Getting this 3,295-pound Camaro down the track in the 7-second zone on 10.5 inch width tires took quite a bit of power. Fereday's engine is an LME-built 398ci Gen III based iron block, borrowed from a 2003 GM pickup. Inside the short-block, an Eagle cast crank is held in place by custom LME billet main caps, and spins a set of GRP aluminum rods and Wiseco pistons. The heads are AFR 225 castings, prepped by ET Performance, and are secured by custom half-inch head studs. The valves are slammed open and closed by a custom COMP Cams solid roller camshaft and T&D rocker arms. The intake manifold is a GM performance parts carb-style intake, with a Wilson elbow and a 90mm Accufab throttle body. This high-power hauler relies on an ARE dry-sump oiling system and expels the fumes through a set of custom 1.75-inch primary headers built by Josh Ledford. Attached to those headers is the real source of power, a Precision Turbo 91.5mm turbocharger with a custom air-to-water intercooler system that passes through the firewall. For engine management systems, Fereday chose the F.A.S.T. system with MSD Digital 7 ignition box, which was tuned by Mike Murrillo. A set of 160-pound fuel injectors is fed from a Weldon pump and Aeromotive regulator. When this potent combo spins the Dynojet rollers at 19.5 lbs of boost, 1,197 horses are unleashed.
In order to harness this power and get it to the ground, Fereday relies on a Rossler built Powerglide tranny with a Neal Chance torque converter. The narrowed Moser 12-bolt rear end with 3.73 gears is turned by a custom 3.5-inch diameter driveshaft. Contacting the pavement is a set of Mickey Thompson 29.5x10.5x15 drag slicks, mounted on a set of 15x10 Weld Aluma-Star billet drag wheels. Up front, a set of Goodyear 26x4.5 runners rides on a set of one-piece billet Weld Aluma-Stars. For suspension, Fereday selected a K-member, lower control arms, and Panhard rod, all from PA Racing. The torque arm is a BMR unit, and Alston subframe connectors tie the front to the rear. For stability, Strange adjustable rear shocks and Santuff front coil-overs are used. The car is slowed down from its 175-mph passes by a set of Strange racing brakes, and a custom parachute system built by Robert Follmer.
To say this Camaro has come a long way since its commuter-duty days is an understatement. Your author personally remembers seeing this car cruising around Houston in bolt-on form, back when it was a 12-second car. It then evolved into a mid-9-second, nitrous-equipped street racer, and has now become the quickest stock-suspended LS1 in the country. It's a safe bet that Fereday has no regrets about graduating from the street racing scene and going into organized racing, and we are sure this is only the beginning for him.