With the exception of the...
With the exception of the modified rollcage that Nunzi installed for a previous owner years ago, the black Morrokide interior remains amazingly original. In addition to optional performance equipment originally found in the GTO, the radio-delete plate and lack of A/C indicate that this one was built to go fast. Nunzi rows gears using a vintage Hurst Super Shifter topped by a Hurst T-handle.
"I used to talk with a few of Pontiac engineers who were involved with the R/A-V project in those days, and they told me of the combinations that Engineering was working on to beat the competition. I remember hearing about the R/A-VI--a modified 428ci block with R/A-V top-end and a single four-barrel carburetor. The R/A-VII was a dual four-barrel version of that. I don't think either engine made it past testing, though."
Nunzi dreamed of building a unique engine using many of the R/A-V components he owned. "I wanted to put a real piece of Pontiac history into a car that I could take to local shows or cruises, and national Pontiac events, and to play around with. I never really had the time when I was working but had the chance to make that happen when I retired." What better way to create his tribute to Pontiac than by building his own R/A-VII engine?
The Powerplant
Beginning with a modified four-bolt 428ci block, Nunzi bored it 0.035 inch to 4.155 inches and filled the cylinders with forged-aluminum Venolia pistons, Speed-Pro plasma-moly rings, and forged-steel, stock-length Crower connecting rods. A modified Super-Duty 421 forged-steel crankshaft with a 4.05-inch stroke round out the reciprocating assembly, which creates a total displacement of 440 ci.
Tape decals will soon give...
Tape decals will soon give way to airbrushed graphics.
Atop the engine rests an N.O.S. pair of No. 44 R/A-V cylinder heads that, as Nunzi says, "were laying around since day one." They feature large intake ports that peak around 325-350 cfm at 28 inches of pressure at maximum valve lift. These units retain their original 2.19-inch-diameter intake and 1.73-inch-diameter exhaust valves but feature modern Crower valvesprings and titanium retainers. Combustion chamber volume measures 70 cc, yielding a compression ratio of 12.5:1.
Crower supplied a custom solid-roller camshaft with 260/265 degrees of 0.050-inch duration on a 108-degree lobe center and 0.650-inch valve lift when combined with the company's 1.6:1 ratio shaft-mounted rocker arms. In addition to specifying valve timing, Nunzi also had Crower install a cast-iron distributor drive gear and machine all five journals to accept roller bearings.
Four-inch exhaust tips with...
Four-inch exhaust tips with red accents bellow an authoritative symphony tuned by a pair of 3-inch MagnaFlow mufflers and an x-type crossover. The aluminum box is a custom-made unit designed to conceal the Holley Black electric fuel pump.
Authenticating the R/A-VII project is a super-rare, dual-plane, dual-quad intake manifold that's complemented by a pair of Holley carburetors. At the heart of the ignition system is a modified points-type distributor with a Mallory No. 102X points set. An MSD Blaster 2 canister-type coil generates spark, which Taylor wires transmit to a set of AC Delco R43S plugs. Total spark lead of 35 degrees is reached by 2,000 rpm.
Vehicle Selection
As the engine project neared completion, Nunzi sought the perfect vehicle for it. In his collection was a low-mileage '65 GTO that was originally equipped exactly as he'd have ordered it. Once Montero Red with black interior, it boasted of a 389ci Tri-Power engine, M21 four-speed manual transmission, 3.90 gearing, a Safe-T-Track differential, aluminum front brake drums with metallic brake linings, heavy-duty fan, Custom Sport wood steering wheel, and Rally gauges.
Nunzi first became acquainted with the GTO during the '80s when a customer brought it to him for an engine build. "The car was drag raced all its life," he says. "The body was very straight and rust-free, but the original engine and transmission were gone. I built a high-horsepower 455 for the owner, and he had me install a rollcage in it. He sold the car a few years later, and I ended up with it in the late '90s. It was just too clean and unique for me to pass up."
 The dual-quad R/A-VII was...  The dual-quad R/A-VII was an experimental engine developed and tested by Pontiac Engineering. Nunzi re-created it by using a modified 428ci block, R/A-V cylinder heads, and an experimental intake manifold. |  Exhaust gas is routed through...  Exhaust gas is routed through a pair of custom-made 180-degree headers with 2-inch-diameter primary tubing and 3.5-inch collectors. The deep-sump oil pan is a custom piece Nunzi built for the project. |  Note the one-off reverse-circulation...  Note the one-off reverse-circulation cooling system that Nunzi developed for this build. He feels the engine is less prone to detonation when cooling the cylinder heads first. A R/A-V balancer and crankshaft pulley dampen engine harmonics, and a unique five-blade flex fan draws cool air past the GTO's original radiator. |