PERFORMANCE RESULTS
Fast News
2001 update = Best E.T. 8.60 Best MPH 160. The engine I built is a standard 455 block, stock crank, my ported E-heads, my custom Comp roller cam. Are you a racer? Think reliable 8.60's is enough for you? Then it's important to understand you DON'T need special cranks or blocks to make this level of power. Just good work and the right combination of parts. I can build you one too. 2002 update - Got roller - Got Victor , Got 10.50's!!! 2008 update - big 542 inch by Bruce goes 9.90's w/o nitrous!! These great pistons are NOW available. 01/14/03 $485 a set. In stock. Seen on the cover of Smoke Signals March 2003 issue pulling a giant wheelstand. Ken shows what kind of fun you can have with a well built simple 400 inch engine. It's .040 over and runs one of Bruce's custom Comp solid flat tappet cams. We built the shortblock and Ken did his own #16 heads. Runs on 108 octane. Converter flashes to 4200 rpm. Uses a 4:10 gear and runs 11.40's at 115 mph. A Performer intake with a one inch spacer has a Q-jet on top. Ken's thinking about steping up to a roller cam. If he does he'll let us know how much it picks up. Mike and Gail Voyceys black '68 Firebird also on the cover bought a set of RRE prepared Edelbrock heads. A little nostalgia mixed in. Ran across this ad for Fireston tires using Ramon Lowe and his famous '58 Chieftan. This car won so often locally and nationally I wonder if Ramon remembers them all. As we find more info we'll put it up.
2003 UPDATE - Craig has the latest lightweight valve conversion made to his Edelbrock heads along with the latest port configuration from Bruce. Craig's waiting for the weather to break and we'll find out what the lighter valves and improved ports produce.
The Quickest & Fastest Pure Pontiac Powered GTO at the 1997 GTOAA National Convention, with weather conditions at 100% humidity and 96° the car went 9.29 at 143 mph. NO NITROUS on that run. We were also the quickest overall at "Tiger Run" in Oregon and the quickest door slammer at the POCI National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Doug Littrel from Alabama took home all the bacon at Jim Butlers Pontiac Nationals Memorial Day weekend. Doug's engine outfitted with Bruce Fulpers Edelbrock prepared Edelbrock aluminum heads, Fulperformance Comp Cams camshaft, JE pistons and BME aluminum rods won the top eliminator on Sunday. Dougs car was so consistent that he waded through all five rounds and took out two brothers from Florida that got a "little snippy" as Doug offered to split the money with the two bro's before the semi-final match, but the guys, who each had a car, said they came to "win it all or nothing." Doug obliged and the brothers went home empty handed!
Doug came back on Monday and went to the final round again. Yeah! The car spun on the starting line, (?) causing Doug to run off his dial. A great show of consistency from parts well assembled, and of course Dougs great reaction times. Congratulations to Doug Littrel. (and Rock 'N' Roll Engineering)
Brian Crone Says, "I just wanted to send you a picture of what one of your 3" main 455, Hydraulic cam, 87cc Edelbrock headed engines is doing in my 4000 lb street/strip machine. The car runs cool, has over 100+ runs to date, and I haven't changed the spark plugs yet. Just to refresh your memory, some of the current specifics of the car are:
Crankshaft - 3" main 455.
Cam - your custom hydraulic - .530 lift
Pistons - TRW, Stock rods w/ ARP bolts.
Rockers - Harland Sharp 1.65
Intake - Torker II
Carb.- 850 Holley (out of the box.)
Headers Hooker Super Comp 2"
Trans. - TH-350 with transpak and 10" converter - jumps to 3000.
Rear - GM 10 bolt, Strange axles, c-clip eliminators, Auburn Gear
Pro-Diff. 3:90 gears and 28 x 11.5 slicks at the track.
As you can see, the combination is relatively mild, yet the car has run 11.88 at 112.5 mph, and averages 12.0's in the heat of the summer. Because of the speed and the impressive launches, (the car has run several 1.65 sixty foot times,) the car draws lots of admirers, most being curious about the engine and the weight. I shift it at 5800 rpm.
The bug has now bit me, and I'll be calling you for a roller cam and upgrades to put the car into the low, low elevens. Keep up the good work and hope to see you sometime." B.C.
Another simple, effective combination and a satisfied customer.
Dear Bruce: Here are the photo's I promised you. Hope you like them. As you can see it's a fun ride. The car performs exactly as I hoped it would. I want to thank you for all of the time you spent on the phone helping me with the tech information.
Here's the basic information on the car. In full street trim it weighs in at 3800 lbs and I weigh 250 lbs., so as you can tell I have no complaints for its performance, nor do I have to make any excuses for it! For what it is, it kicks ASS and I'm having a ball. Not bad for a 48 year old kid. Thanks, Lou Carbone
Block - 1970 400 +.030, line honed, squared decks, balanced assembly. Crank - stock 400, ARP rod bolts in stock rods. TRW pistons. Your 295/303 hydraulic camshaft, your 72 cc Edelbrock heads, 1.65 roller tip rockers, Torker II w/ one inch spacer, Bill Mitchell 750 DP with annular boosters. Two inch Headman headers w/ 18" extensions. 4:10 olds rear. 90/10 front shocks. Rear is stock springs w/ 50/50 shocks and NMW ladder bars. Slicks are 29 x 11 at 10 lbs psi. Your 10" converter that jumps to 3500.
The car ran 12.20's all summer with a best of 12.20 flat at 109.5 mph. UPDATE 12/15/00 Lou has gone a best of 11.95 and picked up FOUR mph!!
Paul Carver had a unique request for his 1972 Formula. He installed a 428, four speed 3:55 gear. He also wanted to use the factory Ram Air exhaust manifolds. Paul wanted the car to be a twelve second machine, but it also had to pass California emissions tests. As you may know, California has the tightest regulations on emissions on the world. (OF course the new law omits 1973 and earlier cars as of Jan 1st, 1998. Yeah! Californians can build those Pontiacs now!)
We set Paul up with our prepared Edelbrock heads, a hydraulic cam that would suit this combination, (profiled by Bruce,) and assisted Paul in tuning the car. The car passed emissions with flying colors, and on the first day to the track running on street tires, (the ones pictured,) Paul went 12.80's at 106 mph!
Call me to pick your camshaft, and other components to build your combination right the first time. Send SASE for free tech sheet, or fill the one out that's in the back of the Rock 'N' Roll Engineering catalog.
The Yanque Tank road race 70 T/A. We've got to get the info from the shop to tell you all about this baby. Don't worry Sherry! (She's the crew chief.) Car runs a set of our JE/SRP 400 pistons.
Gene and Susie Gabbard tuned their 4250 lb. '62 Grand Prix to a NUMBER ONE QUALIFYING spot in Top Stock eliminator at the National Muscle Car Associations last race in Memphis. Gene had the entire Top Stock field covered and was a shoe-in to win the event. A late reaction time in the semi-finals cost him the event title, but in the process he reset both ends of the L/TS record. Best time for the 406 cubic G.P. in 1997 was a 12.40 at 106 mph. Gene uses one of Bruce's custom solid cams to make his Pontiac fly. 1999 update Gene got 'er to go 11.88 at Dayton. Yeah! Flying 400"!
Ken Feber has a cool little1974 GTO.
This was the 1997 POCI Nats in Denver where Rock 'N' Roll Engineering sponsored the trophies for all of the Classes. The Womp'em Wagon was sold to buy the 1982 Firebird Super Stocker. Buyer destroyed the car. How sad.
Rocks Hearse has been installed in the 2000 Guiness Book of records as the Worlds Fastest Hearse!
Rock Griffith, the president of the Phanthom Coaches car club in So. Cal. came to Bruce with a challenge. Seems Rock had a grudge race to shovel with another dis-member, a 1971 Caddy running a 472" foul smelling engine. Rock couldn't get around the Caddy who always was a full second quicker. Rock said, "I need to breathe some life back into my baby. She's dying. Can you help?" "Bring me that old 389 and we'll perform a "tricks" We'll bury that Caddy no problem. Bruce said. Rock had no money. Well, VERY limited funds. Bruce had a plan. Rock was convinced.
The 389 soon found it's way into the old RRE shoppe and Bruce slipped in a 212/218-110 Comp Cam, installed at 106 with a new chain so it would end up at approx. 108. Comp Magnum 1.52 roller rockers. A new oil pump, and of course, those scarey looking dual quads and M/T valve covers. Rock bolted on a set of errie looking RRE four tube headers and dual exhaust.
The heart of the Beast.
To seal the contract a 3:64 posi found its way into the '64 Pontiac Superior. The big race was set at Pomona Raceway, Holloween weekend. All of the Phantom Coaches drifted in to participate. But those 18 to 22 second "dead Heads" knew they were going to be dead meat if they lined up against Rock. Stiff glances peered from the back of the meat wagons as Rock pulled the big Bonneville into the beams. (5000 lbs +) The Caddy was so scared that he frightened his carb and backfired loudly. (Nitrous?) Rock blasted off the line with his front end high and the crowd cheering wildly. Alas, the original mush-o-matic transmission was not long for this world. At the 1000 foot mark thick clouds of death smoke could be seen as Rock left the pedal to the metal (flesh?) and the big black wagon screamed across the finish line. The worlds fastest hearse had arrived. 15.00 at 88 mph.
Oh no! Caddy tries to lose weight!In an attempt to win, the Caddy deviously dropped weight on the starting line. It didn't work. Rock was King. Word to the wise. On any night in Southern California when approached by a purplish hue and a loud rumble from a Queen Mary size black '64 Bonneville wagon. Be Careful! It's meaner than you think.
Bury me at Pomona
Rock Griffith and family heirloom. His parents used to haul band equipement in this car. Really. Too cool.
What is this?