OLDSMOBILE CALAIS INTERNATIONAL SERIES COUPE W41 QUAD4 & TRANSAXLE
An Independent Study Junior Varsity entry and a true grassroots race car effort!
I bought this retired SCCA showroom stock race car several years ago for a whopping $1600 dollars! It was originally a 1988 Calais with the lower output LD2 Quad4 engine and 5 speed transmission. As you can see it was ugly as hell! It was black and covered with dirt, scuff marks, and dents as a result of many years of road racing and neglect.
The name "Widow Maker" came from an incident on the back straight of Road Atlanta starting just past the 200 foot marker and not ending until the exit of turn 10A. As I went for the brakes at well over 100mph, 200 feet from the corner the, then rear drums, locked and pitched the car sideways opposite of the direction I was going to need to turn. I quickly released brake pressure realizing the quickly approaching gravel trap at the end of the straight was better to catch me then either one of the concrete walls lining both the left and right side of the track. As the car began to recover, I once again tried to slow the car before barreling into the gravel trap, not to my surprise the rear drums locked again pitching the car in the opposite direction, this time pointing toward the quickly approaching turn. The racer in me must have kicked in, because I stumped the gas pedal drifting the car on all 4 wheels through both the entry and apex of turn 10A. I'm sure it was really interesting to see for the corner workers, but I assure you it wasn't at all fun for the driver!!! Since that time the car has been dubbed the “Widow Maker”.
As with many folks involved in grassroots motor sports we've spent many days and hours scouring the parts yards and classifieds for cheap parts and body panels. After doing much research, collecting parts cars, and befriending a number ex-GM racers and engineers, we started updating our tired Calais. Today the car is nothing like its former self. It’s quick, handles well, and doesn’t have those death to modulate rear drum brakes. Take a look and see!
MODIFICATIONS:
GM 2.3 Liter Quad4 Engine with high output 086 Head
GM Getrag 5-Speed Transmission w/ 3.94 FDR & LSD
GM Rocketparts W41 cam and sprockets
GM Rocketparts Intake Manifold
GM Rocketparts Ported Exhaust Manifold
GM Delphi Rocketparts Custom W41 Race PROM Chip
GM Rocketparts Under drive Pulley
Custom Fabricated 3-Inch Exhaust
Custom Fabricated Front Brake Spindle Ducts
Polyurethane Front & Rear Suspension Bushings
Carerra Front Camber Plates
Koni Custom Valved and Fabricated Adjustable Front Struts w/ Coil-Over Conversion
Koni Custom Valved Adjustable Rear Shocks
Custom Fabricated Adjustable Rear Spring Perches
Eibach Front & Rear Springs
Custom modified adjustable rear anti-sway bar
Custom Fabricated Rear Axel K-Brace
Rear Axle HD Bearing Conversion from GM A-Body cars
Rear Disc Brake Conversion from GM Saturn SC
Front to Rear Brake Bias Adjustment Valve
Set of (4) 15x7 Kosei K1 Racing Wheels
This car has benefited from extensive knowledge gained at GM when racing them successfully in both World Challenge and the Firehawk series during the late 80s and early 90s.
The results have made for a surprisingly quick and good looking race car, that if driven well, I feel can still compete with today’s latest high performance normally aspirated 4 cylinder cars!
About the Owner/Driver (Rod Strub): I'm a veteran road racer with both amateur and professional experience. I have held competition licenses with SCCA, NASA, IMSA, and Grand-Am. I've raced front wheel drive, mid-engine rear wheel drive, and high horsepower rear wheel drive GT-1 race cars.
Thanks for checking out my page! I hoped you’ve enjoyed it and are inspired enough to give us (the car and me) a good rating! We really need your help as this is a late entry. I'd really like to see how this older yet still quick piece of late 80's Detroit engineering stands up against the latest Hondas and Acuras of today.
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