We're not exactly sure what's in the Houston water supply, but we're relatively positive they should bottle it up and sell it as an energy drink. It seems like every month we feature another sick LSx car from this area, almost always in the 9s and almost always one of the fastest in the country. It should come as no surprise then that this is yet another monster, though unlike the other H-town animals-this one has the size to go with its demeanor. Owner Holloway Houston and builder Nick Field of Fastlane Turbo chose a two-wheel-drive Trailblazer SS as the platform to build a single-turbo LSX that runs 9.89 at 142 mph. Did we mention it can pull the front tires, weighs in at over 5,000 pounds, and is the second-fastest Trailblazer SS in the country?
Of course, you can't just bolt on some parts and expect to go this fast with a Trailblazer. It takes a special team of builders to put this together and an owner with the smarts to pull it all off. Holloway is certainly no stranger to fast rides, which is key when embarking on a project of this scale. His choice of builder was important and he turned to some of the best at Fastlane Turbo. With an up-and-coming reputation for killer turbo cars, Fastlane knew that they couldn't cut any corners on this build, since going after the record is never easy. Goals in mind, money in hand, and the clock ticking, it was time to get down to business.
The heart of this machine is an LSX block, which has been meticulously prepared by David Farrack of Fastlane with the help of Joe Gonzales of G&G Machine. During machining, G&G opened up the bores to 4.08 inches and slid a set of Wiseco pistons in place. A set of Oliver rods is responsible for transferring power to a 4-inch Callies crankshaft, which brings the final displacement to 418 cubic inches. With the bottom end buttoned up, Fastlane slid a blueprinted Melling oil pump over the crankshaft and covered everything with the stock oil pan. Up top, Fastlane installed a set of Total Engine Airflow-ported TrickFlow cylinder heads that feature 2.100- and 1.600-inch valves, closed by a set of Comp Cams valvesprings. Since they knew how much load would be on the motor, the heads were coated by PolyDyn using its slick Performance Ceramic Coating, which helps protect against heat saturation while also keeping more heat in the chamber for more efficient combustion. Bolted above these heads is an Edelbrock single-plane intake manifold, complete with a sheetmetal elbow and FAST 90mm throttle body.
Aft of the crankshaft is a Circle D-built 10-inch 3,500-stall converter, which turns a matching Powerglide transmission. The suspension is amazingly simple, with a pair of custom-built coilovers front and rear for control and a set of BMR adjustable lower rear control arms in the back. Believe it or not, this SS is still using a factory-supplied rear, stuffed with 4.10 gears and the stock axles. Braking is also simple, with the stock equipment all the way around. Outside, a set of Bogart wheels not only provide some style, but also help drop some rotating weight and provide a quality mounting point for the M&H drag radials. So far, the truck has gone as quick as a 1.55 60-foot, which is certainly impressive considering its substantial weight.
The lungs come from a relatively small BorgWarner 82mm turbocharger, which makes as much as 22 pounds of boost to get this truck moving. Starting with a set of Kooks long-tube headers, the fabricators at Fastlane built a slick stainless merge pipe between the transmission and oil pan, which feeds the turbo, mounted just behind the rear transmission crossmember. A TiAL 44mm wastegate helps bypass exhaust gasses, while the remainder is sent down a custom single exhaust, which exits in the stock location. Once spinning, boost is sent up an aluminum charge pipe, through a custom engine bay-mounted air-to-water intercooler, and into the throttle body.
Of course, you can't just be all willy-nilly with this much boost. Control is first provided by an AMS-1000, which uses C02 to regulate, providing a smooth launch and deadly accurate boost control on the top end of the track. A Big Stuff 3, tuned by Daniel Moore of Fastlane, provides engine control, which is in charge of regulating the eight 160-pound injectors and NGK #10 spark plugs. "With 5,000 pounds and 1,200 horsepower, it is a handful! Tuning the suspension and boost controller is key." With this kind of power and weight, you certainly have to keep an eye on safety and, inside, the cabin is all business, with a custom-built rollcage, two stock leather seats, and a couple of Auto Meter gauges to keep the driver informed.
Looking to the future, we can't tell what it holds, but we do know that Fastlane has some new goodies in the shop for this monster, including a new turbo. Will it have enough to take down the overall Trailblazer SS record? Only time will tell, but we can say that if anyone could do it, it is this crew. Either way, I am going to be scouring the forums for a new Trailblazer, while I work on bottling up some of the Houston water supply.