As the year has gone on, the firebird has come closer and closer to finally having its heart removed, rebuilt and transplanted with new life. I’ve bought a set of used 5 liter Chevrolet cylinder heads, and sent them to Therriault’s Performance in Greene, Maine. There, any signs of wear and tear were machined back to brand new condition. The valves were enlarged to allow for more airflow, and the valve springs were replaced with dual rate springs, which get progressively stiffer the further they go through their travel. This makes it so that the valves can be pushed open further, stay open longer, close faster, and operate at a higher rate of speed. These cylinder heads, in conjunction with a new, more aggressively profiled camshaft, and new intake and exhaust manifolds should make the engine able to flow upwards of 560 cubic feet of air per minute. These airflow numbers, when combined with enough fuel flow, usually make for about 350 horsepower, plenty enough to propel a 3200 pound car.
To handle this power however, the car needs to be prepared. Just like the saying “With great power comes great responsibility,” the same applies to cars, especially performance cars. Before the car can be safe with nearly double the power it originally came with, it is important to make sure it can handle and stop. Thankfully the car came from the factory with a MacPherson strut front end, as well as a 3 link rear suspension complete with a traction bar. This, in addition to the car’s massive factory brakes means that no major changes need to be made. So, to prepare the car for its future power, I’ve installed new struts in the front end, new shocks in the rear, and new front brakes, and four new tires. All this hopefully will make the car able to not only have 350 horsepower at the disposal of my right foot, but be able to handle 350 horsepower, so that it can be used safely.
Since a very young age, I’ve seen cars built by a very different set of rules. Those rules are typically to shove as much power as physically possible, into the biggest motor that the car can fit. Once there, simply drive the car, on original suspension, with brakes that could hardly stop a bicycle from highway speeds. As a result of this, these people have a massively powerful car, and no ability to use the car. With my planning, my car will make serious power, and handle every bit of it.
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