Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout in Virginia, Part II
Owner Bio: Al Dombrowski
Having begun working on Pontiacs at 15 years old, at age 59 Al has been racing for almost 45 years. After a stint with speedboats in the '80s, he got back into the car hobby in the '90s. This '74 GTO "was purchased as a 54,000-mile original," Al says. "It gets more attention than any Pontiac I've ever owned." Al did the show circuit for the first year of ownership, but this racer-at-heart soon got the urge to get back on the track, and the '74 was transformed into a street/strip car. "I like the challenge of getting a car to run on all motor and still be an honest street driver," he says. He also loves how "the grandkids get so excited about riding in the GTO." Al's other Pontiacs are too numerous to list, but he did buy a '65 GTO and a '67 GTO H.O. brand-new. | Strip Specs | | Year/Model: | '74 GTO | | Race Weight: | 3,680 lbs | | Curb Weight: | 3,510 lbs | | Fuel Level: | 1/2 tank | | Type of Fuel: | Unleaded 93-octane | | Engine: | '71 YW-code 455 | | Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/462 | | Built By: | Butler Performance | | Carburetor: | Factory Q-jet, jets pri. 0.078 pri. rods 0.051, custom 0.042 sec. rods | | Spacer Plate: | Wilson 1-in aluminum tapered | | Intake Manifold: | Performer RPM | | Fuel System: | Holley Blue 120 pump and Holley reg. set to 6 psi, stock 3/8-in fuel line, stock in-tank sump | | Heads: | Kauffman aluminum D-port, 2.11/1.66 Ferrea stainless valves | | Flow Numbers: | 310/226 cfm at 28-in of pressure | | Pistons/Rings: | TRW forged flat-top +0.030 / Speed-Pro | | Rods: | Eagle H-beam forged steel, stock 6.625-in length | | Compression Ratio: | 10.4:1 | | Crankshaft: | Eagle/Butler cast steel | | Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes | | Camshaft: | Comp Extreme, hyd. 236/242-deg duration at 0.050, 0.555/0.576 lift with 1.60 ratio rockers, LSA 110-deg | | Installed Position: | Straight up | | Rocker Arms: | Aluminum full roller 1.60:1 | | Ignition: | MSD billet dist, MSD 6AL, MSD coil, MSD 8mm wires, NGK-A7 plugs | | Total Timing: | 32 deg at 2,200 rpm | | Exhaust: | Doug's Headers, ceramic-coated, 1.75-in pri., 3-in collectors, Dr Gas X-pipe, 40-series Flowmasters, 3-in diameter pipes | | Power Adder: | None | | Transmission: | Turbo 350, street/strip rebuild, shift kit | | Converter: | TCI 11 in, 2,600 stall | | Shifter: | Hurst Ratchet | | Rear: | GM 10-bolt, Brute Strength differential, 4.10:1 gears, 30-spline axles | | Brakes F/R: | Stock disc/drum | | Wheels F/R Street: | Rally II 14x7 / Rally II 15x8 | | Wheels F/R Strip: | Centerline 15x4 / Centerline 15x8 | | Tires F/R Street: | BFG 205/70R14 / M/T ET drag radials 28x11.5x15 | | Tires F/R Strip: | M/T 26x4.5x15 / M/T drag slicks 28x9x15 | | Tire Pressure F/R Strip: | 35 psi / 15 psi | | Suspension Fr: | Stock, stabilizer bar removed, Summit adj. shocks set at 90/10 | | Suspension Rr: | Stock, CE traction bars set to 1.5 turns, 1-in stabilizer bar, QA1 shocks set at 3 | | Chassis Mods: | CE subframe connectors, Metal Specialties six-point bolt-in rollbar | | Interior Mods: | Auto Meter gauges, Innovate LM-1 O2 meter | | Exterior Mods: | Fiberglass bumpers painted body color | | Safety Mods: | Driveshaft loop, C-clip eliminators, SFI-approved drivetrain parts | | Paint: | Fire Coral Bronze | | Launch Technique: | Footbrake to 2,000 rpm | | Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 12.05 at 112.05 with old comb | | STRIP TUNING LOG | | Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH | | 2. | 34-deg timing, 0.043 sec rods, 15 psi in slicks | 1,600 | 5,300 | 1.96 | 7.84/N/A | 12.10/114.61 | | 3. | Same | 1,800 | 5,300 | 1.85 | 7.70/N/A | 11.94/114.71 | | 4. | 0.048 sec rods, Removed 1-in spacer | 1,800 | 5,600 | 1.76 | 7.67/N/A | 11.92/114.66 | | 5. | 32-deg timing | 2,000 | 5,500 | 1.74 | 7.52/N/A | 11.74/115.34 | | 7. | 30-deg timing | 1,900 | 5,600 | 1.85 | 7.65/N/A | 11.84/116.13 | | Five most important runs are listed in the order they occurred. | | Run Notes: 2) New motor making adjustments; 3) Carb bog; 4) Less carb bog; 5) Slight carb bog; 7) Same |
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