Motor And Gears
Pat's never had the engine apart and since he didn't spec it out or build it, he's pretty much going by hearsay. Regardless, one's first impression of the big-block is goose bumps, hoses and lines streaming from it like a Medusa. A Dart Big M iron block captures a forged crankshaft, Oliver connecting rods, JE 12.5:1 pistons surrounded by Hellfire rings, a Comp Cams solid roller with "just the right lift and duration," pushrods and valvesprings, CNC-ported Dart Big M cylinder heads and corresponding intake manifold. Jesel supplied the belt-driven timing equipment as well as the 1.7:1 shaft rocker assemblies. Oiling is the province of an aluminum 7-quart sump. The Carb Shop prepped the 1150 Dominator, sandwiching an NOS fogger system (400 hp) as well as a plate disseminator (250 hp). Got your twin chain-guns ready? Exhaust exits through a 21/4-to-23/8-inch stepped primaries swedged into 31/2-inch collectors. The remainder of the truncated system passes through cranky Flowmaster two-chamber 40 mufflers. Somebody estimates the power to be 1,150 at 6,800 rpm. Torque is processed by a worked Turbo 400 transmission equipped with a 10-inch, 4,400-stall converter and aided by a fluid cooler. A custom-built 31/2-inch steel driveshaft delivers the round-house punch to a 12-bolt holding 4.11:1 gears and Strange Engineering 35-spline axles sprouting from a mighty, indestructible spool.
Gut
Red and original. A 22,000-mile miracle infused with a modern "spaghetti benders" wiring system, relays, and widgets in place of the 40-year-old brown string. There are three Auto Meter gauges in the house, one for water temp and another for oil pressure. A big rev-counter fastened to the A-pillar awaits 7,000 rpm. According to Pat, the stock horn button activates the transbrake; crackling melodies emanate from the Flow 40's (that's music); HVAC is largely dependent on an open window that Pat lowers by hand. This Biscayne has the proper delete shields for heater (firewall) and radio (no antenna, chrome-plastic plate in dash). Except for the Cheetah shifter, all else is original. Note that rollcage stringer automatically deletes the passenger's armrest-but Tadin was so stunned on the "test run" that he never missed it. No tilt or adjustable anything, no stuff that doesn't need to be there, pure, on-the-ground '60s iron.
Rails & Cage
Whoever built the rollcage tucked it high in the car as to minimize its visual impact and foster the stealth aura, and did it to stiffen the chassis against the forces of mass torque and bending as well as putting safety at the forefront. Chassis preparation for a minimum of 1,000 lb-ft of grunt seems painfully inadequate, but in lieu of the Biscayne's straight-ahead demeanor, they seem to be quite enough. AVO adjustable shock absorbers are at both ends of the car tempering wheel movement in league with Moroso Trick front springs between stock A-arms in front and the stock coils at the rear end. Upper control arms (for correct pinion angle) are adjustable in the rear but the front of the car does quite well with nearly all the factory pieces still in place and firmed by a high-durometer bushing here and there. The steering and spindles are stock.
Wheels & Brakes
As you can clearly see, Spangenberg's not a fan of Pro Touring or G-Machines or anything else that deals with vehicle dynamics other than those that successfully transfer weight to the rear wheels. Monocoque Racing wheels (15x4, 15x9) carry Moroso Drag Special 7.60x15 fronts and M/T 29.5x10.5 Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicks. The brakes are minimal but tenacious and offer less minimal unsprung weight: Strange Engineering 11.25-inch rotors are captured by double-puck calipers, augmenting the energy-burning attributes of the mandated parachute.
Skin
Looking like it came fresh off the Chevy store floor in October 1965, the workingman's friend and cheapskate's delight slightly assumes sinister. Could it be that big bump on the trunk and those back tires without any tread? Somewhere along the way, someone blocked the car and laid the Icebox White on the straighter-than-thou body panels. Chrome plating on the bumpers is original.