Owner Bio: Brian Marion
Brian, a technician at Xerox, has been racing for 19 years at just 35 years old. "I'm picky about what cars I like," he says, regarding his Bird. "I like '69 Firebirds and '67 GTOs, so I have one of each."
"I restored the entire car in six months. It was a complete ground-up restoration, and I did 90 percent of the work myself, including all bodywork. The tranny rebuild was sent out," Brian says. "The first time out after the resto, I won the fastest street-car shootout at a local track, Spencer Speedway."
A Renaissance man, Brian hasn't limited his interest to Pontiacs. "I'm the guitarist in a modern rock band, Mesh, and also a toy train collector," he tells HPP.
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
| Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | Off the street rear tires 25 psi | 2,400 | 5,500 | 1.69 | 7.57/ N/A | 11.95/111.28 |
| 4 | Rear tires 15 psi | 2,600 | 6,000 | 1.71 | 7.57/ N/A | 11.92/111.95 |
| 5 | Open exhaust | 2,600 | 6,000 | 1.72 | 7.53/ N/A | 11.83/113.35 |
| 7 | Open air bleeds 2 turns | 2,400 | 6,000 | 1.7 | 7.49/ N/A | 11.76/114.42 |
| 8 | Same | 2,400 | 6,000 | 1.69 | 7.47/ N/A | 11.73/114.58 |
BEST PASS CORRECTED | 11.17/120.38 | | The five most important runs are listed in the order they occurred. |
| 1) Baseline; 5) Hesitation at the start; 8) Hot! Hot! Hot! But great last run! |
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '69 Firebird factory 350 H.O. |
| Race Weight: | 3,625 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,445 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | 11/42 tank |
| Fuel: | Sunoco 110-octane |
| Engine: | '70 455 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/464 |
| Engine Built By: | Kenny Nogaj |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Top End | |
| Carburetor: | Speed Demon 850 |
| Jets, Primary/Secondary: | #82/#92 |
| Spacer Plate: | Phenolic, 1-in, 4-hole |
| Intake Manifold: | Edelbrock Performer RPM |
| Fuel Pump: | Holley Blue |
| Lines: | AN #8 |
| Regulator: | Holley, set to 7.5 psi |
| Heads: | '69 #48 (Stock 350 H.O. head) |
| Head Porting: | Owner and Kenny Nogaj, chambers were also enlarged to slightly lower compression |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Valves: | Ferrea, stainless, 2.11/ 1.77 |
| Bottom End | |
| Pistons: | Ross, forged, flat-top, 0.040 over |
| Rings: | C&A Z-gap |
| Rods: | Eagle forged-steel, stock 6.625-in |
| Compression Ratio: | 10.75:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock 455, 4.21-in stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft | |
| Brand: | Comp Cams custom hydraulic |
| Duration at 0.050: | 255/268-deg |
| Duration Advertised: | 305/308-deg |
| Lift with Specified Rocker Arms: | 0.575/0.578 |
| Lobe Separation Angle: | 108-deg |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms: | Harland Sharp, roller, 1.65:1 |
| Ignition | |
| Distributor: | Mallory Unilite |
| Amplifier: | None |
| Coil: | ACCEL |
| Wires: | ACCEL 8mm |
| Spark Plugs: | ACCEL 437 |
| Total Timing: | 32-deg |
| Rpm Total Timing is Reached: | 2,200 |
| Exhaust | |
| Headers: | Hedman Husler |
| Primary: | 1.75-in |
| Collector: | 3-in |
| Exhaust Pipes: | 2.5-in |
| Mufflers: | Flowmaster |
| Crossover: | Flowmaster kit |
| Drivetrain | |
| Transmission: | Turbo 350, high-performance rebuild |
| Converter: | TCI, 10-in 3,500-rpm stall |
| Shifter: | B&M StarShifter |
| Rear: | GM 12-bolt |
| Rear Gear Ratio: | 3.55:1 |
| Posi: | GM 3 Series |
| Axles: | Moser 31-spline |
| Chassis and Suspension | |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock 9.5-inch drum |
| Wheels F/R: | 15x7 Rally II |
| Tires F/R: | Firestone 205/70R15 / M/T 275/60R15 drag radials |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 35 psi/18 psi |
| Suspension Front | |
| Springs: | TRW for six-cylinder |
| Control Arms: | Stock |
| Stabilizer Bar: | Stock, connected to frame but end links are removed for racing |
| Shocks: | Lakewood 90/10 |
| Suspension Rear | |
| Springs: | Landrum 5-leaf |
| Shocks: | Stock-type Gabriel |
| Other Features: | Lakewood traction bars |
| Chassis Mods: | 6-point rollbar, frame tied with welded 2x3 tubing channeled through and welded to the floor |
| The Rest | |
| Interior Mods: | Stock |
| Exterior Mods: | Trans Am hood, rear spoiler, air extractors |
| Safety Mods: | 5-point harness, driveshaft loop, 6-point rollbar |
| Paint: | '99 Jeep Cherokee Green, PPG, by Brian Moore |
| Launch Technique: | 2,400 rpm, floor it off footbrake |
| Best 11/48-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 7.42 at 92 |
| Best 11/44-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 11.63 at 114.75 |