That's an ASA-style LS1 built by brother Myron Cottrell. The LS1 sportsported heads, an AS
This car actually attempted to qualify at Daytona for the Busch seriesin 1999 and ran 187 mph. John traded it for some engineering work he didfor the team and began the conversion to the street. John's brotherMyron Cottrell, who owns TPI Specialties, built the ASA-spec LS1 enginewith ported heads, a TPIS cam and throttle-body, and a complete dry-sumpsystem that makes an honest 539 hp on the engine dyno. Backing that upis a Tex Racing face-tooth race T-101A clutchless four-speedtransmission and a Tex Racing complete floater 9-inch with 3.70 gearsand a soft-touch Detroit Locker. According to John, "The trans is amixture of parts from the Jeff Gordon car and Jimmy Johnson's."
Don't expect Cadillac comfort from a Busch car. Those are Auto Metergauges and a removable
John lives in Minneapolis, where as long as you don't drive throughpeople's front yards like Darrell Waltrip, the cops don't hassle you. SoJohn has really never had any problems with the law, even though theregistration lists the car as a '75 Monza. John loves driving the MonteCarlo. "It actually drives like a Cadillac. The engine is a dream, italways starts and runs smooth--it's by far the best part of the car.Plus, this car has a trunk. I can put my tools, the side windows, and acooler in there even with the 22-gallon fuel cell."
John even went so far as to dig up a set of Goodyear Racing Eagle27.5x12-15 grooved tires that NASCAR experimented with to see if thesebig stock cars could road race in the rain. This would be a perfect carfor Car Craft's entry next year in the Hotchkis Media Shootout. HeyJohn, can we borrow your car next May?
Vega in Name Only
OK, for you closet road racers out there, over-rev your imagination fora second and imagine buying a Cosworth-powered SCCA GT-3full-tube-chassis road racer and sticking license plates on it. First,wipe that little bit of drool off your chin. Then forget the Cosworthand stuff an aluminum 540ci Rat motor between the framerails. Simplyput, that's exactly what Campbell Auto Restoration's Mark Schwartz didwith this '74 Vega.
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It's a '74 Vega roof hatch and nose, but that's where the similaritiesend. Mark Schwartz's
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The cockpit is currently limited to just the driver, but Schwartz willsoon have a passenge
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A street car with an SCCA GT-3 full tube chassis is wild enough, butthen Mark stuffed in a
The alloy Rat sports a dry-sump oiling system and complete Kinslercross-ram electronic fuel injection system controlled by ACCEL Gen VIIsoftware--it makes so much power, they can't get a decent number on thechassis dyno because it keeps spinning the tires! Power spins into aG-Force, dog-ring four-speed through a Tilton multidisc clutch assemblyand then is directed to a complete 9-inch rear that's located with athree-link and a Watt's link. When he takes it to the track, the Vegaruns on Goodyear slicks, but on the street, this brain-drainer sports aset of mild-mannered BFGoodrich 15-inch-diameter radial T/A tires.
Currently, the interior allows only one seat, but the Campbell crew hasalready moved the fuel cell to the rear of the car and will soon modifythe sheetmetal to fit a copilot seat. Now all Mark needs is a littlesign to place on the windshield that says "Thrill Rides-- 3 Laps for$1." We've got first dibs.