Powertrain
Frank got serious and copped a Dart Little M block (splayed four-bolt mains) for the foundation for his 406 (4.15-inch bore x 3.75-inch stroke). He handed everything over to Furani Racing in San Gabriel, California, which would build the bullet after the balancing work was completed by L&R Machine in nearby Santa Fe Springs and the machined parts arrived from Dyno Flo in Henderson, Nevada. Furani poured a forged Eagle crank (with 350 small-journal mains), SRP pistons fitted with JE Pistons chrome-moly rings, and Eagle 6.00-inch connecting rods into one of Rich Maskin's finest.
The camshaft? An Iskenderian, of course. The hydraulic roller features 0.530/0.550 inch lift, 234/248 degrees duration at 0.050, and 110-degree lobe centers. The cam and crank are joined inextricably by a Cloyes Tru-Roller timing chain. Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads (70cc combustion chambers) have 2.02/1.60 valves held by Isky springs, keepers, and retainers, and Isky roller-rocker arms put the pressure on the Isky 51/416-inch pushrods. Before sticking heads to block, Furani matched the ports in the Edelbrock single-plane manifold to the ones in the castings. Then they anointed the 406 with a Holley 830-cfm carb and a 3-inch K&N air filter. A low-profile Milodon 7-quart oil pan shrouds the Melling high-volume pump and pick-up. Furani dropped in an MSD Digital-6 ignition system (38 degrees total) and used ARP fasteners and Aeroquip lines throughout. Once the Dart was resting comfortably in the engine bay, Brad and Norm at B&N Custom Rods in Canyon Country, California, attached the Doug's headers and fabbed a 211/42-inch system with Flowmaster Delta race mufflers and resonators.
A Flex-A-Lite electric fan sticks to the Griffin aluminum radiator like grim death. Vintage Air's Front Runner serpentine-belt accessory drive is economical on space (all the pieces remain within the engine's width) and handsome besides. Moving aft, C&O Automotive in Hawthorne did up a 700-R4 and fitted it with a Continental 3,000-stall, 10-inch converter via Kris Abrahamson. This required a custom-length driveshaft, as purveyed by General Drive Shaft Service in Monrovia. HTH narrowed a 12-bolt and fitted it with 3.73:1 gears. That 0.70:1 OD translates to a 2.60:1 final drive, amenable for the long haul at least.
Body
Other than accepting the HTH mini-tubs, the Camaro was uncut and scar-free. Jeremiah at Studio Auto Body in Glendale, California, prepped the carcass by the book and blew on PPG Viper Red and '69 Z/28 black stripes to pick up the dusky interior.
Chassis
Though HTH has converted many cars to the truck-arm way, it's still not a mainstream modification, and therefore quite interesting. The narrowed 12-bolt centerpiece is connected to the longitudinal arms, and HTH coil springs replace the typical leaf bundles. And the HTH shocks have extra-long travel. The forward boxing plates (for the arm attachment) stiffen the stock chassis significantly, especially in a subframe vehicle. The arms and soft bushings allow one side of the car to be raised until stuff hits the frame, while the opposite wheel is still firmly connected with the ground. The long arms have a flat radius arc, which eliminates bump/roll steer, and the entire driving load is moved from the rear of the car to the center of the mass. Up front, HTH tubular lower control arms alter the stock geometry to complement the HTH coils and shocks. The upper control arms and the body itself are fixed with Energy Suspension bushings. A 1-inch Guldstrand bar captures both sides of the vehicle, but thanks to the truck arms, a rear antisway bar isn't needed. The steering box is a '69 Chevy quick-ratio blender.
Inside
B&N Custom Rods was responsible for the interior construction as well as all the custom and detail work under the hood. Black hides on the Sparco seats and complementing black carpet and panels go great with the red exterior swath and set the tone, but are magnets for dirt, light-colored odd bits, and the high desert's magnificent heat. The stock instrument nacelles hold a 140-mph COPO speedometer and tach, and Auto Meter Phantom gauges are ancillary. That Vintage Air HVAC system puffs coolness over Frank's bones while he groks the full-on Alpine audio. We're talkin' surround sound, DVD, big-ass amps, and Diamond speakers. Where are the cruise control and GPS?
Chassis
Though HTH has converted many cars to the truck-arm way, it's still not a mainstream modification, and therefore quite interesting. The narrowed 12-bolt centerpiece is connected to the longitudinal arms, and HTH coil springs replace the typical leaf bundles. And the HTH shocks have extra-long travel. The forward boxing plates (for the arm attachment) stiffen the stock chassis significantly, especially in a subframe vehicle.
The arms and soft bushings allow one side of the car to be raised until stuff hits the frame, while the opposite wheel is still firmly connected with the ground. The long arms have a flat radius arc, which eliminates bump/roll steer, and the entire driving load is moved from the rear of the car to the center of the mass. Up front, HTH tubular lower control arms alter the stock geometry to complement the HTH coils and shocks. The upper control arms and the body itself are fixed with Energy Suspension bushings. A 1-inch Guldstrand bar captures both sides of the vehicle, but thanks to the truck arms, a rear antisway bar isn't needed. The steering box is a '69 Chevy quick-ratio blender.
Rollers & Brakes
The right wheels are quite critical to the Camaro's persona, and the Boyd Coddington New Wave rims are perfect frames for the big Wilwood discs. Frank chose an 8-and-10 17-inch combo and joined them with sticky 255/40 and 315/35 Kumho rubber. The Wilwoods provide 13 and 12 inches of energy-burning brakes.
Performance
This is a short list-a really short list. At this writing, Frank's yank-you-by-the-lapels red Camaro had been on the road for less than a month, still being sorted out. The motor's never been near a dynamometer, and the dragstrip is a little ways off (if ever), but he thinks it makes at least 500 hp.