For street duty, Jarrod runs...
For street duty, Jarrod runs the factory WS6 wheels, but for the track, it’s all business. “I had to sell my rear 15x10-inch Weld Racing Pro Stars to help pay for the transmission and rearend replacement, but I managed to find a good deal on a set of four 16-inch, five-spoke Firebird wheels with tires mounted,” he says. These wheels gave Jarrod a couple options—a pair of 26x11.5x16 ET Streets or P255/50R16 ET Street Radials. Both sets hook well, and have been used by other Fourth-Gen T/A racers for some impressive short times.
It was slow-going to keep putting money aside to get his toy back on the road, so he decided to throw another 10-bolt in and get back to enjoying the car. A 3.42-geared manual transmission rearend with a TA cover was installed. "I discovered that I ruined my 4L60E transmission when I took out the first rearend," he says. "I decided I wouldn't rebuild the 4L60E, and instead went with a Turbo 400, which I had planned to do later down the road."
Kyle got to work on the WS6 to install a built Turbo 400 from FTI with an FTI 4,000-rpm stall converter, a reverse manual valvebody, and a transbrake. A massive B&M transmission cooler was plumbed up to keep the transmission cool, and Fleetpride fabricated a custom 3-inch driveshaft to make the connection.
Jarrod's first passes with the new transmission were discouraging. Since the three-speed Turbo 400 uses a 2.48:1 first gear versus a 3.06:1 in the 4L60E, the taller, less aggressive gearing meant his short times suffered. He was back down to a being stuck in mid 12s with 1.72 60-foot, on motor.
He has decided to stay away from the track until he installs a narrowed Dana 60 with matching, large offset wheels. This will allow him to run a more aggressive rear gear to compensate for the transmission.
Conclusion
His father may have gotten Jarrod into the hobby, but it was his own passion for hunting that quick e.t. that has kept him in it. To this day, Jarrod says that he loves his WS6 so much that he still finds himself staring at it as it sits in the parking lot, six years after he bought it. He looks forward to having the stronger Dana 60 installed, and making a few more tweaks to the suspension before he touches the engine.
The LS1 is still running strong with over 84,000 miles, countless nitrous bottles, and several hundred track passes on it. A bottle of nitrous just might be his key to a 10-second daily driver.
The big guy on the left controls...
The big guy on the left controls the nitrous, and the little guy on the right controls fuel. A potential risk with wet nitrous systems is that if either solenoid fails and sticks open or closed, it could result in engine damage. Thankfully Jarrod hasn’t had any issues with his reliable NX ‘noids.
Inside, Jarrod has kept things...
Inside, Jarrod has kept things simple with a factory interior and a small control panel for his nitrous, located under the functional factory radio. The Wolfe six-point rollbar was installed for added safety and NHRA compliance, as he looks toward the 10s.
Here’s the essentials for...
Here’s the essentials for any nitrous-fed racing junkie—purge, line lock, nitrous arm, bottle heater. This plate has a dedication to his sibling, Sergeant First Class Jason J. Fabrizi, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on July 14, 2009. Jarrod plans to add several more memorials of his brother to the car, including custom WS6 badges.