1996 Chevy Camaro Z28- Forecast For Fun

The internal combustion engine requires two key elements for its success in producing power, air and fuel. Adding more of both is a sure-fire way to get your ride moving quicker.

Colder weather naturally offers this to gearheads, as the dense atmosphere offers more oxygen to burn. This must of course be complemented with more fuel, which late-model fuel injection systems regulate automatically. We also have the benefit of nitrous oxide, which is a chemical that really packs the oxygen molecules together by way of its marriage to nitrogen. Like cold air though, the nitrous oxide goes away after a while, and you are back to where you started. Forced induction on the other hand is always there on demand, and this is the way many choose to go to ensure pedal-to-the-metal bliss.

Mobile, Alabama's Brady McNew found his forecast for fun sitting at a used car dealer, which was situated across the street from where he happened to be having lunch one day. At the time, McNew resided in Colorado and didn't see many F-bodies roaming the streets. In fact he could recall just one, and that gave him the incentive to go out and search for the latest in GM pony car hardware.

Since the other car in the neighborhood was a Z28, Brady set his sights on Pontiac's Trans Am. The first one he drove was nice, but he soon realized that the car's manual 6-speed transmission was not his favorite choice for the daily commute. "The next day, a buddy and me were having lunch and talking about the TA, and then I saw the Camaro sitting across the street and we decided to head over and check it out after lunch," said McNew. The Camaro came home with him that day, and would soon begin its journey through the horsepower trail.

As purchased, the Z was barely used with only 25,000 miles on the odometer. The previous owner had seen to the addition of headers, 3.73 gears and a cold air kit, and its new driver started frequenting CamaroZ28.com for information on how to make the pony car even better. The first thing he noticed was that the 4L60E-equipped car's speedometer was off due to the ring and pinion change. In order to correct that, a Hypertech Power Programmer became the first item purchased, followed by a higher-stall torque converter and an ATI ProCharger.

For three years, the Teal Camaro treaded in the low 12-second zone using ProCharger power to get there. He fortified the chassis to handle the extra grunt by dropping it in the capable hands of Madman & Co. Racing in Houston, Texas (McNew had relocated to Mobile by this time). There, a Madman Racing torque arm, panhard rod and rear control arms were installed along with a Ford 9-inch rear, which replaced the stock 7.5 after its untimely but somewhat expected death at the track. The 9-inch was fitted with Moser axles and a 3.50:1 ring and pinion set.

"I got an itch for more power," noted Brady, who had JK Engine & Machine in Houston open up the motor and drop the compression ratio for more boost. The stock crank was ditched in favor of a GM Performance Parts forged unit, and Eagle H-beam rods were fitted to the eight TRW forged pistons. A Comp Cams bumpstick sporting a 224/236 split duration and .536/.555 lift was stuffed into the short block, which was then topped off with the Gallant Technical Performance-ported stock heads. The factory-supplied LT1 intake manifold was also hogged out and adorned with an Arizona Speed & Marine 58mm throttle body.

McNew's plan was to up the P600B's boost from 8 to 12psi, then toss on a wet-flow nitrous kit for good measure. The first time out at the track with the new combination, McNew "promptly" blew the 4L60E transmission. Looking for a gearbox that would withstand the rigors of dragstrip duty, McNew found what he was looking for in a Trans-King Turbo 400 unit. Shifted by a Turbo Action Cheetah lever, the 3-speed tranny was installed with a Precision Industries 4600-stall converter to get the engine in the powerband sooner. McNew also upgraded to a Spohn Extreme Duty steel driveshaft to remove the weak link in the drivetrain.

"I wanted to get a lot more airflow and was looking at a (ProCharger) D-1X, and then I came across someone who was selling stainless steel twin turbo headers," said Brady. The plan from there was twin turbos, and not just some weak set of hairdryers either. After getting the various items needed for such an endeavor, Limit Engineering supplied the TE-60 turbochargers that spool up to 20psi of boost. A custom 6-core front mount intercooler keeps the high-pressure punch cooled for better performance, and a Godzilla blow-off valve prevents the pressurized system from overboost situations.

Controlling this masterpiece of automotive technology is a F.A.S.T. engine management system. Ignition-wise, McNew ditched the factory Opti-Spark and replaced it with an LT1 coil conversion kit from Bob Bailey. Madman & Co. installed the fuel components, which consist of a massive Weldon pump and regulator, as well as Siemens 83-pound injectors. Once the combustion process is served, Terry Houston-style downpipes channel the gases to a dual exhaust that terminates in Dynomax Race Magnum mufflers.

The Camaro's interior has been modified with only essential items. McNew installed a Wolfe Racecraft 10-point roll bar and DAD custom seats from Straight Line Performance in Spanish Fort, Alabama. A trio of Auto Meter gauges represent operating parameters of the boosted mill, and the Cheetah shifter was placed quite nicely in the console. Over this past winter, McNew put the Z28 on a diet: he removed both airbags and the heater box, installed lightweight carpet from Speed Inc., and changed the factory binders to svelte Aerospace drag components. This, along with the lighter seats and aluminum suspension parts, should put the car at an owner-estimated 3,200 pounds.

Brady McNew has had quite a bit of fun with his twin turbo Z, and with daily driver duties going to his 1998 B4C Camaro, it is relegated to such activities as hitting the Hot Rod Power Tour and the occasional dragstrip outing. Prior to the weight reduction, the Camaro ran a best 1/8-mile time of 5.91 seconds at 112 miles an hour. Another venture to No Problem Raceway was interrupted by a failing factory Opti-Spark, which cut short any attempt at a full pass. Shutting off early did net a 10.22 at 120 mph though, and with a 250-pound weight loss, the Camaro should really fly once he gets back to the track. The photos were taken in the rain, but the forecast on this big-boost Z calls for heat.