LT5 Engine was...
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
Originally Posted by weelanddeal
general motors did install one in a special ordered impala ss for tim alan from the tv show tool time,
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 459
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From: lynn mass
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by kwik_ta
Really??? I thought the LT5 was ZR1 vette specific... I did not know this.
Tim Allen is excited. His eyes are sparkling, his demeanor is
electric, and his grin is genuine. Today, this eminently
successful comedian and author, this incredibly wealthy TV and
movie star, this universally beloved American he-man icon, is
practically wetting his pants in anticipation of driving his new
car.
Allen's world-renowned "Home Improvement" character, Tim
Taylor, would be proud. The bad, black sedan in question is a
highly modified Impala SS built by Chevrolet Specialty Vehicles
Manager Jon Moss and crew for Allen's personal use. Under its
hood rumbles a Corvette ZR-1 DOHC V-8 bored and stroked to 6.3
liters of displacement, stuffed with 12.2:1 compression pistons,
and churning out 446 horsepower and 448 pound feet of torque.
Backed up by a toughened GM 4L60-E four-speed automatic, 4.10:1
rear gears, and gummy BFGoodrich 275/40ZR17 Comp T/A's on
one-of-a-kind Enkei 17x9.0-inch aluminum wheels, this ground
pounder exudes more pure macho essence than every tool in the
Binford lineup combined.
The venue is the legendary Pomona Dragstrip, and Motor Trend
is on-site to test Allen's street racer only a few hours after
the tire smoke dispersed from the NHRA Winston Finals. The
grandstands are empty but the starting line is awash in
photographers, videographers, PR execs, publicists, Chevrolet
engineers, and various hangers-on. Yes, it's apparently a big
deal when Tim Allen gets a new car.
Tim waves me over to join him for the first full-throttle
full-track acceleration run of the vicious Impala, and like his
damn-the-warranty "Tool Time" character might do, he blithefully
rams the throttle to the floor from a dead stop. In a nanosecond
the monster rush of torque overwhelms the fat rear tires' grip
coefficient, engulfing the aforementioned entourage in a
sinus-searing cloud of liquefied tire tread. Undaunted, Tim keeps
his boot down while- the car slews left-right-left as the speed
builds."Ooooh, man, feel that torque!" he yells over to me as the
car continues its barely-in-control full-track burnout, now
edging past 80 mph."That's the Motor they should have done for
the ZR-1!" he crows. Indeed, the engine's a brute, matched by a
multicammed big-cube sound that can only be described as
sensually riveting. The only problem: The ear's slewing so wildly
that we're now heading toward the big concrete retaining wall on
the right side of the track at an angle that suggests rapidly
impending doom.
Tim's foot remains on the firewall.
My eyes widen to full pizza-pan diameter as my mind races
through the probable scenario of disaster. At 90-plus mph, this
isn't going to be pretty.
Then, without fanfare or a hint of duress, the good Mr. Allen
makes the appropriate steering and throttle correction and his
bulging-bicep Impala regains its footing, swaggering back into
the drag lane and powering through the timing traps at over 100
mph. Tim nails the brakes hard, swims through a hot U-turn at the
end of the strip, and rams the throttle open once again,
catapulting us back toward the starting line amid more squealing
tire noise and rampaging engine roar. At the 1-2 shift, the big
Chevy again ***** itself sideways. Tim lets out a loud hoot."Man,
this car is amazing!"
Once back on terra firma, I felt like lighting up an
unfiltered Camel and getting a tattoo...just the way Tim Taylor
would've liked it.
http://www.timallen.com/interests/cars.php
Last edited by weelanddeal; Mar 29, 2005 at 07:33 PM.
