Just in case Joe wants to...
Just in case Joe wants to wake the neighbors (let’s say, in California), he had ARH weld in dual oval DMH stainless cutouts. There is a MagnaFlow bullet muffler welded into the I-pipe to keep the local law enforcement calm, but no cats in sight.
Joe chose a Futral F-13 hydraulic roller camshaft (ground by CamMotion) with an intake/exhaust duration of 230/232 degrees, 0.595/0.585 lift, and a 112- degree LSA that he says combines great power with very streetable characteristics. The bumpstick raises a set of Trick Flow pushrods via LS7 lifters to the stock 1:7:1 rockers, with upgraded CompCams trunions to open the 2.04/1.57 valves in the TrickFlow as-cast 220cc heads. They were milled by Vengeance Racing to achieve an 11:1 compression ratio and feature 0.650-lift springs and titanium retainers.
This beast sucks air through a Fast Toys airlid, with a K&N filter and an SLP smooth bellows, into an 85mm truck MAF with the screen removed. The air continues through a 92mm Nick Williams TB and reaches the heads via a 90mm LSX composite intake manifold.
Peering beneath the slick...
Peering beneath the slick red shape, one is struck by the all-out effort put forth to bring the power to the ground via chassis-stiffening, suspension, and the massive 9-inch rearend. Joe’s friend Marshall, owner and operator of High Velocity NYC Diagnostic Center in Inwood, New York, provided lift time.
The upgraded fuel system consists of a Custom Racetronix fuel pump kit, with a Walbro Gerotor pump powered by a hot wire kit connecting the battery directly to the pump. Injectors are 30-lb/hr Ford SVO pieces to provide increased fuel input, all operating just fine on Sunoco 93 gas. Rounding out engine-related mods are an SLP double-roller timing set, an ASP underdrive pulley, and a ported SLP oil pump.
The T/A’s glistening GM code-81...
The T/A’s glistening GM code-81 Bright Red coat was primped and polished by one of Joe’s old Long Island F-Body Association buddies, Randy Weiss, owner and operator of Platinum Detailing in Lynbrook.
A larger LQ9 truck coil, GM 8.5mm wires, and a set of NGK plugs handle lighting of this Bird’s fire. There is a custom single-stage, direct-port nitrous system set up for a 200 shot, and the stock ECM was retained and tuned by Eastside Performance.
The red Phoenix exhales through a set of 1.875-inch American Racing Headers long-tubes through a stainless stell ORY-pipe into a Magnaflow aftercat exhaust.
A stock leather interior greets brave passengers. It’s a little too stock for running low 11s or quicker. A rollbar would be needed to make the car legal to race on an NHRA-sanctioned track.
Here’s proud owner Joe Rizzo...
Here’s proud owner Joe Rizzo where he’s most comfortable.
Exploiting the worked LS1’s potential is a bulletproof drivetrain that takes direction from Joe’s hand through a Hurst Pro Billet shifter with Lou’s short-stick, down the Rockland Standard Gear-built Viper-spec T56 six-speed behind a Monster Stage 3 clutch. The power continues through the PST 3.5-inch aluminum driveshaft with 1350 U-joints (protected by a driveshaft loop) to the massive Midwest Chassis modular 9-inch Ford rear with Wavetrac posi, finally turning the Strange 35-spline axles via a set of 4:11 Richmond Pro gears.
Bringing it all to the ground, this bad-ass Bird sits on HAL type-R shocks on all four corners, with 325-pound springs in front and stockers in back. The remainder consists of all Midwest Chassis chromoly rear suspension, featuring double-adjustable LCAs with rod ends, and a single-adjustable Panhard rod with poly bushings on the body and a rod end on the rear. A long torque arm provides further rigidity with a fabricated trans crossmember. Spohn tubular subframe connectors stiffen the body.
The T/A’s glistening GM code-81...
The T/A’s glistening GM code-81 Bright Red coat was primped and polished by one of Joe’s old Long Island F-Body Association buddies, Randy Weiss, owner and operator of Platinum Detailing in Lynbrook.
Joe’s Ram Air Bird has gone through quite a transformation over the years, and as with all labors of love, nothing is really ever finished—but Joe is satisfied for now. More track time is a priority when possible, and a new tune to really dial in this Warbird for battle is next on his list.
If you ever find yourself on a Long Island roadway and you come across Joe, don’t be fooled by his pleasant demeanor—it’s his menacing red T/A that’ll do all the talking.