OWNER BIO: JEFF ALLEN
At 44 years old, Jeff has been racing for the last five years. As he tells it, this Firebird wasn't even supposed to be his race car. "The intention was to fix it up for the wife to race since I was already racing my '70 GTO," he says. "But when the bug to go faster bit and my GTO had reached its limit legally without ruining it, I took over the Bird." A most unusual moment with the Firebird came the day Jeff bought it. He had found the car rusting away in the woods, so he purchased it, put tires on it and gas in it, and drove it home. It ran so well, his wife wanted to drive it, too. Later, as she was telling him how she had it up to 70 mph, Jeff was jacking up Bird and the subframe fell right out of it. Jeff's love of PMD vehicles came from his grandfather who drove Pontiacs and owned a wrecking yard. Jeff hopes to impart a passion for Pontiacs upon his grandson Brayden.
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '73 Firebird |
| Race Weight: | 3,370 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,170 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | Full-tank |
| Type of Fuel: | 100-octane Sunoco |
| Engine: | '75 455 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/462 |
| Built By: | Owner and Verlin Hale |
| Carburetor: | Holley 1050 Dominator, jets No. 91 square |
| Spacer Plate: | 0.5-in Moroso phenolic |
| Intake Manifold: | Victor |
| Fuel System: | Mallory 140 gph pump, 1/2-in line, Mallory regulator set to 7.5 psi |
| Heads: | '68 No. 16, ported, Ferrea 2.11/1.77 stainless valves |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | SRP forged flat-top 0.030 / Speed-Pro file-fit |
| Rods: | CAT forged steel, stock 6.625-in length |
| Compression Ratio: | 12.5:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Eagle cast steel 4.210-in stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Comp Cam solid roller, 252/262-deg at 0.050, 0.619/0.604 lift with 1.65:1 rockers, LSA 106-deg, centerline 102-deg |
| Installed Position: | 4-deg advanced |
| Rocker Arms: | Comp Cams roller 1.65 ratio |
| Ignition: | Stock HEI, MSD 6AL and three-step, Taylor wires, AC plugs |
| Total Timing: | 35 deg at 2,200 rpm | |
| Exhaust: | Hedman 1.75-in primary Hedders, 3-in collectors |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | Turbo 400, reverse pattern manual valvebody performance rebuild by Andy Reed |
| Converter: | 10-in Coan, 4,500-stall |
| Shifter: | B&M Pro Stick |
| Rear: | Moser 9-in Ford, 4.11 gears spool, 33-spline axles |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock 10.9-in disc / stock 9.5-in drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Centerline 15x3.5 / Centerline 15x14 |
| Tires F/R: | Moroso 15x7.50 / M/T 15x14x32 slicks |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi / 10 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | Stock, stabilizer bar removed, Comp Eng. adjustable shocks set to 90/10 |
| Suspension Rr: | Landrum monoleaf springs, stabilizer bar removed, Comp Eng. Slide-A-Links and adjustable drag shocks set to 30/70 |
| Chassis Mods: | Six-point rollcage |
| Interior Mods: | Stock interior removed, race seat |
| Exterior Mods: | Rear wheelwells enlarged, cowl induction scoop on hood |
| Safety Mods: | Six-point rollcage, SFI-approved drivetrain parts, driveshaft loop, RJS five-point harness |
| Paint: | Wine |
| Launch Technique: | Off transbrake at 4,000 rpm |
| Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 11.01 at 122 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | 35-deg total timing, Tires 11 psi | 4,000 | 5,500 | 1. 50 | 7.01/96.23 | 11.12/118.51 |
| 2 | Tires 10 psi, Changed front jets from No. 91 to No. 87 | 4,000 | 5,500 | 1.51 | 6.99/96.78 | 11.09/118.55 |
| 3 | Changed rear jets from No. 91 to No. 89 | 4,000 | 5,500 | 1.53 | 7.02/96.43 | 11.13/118.14 |
| 4 | Changed squirters from 35 downleg to 45 annular | 3,000 | 5,500 | 1.51 | 7.01/96.74 | 11.10/118.95 |
| 5 | Jetted No. 89, square, Changed squirters back to 35 downleg | 3,000 | 5,600 | 1.49 | 6.96/97.15 | 11.03/119.67 |
| Run Notes: 1) Off the trailer, carb too fat; 3) 60-foot off |