Drag Race
Alright, gearheads, if you’ve been chasing that extra performance edge for your LS engine, it’s time to step up your game. The BTR Platinum LS Dual Spring Kit – .660 Lift (SK001) from Brian Tooley Racing is the go-to upgrade when you’re running a high-lift cam and want to keep things dialed in tight. Let me tell you, this kit is more than just parts in a box—it’s the insurance policy your high-performance build demands.
Are you ready to give your GM truck the performance boost it deserves? Look no further than the BTR Gen III/IV Truck Norris Camshaft from Brian Tooley Racing. Designed specifically for 1999-2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, this camshaft is engineered to deliver a significant increase in horsepower and torque, transforming your daily driver into a powerhouse.
Alright, let’s talk camshafts—and not just any camshaft, but the BTR Red Hot Cam from Brian Tooley Racing. If you’re looking to unlock some real grunt from your LS engine and make it scream like it’s ready to tear the asphalt in half, this thing is the hot ticket. No fluff, no filler—this cam delivers straight-up power, attitude, and everything you love about LS engines dialed up to 11.
A stroll through the pits at the local 1/8-mile dragstrip is always fun for us, as you’re likely to see any number of cars that use a full-tube chassis, fiberglass body and monstrous slicks to click off consistent 5-second elapsed 1/8-mile times. However, it’s far more entertaining to see a stock-appearing car hit those same numbers, and that’s exactly what Greg Corbin’s ’98 Trans Am is capable of doing.
As enthusiasts, when we build our cars, we tend to stuff as much tire under those cars as possible. This is especially important for rear tires that hook the car to the ground while improving its stance. For those interested in drag-racing their cars, you will need to accommodate larger rear tires or slicks. The current hot trend is the 10.5-inch slick, which seems to work well on many applications, but depending on the make and model of your car, it may require modifications to enlarge the rear wheel openings to accommodate the larger rubber.
For the hot rodder who demands usability and performance, Smeding Performance’s 408” LS3 engines are designed to take your project to the next level. These aren’t your typical cookie-cutter kits—they’re full-fledged, turnkey engine packages built to drop into your classic chassis and turn it into a road-ready rocket. Whether you’re chasing street-friendly power or show-stopping performance, Smeding has you covered with engines dialed in for hot rod perfection.
When it comes to adding power to your small-block Chevy, the camshaft is an integral part of the performance equation. Luckily for owners of Chevy’s latest iteration (Gen III) of the famous small block, the modern fuel-injected LS1 responds just as well to camshaft upgrades as the LT1s, L79s and L48s of old. Naturally, cam technology has come a long way since the days of the Duntov 30-30 profile. The improvements in cam technology are important, as the new LS1 is head and shoulders above any of the old ’60s and ’70s muscle-car small blocks, regardless of the advertised power ratings.
Maksimovich became familiar with the MN12 platform because parting these cars out is how he paid for his schooling at the University of Missouri, Rolla. He says that at one point he had upward of 20 parts cars, stripping them of all their usable parts before sending their twisted hulks to the scrapper. Indeed, his first car was an ’89 Cougar LS that he fitted with a 3.8-liter V-6 from a ’98 Mustang. After time, he began looking for another shell to work on, and he decided his ’89 was structurally too far gone to consider for such a project. His sister, though, had a ’90 Cougar XR7 that recently had spun a bearing.
Spraying flake isn’t a black art; it’s simply a slightly different medium. It’s no tougher to spray than anything else, although you do have to be meticulous, pay attention to the details and resist the urge to rush. Plus, unless you have a spray booth, it doesn’t matter how well you seal off your chosen spraying area: This stuff will escape and get everywhere.
Some decades ago, Louis Jackson was a lucky 15-year-old boy. He had his first car, and it was a ’55 Chevy, a car that was already a classic at the time. He was not lucky enough to have the funds or the skills to finish the car the way he really wanted—he was after a Pro Street-style car, but building a car like that is a tall order for someone still in high school. Though he couldn’t create his dream car that early in his life, he vowed that someday he’d have that Pro Street ’55.
