Owner Bio: Darin Stine
Darin is fairly new to drag racing having started four years ago when he bought his LeMans. "After I sold my motorcycle, I felt the need for another 'toy' within a month." he recalls. "I originally wanted a fun street car, as I had never drag raced. I began cleaning up the LeMans mechanically and enjoyed driving it. The first time to the track, I was bitten by the speed bug.
"My Pontiac is special to me because I put a lot of hard work into it. It's not pretty, but I get so much enjoyment from racing it that the looks don't bother me. I've done all the work myself, with the exception of the rollcage," the 32-year-old Jaguar master technician explains. "There's a feeling you get when you have fun with a machine you've built yourself. What started out as a 'just-for-fun street car' has turned into a passion for racing Pontiacs.
"I also enjoy spending time with my lovely wife and two beautiful little girls, Emma and Maggie-thanks to them for all their support. Other than that, I spend a lot of time researching different car/motor combinations and working on my LeMans."
| Strip Tuning Log |
| Run/Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1. #93 jets, 37-deg timing, 17 psi in tires | 2,000 | 5,600 | 2 | 6.95/100.02 | 10.91/123.45 |
| 2. Same 2,200 | 5,800 | 1.57 | 6.93/ N/A | 10.82/122.12 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 6.74/ N/A | 10.52/125.57 |
| 3. Same | 1,400 | 5,900 | 1.58 | 8.93/66.7 | 15.43/63.33 |
| 4. Same, 16 psi in tires | 2,000 | 5,500 | 1.58 | ABORTED | ABBORTED |
| Run notes: 1) Sputtered 60 feet out, okay pass; 2) 1-2 shift felt better, car hooked up, bad wind; 3) Missed 1-2 shift, fuel-pump relay failed, possible trans problem; 4) Trans lost Second gear. |
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '69 LeMans (GTO clone) |
| Race Weight With Driver: | 3,365 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,225 lbs |
| Fuel Level When Weighed: | 5 gallons |
| Fuel: | Sunoco 110-octane |
| Engine: | '73 code-YH 400 block |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 400/455 |
| Engine Built By: | Owner |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Induction System |
| Air Cleaner: | K&N 6x14-inch |
| Carburetor: | Dominator 1050 (#9375 non HP) |
| Jets: | #92 square |
| Spacer Plate: | Phenolic, 1-inch clover-leaf |
| Intake Manifold: | Edelbrock Victor |
| Fuel System |
| Pump: | Holley Black electric, 140-gph |
| Lines: | -10AN from 8 gallon cell to BG 5000 filter, 1/2-inch alum. tube to regulator, -6AN to each carb bowl |
| Regulator: | Holley big-port, set to 7 psi |
| Heads |
| Brand: | Edelbrock, 65cc chambers, bought used |
| Head Porting: | By previous owner |
| Flow Numbers: | 323-cfm intake at 0.600 at 28-inch pressure |
| Valves: | Ferrea SS, 2.11/1.66 |
| Bottom End |
| Pistons: | BRC forged, flat-top, 4.151-inch |
| Rings: | Hastings Moly |
| Rods: | Eagle forged-steel, 6.625-inch |
| Compression Ratio: | 12.5:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock nodular-iron 455, 4.210-stroke, mains turned to 3.00-in |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft |
| Brand: | Comp Cams solid flat-tappet, Crower solid lifters |
| Duration at 0.050: | 265/276-deg |
| Duration Advertised: | 300/314-deg |
| Lift With Specified Rocker Arms: | 0.562/0.557 before lash is factored |
| Lobe-Separation Angle: | 106-deg |
| Installed Position: | 102-deg |
| Rocker Arms: | Crane Gold Race, full-roller, 1.5:1 |
| Ignition |
| Distributor: | MSD Pro-Billet |
| Amplifier: | MSD 6AL |
| Coil: | MSD Blaster 2 |
| Wires: | ACCEL 8.8mm |
| Spark Plugs: | Autolite 3924 |
| Total Timing: | 37-deg |
| RPM Total Timing is Reached: | Advance is locked |
| Exhaust |
| Headers: | Custom Mad Dog round-port |
| Primaries: | 2-inch |
| Collectors: | 3.5-inch |
| Exhaust Pipes: | 16-inch extensions |
| Muffler: | Dynomax 3.5-inch Race Bullets |
| Crossover: | None |
| Drivetrain |
| Transmission: | Stock Turbo 400 |
| Converter: | Continental, tight 10-inch, 3,400-stall |
| Shifter: | B&M Pro-Stick, forward pattern |
| Rear: | Art Houser-built 12-bolt |
| Rear-Gear Ratio: | 3.55:1 |
| Posi: | Eaton |
| Axles: | Moser |
| Chassis and Suspension |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock disc/drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Centerline Autodrags 15x5/15x8 |
| Tires F/R: | M/T Sportsman fronts 26x7.5x15 / Hoosier Quick |
| Time Pro 28x11.5x15 | |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi/17 psi |
| Suspension Front | |
| Springs: | Stock replacements with 1 coil cut out |
| Control Arms: | Stock |
| Stabilizer Bar: | None |
| Shocks: | Competition Engineering, set to 90/10 |
| Suspension Rear | |
| Springs: | Stock replacements |
| Control Arms: | Boxed uppers and lowers, lowers have solid alum. bushings on one end and poly on the other end |
| Stabilizer Bar: | 0.875 |
| Shocks: | CE, set to 50/50 |
| Chassis Mods: | 10-point cage by Jack Gaydosh |
| The Rest |
| Interior Mods: | Gutted, 2 race seats |
| Exterior Mods: | Forward-facing scoop molded to fiberglass bolt-on GTO hood, fiberglass front and rear bumpers |
| Safety Mods: | Rollcage, 5-point harness, SFI approved drivetrain parts, driveshaft loop |
| Paint: | "Various-yet-similar shades of blue" |
| Launch Technique: | Footbrake off idle, flash converter to 1,800 rpm |
| Best 1/8-mile ET/MPH Prior to Event: | 6.89/101 |
| Best 1/4-mile ET/MPH Prior to Event: | 10.79/125 |