Shop Tour - Hardcore Drag Racing

  This wicked Willy's is powered by a 1957 Chrysler 392 Hemi   stroked to 427 C.I. The induction system features a GMC style 6-71 blower with dual Holley Dominator's carburetors , mounted up top is a rare Don Garlits Street Catcher scoop , it's made in Australia  by Al's Blowers.  A set of vintage Top Fuel iron heads keep the combustion gasses flowing. The exhaust  fumes exit trough  stainless steel ceramic-coated headers. A high flow electric water pump and dual cooling fans keep things cool .   All the Hemi's horsepower is sent through a heavy-duty TH 400 with a billet case and 4000 RPM converter. Then it makes it way down to a Ford style 9-inch rear end filled with 4.30: gears and a  Detroit Locker differential. The interior is filled with classic bucket seats and a hand formed center console covered in black leather.  A billet Ididit polished column & wheel keeps the wheels pointed straight, modern touches include power locks ...

  Durring a ban from NASCAR during the 1965 season.  The  Plymouth AFX program was created to maximize the potential of the 426 Hemi engine in straight line acceleration competitions. The AFX class was  Factory Experimental , the A was the largest engine displacement class.  The Plymouth engineers found that if they could alter the weight distribution to create more traction for the powerful 426 Hemi engine, it would result in quicker elapsed times.  By the rules, there was no rule as to where the wheelbase needed to be located.  So the Plymouth and Dodge engineers moved or altered the wheelbase forward under the body for two reasons 1. to move the weight of the Hemi engine closer to the rear axle and 2 to put more weight over the rear tires. Smith was an Illinois racer who had a sponsor association with Learner’s Sales & Service, one of the largest Imperial sellers in America. That and his success in 1964 had gotten him one of ju...

  Robert George is from New Zealand and races this cool old school 1974 Camaro Z28. The original steel body was outfitted with fiberglass doors and front clip from Hairy Glass .  In race trim it only weighs 2350 pounds.   It features a full Chris Alston tube chassis with a Mustang II front end. Out back a set of ladder bars mount to a Dana 60 filled with 5:13 gears & a spool.  QA-1 shocks handle the bumps front and rear.   This is Robert's office. More high quality tin work is through out the interior. An old school cable drive Moroso Tach. sits on the dash , and only a trio of gauges is needed to keep an eye on things.       For power an LS7 454 fills the engine bay. It breaths through a big Holley Dominator carb. And it's filled with old school speed secrets. Dress up items include vintage Moroso valve covers.  The horsepower is sent to a TH-400 transmission with a trans-brake and a high-stall torque converter.     Here is a...

  Formerly part of the private collection of world champion Bruce Larson , it was purchased  in 2001 and restored it in 2007. This Top Fuel Dragster was raced by TV Tommy Ivo, It debuted at the '74 NHRA Winter Nationals  and sponsored by Honest Charley's Speed Shop. Ivo's Digger was one of the first Top Fuel cars to go 250 MPH in the 1/4 mile , It features the original chassis built by Larry Sikora in fall of 1973 . The Stream-liner body was designed by the legendary Nye Frank .   In an attempt to create better aerodynamics the front wheels were enclosed with what looked like rudders from an airplane . They were referred too as wheel pants.  The body work also extended below the lower frame rails and wrapped around the bottom giving it the look of a Monocoque Indy car . Ivo was quoted as a saying - "It was a brand-spankin' new car on my fourth run in the 1974 Winternationals. The engine exploded so fiercely that it turned into a fireball and punched a hole ...

      This 68' Firebird is a true beast ,sporting a 565 CID Reher-Morrison built big block Chevy with 1000HP.  Plus it has a 600HP Nitrous fogger  system on tap.. The big 565 is backed by an air-shifted BTE TH-400 Transmission  (with trans-brake).  It's been fitted with a Neal Chance bolt-together 4000 RPM torque converter.   Topping the 565 is a fully tuned 1200 CFM Dominator carb. that's fed by a Magna Fuel 500 electric fuel pump.         Keeping the enormous mill cooled is a massive aluminum radiator & CSR aluminum electric water pump . A complete MSD  ignition system provides the spark needed to get things going.  While a set of ceramic-coated Lemons headers scavenge the spent fumes .    The rear end is a Ford 9-inch with a back brace , inside we find a spool with a 4.30: gear set and hardened 31 spline axles. The rear end is swinging from ladder bars suspended by 3 way coil over shocks . ...

        This Sea-frost Green 1968 Camaro was ordered as a true Super Sport with a big block 396, then it was sent to Bill Thomas of Bill Thomas Race Cars in Anaheim, CA. There Mr.Thomas worked his magic on the 396.                   This car also has the Rally Sport hidden headlight package along with front spoiler, and the bolt on fiberglass Stinger Hood.     It features the Matching Numbers 396 block which is a rarity for a Bill Thomas car, because most of his builds had the 427 transplant. However, the original owner wanted to stay with the 396 and Mr.Thomas transformed Chevrolet's 396 into a sleeper big block that could terrorize any 427 on the street in 1968.   The 396 is set up with an Offenhauser Intake manifold with dual Carter AFB Carbs. A Comp Cams solid-lifter camshaft with the original Bill Thomas spec’s was installed during the rebuild .  The ...