In the world of modifying cars, there lie two distinct groups of enthusiasts. Some people prefer to focus on increasing the performance of a vehicle; some of them prefer to enhance the visual appeal of their rides-racers versus waxers, if you will. Nick Nagrodsky of Melbourne, FL falls solidly into the racer group when it comes to his 1998 Trans Am. Lucky for Nick, he started out with one of the best looking bodies that the General ever produced. LS1-powered Trans Ams became modern day classics the day they rolled off the assembly line. While most TA owners go a little overboard on exterior enhancements, Nick stuck with the OEM styling ideas to produce somewhat of a sleeper. The mass-produced Y2K Corvette wheels add a touch of elegance to the 'bird, and certainly do not attract too much attention to the car. We would venture to guess that more Y2K wheels could be found on F-bodies than Corvettes nowadays. An aftermarket hood mimicking the popular WS6 hood was installed, to give a hint of aggressiveness to the car. From the casual observer, this silver Trans Am would appear as just a clean example of a mostly stock vehicle. Looks can be deceiving.
After riding in a friend's LS1 Trans Am, Nick was lured away from the grasp of the import car world. As most of us would understand, torque is an addiction that cannot be denied. The car was purchased used in 2003, to be used as a college commuter car. Just like most early tweakers, the car was soon outfitted with the typical basic modifications. Intake box, exhaust, simple bolt-ons went in first. Next came the ever-popular cam swap, providing a lopey idle and a screaming-high rpm shift point. While enjoyable, the horsepower desire was strong with this one, and more was needed. While attending college to get his dual engineering degrees, a large stockpile of parts was slowly gathered. The goal was to transform the car all at once, as soon as the parts shopping list was completed.
Unlucky contenders may see the taillights of this Firebird and wonder what hit them. Motivation comes from an HK Enterprises-built (Houston, TX) 383ci stroker, which utilizes the OEM 5.7L LS1 block. Mildly-ported truck LQ9 heads and a mild 226/222-duration camshaft complete the longblock. While a built 383ci engine would satisfy most people, a turbocharged 383ci is even better! A custom single-turbo system was fabricated, along with an air-to-air intercooler stuffed into the nose of the car. A 76mm turbo force-feeds the atmosphere into the engine, producing 630 hp at the rear wheels on pump gas. This combo has put this daily driver into the bottom 12s at over 128 mph at the local dragstrip. The ET might not sound wicked quick, but soft launches were performed in order to spare the stock 10-bolt rear axle. With a 12-bolt axle, those 128mph trap speeds could put this car easily into the 10-second zone.
Rowing gears was mandatory for Nick, so he opted to keep the factory T56 and have it fortified by Rick Crain (Melbourne, FL) using heavier-duty internal parts. Even with this power level, the car still pulls down over 20 mpg on the highway because of the six-speed. To add to the creature comforts inside, a DVD screen was added, as well as a host of other gauges to monitor the vitals of the engine bay. A custom sound system with a couple subwoofers delivers a concert on wheels, perfect for those long cruises. The car drives and sounds mostly stock, and perhaps rides better than stock with the upgraded adjustable shocks and subframe connectors. It has proven very reliable since completion, only requiring the typical spark plugs and oil changes that every car needs.
It was always Nick's plan to build a high-powered and reliable performance car. We would say he used his engineering education very well to accomplish those goals. The parts were carefully selected, and work in a complimentary way with each other. No huge cams, no loud exhaust, excellent drivability, reliability, and fuel economy. All of these impressive characteristics rolled up into a clean appearance package. If you happen to see a quiet and stock-appearing silver TA in the Melbourne, FL area, you might be better off not taunting it!
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