It's hard to believe, but it has been about nine years since the LS1 debuted in GM's F-cars. Purists were more than a little skeptical at first-after all, the previous small-block engine had been around for more than 40 years.
But the LS1's durability and capability for tremendous power-particularly in normally aspirated mode-quickly won over the skeptics and attracted a new generation of enthusiasts. Father and son Kevin and Ryan Hiner represent those two generations of enthusiasts. Kevin, the elder Hiner, is a self-described GM nut and tools around in a TrailBlazer SS while his wife cruises a supercharged Escalade.
Ryan Hiner's first car, the white 2000 Camaro seen on these pages, is the horsepower champ of the family's garage. It was a father-and-son project they pursued, seeking to assemble one of the baddest and cleanest street/strip cars in the metropolitan Detroit area. It would be hard to argue that the car has achieved anything less than their objective.
The Hiners are quick to credit builders Wheel to Wheel Powertrain (www.w2wpowertrain.com), a facility in Madison Heights, Mich., that has its roots in factory-backed racing and O.E.M. specialty vehicle construction. They've also built many a quick F-car, including the former Mike Moran Camaro, which is now Wheel to Wheel's "test car." It's gone 6.86 at 205 mph.
With the credentials to handle the Hiners' project, Wheel To Wheel began a systematic teardown and reassembly of this Camaro. Starting with the most obvious component-the engine-the original 5.7-liter LS1 was removed and replaced with a stroked C5R mill. With 4.155-inch bores and a 4.125-inch stroke, the engine displaces a whopping 444 cubic inches. It's normally aspirated, but equipped for a healthy dose of nitrous oxide.
The 444's short-block consists of a Callies custom-grind forged 4340 crankshaft, Oliver billet connecting rods, and Mahle C5R competition 2618 forged pistons-all stuffed, of course, in a C5R competition block. A custom dry-sump oiling system keeps the reciprocating parts lubricated; the system's supply tank is located in the factory location for the battery (which was moved to the trunk). A Dailey two-stage oil pump is used, along with an ARE racing-type dry sump oil pan.
Also inside the cylinder block is a custom solid roller camshaft from COMP Cams, delivering more than 0.700-inch lift. It gives the engine a noticeable, but not too radical, lope; somewhere between a lumpy small-block and mild big-block. It actuates the valves in a pair of AFR high-flow "Mongoose" aluminum heads, which feature 2.25-inch and 1.60-inch titanium valves. With a comparatively small combustion chamber volume, the heads combine with the custom pistons to give the engine a tall, 13.5:1 compression ratio. Yes, sir, this motor slurps nothing but 110 octane on the street (116 octane at the track). The heads also feature Jesel 1.6-ratio Pro Series C5R shaft-mount rocker arms, K-Motion dual valvesprings, titanium retainers and Smith Brothers oil-restricted pushrods.
 |  The original instrument cluster...  The original instrument cluster was replaced by a full complement of Auto Meter Phantom gauges. The front seats were replaced with Sparco racing seats and safety harnesses, while the rear seat was ditched altogether. |  Wheel to Wheel built the roll...  Wheel to Wheel built the roll cage and mounted the twin carbon-fiber nitrous bottles to it. They also covered much of the roll cage with custom, leather-covered padding. No corners were clipped in the details. |