At just 37, Rob has already been racing for 20 years. He's racked up a few wins and lots of runner-up spots in his GTO clone. "I've always been around other racers and have been ridiculed for messing with a Pontiac drivetrain, but I always seemed to be just as fast or faster than any of them," Rob says. His affection for '74s began when his grandfather gave him a four-door '74 Ventura in 1983. By 1985 he had stepped up to a '74 Ventura Sprint, and this body came in 1987. He says, "My best moment in this car was winding it up on a straightaway and having a county cop standing on the double yellow line in the halt position. Needless to say, I didn't. This was back in 1988-89."
| Year/Model: | '74 GTO clone |
| Race Weight: | 3,450 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,250 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | 1/4 tank |
| Type of Fuel: | 93/110-octane mix |
| Engine: | '71 YC-code 455 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455 / 463 |
| Built By: | Owner |
| Carburetor: | 850 Race Demon, jets No. 91 square |
| Spacer Plate: | 1-in open aluminum |
| Intake Manifold: | Victor |
| Fuel System: | Mallory 140-gph pump, Mallory reg. set to 6.5 lbs, 1/2-in line |
| Heads: | Edelbrock alum., 72 cc, 2.11/1.66 Ferrea stainless valves |
| Ported: | Port-matched only |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | SRP, forged, Sportsman, flat-top, 0.035-over / Sealed Power moly |
| Rods: | Ohio Crankshaft, forged steel, H-beam, stock 6.625-in |
| Compression Ratio: | 11:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Ohio Crankshaft, 4.21-stroke, nodular iron |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Comp solid, flat tappet, 262/272-deg dur. at 0.050, 0.615/0.638 lift with 1.65:1 rockers, 110-deg LSA, 4-deg advance ground in |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms: | Crane roller 1.65:1 |
| Ignition: | Mallory Unilite, MSD 7AL box, Mallory coil, MSD wires, Autolite plugs |
| Total Timing: | 35 deg at 3,000 rpm |
| Exhaust: | Hedman Hedders, 1.875-in primaries, 3-in collectors, 3-in pipes, 3-in generic mufflers |
| Power adder: | None |
| Transmission: | Turbo-400, performance rebuild, transbrake, hd sprag |
| Converter: | Coan, 9-in, 3,800 stall |
| Shifter: | Mr. Gasket V-Matic ratchet |
| Rear: | 12-bolt corporate, 4.10:1 gears, Moser spool and axles |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock disc/drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Weld 15x3 / Weld 15x8 |
| Tires F/R: | Generic 165-15 / Hoosier 28x9 slicks or Hoosier Quicktime Pros |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 45 psi / 10 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | Moroso trick springs, Summit adj. shocks set to soft, stabilizer bar removed |
| Suspension Rr: | Calvert Racing split monoleaf springs, CalTrac bars, Rancho 9-way adj. shocks set to soft |
| Chassis Mods: | Subframe connectors, solid body mounts, 8-point rollcage |
| Interior Mods: | Dash-mounted gauges, rear seat removed and custom storage compartment built in, fiberglass racing buckets |
| Exterior Mods: | GTO hood, scoop, and trim |
| Safety Mods: | SFI-approved drivetrain parts, rollcage, double driveshaft loops, five-way safety harness (new last year), C-clip eliminators |
| Paint: | Starlight Black |
| Launch Technique: | 3,500 chip with two-step off the transbrake or 2,000 rpm off the footbrake |
| Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 10.79 at 124.99 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1. | As arrived 10 psi in tires | Idle | 4,800 | 1.67 | 7.18/96.39 | 11.28/118.78 |
| 2. | Adj. rear shocks stiffer | 3,500 | 6,000 | 1.80 | 7.26/97.74 | 11.30/120.64 |
| 3. | Adj. rear shocks softer | Idle | 6,000 | 1.66 | 7.11/97.60 | 11.18/119.55 |
| 4. | Removed mufflers 12 psi in tires | Idle | 6,000 | 1.62 | 6.99/99.19 | 10.98/121.75 |
| 5. | Same | Idle | 6,000 | 1.65 | 7.04/98.64 | 11.06/120.95 |
| Run Notes: 1) Spun at launch, short shifted; 2) Blew tires off 15-20 feet out, used transbrake; 3) Tire pressure too low, skated down the track; 4) Good run for the heat of the day at 2 p.m.; 5) Hot, Hot, Humid, Hot! |