1977 Chevrolet Monza Spyder with approximatly 627 RWHP

Legit Street car: 3200lb with Driver, 9:1 compression, Pump Gas, Insurance and License Plate!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best ET (1/8 mile): 6.25 @ 109 mph
Best MPH (1/8 mile): 109.06 mph
That translates to 9.80-9.90's @ 139 mph in the 1/4 mile

 

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED WHEN I GOT IT IN 1999

 

AND NOW...

 

 

 

 

Our Trailer (for business and fun)!!

 

 

Latest update: Hood is finally at the paint shop (Richey Collision in Houston). They are well known for custom paint work especially corvettes..they did mine. Got new wheels and tires.

 

 

The hood hinges, latch, and prop rod along with the bolts are at Vanguard Plating in Conroe Texas getting Chrome plated---FINISHED!

 

 

ALSO: Just installed an Accel 375+ Programmable Ignition mainly for the two-stage RPM limiter and adjustable Nitrous retard control, but it can do a lot more if you run a turbo (future maybe). The Big Stuff 3 will do this, but the Accel system is simpler since it has a small hand held digital remote control. It plugs into my 300+ ignition.

Many updates to the car in the last 12 months.

Recently completed upgrades:
Hoosier Quick Time Pro's (DOT legal drag tire)
Mickey Thompson ET Fronts (26x4x15)
Intalled new SFI Flexplate
Upgraded the powerglide with a new JW Ultra bell SFI bell housing
New steel driveshaft (built by Randy's driveshaft in Houston)
New FAB9 housing with Strange Aluminum 3rd member, spool, and 3.50 gears, 35 spline gun drilled axles
New Wilwood Rear disc brakes
New adjustable panhard rod (comp. engineering)
New adjustable Anti-roll bar (comp. engineering) to straighten out my launch.
New adjustable torque rod(Comp. engineering ) bolts to side of engine and welds to frame to prevent motorplate flex) Prevents breaking transmission cases and ultimately improves my 60 ft times.
New adjustable torque arm (Spohn)designed for a '93-up Camaro/Firebird. Mounts to a custom cross member up front instead of the trans.

4500 RPM launches....here I come. No this is not a race car, just a minitubbed street/strip car. Insured with license plates!

Yeah, I can hear folks saying stuff about running a spool on the street, but I don't drive it long distances.

Just installed 27 x 11.50 Hoosier Quick Time Pro's on the back! Can't run taller tire due to the stock wheel arches. I don't want to cut the quarter panels. The minitubs allow pretty wide street tires P295/50/15. I could actually fit 335/40/18's in the rear if I decided to go for that look.

Heres some pics with my son on flashlight duty while I install the Hayes SFI Flexplate. He's a pretty good helper.

 

 

 

 

New FAB9 rear end mock up underway....

 

 

New hood...

 

COMPLETED REAREND/SUSPENSION UPGRADE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Endless mods from the original 305/AT/PS/PB no A/C:

Engine: Gen VI BBC 462 cu. in. with a Performer RPM Roller cam, Performer 100CC heads (Flow the same as Performer RPM's, Crane Gold Rockers, 1000CFM Edelbrock throttle body, Holley highrise single plane EFI intake, Hooker Super Comp engine swap headers and a CSI electric water pump. Mounted with a motor plate. This swap required converting to manual steering with a custom offset steering shaft built with Flaming River parts and a Vega Steering box and centerlink. The swap also required a switch to manual brakes since the booster will hit the valve cover! No big deal - less weight!! A NOS Super Powershot kit is installed for an extra 180HP. A cool LED purge kit is installed (mostly for fun). The bottle is in the hatchback with a blowdown tube for safety. A K&N Extreme Airflow air filter. The ignition is all Accel: 300+ ignition box with a 375+ programmable controller, Accel coil, Accel Billetech distributor with cam and crank signals for sequential FI (the EFI controls the ignition advance curve), MSD wires. Hayes SFI flexplate

EFI: BIG STUFF 3 with data logging capability

Fuel System: Stock tank narrowed (due to minitubs) and sumped with -10AN Aeroquip line feeding into an SX Performance Fuel Pump (overkill - capable of supporting 1300HP) with two SX performance EFI Fuel filters. -10AN line feeds all the way to the engine compartment to a SX Performance Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator (AFPR) then reduces to -6 AN feed to a Holley single plane EFI intake/rails with 36 lb/hr Accell injectors. A -6AN return line goes back to the tank. It also feeds the nitrous system.

Cooling system: Griffin aluminum radiator with one 10" puller fan and one 12" SPAL pusher fan, CSI electric water pump.

Trans: Circle D Transmissions custom built a Powerglide with a JW Ultrabell and a custom built 9" 4500 RPM stall converter with braided trans lines and a TRANSBRAKE. Stock cross member. A LT1 police car trans cooler sits up front.

Rearend: Chris Alston Chassisworks FAB9 rear housing. I custom fabricated LCA/coil spring/shock mounts to work with the stock style suspension. I welded a new adjustable panhard rod end mount and custom anti-roll bar rod end mounts. There are Big Ford late style housing ends with Moser 35 spline gun-drilled axles/lightweight spool/Strange aluminum 3rd member with 3.50 PRO gears and wilwood brakes.

Driveshaft: Randy's Driveshaft in Houston modified the original Monza steel driveshaft with 1350 joints.

Brakes and suspension: Front suspension completely rebuilt with a Polygraphite suspension kit. All pieces sandblasted and repainted. The front includes Belltech 2" drop spindles and brakes are from a 1991 S-10 truck. Much bigger discs than stock plus you get the 5-lug pattern. The stock V8 springs work great since the car was lightened by eliminating the PS and PB as well as tons of other stuff - the car sat higher in the front with a 454!! The rear suspension is stock style with except for 1" longer billet aluminum LCA's and the springs and shocks were moved inward 3" on each side for the minitubs. Competition engineering panhard rod and anti-roll bar are installed. A competition engineering crossmember ties the car together in front of the stock control arm mounts that were cut and moved 3" inward. The rear brakes are Willwood. The Master cylinder is a 1969 Corvette 4-wheel disc (manual). A Summit adjustable proportioning valve is installed. A Spohn adjustable Torque arm designed for a 4th F-body was modified and fitted.

Steering System: I converted the stock PS system to manual in order to facilitate the installation of the BBC. The stock pump was sold off along with the steering shaft, and gear box. A Vega manual gear box was installed with a new Vega centerlink (a must when using the vega box), a custom Flaming River steering shaft that snakes around the BBC was built.

Roll Cage: 8-point competition engineering cage kit that I installed and welded. Two additional support struts in the back reinforce the area where the springs press against the unibody. Swing out door bars were installed (really did not need them). Custom 1.5" tubular subframe connectors go from the control arm mounts in the rear all the way to the front subframe. They are welded to the car in three locations.

Body: Unlimted Performance Products Fiberglass hood, nose, and rear tail panel replace the factory junk urethane stuff and reduce weight considerably. The paint cost more than the entire drivetrain! It's 2000 Viper silver and is show quality. The sunroof was dealer installed in '77. Custom front turn signal lights and headlight covers have been installed. Rear wheel wells were cut and moved inward 3" on each side and a filler piece now fills the gap. Looks almost stock from the inside except for the weld seams.

Interior: A work in progress - stock and currently black with new carpet and a NOS dash pad. Rear seat removed due to minitubs and roll cage. RCI 5 point harnesses are installed. B&M Prostick shifter. Grant Leather Steering Wheel

Wheels and tires: Billet Specialties Street Lite 15x10 with 4.5" back space and 15X4. Hoosier Quick Time Pro 27 x 11.50-15 rear and MT ET Fronts 26x4.5-15.

Stock bottom end (.040 overbore)with heads/cam/intake HP numbers...

627 HP to the wheels (720-750 HP at the flywheel)on Nitrous. This is calculated based on 3195 lb with driver weight and the 1/8 mile MPH numbers (109).

Remember this is a stock bottom end BBC with 9.2:1 compression. It runs good on Pump Gas!

Best 1/8 mile MPH: 6.25 @ 109.06 MPH with a 1.34 60 ft.
Best 1/8 mile MPH: 109.06 
Translates to high 9's @ 138+ MPH in the 1/4

DYNO PICTURE:

GARAGE PICTURES:

 

HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS PARK

 

 

 

TEMPLE RACEWAY

ENGINE TODAY:

 

THE OLD ENGINE....

PICTURES FROM 2006 WITH THE OLD HOOD (different intake system was shorter, made less power, but I could use the stock hood)

 

 

 

 

 

MINI TUB PROCESS AND NARROWING THE AXLE HOUSING

GAS TANK NARROWING

OLD 7.5" REAR UNDERSIDE PICTURE WITH NARROWED GAS TANK AND FUEL SYSTEM

STEERING SHAFT MODIFICATIONS AND RADIATOR

COOLING FANS (now one 10" puller and one 12" pusher)

IINTERIOR AND CAGE

NITROUS

REAR MOUNTED BATTERY (NOW IT IS AN OPTIMA BATTERY)