The potent LS1 has been upgraded...
The potent LS1 has been upgraded to produce 430 rwhp on motor and more with a shot of nitrous.
HPP: What was the most fun on the race?
MA: I think just hanging out with all the people, the experience-it was awesome. My daughter and I got to spend time with each other that I could have never planned-even on a three-week vacation. And we got to do some of our favorite things-rallying I'll call it, and going everywhere. The sights we saw were incredible, and the people on the show were dynamic. It was the adventure of a lifetime.
HPP: Did you feel like Burt Reynolds on a cross-country race?
MA: Absolutely! As a matter of fact, during the race, I kept doing Dom Deloise's Captain Chaos. I kept going, "Dum, dum, dum."
HPP: Do you and your daughter now think about Hollywood careers?
MA: Oh, yeah. I mean, everybody would like to have something happen. Everyone's fascinated with movie stars and people on television and things like that. My daughter just spent a year in L.A. working as a makeup artist. I'm 45 years old. People don't start their acting careers at 45, but she's 22 now and I'm sure she'd love it.
HPP: Did the Trans Am make it through Bullrun, the entire rally, and to the final episodes?
The front suspension mods...
The front suspension mods can be seen here, but it's more fun to view the thrashing the undercarriage took during the show.
MA: The Trans Am did great. I can't talk about how far it went or what it did, but I was very satisfied. The neat story, and one of the reasons they took us for this race, was that I work in the car business and I run one of the largest Pontiac dealerships in the United States. In 1989, I sent my daughter a postcard with a Trans Am on it, and I wrote, "Hey, Hon, maybe one of these days your dad will make enough money to get you one of these." So I made her a deal. If she graduated with honors from high school, I would buy her an '02 WS6 Trans Am. So for her graduation and birthday, since she achieved that goal, I bought this Trans Am for her.
HPP: If you had to do it again, would you want to do it with the same car?
MA: Yes, I wouldn't change a thing.
HPP: For next season's Bullrun, what Pontiac model do you want to see involved?
MA: I think a GTO and/or a new Solstice GXP would be a great vehicle to use on the show.
The rear of the T/A wasn't...
The rear of the T/A wasn't spared the mudfest either. Note the carbon-fiber rear-control arms were replaced with chrome-moly parts (shown) after the race.
Conclusion
HPP is pleased that the Alsops chose a Pontiac Trans Am for their part in Spike TV's Bullrun. As you've read, because of network confidentiality agreements, we are not able to tell you if the Trans Am won the Bullrun championship because, honestly, we don't know. Just like you, HPP will have to tune in to Spike TV on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT through May 15 to find out.
'02 WS6 Trans Am Modifications
The Trans Am generates 430 corrected horsepower at the rear wheels sans nitrous. The original cost of the Pontiac was $33,000. With $19,300 spent in mechanical upgrades and $7,000 in paint, the total investment reached $59,400.
Engine
- 5.7L LS1 built by Terry Kinslow and Dustin Wheelock
- ARP connecting-rod bolts
- General Motors LS1 hot cam
- Lingenfelter LS6 cc'd, ported, polished-aluminum heads
- Stainless steel valves (sodium filled exhaust for better cooling)
- Harland Sharp 1.7-ratio aluminum roller rockers
- PRC dual springs
- TSP pushrods
- Stock LS6 intake
- Ported LS6 throttle body by Nick Williams
- 42-lb/hr SVO injectors
- 160-degree thermostat
- MTI airbox
- TNT 150-shot nitrous oxide
- FLP ceramic-coated long-tube headers
- Flowmaster after-cat exhaust
- Custom LS1 edit dyno tuning
Drivetrain
- 4,200-stall Yank converter
- 4L60E transmission built by Terry Kinslow and
- Dustin Wheelock
- Auburn 3.42:1 limited-slip rearend
Suspension and Brakes
- QA1 24-way adjustable shocks front and rear
- QA1 springs front and rear
- BMR chrome-moly tubular upper and lower control arms
- BMR carbon-fiber rear control arms
- BMR front and rear sway bars
- Baer cross-drilled rotors
- Baer front and rear ceramic brake pads
- Double Diamond frame stiffeners
- Prothane brass/neoprene bushings
- Goodyear F1 275/45ZR17 tires and Dunlop ST Wintersport M3Mo 245/45ZR17 tires
- GM 17x9.5 WS6 wheels and 17x8 ARE wheels with black centers