The first time Jim Neathery built a street machine, he was in his late teens and Ronald Reagan was still in the White House. Over the ensuing years, Jim was able to enjoy a number of quick cars, ranging from a brace of 1995 Camaro Z28s to a 2001 C5. Jim eventually got married and found himself needing room for four. A Tacoma found its way into his garage, and it soon sported most of the TRD catalog, including headers and a supercharger. But mid to high 14s in a heavy truck got old, so he set his sights on a new G ride that combined power, styling, and enough seating for his growing family. After looking around, GM offered the best solution.
Jim promptly bought a 2005 GTO swathed in his favorite color, black. Never one to leave anything stock, he promptly threw on some Hotchkis sway bars and a set of menacing hyperblack Ruff Racing 278 Series rims wrapped in 19-inch rubber. And when stock power was not enough, Jim turned toIRobert Barth and Strictly Performance (Van Nuys, CA) to enhance the performance of his Goat. An APS twin-turbo kit soon found its way under theihood. While Jim never dyno'd this combination, it was fast enough to put a grin on his face and have him go through a few sets of tires. Though very busy at work and home, Jim did manage to make a few passes at a local dragstrip where he was promptly booted for running 120-mph trap speeds without any mandated safety equipment.
The following year his fun was abruptly cut short when three of the stock pistons went to that big hypereutectic junkyard in the sky. Of course the one word that runs through most of our minds at that point is "more" and Jim was no exception. Quarter Mile Performance of Chatsworth, CA, was commissioned to build a 403ci LS2-based stroker. An Eagle rotating assembly was balanced along with a set of custom Diamond Racing turbo pistons. ARP main studs and Clevite bearings were also used. A custom Strictly Performance hydraulic camshaft was stuffed into the short-block along with a Melling oil pump. Topside, a set of AFR 205cc heads and Cometic head gaskets were bolted on with ARP head studs, yielding 8.6:1 final compression. The stock throttle body and intake manifold were reused. The fuel system was upgraded with a set of 60 lb/hr Mototron injectors, Aeromotive fuel regulator, and the APS twin Walbro fuel pump setup. Jim also turned to Kenz Mufflers in Oxnard to mock up and install a custom 3.0-inch cross-pipe with MagnaFlow resonators and mufflers. This burly combination belted out an initial 650 rear-wheel horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque and was a blast to drive, "for the 24 hours that the stock transmission lasted," recounted Jim.
The guys at Performabuilt soon got his order for a new 2,600-stall converter and one of their Level III transmissions. With only the addition of bigger wastegate springs and the new driveline parts, Jim returned to RPM Motors in Santa Clarita to have Charlie Williams find a little more power. Hitting a peak of 13 pounds of boost, the GTO belted out 680 rear-wheel horsepower and 690 lb-ft on 91-octane pump gas. Jim plans to hit the local dragstrip as soon as he has some free time, and estimates that he'll run a low 10-second pass and possibly a 9-second pass with close to 140-mph trap speeds, though he will be around a race weight of 4,100 pounds.
These days most folks can't get over how stealth his car is, with its quiet idle, ability to handle a 90-mile daily commute, and achieve over 20 mpg. But when Jim mashes the go pedal, two things happen: passengers feel like they are being shot out of a cannon and the scenery becomes a little blurry. While Jim says he's pretty satisfied with the car's current power level, he did point out that the fuel system, engine, and turbo system should be able to handle 1,000 horsepower (at the crank), and that he would be interested to see what that feels like someday. I think he might have trouble finding folks to ride with him at that point!
 Auto Meter Sport Comp II boost...  Auto Meter Sport Comp II boost and fuel pressure gauges are conveniently mounted in a PFYC gauge pod, keeping them safely visible while driving. |  The APS air-to-air intercooler...  The APS air-to-air intercooler is quite stealth in black, and only the knowledgeable would know that this Poncho could be packing some serious horses. |  This GTO rolls on staggered...  This GTO rolls on staggered 19x8.5 and 19x9.5 Ruff Racing 278's adorned with Dunlop tires. Jim has a set of drag radials on some stock rims for track duty. |
 Lurking under the hood of...  Lurking under the hood of this car is a forged 403-cid LS2 stroker and an APS twin-turbo kit cranking out close to 800 crank horsepower. The only hint that the powerplant might not be stock is the custom air intake pipe. |  The stock rear spoiler was...  The stock rear spoiler was deleted to give this GTO a sleeker look. Several unsuspecting sports car owners have gotten a very short glimpse of the custom exhaust once Jim has hit the throttle. | |