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Category: Make

  • (2) 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s – His and Hers

    (2) 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s – His and Hers

    Not to use a trendy term here, but this is a serious relationship goals story…

    Husband and wife duo Damian (HIS ZL1) and Cody (HER ZL1) brought their brand new 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in for identical modifications! Just days apart, each received Roto-Fab, LLC dry filter air-intake systems, ZPE GripTec 2.30″ upper supercharger pullies with Gates HD Green belts, Stainless Works long-tube headers with 2.00″ OD primaries Cerakoted by Detective Coating, MSD Performance spark-plug wires, Design Engineering, Inc. Protect-a-Boots, Borla Exhaust ATAK exhaust systems, Mishimoto Automotive 180° thermostats, all topped off with Mightymouse Solutions Mild catch can systems.

    After the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, both were strapped down to the rollers by Charlie for Vlad to perform custom calibrations via HP Tuners. Up first, Damian’s ZL1 1LE laid down a best run of 665.71whp & 704.78lbft with a repeatable 639.40whp & 699.70lbft on 93 octane. And days later, Cody’s ZL1 laid down a best run of 664.03whp & 689.16lbft with a repeatable 647.14whp & 681.52lbft. Really cool story and killer outcome all around!

        
     
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  • 2011 Cadillac CTS-V – 875HP

    2011 Cadillac CTS-V – 875HP

    Joseph’s 2011 Cadillac CTS-V rolled into the shop as an engine-less shell, with boxes of engine parts in the trunk, and a simple guiding goal: build his V2 into a reliable 700whp+ daily driver.

    So, we inventoried what we had to work with, filled in the gaps, and turned this V2 into a street-prowling beast! The build is centered around a Steve Morris Engines built 377cid/6.2L LSA-based short block with a bump in compression ratio to 10:1, Melling Performance Parts oil pump, stock unported cylinder heads, ARP cylinder head studs, custom 3-bolt conversion camshaft from Cam Motion, valve train from Total Engine Airflow, COMP Cams, and Brian Tooley Racing, Jokerz performance ported OEM LSA 1.9L supercharger, ZPE GripTec 2.55″ upper supercharger pulley driven by a Lingenfelter Performance Engineering 9.55″ lower, OEM Camaro ZL1 supercharger lid with a Dedicated Motorsports reinforced intercooler brick, AFCO Racing heat exchanger, Aldo Welds trunk-mounted intercooler coolant tank, breathing in through an AIRAID intake system & OEM LS7 throttle body, with a Mightymouse Solutions catch can delivering clean air, breathing out through a set of Kooks Headers and Exhaust long-tube headers, with fueling provided via DSX Tuning auxiliary fuel pump & Flex Fuel conversion, Injector Dynamics ID1050X fuel injectors, and all the OEM GM & aftermarket odds-and-ends to bring it all together.

    Once the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Charlie strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom Flex Fuel calibration via HP Tuners, coming in at a strong 753.35whp & 721.20lbft on E85! Pound-for-pound, it is hard to beat a well-built 750whp V2 for a daily driver.

     

     
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  • 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS – 850HP

    2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS – 850HP

    Sean has been bringing his cars to National Speed since 2008, and over the years, has brought in quite a variety: 370Z for bolt-ons, EVO X for a full build, ’66 Nova for a ZZ454 engine swap & build, all leading up to his latest project, his 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS. And back in November of 2017, Sean brought her in for a Magnuson Superchargers Heartbeat TVS2300 supercharger system, a Roto-Fab, LLC intake system, Stainless Works long-tube headers & complete exhaust system, and a custom calibration by Vlad via HP Tuners, coming in at 546.80whp & 545.77lbft through the 8L90E. Hell of a nice starting point!

    Several months later, Sean was ready for some quicker & faster ETs, and brought her back in for the next big step! And this time around, it was a block-out affair. First up, John removed the engine and disassembled it to the bare block, and proceeded with installing drop-in Wiseco Automotive forged pistons, JRE camshaft, Johnson Lifters Dog Bone 2110 lifters, Brian Tooley Racing valve train, ARP fasteners, AFM/DOD delete utilizing OEM GM components, OEM LT4 high-pressure fuel pump & fuel injectors, DSX Tuning Flex Fuel conversion & auxiliary fuel pump system, Circle D Specialties 258mm Pro Series torque converter, Driveshaft Shop driveshaft & 1,400hp axles, and then topped the setup off with a 70mm upper pulley, OEM LT5 throttle body mated via JRE adapter, and changed out the old-style Roto-Fab intake for the new Big Gulp setup.

    After the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Matt strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom Flex Fuel & TCU calibration via HP Tuners. Even with 103° ambient air temperature, and the converter unlocked, the new setup laid down 682.19whp & 656.51lbft on 93 octane, and 740.05whp & 694.24lbft on E50, at only ~12.5psi! That extra 193.25whp & 148.47lbft should definitely show up in Sean’s track times!

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  • 2009 Nissan GT-R – 1,000HP

    2009 Nissan GT-R – 1,000HP

    When Scott brought us his 2009 Nissan GT-R, he had a very clear vision for what he wanted: a lightened-up, super-responsive, 1,000bhp+ daily-driver, with a focus on reliability. And it goes without saying, that’s a vision we were beyond excited to execute!

    The core of the build is centered around a reinforced VR38DETT featuring Magnus Motorsports short block & cylinder heads, Alpha Performance camshaft set, Ferrea Racing Components valve train, ARP CA625 cylinder head studs, Alpha Performance engine oil cooler system, with OEM Nissan gaskets, seals, fluid, pumps, timing components, and all the odds-and-ends to refresh the long block, Alpha Performance Alpha-9 turbochargers & inlets drawing air from Got Boost Performance 3.00″ air intakes & speed-density conversion, Alpha Performance ECBS kit, Extreme Turbo Systems Race intercooler system, TiAL Sport 50mm QR blow-off valves, with a GT1R air/oil separator providing a cleaner air charge, ETS down-pipes mated to the existing mid-pipe & exhaust system, with fuel system featuring T1 Race Development rails & lines, Alpha Performance Omega brushless single-pump system, Injector Dynamics ID1700X fuel injectors, SBD Flex Fuel system, with power transmitting through a Jacks Transmissions built GR6 and Driveshaft Shop rear axles & hubs, all topped off with a beautiful pair of super-lightweight Technocraft T2 dry carbon fiber seats, Alpha Performance carbon ceramic brake rotors, with a set of Home to Volk Racing ZE40 Time Attack wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels ET Street S/S radials putting it all to the ground.

    Once Jared wrapped all the mechanical work in the shop, Matt strapped the R35 down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a Flex Fuel calibration via COBB Tuning‘s Accessport. The results? Precisely where we wanted to land, coming in at 905.96whp & 839.65lbft on E85, 800.98whp & 684.76lbft on 93 octane, with each map offering usable power all over the curve! Needless to say, Scott’s vision was fulfilled, and will keep him grinning ear-to-ear every single day.

     

     

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  • 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat – 900HP

    2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat – 900HP

    James brought us his brand new Indigo Blue 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to get it dragstrip ready! The target: 800whp+ on 93 octane, 9.00″ rear end & suspension to handle hard launches, and a drag pack to put it all down. Up first, to address the power goal, Alex set the supercharged 6.2L HEMI up with an intake system from JLT Performance, 2.75″ upper supercharger pulley & billet idler from Metco Motorsports, a set of 2.00″ primary diameter long-tube headers from Stainless Works, and a 180° thermostat from Mishimoto Automotive.

    With the power modifications addressed, Alex moved on to installing a set of upper & lower control arms from BMR Suspension, and then topped it all off with the 3.25 geared Ford 9.00″ rear-end conversion from Driveshaft Shop including a Strange Engineering aluminum third member, Wavetrac Differentials limited-slip differential, 35-spline 1,400hp axles, and 4.00″ aluminum driveshaft. Then set aside for James to install for trips to the strip is a complete drag pack from Carlyle Racing featuring WELD Racing S79 wheels (20×6 front & beadlocked 17×10 rears) with Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels Street S/S radials.

    With the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Matt strapped the Hellcat down for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via HP Tuners, resulting in a strong 805.37whp & 729.80lbft even with 96° ambient air temperature! Considering these cars normally baseline at 670whp & 620lbft in factory form, that’s an increase of over 130whp & 100lbft! Up next, after James has had a chance to learn the car on the new setup, he’s bringing her back in for an E85 calibration, and another 50whp+ to head back to the strip with. Overall, killer outcome for this Hellcat!

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  • 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS – 1,000HP

    2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS – 1,000HP

    Frank brought his gorgeous Garnet Red 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS in to have it transformed into a daily-drivable 1,000bhp+ beast! With the 6th gen on the lift, Jackson got busy with the extensive scope-of-work. Up first, the LT1 engine was removed & disassembled to the bare block, and then rebuilt with Wiseco Automotive drop-in pistons, Katech CNC ported cylinder heads, Cam Motion custom VVT camshaft, ARP fasteners, Brian Tooley Racing valve train components, Johnson Lifters Dog Bone lifters, ICT Billet LLC valley cover with OEM GM components to complete the AFM/DOD delete, Katech valve covers powder coated Garnet Red by Detective Coating, Katech coil relocation brackets, OEM LT4 high-pressure fuel pump & fuel injectors, along with all the OEM gaskets, seals, and miscellaneous components to bring it all together, along with a Precision Industries 10.50″ single-disc lockup torque converter.

    With the engine back in the bay, he then rolled on to installing the Whipple Superchargers twin-screw W175ax 2.9L system, OEM ZL1 in-tank fuel pump, Stainless Works 2.00″ primary diameter long-tube headers Cerakoted by Detective Coating, Stainless Works full 3.00″ dual-exhaust system, MSD Performance spark plug wires with Design Engineering, Inc. Protect-a-Boots, Roto-Fab, LLC Big Gulp air-intake system, Mightymouse Solutions Wild catch can system, DSX Tuning Flex Fuel conversion and auxiliary fuel pump system, and a The Driveshaft Shop aluminum driveshaft installed with a BMR Suspension safety loop for good measure.

    With the powertrain completed, Jackson turned his attention to the suspension and braking system, in the form of BMR Suspension rear lower control arms, BMR Suspension front & rear sway bars and end links, H&R Special Springs, LP. lowering springs, SJM line-lock for smokey non-brake-killing burnouts, OEM Brembos powder coated Garnet Red by Detective Coating, with Motul RBF660 brake fluid to provide improved fade resistance while braking from those high-speed runs.

    With the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Charlie strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom Flex Fuel & TCU calibration via HP Tuners. With the supercharger providing ~15psi, Vlad was able to increase output on 93 octane to 763.26whp & 727.90lbft, with E50 numbers coming in at 853.05whp & 795.05lbft! Quite an incredible build, that’s sure to make Frank smile every time he gets behind the wheel!

          

     
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  • 2016 Ford Focus RS – 446HP

    2016 Ford Focus RS – 446HP

    David’s Nitrous Blue 2016 Ford Focus RS is back in the shop to have the EcoBoost taken to the next level! The target? Mid-400awhp on pump gas.

    When this RS first came to us, it was completely stock, and for the first round of work we installed a COBB Tuning carbon fiber intake system, Mountune front-mount intercooler & piping, Stainless Works down-pipe, Mountune exhaust system, COBB Tuning rear engine mount, all brought together with a custom calibration by Vlad via COBB Tuning’s Accessport. While that held David over for a while, soon enough he got that familiar itch for more, and brought his Focus RS back in for the next step!

    This round, John installed a set of ARP cylinder head studs, Mountune MRX turbocharger upgrade featuring a BorgWarner Performance Aftermarket EFR 7163 with matching Mountune down-pipe, Mountune V3 camshaft set and matching valvetrain, Radium Engineering dual catch cans, and all the miscellaneous OEM Ford gaskets & seals needed to bring it all together.

    With the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Matt strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via COBB Tuning’s Accessport. With the EFR 7163 delivering 22psi on 93 octane, Vlad was able to increase the 2.3L EcoBoost’s output to 446.66awhp & 441.64lbft! With an additional 107awhp & 42lbft gained over his last visit, David’s itch for more performance has been scratched… for now.

     

     

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  • 2004 Chevrolet Corvette – Supercharged

    Not one to let that whole low-mileage rare edition thing get in the way, Anjan brought us his pristine, sub-10K miles, LeMans Blue 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Commemorative Edition Z06 to have a little boost added into the mix!

    Up first, Archer installed a supercharger system from A&A Corvette Performance featuring a Vortech Superchargers Ti supercharger unit, dual valve spring & steel retainer set from Total Engine Airflow, rocker arm bronze bushing trunnion upgrade from Smith Brothers Pushrods, 160° thermostat from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, and all the miscellaneous OEM & aftermarket components to bring it all together.

    With the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Charlie strapped the C5 down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via HP Tuners. The results? With the Vortech Ti delivering 9psi, Vlad was able to increase the LS6’s output to 604.50whp & 515.85lbft on 93 octane! Considering stock C7 Z06s normally put down around 570whp on our DynoJet 424xLC2 dynos, this C5 Z06 is definitely better equipped to hold its own against its modern version!

     

     

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  • 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor

    2018 Ford F-150 Raptor

    Dan brought his 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor in to get the turbochargers breathing a bit easier and get the intake air temperature under control! Up first, John set the 3.5L EcoBoost up with a COBB Tuning front-mount intercooler upgrade, a COBB Tuning intake system, and Stainless Works down-pipes & Y-pipe. Then with the mechanical work wrapped in the shop, Matt strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via COBB Tuning’s Accessport.

    The results came in strong at 443.71whp & 536.33lbft on 93 octane! Considering these trucks normally baseline around 340whp & 380lbft on our DynoJet 424xLC2 dynos, that’s a gain of over 100whp & 150lbft! Solid repeatable gains that Dan will notice every time he hits the throttle.

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  • Nissan 300ZX – 2JZ-GTE AEM Infinity

    Another installment of your daily dose of blasphemy: Nissan 300ZX with a VVTi Toyota Aristo 2JZ-GTE swap! Maryland based Lloyd is the madman owner behind this build, who not only has fantastic taste in performance components, but also in platform-specific styling, with his Z32 featuring multiple components from TwinZ Design, OEM ’99 Fairlady, all set off with a set of ENKEI WHEELS NT03 wheels. On the performance setup, this VVTi 2JZ-GTE features Diamond Pistons forged pistons, Manley Performance Products, Inc. connecting rods, Kelford Cams V202-D 272/278 camshafts, Precision Turbo & Engine 6870 turbocharger, Injector Dynamics ID2000 fuel injectors, dual Walbro 485 in-tank fuel pumps, TiAL Sport pressure control, transmitting through a Nissan CD009 transmission, all brought together via AEM Performance Electronics Infinity 506 stand-alone engine management system.

    With the blasphemous Z32 strapped down and with E85 in the tank, Vlad performed a custom calibration via AEM Infinity — resulting in 876.52whp & 758.91lbft at 32psi, with a best of 888.68whp & 765.37lbft during the session (shown in video). Killer results for this unique Z32!

     

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