 Starting with a 400 from a...  Starting with a 400 from a '73 Pontiac, the block was bored and stroked to displace 467 ci. A Holley Pro-Series 1000-cfm carburetor and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. manifold deliver the mixture to Edelbrock 72cc chamber heads that have Butler Performance porting. |  That Lime Time from House...  That Lime Time from House of Kolor really shines thanks to Jeff Lander and Carefree Paint and Body. Owner Larry Crider gets comments about it at shows all the time. "People tell me they normally hate green cars, but I haven't received a bad review yet!" |  Inside you'll find an 8-point...  Inside you'll find an 8-point roll cage made from 1.5-inch mild steel and wrapped in vinyl-covered foam padding. A Billet Specialties steering wheel is connected to a Flaming River column, and a set of Tenzo recliners covered in gray and black cloth with RJS five-point harnesses were installed by Massy's Trim Shop in Tulsa. The door panels were finished in medium gray and black vinyl cut to match the stock pattern. Custom-cut pile carpeting was molded to fit the floors since a stock-fit set wasn't available. On the turn-signal handle, you'll find a Roll Control, and the transbrake button is on the shifter handle. |
A Comp roller camshaft with 271/275 degrees of duration at .050 bumps Wolverine pushrods and Harland Sharp 1.50-ratio rockers to compress Comp springs and actuate Ferrea 2.11/1.77 stainless valves. Lift on both intake and exhaust is .4267.
Partially responsible for the boost in cubes is the Eagle crank with a longer-than-stock 4.25-inch stroke working from 3.00-inch mains. A set of Scat forged-steel H-beam rods connect the crank to the other deciding factor in the displacement increase: oversized pistons to fit the larger bores. These 4.180 Ross forged pistons are wrapped in Total Seal rings and feature a 30cc dish to maintain a powerful-yet-streetable compression ratio of 9.5:1.
For proper lubrication and cooling in all of this machinery, a Melling oil pump and Canton pickup provide the much-needed crude from a Canton 8-quart pan. On the waterfront, a Griffin aluminum radiator and Meziere electric water pump flows coolant through the engine's water jackets to beat the heat.
For lighting the fires, an MSD Pro-Billet distributor was combined with a Blaster 3 ignition coil, 6AL ignition box, and an MSD three-step. Electricity travels down a set of 8mm MSD wires to Autolite plugs.
Spent exhaust is routed out of the ports and into a set of custom-built step headers from Holzman Race Cars, manufactured using 1.875-inch tubing that steps up to 2.875 inches at 12 inches from the flange on the 36-inch long primaries. The smog flows through 3.25-inch collectors and rearward thanks to 4-inch steel pipes with Flowmaster Mufflers. For extra heat management and protection, the entire length of the exhaust was coated in Teflon.
The Turbo 400 transmission was stuffed with go-fast goodies by Tom Wilhite. A TCI SFI-approved 0-balance solid flexplate and 8-inch converter with a stall speed of 4,000-rpm transfer the engine torque to the trans, and a B&M cooler helps with the heat exchange between the trans and radiator. Let's not forget the transbrake and Cheetah shifter.
Putting the twist to the massive rear tires is a Strange Engineering posi with 4.10 gears packed inside a narrowed 9-inch Ford rear with 35-spline axles.
With the frame and body back from Holzman Race Cars and much of the reassembly complete, it was time to return to Jeff Lander at Carefree Paint and Body in Tulsa. Looking through House of Kolor's (HOK) offerings, the decision was made to use HOK's KwickKure epoxy primer. The first stage, PN KP2-CFA, was sprayed on in three coats, then block-sanded to straighten out any imperfections. This was followed by the second stage, three coats of PN KF2-CFB wet-sanded with 600-grit paper between coats until the car was smooth as glass. Next HOK's white basecoat was applied in three coats, followed by four coats of HOK's Lime Time. The '58 was then cleared with four coats of HOK UC35 before it was wet-sanded with 1,000-, 2,000-, and 2,500-grit paper.
After painting, the interior was reinstalled and many other details were tended to before the '58 hit the road. Start to finish the project took 1-1/2 years. While that may sound fast to some, these results belie the timeframe. "The '58 is exactly what I envisioned when I started. I'm extremely happy with it," Larry said, and he's not the only one. "The kicker is that everyone hates green but likes it on this car. I've always got a crowd around the Pontiac, from the time I arrive to the time I leave."
But it's not all show. "When I step on it, the Chieftain immediately takes off. It launches hard, pulls both wheels, and drives smoothly!" Given these results, it may not be so odd to build a '58 after all.