It took years for hot rodders and street racers to finally grow accustomed to the jet engine sounds emitting from the tail pipes of Grand Nationals, but thanks to owners like Bob Galla, soon those very same people will be on the lookout for seemingly docile S10s with that familiar whooshing over-run. Since purchasing his Typhoon back in 1993, Bob has turned many wrenches and many heads going 11.20s in his daily driven, emissions-legal truck in his hometown of Ellicot City, Maryland
These all-wheel drive trucks lend themselves well to staying completely street-friendly while still boasting impressive timeslips, but that is not to say that it hasn't been a hard road for Bob who has acquired a trophy case of broken parts along the way. The first carnage occurred as the Ty was in its modification infancy. A few bolt-ons and a custom-burned chip were all that were required to go 12.40s, and bend a connecting rod. Subsequently, the weak stock rods were traded for heavy duty Oliver forged steel replacements, and the hypereutectic pistons upgraded to low compression TRW forged. The stock crank and block were deemed sufficient for reuse with a little freshening, the addition of four-bolt mains, ARP studs, and a .030 over bore. The stock heads were swapped for the more desirable L35 heads, which were ported and polished by Jim's Performance and Machine in nearby Catonsville (who also did the machine work on the engine). The iron heads were treated to Manley stainless steel 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves, along with COMP Cams beehive springs. The cam of choice was a mild street grind from SyTy experts, ATR, measuring 194/204 duration at .050 and .407/.429-inch lift without factoring the Crane 1.6 ratio rocker arms.
With the help of a Precision Turbo T63E hairdryer, Bob's 4.3L V-6 was now capable of well over 500-hp. As the result, ATR was also sourced for a set of turbo headers, 3-inch downpipe, and external wastegate to meet the 63mm turbo's exhaustive demands. A Random Technology free-flowing cat, DMH electric cutout, and MagnaFlow 3-inch cat-back also uncork a few emissions-friendly ponies. Intake flow is enhanced by a custom intake, fabricated to hold a deep breathing 9-inch cone filter, and a TPI airfoil to negotiate air through the stock throttle body. An ATR air-to-water intercooler with a Griffin heat exchanger allow the six shooter to accept 25 psi of detonation-free boost from the PTE turbo. An MSD coil, plug wires, and NGK plugs were all that are required to provide sufficient spark at this power level. The weak stock fuel system, which is partly responsible for the death of the stock motor, has been revamped with PTE 50 lbs/hr injectors and an ATR Double Pumper featuring two 190lph fuel pumps.
 |  Despite being fully equipped...  Despite being fully equipped with all emissions equipment, A/C, etc., Bob Galla's 4.3L V-6 puts out well over 500 hp easily putting him in the low 11s. With a few tweaks to the F.A.S.T. system by Anderson Performance, he hopes to break into the 10s this fall. This impressive performance is owed to a forged-internals stock block with a .030 over bore and billet four bolt mains, ported L35 heads, a Crane cam from ATR, and a PTE T63E turbo. Since this is a daily driver running 17-18psi on the street (on pump gas), and 25 psi at the track with 112-octane race gas, compression is kept at a mild 8.35:1. Also crucial in keeping detonation at bay is a larger ATR air-to-water intercooler with a Griffin heat exchanger. |  The interior is kept fairly...  The interior is kept fairly uncomplicated with merely a VDO Boost and EGT gauge lining the A-pillar, overhead temperature and compass, and a manual boost controller adding to the Typhoon's comfy surroundings. |