I got this car when I was 16, back in July 00, hanging out at a local performance shop, two cars leave a mark. One a 396 Nitrous C4 with a direct port hidden under the LT4 intake, the car makes mid 700s on spray. The other a black 95 Firehawk, 383 T-Trim, this car makes mid 700s on blower, they spray it and it makes 970rwhp. I want to build a stroker LT1, but I am a broke kid who can no way afford that. Lot of years spent on this site and other forums watching other peoples builds, made this post on CZ28.com, figured it would be only right to do the same here.
I get an opportunity to buy a 398 stroker that was built by Dave Diluca around 2007 maybe? Dave had left ARE and was on his own at this point at CDN performance. Sadly, passes away not long after in 2008. The guy I bought the short block, never finished his car, so I ended up sending the short block to Erik K of HKE. The motor gets Hell Fire rings, new bearings, and is reassembled. Phil at A.I specs the cam, a hydraulic roller. The components are similar to what was in Darin's white 96 Trans Am, Dave used CompStar rods on this, may have been cost or may have just figured they were within the bounds of what this motor would live at.
I wanted to reuse the LME Dart Pro-1 heads I had, we knew the compression was questionable, it ended up being 14:1, on MS109 the car makes 473rwhp at 5K rpm and is plagued with valve train issues. Later the car gets hit on the way to dyno it after removing the Morels link bars that gave us issues from day one for a set of GM LS7s. The car gets fixed and repainted, it sits a while longer, I am sick of the car because nothing ever goes right. Noticing after having it repainted that the paints bubbling on the quarter. I should have taken it back to the body shop but I was sick of the car and its like why try? My dad got me the car for my 16th Birthday and at the start of 2020 he has dementia and is at the end of his life, he still remembered the Trans Am and would ask about it. It would be a hard car to sell, I look back and think I should have done that many years ago, but I still held on to it. The car really does nothing except sit and get started occasionally, from 2015 when this motor in to now, 2025, put less than 500 miles on it. The last 3 years or so, it only moved if I needed something out of the garage attic.


10 years later……2025


My buddy Michael Delong who owns Serious Horse Power is tired of seeing the car sit in my garage. I say ok, lets pull the Gen 2 LT1, and go to a Gen 5 LT1, I wont LS1 swap it, that's the old LT1 owner still in me. He doesn’t work on or like Gen 2 LT1s because most are old and junky, but he knows what’s in the car and suggests keep the Gen 2 LT1. Put it back to pump gas and let his engine builder who is also the shop foreman go back through the entire motor and car. The car has a lot of nice parts, UMI tubular K, EFI Connection, 24X, GZ Vacuum set up, no short cuts were taken. So it begins, I did the engine math correctly this time, you can’t head gasket thickness your way out of this, so a set of AFR 210 LT4 Eliminators with the Competition CNC port are ordered, with a 65 cc chamber and essentially stock thickness head gasket, the quench is goodish range and the car would be right under 12:1 compression. I am sure a set of TFS heads done by Lloyd Elliot could have made more power, but at this point, its just get the car running again.

The Clutch is also slipping, McLeod no longer services my ancient Street twin, so it gets an RXT and Push Conversion. Lance J at SHP who is a friend of PonyHuntry (Josh Hamming blower LT1 guys who was on here) goes through the entire car, and begins re-assembly of the LT1. He found several issues and leaks, both intake and exhaust, corrects it. Michael who owns the shop and tunes, begins tuning, I am convinced that the car is going to be out of fuel, it has a Walbro 255 and a ancient 39# racetronix injectors. Its not and the old LT1 is finally happy... First time driving it after, my impression is that this thing just absolutely rips, the car has so much torque on demand. The tires were 11 years old prior so it now has a fresh set of Nittos, drag radials on the back, its very manageable but you can break them lose pretty easy.

Results

Borla closed 468 RWHP / 421 RWTQ / Borla open 489 RWHP / 439 RWTQ



That's corrected, no tricks, we didn't take the belt off or pull the filter, left the 17X11s on it. Car has a Strange 12 Bolt with a heavy Spohn steel drive shaft. I remember there was a dyno at an import shop, that we used to use, and this car would make 20 rwhp more on that dyno then on this one, kind of funny looking back.

Motor Specs

Short Block: 398 LT1 - Callies Dragon Slayer Crank, Compstar rods & Ross Pistons.
Top End: AFR 210 LT4 Eliminators Comp CNC, AI Custom Hydraulic 244/254/110 LSA .604/.602. GM LS7 Lifters. Motown Single Plane with 90mm TB.
Other: Standard pressure Melling Pump, GZ vacuum pump.
Exhaust: Kooks Stepped LT1 Long Tubes. Custom 3" Y Pipe in a Borla cat back.
Computer: 24X EFI Connection with a 99 LS1 PCM
Transmission/Rear: T56 / 12 Bolt 3.90


What's left?

The car got a set of Baer Brakes, that's more of a childhood dream than anything. But I took it back to the body shop that painted in 2015, they're currently fixing the rear quarter panels on it.

The slippery slope now is what we always knew, the car needs a bigger collector in the Y pipe and 4" exhaust, with that I think it could make over 500rwhp NA. The problem in that is that these cars with the Borla have been so ingrained in me, that taking the Borla off a Trans Am hurts my heart. That and I like how quiet the car can get. The car also has a Nitrous Outlet spray bar system, at this point I just want to charge the AC and enjoy it, but part of me is like, it would be cool to see the car make 700+ like those original LT1s that left a mark so many years ago. But at the same time, I am equally close to retirement as I am being that age, so I don't want to build another LT1 or hurt this one to where it sits another 10 years.

I do need to take the 12 Bolt that is in it to a drive train shop and let them re-weld the axle tubes, same guy that did the Moser in my third gen F-body. I told him about this car and how I also want the ends cut off and go to a more standard axle flange and backing plate. He knew what this car had and he said it was essentially an adaptation of a old school C-clip eliminator. The 12 Bolt in this car is one of the first Strange even offered F-bodies. I wish I never bought it, and have so much money in getting this thing right I could have bought any new rear end I ever wanted. Which proves my life lesson of, when buying a rear end, if it isn't exactly what you want, dont do it because the first gear swap you'll have spent what a new one would have cost you.

 

My Texas brother.
Good to see you taking care of business with this thing. Car looks real good and you know because of that it is rare since about ever other one on the road is now clapped out. Yours looks damn good and I'm sure sounds fantastic. The one thing I'd watch out for are those GM lifters. I'm sure you know there's been lots of documented cases (mine as well) that went to **** and took out the cam. Fortunately I caught mine before it did any serious damage to the piston skirts. As far as your Strange is concerned I too bought mine right around 2000 which was one of the first offered for the 4th gen. I do not like the fact the bearings are encased away from the gear oil and multiple seals/etc, however I've had good luck with the axle tube welds staying true.
Hope to see some track times out of this at some point. I hear you about retirement. I'm still about 10 years off and honestly at this point since mine is running very well now I just don't have the gumption to change anything. Would rather just drive and enjoy

 

Glad to see you’re still around, it’s been a long time. How is the mean teal machine? A friend bought a 96 Camaro SS convertible, teal. Not sure how many they made in that color but your car has a convertible friend.

When I was buying them (Lifters), they were whatever brand that didn’t have the issue or people said didn’t have the issue, AC Delco versus Delphi or something to that effect. Not sure how much it matters as I think there’s only like two places that make lifters. But I am glad we’re re-living the Comp R days of yesteryears, those used to spread needle bearings in people’s motors. Tom Byrne would have never allowed this to happen. I do sometimes wish I went with a solid roller set up but then again this set up should be a lot less work.

It sounds like we have the same design 12 Bolt, I remember last time it got gears the rear end shop called Strange about it because they hadn’t seen one like it.

 

Bizzatch, did you have to do any trimming to fit that lid setup under a firehawk hood?

 

LS7 lifters chewed up my cam because SSRRRRRRRRRR didn't warn me

 

I remember there was some link to some data sheet which had all sorts of production numbers which stated teal was the rarest color. As far as the lifters are concerned I'd suggest running them for the summer and then take the intake off and look at them rollers and lobes.
As far as my junk is concerned, I never drive it. Stays in the garage all shiny which is the way I like it, and still have no desire to sell it.

I did tell you. You just refused to listen.

 

Talk about a name drop from years past, TByrne Motorsports! Half my parts on my car were bought from him. LOL Good to see you got it up and running. Not too many of us old heads still around let alone with their car AND still in great shape after all these yrs.

 

Name from the old Speedensity forum! Glad to see you're still around

 

Sick/Clean bird bro. My buddy spun the tubes on his 12 bolt too. Just charge the AC and enjoy it. I think the power is a little low considering it's 12:1 compression and a 396 but it's not far off.

 

Little low? Through a 12 bolt, heavy wheels, and a catback without a proper merge? I say those numbers are pretty damn impressive.

 

Yeah, I'm still around but just not on here as much as in yrs past. You know how it goes...life be life'n. LOL I'm waiting for the day where I can go to an all LT1 Fest if they are still around.

 

Neil - It’s great to see you keeping your car alive and well buddy!

Quite a few of the OG guys in this thread 😁

 

Its always good to see people still around and doing well, we were talking about that at lunch today with some friends. You meet a lot of cool people through this hobby, my only regret I would say on this car is not doing a blower. I loved blower LT1s so much when I was younger, I had a blower on a C6, but wasnt the same.