The extensive modifications...
The extensive modifications to the suspension keep the Trans Am glued to the road. At the show, owner Todd Levesque flips the switch on his Air Ride system and can drop the Bird down into the weeds. Combined with the Vertical Doors "Lambo" doors, the stance draws you in from the opposite end of the fairground at a show to take a look.
Going over the top is just part of the game when it comes to building a show car. It's all about adding your personal touch to your Pontiac and making it look great. Todd Levesque-36-year-old owner of Todd's Touch Automotive Detailing in Somersworth, New Hampshire-and his crew have 15 years of experience doing this for customer cars.
When he had the opportunity to add his touch to his own '00 Trans Am WS6, he ran with it. Though the T56-equipped Pontiac was purchased new for a cool $32,000 in May of 2000, that figure eventually swelled to over $100,000 invested in the entire project. Here's where all the money went.
Outside
Like any good show car, the body had to draw attention. Since Todd hadn't put many miles on his Bird, the factory black paint was in showroom shape and he used it as his canvas on which he had custom pinstripe flames applied.
Custom Flames by Alex Olivera in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, mixed PPG Warm Grey and applied it to the car. It's the same color as the rest of the grey interior pieces. Alex covered the new flames with a PPG semi-clear coat and Todd was on his way.
A Wings West body kit was also painted to match the body and installed to give the F-Body a more aerodynamic and aggressive look.
The snarling look of the WS6...
The snarling look of the WS6 front end is enhanced with a ground-hugging Wings West body kit. Further intimidation is provided by the whine from the ProCharger. The nitrous snort doesn't hurt, either.
The most dramatic visual mod, however, has to be the Vertical Doors "Lambo" doors that were installed back at Todd's shop. There's nothing subtle about displaying at a car show with doors like these; they garner many stares. "They were a pain to install," he exclaims. Since the doors on the F-body are so long, this "bolt-on" kit becomes a little more involved. The inside apron on the fender had to be trimmed along with the inside lip on the door. This allows the door to swing out at a 45-degree angle like the kit calls for. The direct replacement hinge isn't spring-loaded like similar kits. It uses an adjustable nitrogen-filled gas shock that supports the heavy weight of the door with ease. "When you open the door, you can raise it using just two fingers. It's incredible," Todd says.
Underneath
To prepare his F-Body for the proposed engine build-up, the flexible chassis and factory suspension needed to be upgraded. Under the hood sits a Hotchkis strut-tower brace that decreases strut-tower deflection. And under the floors, Hotchkis subframe connectors increase torsional stiffness. A set of Hotchkis Sport sway bars were fitted to the Pontiac to reduce body roll. The 17/16-inch front and 1-inch rear bars are thicker than stock, but are hollow so they actually weigh less. Hotchkis parts also replaced the stamped steel rear lower control arms and Panhard rod. A custom Air Ride suspension gives Todd control over ride height and smoothes the bumps.
Even though it's a show car,...
Even though it's a show car, Todd drives it hard on the street as well.
The Bird's stopping power is boosted from a set of Baer Eradispeed drilled and slotted replacement rotors and Hawk pads. Four American Racing Dale Earnhardt Jr. Killer wheels are bolted to the hubs. The fronts are 18x8.5 using a 31/2-inch backspace and the massive 20x9.5 rears are on a 41/2-inch backspace. Yokohama Advan Sport rubber provides the grip and measure 245ZR40-18 up front and 285ZR25-20 out back.
"Motor"Vation
Underneath the hood is where things really heat up for the LS1. Shoving air into the Granatelli MAF, throttle body, and FAST intake is a ProCharger D-1SC supercharger with twin hi-flow intercoolers. The centrifugal blower forces 13 psi of air into the aluminum small-block and provides over 550 rwhp, according to the owner. A pair of Lingenfelter CNC-ported LS6 heads flow 300 cfm with LS6 sodium-filled 2.00-inch intake and stainless 1.55-inch exhaust valves. They feature 65cc chambers and use hardened pushrods and 1.7:1 rockers. A Comp Cams hydraulic roller has 0.595/0.598-inch lift and 235/240-degrees duration on a 112-degree lobe separation angle.