An Eagle cast-steel, 4.25-inch-stroke crank works Eagle forged H-beam 6.800-inch-long rods and Wiseco forged pistons, each with a 16cc dish and Sealed Power rings. A Milodon pan and windage tray and a Sealed Power high-volume pump and pickup comprise the oiling system.
Hot Rods By Boyd/Penfound...
Hot Rods By Boyd/Penfound Design one-off 20x8 and 20x10-inch wheels have 3-inch and 4-inch backspacing respectively. Toyo’s Proxes 4 245/35ZR20 and 275/40ZR20 tires were modified with redlines by Diamond Back Classic Radials.
Round-port 72cc E-heads were ported by Ken’s Performance in Elyria, Ohio, to flow 300 cfm, and were assembled by Weber with 2.11/1.66 valves and Comp Cams valvesprings and High-Tech pushrods. Compression is 10.3:1. Comp’s XR288HR 236/242-degrees duration at 0.050 hydraulic roller cam has 0.520/0.540 lift with Crane 1.5:1 roller rockers and a 110-degree LSA.
The Barry Grant Six-Shooter induction system is a modern interpretation of the Tri-Power and features three 250-cfm carbs on a free-flowing aluminum intake. An MSD Pro-Billet distributor lights the spark with assistance from an MSD coil, Taylor Wires, and NGK plugs. Reproduction round-port manifolds from Ames send the fumes through a fabricated exhaust system with 2.5-inch pipes, crossover, tailpipes, and splitters, and Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.
Under three Summit chrome air cleaners sits 449 cubic inches of 389-derived, roller-cammed, aluminum-headed Pontiac power. It produced 507.6 hp at 5,700 rpm, with 528.3 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm (with 1.875-inch headers) on an engine dyno. The firewall and inner fenders were smoothed and painted with a flattened version of the exterior color, and the brake booster was sunk into the firewall.
An 11-inch McLeod Racing hydraulic clutch puts the twist to a Richmond Gear Super Street five-speed with overdrive, featuring 2.89 First, 1.85:1 Second, 1.31:1 Third, 1.00:1 Fourth, and 0.77:1 Fifth gears and down a custom driveshaft to a Moser 12-bolt stuffed with 3.73 gears, a limited-slip differential, and Moser axles.
With only a few hundred shakedown miles on it, Barry’s early impressions are positive. “The air suspension is pleasingly compliant, power is abundant, the clutch is smooth and consistent, and the five-speed is racecar precise. The quick-ratio steering components and wide, low-profile tires are a good team for the street, and the massive Tri-Power brakes are virtually fade-free.”
Of the finished product, Barry says, “All Penfound Design cars begin as a rendering, so many of the details are determined before any construction begins. The best part of Sabertooth is that it looks even better than expected. The stance is aggressive, the interior is bold and has a great mix of old school and more modern clean and smooth surfaces, and the one-off paint color is just right for its personality. And when the engine starts, it’s a serious road invitation.”
The custom street touches ensure that Sabertooth will garner attention from all who have a sweet tooth for meticulously designed and built Pontiac performers.
An Art Morrison 4-Bar rear...
An Art Morrison 4-Bar rear clip and suspension works in concert with the Ridetech components to locate and control the Moser rear’s movements.
The vent windows are gone....
The vent windows are gone. Blister mirrors from an ’83 Le Mans were installed, and functional rear fender scoops that duct air to the rear brakes were fabricated. Also absent is the roof driprail, but the character line remains. The hidden door handles are from a C6 Corvette.
Here is the Ridetech air suspension...
Here is the Ridetech air suspension system with its StrongArm A-arms, which were designed to improve the stock suspension geometry and also work better with lower ride heights. Barry is still experimenting with swaybar sizes, so the front bar is not shown.