Beck won the first round in the normally aspirated class but lost in the final to eventual
Buick LS Cruiser
We were just getting things organized at the ESD when Beck rolled in with his Buick. Frankly, the car appeared too nice to be an ESD candidate. With a flick of the hood release, we were greeted with an Escalade LQ9 6.0L hunched between the inner fender panels. The installation was every bit as clean as the exterior, which is really no surprise when you learn that Beck's history includes a long stint at Santini USA Paint and Body. Several years ago, Beck bought his own business and now all the work is done at Anderson's Frame and Alignment in Garden Grove, California.
Who: Jeff Beck
What: '68 Buick Skylark
Where: Garden Grove, CA
Engine: '04 LQ9 6.0L with
factory EFI control
Transmission:
4L65E four-speed automatic
Rearend: Chevy 12-bolt, 4.10:1
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Beck used a Howell Engine Developments wiring harness with enough wire to hide the ECM und
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The Milodon oil pan demands the use of an external oil filter. Beck used a Hamburger's rem
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Beck retained the factory Buick firewall A/C components and mounted the compressor with a
The LQ9 6.0L looks like it has always been in the Buick's engine compartment. A combinatio
A. Beck retained the stock truck LQ9 intake manifold but added an LS1 Camaro cable-operated throttle body using a Lokar cable that bolted right in.
B. LS engine builder Ken Duttweiler says to not plug the heater hose connections on LS engines. If you are not using a heater, you still must loop the connection between the two heater outlets.
C. You can also remove the heater hose nipples from the water pump and tap them for AN fittings using a 3/4-inch pipe tap. We've tried it and it works great.
D. Most electric water temp sending units are too big to fit the stock, metric fittings drilled into the heads. You can create an adapter, or you can also drill and tap a 3/4-inch pipe thread hole in the top of the water pump for a mechanical water temp pickup.
It doesn't look like a really fast car, does it? That's exactly what Haller wants you to t
Camaro Bruiser
While this car looks much more the part of the dedicated third-generation racer, Mark Haller's priority has always been to make it a street car. "It's really a simple car, and I always intended to drive it on the street." The drivetrain fits right into that plan with an iron LQ4 6.0L short-block, a Comp hydraulic roller cam, some headwork, a Turbo 350 trans, and a 9-inch out back for durability. Haller and his crew, Brandon Felpz and Warren Rabb, flogged on the car, and Mark also wanted to thank his buddy Ernie Greene at Sav-On Transmissions in Phoenix who made the Turbo 350 live. They were still sorting out the nitrous system during ESD, with a final pass of 10.52 at 127 mph that reveals the car's potential.
Who: Mark Haller
What: '82 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro
Where: Glendale, AZ
Engine: '04 Chevy truck 6.0L, carbureted
Transmission: TH350
Rearend: Moser 9-inch, 3.50:1
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Cast-iron manifolds on a nitrous engine? You bet. Haller says the manifolds are from an '0
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The TH350 trans requires an adapter spacer from Hughes (PN HP3795) and a flat flexplate (H
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The Gen IV engines use a separate thermostat housing (PN 12587395) and thermostat compared
A. Using the '98 to '02 Camaro oil pan (GM PN 12628771) was one of the easier choices that produced sufficient clearance around the engine crossmember.
Haller used a Trans-Dapt engine mount kit (Trans-Dapt PN 4575) that moves the engine forward roughly 1 inch to position the 6.0L in the Camaro engine bay. Haller says he had to massage a few things to make it fit. Moving the engine forward allowed access to the bellhousing bolts.
B. Haller retained the stock Camaro K-member but did have to notch it and reinforce the cut to clear the alternator used with the F-car-style accessory drive. Using the '98 to '02 Camaro oil pan (GM PN 12628771) was one of the easier choices that produced sufficient clearance around the engine crossmember.
C. Haller used a Trans-Dapt engine mount kit (Trans-Dapt PN4575) that moves the engine forward roughly 1 inch to position the 6.0L in the Camaro engine bay. Haller says he had to massage a few things to make it fit. Moving the engine forward allowed access to the bellhousing bolts.
Using the '98 to '02 Camaro oil pan (GM PN12628771) was one of the easier choices that produced sufficient clearance around the engine crossmember.