While the wrecked '95 was originally an automatic car, Kyle wanted to do the shifting himself and converted to a six-speed with a SPEC Stage 3 clutch. While McKenzie said he still hasn't mastered a proper burnout with the manual box, we suspect he will be grateful for the 0.5 ratio sixth gear with the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
Although Kyle gets most of his thrills in the quarter-mile, he was determined to build a street driver that turned as well as it accelerated. To that end, McKenzie took advantage of the fourth-gen's versatile torque-arm suspension and upgraded it with a suite of BMR components, Eibach springs, KYB adjustable shocks, Fikse FM-10s, and, to improve steering-wheel feedback, a Turn One power-steering pump and pulley.
After replacing, detailing, polishing, and painting every aspect of the car, it was time to tune the combination. The first time on the dyno, the results were a marked improvement over stock with 353 rwhp and 356 lb-ft of torque. Eight dyno runs later, Tony Shepherd's tuning bumped those numbers to a very respectable 405 and 388.
A year and a half after the project started, Kyle was literally working to the last minute to get the car ready for the first annual LTX Shootout, installing the Nitrous Outlet 100 shot while we were photographing the car at the shootout. With Tony Shepherd's help, Kyle has built a versatile F-body with so much horsepower and lateral grip, we're certain Kyle's kids won't get their first real thrills at an amusement park!
 The retina-bruising impact...  The retina-bruising impact of the flame job is subtly balanced by the sophisticated look of Fikse FM-10 17x9.5s wrapped in Nitto NT555s up front, and the 17x11s sporting Nitto 555 drag radials hook up at the track and still have enough lateral grip to grab in the corners. |  While the undercarriage has...  While the undercarriage has a show-car level of detailing, it's all business. Shortly after we shot this, Kyle upgraded the 10-bolt for a Strange S60 packed with 35-spline axles, 4.10 gears and a TruTrac locker splitting the power to both tires. |  With barely 500 miles on the...  With barely 500 miles on the new motor, Kyle headed to Kansas City for the LTX Shootout. Kyle said, "It had been four years since I had made a pass at the track, and nobody knew how the car was going to perform. Despite horrible 2.5-second 60-foot times and a broken driveshaft, the 114-mph traps were very promising." Since the shootout Kyle has managed a best of 11.7 at 118 with a much more respectable 1.6 60-foot, and is convinced 10s are within reach. |