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Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout: Lone Star Part 2


Owner Bio: Lee Atkinson
Lee Atkinson is certainly a veteran racer having invested 18 years in the sport. He describes himself as "the car guy" since junior high school and told HPP that he still has the first issue of Hot Rod magazine (Aug. '78) that he bought at the age of 12. When it came time to build a race car, this chemical plant operator had a plan, "I wanted a lightweight Pontiac to make a street/strip car, and it had to be a '67 or older model so that it was emissions exempt," Atkinson recalled. As you can see, this '67 Bird fit that bill. Lee said that one of the funniest moments came when his big, strong friend tried to film from the back seat of the Pontiac during a test run. The launch was so hard that his friend could not control the camera, which made for a humorous video. Past Pontiacs include a low 13-second '79 T/A, another '67 Bird with a 326 that ran high 14s, and a '95 Grand Am GT that ran 16s.


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Strip Specs
Year/Model: '67 Firebird 400
Race Weight: 3,545 lbs
Curb Weight: 3,345 lbs
Fuel Level: 3/4-Tank
Type of Fuel: 93-Octane Exxon
Engine: YH-code 455 +.060
Cubic Inches Before/After: 455/468
Built By: Owner and Bill Swinney
Carburetor: Holley 750 Double Pumper, Jets #80/#85
Spacer Plate: None
Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Torker II
Fuel System: Mallory Comp 140, 1/2" line to Holley regulator set at 7 psi, dual feed to carb
Heads: '68 #16, ported, 2.11/1.77 SI valves
Flow Numbers: N/A
Pistons/Rings: TRW forged, custom dished/Sealed Power
Rods: Stock cast, resized, SPS bolts
Compression Ratio: 9.8:1
Crankshaft: Stock nodular iron
Rotating Assembly Balanced: Yes
Camshaft: Ultradyne, hyd. 231°/239° at .050, .550/.580 lift, LSA 108°
Installed Position 108°
Rocker Arms: Harland Sharp roller 1.65:1 (actually measured at 1.72:1)
Ignition: Dave's Small Body HEI
Total Timing: N/A
Exhaust: Custom headers 1 7/8" primaries, 3 1/4" collectors, 3" Dr. Gas X-pipe, 2-chamber Flowmasters, system by Deer Park Muffler
Power Adder: None
Transmission: Turbo 350, shift kit, HD parts, built by Arabies Racing Automatics
Converter: Custom Hughes, 3,200 rpm stall, 10.5"
Shifter: B&M Pro Shifter
Rear: 12-bolt GM Posi, 3.42 gears, Moser axles, built by Pyle Bros.
Brakes F/R: Disc/Drum
Wheels F/R: Weld Draglite 15x3.5/15x8
Tires F/R: Generic 165R-15 / M/T ET Streets 28x11.5x15
Tire Pressure F/R: 36 psi/14 psi
Suspension Fr: Moroso drag springs, Comp Eng. shocks, no stabilizer bar
Suspension Rr: Stock mono-leafs, Comp Eng. shocks and lift bars
Chassis Mods: Welded-in subframe connectors, 8-point roll cage
Interior Mods: Auto Meter gauges
Exterior Mods: Front air dam
Safety Mods: Roll cage, driveshaft loop, SFI-approved belts and drivetrain parts
Paint: PPG Arctic Blue by Todd Helgerson
Launch Technique: Stage at 1,200 rpm, flash converter at launch
Best E.T., MPH prior to event: 11.77 at 113.6

STRIP TUNING LOG
Run Tuning Launch RPM Shift Point 60-FT 1/4 E.T./MPH
2 As arrived 1,300 5,400 1.68 11.90/113.12
3 Front shooter from 28 to 31 1,300 5,400 1.77 11.99/112.98
4 Timing from 17° initial to 19° 1,300 5,400 1.70 11.98/112.41
5 Initial timing 16° 1,300 5,400 1.70 11.93/113.02
6 Initial timing 17° installed ram air box 1,300 5,300 1.67 12.00/112.09
Five most important runs are listed in the order that they occurred.

Owner Bio: Mark Metdker
Why an '89 Turbo TA? Mark Metdker says, "I have always liked the looks of the Third-Gens but was never impressed with their performance. This one is the exception. It remains one of the fastest cars Pontiac has ever made, but no one really knows about it--a real sleeper. Most folks think it has a 305 TPI motor." Metdker, a 47-year-old firefighter with 20 years on the job, shared his most favorite moment in his T/A, "It was when I raced a Z06 Corvette. After I beat it, the owner walked over to my car. He couldn't believe a 15-year-old car beat his very expensive new Vette. He was really upset when he saw the six-cylinder engine."


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Strip Specs
Year/Model: '89 20th Anniversary Turbo T/A
Race Weight: 3,615 lbs
Curb Weight: 3,430 lbs
Fuel Level: Quarter-Tank
Type of Fuel: 104-octane at the track
Engine: 3.8 liter V-6 (231 ci)
Cubic Inches Before/After: 231/231
Built By: GM
Programming: Custom computer chip with Scan Master 2.1 for diagnostics
Air Induction: ATR intake pipe, K&N cone-type filter
Fuel Injectors: 38 lb/hr
Intake Manifold: Stock
Throttle Body: Stock 58mm
MAF: Stock
Fuel System: Elect. Walbro 340, adj. regulator, stock line size
Heads: Stock, 1.71/1.49 valves
Flow Numbers: N/A
Pistons/Rings: Stock hypereutectic, 30.4cc dish/stock
Rods: Stock 151mm cast Arma-Steel
Compression Ratio: 8.0:1
Crankshaft: Stock nodular-iron
Rotating Assembly Balanced: Factory
Camshaft: Stock hydraulic roller 192°/196° at .050, .409/.434 lift, LSA 107°
Installed Position: Straight up
Rocker Arms: Factory 1.65:1 roller
Ignition: Stock electronic, coil pack
Total Timing: 21°
Exhaust: Stock manifolds, 3" ATR exhaust and single muffler
Power Adder: Precision Industries GT 3255 Turbo
Boost: Tial external wastegate with adj. boost controller
Transmission: 200-4R, rebuilt
Converter: Vigilante, 3,200 stall
Shifter: Stock
Rear: Stock Borg-Warner Australian limited-slip 3.27 gears
Brakes F/R: 11.5" Disc/ 10.5" disc
Wheels F/R: Stock 16x8 Crosslace
Tires F/R: Kumho 245/50R16 / 245/50R16 Nitto drag radials
Tire Pressure F/R: 30 psi/14 psi
Suspension Fr: Stock, KYB AGX adjustable gas struts
Suspension Rr: Stock, KYB AGX gas shocks, Hotchkis panhard bar and control arms
Chassis Mods: Kenny Brown Double-Diamond subframe connectors
Interior Mods: None
Exterior Mods: None
Safety Mods: None
Paint: Factory White with graphics
Launch Technique: Footbrake to 5-6 psi boost at around 3,000 rpm
Best 1/8-mile E.T./MPH Prior to Event: 7.58 at 92

STRIP TUNING LOG
Run Tuning Launch RPM Shift Point 60-FT 1/4 E.T./MPH
1 21° timing, 26-psi boost 3,000/5 psi 5,000 1.65 12.32/102.61
2 20-psi boost 3,000/5 psi 5,000 1.76 12.30/109.74
3 23-psi boost 3,000/5 psi 5,000 1.81 12.23/111.37
4 25-psi boost 3,100/8 psi 5,000 2.06 12.74/108.78
5 24-psi boost 3,000/6 psi 5,000 1.84 12.26/110.10


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