Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout in Virginia, Part II
Owner Bio: Felton "Tommy" Thompson
Nostalgia put Tommy into this '68 GTO. "My grandfather bought me a '68 GTO when I turned 16," he says. "I sold it when I went into the Navy, and I always wanted another." He found this one at a VW dealer in 1999. It had been in storage since 1975. Though the original motor is tucked away in the garage, his Goat retains the original paint everywhere but on the hood and front bumper. Tommy's most memorable moments with the GTO revolve around the trials and tribulations of teaching his wife, Ava, how to drag race in it. In the end, it must have worked out because Ava had her '66 GTO doing a wheelstand on the March 2004 cover of HPP. The family owns two '66 GTO race cars, a '71 GTO, a '99 WS6 T/A, and a '02 Firehawk. | Strip Specs | | Year/Model: | '68 GTO | | Race Weight: | 3,975 lbs | | Curb Weight: | 3,715 lbs | | Fuel Level: | Full tank | | Type of Fuel: | 93 Octane | | Engine: | '73 YC-code 455 | | Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/462 | | Built By: | Boyette's Automotive | | Carburetor: | Quadrajet, jets 0.074 pri, CX sec rods | | Spacer Plate: | None | | Intake Manifold: | Performer RPM | | Fuel System: | Carter mechanical pump, stock lines | | Heads: | Edelbrock aluminum 87 cc, ported, 2.11/1.77 Ferrea stainless valves | | Flow Numbers: | 300 cfm int. at 28 in of pressure | | Pistons/Rings: | Ross forged flat-top +0.030 / Total Seal | | Rods: | Eagle forged steel, stock 6.625-in length | | Compression Ratio: | 10:1 | | Crankshaft: | Stock nodular iron | | Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes | | Camshaft: | Comp hyd. roller, 268/274 duration at 0.050, 0.571/0.571 lift with 1.5:1 rockers, LSA 110 deg | | Installed Position: | 106 deg | | Rocker Arms: | Harland Sharp roller 1.5 ratio | | Ignition: | MSD billet dist. MSD-6AL, Blaster 2 coil, Taylor wires, Autolite 3923 plugs | | Total Timing: | 36 deg locked | | Exhaust: | Indian Adventures headers 2-in pri., 3.5-in collectors, 3.5-in pipes, Borla mufflers | | Power Adder: | None | | Transmission: | Turbo 400, racing valvebody | | Converter: | B&M 10-in, 3,000 stall | | Shifter: | Stock Hurst His and Hers | | Rear: | 10-bolt 3.55:1 gears, Auburn posi, Moser axles, T/A cover | | Brakes F/R: | Wilwood 11-in disc / stock drum | | Wheels F/R: | Weld 15x6 / Weld 15x10 | | Tires F/R: | BFG 215/60R15 / BFG drag radials 275/60-15 (Goodyear slicks 30x9x15) | | Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi / 18 psi (16 psi) | | Suspension Fr: | Stock, QA1 coilovers set to 90/10, Global West tubular A-arms, stabilizer bar removed | | Suspension Rr: | PST 0.75-in stabilizer bar, Metco upper and lower control arms, stock shocks | | Chassis Mods: | None | | Interior Mods: | Auto Meter gauges | | Exterior Mods: | None | | Safety Mods: | Driveshaft loop | | Paint: | Verdoro Green | | Launch Technique: | Off idle | | Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 12.07 at 112.9 | | STRIP TUNING LOG | | Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH | | 1. | 40 deg timing, BFG drag radials | 1,000 | 6,000 | 2.18 | 8.73/87.52 | 13.17/110.52 | | 2. | Goodyear Eagle radial slicks | 2,000 | 6,000 | 1.75 | 7.67/90.25 | 12.01/112.69 | | 3. | Same | 1,200 | 5,800 | 1.73 | 7.67/89.85 | 12.05/111.43 | | 4. | 42 deg timing | 3,000 | 6,200 | 1.80 | 7.74/89.91 | 12.12/111.43 | | 5. | 38 deg timing | 1,500 | 6,200 | 1.77 | 7.87/87.89 | 12.37/109.07 | | Five most important runs are listed in the order that they occurred. | | Run Notes: 1) Traction poor; 2) Hooked up; 3) Lower shift point hurt e.t. and mph; 4) Didn't respond to change in timing and launch rpm; 5) Same as 4 |
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