Since the suspension was the strength of the car, I focused on the engine. Out went the solid lifter cam and in went a COMP hydraulic roller cam 230/236, 195 Air Flow Research heads, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap manifold, Doug Thorley tri-Y headers, Demon annular 750 carb, Flowmasters with two crossovers, TKO 600 with .64 Fifth gear, Inland Empire aluminum driveshaft, Centerforce dual friction clutch, 15-pound GM flywheel, aluminum Edelbrock water pump, Holley 125 electric fuel pump, plastic/aluminum radiator, and kept the 3.73:1 geared 10-bolt rearend. My son and I did all the work ourselves. The engine and drivetrain was focused on midrange torque, not horsepower; my guess is around 430 hp and 450 lb-ft.
With both my son and I in the car, it went 0-to-60 in 4.63 seconds with minimal practice and took Second Place in a suspension shootout in 2009. I have been using Global West parts for over 20 years and never had a failure, and the parts work great. That brings me to my philosophy on building cars: If the components you want aren’t better than OE, then leave it alone. If it doesn’t make the car faster, then I won’t buy it. Presently, my car can compete against fourth- and fifth-gen Camaros.
I’ve run the last two RTTC events and had a blast. I also ran the Goodguys event in Del Mar last April. The car did very well considering that I’m an old man, and my driving skills have deteriorated over the last 40 years. I recently finished my latest project, a Gen I aluminum 427ci small-block. After some learning issues, I finally got it working right, but that’s another story. Thanks for listening.
P.S. Many more stories, but I didn’t want to bore you.
Gerald, what a small world. We’re familiar with your second-gen, and have always been a fan! Thanks for sharing and hopefully we’ll run into you at another event. By the way, I really doubt any of your stories would bore us.
If you like racing video games, check out Forza 4 for Xbox, Playstation 3, and/or PC. Realistic sound, intense graphics, quality controls, and a massive roster of cars to choose from makes this game one that any gearhead would enjoy, especially since you get to smoke your friends and random people on the Internet with a car you designed. We recently downloaded a Chevy muscle car pack that featured cars like a ’66 Nova SS, ’70 El Camino SS 454, and even a ’90 Camaro IROC. With over 500-plus cars to choose from and a detailed list of upgrades that range from wheels to turbochargers, Forza 4 is one we recommend for the video game–savvy car guy.