Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout in Virginia, Part II
Owner Bio: Rodney "HOT ROD" Oke
"The fact is, I like racing something unusual, and you don't see too many '75 Trans Ams on the track," Rodney says. He was given this car in 1979 by a friend who purchased it new. The friend had a hard time driving a stick car (it was originally a four-speed), and Rodney fixed multiple transmissions for him before the friend finally gave up. Now 47, Rodney has been racing for 16 years. His proudest moment in the T/A was winning his first race at MIR back in 1993. The most exciting pass, however, came at Route 66 in 2000, when the converter broke halfway though a run and sent a shower of sparks down the track as the trans actually hit the ground. Rodney is married with three children. He teaches alignment and suspension classes at Northern Virginia Community College and donates time to local youth groups. | Strip Specs | | Year/Model: | '75 Trans Am | | Race Weight: | 3,815 lbs | | Curb Weight: | 3,570 lbs | | Fuel Level: | 1/2 tank | | Type of Fuel: | 93-octane | | Engine: | '70 YH-code 455 | | Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/468 | | Built By: | Tom Ellison at Ellison's Engine Service and the late Chuck Miller | | Carburetor: | Holley 1050 Dominator, jets No. 92 square | | Spacer Plate: | 3/4-in wood, open | | Intake Manifold: | Victor Dominator | | Fuel System: | Mallory 140 pump, 1/2-in line, Mallory reg. set to 8 psi | | Heads: | Edelbrock aluminum 87 cc, ported, 2.11/1.72 Ferrea stainless valves | | Flow Numbers: | N/A | | Pistons/Rings: | Ross forged flat-top +0.060 / Total Seal Gapless | | Rods: | Eagle forged steel, stock-length 6.625 in | | Compression Ratio: | 10.42:1 | | Crankshaft: | Stock nodular iron | | Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes | | Camshaft: | Comp solid roller, 254/254-deg at 0.050, 0.622/0.583 with 1.60:1 int. and 1.50:1 exh. rockers, LSA 108 deg | | Installed Position: | 4 deg advanced | | Rocker Arms: | Harland Sharp roller 1.60:1/1.50:1 | | Ignition: | MSD billet dist. 7AL-2 box with retard, MSD Pro-Coil, Taylor 10mm wires Autolite racing plugs | | Total Timing: | 36-deg locked, uses retard box for starting | | Exhaust: | Hooker Super Comp. headers, 2-in pri., 3.5 collectors, Pypes 3-in X-pipe, 3-in DynoMax UltraFlos, 3-in diameter pipes | | Power Adder: | None | | Transmission: | Turbo 400 by Wayne Rogers, Cheetah reverse manual valvebody | | Converter: | TCI 8-in, 4,200 stall | | Shifter: | Winters reverse manual | | Rear: | GM 10-bolt, Mark Williams spool, Moser axles, 3.90:1 Richmond gears | | Brakes F/R: | Stock disc/drum | | Wheels F/R: | Centerline Convo-Pro 15x4 / Centerline Convo-Pro 15x10 | | Tires F/R: | M/T ET Fronts 27.5x4.5x15 / M/T ET slicks 29.5x10.5x15 | | Tire Pressure F/R: | 35 psi / 13 psi | | Suspension Fr: | Stock, Moroso SS springs, stabilizer bar removed, Summit 90/10 shocks | | Suspension Rr: | Calvert Racing split monoleaf springs, Cal-Trac bars, Rancho adj. shocks set at 2 | | Chassis Mods: | CE subframe connectors, S&W 8-point cage, rear shocks moved inboard like coilover set up but without the coilover springs | | Interior Mods: | Auto Meter gauges | | Exterior Mods: | Ken's Speed and Machine modified Shaker scoop | | Safety Mods: | RJS five-way harness, driveshaft loop, rollcage, SFI-approved drivetrain parts | | Paint: | White | | Launch Technique: | Flash converter to 2,800 rpm on footbrake | | Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 10.82 at 124 mph | | Strip Tuning Log | | Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH | | 1. | No. 90 square jetted, 13 psi in tires, 40-deg timing | 2,800 | 5,800 | 1.51 | 6.98/96.86 | 11.05/120.11 | | 2. | Jets No. 93s, changed plugs from NGK to Autolite racing, 38-deg timing | 2,800 | 5,800 | 1.50 | 6.96/97.47 | 10.99/121.34 | | 3. | Dropped tire pressure to 12.5 psi | 2,800 | 5,800 | 1.55 | 6.99/97.50 | 11.04/120.61 | | 4. | 36-deg timing | 3,000 | 5,800 | 1.59 | 7.03/98.00 | 11.03/122.30 | | 5. | Dropped tire pressure to 12 psi | 2,500 | 5,800 | 1.52 | 6.95/98.13 | 10.96/121.88 | | Run Notes: 1) Car did not hook as well as it should; 2) Hooked better, pulled strong; 3) Car was out of the groove, hurt 60-ft badly; 4) Spun real bad at the eighth-mile, track was getting hot; 5) Clouds came in, car felt strong though the pass |
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