400CI Vortec Supercharged Pontiac
Doug Norrdin, San Bernardino, CA
Doug Norrdin began building his street-driven '64 GTO project several years ago. It somehow migrated from a daily driver to something with a little more horsepower. As the owner of Global West Suspension Components, Doug made sure the GTO already had Global's entire A-body catalog under its belt when he hooked up with Vortech Engineering. Vortech was looking for someone to prototype a carbureted big-block Pontiac blow-through supercharger package. The result is the system you see here. This engine is actually Doug's baseline 400: a stock, iron-head rebuilder blessed with a compressed-air inlet. Sitting on an engine stand awaiting final cooling system bugs to be worked out is an Edelbrock-headed 400 with a cam and much more steam. Doug is shooting for at least 600 and perhaps as much as 800 hp. How's that for a daily driver?
Cooling The Charge
The first thing that happens to air when it is compressed is it gets hot. But to make big power, engines prefer cool air. The easiest way to knock the temperature down is with what is called an air-to-water aftercooler. According to Vortech's Bob Endress, this Vortech MaxFlow Power Cooler can reduce the discharge temperature of the pressurized air by as much as 60 to 70 degrees, depending on the ambient air temperature.
Engine
We haven't said much about the engine because this is just a bone-stock 400 with a set of Doug's 1 3/4-inch headers and an Edelbrock intake. The new engine we didn't want to wait for is also a 400 but with aluminum Edelbrock heads and a bigger cam that Vortech says should make some serious steam. Those are GM Performance Parts Pontiac valve covers.
Suspension
It doesn't make much sense to have all this power if you can't put it to the ground where it can turn into positive g's. Doug's business at Global West has always been about cornering power, so it should be no surprise that his GTO is fully Global-equipped, right down to the tubular upper and lower front and rear control arms, springs, and shocks. Add in a Delphi-built fast-ratio steering box and life behind the wheel of this GTO is like a downhill run-fast and enjoyable.
Superchargerradiator
Heat management is the name of the game with superchargers. Heat transferred from the pressurized blower air has to go somewhere. Once the water is pumped out of the Vortech Powercooler, it's circulated through a separate radiator that cools the water so it can be returned to the tank and routed back into the aftercooler again. The good news is that the GTO has a big enough engine compartment to accommodate all this extra gear.
A/C And More
Doug also wanted a car that was comfortable to drive in the summer months, especially because he lives near the desert. That's a Vintage Air A/C system along with a factory power steering pump and a billet aluminum MSD alternator. Unfortunately, Doug had to build all the A/C brackets himself because the production Pontiac blower package will not accommodate A/C.
Drivetrain
What's hidden on or behind the firewall is Doug's own custom-built hydraulic clutch master cylinder mount that actuates a McLeod hydraulic throwout bearing and a single-disc McLeod clutch. This regulates power to a Richmond 2.24 First gear six-speed overdrive trans. Out back is a 12-bolt rearend with bigger Ford axle bearings and a set of 3.42 Richmond gears.
Cooling
Supercharger engines make horsepower that comes from heat. Even though Doug has worked out most of the bugs in the cooling system, we didn't want to wait to shoot the photo, so the large aluminum Afco radiator and electric fan setup are next on Doug's list of upgrades.
Polished Pressure
That's a Vortech V-1 T-trim supercharger connected with a 10-rib belt. Vortech plans to make both a driver- and passenger-side blower configuration for the big-block Pontiacs. This system is intentionally conservative with 7 to 8 psi of current boost, but it will make more should demand warrant. If this is a little too tame, Vortech also plans to offer a V-7 Ysi-Trim blower that can move as much as 1,600 cfm and push upwards of 30 psi.
Carb In The Hat
Vortech's approach has always been to encompass the carburetor inside a pressurized container, which makes it really hard to see that trick, annual discharge Quick Fuel-built 750-cfm carburetor. Quick Fuel is one of the carb companies that has a handle on blow-through supercharged applications using an annual discharge booster. The key to blow-through carburetors is ensuring sufficient fuel flow to keep up with that massive influx of air. Aeromotive is responsible for pumping and pressurizing the fuel.