluminum bullet is a more than capable Reid-cased TH400 with

standard 2.48 first gear, clean neutral and Biltrite 9- inch torque converter. A Ford 9-inch with spool, 35 spline axles and 4.56 gears sends the power out to a set of massive 34x16 slicks.

The Goat is all race inside, with a Funny Car style halo surrounding the driver and a Racepack dash relaying vital signs.

A shot taken during the motor build shows the heavy valve reliefs in the custom forged RaceTec pistons after they were installed on the aluminum Pontiac block. The final compression ratio worked out to 14.75:1!

James Romaine’s 1966 Pontiac GTO “BBAAADD To the Bone”

■ Body & Paint:

OEM body tub, fiberglass lift-off front end and hood with Pro Stock scoop. Painted by Ryan Likewise.

■ Chassis Modifications:

Full chromoly tube chassis with 7.50 cert by Robert Nerez Chassis.

■ Suspension:

Tubular a-arms Strange front coil over struts. Ladder bar with CKR Fabworks rear adjustable coil overs.

■ Engine:

535 AllPontiac aluminum block, 4.350 bore, 4.5 stroke, 14.75 to 1 compression. Runs on C16 fuel.

Scat rods and crank, RaceTec pistons and a custom .936 lift cam. Cylinder heads are AllPontiac Tiger heads with titanium valves and Jesel Mohawk rockers system. Produces approx. 950 horsepower naturally aspirated.

Short block built by Mike Zimmerman

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Cast high-rise port-matched intake with 1450 CFM AED carb.

■ Power Adder:

“All motor baby!”

■ Transmission:

Daryl Boso built Reid case turbo 400 with standard 2.48 first gear and clean neutral.

Biltrite 9 inch torque converter

■ Rear End Assembly:

Ford 9 inch with spool, aftermarket 35 spline axles and 4.56 gears .

■ Brakes:

Wilwood disc brakes

■ Interior:

Racepak IQ3 display, Motion Raceworks air shifter

■ ET & MPH:

9.17 at 146 is the current personal best.

■ Most Memorable Experience(s) With The Car:

Keeping it in my family as I had to fight for it. Then going out to the Speedworld Pontiac event when it was completed.

The car was retooled with a chromoly tube chassis and cage certified for 7.50 elapsed times before James took possession of it. There’s little to no original GTO left inside of the car but rather just the necessities of drag racing, including an air shifter, digital display, lightweight dash and custom door panels and rear tinwork.

The factory dash was replaced with a lightweight unit and door panels are fabricated for weight savings, as well.

The GTO is affectionately named “BBAAADD”, which is short for BBAAADD To The Bone and quite fitting for a full bodied Pontiac that can turn 9.17s in the quarter with ease on an all motor setup.

Admittedly, there have been quite a few speed bumps since James took on the task of being the caretaker of the GTO, but the amount of positives far outweigh them. “I think my uncle would be proud looking down on me.

I didn’t truly understand drag racing when I took ownership of the car, but I knew it was time to learn.

This car has taught me so much about patience, hard work, and perseverance. While my initial goal was to make my uncle proud, I think I’ve also become a more focused and dedicated person in the process. I truly look forward to what the future will bring for me and my Uncle’s legacy in this car.”

To date James has run the naturally aspirated GTO to a best of 9.17 at 146mph.

Thiscoolnitrous’dNovaistheultimateDragNDrivereal

Story: George Pich | Photos: Robert Richard

July 15, 2023

Limmited28s SD Street

Grudge Bike

ianhillracing.com

"The best feature of my Nova is its versatility. It can be driven any distance and still run low 8 second times when you get there, then drive home," says Mark Vinson of his Alien Green nitrous’d big block Nova.

We don’t have to tell you at this point who Mark Vinson is, or chat about his history – over the course of the past year we’ve featured his heavyweight (3850-pound) 8 second street/strip 1955 Chevy 210 Sedan and his wild bottom 4-second 1/8-mile X275 2014 Shelby Mustang, so you know he has cred on both the street and strip. But when you walk into a guy’s garage to shoot a feature on a car and see two other badass rides sitting there, it’s hard not to to feature them too, so we did.

Vinson is not some super wealthy collector of cars that sit in a climate controlled shop only to be rarely or never driven, instead, he’s pretty much the opposite. Mark is a guy who simply loves cars of all kinds, especially ones with some serious power, and enjoys getting behind the wheel of them on the street, or the strip.

Vinson, as we’ve mentioned in the past, comes from a street race background, so he’s pretty familiar with the goings on in the street car scene in his Valencia, Pa area. You might say

he’s got his ear to the ground when it comes to who has what and how fast it is. There is this old saying …"buy the competition”, and that is sort of the way Mark came across this ’70 Nova. Most of the street car crowd is pretty close; they tend to stay in contact and some even form lasting friendships, like the Vinson’s did with their rival Nova owner. “In early 2019 I heard that this 1970 Nova we used to race against might be for sale, so I approached my friend, we agreed on a price and I bought it turnkey,” added Vinson.

Mark’s brother Matt also has a solid street car; a 1966 Fairlane that they used to street race back in the late 80s. Incidentally it’s now the 6-second twin turbo street car that we featured in the 2014 Jan/ Feb issue of RPM Magazine.

After purchasing the Nova from a fellow street racer from back in the day, Mark drove it as it was with the big block 4-speed, but on New Year’s Day 2020 the project began and 7 months later the Alien Nova was ready for action.

The addition of the Yenko/SC stripe package and black vinyl roof are definitely an added bonus to the look of the iconic Nova.

Mark Vinson’s 1970 Nova is the perfect example of how to build a 7-second musclecar. At first glimpse it looks like a real nice restoration with cool wheels, when in fact it can drive hundreds of miles, bang off high 7-second quarter mile hits, then drive home with your money!

Next up was a complete front suspension clip from Smith Racecraft and he then took just the body and front frame on a rotisserie to Pro1 Automotive for bodywork and the Kia Alien Green paint. Since the car was originally green, Mark it was a fitting choice.

By April 2020 the car was back in the Vinson garage and assembly began, with

the finished product rolling out just 2 months later, in June of 2020. All in all, in just under 7 months the Nova went from wild to wilder!

The car itself is all steel with the exception of the Glasstek hood. The Smith Racecraft front included the subframe, control arms and motor/ mid plate and was mated to a set of coilover shocks.

Jason

Leiva,s ZL1 Camaro

preparing for a pass

Body & paint was completed by Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive in Butler Pa. The Alien Green color really catches the eye and Mark figured since the car was green to start with it was a fitting choice.

The plan was to keep the car on leafsprings out back and Calvert split mono leafs were used in conjunction with Assassin bars to provide the hook for the soon to be big block nitrous warrior. A Fab9 chromoly 9 inch with Mark Williams 40 spline axles, Ultra case and 3.70 gears hangs from the trick rear suspension

Mark, AKA Vinson Racing Engines, built the capable big block starting with a Dart Big M block. A Callies crank, Manley rods and Mahle pistons make up the rotating assembly. A Bullet cam was slid in place and Flotech 360 heads prepared by Domhoff Machine with Jesel

Vinson chose to stay true to the roots of the Nova on the inside, too. Much of the original equipment was reinstalled including the dash, column and trim panels. A Racepak dash, M&M shifter and twin comfy Procar buckets were added to the mix along with the chromoly cage for safety.

The heartbeat of this Chevy is a Vinson-built big block. A Dart Big M block and Flotech 360 heads were used in the build and a Holley Super Sniper Stealth EFI tops a cast ProFiler high rise intake. Nitrous comes into the mix via an Applied Nitrous Technology dual stage plate nitrous system.

steel rockers, Ferrea valves, PSI springs and Trend pushrods were studded in place. A Moroso oil pump controls lubrication and a Moroso pan caps the bottom end. Mixing new school into the package, a Holley Super Sniper Stealth EFI tops a cast ProFiler high rise intake.

An Applied Nitrous Technology dual stage plate nitrous system provides the extra hit to propel the Nova to 7.97 on the long track and 4.94 in the eighth!

The entire front end was replaced with a Smith Racecraft subframe, control arms and motor/mid plate and was mated to a set of coilover shocks. Out back Calvert split mono leafs were used in conjunction with Assassin bars. A Fab9 chromoly 9 inch with Mark Williams 40 spline axles, Ultra case and 3.70 gears was built to handle the new level of power the Nova was about to experience.

Mark Vinson’s Street/Strip Nitrous Big Block 1970 Nova

■ Body & Paint:

Original body with Glasstek hood. Bodywork done by Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive in Butler Pa. The color is a Kia color, Alien Green. The car was originally green so it seemed appropriate.

■ Chassis Modifications:

Complete 8.50 chromoly cage by Vinson Racing, rear mini tubs from Detroit Speed.

■ Suspension:

Front: Chromoly subframe, control arms, rack motor/mid plate from Smith Racecraft with Penske front coil over shocks Rear: Calvert split mono leafs, Assassin bars.

■ Engine:

Engine built by Mark at Vinson Racing Engines. Dart BigM block, Callies crank, Manley rods, Mahle pistons, Bullet cam, Comp belt drive, Moroso oil pump and pan. Cylinder heads are Flotech 360 heads prepared by Domhoff Machine with Jesel steel rockers, Ferrea valves, PSI springs and Trend pushrods.

■ Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Holley Super Sniper Stealth EFI on Pro-Filer cast high rise intake. Aeromotive in-tank fuel pump and tank, Aeromotive regulator. Ignition is MSD Grid

■ Power Adder:

Applied Nitrous Technology dual stage plate nitrous system

■ Transmission:

Rossler TH400 trans with clean neutral valve body.

■ Rear End Assembly:

Fab9 chromoly 9” with Mark Williams 40 spline axles, Strange Ultra case, 3.70 gears.

■ Tires & Wheels:

Billet Specialties wheels, front are 15x4 with MT ET drag tires and rears are 15x12 with MT 275 Pro Drag radials.

■ Interior:

Procar seats, Racequip belts, M&M shifter, stock back seat, complete Racepak data system, Racepak dash, NX bottle, Induction Solutions bottle valve & PSI gauge.

■ ET & MPH:

4.94 @ 141 in the 1/8th and 7.97 @ 171 in the ¼.

■ Memorable Experience With The Car To Date: Winning class at the Midwest Drags.

■ Thanks To:

Paint: Jeff Thompson at Pro1 Automotive

Engine: Vinson Race Engines

Chassis: Ray Vinson

Trans: Rossler Trans

Wiring/Plumbing: Matt Vinson

Inside, the Alien Nova reflects its true muscle car era roots with many unrestored parts reinstalled during the rebuild, including door and rear panels and trim, controls and even the steering column. A carbon insert in the factory dash holds the Racepak display and a pair of aftermarket Procar race seats with harnesses secure both driver and passenger in comfort for

The car was built specifically for Drag 'N' Drive events where you have to put on street miles and then run a number of timed passes on the strip. In 2021 Mark won the SRBBPA class at Summit Midwest Drags with an 8.54 av-

Then, at the 2021 Yellow Bullet Nats Mark qualified with an 8.504 in the 8.50 class where the bump of the 32 car field was an 8.514! “We have put thousands of miles on the car over the past 2-plus years and would honestly drive it anywhere. It’s a proven performer both on and

Welding Exhaust Systems – Part 1 History & Facts

Welding is one of the most important fabrication techniques in motorsports. Today's race shop welders need to be well versed in applying welding techniques to various applications and materials including steel, chrome-moly, stainless steel, aluminum and even exotic materials like Inconel. As there are numerous excellent sources of information on welding, including the American Welding Society, this series of articles is not intended to be a thorough examination of the topic. I would only like to touch upon a few important aspects related to welding as applied to exhaust system alloys such as stainless steel and Inconel as well as aluminum.

Historically, the first welding technique was performed in the middle ages by blacksmiths. Known as forge welding, two pieces of metal were heated until glowing and then hammered together to form a bond. This technique was employed by skilled craftsman through the Renaissance and after. By the late 19th century, electrical arc welding was introduced using carbon electrodes. Over the next many decades, arc welding was perfected by the development of technologies such as coated electrodes and alternating current transformer. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), aka tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, was perfected in 1941 and played a major role in the success of the American war machine.

TIG welding has also played an immensely important role in motorsports. TIG (Image 2) is an arc welding technique that utilizes a non-consumable electrode, usually made from tungsten, a separate filler material and an inert gas (argon) shield. It is a manual process that requires tremendous skill, and patience! TIG can be employed with all weldable metals but is the most useful for the welding of alloys such as stainless steel and for thin materials. For this reason, a quality racing exhaust header should be welded using TIG welding. MIG welding should be mentioned as it is a popular welding method due to its ease of use. In fact, it has been referred to as a "hot-glue-gun" by minimally trained production welders.

TIG Welding Diagram

Image 2

Similar to TIG, MIG (Image 3) utilizes an inert gas shield. The electrode/filler are combined in an automatically fed filler wire. MIG welding lends itself to automation and is often used to fabricate production exhaust systems. But MIG should not be used to join the thin sections of tubing used for racing exhausts, sometimes as thin as 0.028". I have seen poor-quality MIG-welded collectors with welding wire protruding into the critical flow path forming "mazes."

The major components of a TIG welder are the transformer, foot-controller, inert gas supply, torch and electrode. The transformer provides the high voltage current needed to heat the base and filler metal. The electric current is controlled by the operator with a foot pedal. The inert gas is supplied by a compressed gas cylinder and controlled by a pressure regulator and flow valve. Argon is most often the preferred gas. The argon gas provides a reactant free zone around the weld and heat-affected zone (HAZ) reducing the formation of oxides that can lead to a weakened weld. Image 4 shows an otherwise pretty TIG weld where the heat was set too high. Note the large HAZ (bluish area) and the dull color of the weld. Alloys such as stainless steel are prone to the formation of these oxides due to the low thermal conductivity of the base metal that cause the metal to remain hot and reactive for a longer period of time. The argon not only provides an inert atmosphere, but it also aides in cooling the weld joint.

The welding electrode gets very hot and must be water cooled to maintain its integrity. Though the electrode is ideally not consumed, in reality, small amounts of the electrode can deposit on the weld causing contamination. In order to alleviate this, the tungsten is alloyed with vari-

ous elements, most popularly with radioactive thorium, to increase the operating temperature of the electrode. The thorium can pose an inhalation risk during grinding. Care should be taken to minimize this risk. Newer electrodes are available that do not contain thorium, and should be considered, though many welders prefer the welding characteristics of thoriated electrodes.

The welding torch is a relatively complex device incorporating the electrode leads, the electrode, water cooling and a gas shield. An important component of the torch is the "gas lens" which focuses the inert gas on the weld. There are various configurations of lenses the selection of which depends on the type of welding to be done. A great deal of skill is needed to be able to accurately control the torch by hand during welding. The welder must also add filler metal to the weld with a TIG rod with his other hand and control the welding current with his foot. To "put-down" a great bead requires a great deal of coordination, and is why the TIG welder gets paid "the big bucks."

Watch for Welding Exhaust Systems - Part 2 in your next issue of RPM

MIG Welding Diagram

Image 5

Source: Burns Stainless

fast!” he added. And with an estimated 1,300 ProCharger assisted horsepower on tap, we certainly won’t be the ones to dispute that claim.Tony, a Virginia based submarine blast and coating contractor, is what most would call a horsepower junkie, addict and hardcore motorhead as over the past 35 years he has built a number of cars and trucks for street and strip and has done most of the work on them himself. “I have taken pride in doing a lot of my own work on the vehicles I have built. It’s cheaper than therapy and keeps me sane!” laughed Tony. The S10 took right around 3 years to build and has a host of one-off ideas incorporated into the build. Tony continued, “I have seen a lot of S10 builds and would always think of changes that I would make to them if they were my creation, things to make them more user friendly and unique.

Fromwhite,beat-up straight,blackand wildsupercharged street/stripmachine.

beat-upandslowto andfast,TonyAdkins' superchargedS10isonecool machine.

The rear view is a little more telling of the capabilities of the S10. While the cage and chute could be part of a cool higher end street-only build, to a trailed eye the 275 Drag Radial tire and suspension bars tell a different story.

Driver and passenger have a sidekick in the form of the massive charger piping running through the interior to the air over water cooler.

Yep, you’re seeing it right! That is a ’57 Chevy dash expertly fit into the S10. A chromoly funny car style cage surrounds Tony and full array of gauges provide him with important vital signs.

Chassis Type & Mods:

Stock frame Rails notched as per X 275 rules. 14 point funny car cage done in chromoly. Frame rails are tied together with cross bracing. All work by owner

Suspension (Front and Rear):

Bell Tech 2” drop spindle and 1” drop springs with tubular a-arms and QA1 double adjustable shocks up front. Rear consists of 3” drop leaf springs sliders with modified front perches and Caltracks with Bell Tech drop shocks.

Body & Paint:

Paint by Al Jones at Al’s Body Shop in Gloucester VA.

Engine:

Built by Albert Racing Engines. Dart Little M block to 420 cubic inches and 9:1 compression. Heads are AFR 210 (ported). Jessel Pro Series shafts rockers. Custom roller cam by Cam Motion and Endurmax lifters by Crower.

Rotating Assembly:

Callies Magnum crankshaft, Oliver rods, custom Diamond pistons.

Induction:

Holley Keith Dorton intake C&S blow-thru carb, Wilson spacer and ProCharger competition hat.

Power Adder:

Reverse mount cog drive ProCharger F1x with one-off custom brackets built by New Era Racecraft (Kyle Kirker). Air to water intercooler between seats, 10 gallon ice box in bed.

Electronics:

All MSD; crank trigger, distributor, programmable Digital 6. Changing to MSD Grid for this year. Full dash of Autometer gauges. AEM air/fuel gauge and data logger.

Transmission & Converter:

Custom built turbo 350 and PTC converter. Going to glide with Pro case for this year.

Rear Differential:

9-inch back braced with spool, 3.50 gears, 35 spline axles - All Moser.

Exhaust:

Front exit exhaust. 2” primary, 4” collectors and bullet mufflers.

Owner Comments:

I haven’t tested yet with this combination but it should be good for mid to low 8s in the 1/4 as it weighs in at around 3,100-pounds, depending on lunch. I’ve raced for about 20 years and since the truck is X275 class legal I think it would be great to qualify with a real street car that is driven a lot.

“They call the truck 10 Piece,” Adkins added, “The whole 10 Piece thing came about because I’m a big guy with a big appetite. One night when I was snacking on a 10-piece nuggets meal at the local hangout, one of the guys said that’s what I should call the truck...10 Piece. I’ll admit that I didn’t like it at first, but it is an S10 and the name stuck, so now I just say; if you want to finish off a 10 Piece, you better bring a big appetite!”