I've been building both of my cars to be all around performers. One is a little more fun and less practical, and the other one is great for year-round daily duties while still being able to raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Little by little I've been building the Camaro from the ground up. I retrofitted a T56 6-speed manual with a SPEC 3+ clutch and flywheel, Pro5.0 short shifter, HD Denny's driveshaft, driveshaft loop, 8.5" rear end with 4.10 gears, posi differential, Moser girdle and axles. I added subframe connectors, solid body bushings and engine bay bracing to stiffen things up. The suspension was rebuilt with poly control arm bushings, Hotchkis coils, PTFB leafs and KYB shocks. It has sticky Mickey Thompsons and CE adjustable traction bars to keep the tires planted. Once it's going it stops with 12" 1LE front disc brakes and 11.5" ZQ8 rear disc retrofitted from newer GMs. I also rewired the electrical system with the upgrades from M.A.D. like the remote start solenoid for the battery in the trunk and kill switch that NHRA requires. The new 100 amp alternator makes it all happen and lets me use an electric fan and water pump to free up more horsepower.

Power comes from the 355-cube small block with 10.5:1 flat top pistons and a Comp Cams bumpstick with .480" lift and 230° duration at .050". The Vortec heads, RPM AirGap intake, and Edlebrock 750cfm carburetor fill the cylinders with air and the fuel supplied by the carter pump through braided stainless AN-6 lines. Exhaust consists of Hedman long-tube headers to a 3" x-pipe and cutouts down to 2.5" chambered mufflers and tailpipes. Desktop Dyno and my 106mph trap speed both agree it's good for about 400hp, while still able to knock down 21mpg on the highway.

I replaced most of the interior and added leather seats, seatbelts, center console, shift knob and shift boot all from a 4th-gen Camaro, along with a full set of Equus gauges, and a new dash. I also removed the heater and stereo to keep things simple, I'd rather listen to the engine anyway.

The Beretta is my ground-up daily driver. The old 3.1L v6 was replaced with a 4k 3400 v6 from a 2004 Impala with some bolt-ons for more power and added reliability. The additional displacement and more efficient heads, intake, roller cam and rockers bring performance into the 21st century. Breathing through the cold air K&N filter and ceramic coated headers, custom 2.5" exhaust with cut out and spinning a little more freely with an FFP underdrive pulley, horsepower is about 220 - up from the stock rating of 135. Fuel and spark are managed with a custom-burned PROM chip for the OBDI fuel injection system with the help from an AEM wideband o2 gauge.

Power is fed to the ground by a SPEC Stage 2 clutch to the Getrag 282 5-speed manual transmission spinning both heavy-duty Driveshaft Shop axles thanks to the limited slip differential from Engineered Performance. 225/45R17 rubber on Speedy Lite-5 wheels are planted in the ground by four billet/poly drivetrain mounts. Eibach lowering springs, KYB struts/shocks, Addco solid rear swaybar, poly bushings, welded control arms, subframe, strut and shock tower braces keep the car rigid and responsive in the twisites.

Since the car is a daily driver, it is a little more refined than my Camaro. I converted to a full black interior with custom upholstery work from Softtrim Concepts. The CD/MP3 stereo is from Sony with a hookup for my iPod. The cheap plastic steering wheel, shifter and ebrake lever have all been replaced with leather. The body, prep and paint work was all performed by myself. Metallic gray base/clear paint and tinted windows complete the total restoration.

I also have a 1994 Silverado Z71 4x4 with a 350 to haul with and serve winter duty. I swore to myself I would leave it stock and since then I have added Cragar steel wheels, Goodyear mud tires, intake and exhaust, 4WD actuator upgrade and a few cosmetics like the blacked-out bumpers & grille. I've never really been in to trucks because they're slow gas hogs, but they do a good job of slinging mud & snow! I've also found they are very useful to a new homeowner like myself.

Check out the videos section for some burnouts, racing, and other floored fun. After all, hot rods are at their best when you can hear them roar!