Owner Bio: Truman Fields
At age 64, this 46-year veteran of the 1320 wars is still winning and setting records in NHRA and IHRA stock competition. "My brother and I bought two '68 Ram Air, four-speed Firebirds when we got out of the Marine Corps in 1967," Truman told HPP, "And I've been racing Pontiacs ever since." Truman has campaigned this Firebird, and several other '68s. He even ran a '72 GTO and '72 Firebird as part of a factory deal with Pontiac. This Bird was sold in 1975 and bought back years later. With all that track time, choosing a favorite racing moment isn't easy. "Winning the Nationals at Indy in 1973 (in this '68) stands out," said Truman, "as well as becoming the class record holder in whatever class we've run since 1971." Truman was also the IHRA World Champion in 1982 and 1983 and a Car Craft All-Star in 1984. He has been married for 35 years, raised three children, has six grandchildren, and put in 30 years at IBM. Now retired, even more time is dedicated to racing. "It's been a great life. I just hope we can carry on," he says. The fact that HPP verified the information for this story with Truman while he was between qualifying rounds at a race is a pretty good indication of how well he can still carry on!
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | Factory '68 D-port Ram Air Firebird (referred to by some hobbyists as Ram Air I) |
| Race Weight: | 3,480 lbs, spare tire and 33 lbs of ballast in the trunk |
| Curb Weight: | 3,220 lbs, spare tire and 33 lbs of ballast in the trunk |
| Fuel Level: | 5 gallons |
| Type of Fuel: | Torco 110 octane |
| Engine: | '68 400 R/A, code WI (YC block now), bored .060 over |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 400/414 |
| Built By: | Ellison Engine Service of Cincinnati |
| Carburetor: | Q-jet, .072 primary jets, .052-second metering rods |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Stock iron #9790140 |
| Fuel System: | Stock mechanical pump and Holley elect. 80-gph pump, 3/8-in lines |
| Heads: | #31, 2.11/1.77 stock valves, not ported |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | Ross forged NHRA-legal stock replacement, 4.185-in/stock 5/64-in |
| Rods: | Eagle stock replacement, 6.625-in length |
| Compression ratio: | 11.75 :1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock 400, chrome and indexed, and offset ground .013 to 3.763 stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Bullet 068 Blueprint, hyd., 288/302-deg duration, .413/.413 lift, 110-deg LSA |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms/Ratio: | Crane stamped-steel, 1.50:1 |
| Ignition: | '72 Pontiac Unitized, modified cap for removable plug wires and an external Crane coil, Moroso 8mm wires, ACCEL plugs--138 front cylinders, 137 middle, 134 rear |
| Total Timing: | 36 degrees at 1,800 rpm |
| Exhaust: | Hooker Headers 1.75-in primaries, 3-in collectors, 3-in pipes, Flowmaster mufflers |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | ATI performance-built Turbo 400 |
| Converter: | ATI 9-in, 3,600 stall, 4,600 flash |
| Shifter: | Hurst |
| Rear: | Moser 4.33:1, Moser spool and axles |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock 9.5-in drum/drum |
| Wheels F/R: | M/T 15x4 / M/T 15x10 |
| Tires F/R: | M/T 29.5x5x15 / M/T 29.5x9x15 slicks |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 28 psi/17.5 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | Stock, Gabriel adjustable shocks set to 70/30, stabilizer bar removed |
| Suspension Rr: | Stock five-leaf springs, Lakewood slapper bars, Gabriel adjustable shocks set to 50/50 |
| Chassis Mods: | No subframe connectors, aluminum body brushings, five-point rollbar |
| Interior Mods: | Removed back seat to accommodate rollbar |
| Exterior Mods: | Custom lettering |
| Safety Mods: | Five-point rollbar, Simpson helmet, RJS seat belts, and Lakewood driveshaft loop, SFI-approved drivetrain parts |
| Paint: | Verdoro Green |
| Launch Technique: | 1,700 rpm, wide-open throttle at the last yellow light |
| Best 1/4-mile ET MPH prior to event: | 11.25 at 116.78 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | 36-deg timing, ACCEL 134, 137, 138 plugs, M/T radial slicks | 1,750 | 6,000 | 1.55 | 7.30 / N/A | 11.59/113.60 |
| 2 | Same | 1,750 | 6,000 | 1.55 | 7.28 / N/A | 11.55/113.93 |
| 3 | Same, bias-ply tire | 1,750 | 6,000 | 1.64 | 7.42 / N/A | 11.72/113.65 |
| 4 | Same | 1,750 | 6,000 | 1.58 | 7.35 / N/A | 11.65/113.42 |
| 5 | Same, M/T radials, iced cool can | 1,750 | 6,000 | 1.58 | 7.29 / N/A | 11.54/115.03 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 6.95 / N/A | 11.00/120.70 |
| Run Notes: 1) Good; 2) Good; 3) Trans dipstick tube O-ring leaked; 4) Spun tires two turns, OK; 5) Spun and then flew OK |