Spray:
For the times when he wants just a little more fun, Rod installed an Edelbrock Performer RPM 100-shot nitrous kit. On the spray, he supplements the fuel delivery needs with a Holley electric fuel pump.
Sparks:
Combustion is triggered by an MSD Blaster Coil controlled by a 6AL box sparking through a gutted HEI distributor. Rod uses a fixed mechanical advance setup in conjunction with an MSD Start/Retard control module and a two-step rev limiter.
Exhaust: Trust us, this car sounds great. Those sweet tunes are served up by a pair of FlowTech headers and a homemade exhaust system complete with a cross-pipe and Flowmasters.
Trans and final drive:
. A 10-inch torque converter flows the power into a TH350 trans that's been beefed up by Jess Brown Racing Transmission in Riverside, California. Rod controls the shifts with a B&M Z-gate shifter. There's an Inland Empire driveshaft leading back to a 12-bolt with limited slip and 4.56:1 Richmond gears.
Suspension/Brakes:
Rod didn't mess too much with the factory stuff, using the stock springs and front control arms. He installed adjustable rear upper control arms to set his pinion angle and boxed the lower arms, then rebuilt the suspension with polyurethane bushings and installed Summit Racing adjustable shocks on all four corners. The car still has its original drum brakes front and rear.
Wheels/Tires: A set of cool, classy, and timeless Weld Superlights are mounted all around. Rod mounted a pair of Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires, sized 28x7.50-15, on the front 15x5 skinnies and Mickey 295/65R15 ET Street Radials on the 15x8 rear wheels.
Paint and body:
Rod did the bodywork in his garage and vowed he'd never again restore a car as hammered as this one was. The fenders and quarter-panels looked like Swiss cheese, and there wasn't a single panel that was dent-free. He worked all those issues out, patching rust holes and hammering dents to the point where you'd never be able to tell this Elco had been a clapped-out POS. After straightening the body, he shot it with two coats of PPG's Porsche Guard's Red single-stage enamel.
Performance:
On the rollers at Westech Performance, the Elco posted a stout 500 hp at 6,000 rpm and 450 lb-ft at 4,500. It weighs 3,430 pounds and scooted down the track in 11.36 seconds at 117 mph at Vegas on nitrous with a rapidly flattening cam. He's yet to run it with the new Comp cam but is hoping for 11s on the motor and 10s on spray.
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