And just to be clear, everything in the block is original, including the smallish camshaft, which has 0.449/0.460-inch lift, 202/208 degrees of duration, and a pretty wide 117-degree lobe separation angle-not exactly a dream cam for a blower engine. The only modification to the stock heads are a stiffer set of dual-coil valvesprings from Crane Cams under the valve covers, which raised the seat pressure to about 125 pounds, along with a set of Comp Cams Magnum 1.6:1 ratio roller-tip rockers to add valve lift and because the stock rockers wouldn't work with the dual-coil springs. That meant adding a 52mm throttle body and 50-pound injectors from Holley, which are fed by an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and regulator. Now, as for that stock-bottomed LT1, it's true that Beam has never gazed at the rotating assembly inside it, but he's done the necessary work to match the P-1SC blower and its fuel requirements. "The car has been very consistent and launches hard and straight." "You have to experiment to find the right balance for perfect launches," says Beam. The suspension setup is continually tuned and adjusted to optimize launch bite. QA1 double-adjustable shocks and 300-pound springs, as well as Art Morrison travel limiters, comprise the front suspension. Up front is a BMR tubular K-member and control arms. Air Lift drag bags and QA1 single-adjustable shocks work with the stock springs in the rear. There's also a full complement of suspension components, including a Spohn torque arm, control arms, and 25mm sway bar along with a BMR Panhard bar and subframe connectors. ![]() To that end, Beam tossed the factory 10-bolt rear axle and replaced it with a Moser 12-bolt, including 4.30 gears and a lightweight aluminum spool. "The power is useless unless you can get it to the ground effectively and efficiently," he says. Sure, there's a ProCharger P-1SC hung on the front of the engine, but it has taken more than 357 horsepower and 343 lb-ft of torque at wheels (on a stingy Mustang dyno) to deliver a 10-second timeslip. That provided the impetus, facility, and opportunity to take the Firebird not just to the next level, but a whole new realm of performance. Years later, Beam and his brother Bob operated Exotic Performance Plus, a speed/tuning shop in the Muncie area. Nevertheless, Beam was able to coax some high-13-second runs out the car. Keep in mind that the LT1 was rated at 275 horsepower, which was stellar in its day, but the 4L60E slushbox absorbed horsepower like a fresh sponge. The culmination of the parts raised the rear-wheel output from a lethargic 190 horsepower to about 240. It was an automatic car with a 2.73 rearend." He got to work on the basic bolt-ons, including the typical mods of the day, such as a MAF-which cost horsepower rather than enhance it-underdrive pulleys, colder thermostat, larger throttle body, etc. "I got a great deal on it, but it was slow. Despite its repeated flights down the track, this silver 'bird has covered only about 5,700 miles since new. Here's one more amazing fact: the engine is barely broken in. so far is 10.914 at almost 122 mph." The Formula is an in-house project for his brother Bob's tuning shop, Brute Speed, in Roanoke, Indiana, and it is regularly flogged at Muncie Dragway. "It runs great and has never missed a beat. "The intake manifold and oil pan have never been off," Beam told us. ![]() The farthest Beam has dived into the engine was popping off the valve covers to replace the valvesprings and rocker arms.
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