OWNER BIO: Brian Cook
Brian is a true renaissance man who balances his career as a shop foreman at a Saturn dealer with serving on the town council, and even coaching little league in the past. But somehow, the 46-year old still makes time for racing and has done so on-and-off for the last 20 years. "I bought this car back in 2000 because it was so different from typical Pontiac race cars," he told HPP. "It's special to me because no matter where I go, it gets more looks than many of the other cars there." One of his proudest accomplishments with the '62 came just after he first bought it. With an all-steel body, it was running 7.25s in the 1/8-mile using a .060 over 421. "I tuned it and made other adjustments until finally it ran 6.99 and backed it up with a 6.98," he recalls. He has since rebuilt the car with some fiberglass body parts and a more powerful engine. A Pontiac man through and through, Brian still owns his first car, a '65 LeMans convertible he purchased February 26, 1976.
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '62 Catalina |
| Race Weight: | 3,560 lbs. |
| Curb Weight: | 3,350 lbs. |
| Fuel Level: | 4-gallons |
| Type of Fuel: | VP 114 octane |
| Engine: | '64 421 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 421/462 |
| Built By: | Owner |
| Carburetor: | BG 1,050 cfm, jets #90 square |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Victor |
| Fuel System: | Holly Blue elec. pump, Holley reg. set to 7 psi, 1/2-inch line |
| Heads: | Edelbrock alum., 2.15/1.66 stainless valves, ported by Rock & Roll Engineering |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | JE forged 4.180, .410 dome/Total Seal |
| Rods: | BME aluminum, 6.700-inch |
| Compression Ratio: | 14.5:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Nodular-iron 455, 4.21 stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Comp solid roller, 276/284-deg duration at .050, .660/.660 lift, LSA 108-deg. |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms/Ratio: | Harland Sharp roller / 1.50:1 |
| Ignition: | MSD Pro-Billet dist, 6AL box, MSD coil, MSD 8mm wires, AC Rapid Fire #5 plugs |
| Total Timing: | 36-deg all in by 3,000 rpm |
| Exhaust: | Custom 1.75-in primary headers, 3.5-in collectors |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | Turbo 400, perf. rebuild, manual valvebody, transbrake |
| Converter: | TCI 9-in, 4,500 rpm stall |
| Shifter: | Hurst Promatic 2 |
| Rear: | '57-'64 Olds/Pontiac, 4.56 gears, Strange spool, Moser axles |
| Brakes F/R: | G-body disc set up with Wilwood calipers/Wilwood 11-inch disc |
| Wheels F/R: | Centerline 15x3.5/Centerline 15x12 |
| Tires F/R: | M/T 27.5x15/Phoenix 32x14x15 slicks |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi/ 9.5 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | Stock, upper A-arms reversed side to side for brake swap, stabilizer bar removed, Lakewood 90/10 shocks |
| Suspension Rr: | CE 4-link, HAL adj. coilovers set in the middle |
| Chassis Mods: | Backhalfed, 6-point rollcage |
| Interior Mods: | Rollcage, wheel tubs |
| Exterior Mods: | SD scoop, fiberglass hood, fenders, inner fenders, grille supports, deck lid |
| Safety Mods: | SFI-approved drivetrain parts, rollcage, 5-point harness, head restraint (due to using the stock seat) |
| Paint: | Black |
| Launch Technique: | Footbrake to 2,800 to 3,000 depending upon starting line conditions (didn't use transbrake at shootout) |
| Best 1/4--mile ET, MPH prior to event: | 10.25 at 129 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | 90 jets, 10 psi in tires, 36-deg. timing | 2,500 | 6,500 | 1.49 | 6.69/102.77 | 10.54/126.63 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 6.37/107.83 | 10.05/132.87 |
| 2 | Same, 9.5 psi in tires | 2,500 | 7,000 | 1.55 | 6.81/102.23 | 10.68/126.58 |
| 3 | 92 jets front; 10 psi 94 jets rear | 2,500 | 7,000 | 1.58 | 6.78/102.64 | 10.63/127.00 |
| 4 | Same, 9 psi in tires | 3,000 | 7,000 | 1.58 | 6.82/101.54 | 10.70/126.17 |
| Run Notes: 1) Tires spun at starting line, 2) Tires spun at starting line, 3) Terrible 60-ft time, track will not hook, 4) Terrible 60-ft, spinning. |