Brakes and rolling stock also received upgrades over the winter, with Baer Extreme-Plus 14-inch-rotor/six-piston brakes now tucked behind gorgeous (and pricey) three-piece HRE C21 rims, measuring 20x9.5 in front and 10.5-inch-wide out back. In a search for traction, Nitto's new 305/35R20 drag radials were mounted, and when the weather permitted, Rick once again made the trek to Milan. To his pleasant surprise, the 20-inch Nitto's hooked so well that the car bogged on launch and produced 1.69-second 60-foot times. The first few passes were all low 11s at 124-125 mph, then Rick let the GT cool briefly before ripping off a 10.82-second blast at 126 mph-thereby meeting the goals for the project.
We'll let Rick summarize: "I drive the car quite often through the week, and race or show it on weekends. [These times are] not bad for a car that you can drive to or from the track, or on a long trip with the windows up and the air on. We plan to see what else we can get out of it. The next modification will be a smaller pulley, then who knows..."
The cloth interior is pretty much stock, save for a Pioneer AVIC-Z2 combined GPS and head unit, backed up by Kenwood Excelon speakers. The control unit for an Alky Control progressive methanol injection system is tucked in the glove box. Beneath that ungainly factory shifter is an utterly stock (save for programming) 5R55 automatic transmission and torque converter happily running 10-second quarter-mile times and serving seamless street duty.
| 5.0 Tech Specs |
| ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN | Converter |
| Block | Stock |
| Stock | Rearend |
| Bore | 3.73:1 gearset; stock axles and |
| 3.555-inch | differential |
| Stroke | |
| 3.750-inch | ELECTRONICS |
| Displacement | Engine Management |
| 298ci | Stock, with Dan Millen tune |
| Crankshaft | Ignition |
| Livernois forged-steel stroker | Stock |
| Rods | Gauges |
| Livernois/Manley | Stock |
| Pistons | |
| Livernois/Mahle | SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS |
| Compression Ratio | Front Suspension |
| 9.1:1 | K-member |
| Camshafts | Stock |
| Stock | Control Arms |
| Heads | Stock |
| Livernois Stage 3 ported | Struts |
| Intake | FRPP Handling Pack |
| Whipple | Springs |
| Power Adder | FRPP Handling Pack |
| Whipple H.O. twin-screw | Caster/Camber |
| intercooled supercharger | Stock |
| Throttle Body | Brakes |
| Whipple 1750-cfm billet | Baer Extreme-Plus with six-piston |
| Mass Air | monoblock calipers |
| Whipple | Wheels |
| Injectors | HRE C21 Competition, 20x9.5 |
| 52-lb/hr | Tires |
| Fuel Pump | Pirelli P-Zero, 275/35R20 |
| Livernois custom dual-pump | Rear Suspension |
| Headers | Springs |
| Kooks long-tube, 1 3/4-inch | FRPP Handling Pack |
| primaries, 3-inch collectors | Shocks |
| Exhaust | FRPP Handling Pack |
| Kooks off-road crossover; | Control Arms |
| MagnaFlow 3-inch exhaust | Stock |
| Transmission | |
| Stock 5R55 | |