2002 Real Street Eliminator Series - '02 Real Street Eliminator

Longtime Car Craft readers will remember the glory days of our annual Real Street Eliminator (RSE) series. In 1986, former Car Craft Editor Jeff Smith (currently pulling the strings at Chevy High Performance) presented a challenge to anyone with a wild street machine who'd never bothered to test it to its full potential (outside of bench racing, and that doesn't count).

The first RSE tested the mettle of four street machines to determine if they were capable of coping with real-world situations. Standardized performance testing was at the core of the competition, which included acceleration, braking, and slalom sessions, but all vehicles also had to demonstrate rational behavior in traffic without attracting equipment violations. There was even an emissions test.

For the next 12 years, RSE grew increasingly popular and attracted a growing influx of entries for each successive event. If there was a downside, it was that many people seemed to be building cars specifically for RSE, thus taking the event out of the realm of Joe Homebuilder's capability. So, after the '98 RSE, the event went on hiatus-until this year when we teamed up with Year One and held the revised RSE in conjunction with the Second annual Year One Bristol Bash, held at Thunder Valley in Bristol, Tennessee.

Unlike previous RSE functions, which had devolved into Motor Trend-esque testing with hired professional drivers, this time we insisted that the owners drive their own cars to show off their skill behind the wheel. We think this is a much better test of real-world street machines, and above all, it serves as a great equalizer-high-dollar parts don't automatically mean big points in the field of competition.

Testing consisted of four categories and a total of 270 points, the bulk coming from autocross time trials and quarter-mile dragstrip passes worth 100 points each. The remaining 70 points came from Craftsmanship and the Ride & Drive categories (see "The Results" sidebar). Real Street Eliminator isn't for the timid. The contestants vied fiercely, yet fairly, in what turned out to be an all-out showdown between five truly impressive street machines culled from the extensive pool of applicants we received. Read on to see how these savvy car crafters did, and keep an eye out for next year's RSE application, as we're already concocting a plan for RSE '03.

Terry Stevens' '78 Chevy CapriceA late-'70s fullsize Chevy may seem an unlikely candidate for the sort of makeover bestowed upon this '78 Caprice, but sometimes when opportunity knocks, you answer. At least that's what Terry Stevens did when his mother-in-law handed him the keys to her ultraclean, one-owner Caprice (the 85-year-old had just traded up to a BMW). At first, Terry, who makes his living flying commercial jetliners, simply liked the comfort of the supple Chev. Of course, after using the car as a commuter, that little voice started suggesting just a little more power and maybe a touch better handling.

Next thing you know, Terry's got the body off the frame-a pretty bold move, considering he'd never restored a car before. Undaunted, he proceeded to straighten and paint the Chevy himself in his own barn-turned-workshop. Simultaneously, with hardware and assistance from the aftermarket, the chassis and drivetrain were fortified for improved performance, or should we say, improved touring.

The end result is a car that is extremely comfortable and quiet, yet a surprisingly capable handler. Acceleration is brisk, though Terry was disappointed with the Caprice's performance during our event. The car did seem to be plagued with transmission troubles, which hurt both quarter-mile and autocross times. Terry, who has already put over 30,000 miles on the renewed Caprice, says he'll overcome the minor malfunctions and even has plans for further cosmetic detailing. We're sure we haven't heard the last of this pair.-Terry McGean

Basic SpecsCar: '78 Chevrolet CapriceEngine: '72 Chevy 400 small-block, four-bolt mains, bored 0.030-over to 406 ci and fitted with a forged Callies crank, Eagle 5.7-inch rods, and 10:1 hypereutectic pistonsHeads: Airflow Research (AFR) aluminum; 180 cc with 2.02/1.60-inch valves, Comp Cams roller rockers, 1.6:1 intake, 1.5:1 exhaustInduction: Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum intake w/EGR valve (for emissions compliance) and Rochester 750-cfm Quadra-Jet, rebuilt by The Carb ShopCamshaft: Comp Cams hydraulic-roller cam (PN 12-422-8); 218/224 degrees duration at 0.050-inch lift, 0.495/0.502-inch lift on 110-degree lobe separation angle, installed at 104-degree intake centerline with Cloyes timing setTransmission: GM 700-R4 four-speed automatic with overdrive, built by B&M, fitted with B&M Holeshot 2,000-stall converter and stock-type lockup functionRearend: Stock GM 8.5-inch 10-bolt housing with 3.73:1 DTS gears and Auburn limited-slip, rebuilt by Pollard's Transmissions, Taylorsville, North CarolinaFront suspension: Stock, rebuilt with PST stock components and fitted with custom 2-inch lowering springs by Dave Pflum, Hotchkis 171/416-inch sway bar, and Koni shocksRear suspension: Stock GM four-link with Hotchkis upper and lower control arms, Hotchkis 1-inch sway bar, custom 2-inch lowering springs from Dave Pflum, and Koni shocksFront brakes: Stock GM 11-inch disc, rebuilt with stock components from Master Power BrakesRear brakes: Stock GM 10-inch drum, rebuilt with stock components from Master Power BrakesWheels and tires: Chevrolet Camaro IROC 16x8 aluminum wheels with Kumho 255/50-16 tires

Darrell Kirkley's '67 CamaroIf you think you've already seen the cleanest '67 Camaro around, then we strongly urge you to put aside that thought and take a look at Darrell Kirkley's masterpiece. While the motor is rather sedate, it still belts out enough oomph to generate low quarter-mile e.t.'s with a 355ci small-block sporting aluminum Edelbrock Performer heads and manifold. And with the aid of a Fatman Fabrications front end, monster Billet Specialties wheels, and Baer brakes, it's in the apex that the '67 really shines. Watching a '67 Camaro rip around the turns is quite a sight. Then again, maybe it was simply Kirkley's skill as a driver that made it look so easy.

The Ride & Drive in this Camaro came as a big surprise. With such large-diameter wheels, it wasn't hard to think that the ride quality would suffer with little tire sidewall to absorb the bumps. It was the exact opposite. Ride quality wasn't sacrificed, and the only noise we really experienced was the sweet melody of the complete SpinTech X-pipe system that made the silver bullet sound like it came straight off the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. Someone else thought the same thing, namely Dale Earnhardt Jr., who purchased the car the week following our RSE event at a car show in Charlotte, North Carolina. It appears that Dale Jr. is a fan of Chevys both on and off the track. As for Kirkley, he's already in the process of purchasing another Camaro; only this one will have much more power. -Henry De Los Santos

Basic SpecsEngine: 355ci small-block, 10:1 compression Heads: Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminumInduction: Edelbrock Performer RPM manifold, 850-cfm Holley carbCamshaft: Comp Cams custom-ground hydraulic rollerTransmission: Tremec five-speed manual with overdriveRearend: GM 12-bolt with 4.11:1 gears, Strange 31-spline axles Front suspension: Fatman Fabrications subframe with tubular upper and lower control arms, adjustable QA1 shocks, and 1-inch sway bar Rear suspension: Stock with Competition Engineering traction bars, adjustable QA1 shocks Front brakes: 13-inch Baer Track system with two-piston PBR calipers Rear brakes: 12-inch Baer Touring system with single-piston PBR calipersWheels and Tires: Billet Specialties 18x7s with P225/40R18 Kumhos, front; Billet Specialties 20x8s with P255/35ZR20 Kumhos, rear

Brandon Vivian's '78 Trans AmImagine if a General Motors suspension engineer built the ultimate second-generation Pontiac Trans Am to compete in Car & Driver magazine's One Lap of America, one of the country's premier amateur road-racing events. Well, we don't have to imagine what it would be like, because here it is: Brandon Vivian's '78 Trans Am. Using a combination of off-the-shelf aftermarket suspension and brake components combined with his own suspension engineering, Brandon's goal was to build the best road-race car he could using the stock body and frame. He proved his design by completing the grueling 5,400-mile One Lap course, which challenges contestants to race on and drive between seven road racing tracks spread around the country in a week-long marathon.

Brandon and his brother Bryan built this car from scratch in Brandon's garage, including the paint application and bodywork, welding up the road-race-style rollcage, and fabricating a custom carbon-fiber console and doorsill plates. The level of quality and engineering skill exemplified in this car was astounding. It didn't hurt that Brandon can drive pretty well too.

Things we really liked about the car were its in-your-face, no-holds-barred attitude; purpose-built functionality; and pure Pontiac power. Things we didn't like so much were the Spartan racing interior and relatively harsh ride, even though that's to be expected of a car built more as a race car than a street car. This isn't to say the Trans Am isn't streetable. The fact that Brandon and his team logged over 9,000 miles testing and competing in the One Lap is proof that this is no finicky race car. With strong showings in the Dragstrip, Autocross, and Craftsmanship portions of the test, it all came down to the Ride & Drive, but the stiff ride and relatively unfriendly interior (climbing over the rollbar was an ordeal for several of us lard-assed writers) proved to be the Trans Am's undoing. Still, the 0.8-point margin between this car and the Second place Camaro is the closest in RSE history, and Brandon might have won the competition if the judges had less-sensitive rear ends.

This car has the vibe of a vintage Trans-Am series race car, which Brandon says was his vision when he started the project, and it was a truly worthy competitor. -Matt King

Basic SpecsEngine: 440ci Pontiac V-8 (400 block with 421 crank), 6.700-inch rods, 9.8:1 compression, Accusump oiling systemHeads: Edelbrock Performer aluminumInduction: Edelbrock Performer RPM manifold with 930-cfm Holley HP series carbCamshaft: Comp Cams hydraulic roller, 230/229 degrees at 0.050 with 0.510/0.510-inch liftTransmission: Stock Borg-Warner Super T10 manual four-speedRearend: Stock GM 8.5-inch 10-bolt with 3.08:1 gears and Ford 9-inch housing ends with bolt-in axles and TA Performance girdleFront suspension: Custom upper control arms, with 1.25-inch-drop springs, 1.3-inch sway bar, and Koni shocks, custom 11/42-inch-drop solid-aluminum subframe bushingsRear suspension: Global West 1-inch-drop Cat-5 leaf springs with spherical bushings, 1-inch sway barFront brakes: 13-inch Coleman rotors with Wilwood GNIII six-piston staggered-bore calipers on modified Global West Cat-5 spindles with cooling ducts; '02 F-body master cylinder with '79 Trans Am WS-6 power boosterRear brakes: 12.5-inch rotors with Wilwood four-piston Superlite IIA calipersWheels and Tires: custom Weld Racing 17x9.5 forged aluminum wheels with P275/40R17 Michelins, front; custom Weld Racing 17x9.5-inch forged aluminum wheels with P275/40ZR17 Michelins, rear

Bryan Cope's '70 CamaroIt wasn't that long ago we were complaining that there just weren't nearly enough cool second-gen Camaros running around. Where were they? Were they simply being overlooked? Suffice it to say, upon opening Cope's application portfolio, we knew we had a contender.

What initially looked like a rusted hulk rescued from the bottom of the ocean floor has evolved into one of the most incredible street machines of the new millennium. Cope's Camaro manages to retain the flair of a '70s musclecar combined with the ability to blast down the quarter-mile and laugh at any sharp-radius turns. The interior proved to be both functional and ergonomically friendly with ultra-comfy Sparco sport seats, a Pioneer CD player, a custom-built dash holding an array of Auto Meter gauges, and even a Vintage Air A/C system.

Were there any weaknesses? Not really. The car was nearly perfect in every way. Any minor shortcomings were attributable to its relative newness-Cope had just finished the two-year project and arrived at Bristol with only 120 miles on the odometer. Had Cope made his final dragstrip pass without missing Fourth gear, the story could have been different altogether. Nevertheless, this '70 Camaro represents RSE to its utmost definition. -Henry De Los Santos

Basic SpecsEngine: 377ci small-block Chevy V-8 (Bow Tie block with 350 main journals), Eagle forged 5.85-inch rods, Ross 4.155-inch forged lightweight flattop pistons, Eagle 4340 forged crankshaft, Canton road-race oil panHeads: Canfield 220cc aluminum with 2.10/1.60-inch intake/ exhaust valves, Canfield 1.6:1 roller rockers with stud girdleInduction: Edelbrock Victor Jr. port matched to the heads, modified for fuel injection by Rance Fuel Injection in Genesee, PennsylvaniaCamshaft: Comp Cams custom-ground solid roller, 252/268 degrees duration at 0.050 with 0.672/0.672-inch lift Transmission: Borg-Warner T56 manual six-speed from a '97 Camaro Z28Rearend: Currie 9-inch with 4.56:1 gears, True-Trac differential, and 31-spline axles Front suspension: Martz subframe, Aldan coilovers, 1-inch sway bar, Rear suspension: Global West Cat-5 rear leaf springs with spherical bushings, QA1 12-way adjustable shocksFront brakes: 13-inch rotors with Wilwood six-piston Superlite calipers Rear brakes: 12-inch rotors with Wilwood four-piston Dynalite calipersWheels and tires: Simmons FR three-piece 17x9.5 with P275/40R17 Yokohama AVS Sports, front; Simmons FR three-piece 17x11-inch with P315/35ZR17 Yokohama AVS Sports, rear

Jeff Schwartz's '82 Cadillac Boat, whale, behemoth; in the end we settled on "Titanic." Of course these were words of endearment. Surely an '82 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham of huge-by-large dimensions was out of place with the fast (read: smaller) company it was keeping at the '02 Real Street Eliminator. Heck, even Terry Stevens' Caprice looked, dare we say, "svelte" next to Jeff Schwartz's Caddy. But in the end, we had to call him The King (sorry Matt, you're going to have to relinquish the title on this one) as the Cadillac took on all comers. After seeing this portly performance machine place Second in the Autocross portion of our competition, we were prepared for a rough time on the Ride & Drive. Such was not the case, as Jeff's Cadillac rode like, well, a Cadillac. In fact, the only complaint we had was the relentless resonance produced by the exhaust system. A lot of thought went into making this Caddy handle like a sports car, including moving the stock A-arms back a half an inch. Nothing radical, just sound engineering. After scattering the Olds motor that previously resided between the fenderwells, Jeff decided his Fleetwood deserved genuine Cadillac motivation and put together a mild, reliable powerplant with enough torque to move a house. A nitrous plate system only adds to the fury. It seats six comfortably, handles like a full-scale slot car and runs in the 11s. To say that we were impressed with Jeff's creation would be an understatement of epic proportions. Though the competition was tight, the Cadillac prevailed in what may be the greatest RSE shocker of all time. -Marko Radielovic

Basic SpecsCar: '82 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance coupeEngine: 500ci CadillacHeads: Ported cast-iron '73 factory castingsInduction: Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 850 DP, NOS 150hp nitrous oxide unitCamshaft: Comp Cams/Maximum Torque Specialties hydraulic flat tappet, 230/236 degrees duration at 0.050-inch lift, 0.567/0.567-inch liftTransmission: GM TH400, TCI shift improvement kit, TCI 2,800-stall converterRearend: GM 8.5-inch 10-bolt, 2.73:1 posiFront suspension: Stock, upper A-arms moved back 11/42-inch, stock springs with one coil removed, KYB gas shocks, 151/416-inch sway barRear suspension: Stock, upper and lower control arms boxed, stock springs, KYB gas shocks, 1-inch sway barFront brakes: Stock 12-inch disc with Performance Friction padsRear brakes: '94 Corvette 12-inch front rotors, '87 Monte Carlo front calipers, homemade bracketsWheels and tires: Centerline 17x9.5 Billet Rhino with Nitto P275/40R17 drag radials, front; Centerline 17x11 Billet Rhino with Nitto P315/35R17 drag radials, rear

The ResultsTaking home the crown as the official '02 Real Street Eliminator champion was no small feat. To win, a competitor had to excel in four categories. The first was Craftsmanship, which included paint quality, fit and finish, overall detail, and engineering and was worth a maximum of 40 points. Judges for this portion included all four staffers, plus Year One President Kevin King. The Ride & Drive portion entailed a 100-mile cruise in which the four staff judges rode shotgun in each car for about 20 miles and awarded a maximum of 30 points based on the comfort, interior noise levels, and ride quality.

For the performance categories, each competitor had three chances at the quarter-mile dragstrip and autocross-course time trials. On the dragstrip, the lowest e.t. counted for score; on the autocross, we averaged the three runs. Each of these categories had 100 points up for grabs. The winner earned the full point value, and the remaining competitors received points based on their percentage of the winning time.

All of this adds up to 270 available points with the lion's share awarded for the actual performance of both the driver and his vehicle. In the end, competition was tight, with the winner besting the runner up by a mere 3.340 points and Second and Third places decided by a mere 0.800 point! This was by far the closest competition ever in the history of Car Craft's Real Street Eliminator series. Congratulations to our '02 RSE champion Jeff Schwartz, and remember: All RSE competitors are among the elite, as they beat out some of the finest street machines in the country just to be there.