POWERTRAIN
KT ran a squeezed 580-inch engine for years, but its compression ratio wouldn’t abide pump gas. A street demon to the core, Thompson could no longer abide the price of race gas. In hopes of equaling past performance, he punched his trusty Donovan 500 to 4.600-inches (along with a 4.500-inch stroke) to realize 598ci, though static compression ratio is now 11:1 and quite amenable to pump gas.
After Thompson had finished his blueprints, Tom Murdock at BB&T in Southaven, MS did the machine work and balancing. KT assembled the big bullet at his Hot Rod Solutions (www.hotrodsolutions.net Memphis) shop with a Lunati crankshaft, aluminum connecting rods, and Venolia pistons. He capped the bottom end with a Titan oil pump and Billet Fabrication aluminum 7-quart sump. A big Comp solid roller (specs secret) pokes Manton pushrods and a T&D shaft rocker arm system. KT stuck it all together with a Jesel belt timing gear.
The top end is matching Brodix stuff, CNC-ported Big Duke cylinder heads (Brodix valves, Comp springs) and Big Duke intake manifold hosting a Full Throttle Performance 2,500cfm air door. An MSD 7AL-3 box and Pro Coil send spark (32 degrees); the KT-built 2 3/8-inch primary pipe headers become a 4-inch system routed through an X-pipe and nasty 3 ½-inch Magnaflow mufflers.
Though the motor is scary enough on nuts, N2O is KT’s avatar and his seal. As yet untried, the Chevelle features a Nitrous Express dry fogger system fed by a pair of composite-construction bottles, complete with remote switch-on. KT means to equalize the engine’s internal pressure with a Moroso 4-vane vacuum pump. The electronic fuel injection is controlled by an F.A.S.T. XFI module.
With roughly 1,000 pounds-feet of torque, the car could easily pull just one gear, but for the sake of expediency, KT enjoys a lightweight 2-gear as per a JW Performance Ultra-Glide (1.76, 1.00:1). A Precision Industries 9-inch converter heads up the torque posse and kicks it out with a 4,200rpm stall speed. Tranny fluid is cooled through a Moroso heat exchanger. An ACPT carbon fiber driveshaft twists the gaff to the Moser 9-inch aluminum center section fitted with a M-W pinion support, 3.60:1 gears on a M-W lightweight spool, and Moser gun-drilled 35-spline axle shafts.
CHASSIS
Kevin weaved an 8-point rollcage throughout and painted it the same color as the body to camouflage it from the wandering eye. The form of the mini-tub rear suspension changed drastically. With no room left for coil springs or conventional shock absorbers, KT posted Strange double-adjustable coil overs.
He located the 48-inch-wide axle housing with Dick Miller Heim-end control arms; the lower arms have a diagonal brace attached to the axle to void all lateral motion. A Wolf Racecraft (San Antonio, TX) anti-sway bar pivots above the housing. At the Malibu’s leading edge, TRZ tubular upper and lower control arms, Flaming River rack steering, and Strange double adjustable coil/over shocks.
