Flying High
When Phil Schantin isn't test flying Black Hawk helicopters for the U.S. Army, he pilots an '02 Z28 M6 hardtop. Tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan have helped fund his Thunder Racing TR224/224, .563/.563-inch lift, 112 LSA cam, and slew of bolt-ons. COMP Cams valvesprings, titanium retainers, hardened pushrods, and tuning by Thunder Racing helped complete the cam swap. Other mods include NGK TR55 plugs, an AMW catch can, and a K&N Gen II FIPK. Exhaust is managed by a set of stainless steel Dynatech long-tube headers with Jet Hot Coating and a stainless Y-pipe with high-flow cats. A Flowmaster American Thunder 3-inch after-cat keeps a lid on the Lopey cam. A Textralia clutch and Pro 5.0 shifter are used to negotiate the T-56, meanwhile, Kuhmo Ecsta 712 rubber, Baer Eradispeed rotors, Hawk HPS pads, and Earl's stainless steel brake lines help negotiate the curves. The interior is well-equipped as well, featuring Auto Meter gauges to keep an eye on water temperature and air/fuel ratio. The tunes are provided by MB Quartz speakers and a Rockford Fosgate amp with a 10-inch sub.
One for Show, One for Go
While his cousin's LS1 Camaro convertible is mostly for show, Jeffrey Perkins '95 LT1 Z28 of is all about functionality. The Michigan native uses an NOS 150hp dry kit with an inline fuel pump to go 12s with the stock motor. An airfoil, a Moroso cold-air intake, and a Trick Flow Specialties intake elbow introduce atmosphere to the combustion chambers. Hooker shorty headers, a Flowmaster after-cat and off-road Y-pipe wait on the other end for efficient exhalation. A Hypertech power programmer, an SLP thermostat, and RK Sport underdrive pullies free up a few more horses. The top end is freshened with Crane Cams valvesprings, pushrods, lifters, and 1.6-ratio rocker arms. Precision 3.73 gears and BFG drag radials have enabled 1.80 short times with the A4 Z, however, a Vigilante stall converter and subframe connecters may shred those numbers in a few months. Not to be outshined by his LS1 compatriots, Jeff did spice up the exterior with a Year One BB Stalker hood, fin, and spoiler. The interior is also decorated with Auto Meter tachometer, fuel, and nitrous pressure gauges.
Where's the Juice?
After four years, four girlfriends, and plenty of bills, Woodlawn, Virginia native John Lane is almost at the end of the rainbow. His pot of gold is a '96 Z28 turned 383 monster. Right now the only thing missing is the juice and some stronger suspension components. The process began when Nu-Tek Motorsports and Lloyd Elliot Portworks were commissioned for the 11.8:1 compression LT1. A Scat steel crank, forged H-beam rods, and SLP forged flat-top pistons with Speed-Pro rings comprise the bottom end. Ferrea stainless 2.00 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves with a three-angle valve job were installed in the ported and polished stock heads. A Nu-Tek custom 226/234 duration, .560/.578-inch lift cam was installed along with a Cloyes double-roller timing set, COMP Cams pushrods, 1.6 rockers, lifters, and valvesprings. A ported stock intake, BBK 58mm throttle body, an MSD ignition, Hooker Super Comp headers, 3-inch true dual exhaust with Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers also helped achieve 406 rwhp and 402 lb-ft of torque. A D&D Performance T-56, Mcleod twin clutch, a Dynotech Engineering 3-inch aluminum driveshaft, a Moser 12-bolt, 33-spline axles, and 4.11 gears were required to contain the added power. On the street, John rides on 17x9.5-inch ZR1 rims with Kuhmo Ecsta front and Nitto 555R rear rubber.
Blowing Out the Brains
It's always a bad hair day for Doug Wilkinson of Beacon Falls, Connectictut. A whole can of Aqua Net couldn't prevent his topless '95 Z28 from styling his hair in the same manner as Don King and the guy from the TDK commercial. What the wind doesn't accomplish, a Nitrous Express wet kit (delivering between 50-150 hp) does. A K&N, Trick Flow Specialties intake elbow, and a Flowmaster muffler also add a few ponies when the juice isn't armed. BFG KDW 275/40R17s are mounted on 17x9-inch SS rims to update the Z's exterior, along with Euro taillights. The coup de grace, however, is performed with the Sony sound system. A Sony CD head unit and 10-disc MP3 changer manages the tunes while 6.5-inch two- and three-way speakers with a Sony 800-watt amp and 10-inch sub belt it out. As if that weren't enough, there is also a Kicker 180-watt amp and Rockford Fosgate 12-inch sub to handle even more of the low frequencies. A Panasonic VCR and 6.5-inch LCD monitor were added to round out the pimp-daddy system.