THS "Hot Rod of the Month" 2

Slow91z

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Aug 7, 2003
Turbo Hot Street “Hot Rod of the Month”
by Ed Mucha

The second installment of this semi-annual feature is about yet another original owner THS racer, David Day. David was the winner of the first two THS races; our inaugural event at the BPG Nationals and again at the Midwest Buick Challenge. David has spent the winter months spinning the wrenches on his GN, intent on improving his performance in 2010.

Where it all began

Like fellow Turbo Hot Street competitor Mike Schwab, David purchased his Grand National new. He was working at Laura Buick in Illinois (a THS sponsor), where he is still employed as a mechanic, and driving a 1985 Buick T-Type (also purchased new) in 1986-1987 when the intercooled Turbo Buicks arrived on scene. After working around and on them, he decided to buy one and took possession of a 1987 Grand National. David credits Jack Haeffner, a coworker, with putting the Buick bug in his head. Jack and his sons all ran GS Skylarks (and were top competitors in the GS Street Eliminator class, GSE, ‘back in the day’.) Watching the big GS’s roar down the track “sealed the deal” for him!

It was not long before David had his car going down the track. The learning curve led to a Bracket 2 victory at the 2000 GS Nationals. The original engine logged over 1300 quarter mile passes before he pulled it in 2008 for a fresh bullet.

Loaded for bear

The new engine took advantage of the latest technology and displaces 249 cubic inches by way of a BA crankshaft, K1 rods, Diamond Pistons and is supported by a RJC girdle. A BHJ balancer and a JW flex plate keep everything smooth. The top end consists of iron heads and stock intake ported by Excessive Acceleration with Harland Sharp roller rocker arms. The stock throttle body completes the intake. A Competition Cams roller cam, ground to proprietary specs per Kip at Excessive Acceleration, tickles the valves. All engine prep work was done by Gary Duckworth Racing. David assembled the mill himself. The fumes are handled by a set of stock headers that have been welded and ported by Dwight Hadden, and feed a Terry Houston 3.5” downpipe to an ATR Single Shot exhaust system. The engine runs 83 pound fuel injectors fed by Red Armstrong dual XP Plus fuel pumps. Engine management is done with a Comp Cams XFI. David thanks David Stinson and yours truly for helping him get that going.

The turbo is a TE45a-GTQ by Chopper at Limit Engineering and a “very early” Tony DeQuick front mount intercooler cools the mixture.

David is also quite the crack wrench when he gets his hands on a transmission too. (He provided the “Day Brake” for Jason Cramer’s nine-second TSM car). He built his own 200-4R with a Sonnax servo, Alto Power Pack and wide band, billet band anchor, direct clutch piston apply ring and an Excessive Acceleration deep tranny pan. The convertor is a “secret”. He bangs the gears with a Hurst Quarter Stick custom fitted to the stock console.

The power gets to the pavement via a stock rear end with stock posi, Moser axles with GM long wheel studs and a TA Performance rear end cover. Traction help is provided by HR Parts and Stuff anti-roll bar and upper and lower control arms, Koni shocks up front and hand-me-down QA1’s from TSM racer Walt Judy. David also added that he uses HR Parts and Stuff engine and transmission mounts.

The rolling stock consists of Weld AlumaStars all around, with 28”x10.5” Mickey Thompson slicks out back. “Burnout Buddies” by that budding entrepreneur, Robbie Slusser, keep the rubber off of the paint.

A custom six-point rollbar fabricated and installed by “The Kentucky Hammer”, Chris Cairnforth, helps keep David safe during his ten second quarter mile excursions.


Best of the rest

David says that while his B2 win in Bowling Green in 2000 was good, his Turbo Hot Street win over Mike Schwab in Osceloa in 2009 was better; “He left on me and I had to run him down, super nice guy by the way.” David said that the reason he has kept his GN for so long is because “its in my blood and I think the Buicks are one of a kind! Most important of all is all the friends I have met and friendships that I have made.”

I asked David if he had any parting pearls of wisdom for his fellow Turbo Buick enthusiasts and he said, “If you are afraid to turn it up, I don’t know what to tell you!!!”

Have a nice day!
 
“David Day and his THS ’87 GN at his home track, Gateway International Raceway, doing some testing in 2009. David ran a 10.26 @ 131 MPH, at the Midwest Buick Challenge to claim his second THS trophy.”
 

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Great car Dave. Good work. Sounds like I am going need more than 25 lbs to read your license plate. I too would say our run at Osceola is my favorite even though you went around me.

Mike
 
Ths

Kevin and Mike thanks for the kind words. Looking forward to the 2010 racing to get going, wish I could have mad to the TB.com nats. It was to far away for budget.
DDay
 
Kevin and Mike thanks for the kind words. Looking forward to the 2010 racing to get going, wish I could have mad to the TB.com nats. It was to far away for budget.
DDay
We thought that too until we showed up and got to take some $$ back home to MS.


You have set the bar high in THS. Congrats and nice ride!
 
ths

Thank you Jason. Look forward to seeing you at BG.Congrats on your win, that silver car is always in the hunt.
DDay
 
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