1998 Pontiac Trans Am Feature

For some people too much is never enough, and no challenge is challenging enough. Everyone knows at least one of this sort, the more conservative types call these people crazy and doomed to failure. It's a losing battle trying to have your cake and eat it too, but to the truly bold-they have to try. And in a way, you really have to respect them for it. They know the cost, but they are willing to pay it anyways.

The list of broken parts on David Childress's 1998 Formula is now rivaling a professional race team, however, there is little that can stop this 27-year-old engineer from building the ultimate 1,000 rwhp daily driver. This seemingly impossible goal is further complicated by the owner's desire to keep the factory T56 tranny, a sure recipe for disaster. It would appear David's eyes were much larger than his stomach, but retribution came one fateful day when he posted a record breaking 9.92 ET at 144 mph. Few LS1s have made it to the single digits with a six-speed, even fewer with forced induction, and by most accounts David's Formula is the only blower or turbo F-body to have accomplished such a feat.

At the onset, Childress had no idea he would be making nearly as much power as his stock cube LS2 currently pushes through a rebuilt T56 and SPEC Stage 5 clutch. The plan had been to achieve just over 600 rwhp, when he had his Formula shipped from his hometown of Glen Allen, Virginia, to Tacoma, Washington-into the waiting arms of Turbo Technology. After having found nothing but disappointment in two other turbo kit manufacturers, Turbo Technology delivered the goods with a prototype race kit made to handle an 80mm single turbo. Dave opted for a 3.5-inch downpipe, which necessitated a tubular K-member from BMR for added clearance. The turbo-equipped 'Bird far exceeded his expectations putting down 775 hp on the rollers with an aftermarket EFI system and forged stock motor in early 2004 before pulling in the 9-second timeslip. By his own admission, things have gone a bit downhill since then as he has been grasping for that elusive four-digit dyno number.

Dave modified the Turbo Technology kit to step up to an 88mm hairdryer from Precision Turbo, which uses a PTE air-to-water aftercooler for a chillier dose of boost. The increased cfm now helps fill about 18 more cubes in a Wheel to Wheel-built LS2. A stock crank, Howard forged I-beam rods, and Mahle -20cc dished pistons keep costs down on the 8.2:1 compression motor while still providing plenty of durability. Given Dave's track record for blown motors, strength is definitely at a premium. For streetability the hydraulic roller setup stays intact with healthy .601/.594-inch lift, 236/231 duration lobes. A mild port and polish was performed on a set of All Pro heads with stainless steel 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves. To keep the lifters happy without overfeeding the valve covers with oil during street driving, special Smith Brothers pushrods with oil restrictors are needed.

Since adding the Wheel to Wheel motor and Big Stuff 3 computer, things have started to come together again. It was pretty touch and go for a while, and it seemed Dave was pulling the motor out in his driveway every time he turned around. But it appears he has finally turned a corner now that he has a superior product, superior means of tuning it, and the knowledge to do so. So far the Formula has made 995 hp and 1,000 ft-lbs of torque on a chassis dyno, but with more tuning Dave thinks it shouldn't be hard to reach his magic number. Even with the 50/50 mix of leaded 110-octane and 93-octane pump gas being pushed through a pair of Walbro 255-lph pumps and Delphi 96-lb injectors on the dyno, the tune was "pretty conservative with the timing." A Snow Performance Methanol Injection Kit has also been crucial for enabling a more aggressive tune, which Dave credits for his ability to successfully run this mix as well as pure pump gas on the street (at 17 psi of boost). Despite his admitted greed in the horsepower department, going higher than 22 psi he said is most unlikely, though tempting. "I think it has plenty right now, and I am just trying to ride this out as long as I can. Besides I already can't hook up on the street, so I don't know how much good it would do me."

Unfortunately, launching at the track is nearly as difficult without shattering a mostly stock T56, but Childress did manage an impressive 1.52 short time with the stock cube LS1. Now that the new motor and tune is coming together, he may look to improve on these numbers. He is well prepared, though; with a full complement of BMR Fabrication rear suspension parts including boxed control arms, tubular subframe connectors, adjustable Panhard bar, and Xtreme torque arm. At the track HAL/QA1 front coil-overs and rear shocks with softer V-6 Firebird springs enable weight transfer to a set of Hoosier Quick Time Pro 27x11.5 DOT-legal slicks mounted on Weld Pro Star 15x10s. On the street, slicks and skinnies are traded for 17- and 18-inch Z06 rims with Mickey Thompson drag radials out back and BFG G-Force rubber up front. A Moser 12-bolt has been up to the task of containing the mammoth torque with 33-spline axles, a spool, and 3.42 gear. A Denny's "nitrous-ready" 3-inch chrome moly driveshaft has proved one of the few "indestructible" parts that have actually proved itself as such.

Breaking parts has become a way of life for David Childress and his Formula, but no one ever said making 1,000 rwhp in a street car was going to be easy. "If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. I didn't just drop 60 grand into this thing up front; I chipped away at it over time. It took me six years and all the money that I made and then some. I did all of the work in my driveway-a real normal guy situation, and this is what you get if you keep at it. I always catch heat from people about my setup that it could be faster, but an automatic isn't fun to me. Some things I have done with this car over the years I have undone. I was always trying to strike that balance." Perhaps it's an impossible task, but no one has ever done it better or come as close.

All of the tuning on this beast is done by the owner himself through Big Stuff 3. Dave says BS3 has opened a gateway of convenience to items ideal for a street car, which is probably not something you would expect in an aftermarket EFI system. Through BS3 he has managed to program a trigger for the second fuel pump at a certain throttle position, a shift light to avoid using a monster tach, wideband control, and a two-step rev limiter. Perhaps his favorite feature, he says, is the ability to data record without a laptop as managing the laptop while staging and driving can be difficult.	For the most part the Moser 12-bolt has proved reliable when paired with a Denny's "nitrous-ready" chrome moly driveshaft. Unfortunately, the T56 has quit on him more than a few times. It may be time to step up to a serious racing tranny, but currently his rebuilt tranny sports merely the stronger Viper output shaft. A spare tranny is kept on retainer to be rotated in and of the car in order to keep the car on the road. Dave also credits BMR, Snow Performance, Wheel to Wheel, SPEC, Turbo Technology, and Big Stuff 3 for being able to help him promptly so at no point does his Formula start collecting dust.