Me at a Skills USA competition when I taught Automotive Technology

Vinny from OCC at Skills USA

James helping me remove the windshield from my old Camaro when we did the roll cage…(yea I know I said we don’t do cages….But this was for my OWN car so it didn’t matter that it took twice as long as if we were fully equipped to do them!!!)

My 1978 Camaro back in 1982 or 1983…

This was back in 83…The guy’s name is Jimmy Martin…We were in the same Electronics Technology class…That was a 455 Stage Two Buick motor….It was no match for my ole Camaro though

The first or second engine I ever built…I think it was 1982. It was a flat top piston, small chamber headed, Crane Fireball cammed deal…Considering it had too low compression, too much duration, not enough lift and too tight of a converter it ran pretty good with a 3.73 gear….Good enough to smoke that Stage Two 455! When I give engine advice it usually comes from experience…I may not be an expert and always know what WORKS….BUT, when I say that a certain combo is not right it is usually because I’ve been there and done it and it was a dog!

This was back in 1982 I think….It was taken at my buddy Scott’s….I don’t remember the DETAILS of this photo, BUT you can pretty much bet that it was a LEARNING EXPERIENCE also!

The old Camaro smokin’ the tarz somewhere at Chennault, waaaay back when there was still a drag strip here…The good ole days!!!!

Putting a home grown paint job on my old Chevy pickup. I’m not real sure what year this was, but right after the paint job I built a small block 400 for it. We called it a “long rod” 400 back then. That was back when we just began to play around with rod/stroke ratio… 
It was a 400 block, a 400 (3.75″) crank and a 5.7″ long connecting rod from a 350 and used a custom piston. 
I was the first one around HERE to build this combo…..I remember when I ordered the pistons I was only the 216th person in the US to order these pistons…I can’t remember for sure, but I think Speed Pro was the first to make them. That was also my first time to experiment with decking a block to get a tighter quench. I think that tight quench is one reason that combo was even able to live on pump gas….That motor made a buttload of torque. It would smoke those 33X12.50 tires WHILE PULLING a 25ft travel trailer! That motor saw trailer duty for about 5 years then I pulled it out and freshened it up and used a set of out-of-the-box (unported) GM Bowtie cast iron heads with a Lunati solid flat tappet shaft and it ran a best of 11.66 in a 4000+ pound GMC long wheel base pickup. That is laughable TODAY, but it was very rarely done in 1990 or so…Well in Lake Charles anyway!!!!! I had no money to waste on Dyno time back then, and only the rich folks could afford roller cams and aluminum heads back then…..Now days with a bit more compression, a 260-270 duraton @ .050″ with .700+” lift roller cam and a set of the many choices available for heads that are commonplace TODAY, that is an easy 700HP.
The biggest accomplishment however was not the power it made but the fact that it lasted for 5 grueling years towing a trailer, then made WELL OVER 200 1/4 mile passes and was still street driven. It wasn’t until I had the bright idea to try to make my own two stage nitrous setup by stacking two plates on top of each other…..Take my word for it….that is NOT the correct way to make a 400HP nitrous kit!!! I think I still had that souvenir piston up until about 5 years ago!

My buddy Scott’s 69 Camaro on the Dyno I mentioned…..I doubt he’d appreciate me giving out any power figures, but I CAN say that before tuning it went a best of 9.45 @ 145 MPH and AFTER tuning it went a best of 9.18 @ 147 MPH….This is with only a 200HP plate kit. The second stage has yet to have it’s trigger pulled. This is with a VERY safe tune……Scott is all about SAFE….I’m more of a throw all your bullets in the fire and stand there kind of guy!

This was taken at the Pinks All Out race at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown Tx. That is Me and James on the right end…..I’m the one holding the drink…AGAIN