October 2023 RPM Magazine

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ART

PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTIONS: MARK GODRAGRACING. ORG, GEORGE PICH, MATT WOODS, LOUIS FRONKIER, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, STEVEN TAYLOR, DAVID GATES, AND ANDREW RADIOTIS

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The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, muscle cars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

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Videos that are too hot to keep hidden

Story: George Pich Photos: Jerry Garrison

Refreshing, different, outside the box… no matter how you word it, seeing something like Dwayne Lile’s 1965 Malibu 300 Wagon 2 door is a memorable experience. And watching it bang off mid 7-second ¼ mile hits on the strip is definitely unforgettable!

So many horsepower junkies were inspired by their dad or a close family member when they were young, but how many can say that they actually started wrenching at 4 years old? “At the age of 4, my father brought home an old bus engine and told my older brother and I to take it apart and put it back together. That is where it all started for me,” Lile recalled.

This Wicked pass by Dwayne Lile will shock you!

Dwayne’s dad was a mechanic by trade, and ran and owned service stations in Oklahoma and Alaska, of all places, and by the age of 12 Dwayne was helping at the station on weekends. It wasn’t long before he started working on motorcycles

and snow machines and eventually cars. He started as an apprentice mechanic in 1988 with Barney's Repair Service in Anchorage Alaska and his path would eventually lead to racing under the guidance of Stan Barney.

With

the side shot of the 65 Chevelle 2 door wagon

you get a solid understanding of just how long this thing is. – like 1½

Fox Bodies!

Everything on the car, from the rear ’chutes and wheelwells to the front exhaust cutouts was executed to perfection, and the original lights, trim and roof rack are over-the-top cool.

Show Them Your Taillights.

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“In August of that year, Stan asked me to drive his 1964 Chevelle Super Stock Wagon at Polar Raceway in Palmer, Alaska and I continued to drive that car until 1991, amassing three state championships.”

That car was sold to a buyer in Lake Havasu City, AZ. and Dwayne moved there as well and continued to race the car in Phoenix.

With drag racing firmly set in his blood, a few years later Dwayne headed back to Alaska to shoe Stan’s 1967 Chevy Impala.

...We made our official debut at the Street Car Super Nationals running a best E.T. of 7.620 at 180.57mph...

DWAYNE LILE

Check out the slick placement of the turbo inlets where the inside headlights once sat.

Sadly, Stan died on July 2, 1995, but Lile and the rest of Stan’s team went on to win the state championship in 1995 and 1996 in his memory. By ’97, Dwayne started campaigning his own race program in Alaska, winning another 4 state championships.

Interestingly, Dwayne’s current ’65 Wagon was found back in Lake Havasu City. He first saw it in 2013 on Dragzine and recalls thinking how amazing it would be to own something that reminded him of the very first car he raced. Sure enough, in the spring of 2014 he saw it for sale on Racing Junk and made a deal. Once it was shipped to Alaska, upgrades were planned to the chassis and rear end housing, but unfortunately during the process they found severe structural problems with the car and decided it was best to dismantle it and start over, with the help of Jay Childs Race Cars of Palmer, Alaska.

The

car is straight as an

arrow thanks to the bodywork of Shawn Saupe and paint expertise of James Burdette of Franks Customs and Collision.

American Racing Headers

After racing again in the north for a number of years, Dwayne eventually returned to Lake Havasu City, AZ and worked with Jason McNeil of Liberty Racecraft in Yucca, AZ to get the big bodied Chevy back into race shape. By November 2020 it was ready to be certified and hit the strip, literally “The Strip” in Las Vegas.

The little engine that could! A Rodeck-blocked 378-cube small block Chevy with twin turbos propels the Wagon to mid-7-second ¼-mile hits.

Dwayne Lile’s Twin Turbo Small Block 1965 Malibu 300 Wagon, 2 Door

Body & Paint:

James Burdette, of Franks Custom & Collision.

Chassis Modifications:

Full chromoly tube chassis.

Suspension:

Strut front end and four link rear with Santhuff shocks ad struts.

Engine:

Rodeck blocked small block Chevy, 378 CI. Callies crankshaft, ROSS Racing pistons. Brodix cylinder heads, T&D rockers, Manton pushrods and Vasco valve springs.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Hogan Intake, 102 MM Throttle Body, Fuel Tech engine management and Billet Atomizer 575# injectors.

Power Adder:

Twin 7675 Gen 2 turbos.

Transmission:

Mike's Transmission, turbo 400 with a Neal Chance 10 inch converter.

Rear End:

Chromoly housing 9 inch Ford with 4.11 and 35 spline axles.

Brakes:

Wilwood brakes front and rear.

Tires & Wheels:

Mickey Thompson front and rear.

Interior:

Fueltech dash. Grant steering wheel, Precision shifter, race seat, RCI seat belts and 20lb Stroud fire system.

ET & MPH:

¼-mile best ET is 7.595 and best speed 186.18MPH.

Most Unique Feature(s):

Roof rack, and the small block Chevy engine with twin turbos.

Special Reason For Build:

To pay homage to my mentor, Stan Barney.

Most Memorable Experience With The Car:

It was at our first outing to the Street Car Super Nationals Vegas in 2021. We had a goal to hopefully run 8.0s, maybe 7.90s. On our final qualifying we ran a 7.62 pass carrying the front tires to about the 300 foot mark.

Thanks To:

First off to my wife; Tammy for all of her support. Jay Childs “The Chassis builder”, Jason McNeil of Liberty Racecraft for helping with tin work and other things. Cuz Dave Smulick for all you have done. Shawn Saupe for some body work, James Burdette for this awesome paint, Brian Macy from the EFI Store for setting up our first tune in the car, Don Bailey for the help getting the tune all cleaned up, Mike and Jacki, John Robarge, Spike Gorr of Gorr Fuel Systems and many many more.

Dwayne went against the grain and chose small block power over big block. Not only does he get a lot of looks in the pits with the front end off, but he gets even more attention when the scoreboards light up after a run.

“We made our official debut at the Street Car Super Nationals running a best E.T. of 7.620 at 180.57mph and went 2 rounds of eliminations before the race was cancelled at 2:30am. We went home very satisfied with the car’s performance and started the current paint job, courtesy of James Burdette of Franks Custom & Collision, of Lake Havasu City, AZ. And here we are today,” Lile added.

4-link/coilover rear suspends a chromoly 9-inch Ford with 4.11 gears and 35 spline axles that transfers power outward to the massive Mickey Thompson slicks.

The Wagon body tub is a survivor that has been tweaked over the years with various composite parts, including the front end and cowl hood. The long sleek bodylines were massaged by Shawn Saupe and James Burdette of Franks Customs and Collision ex-

pertly applied the stunning burnt orange metallic paint. The body sits on a complete chromoly tube chassis by Alaskan builder Jay Childs, with additional tin, update and finish work by Jason McNeil of Liberty Racecraft in Lake Havasu City.

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Clean, neat and uncluttered were the marching orders when designing the Chevelle’s interior. It’s setup for drag racing, plain and simple. A maze of cage bars surround the driver and are finished in a contrasting blue/purple color. A custom switch panel, Precision shifter, parachute and fire system controls are also within reach and electronics are mounted on a custom panel affixed to the passenger side door bars.

A strut front and 4-link/coilover rear are complemented by Santhuff equipment, and a chromoly 9-inch Ford with 4.11 gears and 35 spline axles transfers power outward to the massive Mickey Thompson slicks.

There’s no shortage of real estate inside the car, but there’s zero remnants of anything factory to ID it as the super-

sized people mover it once was. Instead, the Chevelle is setup for one thing; to get from Point A to Point B as quick and safe as possible, and it does that very well. A maze of cage bars, certified to run into the 6-second zone surround the driver and are finished in a contrasting, and eye-popping, blue/ purple color as is the associated tin work.

The real estate behind the driver seems to go on forever in the Chevelle Wagon. Needless to say, there was no shortage of space to use for equipment like batteries and a fuel cell.

John Robarge [left] and Dwayne Lile

Dwayne maintains peak performance with his trusty laptop, an essential tool in today's racing environment.

A Mike's Transmission turbo 400 with Neal Chance 10 inch converter are on full display beside Dwayne and the dash consists of a lightweight composite piece with a single FuelTech digital display to relay vitals.

But its what's placed between the framerails that surprises most – for such a mammoth platform, Lile opted to go with a small block Chevy setup, and it has worked out very well. The Rodeck-blocked Mouse motor measures out to 378 cubic inches and is equipped with a Callies crank and rods and ROSS pistons. Brodix cylinder heads equipped with T&D rockers and Vasco valve springs were studded

in place and Manton pushrods transfer camshaft commands. A Hogan’s sheet metal intake sports 575-pound injectors and a 102mm “Big Mouth” throttle body. Boost for the small but mighty Chevy comes in the form of twin Precision 7675 Gen 2 turbochargers.

When all was said and done, the Chevelle has rocketed to a best ¼-mile pass to date of 7.595, and reached top end speeds of over 186mph! And that’s a more than fitting tribute to Dwayne’s mentor and friend Stan Barney, who had enough confidence in a young apprentice mechanic to put him behind the wheel of his prized racecar.

Story: George Pich

Photos: Jerry Garrison

Sandro Schneider grew up in the San Fernando Valley area of California, cruising and racing cars.

With amazing weather, a ton of quick street cars and a social life second to none, what more could a young man ask for? But it was a few years earlier, at the young age of 14, when Schneider got his very first racing experience.

Back In 1974, "Big

Willie" Robinson and his wife Tomiko opened what was for mally named Broth erhood Raceway Park, but most of the locals, like Sandro, just called it “Termi nal Island”, referring to the place where the track was located; between San Pedro and Long Beach.

It was a ¼ mile strip on an old airfield surrounded by the Port of Los Angeles that ran, on and off, until 1995. “My first track experience was at the age 14 with a 1967 Camaro 426 small block I had built and taken out to Terminal Island,” Sandro explained. “I went to talk to the owner, Big Willie. He looked at me and said, ‘what do you want son?’ I told him that I wanted to race my car. He turned and asked me, ‘well can you drive it?’ And I told him that I had built it, so I could drive it. He gave me a chance to run it that day and at that point I was hooked

Speedway Custom of Lake Havasu handled the multicolored House OF Colors candies over black, and the trick pin striping is by Scott Letter Lines & Designs.

You might call Sandro Schneider’s No-Prep Camaro a “survivor” of sorts. It’s a legit Pro Mod from back in the heyday and surely saw some pretty serious action back then. Afterwards, it was converted for Super Gas duties and now it’s back in fightin’ shape as a badass heads-up car. It’s always cool to see these legendary builds from days gone by retooled into a serious drag car again.

for life!”

It wasn’t long before Schneider was hitting the streets most weekends with whatever he had built, but it is one particular street race that sticks out in his mind; “What I consider to be my best street race experience was when I beat future NHRA Top Fuel Champion Larry

Dixon on Oxnard Street in Van Nuys. That was one I will never forget!”

Following a severe accident while racing a blown alcohol Pro Mod 1963 Corvette, once Sandro had his fire to get behind the wheel of a race car again, he started to look for a new ride and came across this Camaro on Racing Junk.

Wicked ¼ 1/4 mile pass with wheels up for most of the pass!

It was an ex-Pro Mod from back in the heyday and after retiring from that scene it was converted to a Super Gas car. “It was not exactly what I was looking for but the price was right. I called the seller right away to arrange a time to view the car however, he was in Washington State and I was in Southern California. I made a cannonball run the day after Thanksgiving 2022 and grabbed my new ride, and it has been a work in progress ever since.”

Sandro Schneider –Rear camera mount pass

The maze of electronics required for a nitrous car of this calibre is laid out on a large carbon panel affixed to the passenger side firewall.

The interior of the Camaro is 100% race with a single seat surrounded by a funny car style cage. A Holley dash was used with Autometer gauges to relay info to the driver.

As a retired gym owner and trainer to actors and stuntmen, Schneider was no stranger to excitement and the adrenaline rush of fast cars. This time he wanted to get deeper into the exploding world of no-time and no-prep drags, and this full chassis, big tire Camaro would make the perfect platform for that. The chassis is originally a Vanishing Point mild steel tube chassis with funny car cage that would have been certi-

Noboosthere!

Instead, a Shafiroff “500 and something” cubic inch Dart-blocked big block Chevy with 3 stages of custom Induction Solutions nitrous motivates this badboy to the win in no-prep action. Ben Strader (founder of EFI University) not only built the Holley Dominator system but tunes the car, as well.

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½" SOCKET HEAD WHEEL STUD WITH BULLET NOSE

fied to 6.0 ¼ mile elapsed times, but due to changes in material and specs over the years, it’s now certified for 7.50s. The chassis needed some updates and mods for what Sandro wanted to do with it and he credits Liberty Racecraft for the work; “They took this old track car and made a no-prep car that goes down anything anywhere!”

The front is a fabricated tubular A-arm setup with

coilovers and rack and pinion steering and the rear 4-link coilover was done by Liberty Racecraft. A braced Ford 9” housing is filled with 40 spline axles, spool and 3.90 gear. The body is a full composite race car piece with removable front end. Speedway Custom of Lake Havasu handled the multicolored House OF Colors candies over black, and the trick pin striping is by Scott Letter Lines & Designs.

Sandro Schneider’s Nitrous Big Block No-Time 1993 Camaro

Chassis:

Vanishing Point mild steel tube chassis. Funny car cage. Was a 6.0 car until NHRA went chromoly. Now it is a 7.50 cert. Liberty Racecraft took this old track car and made a no prep car that goes down anything anywhere.

Body & Paint:

Speedway Custom of Lake Havasu. Multicolored HOC candies over black. Pin striped by Scott Letter Lines & Designs.

Suspension:

Front A-arm with Santhuff shock coilovers.

Rear Liberty Racecraft built 4-link with Santhuff coilovers.

Engine:

Big block Chevy Dart based 500+CI Shafiroff custom nitrous build. Callies crank, GRP aluminum rods, Diamond pistons. Brodix heads with extra work by Scott Shafiroff, T & D rockers.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

EFI University-built Holley Dominator, Weldon fuel pump.

Power Adder:

Induction Solutions built 3 stage Wet/Dry nitrous system.

Transmission:

Jim Naffziger Racing Transmission in Las Vegas, Coan Converter.

Rear:

Braced 9-icnh with Strange center section and axles and 3.90 gear ratio.

Brakes:

Strange lightweight.

Tires & Wheels:

Weld Alumastar double beadlock rear/V Star fronts.

Interior:

Holley dash, Motion RaceWorks shifter, Grant steering wheel, Autometer gauges.

ET & MPH:

No prep, no-time.

Most Unique Features:

Paint job is an attention grabber and taking an old school track car and making it a competitive No Prep car is cool too.

Special Reason to Build This Car:

To get back racing after a terrible crash. Now I’ve got my fire for racing back.

Build Timeline:

Too many days, nights and hours to remember. Always a work in progress though.

Most Memorable Experience:

Winning a Cash Day no prep race with my wife watching from the starting line again. The back story is that after my bad crash she said she would not watch again. So getting her back there and helping out = Best Race Ever! More to come!

Thanks to:

Jason McNeil and Kelly Nowlan at Liberty Racecraft (Chassis set up and track crew)

Ben Strader – EFI University (Tuning)

Scott Bisel (A little bit of everything)

Scott Shafiroff (Engine)

Jay and Colleen Jorgensen – Speedway Custom (Paint and Body Modification)

Steve and Matt – Induction Solutions (Nitrous System)

Liberty Racecraft did the rear 4-link coilover that suspends a braced Ford 9” housing with 3.90 gears. The front is a fabricated tubular A-arm setup with coilovers and rack and pinion steering. Lightweight race brakes have been used on all four corners.

In any type of racing, there’s a lot to be said for reputation, especially when it comes to engine performance and reliability and Schneider chose none other than Scott Shafiroff for his new mill. With running nitrous oxide in mind, Shafiroff created a Dart-blocked big block Chevy in excess of 500 cubic inches to get the job done.

A Callies crank swings GRP aluminum rods pinned to custom Di-

amond nitrous-spec pistons. Brodix heads were re-worked by Shafiroff and fitted with T&D rockers. EFI University built the Holley Dominator and Ben Strader (founder of EFI University) tunes the car. The intake was plumbed for a substantial hit of nitrous and Steve and Matt of Induction Solutions created one of their custom 3-stage combination systems for the no-prep Camaro.

Double beadlocked Weld Alumastars skinned with Hoosier slicks grace the rear of the Camaro and V Stars with Goodyear skinnies reside up front.

Since this car was purpose-built for track duty as opposed to being a converted production car, the firewall and all interior panels are fabricated sheet metal. A Holley dash was used in conjunction with Autometer gauges, and a quick release Grant steering wheel mounted on a custom column and Motion RaceWorks shifter were also used. The vast array of electronics required for a nitrous car of this calibre are laid out on a large carbon panel affixed to the passenger side firewall.

Now let’s get down to brass tacks, what exactly is this Camaro capable of? The trained reader might have picked up on the fact that we did not release the exact cubic inches of the big block, nor did we provide any cam specs. This should be an indicator that we’re dealing with an experienced no-prep racer who knows the game well. In other words, we’re not telling what the Camaro runs and if we did it wouldn’t be true anyway! Suffice it to say that the most memorable moment for Schneider to date was winning a Cash Day no-prep race with his wife watching from the starting line. And that is exactly why we named this story “The Taker”.

Completed earlier this year, Sandro has already taken some cash with the Camaro running the West Coast No-Prep scene. He also helps run the Chuckwalla Drag Strip in Desert Center, CA.

[Left to right] Kelly Nowlin, Jason McNeil and Sandro Schneider

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: Stephen Taylor

Not too long ago, we were reviewing an RPM Feature Tech Sheet on a stunning 1964 Fairlane build and noticed that one of the owners, George Adams III was 78 years old.

As we continued through the details, for some reason one word they wrote stuck in our heads “Inspiration”. It’s something so important and integrated into ev erything we do, yet we rarely rec ognize the value of being inspired. Every enthusiast needs inspiration to build or even buy a car. Where that inspiration comes from is unique to each person, but it is something that is often overlooked.

Let’s take George Adams for example. He was inspired to build and race cars from a young age and that inspiration continues. Something inspired him to choose a Ford Fairlane, and that has continued his entire life. And those decisions inspired his son Tom to follow in his footsteps. A recent accident during competition forced the rebuild of George and Tom’s prized 1964 Fairlane hardtop. Finding inspiration to even start that task, let alone finish it, can be difficult. In this fast paced world where a younger generation wants everything fast and cheap, it’s folks like George that serve as a reminder to us that sometimes we need to slow down, relax and find our inspiration, and inspire others.

What more is there to say about the ’64 Fairlane of George and Tom Adams that these photos don’t explain in detail. The car is absolutely stunning from top to bottom and everywhere in between.

George, now 78, started racing at age 18 on Sunday afternoons at an old airport drag strip in Halls, Tennessee and occasionally at Lakeland in Memphis, in a 1963 Fairlane. So if you’re wondering why the Adams family (no pun intended) still runs Fairlanes, you have your answer.

After moving to South Carolina and acquiring the family’s 1964 factory 289 Hi-Po Fairlane, George raced lots of Saturday nights at Greer Dragway, driving it from Union, SC, putting on wider tires at the track, changing back and driving home after a fun night.

All the while, son Tom and his kid buddies 6 to 8 years old played with their little cars in the dirt while the dad’s raced. It was certainly different and arguably better times back then when kids could go off on their own to play with little to no worries, as long as they were back

when the streetlights came on. After moving the family to the St. Louis area, as George’s son, George T. Adams IV who goes by “Tom”, turned 16 he ran his first “legal” drag race at I-55 Raceway in the Hi-Po and has been driving whatever and whenever he could with the family cars ever since.

It was a crash 5 years ago that set in motion the rebuild of the Fairlane to what it is today. And what it is today is a full chromoly tube chassis 588 cubic inch powered race car cleverly disguised as a show car. “It’s a race car for sure and a show car when it needs to be,” George said.

For this family it’s always been a Father/ Son partnership. Tom is now primary driver of the newly rebuilt ’64 and “Pop” races a ’64 Fairlane 347 stroker “fun machine”.

The burgundy Fairlane was purchased as a roller 18 years ago when the previous owner decided to purchase a dragster and power it with the engine from the ’64.

Once the car was in the Adams’ shop, they installed a 514 cubic inch Ford crate engine and went racing. The car ran 10.50s and was fun to drive, however, as with most racers the need for speed took over and it was time to upsize! The pair upgraded the motor to a 521-incher with legendary Kaase P-51 heads and instantly went 9.60s.

George and Tom Adams' 1964 Fairlane is a powerhouse!

Content with their new power and performance, George raced the car regularly until 5 years ago when, during a run at Kil-Kare Drag Strip in Ohio, the Fairlane hit the wall nose first. “It was not a pretty sight,” Tom explained. “Nothing from the front bumper to the firewall could be saved, including the engine which was destroyed as the oil pump got knocked into the oil pan and parts began to shred, even cracking the block.” And from that day, the plan to rebuild began.

Matheis Race Cars of High Ridge, MO rebuilt the chassis front end while George and Tom began accumulating engine parts for the rebuild. And, as you might expect, since they

built a stronger engine they felt that other parts of the car needed to be upgraded, namely the rear end, the rest of the existing chassis and suspension, and even the rear wheels and slicks.

The legendary and unmistakable look of Ford’s bulging Thunderbolt hood.

“At this point, the car went back to Rob Matheis, the body was removed and a complete tube chassis was built. The body was reinstalled and then all the fun of wiring, plumbing, etc. began. It took a while, and lots of help from some very talented friends, but we are very pleased with the outcome,” Tom added.

The pristine bodywork on the car, which retains its original steel body

tub, quarters and doors (the fenders, decklid and unmistakable Thunderbolt hood are composite) was completed by Scott Hortiz, Chad Saale, John Deters and Clayton Givens, and the custom burgundy paint color with Zarrillic flake is by Tom Adams. To say this car is an attention-getter is an understatement. And if you’re wondering about the trim on the car, it is original for the most part.

The 521 big block that formerly sat here was damaged beyond repair and, as racers have been known to do, George and Tom went bigger and badder with their new combination. Installation is as clean as they come and paint work in the engine bay is flawless. Note that the original firewall was kept in place and the hood is still on hinges.

George T. Adams III (George) and George T. Adams IV (Tom) - Adams 3 and 4 Racing’s Big Block Naturally Aspirated 1964 Ford Fairlane 500

Body & Paint:

Custom paint color w/zarrillic flake by Tom Adams. Scott Hortiz, Chad Saale, John Deters, Clayton Givens did the expert body work, painting and polishing.

Chassis Modifications:

Full tube chassis Chromoly 25.2 spec by Matheis Race Cars.

Suspension (Front & Rear):

Front - Strange aluminum struts.

Rear - 4 Link/coilover custom by Matheis Race Cars.

Engine:

Ford SVO 460 block bored and stroked to 588 cu in. Lunati internal balance crank 4.5 stroke, Molnar 6.8 rods and Diamond pistons.

Cylinder Heads:

Jon Kaase SR-71 Heads. Comp rockers, springs, pushrods, retainers.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Trick Flow Mafia Intake with Pro Systems SV1 Methanol Carb and MagnaFuel ProStar 500 fuel pump.

Power Adder:

“No power adders while the old school old man is around. Tom often talks about Prochargers and such though…wink wink!”

Transmission:

Powerglide w/brake by Greg Cullum at Transmissions To Go in Arnold, MO

Rear End:

Matheis Race Cars custom built rear end housing. Strange 4.30 rear gears. Strange 40 Spline gun-drilled axles.

Brakes:

Strange discs all around. Simpson chute.

Tires & Wheels:

Hoosier fronts on 15x6 American Rebel Wheels. Goodyear 32x16x15 slicks on 15x14 American Rebel Wheels.

Interior:

Autometer gauges, Strange removable steering wheel, B&M shifter, race seats and covers, Simpson cam lock harness.

ET & MPH:

Only 3 shake down passes on 1/8 mile to date. Best is 5.78 @ 120 mph. Anxious to get back out for more tuning and get ¼ mile runs in. Expect 5.50s in the 1/8 mile and 8.60s in the ¼ mile. Fingers crossed!

Most Unique Feature(s):

It’s a race car for sure and a show car when it needs to be. It’s hard work, but it can be done.

Special Reason For Build:

We really like 1964 Fairlanes and there are not so many around. We wanted something unique.

Build Timeline:

Five years off and on as money and inspiration allowed.

Most Memorable Experience With The Car:

Worst - Crash at Kil-Kare.

Best - Watching it go down the track first time after rebuild!

First public outing was Fairlane Club of America National Show in Kingsport, TN, June 29 - July 1 where car was voted First Place in race car class.

Thanks To:

Doug Bender - Fairlance Club of America President for directing parts search.

Lynda Boysel - Fiberglass hood and fenders.

Ron Oliver - Had lots of needed chrome parts on his shelf.

Jim Newkirk - Jefferson County Metal Polishing

Larry Conn - Expert wiring job!

J.J. Pittsinger - Technical advice, wiring and lots of hard labor on the first build.

Jeff Pittsinger - Throttle linkage and many other small parts.

(RIP our friend Jeff)

Larry Conn - Expert wiring - Using K & R Performance Engineering kit; a very well designed system.

Jimmy Cook - Assistance in final assembly.

“Replacement body and trim parts were sourced with help from our Fairlane Club of America friends as almost no reproduction parts are available like they are for my Chevy friends,” George said with a smile. If you are intrigued by the look of the Fairlane, wait until you peek inside,

under the hood, or even underneath it! A Ford SVO 460 block was used as the foundation to create the roomy 588-inch big block. The mill was built by AA Automotive owner Rick Douthitt in Arnold, MO with components recommended to George and Tom by big block Ford guru Lem Evans.

The new, near 600-inch big block (actual cubes are 588) was created by AA Automotive. A Ford SVO 460 block is filled with a Lunati internal balance crank with 4.5” stroke, Molnar 6.8 rods, Diamond forged pistons and a sizeable 824 lift Comp custom grind cam. Jon Kaase SR-71 heads were fitted with Comp rockers, springs, pushrods and retainers and a Trick Flow Mafia Intake is topped with a Pro Systems SV1 methanol carb.

A Lunati internal balance crank with 4.5” stroke was used with Molnar 6.8 rods pinned to Diamond forged pistons. A Comp custom grind cam with 824 lift was slid in place to complete the short block assembly. Cylinder

heads are Jon Kaase SR71s with Comp rockers, springs, pushrods and retainers. A Trick Flow Mafia Intake is topped with a Pro Systems SV1 methanol carb and fuel for the big cube beast is delivered via a MagnaFuel ProStar 500 fuel pump.

A fairly Spartan interior is setup for drag racing, but the restored factory dash and gauges were kept in place along with select factory trim and controls. A 25.2 certified chromoly cage snakes its way through the interior and custom sheet metal work is mixed with extensive amounts of carbon fiber throughout.

The Fairlane now rides on a full chromoly 25.2 spec. tube chassis with strut front end and 4-link/coilover rear. The Ford 9-inch rear end is also a Matheis creation and houses a spool with 4.30 rear gears and 40 Spline gun-drilled axles. The trunk area reveals a large fuel cell, twin batteries and more top-shelf chassis work.

Nowadays, Tom is primary driver of the newly rebuilt ’64 and “Pop” races a ’64 Fairlane 347 stroker “fun machine” seen here.

With OEM parts being virtually extinct and very little reproduced, replacement body and trim parts were sourced with help from the Fairlane Club of America, and the results are outstanding.

As for a power adder, George puts it best, “No power adders while the old school old man is around, but Tom often talks about ProChargers and such.”

Thanks to the expert work of Matheis Race Cars, everything under the car is as functional and clean

as the topside. The Fairlane now rides on a full chromoly 25.2 spec. tube chassis with strut front end and 4-link/coilover rear. The Ford 9-inch rear end is also a Matheis creation and houses a spool with 4.30 rear gears and 40 Spline gun-drilled axles.

A light burnout at our shoot location, just enough to not attract too much attention.

As you would expect, the interior of the Fairlane is top-quality, too, with the restored factory dash and gauges being the centerpiece. From there, custom sheet metal work is mixed with extensive amounts of carbon fiber and factory trim and hardware. A trio of under-dash mounted traditional aftermarket gauges along with a Monster Tach relay information to the driver.

With just 3 shakedown 1/8 mile passes to date, Tom has wheeled the Fairlane to a 5.78 at 120 mph. “We’re anxious to get back out for more tuning and get some full 1/4 mile runs in. Expect 5.50’s in the 1/8 and 8.60’s in the 1/4. Fingers crossed!” George added.

Tom (left) and George Adams

Labor Day weekend is on the ”things to do” map thanks to the Yellow Bullet Nationals which has become the East Coast’s premiere event, spanning four days that includes testing, qualifying and hardcore drag racing.

Each year we get dozens of calls to host races in the pages of RPM MAG, and our explanation is always the same – given the nearly overnight internet coverage of events, we only host a few

select events each year that we have a strong connection to. Monty and Maria have been friends of RPM MAG’s Chris and Trish Biro dating back over 20 years, so you will always see exclusive coverage of every Yellow Bullet Nationals right here in RPM! And if you missed one, be sure to visit wwwrpmmag.com where you can read free back issues of RPM dating back to 2014!

Mother nature had some hurdles for this year’s weekend, which included heat indexes over 100 degrees much of the four days, unrelenting sun, no

clouds and barely a wisp of wind to soften the burn of the heat. RPM Magazine was along for the entire weekend as this author took in all the Labor Day / Yellowbullet celebrations, the smells of old school cookouts, hot grass, warm nights and brutal competition as we always expect at this event. The race would be broadcast via Mark and Joanne Walter’s Motormania TV and announced by Gary Rhudy taking advantage of the new sound system installed.

To say the build-up to the 2023 Yellowbullet Nationals was enormous

would be an understatement. Race owners / promotors Monty and Maria Mikho with brother David Mikho felt the passion of the fans and racers weeks before opening day. Many upgrades had been made to the Cecil County Dragway facility leading up to this event by owner and 4x PDRA

Pro Nitrous Champion Jim Halsey to improve the all-around experience. New aluminum bleachers on concrete pads on the tower side, full length LED track lighting, a new sound system and speakers, miles of new heavy duty fencing, new entry booths for quick service on both sides of the track and re-routing / widening / paving of the return roads which was one very well kept secret until this event weekend. Because of the heated forecast for

the weekend, the 10 class schedule had to be rearranged to allow for not only the best competition, but also the safety of the Cecil County team of employees who would need to spend countless hours making sure the track was optimized for the radial / slick prep under the hot sun. I was amazed at the level at which the Cecil County team worked under the circum-

stances. Radial classes were moved to the optimal time where cooler temps would be more beneficial, one day of testing (Friday) was traded off to become a qualifying day to make sure that all classes had at least two qualifiers. It worked out perfectly as Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were a sea of spectators taking in the action.

PRO MODIFIED SHOOTOUTS

The Pro Modified session had many bonuses this year – during qualifying there would be a final from the unfinished Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association "NEOPMA" last month at Cecil County that would pit Kevin McCurdy and

Derek Ward against each other in the second round of qualifying. McCurdy would peddle his way to victory and take the NEOPMA title and $7,000.00 for that race. The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association was responsible for 14 of the 17 cars in

Andy Jensen

Kevin McCurdy

this class, another big day for NEOPMA". ChurchView Farm would sponsor a split class shootout offering up $5,000 for a blower shootout winner and $5,000.00 for nitrous / turbo shootout winner. Steve King would take the title of Blower Shootout

Champion with a 3.61 over an out of shape Kevin McCurdy. Fredy Scriba would take the Nitrous / Turbo title against Andy Jensen in a big cube nitrous vs single turbo small block shootout.

Fredy Scriba

Steve King

PRO MODIFIED QUALIFYING

Sooner or later the radial diehards are going to have to admit that the big tires have the stage when it comes to consistently quick ET's, speeds and all-around versatility on any track temp. Monty Mikho had been very vocal and compassionate about his feelings towards the radials being the ultimate power tire. The numbers this weekend would have to disagree with him as number one qualifier and two time Yellowbullet Nationals Pro Mod Champion Mike Decker Jr. would slam down two passes of 3.59 @ 211MPH

in the heat and the night sessions so the tires weren't an issue with the Deckers Salvage "Big Change" Supercharged Camaro. The younger Mike Decker III also known as "Hollywood" would put the second "Deckers Salvage" Supercharged Camaro into the number two spot with a 3.63 @ 203. Rounding out the top three is the young Matt Dietsch in the brilliant orange big cube nitroused Camaro out of New York hanging tough at 3.63 @ 205 in a heavily supercharged field. Upsets were everywhere in round one of sixteen cars

Mike Decker Jr. Champion

Jim Halsey

QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

in competition with the reigning champ Mike Decker Jr. with a .012 reaction time (RT) and 3.65 @ 191mph run taking out the track favorite to win, Jim Halsey, who struggled in qualifying and landed in 16th on the ladder by holeshot. Hasley regained his pace this round but lost it on the tree .040 3.63 @ 206 with the margin of victory being .009 seconds at 200+MPH! Nearly all of the nitrous entries went out this round except for Keith Haney all the way from Oklahoma and the Mid-West Pro Mod Series (MWPMS) Founder

in the "Black Mamba" Nitroused Camaro who would be taken out in the next round by Mike Decker Jr.

After all was said and done, it was going to be a father and son final with Mike Decker Jr. about to line up with son Mike "Hollywood" Decker III. Both cut sensational lights; .006 by Mike Jr and .009 by Mike III. Decker Jr’s 3.63 @ 208 was more than enough take the title and $20,000, making him the three-time champion of the Yellowbullet Nationals Pro Modified Class.

Mike Decker III

Matt Deitsch

The notion that Pro275 is waning in participation was obviously propaganda by radial tire haters as the Pro 275 class this year had 26 cars ready for competition.

That little tire has some very dedicated drivers and owners. Jason Collins would come out supercharged with zoomies blazin’ laying down a strong 3.63 at 204MPH to top the ladder. The hometown hero Mo Hall would show the fans that his nitrous game is strong placing him in second with a solid 3.65 @ 202MPH. Marcus Birt made

PRO275 QUALIFYING

the long trek to Cecil County to show his Mustang had everything it took to get in the third spot with a strong ProCharger powered pass of 3.66 @ 205.

In eliminations it was an allrun field of small tire action. The final came down to last year’s Pro275 Champion and number one qualifier Jason Collins. Mo Hall would fall to Collins as the Corvette faltered on the starting line and Collins’ 3.61 @ 201 took the full pass to become the 2023 Pro 275 Champion, picking up $20,000.00 in cash and the renowned title.

Jason Collins took on the best and came out on top with the vicious screw blown Camaro

QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

Mo Hall gave it a great shot taking his Switzer Dynamics nitrous assisted Vette to the finals yet lost as it faltered on the starting line

Marcus Birt was a serious competitor in the silver ProCharged Mustang

LIMITED DRAG RADIAL

LDR was considered somewhat of a budget where the rules allow a single power adder and Drag Radial tire with a more street style chassis, meaning no round tube cars. What was to be considered a 4.20

class has evolved quickly to blistering 3.80s by number one qualifier Jamie Hancock in his gorgeous 68 slammed-to-the-weeds Camaro, placing himself atop the ladder with a screaming 3.86 @ 186MPH. Another

Number four qualifier Andy Manson would take number two qualifier lowbullet radial racing this weekend. Manson's .033 reaction time and by a mere .005 at the stripe, taking home the Yellowbullet Nationals

Your number one qualifier Jamie Hancock in his absolutely stunning 68 Camaro was the talk of the town; this car is beautiful and rowdy.

RADIAL QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

qualifier Greg Blevins Jr. out in one of the closest races you would see in Yeland 3.949 @ 191 put Greg Blevins Jr. .037RT, 3.950 @ 181 on the trailer Limited Drag Radial title and $10,000!

show quality LDR ride was number two qualifier Greg Blevins Jr. in his stunning 69 ProCharger equipped Camaro. Front to back this car is fantastic and it runs hard; 3.88 @ 193. Rounding out the top three is anoth-

er ProCharged entry, the brilliant red 69 Camaro of Paul Gargus with a 3.90 @ 193. The top three qualifiers traveled quite the distance from Alabama to Michigan to compete in this sixteen-car field.

Paul Gargus in the ProCharger equipped 69 Camaro shows that chassis extension was really working on this pass.

There's still quite a bit of interest in this small tire only class in the Northeast and Mid Atlantic areas and the YB Nats is one of the yearly hotspots for this OG class of outlaws.

With fourteen cars vying for the title, Eric LaFerriere would paste up a superb 4.130 @ 182 to take the top spot in his unique turbocharged 1997 Nissan. Heavy hitter of all time, Ron Rhodes of Rhodes Custom Auto would place solidly in second with a 4.138 @ 182 with a com-

X275 QUALIFYING

pletely new combination of four-link suspension and nitroused big block Chevy power. DJ McCain would fill in the 3rd spot in his nitrous injected Corvette with a 4.16 @ 171. The final would come down to the #1 and 2 qualifier rolling in the beams but Eric LaFerriere would suffer from a mechanical failure allowing Ron Rhodes to make a clean break to the stripe with a 4.15 @ 181, keeping that X275 title right at his home track and grabbing up the $10,000 purse!

An oddity in the X275 world, but Eric LaFerriere is no newcomer to class drag racing and took his 1997 Nissan turbo into the number one spot with a 4.130 @ 182.

AND ELIMINATIONS

DJ McCain known for his days of grudge racing took the X275 class by storm in this gorgeous nitrous Corvette.

Ron Rhodes took another X275 win with a completely new combination of four-link suspension and nitroused big block Chevy power!

Ronny Rhodes is always in the hunt as a young veteran of this sport from one of the winningest families in the radial tire classes. This car is fantastic on leaf springs, grabbing the number three spot.

Connor Harstock would take his number one position and parlay it into the Ultra Street title in a superb weekend of competition.

QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

An abundance of Ultra Street racers put their money where their mouth is showing up in force with forty cars looking to take this title! Sitting in the number one position after three qualifiers was Connor Harstock in his big inch 92 Mustang with a 4.48 @ 155MPH. Ja-

son Spina's ProCharged 90 Mustang placed second (4.49 @ 155), followed by hometown hero and class warrior in the monthly Street Car Shootout, Ronny Rhodes with his leaf-spring 68 Camaro on fuel injection and nitrous out of Rhodes Custom Auto running 4.50 @ 157.

Jason Spina took the second-place spot in the ladder with a stout 4.49 @ 155.

Tyler Bedell made the trip down from NY and to the final to take on Connor Harstock. Harstock‘s 4.52 @ 156 took the win light and the 2023 Yellowbullet Nationals Ultra Street Championship.

Always one of the biggest draws to the Yellowbullet Nationals is the 8.50 Index class – full 1/4-mile street appearing beasts that are capable of speeds up to 171 in 8.50 seconds. With 53 cars in the stable it was all Jonathon Dela Rosa AKA "Latino Heat" in his 78 Chevy Malibu knocking down a perfect 8.500 for the number one spot after a quick overnight repair of a broken rearend. Dan Purdy in his 2002 Camaro would fill in the number two hole with another 8.500 with lower MPH than Dela Rosa. Long time OG of 8.50 index racing, Robb Puller, running a 90 Mustang would grace the number three spot with an 8.501… and the list of near perfect passes goes on from there.

Carl Blase of "Rackem Up Racing" taking the repeat championship in the 8.50 Index, the the quickest 1/4-mile class at Yellowbullet Nationals.

AND ELIMINATIONS

Since the Bankrupt Racing Mustang was seen as the lead in image for the 2021 Yellowbullet Fall edition of RPM Magazine, people have asked to know more about this young married couple team.

Shane and Rachel Stride have become one of the fastest growing and appreciated teams in the 8.50 arena promoting themselves with strong work ethics, team spirit and win or lose composure through their discipline of both being masters of their own art at their "Wolf Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" studio in New Jersey, notable for self-defense and fitness. The stunning red 2004, BBC, nitrous assisted Mustang is always worthy of a show while being at a drag race and very dialed in to that 8.50 number. These two have accumulated quite a growing following and are bringing much excitement to this fine 1/4-mile class.

the first ever to capture this feat in

Cecil County 8.50 regular Steven Kracht would have to settle for second place although he had an excellent pass.

Iwas bitten by this class since its inception. These cool and very street-like cars run fast with wheel-up launches and create a fantastic 1/4-mile show. After six grueling rounds, the final pairing saw number five qualifier Carl Blase in the "Rackem Up Racing" nitroused 2000 Mustang (last year’s 8.50 Yellowbullet Nationals champion) paired with Steven Kracht in his beau-

tiful 68 Chevelle out of Lansdale PA. Kracht put down a solid .007 light but Blase was dead on .000 so it was game-on from there with Blase turning on the win light with 8.513 @ 161 over Kracht’s 8.539 @ 156 effort. This would put Carl Blase in a very prestigious position of repeat YB Nats 8.50 Index Champion and $10,000.00 wealthier!

Jonathon Dela Rosa would overcome a broken rearend towards the end of the night and thrashed overnight installing a new one to take the first-place spot in qualifying with a dead-on 8.500!

Robb Puller, one of the original 8.50 index racers, qualified in the third spot and had a great opportunity to go rounds.

10.00 INDEX QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

Agreat showing of 24 cars in the 10.0 Index proves there is still plenty of room for literally stock looking machines willing to play hard in the 1/4 mile. Josh Warehime’s 10.03 in the beautiful white 66 Chevelle would get the win light in the final for the Championship title and the $2,500 when Dennis Salvatore II broke out with a 9.99 in the opposite lane.

PRO DIAL QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

An eclectic blend of literally everything from low eight second full-on race cars to street drivers were on hand to run for the largest Pro Dial Payout of the season at Cecil County. $2,500 is a great number but you would have to face a car count of 140+ and run in the heat of the day, sometimes returning after a pass to immediately run another. With such a huge lineup of cars, whittling it down to two finalists took patience and cool heads. In the end, James Antonette’s 9.279 on a 9.23 dial-in would have the better package over runner-up Jeremy Stoker’s 10.195 on a 10.16 dial.

Josh Warehime

Joe Romeo, a third generation drag racer, has his game on-target getting his feet wet in the Pro Dial class!

Dennis Gaboriault would stand at the top of 47 entries in Top Sportsman with a very quick 3.97 @ 192 in his 2007 twin turbo Shelby Mustang, followed by NJ favorite John Cozzali with a nitrous assisted BBC in the 2002 Chevy Cobalt running 4.05 @ 180. In third is Glenn Teets in the very cool "GTO Judge" themed 2008 Pontiac GXP with 4.13 @ 172MPH. The finals would see Fast Freddy Perkins III in his nitrous 57 Chevy meet the little (but big) 1998 Dodge Daytona of Michel Bastien with 800-inches of power. Perkins would break-out and give the race to Bastien who ran dead-on his 4.52 dial for the Top Sportsman Challenge tittle and $7,500!

TOP SPORTSMAN

Brand new out of Mike Koebel’s MTK Racecraft

Deer Park, Long Island shop, comes this completely hand-built 1969 Pro Nitrous Camaro. We have followed this build since it was a bunch of tubes on the shop floor. Now finished, Koebel stated, " We were a bit skeptical on going to Yellow bullet for the debut and first hits of ‘Purple Haze’, but

we knew the track prep would be on point. The car ran consistent 4.20s out of the trailer on two moderate systems on of the 4 system Fulton 738 freshened by Ron Riegel Racing Engines. We Made it to the third round in Top Sportsman, so we were very happy with it to say the least, especially considering our first race was the biggest race in the northeast!"

QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

Small package, big bite! Michel Bastien’s 98 Dodge Daytona packs 800 cubic inches of power!

After a lengthy bout with throat cancer over the last year, Larry Mack was on the grounds still recovering with his wife Diana and family heading up the A and B classes of the Warriors Outlaw Drag Racing Team. You once read about them in the pages of RPM MAG as the “up and coming show”, and now they are the show!

WARRIORS QUALIFYING

They’re fast and extremely competitive but also showmen with bumper dragging, flame spewing rides doing massive burnouts.

Johnny Haislip of MD drove his 90 LS powered Mustang to the number one spot in the A class with a blistering 4.10 @ 182, followed by Cecil County's favorite son Ralph

Hometown hero Ralph Hardesty heating the air on a screaming pass in the centrifugal supercharged Nova.

Mike Gerber would take the 2023 Warriors Class A championship title on a holeshot victory!

QUALIFYING AND ELIMINATIONS

Hardesty. There is really no other word for how perfect this stunning blown 67 Chevy Nova is, and it’s fast too, chiming in at number two spot with 4.12 @ 177MPH. Mike Gerber is never far from the top of the ladder as he placed number three in the wild green 2000 nitrous assisted S10. The final in the A class would come down to John-

ny Haislip and Mike Gerber. Haislip’s late .106 reaction time would give too much up as Mike Gerber’s .028 would take the win via a holeshot 4.18 @ 170 to Haislip's quicker but losing 4.15 @ 177! Mike Gerber takes the 5-grand in Warriors prize money and the title in 2023.

Jorge Fretts’ 4.49 @ 157 in his convertible Mustang would beat Brian Griffith 4.86 @ 144 in the Warriors B Class.

Johnny Haislip would have to accept a second-place finish even though he was quicker. His reaction time was too much to give up at this level of eliminations in the finals.

As with any Yellow Bullet Nationals, there’s far more than meets the eye, and after 2 years of pandemic distancing, Monty and Maria Mikho brought back their favorite part of the weekend, the kid’s games. This year they held a cornhole toss for all ages for thousands of dollars in toys and prizes, plus a bonus set of tickets to

any Philadelphia Eagles game put up Pro Mod owner and Philadelphia Eagles All Pro Defensive Tackle, Super Bowl champion #91 Fletcher Cox and owner of the Savage Corvette Pro Mod, Gene Pilot. Monty made it clear that no toys would be left behind, so play as much as you wanted and try to pick up the largest toys for the big win!

Monty, Maria And Patti.

Robert Brian.

Maria and Ronny Rhodes.

Maria coaches and keeps score during the YB Nats Kids’ Game portion of the event.

Seth Cohen

Acandlelight vigil was held for our friend, builder and racer Steve Drummond who passed away on May 15, 2023 after a battle with B cell lymphoma. Monty, Maria and David Mikho along with Casey and Sarah Sadlowski, Robert Brian and Kathy and Cody Drummond joined friends on the starting line of Cecil County Dragway on Friday night for a somber remembrance as Chinese Lanterns rose into the night.

To say Monty Mikho was overjoyed with the upgrades at Cecil County Dragway would be an understatement. "The fans have an enormous new set of bleachers, the track is so clean and well-manicured and of course the leaders in track prep made this a phenomenal experience for fans, racers and sponsors,

all of whom I thank immensely.”

“Thank you to our sponsors: Carey's Mechanical Services, CLK Kustoms, ChurchView Farm, Hoopes Fire Prevention, Induction Solutions, Jesel Valvetrain Innovation, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, ProCharger Superchargers and Salvato Designs.”

Candle Vigil

Kathy And Cody Drummond

Monty and Kathy

Story: George Pich

Photos: James Cummins

As a child, Shaun would watch his dad work on cars and as he got older and his dad had troubles getting around due to a serious motorcycle accident before Shaun was born, he would take on more of the wrenching and his father would guide him through it step by step.

“When I wouldn’t know something, I would try to figure it out on my own without asking for help, which really gave me confidence,” Brogdon explained. Probably the most influential time was when he was 13 and his dad bought a Camaro. With a 400ci small block, cam and exhaust, Shaun fell in love with not just the Camaro, but muscle cars as a whole.

It was definitely the influence of Shaun Brogdon’s father that brought him to where he is today in the world of fast cars, and this 1968 turbocharged Camaro is a car he only dreamed of as a kid.

This particular Camaro came across his radar in 2021, and Shaun felt it was a solid platform for a build. The body was rough, but that is Shaun’s specialty, and it appeared to have a solid running turbocharged Dart-blocked 540 inch big block. A few weeks passed and Brogdon noticed some engine noises and decided

While he was at it, he also figured he would add a few parts to the ignition system, which ended in pretty much rewiring the entire car. He installed an MSD GRID with boost controller and dual wideband along with a Leash street/strip board and new RaceWire Solutions switch panel. When he got the motor out and the top end apart he found a broken lifter strap and subsequently a damage camshaft. And that was just the excuse he needed to jump in with both feet and make this car his own build, so things certainly snowballed from there.

A custom Bullet cam was ordered up along with Isky bushed lifters and a slick Jesel belt drive setup, as well. A Moroso oil pan and valve covers were added during the reassembly and Shaun figured that he might look at the rest of the car while he was at it. He found a new Smith Racecraft tube front end online that came with a new mid-plate, front motor plate and steering rack. After that install, he realized that he should probably do the rest of the chassis and suspension, since the car came with an older DIY ladder bar setup, 12-bolt rear and round-tube back-half.

Shaun Brogdon,s Boosted ,68 Camaro is just getting started

What’s not to love about a first Gen Camaro with a wicked raked stance and vinyl roof! Shaun fell in love with muscle cars and learned everything he could about them at a young age under the guidance of his father.

Brogdon updated the subframe connectors and got with Lloyd Coker at CKR Fab Works for a new Moser rearend with Moser axles and center section, and Coker also fabbed up a new ladder bar setup and moved the shocks inward. The cage was also in need of a

few updates after which it was tified, and since it had originally came with an older TH400 Brogdon identified that as the weak point and had a Reid-cased Powerglide built. Everything together well and the car was ning once again.

was ceroriginally TH400 trans, the next Reid-cased Everything came was run-

Still Lots Of OEM

A solid amount of original equipment remains inside the Camaro including door and trim panels, dash, carpet and headliner. An array of analogue gauges is accompanied by a Racepack digital dash. Twin race seats are installed in this street/strip car for ride-alongs, and the rear seat is long gone in favour of the wheeltubs installed during the round tube back-half.

A Nice Tidy Package!

Although a snug fit, the twin turbo 540 inch Dart-blocked Rat motor looks right at home in the engine bay of the Camaro. A Callies crank and rods with Ross pistons spin inside and a set of AFR heads are topped with a cast intake and trick CSU blow-thru carb.

New wheels and tires were installed and things were pretty much ready to go, or so Shaun thought. “One of my kids really gave me a reason to paint the car,” he said with a smile “I was walking through the garage and noticed a big scratch on the side of it that wasn’t there before. So I decided

to clean up the body and paint it, after all, I had redone pretty much the entire car anyway. My boss was kind enough to let me bring the car to my work and get a paint job done on it last minute. While at it, I cleaned up the dings and waves in the car and for the most part it looks great.”

Shaun Brogdon’s Turbocharged 1968 Camaro

Body & Paint: Black.

Chassis Modifications:

Round tube backhalf with Smith Racecraft round tube front subframe.

Suspension:

AFCO double adjustable shocks QA1 springs. ART extreme ladder bars with AFCO double adjustable rear shocks.

Engine:

540 CI BBC. Dart M block with Callies Dragon Slayer crank, Callies rods and Ross pistons. Bullet camshaft with Isky lifters. Jesel belt drive. AFR heads with Comp rockers, PAC springs and Comp pushrods. Moroso oil pan and valve covers.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Aeromotive 10.0 pump and regulator, CSU blow-thru carb, Extreme Velocity carb hat.

Power Adder:

Twin 8284 Precision turbos.

Transmission:

Reid case Powerglide with Circle D converter.

Rear End:

Moser Fab 9 chromoly housing with Moser center section, Moser gun-drilled 40 spline axles and 3.90 gear.

Brakes:

TBM front and rear brakes.

Tires & Wheels:

Alumastar wheels with M/T front 26x6x17 and M/T 315 Drag Radial rears.

Interior:

Racepak dash, Motion RaceWorks steering wheel, M&M shifter.

ET & MPH:

9.40s with very small amount of boost!

It was testing time, but things didn’t go quite as planned, as converter problems plagued the first few outings. The trans came out, twice actually, before Shaun decided to replace the converter with a bolt-to-

gether Circle D piece. The new setup really woke the car up and Shaun was quickly deep into the 9-second zone in the quarter, but he knew there was lots more untapped power in the big block.

The Camaro project snowballed for Brogdon once he realized the motor it came with needed some attention. He changed the entire front end to a Smith Racecraft piece and had the complete rear ladder bar/coilover redone along with a new chromoly rear end housing full of goodies from Moser.

Shaun decided to give us a treat with a launch and short run which garnered a lot of attention, including the local off-road club that stopped for the show.

Twin 8284 Precision turbos were installed and Brogdon is chomping at the bit to increase the boost and see what the Camaro really has, but he understands that good things take time.

“It’s really been a fun build for me, even though it snow-

balled into much more than I imagined. Of course there were times when I wanted to give up, but I managed to push through and made it what it is today. The car has come a long way and the next time out with these new turbos should be fun if we can turn up the wick!”

Check out this wicked ,68 Camaro on a night pass!