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Check out what has been done to the car since the last time it was at the track.

The car has seen yet another transformation since 2002. Here is the stuff that we have added:

*Texas Speed & Performance Stage II 5.3L cylinder heads, yielding 11:1 compression ratio
*Rollmaster double-roller, heat-treated adjustable timing set
*Manley 7.35" hardened pushrods to replace the stock-length 7.4" pushrods
*BMR lightweight K-member with LS1 engine mounts and stock steering rack
*Texas Speed & Performance 200-4R transmission conversion
*TCI Super Street Fighter 3800 Custom Torque Converter

Texas Speed & Performance has paired up with Motorsport Technologies, Inc. in Houston, Texas to provide our customers with the best set of ported cylinder heads on the market! As always, we like to use the same stuff on our personal cars that we sell to our customers, so it was a given to bolt on a set. I went with the 5.3L truck heads in order to get my desired compression ratio of 11:1 without cutting the cylinder heads as much. FYI, the 5.3L truck heads have the same intake and exhaust port design as the 5.7L LS1 heads, just with a smaller combustion chamber. The port work is nothing less than a work of art! I will have pictures up very soon of the finished stage II cylinder heads. FYI, we are the ONLY company that offers MTI-ported cylinder heads without going to MTI direct! We offer the heads with a variety of valve sizes and valve springs, so e-mail me with any questions so we can custom-tailor a set of heads for you!

I wanted to replace the stock timing set due to the added RPM's that I'm turning. I would hate to break a timing chain and trash my stock bottom-end when it can be easily and inexpensively avoided! Rollmaster makes excellent timing sets for the LS1, both single- and double-rollers. Again, I will run what we sell!

I wanted to get some weight off of the nose of the car, so it was time to add a BMR light-weight k-member. This one part will shed a solid 30 lbs. off of the nose of the car! It's not recommended for lowered daily-drivers since you do lose the stock skid plate. Since I still have the stock Z71 off-road look, I have plenty of clearance! Also, be sure that you get a new wheel alignment done after the installation.

The coolest addition to the SS is the 200-4R transmission conversion. We are offering complete transmission conversion packages for the f-bodies. This transmission will take some serious abuse! I refuse to give up overdrive and lockup capabilities, so the 200-4R was a natural choice for a bullet-proof transmission. No matter who builds the 4L60E, it will still break when you start throwing big doses of horsepower at it. With the addition of our stage II cylinder heads and a Nitrous Express Gemini Twin nitrous kit, my 4L60E was on borrowed time, even with the fresh rebuild. So, I sold it with only 200 miles on the new rebuild and put that money towards the transmission conversion. This transmission shifts very quick! I manually-shift the car at the track (using the stock shifter), and I really enjoy being able to do that. Having to reprogram everytime you want to change shift points on the 4L60E is a major pain, so I was glad to finally be rid of the electronically-controlled transmission.

TCI Automotive has come a LONG way with the LT1 and LS1 torque converter market! We finally have a reasonably-priced torque converter that provides excellent performance and durability! Being a distributor of TCI torque converters, it was only natural to try out one of TCI's torque converters. The results have been great all across the country, so I was very anxious to give one a try. I had them build me a custom 200-4R torque converter with the LS1 bolt pattern and LS1 pilot. I really like the 3,800 RPM stall torque converters because they will provide great naturally-aspirated ET's while still giving you room to run nitrous if you decide to. I was afraid of giving up some 60' time with the transmission conversion (2.75:1 1st gear ratio vs. the 4L60E's 3.06:1) and tighter 3,800 RPM stall torque converter (vs. my old 4,400 stall). My first time out with the new setup netted a 1.55 60' time while spinning some! I was more than happy to say the least! TCI has really out-done themselves with their torque converters. They're half the price of some competitors yet provide the same excellent performance! Unfortunately, I was not able to run the car all-out down the 1/4-mile. My new M/T 26x10x15" ET Drags were unbalanced, causing the car to start shaking at the 1/8-mile marker. As the car picked up speed, the shaking got more and more violent. I had to get out of the throttle quite a few times, leaving me with a dismal 11.52 @ 115 MPH. I was very excited to see it run this quick, though, with uncontrollable shaking and me getting out of the throttle! This new setup is making some GREAT power!


Feel free to e-mail me at trevor@texas-speed.com if you have any questions about any of the parts listed above. We run everything that we sell!
http://www.texas-speed.com