When the first-ever GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout was announced last year, the internet-savvy LS-powered community took notice, and LSX specialty shops immediately began planning on how best to strut their stuff at this event-within-an-event. Memphis had been the location of the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Hot Rod and Muscle Car Nationals for years, but this was the first time that the LSX-specific race, car show, and dyno competitions would take place in conjunction with the NMCA finals. The event kicked off on October 11, and ran with the full NMCA program until well after dark on Sunday, October 14, when the LSX Shootout victors were crowned alongside the NMCA Championship series winners.

Last month in "Battery Boot Camp," HPP brought you a guide to the Delco-Remy tar-top batteries that powered Pontiacs from 1955 through 1966. While Delco-Remy was pleased with the speed with which it was able to market the 12V battery, the tar-top design was expensive to produce and maintain, and was inherently prone to an extremely short product life. Although there were technological advances in the engineering of the battery-primarily in the design of the internal separators-it became clear by the mid-'60s that the tar-top design itself needed to be retired.

The Super-Duty Catalina is symbolic of Pontiac's early-'60s dominance of NHRA's dragstrips and NASCAR's high-speed ovals. Super-Duty engine components were initially sold through the Division's dealership parts departments, but the NHRA soon mandated that in order to be eligible for competition in stock classes, complete engines must be factory installed. Pontiac countered by offering the Super-Duty 389 and 421 in its '62 midsized models.

Once you've been bitten by the "car bug," there's little that can cure you. Thankfully, there are ways to help with the symptoms, one of which is buying Pontiacs. Mike Marx, of Port Orange, Florida, was afflicted as a young teenager. "I was just drawn to Pontiacs and I bought my first one when I was 18," he says. For the next 30 years, Mike continued to collect them. He's owned two '68 GTOs, two '69 GTOs, a '68 Firebird, and a '701/2 Trans Am, among others. When he had the opportunity to purchase this rare WW5-optioned Shadow Gold '72 GTO, he already knew its history and had to have it.

When Glenn Kovach, a 50-year-old customer service and warranty representative in Benton, Illinois, sold an extremely rare SSJ Grand Prix in 1977, he thought he'd never see it again, but a quirk of fate brought it back into his life. "I found the SSJ the first time one afternoon in 1975," Glenn recalls. "It was sitting on a used-car lot, barely three years old, with factory Cameo White paint and a bright gold hood. I pulled over, checked it out, and learned it was a '72 SSJ Grand Prix. I looked at my girlfriend and said, 'I've got to have that car.' After much pleading and promising to my folks, I bought it."

With the Firebird's almost six-year absence and the GTO's two-year absence, Pontiac has been hurting for a performance rear-wheel drive V-8 model. There was great speculation as to what would replace the GTO after its departure following the '06 model year, but a clear answer was never given. The all-new G8 isn't specifically targeted as the '04-'06 Goat heir apparent; Pontiac's actually thinking on a much larger scale.

Pure Stock Series
Since this is the fourth installment, you probably know the premise of this series inside out. We held a major shootout at Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, which consisted of a group of Pontiac Pure Stock racers, who compete each year in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race (PSMCDR or PS). The rules and setups were discussed in the past few issues, so let's suffice it to say that these Pontiacs must remain very close to factory stock, right down to the wheels and tires. Certain concessions are given to NHRA-legal-for-stock-class engine specs, aftermarket clutches, more modern exhaust systems with H- or X-type crossovers (but no headers), and some very mild suspension tweaking.

Technology has brought a number of durable finishes to the hobby. In "Exterior Finish Education" (HPP, June '08), a professional shared his opinion of the products and trends commonly used in modern restorations. We followed that with "Getting Personal with Powdercoat" (HPP, July '08), which explored the powdercoating process and the durable finish it produces. We learned that powdercoat's high degree of visual appeal and low maintenance qualities make it suitable for components that live in harsh, but relatively low-temperature, environments.

Everyone wants to build a better mousetrap. Some like to compete in the high-compression horsepower chase and some look to push the boundaries of the pump-gas combo. For this story, Tin Indian Performance (TIP) and Kauffman Racing Equipment (KRE) set out to do the latter using a factory Pontiac block, KRE's D-port heads, and various new products introduced by both companies. Ultimately, the engine is destined for TIP's Kevin Swaney's 3,500-pound race car, in which he's intent on running mid-10s.

Part I: The Tar-Top 1955-1966
Your Pontiac battery is one of the most crucial components of a concours-quality restoration. One to five points can be deducted from your score in the Concours Stock Restored Class at POCI depending upon the degree of deviation from factory original or a correct-appearing reproduction. The right battery is an eye-catcher, too. Its presence is an important detail that allows you to go back in time and experience the joy an original owner felt when he looked down at his Pontiac's engine compartment for the very first time.

Over the first three installments of this story, you learned that Jason Korb of Middletown, Pennsylvania, wanted to rebuild the Pontiac 350 engine in his '69 Firebird for more power and easy cruising, but he didn't want to give up driveability or break the bank to do it. He contacted RaceKrafters Automotive Machine in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Bob and Craig Wise scienced out a combination to suit Jason's requirements.