In order to ensure that the performance of this Monaro could keep up with its aggressive appearance, Joe enlisted the group at Horsepower Engineering in Houston, Texas, for several upgrades. They decided to go with the popular 238/242 HPE S-Cam as a replacement for the factory bumpstick, and to help the engine exhale more efficiently, the car was outfitted with a long-tube header and exhaust system by Stainless Works. A Lingenfelter cold air intake was installed, which feeds the intake charge through a ported 90mm throttle body and a FAST 90mm composite intake manifold. The belt-driven accessories are turned a little slower with the addition of an SLP crankshaft pulley, which produces more horsepower. This combo still uses the factory LS2 short-block and non-ported heads, but yields an impressive 451 SAE horsepower and 419 ft-lb of torque at the rear wheels. To date, the car has run a best of 12.50 at 115.5 mph in the quarter-mile, with mad wheelhop due to the independent rear.
Joe didn't build the car for the dragstrip, and he is quite content with surprising unsuspecting victims on the highway. The car is an all-around street performer that handles, brakes, and accelerates comparably with some of the most feared performance vehicles on the road. It still has excellent road manners and all of the fancy comfort options included. Joe always gets a kick out of walking a would-be competitor on the street, leaving them with the thought, "I got beat, but I have no idea what that was!"