Bill Davis Race Cars welded in new UMI boxed subframe connectors and also performed the grunt work on the suspension overhaul. HRE 547R wheels in a staggered setup were put on as a final touch. They are 18x9.5 inches up front and 19x10.5 inches our back. Michelin Pilot PS2 tires are mounted to the wheels and offer plenty of grip in their large 275/35ZR18 front and 305/30ZR19 rear sizes.
Once their attentions turned to the powerplant, the free-flowing factory 241 casting LS1 heads were taken advantage of with a Crane Cams HR5 lobe 236/242-degree duration, 0.600/0.609-inch lift camshaft on a 110-degree LSA. The aggressive idle can be heard from blocks away as it's amplified by a pair of 1.75-inch stainless American Racing Headers with an off-road Y-pipe and a Corsa Sport aftercat. "I knew it was going to be loud when we started it up for the first time," Rob explains. "I was standing behind the car with the shop doors open and when he fired it up, it was like an F-16 had just flown overhead! It was the loudest exhaust I had ever heard on a car."
On the top end, Crane dual springs, Manley pushrods, and factory 1.7-ratio rockers control the valve events. A massive 98mm clear Fast Toys Performance intake lid sucks in cool air, while an 85mm Z06 MAF reads the data. Al Keller ported the factory throttle body and LS6 intake to compensate for the increased airflow. Rob painted the intake bright red to add a red accent under the hood.
While the two designs appear...
While the two designs appear similar, they aren't identical. Rob's T/A rolls on the very popular CCW 505a wheels, which measure 19x9.5 up front and 19x10 out back. Nate went for staggered 18x9.5 and 19x10 HRE 547R wheels.
The massive 98mm Fast Toys...
The massive 98mm Fast Toys intake air lid draws in cool air to feed an 85mm Z06 mass air meter for Rob's head-and-cam LS1.
The cockpit on Rob's Bird...
The cockpit on Rob's Bird features a pillar pod with a DynoTune wide band and multi gauge. It's carefully maintained and still appears brand-new.
In response to the new power, Nate added a Yank 3,600-stall converter with a Reactor flexplate. He rebuilt the 4L60-E transmission to his Stage 3 specs and installed it back into the Bird with a Perma-Cool transmission cooler. A set of 3.73 gears replaced the original 3.23s, but the factory Torsen posi was retained.
Nate sat behind the laptop and tuned his WS6 before he took it to the track. With a pair of 26x10.5-16 M/T ET Streets mounted to a set of factory 16x8 Firebird wheels, Nate launched the car to a 1.68 60-ft and onto an 11.65 at 122 mph.
Conclusion
Now that both cars have achieved a high level of performance, you can find the two together almost every weekend cruising around Indiana. Both friends have a lot more in store for their Trans Ams. Nate would only disclose that it involves boost. Rob was more open and tells us that he would like to upgrade to a 370ci iron-block with an F1A ProCharger, a UMI K-Member and upper/lower control arms, a Monster clutch, a Moser 12-bolt, and an upgraded fuel system. "That's all in the plans for next year." We're sure the two will have their sinister Birds pushing even bigger numbers soon as their bark and their bite move closer to a perfect match.
Rob's 92mm FAST intake manifold...
Rob's 92mm FAST intake manifold came in a boring flat grey. He sanded it down, painted it to match the Light Pewter Metallic body, and filled in the FAST logo with a black paint pen.
Rob's sculpted WS6 hood features...
Rob's sculpted WS6 hood features Carl Black hood stripes to accentuate the aggressive design.
Both Trans Ams feature painted...
Both Trans Ams feature painted rear bumpers. This is called the CETA mod, or Collector's Edition Trans Am mod, because the '02 CETA came with a satin-black-painted lower bumper.