Even with 86,000 miles on...
Even with 86,000 miles on the odometer, this pampered T/A still retains its stock Navy Blue Metallic finish. Further enhancing its look is a set of "Blackbird"-style, silver-metallic stripes that were painted on the WS6 hood. Matching painted honeycomb inserts in the Ram Air hood and front-fender extractors provide attractive highlights.
In the heyday of the musclecar, Goats and Birds equipped with Ram Air powerplants literally flew off the dealer lots and onto dragstrips and street-racing venues across the country. Tuners and hobbyists alike routinely messaged the cylinder heads to raise compression, installed a lumpy 31/44 racing cam, and bolted on a set of headers and performance mufflers to extract every ounce of the engine's potential.
The decade and technology may have changed, but hobbyists continue to employ the same tried-and-true tricks. An example is James Drumm of Lewisville, Texas, and his '00 WS6 T/A. With 450 rwhp and show-quality paint and detailing, this T/A is an accurate representation of what can be accomplished with careful research and a commitment to detail.
According to James, "My father instilled the love of sports cars in me at an early age and reveled in test driving the hottest factory offerings. When I was approaching 16, we shopped around for an F-body, and my heart was set on a '96 Camaro Z28. Ultimately, there was no way to afford the car, but dad surprised me by purchasing an immaculate, black '87 IROC-Z four days after my birthday. I instantly fell in love and drove the car believing it was fast and great-looking to boot.
"Around 1998, I stopped at a light beside a black '98 WS6 T/A. When the light turned green, I got a slight jump on him, but not for long. He powered past me, taillights receding into the clear night. I was envious-the T/A was so explosive. It reminded me of the Pontiac commercials where the black T/A eats the car at a red light. I knew at that time that I would own one, but it wasn't until 2003 when I was able to complete college and achieve some financial stability that I could begin the hunt for the car.
"In October of 2003-almost one month into a search for a well-maintained T/A that would fit my budget-I happened upon a local eBay listing for a Navy Blue Metallic '00 WS6 model. After e-mailing the owner, he graciously agreed to allow me and my father to see the car in person. As soon as the Pontiac was fired up and backed out of his garage, I knew this was the one for me. The combination of the gorgeous Navy Blue paint and the chrome ROH rims entranced me. It took almost a full month to work out all of the paperwork, but the night that I finally picked up the T/A was special-this was the first vehicle that I had purchased on my own."
Engine And Drivetrain
Although it was mostly original except for the wheels and an after-cat exhaust, the owner had blown up the stock 5.7L engine and replaced it with a slightly used factory 6.0 engine featuring an iron block.
"In large part, the car was being sold in order to pay the debts incurred in completing the repairs," according to James. "After driving it stock for a while, the initial changes to the engine included the normal LS1 bolt-on items such as a Whisper lid, a K&N air filter, and a ported Shaner S3 throttle body. Things changed dramatically when I upgraded the LS1 intake manifold to a better-flowing LS6. After installing a used LS6 manifold, which I painted metallic silver to match the air lid, the engine developed a miss.
The car was transported to Real Performance Motorsports (RPM) where it was discovered that the back of the manifold was cracked, allowing air to enter the rear runners and ultimately causing cylinders No. 5 and 7 to lean out and eat their respective pistons. With the engine needing repair, I consulted with Brian and Keith Lohse regarding upgrades to maximize the horsepower on a budget. As RPM had completed several F-bodies in 'cam-only' configuration that put out close to 450 rwhp, that became the goal."
To that end, the cylinder heads were removed and sent to CNC Cylinder Heads of Pinellas Park, Florida, for reworking. By angle-milling the heads 0.050, compression was raised from the stock 9.5:1 up to 10.5:1. Stock 2.00/1.55 valves were removed, and CNC performed a multi-angle valve job, leaving the runners and combustion chambers stock.
 Styling cues in the cabin...  Styling cues in the cabin consist of owner-painted A/C-vent bezels shot in silver metallic, as well as MacEwen Motorsports' silver-faced gauges, headlight switch, and HVAC control overlays. |  A B&M Ripper shifter topped...  A B&M Ripper shifter topped with an acrylic Firebird-logo shift ball allows maximum control of the T56 transmission, while a Harlan Engineering red LED shift light provides bright visual cues to ensure the engine isn't revved beyond the 6,200 rpm redline. A Jensen 7-inch TFT AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 player is the brain behind the 600 watts of audio power in this ride... |  ...and the rear deck is still...  ...and the rear deck is still capable of hauling groceries or T-tops thanks to a rear-wall amp rack by Subthump.com that is most adept at dishing out angst-ridden melodies. A JL Audio 250/1 amplifier drives the massive 10-inch subwoofer, while a JL Audio model 300/4 amplifier powers the six JL Audio component speakers that reside in place of the factory units. Audio insulation abounds on the floors, doors, and in almost every hill and dale in the T/A, further enhancing the concert-like experience. |