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Third Time's The Charm
pg 2
Where Saviano runs, the whole car/street/drag thing is most cult-like. Undoubtedly, the regional dialects and accents infusing New York Metro sound coarse and altogether unsophisticated to ears west of the Hudson River, the legacy of some ancient Hollywood stereotype that put the “Brooklyn accent” on anybody from the Five Boroughs. Behind the toughness perceived by the rest of the world (even over in Jersey) are people with big hearts, a standard of pride, and love of hobby that reaches beyond the normal car interest--lifestyle doesn’t even come close. Vinnie’s very proud that he drives his Chevy to the track and that it runs so well through closed exhaust and on pump gas.
It’s likely you won’t see the finesse. The motor appears an ordinary street bullet--until Vinnie cranks it and the sound swarms over you. You’d swear it was a big-block. Ingrossio put oil spray bars inside the rocker covers to keep the valves springs cool. And why would anyone expect to find a full-tilt Ford automatic stuck behind that Chevy 406? Those slick headers look store-bought but they’re not. The sleeper mentality’s goin’ full-boogie here.
Finally, The Strangely Believe It category: “A co-worker of mine was looking at the Camaro and he said, ‘I know the original owner of this car.’ He was sure of it because the appearance had not changed much from the old days. He said the guy had written his initials on the bottom of the console, so we looked. They were there. Eventually I met him and heard a very familiar story. He sold the Camaro (for $2,800) because it was time to buy a house.” What goes around comes around.
Hey Vinnie, you seen a kid on a bike hangin’ out by a puddle of drool?
POWERTRAIN
Saviano had JA Performance in Lynbrook, NY develop a ‘70s vintage 406-inch small-block (4.155 x 3.750) after legendary S&K Speed in Lindenhurst had tended to the machine work. S&K balanced, polished, and checked all clearances on the rotating assembly--Cola crankshaft, Lunati connecting rods, and Ross flat-tops that generate a 10.5:1 squeeze. JA oriented a 0.630-inch lift, 264-degree duration Comp Cams camshaft and chained it (straight up) to the crank with a GM timing set. Down below, a Moroso oil pump and 6-quart sump. To complete the long-block, JA gasket-matched the ports and installed Dart Pro 1 CNC aluminum castings finished with 64cc combustion chambers and 2.08-inch Manley intake valves,. Hardware includes Crane 1.5/1.6:1 ratio roller rockers, Comp Cams 955 valve springs, and Manley pushrods, guides, retainers, and locks. A Victor Jr. intake manifold hosts a 750cfm Holley worked over by Ten Speed, a 4-inch Super Sucker spacer, and K&N element. Fuel comes up the old fashioned way, pushed by an Edelbrock mechanical pump. Once fuel and air mix, they take marching orders from the MSD6 ignition system set at 36 degrees total. Though those smoothie headers might appear to be ready-made, they represent MI Mike’s subtle handwork: 1 7/8-inch primary pipes that transition into 3-inch system joined by nasty-bark Hooker Aero Chambers. Mike also fabricated the rocker covers and the oil spray bars inside them. Fred at FB Performance Transmissions in Bayshore, NY surgically implanted one of their 4STB-E 3-speed full manual automatics (based on the 4R70W Ford) equipped with a trans-brake well as an overdriven top gear (2.84, 1.56, 1.00, 0.70:1). It has a 900hp capacity, uses electrical activation for the converter and OD lock-up functions, but does not interface with the ECU. Vinnie flips the OD switch next to the Hurst Quarter Stick and the tranny goes fat for the freeway walk home. An FB 8-inch torque converter does the multiplication behind a gnarly 4,100rpm stall speed. Torque flies (yes, it does) down an FB driveshaft and an oil cooler keeps the tranny juice on a low simmer. It all comes out the 12-bolt axle fitted with a 4.10:1 final drive (2.87:1 in OD), an Eaton limited-slip differential, and Moser 31-spline axles.
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