Owner Bio: Dan Jensen
Anyone who's been in the Pontiac hobby sometime during the last 20 years has most likely heard of Portland, Michigan's Dan Jensen. Dan and Bob Boden have been running the Pure Stock Musclecar Drags. Held annually at Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, Michigan, the "Pure Stocks," as they are known, have become a great place for musclecar fans of all marques to come together and race. Visit www.purestockdrags.com for info on this year's event.
Dan, 49, has been racing for the last 30 years, and after 22 years as an accountant for TRW, he now builds and restores engines for musclecars. His T-37 is a clone, built so he could retire his original 455 H.O.-powered '71 T-37 post coupe from active racing. "I had my eye open for another post coupe so I could clone it as a 455 H.O. car, and in the fall of 2004, I bought this 350 two-barrel automatic coupe," he says. "I consider these '71 455 H.O. T-37s to be Pontiac's late-model lightweights."
In addition to the two T-37s and his first car, a '71 GTO, he also has Jim Mattison's '95 Firebird Formula show car, a prototype of the '95/'96 Comp T/As and WS-6 Firebirds. Additionally, he owns an '05 GTO and is cloning a '69 350 H.O. Tempest coupe. Past Pontiacs include a '70 R/A-IV Judge; a '71 455 H.O. LeMans (1 of 3); a '74 SD-455 T/A; a '74 SD-455 Formula; a '70 four-speed 455 Grand Prix; and a '72 "GTO'd" 455 H.O. station wagon.
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '71 T-37 cloned as a 455 H.O. |
| Race Weight: | 3,685 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 3,535 lbs |
| Type of Fuel: | 93-octane unleaded |
| Engine: | YC-code 455 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After Bore: | 455/462 |
| Built By: | Dan Jensen |
| Carburetor: | Q-jet 7041263, 0.073 jets, 0.043 primary metering rods, G-hanger, "CR" 0.0547 secondary metering rods |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Stock 455 H.O. |
| Fuel System: | Stock full-canister mechanical pump, factory 3/8-in lines |
| Heads: | '71 #197 round-port, no porting |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Valves: | Stock 2.11/1.77 two-piece |
| Pistons/Rings: | Speed Pro forged 4.180-in/file-fit moly |
| Rods: | Eagle forged-steel, stock 6.625-in |
| Compression Ratio: | 9.40:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock 455 nodular-iron |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Cam Motion hydraulic |
| Camshaft Specs: | 212/225-deg dur. at 0.050, 0.415/0.413 lift |
| Camshaft LSA: | 112-deg |
| Camshaft Centerline: | Intake ground at 110-deg |
| Installed Position: | Retarded 4 deg. to work better with 3.73 gears |
| Rocker Arms: | Factory stamped-steel 1.50:1 |
| Ignition: | Stock distributor with PerTronix Ignitor conversion, Pertronix coil, reproduction date-coded wires, AC R45S spark plugs |
| Total Timing: | 37-deg all in by 2,500 rpm |
| Exhaust: | 455 H.O. manifolds, 2.5-in pipes, x-type crossover, MagnaFlow mufflers |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | Turbo 400, mild shift improvements |
| Converter: | Stock GM Turbo 350 12-in |
| Shifter: | Original column shift |
| Rear: | GM 12-bolt housing, Safe-T-Track, 3.73 gears |
| Brakes F/R: | Manual 9.5-in drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Chevy/Olds 14x7 code-XT steel |
| Tires F/R: | Coker Firestone G70x14 reproduction |
| Tires Pressure F/R: | 45 psi/40 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | Factory stabilizer bar, coil springs, shocks, and rubber bushings |
| Suspension Rr: | Factory springs, shocks, trailing arms, and rubber bushings |
| Chassis Mods: | None |
| Interior Mods: | Factory in-dash tach and gauges replace the standard warning lights |
| Exterior Mods: | 455 emblems and H.O. ID |
| Safety Mods: | Driveshaft safety loop, stock seatbelts |
| Paint: | Quezel Gold, 80% original |
| Launch Technique: | Leave at idle and floor it if no initial wheelspin detected |
| Best ET/MPH Prior to Event (1/4-mile): | 12.48 at 110.02 |
| Best ET/MPH Prior to Event (1/8-mile): | 8.03 at 88.40 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
| Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | 37 deg, 45 psi in tires | 800-1,000 | 5,400 | 1.88 | 8.07/87.67 | 12.56/108.87 |
| 2 | Same | 800 | 5,400 | 1.91 | 8.10/87.63 | 12.59/108.80 |
| 4 | Same | 800 | 5,400 | 1.93 | 8.12/87.45 | 12.62/108.69 |
| 5 | Same | 800 | 5,400 | 1.89 | 8.08/87.79 | 12.55/109.58 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 11.95/115.13 |
| 6 | Same | 800 | 5,400 | 1.95 | 8.14/87.70 | 12.64/108.82 |
| The five most important runs are listed in the order they occurred. |
| Run Notes: 4) Shy on launch after last run, temps up, engine and air; 5) Cooler engine temp, more tailwind! Best run; 6) Warm engine temp, pushed it too hard off the line. |