Patrick doesn’t believe in simply hazing the meaty BFG Drag Radials. Instead, epic cloud formations are produced when the hammer is released, helping to generate 1.45-second short-times out of the hole.Patrick doesn’t believe in simply hazing the meaty BFG Drag Radials. Instead, epic Patrick thanks Daryl Hameetman, Rainer Amrein, and the rest of the SAM crew for burning the late-night candles to help get the ’Bu where it is today.Patrick thanks Daryl Hameetman, Rainer Amrein, and the rest of the SAM crew for burning th You’re looking at 477 ci of big-block mayhem with a 4.500 bore, a 3.750-inch–stroke Callies crank, GRP aluminum rods, and a set of Wiseco custom pistons that bump the compression to the tune of 14.0:1. It gulps air through a Holley 4150 series carb on top of an Edelbrock Super Victor intake with a set of heavily ported and milled cast-iron GM Performance Parts aluminum heads (Factory Street only allows stock factory head castings, or heads that come installed on a crate engine, like the 502/502). The fumes are expelled through 2-1/8-to-2-1/4-inch–step Hooker Super Competition headers with 4-1/2-inch collectors, 4-inch piping, and Dynomax Bullet mufflers. The results are an astounding 660 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque to the rear tires, along with solid, 9-second jaunts.You’re looking at 477 ci of big-block mayhem with a 4.500 bore, a 3.750-inch–str This ’79 is an excellent example of how popular A/G-bodies are becoming on the street and strip. Finding one with such a flawless interior is about as rare as finding a Snap-on wrench in the middle of the road. Madman & Co. in Houston, Texas, installed the chrome-moly jungle-gym. Patrick and the students of SAM tossed in a new carpet, RCI bucket seats, ’85 Monte Carlo dash, and a tilt steering column out of a ’91 Camaro to produce one very clean and comfortable office.This ’79 is an excellent example of how popular A/G-bodies are becoming on the street A project car often leads to a number of things. It can create a bond between friends and family. Sometimes itll break the bank. Or, in the case of Patrick Topolinski, an instructor at the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) in Houston, Texas, this 79 Malibu project car has lead him and his SAM students to haul ass. What started as a small project car to give students a way to get hands-on experience rapidly evolved into one of the major players in the NMCAs Factory Street class. Thats where we saw the big bad Bu in action back in January at the NMCA season opener in West Palm Beach, Florida. Factory Street has a number of restrictions, but the ones that stand out the most are those that require cars to use factory production cylinder heads and to run on radial tires. Its not hard to figure out that mixing big horsepower with traction-limited rubber could easily overpower the tires and result in slow and inconsistent e.t.s. But thats not the case for this Bu. Patrick and the SAM team spent beaucoup time researching different combinations on the dyno, the flow bench, and at the dragstrip to produce a car that can run 9s at close to 140 mph. As impressive as that is, Patrick says, Its not just about the horsepower and driving. It takes a dedicated team effort to get you through the rounds of racing, because without it, youll never get a chance at a win. Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
