Owner Bio: Charles Lombardi Sr.
As with the '69 Bird in this Shootout, the driver of the '71 GTO is not actually the owner. "I brought the car to my cousin Peter Germani's house as a surprise," Charles says. "He was looking for a car, and I found this one. I contacted the seller and negotiated the deal without Peter knowing. When Peter called again to buy the car, the seller told him it was sold. I shipped it to Rhode Island and then delivered it to him. The look on his face was priceless. Only his wife and my son knew what I had done. Needless to say, Peter was extremely happy to have it. Many cruise nights, drag races, and much family fun has been experienced because of this GTO." Aside from doing nice things for his family, 63-year-old Charles takes care of a whole town as part of his duties as the mayor of North Providence, Rhode Island.
| Strip Tuning Log |
| Run/Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Pt. | 60-ft. | 1/8-mile | 1/4-mile |
| 1 Baseline tune | 2,200 | 5,000 | 1.90 | 8.18/87.11 | 12.69/109.10 |
| 2 Same | 2,400 | 5,200/5,000 | 1.92 | 8.12/87.53 | 12.62/109.59 |
| 3 Same | 2,600 | 5,000 | 2.10 | 8.31/87.97 | 12.78/110.34 |
| 4 Same | 2,600 | 5,200 | 1.96 | 8.16/87.03 | 12.68/108.90 |
| 5 Same | 2,600 | 5,000 | 1.90 | 8.10/87.91 | 12.58/111.05 |
| Best Pass Corrected | | | | | 12.35/113.10 |
| Run Notes: 1) Car hooked well, car warm; 2) Shifted earlier, car hot; 3) Launch rpm raised and tires spun; 4) Car hooked well, higher shift rpm not good for 2-3 shift; 5) Track was great, rolled into the throttle faster |
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model | ’71 GTO 455 H.O. |
| Race Weight With Driver | 3,845 lbs |
| Curb Weight | 3,690 lbs |
| Fuel Level When Last Weighed | ½ tank |
| Fuel | VP 110-octane |
| Engine Size | ’71 455 H.O., code YE |
| Cubic Inches Before/After | 455/462 |
| Engine Built By | Glasgo & Co. |
| Induction System |
| Air Cleaner | OEM dual-snorkel |
| Carburetor | NOS 1971 Q-Jet |
| Primary Jets | 0.074-in |
| Primary Metering Rods | 0.043-in |
| Secondary Metering Rods | CC |
| Secondary Hanger | G |
| Intake Manifold | OEM aluminum |
| Fuel System | |
| Pump | AC Delco |
| Lines | 3/8-in |
| Heads |
| Casting | No. 197, OEM virgin |
| Head Porting | None |
| Flow Numbers | N/A |
| Valves | Stock GM 2.11/1.77-in |
| Bottom End |
| Pistons | Ross forged, +0.030-in, domed |
| Rings | Childs & Albert Z-gap |
| Rods | Eagle forged, 6.625-in |
| Compression Ratio | 9.9:1 |
| Crankshaft: | OEM nodular iron, 4.210-in stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced | Yes |
| Camshaft |
| Brand | Bullet Cams hydraulic |
| Duration at 0.050 | 212/225-deg |
| Duration Advertised | 288/302-deg |
| Lift with specified rocker arms | 0.425/0.425-in |
| Lobe Separation Angle | 112-deg |
| Installed Position | 109-deg |
| Rocker Arms | Crane 1.50:1 |
| Ignition |
| Distributor | OEM points-type |
| Amplifier | None |
| Coil | Pertronix |
| Wires | Pertronix |
| Spark Plugs | AC R43S |
| Total Timing | 38-deg |
| RPM That Total Timing is Reached | 2,200 |
| Exhaust |
| Manifolds | OEM H.O. |
| Exhaust Pipes | 2.5-in |
| Mufflers | DynoMax Ultra-Flo |
| Crossover | Pypes X-type |
| Drivetrain |
| Transmission | Original Turbo-400 |
| Converter | GM 2,000-rpm stall |
| Shifter | Stock |
| Rear | GM 12-bolt |
| Rear Gear Ratio | 3.55:1 |
| Posi | OEM |
| Axles | Moser Engineering |
| Chassis and Suspension |
| Brakes F/R | Stock disc/drum, manual |
| Wheels F/R | 14x6-in Rally II |
| Tires F/R | Goodyear G70-14 |
| Tire Pressure F/R | 45 psi/40 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | |
| Springs | Moog coil |
| Control Arms | Stock |
| Stabilizer Bar | Stock 1.125 in |
| Shocks | AC Delco |
| Suspension Rr: | |
| Springs | Original |
| Control Arms | Stock |
| Stabilizer Bar | Stock |
| Shocks | ACDelco |
| Chassis Mods | None |
| The Rest |
| Safety Mods | None |
| Paint | DuPont Chroma Base two-stage |
| Launch Technique | Brake torque to 1,800, converter flashes to 2,200 rpm |
| Best 1/8-mile E.T./MPH prior to event | 7.94/89.20 |
| Best 1/4-mile E.T./MPH prior to event | 12.42/110.8 |