Originally purchased in 1994...
Originally purchased in 1994 by his son-in-law as a drag-racing project, Bill Lorenzen took ownership of this '67 GTO in 1996 and quickly turned it into a consistent 12-second performer. Since retiring from his full time job in 2001, he has transformed it into a monster that's capable of running in the low 9s. Launching at 3,800 rpm and shifting near 7,000 rpm, the 2,680-pound GTO has produced a quarter-mile best of 9.21 at 142 mph. A Biondo Mega 85 delay box is employed to enhance consistency, while peak power occurs with 36 degrees of total spark lead. According to builder and crew chief Randy Moore, trap-speed calculations indicate that the mill is churning out roughly 715 hp at the crankshaft.
Like many of our feathered friends, a large number of retirees venture south during the winter months to bask in warm sunlight, but not 70-year-old Bill Lorenzen, who calls sometimes-frigid Lincoln, Nebraska, home year-round. Though currently employed on a part-time basis as a courier for a local medical laboratory, this retired telephone-company troubleshooter still has a full-time job-and the office he reports to is a '67 GTO.
The Early Days
Bill found an interest in anything mechanical early on and developed a love of racing after graduating high school, a time when muscle cars were an integral part of pop culture. His first new car was a Fontaine Blue '65 GTO post coupe, and he immediately went racing with it. "It had a 389, four-barrel carburetor, and four-speed manual transmission," he recalls. "I added Tri-Power, a more aggressive factory cam, and headers, and raced in the B-Stock and FX classes. It consistently turned the quarter in the high 13s."
Racing took a back seat when Bill sold the GTO and joined the Army in 1970. Once back in civilian life, he enrolled in vocational school, married, and purchased a '69 LeMans that served as family transportation for the next few years. Though racing wasn't completely out of his system, time and funding for such an activity was sparse. It wasn't until his son-in-law Bill Krause purchased a '67 GTO in 1994 that the racing flame rekindled, and Bill picked up where he had left off years before.
"The car was rough, a real basket case. It was Medium Metallic Green and had a black spider web painted on the hood," recalls Lorenzen. "The title said it was a '67 GTO coupe, but it had gotten hit in the rear and had a '66 Tempest rear clip. At some point in its life, someone installed a D-port 455, and my son-in-law asked if we could race it. I really wanted to get back into racing, so we started running in the 14-second bracket at Nebraska Motorplex in Scribner."
Back In The Saddle
The father and son-in-law team raced the GTO regularly for the next two seasons. Son-in-law Bill changed careers in 1996, however, and his new job left him with little time for the car. Not ready to give up racing for a second time in his life, Lorenzen decided to purchase the GTO and forge onward. "I already had money invested into the project and bought the car as a package deal for $1,600. I quickly made a few changes with help from fellow racers and continued racing," he recalls.
Over the next few years, Bill rebuilt the 455 and added such items as headers, an aftermarket camshaft, and a Holley carburetor, whittling the GTO into the 12s. "It was quick for what it was," he says, "but we wanted to go faster, and that would involve lightening the body, improving traction, and building an engine that could produce the horsepower we needed." Upon his retirement from the telephone company in 2001, Bill immediately began to transform the once-portly GTO into a svelte racecar.
This one-piece front clip...
This one-piece front clip is removable. The hood, deck lid, and front and rear bumpers are all currently fiberglass, and the fenders are steel originals. Future plans include converting the entire front clip to fiberglass to further reduce weight.
The 472ci, alcohol-burning...
The 472ci, alcohol-burning mill built by Moore Performance in Lincoln, Nebraska, sits 11 inches rearward to improve weight distribution. It boasts a ported and flowed Edelbrock Victor intake manifold and a mechanical methanol-fuel-injection system, featuring a gamut of products from Ron's Racing Products in Tucson, Arizona, to feed the potent mill. There's also ported aluminum cylinder heads and a custom solid-roller cam. The ignition system consists of myriad components, including a Crane PS92 remote coil, a Mallory distributor, an MSD Digital 6 box, and Moroso Blue Max wires. The methanol fuel tank can be seen forward of the radiator.
A belt-driven fuel pump from...
A belt-driven fuel pump from Ron's Racing Products pressurizes the fuel system, while an MSD crank trigger is used to accurately control engine timing. A CSI electric water pump circulates the coolant that dissipates its heat via an aftermarket aluminum radiator and electric fan assembly.
Assembling The Combination
The GTO's body was sent to Jippsy Motorsports in Lincoln, where the rear framerails were narrowed, a 10-point rollcage was added, and front and rear motor plates were installed. Once the chassis modifications were complete, Bill sent the body to R&R Restorations of Clarkston, where the body was prepped and treated to a basecoat/clearcoat application of PPG Dodge Intense Blue, polished to a show-quality finish.
Knowing that precise machining and exact tolerances are key elements in the success of any race engine, Bill knew of one ASE-certified Master Machinist he could entrust with his engines. Randy Moore owns Moore Performance in Lincoln; Bill had gotten to know him over the years and liked what he saw of his ability. When it came time to machine and assemble the GTO's race engines, Randy was the only choice.