#gen 1 powerglide

[tinydefector]

Powerglide bringing his boyfriend over

When u accidentally landed on a Decepticon territory.

[hoistsautobody]

Pushing the values further, it's getting there!

Any Seekers I should watch out for at TFCon..?

[meme-meupthotty]

He’s just hanging out.

Transformers Generation 1 — Blaster Blues (Season 2 Episode 21)

[tfdaycare]

Welcome to GHOST Daycare! A place where baby Cybertronians are found and taken care of until they find a new forever home. I’m Optimus, one of the head teachers and in charge of the autobot class. With me I have my conjunx, Megatron, who’s in charge of the Decepticon class, and Elita-1 who’s in charge of the Floodwater class, which is everyone else that Megatron and I can’t take in.

We also have lots of other teachers who help us with everything. Such as:

Our son Starscream, in charge of the seekers

Wheeljack, in charge of the wreckers

Tarantulas, in charge of the predacons

Grimlock, in charge of the dinobots

Airazor, in charge of the maximals

Moonsplinter, a moth, in charge of the Insecticon class

Ratchet, who take in a couple bots to teach them to be a medic

Jetfire/Skyjet, who’s our main TA

Ironhide & Chromia, our PE teachers

Beachcomber, the Earth biology teacher

Blaster & Soundwave, in charge of cassettes and cassette commanders

Drift & Cyclonus, who are our spiritualist teachers

Yoketron, our art teacher

Seaspray, the swim teacher

Powerglide, in charge of the Aerials

Hot Rod, who’s the substitute teacher for the autobot class

Arcee, who’s the TA specifically for the autobots class.

Our other doctors, Velocity, Shockwave and Ambulom

We also have our human staff:

Principal Karen Croft

Vice Principal Jon “No H” Schloder

Doctor Meridian

Ranger Dorothy Malto

History Teacher Alex Malto

Our wonderful Volunteers:

Robby Malto

Morgan Malto

Twitch

Thrash

Hashtag

Nightshade

Jawbreaker

Sam

Miko Nakadai

Jack Darby

Rafael Esquivel

And lastly we have our other staff:

Rewind, our Librarian and in charge of the paperwork

Chromedome, our grief counselor

Rung, our therapist

Tailgate, our janitor

Blurr and Eject, the sports coaches

Ultra Magnus, our administration

Rubble and Gauge, the assistants

Our hope for this blog is to help find new homes for all the little ones we’ve found since the war sadly caused a lot of sparklings to be orphaned or abandoned.

We have sparklings of all sizes and ages who may just be the perfect fit, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and apply to be a potential adoptee! They’re organized in generations since so many have been found.

Our sparklings are organized into five categories depending on age.

First gen: 20-25 years old

Second gen: 14-19 years old

Third gen: 8-13 years old

Fourth gen: 2-7 years old

Fifth gen: currently being born or found now.

We’ll go into more detail another time on who’s up for adoption as multiple bots have been adopted now while others are still waiting for their forever home and Kup can’t take them all in.

[sonicasura]

While it does not get brough up a lot the Transformers and how they form relationships with each other and other species always fascinated me when ever that plot point is brought up

I mean probably one of the more prominent examples is IDW's introduction of the Conjunx Endura along with Cyclonus and TailGate's relationship

And we all remember Powerglide and Astoria from that Gen 1 episode

Also can't forget June Darby's Heels comment

Sometimes it's big, sometimes it small but it does capture the interest along with what can be done about it

So I think it would be interesting in the crossover if well with the Bakugan and Transformers living together would some of them fall in love and pursue a relationship together? I think that would be interesting?

I am just rambling at this point, what are your thoughts?

You got two different species living together. Of course interspecies romance is on the table. Plus the reactions from the cast would be very interesting, lol.

I still remember that one time gag plot in Rabeeder and Tricloid's debut episode about them crushing on Dan. Even if it was a joke, the fact it exists just widens the Bakugan matchmaking shenanigans. Some casually flirts with Kafka, a Monarch employee or a Defense Force officer for instance.

[karter-kat]

Painting I did of Powerglide!! This episode was so cute😭

[reseau-actu]

Ascoval, Ford, ArjoWiggins… Le gouvernement est accusé de disposer de peu de marges de manœuvres face aux fermetures de ces usines.

Pour Bruno Le Maire, ministre de l’économie, c’est une maigre consolation. Dans une période où les mauvaises nouvelles sur l’industrie française tombent comme à Gravelotte, le tribunal de grande instance de Strasbourg a accordé, mercredi 27 février, un mois de plus à Ascoval pour trouver un repreneur. C’est ce que souhaitait l’Etat. L’aciérie de Saint-Saulve (Nord) et ses 280 salariés ont été lâchés par Altifort, incapable de réunir les fonds nécessaires au rachat.

Pour le reste, Bercy affronte toujours des vents contraires. Une journée « ville morte » est programmée jeudi, notamment à Bessé-sur-Braye (Sarthe), en soutien du papetier ArjoWiggins, mis en liquidation en janvier. Lundi, le gouvernement a dû prendre acte de la fermeture de l’usine Ford Aquitaine industries, située à Blanquefort (Gironde), qui fabrique des boîtes de vitesses automatiques. Le constructeur américain a en effet rejeté l’offre de reprise du belge Punch Powerglide, et le deuxième projet de plan de sauvegarde de l’emploi de Ford doit être examiné par l’Etat avant le 4 mars.

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Benoit Simian : « Il faut tout faire pour que Ford ne parte pas de Blanquefort sur la pointe des pieds »

« L’attitude de Ford est indigne d’un grand groupe industriel », a tempêté Bruno Le Maire, lundi. Pourtant, le gouvernement apparaît démuni face à ces fermetures en rafale. Philippe Poutou, ancien candidat du Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste à l’élection présidentielle et secrétaire de la CGT de l’usine de Blanquefort, dénonce un Etat « en mal d’imagination ou sans volonté réelle de se confronter à la multinationale Ford ou sans moyen réel ». Citant Ford et Ascoval, Génération. s, le mouvement de Benoît Hamon, déplore que « deux nouveaux fleurons industriels [soient] menacés par une impuissance publique aussi consternante que coupable ».

« L’Etat peut faire pression »

Impuissant, Bercy ? « La marge de manœuvre est importante. On peut faire beaucoup de choses », se défend-on dans l’entourage de M. Le Maire. « Depuis deux ans, sur quatre emplois menacés dans l’industrie, nous en avons sauvé trois !, déclarait le ministre aux Echos, mercredi. Nous l’avons fait pour William Saurin, où 1 500 emplois étaient en jeu, pour GM & S dans la Creuse, avec 120 emplois sauvés, pour AR Industries à Châteauroux, avec 350 emplois sauvegardés, et Doux, avec 900 emplois. Je continuerai donc à m’engager et à me battre pour chaque emploi industriel menacé. »

Se battre, c’est tout mettre en œuvre pour trouver des repreneurs, notamment mettre les gens en contact, faciliter le financement. Quitte à écarter celui trouvé, comme ce fut le cas d’Altifort, cette semaine. « Altifort a trompé les salariés, les élus et l’Etat en prétendant avoir des disponibilités financières qu’il n’avait pas, justifie M. Le Maire dans le même entretien. Nous nous sommes donné un mois pour trouver un nouveau repreneur. La tâche est difficile. Mais nous sommes déterminés à faire le maximum. » Sur Public Sénat, jeudi, le ministre a précisé qu’« une quinzaine » de repreneurs potentiels avaient d’ores et déjà été contactés.

La puissance publique peut faire pression en amont : « On a tout fait pour que Ford cède à Punch, assure le cabinet du ministre. Jusqu’au bout, on a essayé de les faire céder. » Mais également en aval, en pesant sur les conditions du plan social. Ford « devra payer », a prévenu M. Le Maire, en précisant jeudi que cela représenterait « plusieurs millions d’euros ». Outre les conditions sociales, l’entreprise va devoir s’engager sur la dépollution du site et sa réindustrialisation. Un groupe de travail se réunira d’ailleurs sur ce point.

« Tout cela fait l’objet de négociations continues pour obtenir le maximum, précise son entourage. L’Etat peut faire pression. » « Ce qu’on attend de Bercy, c’est qu’il accentue la pression sur Ford, indique Véronique Ferreira, maire PS de Blanquefort. Pas pour qu’il reste, mais sur les conditions de son départ. Nous voudrions que l’Etat fasse pression pour que l’entreprise cède à titre symbolique les locaux, le terrain, etc. »

De manière transitoire

Les pouvoirs publics peuvent aussi prêter de l’argent : 47 millions d’euros avaient été promis pour Ascoval. Pas question, en revanche, de nationaliser ou de réquisitionner, comme le demande Philippe Poutou. « Ford a déjà reçu beaucoup d’argent public, rappelle-t-il. Pourquoi l’Etat ne pourrait-il pas récupérer ce qui lui appartient déjà un peu, comme les machines ? » La nationalisation, M. Le Maire en avait avancé l’idée, en décembre, mais uniquement de manière transitoire, entre Ford et Punch. Cela n’est donc plus d’actualité. « L’Etat n’a pas vocation à fabriquer des boîtes de vitesses », a-t-il rappelé lundi.

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Conforama en mauvaise posture

Quant au fait de réclamer le remboursement des 15 millions d’euros d’aides reçues ces dernières années, Benjamin Griveaux, porte-parole du gouvernement, l’a exclu mardi. Car ces aides « étaient liées à des engagements sur l’emploi que Ford a tenus », a-t-il assuré. « C’est faux !, rétorque M. Poutou. Il se trouve justement que le syndicat CGT a fait condamner l’entreprise Ford Aquitaine Industries pour ne pas avoir respecté ses engagements sur l’emploi ! »

Michel Sapin, ministre de l’économie sous le précédent quinquennat, reconnaît que « l’Etat a une capacité à peser sur les contreparties du plan social ». Mais le volontarisme de Bercy trouve vite sa limite, estime-t-il, notamment sur les fermetures de site. « Tous les ministres de l’économie ont promis de faire beaucoup et obtenu pas grand-chose, reconnaît-il. Le site doit-il être maintenu ? Que vaut tel ou tel repreneur ? On a beau faire les gros bras, on ne sait pas faire contre l’avis de l’actionnaire. Obliger une entreprise à maintenir une activité qu’elle estime non viable, ça peut marcher six mois, pas trois ans. »

« Symboliquement, c’est très lourd »

Mais le Bercy d’hier et celui d’aujourd’hui se rejoignent sur un point : ces drames sociaux sont un piège pour tout gouvernement. « Statistiquement, ce ne sont pas de gros effectifs par rapport à un pays tout entier, rappelle M. Sapin, mais, symboliquement, c’est très lourd. Encore un site qui ferme ! Cela nourrit le sentiment d’impuissance sur le destin industriel du pays. Pour tout gouvernement, c’est un piège. Si vous n’en faites pas assez, on vous interpelle : “Vous nous laissez tomber.” Si vous en faites trop, vous créez des espoirs qui ne peuvent qu’être déçus. »

« Le ministre a toujours été transparent avec les représentants syndicaux, se défend-on chez M. Le Maire. On ne s’est jamais engagé sur des choses que l’on ne pouvait pas tenir. Mais, c’est vrai, on attend tout de l’Etat et on lui reprochera tout. »

En tout cas, note Xavier Bertrand, président de la région Hauts-de-France, en première ligne sur le dossier Ascoval, « Bercy peut essayer d’anticiper. Au cœur de la crise [de 2008], on était beaucoup dans l’anticipation, assure celui qui était alors ministre du travail, afin de voir quelles étaient les entreprises fragiles et essayer d’intervenir avant qu’il ne soit trop tard ». Cela a-t-il manqué dans les cas présents ? « Je ne fais de procès à personne », répond-il. Et il précise : « Le volontarisme de Bruno Le Maire dénote. Cela n’a pas toujours été le cas ces dernières années. »

[itsworn]

ModNationals 2018 event Forecasted Full Speed For The MMC

There was a time when a Modular-based drag event didn’t have staying power. Whether it was a lack of aftermarket support, not enough competitors, or just the wrong time of year, we remember the Modular-based events from years gone by. Thankfully, as evidenced by the turnout at ModNationals 2018, things have changed. New ideas, new venues, new dates, and more importantly, the support of the performance aftermarket has changed the Modular Mustang landscape for the better.

Perhaps the biggest change is that Mustang performance enthusiasts have embraced the Coyote engine, which has caused a trickle down/competitive effect on the Modular engine community. If you don’t have a Coyote-powered Mustang, it seems you want to beat a Coyote-powered Mustang. The Coyote engine has created more competition between Mustangs, which is good for making sure someone is in the other lane at the dragstrip.

At ModNationals 2018, there were plenty of competitors in the other lane at South Georgia Motorsports Park. What’s more, mix a sticky racing surface with cool, fall temps, and personal records didn’t have a prayer. Several racers recorded personal bests at ModNationals 2018 in just about every class. The good thing about ModNationals is that there’s a variety of classes for just about every Modular- or Coyote-powered Mustang or Ford. There was a Modular Outlaw, King of the 4V (Cobra vs. Coyote), a 6R80/10R80 class, and even an Underdog class for Two- and Three-Valve cars.

For the full-skinny on the 2018 ModNationals, peep the captions. Hopefully this will keep you going until the 2019 version, which is scheduled to take place November 13 -17 at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

Bart Tobener has never met a race he didn’t like. The Race Parts Solution front man competed in Mod Outlaw at ModNationals, but a little too much grip caused his car to wheelie against eventual winner Eric Leeper. “I didn’t have anything for him…car has only been 4.50s in that trim, but I was trying,” Tobener said. He had to short-shift, causing a loss of boost, allowing Leeper to get the win. Tobener uses an MPR-built 305-inch Coyote with a Holley Sniper intake, an 88mm single turbo, a Holley Dominator EFI and 160 lb/hr injectors and JGS wastegates. Behind the Coyote is a Proformance Racing Transmissions Powerglide with a ProTorque GenX converter. The car’s 25.3 chassis was built by Scott Black at Chassis Pro, and features a Cobra Jet rear suspension.

  One of our favorite race cars from ModNationals was Keith Ciborowski’s Dark Shadow gray 2003 Cobra. Competing in King of the 4V class, which is designed to pit 2003-2004 Cobras against Coyote-powered Mustangs, Ciborowski ran in the 7.50s at the ModNationals, and that was good enough to get him to the semi-final round, but not past Jake Conant. Ciborowski’s Cobra boasts a sleeved Coyote engine from Rich Groh Racing Engines/JPC complete with Oliver rods, Diamond pistons, a stock crank, ported heads, and JPC turbo cams. His power adder of choice is a Precision ProMod 85mm single turbo, while tuning is done via a Holley Dominator ECU. Sticking with the JPC theme, Ciborowski tunes the car with help from Eric Holliday and Kevin MacDonald. A TSI/JPC Powerglide is in the tunnel with a ProTorque GenX Converter.

Donnie Gilder had a great weekend in the Unicorn. His S550 features a Fast Forward Race Engines powerplant, a Hellion Power Systems twin turbo system, a Brett LaSala built 6R80, a Steeda Autosports suspension, and a Sai Li tune. At ModNationals, Gilder busted out a 1.24 60-foot time, on the way to an 8.63 at 165 mph. The car is just at home on the street, as well, and weighs in at 3,880 pounds. Racing in Heavy Street, Gilder bowed out at the hands of eventual class winner, Thomas Benavidez, in round 3.

Marty Balintfy brought his 2004 Mystichrome Cobra to ModNationals to compete in Driver Mod and True Street. His Cobra had been stuck in the 10.0s, but he was finally able to break into the 9s with a 9.98 at 142 mph. In True Street, Marty ran a 10.05, a 10.001, and a 10.33 for a 10.129 average. In Driver Mod, Balintfy did very well before running up against Yandro Ulloa’s Minion in the semi-final round. Balintfy’s Cobra features its stock engine with Comp cams, a supercharger pushing 22 pounds of boost, Metco pulleys, a Fore fuel system, Kooks 1 ¾-inch long-tube headers and 3-inch X-pipe, and a Bassani 3-inch after-cat. The stock T56 is beefed up with a 26-spline input shaft and a McLeod RXT clutch, while the chassis benefits from a Racecraft K-member. The IRS has GForce Performance half-shafts, Viking shocks, and 3.73 gears.

  Eric Leeper arguably has one of the nicest Mustang drag cars in existence. What started out life as a 1966 Coupe was turned into a more aerodynamic fastback by AC Carcraft in Coral Springs, Florida. The body was transformed around the chassis, while a MPR-built Ford GT 5.4 is nestled under the hood and filled with Diamond pistons, GRP billet aluminum rods, a billet crank, and Bullet Racing cams atop Navigator heads. Boost comes from a Garrett GTX Gen2 88mm turbo plumbed with Race Part Solutions tubing and fittings, along with a Chiseled Performance intercooler and ice tank. Leeper does the tuning with a Fueltech FT600 and the combo gets its fire from an FTSpark CDI ignition. A ProTorque Revolution converter is coupled to a Proformance Racing Transmissions-built Turbo 400, while Santhuff struts reside up front with Precision Racing suspension-tuned Penske’s in the rear. Those shocks and struts do the job of taming the Weld V-series wheels custom-coated by Mr. Speed on Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pros, and The Brake Man’s best brings the fun to a stop. Speaking of which, no one was able to stop Leeper and his fastback in Mod Outlaw, and he was able to take the win over JPC’s Justin Burcham in the final.

  For Justin Jordan, it’s been a race to the 6s, no matter the venue, event, or track. At the ModNationals, every pass it seemed everyone was waiting for a 6.9-something to light up the scoreboard. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but one thing that did happen was that Jordan got the win in the King of 4Vclass. Jordan uses an MPR-built engine with a Hellion twin turbocharger system featuring Precision 6466 units, a TSI Powerglide with a ProTorque converter, a BMR rear suspension, a Pro Fab Performance anti-roll bar, and a Racecraft front suspension with Santuff struts. Watch for a full feature on Jordan’s car in a future issue.

  Tom Benavidez won Heavy Street in a car built by Small Blower winner Oscar Morin, who says the car was built in five weeks. The car wasn’t even ready when they left for ModNationals before arriving at Triangle Speed Shop to finish it up. The team used the qualifying runs to dial in the 2013 California Special, which boasts an MPR-built engine, a ProFormance Racing Transmissions Turbo 400, a BMR suspension, Viking shocks and struts, a TigVision 10-point cage, and a custom twin turbocharger system consisting of Precision 67/66 units. Oscar says the high 7-second car has more in it, and can’t wait until ModNationals 2019.

  Like Justin Jordan, Yandro Ulloa was also trying to eclipse an elapsed time hurdle by getting his car into the 7s at ModNationals. With every pass, everyone was looking for the scoreboard to light up a 7-second pass. Fortunately, our dreams, and Ulloa’s, came true when he ran a 7.99 at 178 mph, and then backed it up with a 7.92 at 180 mph. The Minion features a Levin Motorsports-built and tuned Four-Valve with a pair of Precision 6870 turbochargers, an AEM Management system, and a Tremec T56 Magnum tricked out by RPM Transmissions. The car is looking good thanks to Truline Collision in Tampa, Florida. Ulloa won the Driver Mod class after beating Ben Stoner in the Fathouse Fabrications 2011 Mustang GT.

  Taylor Baker wasn’t necessarily happy about being in the Driver Mod 2nd chance race, but sometimes you have to keep moving. Baker was busy tracking down a bad sensor, and an exhaust leak that became worse as the event went along. The sensor failure is what knocked him out of the main race. However, he had enough to take the win in the Driver Mod 2nd chance race. Baker’s ride is a 2004 Cobra, featuring a stock bottom-end, MHS-ported heads, PAC valve springs, KMS custom cams, Accufab and Shelby Mike Racing timing components, twin Precision 6466 turbochargers, a face-plated T56, a 9-inch rear, a ProEFI Engine Management System, Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro 275s, and E85 in the tank. Baker says the car is still a full-weight car, as it has a full interior, A/C, power steering, and power brakes. “It was saying 3,610-3,660 the past few times I crossed the scales,” Baker says. He adds that he is just now starting the figure out the tune at its current power level. He keeps it safe since it sees a lot of street action. “It went 8.30’s at WCF and then 8.20’s at ModNats on pretty much the same tune-up aside some fueling changes,” Baker says.

If we were just going off the elimination sheets from ModNats, we would be talking about Jim Brown, but thankfully, the winner was actually Jim Braun in his 2012 Mustang GT. Braun relies on Fast Forward Racing Engines for machine work, but the engine, along with the car’s turbo system and 10-point roll cage, is self-built. The 6R80 in Braun’s car has a lot of Brett LaSala’s billet parts in it, along with a Circle D converter, and the rear has Strange Engineering 35-spline axles in it. Braun’s GT is usually in the 8.0-range at around 178 mph, and he plans on doing a lot of racing in 2019. For 2018, Braun closed out the year with a ModNationals win in the 6R80/10R80 class.

Oscar Morin was a busy man leading up to ModNationals 2018. His shop Shrek Motorsports specializes in Coyote builds, and this 2016 Mustang GT (far lane) is owned by Ariel Salinas. Morin drove the car, nicknamed “The Toro,” and it has an MPR sleeved Coyote, a Gen 3 supercharger ported by Jason Teixeira, a Triangle Speed Shop tune, a BMR suspension, Viking shocks and struts, and a Double AA Performance K-member. Morin made it look easy by running consistent 8.60s at over 157 mph to get the win. “Shout out to Daniel and Craig Pachar from Triangle Speed Shop for their support,” Morin says.

We’re not going to get into the timing issue that plagued the Outlaw All Motor class, which provided a home for Coyote Stock regulars. It seemed if a competitor went deep, the timing system would automatically disqualify that racer. In the end, the win light came on in Darin Hendricks’ lane.

In the Battle of the Underdogs, which is a Two-Valve vs. Three-Valve class, Andrew Lavender was the last man standing with his 2003 Mustang GT. Under the hood is a garage-built Two-Valve with PI heads, custom Todd Warren cams, and a single BorgWarner 76mm turbocharger. Lavender uses a Holley EFI system, a Turbo 400 transmission, and Mickey Thompson ET Drag Radial Pro 275s. This combination is good for 8.50s and a Battle of the Underdogs win at the 2018 ModNationals.

Joe Hutchins is no stranger to Open Comp racing. He put his expertise to work at the ModNationals, taking his 10-second 1985 Mustang to the winner’s circle, beating other regulars like Charlie McCulloch and Steven Daniels along the way.

A champion many times over, Randy Conway proved he hasn’t forgotten how to win. On a 10.22 index, he ran a 10.29 each round, except for his semi-final round bye run. Conway beat Joe Cascio in the final to get the ModNationals win.

    The post ModNationals 2018 event Forecasted Full Speed For The MMC appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[hoistsautobody]

The flight suits are as finished as they'll ever be before Saturday! Just have to clean up the jacket and roll everything else in a little dirt and then I'll be ready. @foxxiwaves is making great progress on their accessories.

See you this weekend!

[hoistsautobody]

I've finally found the jacket I'm devoting to my Powerglide outfit: a reproduction "G-1" bomber typically worn by Navy pilots as far back as the 50's. Tom Cruise wears the same style of jacket in Top Gun!

For authenticity's sake, I've committed to hand painting my Powerglide and Astoria pinup on the back. This is my first time painting on leather, but my dad has very helpfully walked me through the priming process he uses on his WWII era original works. I wonder if I'll really have to fight the leather texture to bring out Astoria's face.

I'm also translating @foxxiwaves sketch into artwork on their jacket for Astoria! This material is more like canvas and much more accepting of acrylic paint.

Look for us at TFCon Baltimore! I'll be summoning Michael Chain to sign my jackets...

[hoistsautobody]

Making progress on our jackets. I'm shooting for a painterly Sunbow animation background. The final parts of my costume are coming together-- can't wait to combine all of it. @foxxiwaves has been awesome pinning our flight suits and playing with their Astoria design.

[hoistsautobody]

I sewed a flight suit today! Figuring out how to put this pattern together with my mom brought me back to memories of our other costume projects. I really enjoyed it and will have to find more excuses to create my own clothing.

What remains are the collar, front pockets, and zippers. My jacket still needs lettering and patches.

Very happy to pair this with my other components now: a 60's Air Force helicopter pilot's helmet, and Air Force boots of the same era. I feel like I could use a belt.

Only two weeks to go until the Con!

[hoistsautobody]

Gearing up for TFCon Baltimore! Can you guess who I'll be dressing as...?

This art will make its way onto a new jacket, but I haven't decided how I'm going to do that. The hand painted style would be most fitting, but I'm also tempted to produce this as a vinyl graphic to heat press onto the jacket. I feel a potential to sell art prints and garments of my designs, so I may be trying a few options with this one.

[itsworn]

Bonus Gallery: Top Picks From Street Car Takeover at zMax!

Street Car Takeover is a roaming race designed to separate those run-what-ya-brung racecars, from truly fast streets cars. We attended the Charlotte event held July 7th, 2018, which featured the only four-wide racing action on the schedule, at zMAX Dragway. Here we found our favorite home-built and licensed drag cars from the weekend.

Street Car Takeover is singularly focused on finding the fastest street cars in the country. There’s no discrimination against brand, make, or model, meaning we saw a 1969 C10 lined up next to late-model Caprices and a LS-powered Fox Body next to an Olds 442. The Charlotte event brought out the locals of course, but it also drew many from states away, looking to prove themselves as the nation’s fastest. Like Carlyle Racing from Ohio and YouTube celebrity Cleetus McFarland from Florida.

Presented nationally by Nitto Tire and locally by Kooks Headers and Exhaust, the event is like is mini Drag Week condensed into one day. Competition included three roll racing classes, street-car cruise-and-race drag classes, and well as 11 drag racing classes. Here we take a look at our favorite home-built Car Crafters.

Beautifully Blacked-Out Ford 2016 Mustang It was hard to narrow down our favorite Fords from the day, but this one definitely caught our attention. Brandon Smith’s beautifully blacked-out 2016 Mustang GT Premium runs on a pair of Weld Racing Aluma Stars.

The Whipple Gen-2 blower (same as a Cobra Jet), forged internals, and Stainless Works headers took the car to a best run of 9.19 e.t. at 151 mph in the 1/4-mile. Weighing in at 3,990 pounds, it makes admirable power. BMR Suspension and Viking shocks keep the Ford planted. The car was built and tuned by Competition Auto in Spring Lake, NC.

Unfortunately, Brandon—despite being hard on the brakes—broke out of his 9.50-index class early in the night.

Show Truck Turned Drag Truck 1969 Chevy C-10 Originally built as a show truck with 20s—which explained why this was one of the best painted vehicles in the pits—this 1969 C10 took a different direction a year ago. “I just got tired of going and sitting around at shows, so we thought we’d go drag racing and have some fun with it,” said owner Allen Austin. He called on Nigel Alexander at Brutal Speed and Tuning in Maiden, NC to build the truck. After the junkyard LS blew up, they built it stronger than before.

Nigel has the same 5.3L long-block set up in his LS-swapped Fox Body, with Wiseco BTR Boost pistons, K1 crank and rods, a BTR Stage-3 turbo cam, and Trick Flow TFS 220cc heads. An S475 Borg Warner makes around 20 pounds through a Holley high-rise intake. The truck runs on a stock computer. It’s backed by a Turbo 400 trans and its original rear end with an Eaton Posi, C-clip eliminator, and Moser axles.

The team had trouble most of the night, with their first run resulting in very little traction. They managed a 11.30 e.t at 128 mph, but says Allen, “we have a whole lot more there.” Trash in the fuel system ended their night after the first pass.

Land Of The Rising Sun 1990 Nissan 240SX It’s not American muscle, but hear us out. This Nissan 240 has doubled its stock engine size and it certainly was one of the cleanest builds at the show. It’s powered by a 6.0L LQ4 that’s been punched out 0.30-over and features 11.1 pistons. Backed by a Powerglide transmission and Ford 9-inch with 28-spline axles, it sits on Jegs SSR wheels and 10.5-inch rear tires. A Holley Sniper EFI kits feeds the beast with 110 VP Racing fuel.

High-School Jewel 1968 Olds 442 One of our favorite cars from the event certainly wasn’t one of the fastest. This 12-second Olds was Mitch Hoover’s Senior Class project. He enlisted the help of his dad, who purchased this 1968 Oldsmoble 442 from a local ’70s drag racer, Glenn Majors in 1999. Glenn attempted to restore the car, but stopped before repainting the fender.

Mitch and dad rebuilt an Oldsmobile 455 pulled from a Toronado. It ran a best time of 12.6 e.t at 110 mph in the 12.00 1/4-mile index class. Mitch made it through the first round, but the second round was cut short due to time.

What are his future plans for the car? “Race it,” said Mitch. “People say it’s a sleeper, but I want to make it faster and leave it naturally aspirated. Eventually I’ll paint it back with its original drag-racing paint scheme.”

Cop-Car Chase 2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV Many did a double take on the drag strip when seeing a plane-jane cop car running them down. Tracey Holtzclaw’s Caprice is mostly stock, with 128,000 miles and the factory DOD. Picked up at a local Police auction, it promptly went under the knife with a stripped interior and 250-shot of nitrous. Then Kooks Headers and Exhaust long-tube headers, cat-less connection pipes, and 3-inch oval mufflers were installed, along with a ZL1 converter.

The wheel and tire setup is what Tracey calls his budget drag pack, costing him $750 used. The rear wheels are front wheels from a C5 Corvette with Mickey Thompson ET Street Rs measuring 305/45R17 and the fronts are GTO spares with Hoosier 27.5 front drag tires.

We saw Tracey hot lapping the old cop car most of the day during roll racing and 11.00 index 1/4-mile drags at night. He made it through the first round, but unfortunately his class was cut short due a late-running program and a track curfew.

The car normally runs high-10s, but Tracey and friends of the Carolina Holden car club, pulled timing to slow it down for a consistence 11.02 e.t.

The Pumpkin-Orange Camaro 1993 Chevy Camaro Our favorite cars all seemed to run in the 1/8-mile races. This 1993 Camaro was Chris Clark’s first car. Chris has put four separate engines in the Camaro since he’s owned it. Currently, it features an LQ9 with a forged rotating assembly that’s been bored and stroked to a 408ci. It features Oliver Racing Rods, Mallory Pistons, and a Lunati crank.

Topped with Trick Flow Street 225cc heads, it gets its power from a Nitrous Express 250-shot plate system and NOS mini controller. The car runs on pump gas, but the wet shot is coupled with VP Racing Fuels C16.

Kooks Headers dump into a complete 3-inch exhaust. The stout LQ9 is backed by a Turbo 400 with an ATI trans brake, and a Moser 9-inch rear axle with 4:10 gears. The night’s class was a 1/8-mile no-time event, but the car has been a best of 6.30 at 114 mph.

With some tuning and a little more track time (this is one of the first runs in the car with its current set up) Chris plans on high 5-second e.t.s. The car was built by Tick Performance and Kooks Headers and Exhaust, and was tuned by JHR performance.

World’s Fastest 2017 Chevy ZL1 Camaro Nick Robinson has barley had his license a year, but has plenty of seat time running the rounds of local circle tracks. Only 17, we found him turning laps in the open roll racing class in this 9-second ZL1 Camaro. Nick finished 5th with a best speed of 155 mph.

This 2017 Camaro ZL1 is far from home-built, but definitely a crowd favorite from the show. Claimed to be the fastest 6th-gen ZL1 in the world, it has a recorded best e.t. of 9.10 at 148 mph. After that run, the car received a new, yet-to-be-tested set up. It now features a bigger F1A94 Procharger with an air-to-water intercooler and forged bottom end. It makes 1,050 hp to the wheels, and even more with nitrous. Team members are secretive as to the exact amount of nitrous.

Owned and built by RPM Motorsports in Garner, NC, RPM says the ZL1 is stock from the firewall back, with the factory transmission, rear suspension and axles. The direct injection system features bigger injectors and a port-injection, which runs off the stock fuel pump.

The car gets 23 miles to the gallon, and according to RPM’s John Doc, “We drive it to the track, make a 5-second 1/8-mile hit, and drive home.” The new setup has yet to be run to its full potential, and the team only made one test and tune pass at the event. We think 8s are likely from this ZL1. Unofficially, it’s the third fastest 6th-Gen Camaro around, with its sights set on being the fastest.

The BMR suspension, Viking shocks, and Weld Aluma Star wheels give this Mustang a killer stance.

This former show truck doesn’t carry lawn chairs anymore. Owner Allen Austin plans to continue dialing in the truck for the 10s.

The owner of this 1990 Nissan 240sx originally ran a turbo-charged Nissan engine, before dropping it for the 6.0L LS. We like much better now too!

It may have a rough exterior, but underneath is a fresh drivetrain with a rebuilt 455ci and 12-bolt. The car sat in a barn since 1999 until Mitch Hoover pulled it out for his Senior project.

Tracey Holtzclaw is a part of the Carolina Holden club, which had a strong presence at the show.

This Camaro’s drivetrain has changed multiple times. Next, Chris Clark plans on stealing his uncle’s Procharger from his Chrysler 300 top-speed car.

Nick Robinson normally races NASCAR Super Late-Model cars, but the team at RPM Motorsports had him drive the ZL1 during the roll races. The street-car drags included a cruise, which the ZL1 handled with ease.

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[itsworn]

Grandpa’s Grocery-Getter Dart

One trend was undeniable at this year’s Mopars (rebranded as Muscle Cars) at the Strip in Las Vegas: Third-gen (2003 and newer) Hemi engines are now found under the hoods of an ever widening number of classic Mopars, from ’50s station wagons to ’90s front-wheel-drive Dodge Daytonas. One reason for this is that Mopar offers a wide variety of third-gen Hemi crate motors marketed as an alternative to their non-Hemi and Gen II counterparts.

But for cost-concerned builders — since 2003 when it debuted in the Ram, and then in 2005 when the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum were introduced — millions of Gen III Saltilo, Mexico-built Hemi engines have found their way under the hoods of various Chrysler vehicles. Many of those vehicles now languish in wrecking yards from coast-to-cost and are a low-cost source for modern drivetrains suitable for transplantation. In many instances, the drivetrains (engine, transmission, and associated engine computers) from wrecked early Rams and LX cars can be purchased for $2,500 or less, much less than the cost of a Hemi crate motor.

For the Mopar faithful, will the Gen III Hemi be the small-block Chevy for the 21st century? Karl Krohn, hailing from Sandy, Utah, says the answer is yes. And the car in which a Gen III found a new home is an unlikely choice, an unassuming ’74 Dodge Dart Swinger that was originally equipped with the venerable 225 Slant-Six backed up with a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

Karl isn’t your typical, dyed-in-the-wool Mopar guy. His first car was a ’64 Chevelle SS, a 283 car with a two-speed Powerglide transmission. “My older brother Jon had a ’65 Chevelle SS with a 327 four-speed,” says Karl. “We had this brotherly rivalry thing going on, and we were always trying to outdo each other. I had a part-time job after school at a wrecking yard in Burlington, Iowa. One day our tow truck driver hauled in a wrecked ’69 Impala SS 427 with a TH400, a pretty robust combination. I begged and pleaded with my boss to sell me that engine/trans combo until he finally caved in and let me have it. I installed that setup in my Chevelle, and then I was King of the Hill for a while. One day, he was talking trash about Fords. Well, I figured they couldn’t be all that bad so I went out and bought my first Ford, a ’69 Torino GT. Needless to say, the rivalry has continued for all these years.”

Karl’s owned other notable cars, including three ’66 Buick Gran Sport Skylarks, one of which was an “AH” Convertible with a Dual Quad 401 automatic and a 4.33:1 Max-Trac rear differential. His first Mopar was a ’69 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Six-Pack with a Dana 60 3.54:1 Sure Grip with bucket seats. Karl notes that it was unusual in that it was an automatic with a column shift.

Some time ago, Karl landed the job of prepping and tuning newly delivered cop cars for the Utah Highway Patrol. He continues to do that service today. And over the years his company, Absolute Performance, has become one of the major forces of the Salt Lake City and Utah performance car scene, upgrading modern muscle cars as well as transplanting modern engines in classic American muscle from the ’60s and ’70s.

How this particular Dart came into his possession is a bit of a story. Karl explains, “I went down to the Pick-N-Pull, a salvage yard in Salt Lake City to look for some parts for a project I was working on. When I walked in the door, a customer spotted me and said, ‘Hey Karl, You’ve got to check out that Swinger out there, it would be a good project for you.’ Going on, I was informed it was a brown ’74 Dart Swinger, and I wasn’t impressed by what I heard and politely went about my parts hunting. Then, I saw the Swinger sitting not far from the yard’s office and curiosity got the best of me, so I went over to have a look. At first glance, the reason it was there was obvious: The car had recently been wrecked and the driver-side wheel was torn loose, and the fender was wrecked. Aside from that, the car was simply dusty, so I looked inside and saw a surprisingly clean amber gold bench seat interior — seriously clean, in fact. The odometer showed 32,000 miles, so I logically assumed it was 132,000 miles, but after a moment’s looking at the pedals and everything else, it was obvious the 32K showing was actually 32K. Knowing the yard’s staff, I went in the office and asked them for the keys to the old Dart.

“Back outside, I flopped behind the wheel, curiously turned the key, and the little 225 Slant-Six sprang to life immediately and settled into a smooth fast idle. Astonished, I clicked the AM/FM knob, and the radio started playing perfectly. By this point, completely excited, I pushed the A/C controls, and the factory compressor kicked in and freezing cold air poured out of the vents. What was this thing doing in a junkyard? With already too many projects just sitting, I couldn’t leave this little Dodge to a grim fate, so I bought the Dart. They literally lifted it with their giant forklift and placed it onto my trailer — amazingly without causing any further damage to the car. Naturally, when I arrived back at the shop, my guys gave me a bit of ribbing, but they too could see the car had no business being junked.”

When asked what prompted the installation of a Gen III Hemi, Karl explained it this way. “As with many shops, the shop owners [Karl owns Absolute Performance in Sandy, Utah] are usually so busy working on customer’s cars that they don’t have time to build one for themselves. I was having this same problem, with two half-completed project cars having sat dormant for ages at the back of the shop. So I saw the little Dart as a quick way to bolt together a fun car for myself that wouldn’t require much time or expense.

“And believe it or not, this Swinger project began, literally, as an air cleaner — no joke. Among my cache of parts, there was an oval Hemi air cleaner assembly that just kept bugging me, and I became obsessed with the notion of having a plain vanilla stock-looking Dart with that giant oval air cleaner smacking you in the face when the hood went up. I like ‘sleepers,’ and I like machines that pack a lot of shock value, so combining a Hemi with a grandpa brown ’74 Swinger had increasing appeal as the days went by. So, during the winter of 2013, I took stock of what I had lying around the shop and realized I had a window of opportunity during the slower part of the season. The Slant-Six was yanked, the Dart was placed up on a jig, and the subtle transformation began.

“Being able to work my magic on new generation Hemis, I knew the Dart would have a 6.1-based powerplant, and as fate would have it, I had a 6.1 Hemi core lying in the parts pile that had come out of an SRT Grand Cherokee I’d built for a customer about a year before. I punched that engine out to be a 7.0L Hemi, performed a bit of head work, then grabbed up one of the Mopar dual-four carbureted intakes, because, after all, I wanted that big air cleaner under the hood. This set into motion an unexpected comedy of trial-and-error work to get the right baseplate and carburation combo that would fit under the stock flat hood. After modifying a couple of reproduction baseplates, I hit upon a combo that worked with the Edelbrock AFB carbs, but it also necessitated modifying the K-member and lowering the whole assembly an inch for more clearance. Wanting my creature comforts too, I went with the pulley drive setup off a 5.7L Hemi Ram pickup, and I modified a modern Cadillac rear discharge A/C compressor so everything fits neatly underneath an uncut retro Hemi air cleaner. I fabricated the A/C bracket between the alternator and the A/C compressor in-house, and then I stamped a part number on it so the thing would look like an OEM piece.”

In the weeks that followed, Karl found the front suspension parts needed to fix the Dart at the same yard and soon had it rolling around again under its own power, having just changed a few minor mechanical pieces for safety’s sake. Karl notes that the remaining paperwork indicates the Dart was sold new in Salt Lake City to an older gent, who had it serviced religiously at a local Oldsmobile dealership for the first years of its life, then the records just stopped in the late ’70s. “From all indications,” says Karl, “it looks like the Dart must’ve been put away and garaged after only a few years on the road, then it likely remained there until a grandson or some heir got the car a few years back and promptly wrecked it. With the front suspension damage, and being a ’74 Dart, the insurance company simply totaled the car out, and it ended up being sold for junk. Within weeks of laying eyes on it, the brown Swinger was cleaned up, the six was running like a watch, and I was using this thing as a daily driver. I found a Swinger fender to replace the wrecked original, and my friend Mack McBride at Mack’s Restorations in Murray, Utah, scuffed down the body and reapplied some fresh brown metallic paint. And from there, things quickly snowballed.”

The biggest upgrade, after the drivetrain, is the Hotchkis suspension. Working with John Hotchkis, the car received their A-Body TVS Suspension package. The upgrade also included QA1 front lower control arms, Fox tuned shock absorbers, 1.5-inch front sway bar, and reproduction 1.030-inch Super Stock torsion bars from PST. In the rear, the leaf springs are reproduction Super Stock springs arched to maintain a factory stance. A 1-inch Hotchkis sway bar and Fox shocks round out the rear suspension upgrades. The result is a suspension that’s firm like a modern muscle car — a far cry from the way this and all other Swingers (and Chrysler A-Bodies) rolled off the assembly line back in day.

Karl drives the car almost every day the sun is shining and enjoys trolling for late-model victims. Karl explains, “I know there are a lot of fast cars on the road, but the fun part is surprising someone in a car that looks like ‘grandpa’s grocery-getter.’ The main goal is to make sure that person will never forget the day he took on grandpa’s plain brown wrapper! The overall comfort is a bit firm, but that was to be expected. Now on the other hand, the handling characteristics are unbelievable. This car handles as good as any new ponycar, tire limiting of course. The car is mainly all original — the factory spare tire is still in the trunk. Outside of the engine/transmission upgrade and the suspension upgrade, the rest of the car is original.”

When asked what’s the most unusual attribute of his car, Karl added, “I think the most notable attribute of my car is the fact that the first impression is so refreshing to see an old car that looks new and then to discover that it has a Hemi in it — that really creates some huge smiles.”

Current Configuration

ENGINE

Type: Gen lll Hemi Bore x stroke: 4.080 x 4.080 inches Block: production 6.1L Gen lll Hemi block Rotating assembly: K1 crankshaft 4.080 stroke, K1 connecting rods, 6.125-inch Wisco pistons Cylinder heads: ported 6.1 Compression: 11:1 Camshaft: 112-500-11, camshaft, hydraulic roller tappet, advertised duration 260/264, lift .522/.525, Mopar, 5.7/6.1L, Hemi Valvetrain: stock with Stanke Motorsports rocker shaft stabilizer kits Induction: Mopar 2×4-bbls dual plain intake manifold, dual FAST EFI throttle bodies Oiling system: stock OE oiling system with offset filter adapter (Jeep) Fuel system: Tanks Inc. EFI fuel tank with return system using Corvette fuel filter Exhaust: TTI full 2.5-inch exhaust system with X-pipe and reproduction HEMI mufflers Ignition: Holley Dominator supplies the ignition system as well as the EFI Cooling: reproduction radiator with four cores, maintains a factory stock appearance Fuel: premium pump gas Output: 425 hp Engine built by: Karl Krohn, Absolute Performance Inc. Transmission: 727 TorqueFlite with A&A Transmission modified valve body Converter: TCI 2,800-stall torque converter Rear axle: Dana 60 Axle ratio: 3.54:1 35 Spline Detroit TrueTrac Shifter: stock column shift select Steering: Borgenson fast ratio steering box Front brakes: factory Mopar C-Body 11.75-inch disc brakes Rear brakes: factory Mopar C-Body 10×2.5-inch drum brakes Rollbar/chassis: no rollbar or chassis stiffeners, subframe connectors may be added this summer

WHEELS & TIRES Wheels: factory Mopar Police Pursuit 15×7 wheels with stainless trim rings and dog dish hubcaps Tires: 215/60-15 radial street tires

SUSPENSION Front: Hotchkis TVS suspension package with QA1 front lower control arms, Fox-tuned shock absorbers, 1.5-inch front sway bar, reproduction PST 1.030-inch Super Stock torsion bars Rear: reproduction Super Stock leaf springs arched to maintain a factory stance, 1-inch rear Hotchkis sway bar and Fox shocks

INTERIOR Seats: factory original with driver-seat area stitching renewed Instruments: factory original Wiring: factory original

Upcoming Build Configuration ENGINE Type: Gen lll Hemi Bore x stroke: 4.125 x 4 inches Block: all aluminum big-bore McLaren Cast Gen lll 426 Hemi block Rotating assembly: (Mulnar Technologies) forged steel crankshaft with 2.100-inch rod journals, modified GM LS7 titanium connecting rods with billet wristpin bushings (Katek), Chromium Nitride coated (Surface Solutions), custom forged 400 series high-silicone content pistons (Sue Nash, Wiesco Pistons) Cylinder heads: Edelbrock 61159 Compression: 11.5:1 Camshaft: Arrow Racing custom grind: intake/exhaust lift .628, duration at .050 intake/exhaust 233/243, lobe separation: 115, intake centerline: 115 Valve train: stock with Stanke Motorsports rocker shaft stabilizer kits Induction: Mopar 2×4-bbls dual-plane intake manifold Oiling system: stock OE oiling system with offset filter adapter (Jeep) Fuel system: Tanks Inc. EFI fuel tank w/return system using Corvette fuel filter Exhaust: TTI full 2.5-inch exhaust system with X-pipe and reproduction Hemi mufflers Ignition: Holley Dominator supplies the ignition system as well as the EFI and Transmission controls Cooling: reproduction radiator with four cores, maintains a factory stock appearance Fuel: premium pump gas Output: TBD Engine built by: Karl Krohn, Absolute Performance Inc.

DRIVETRAIN: Transmission: 4L70E-SD GM automatic (Trailblazer SS transmission), modified with 298mm input shaft to accommodate smaller torque converter Converter: GM C5 Corvette torque converter Rear axle: Dana 60 Axle ratio: 3.54:1 35-spline Detroit TrueTrac Shifter: stock column shift with modified shift detent for overdrive Steering: Borgenson fast ratio steering box Front brakes: factory Mopar C-Body 11.75-inch disc brakes Rear brakes: factory Mopar C-Body 10×2.5-inch drum brakes Rollbar/chassis: no rollbar or chassis stiffeners, subframe connectors may be added this summer

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Wallet-Friendly Carbureted LS Transplant into a 1967 Camaro

There’s always a cheaper way to do most anything. That’s especially true of LS engine swaps to classic Chevy muscle. If you go all out it’s pretty easy to spend $15,000-$20,000 on a complete “high-end” engine and trans swap. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By picking your battles you can do it for far less and still have a good looking, solid performing LS mill under your hood.

Given all of that, we decided to tackle a budget-friendly LS swap using as few electronics as possible. Yeah, there’s a way to ditch the coils and add a distributor, but in the end the cost outweighs the benefits. A carburetor is one piece of vintage tech that still works great and makes an LS install a lot easier, both in terms of effort and cost. So we’re going to mix in a little old to a little new and come up with solid compromise between looks, performance, and cost.

The main player in our project is a rebuilt 6.0L LQ4 LS truck engine. It’s a great example of how the LS platform can make great power for not a lot of coin. These engines are plentiful and ours, with a mild cam and a carb, made 465 hp. Without all the bells and whistles this engine could be duplicated for well under $4,000. Want to spend even less? Then check out the 5.3L variant. These engines are relatively dirt cheap since GM has churned out hundreds of thousands of them. We commonly get over 400 hp with a small cam and very little effort. There are all sorts of ways to get an LS under your hood without going broke. Heck, you can even bolt a TH350 or Powerglide to one with a couple of spacers. We opted to split the difference and go with a 700-R4 from Performance Automatic. This way we get the benefits of an overdrive transmission without the hassles and expense of more computers. In short, the exercise can be as inexpensive, or expensive, as you want it to be.

As we said, the carburetor is one of the ways this exercise is made easier. It lets you skip all the computers and wiring needed for an EFI system. But you’ll need an MSD ignition box to track the cam/crank and fire the coils. Many gearheads prefer carbs since they are already used to tuning them and let’s face it, cars have been running on them for decades. While EFI does have benefits, there’s nothing wrong with a properly tuned carburetor.

Our project is a ’67 Camaro with a tired 350 small-block and a non-overdrive TH350 transmission. The owner, Mike Recchia, wanted better highway cruising manners and, of course, more power. He also wanted it nice, but didn’t want to donate an arm and most of a leg to medical science to pay for it. So follow along as we take a reasonable approach to dropping an LS mill into a vintage Chevy.

1. Our starting point was this rather shoddy looking engine bay. The 350 small-block ran, but it was pretty anemic.

2. The old small-block and TH350 were pulled and then we spent a few days scrubbing the engine bay and detailing it with some fresh black paint.

3. The engine we’re dropping in is this refreshed LQ4 LS engine. It’s pretty much a low-compression iron 6.0L LS with a cam upgrade. On the dyno it made 464 hp and 437 lb-ft of torque, quite a bit more than our tired small-block. This engine would set you back just under $5,000 without the Holley LS Swap Headers, but with the sweet Holley LS swap oil pan (PN 302-2) and the intake/carb setup. As always, you can save cash by running factory exhaust manifolds, stock valve covers, or by finding a used GM LS1 F-body oil pan.

4. Another place you can spend a lot of money is on a front drive system. We’re not planning on A/C right now so the perfect option was a wallet-friendly used drive system from an early (1998-’02) Camaro or Firebird. It’s compact and the accessories are relatively inexpensive. For a tensioner, we used a solid one from Comp that we had at the shop.

5. For engine mounts we went with Hooker brackets (PN 12618HKR). These mate to clamshell style mounts on the frame and situate the engine perfectly for the oil pan and headers to clear. For the clamshells you can go buy stockers or Hooker sells the clamshells (PN 71221004HKR) and polyurethane inserts (PN 71221014HKR).

6. Oil pressure for the Camaro’s existing AutoMeter gauges was picked up at the back of the engine, just behind the valley cover. You can also spot the cam sensor plug that will be used for our MSD coil controller box.

7. We were then able to easily lower the carbureted LS engine into the Camaro’s refreshed engine bay. We chose to do the engine by itself and then install the new Performance Automatic 700-R4 four-speed trans from the bottom.

8. The aforementioned Performance Automatic 700-R4 is a great option since it doesn’t require a computer, yet still gives us an overdrive gear. The PA 700-R4 (PN PA70104) came with a lockup converter (2,200-2,400 rpm) and was internally upgraded with Alto Racing clutches, shift package, and their high-performance band/servo package. It came fully dyno tested with a lifetime warranty and was rated for up to 500 hp, perfect for our budget LS engine. If your wallet is a bit on the light side you could find a stock 700-R4 or even keep your TH350 three-speed.

9. Like we said, the PA 700-R4 came with a 2,400-stall lockup torque converter. The lockup function did require hooking up two simple wires (per the instructions) and should help the Camaro knock down considerably better gas mileage. The trans cooling lines (with the red caps) were in roughly the same spot as they were on the old TH350 so hooking everything up was easy.

10. The coated Hooker Blackheart swap headers cleared everything, even the sometimes problematic steering box. The headers are available in a variety of materials from 1 3/4-inch painted steel for $548 (PN 70101507HKR) to 1 7/8-inch stainless for right around $1,000. So they fit the car and they have a header to fit your budget. Mid-length headers or exhaust manifolds could save you even more cash.

11. Since our old Gen I small-block had long-tube headers, mating to the existing exhaust system was very easy. We were also able to reuse the Camaro’s transmission crossmember, along with a polyurethane mount from Energy Suspension, by just opening up a few of the holes. We also had to have the Camaro’s driveshaft shortened a few inches at Inland Empire Driveline.

12. We needed to grab water temperature for our electric fan controller so we opted for the top of the water pump. It just required drilling a 1/8-inch hole and using a pipe thread tap. This is also a good spot to tap in your steam return line, if you decided to run one.

13. The Camaro’s existing water temperature gauge was ran to a sensor on the back of the passenger-side head. To mount the 1/8-inch pipe fitting to the head we used a special 12mm adapter offered by AutoMeter.

14. The Camaro’s existing aluminum radiator leaked so we swapped to a three-row core replacement from Mishimoto (PN MMRAD-FIR-67X). It was an affordable option with features like billet aluminum fill neck, all aluminum construction, increased coolant capacity, magnetic drain plug, and internal transmission cooler. The radiator was paired with their aluminum fan shroud, which included a 1,850-cfm 16-inch fan (PN MMFS-FIR-67).

15. Even with the increased fluid capacity, the Mishimoto radiator bolted up to the factory core support.

16. We were then able to run the overflow hose and plumb it to the PA 700-R4 transmission using some Earl’s fittings and push-lock hose.

17. We ended up taking some radiator hose mock-ups (made with welding rod) to our local auto parts store and found hoses that would work for our Camaro/LS engine combination. The upper hose was from a 1970 C10 Chevy truck.

18. Holley was able to get us the right linkage to mount our 670-cfm Ultra Street Avenger (PN 86670HP) and get it tied into our throttle and the 700-R4’s TVS cable.

19. The engine is carbureted so the fuel system was as easy as hooking up a Holley Red electric fuel pump.

20. The LS engine’s ignition system is controlled by an MSD 6LS box (PN 6010). It reads the signal from the engine’s 24x crank sensor and 1x cam sensor to properly fire the coils. It’s also programmable and can map a timing curve as well as setting a vacuum advance curve and it has a two-step rev limiter.

21. We mounted a small breather tank from Summit Racing to the firewall and plumped it to the Holley valve covers. We also hooked up the CPP vacuum brake booster to the Holley intake manifold.

22. OK, the engine bay was looking so good we decided to splurge on some eye candy in the form of billet hood hinges from Eddie Motorsports. We also added their billet fender braces. Hey, in for a penny, in for a pound.

23. And with that, our LS swap was done.

24. With the Summit Racing air cleaner added you almost forget it’s an LS engine under the hood. If you wanted to carry the illusion further then it’s a pretty straightforward operation to hide the coil packs. Personally, we like the mix of retro and tech and think our engine bay looks immeasurably better than it did when we started.

25. Of course, the real reason we installed the budget LS in our 1967 Camaro was performance. So we drove the Chevy over to Westech Performance for some chassis dyno tuning using MSD’s Pro-Data+ software. When all was said and done the modded LQ4 put down 365 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque to the tires.

  Sources:

Competition Cams

800.999.0853

compcams.com

Eddie Motorsports

888.813.1293

eddiemotorsports.com

Energy Suspension

949.361.3935

energysuspension.com

Holley / Hooker / Earls

270.781.9741

holley.com

Inland Empire Driveline

909.390.3030

iedls.com

Mishimoto

877.466.4744

mishimoto.com

MSD Performance

888.258.3835

msdperformance.com

Performance Automatic

240.439.4650

performanceautomatic.com

Summit Racing

800.230.3030

summitracing.com

Westech Performance

951.685.4767

westechperformance.com

The post Wallet-Friendly Carbureted LS Transplant into a 1967 Camaro appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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