NOTHING SHORT OF INSANITY
John Meaney's 1,300hp, Daily Driver Vette

By Cameron Evans
Photography by Will Hanzel

Some guys just can't get enough. The typical PHR feature may talk about a guy who's had his car since high school and never stopped modifying it. That is until his family begs for him to stop, or he runs out of courage to drive it, or in most cases, he runs out of money. The tale of EFI guru John Meaney and his personal driver, this stock-appearing, '89 C4 Corvette, is quite similar to these other tales. Except in this case, we're talking about a guy who's admittedly not quite right--a self-confessed sicko, at that. Others say they make power, and a limited number prove it. Meaney drives his power example to work.

Most of John Meaney's other work has been well documented in PHR. He's the man behind the computer and turbo tech for many of the street-legal heroes; Mike Moran, Chuck Samuels and Steve Grebeck have passed significant e.t. barriers with his help. This time around, it's personal.

We think this car is the fastest real-world street car on the planet. There are some "supertuners" like Lingenfelter and Hennesey who'd justifiably disagree. In fact, they could probably produce customer cars that could take it in an all-out challenge. But, they're dealing with hyper-expensive, brand-new road cars. In this case, we're talking about a car that looks like you could leave it unlocked just about anywhere. Sleeper isn't a strong enough term here. This blue Vette is powered by a 400-inch small-block with exotic heads and twin turbos--engine fiends, do the math. That'll turn out about 1,300 hp in the right weather. Now, stick a 4L80E transmission behind it (a computerized, four-speed automatic) and then drive it to work everyday that it doesn't rain. Some say it's a recipe for big fun, others call it the road to a quick death. Meaney calls it a major wake-up call for people who think they're going fast.

Meaney lives in suburban Detroit, where he likes to go "hunting." "Most of the guys who get the maddest are the Mustang dudes--they think their cars are fast. But, the most fun people to beat are the rich ones, in a Ferrari 360 Modena or Testarossa. I smoked one the other day. The guy waves me over afterward saying, 'I used to have one of those Vettes, but how did you make it so fast.' So, I tell him, 'It's just a chip and muffler, my friend. Chip and a muffler.'

"The C4 and C5 Corvettes are the only, basically-stock road cars that will accept this kind of power and act reasonably stable," Meaney told PHR. "I rode around in many of John Lingenfelter's cars that responded really well to crazy amounts of power, so I knew if I was going to take on any project that would have record power on the street for a reasonable price, it would have to be Corvette based. It really is a tribute, to the General Motors engineers who originally created these vehicles. The suspension is very compliant, and compliance is what you're looking for when you try to lay down sick power from a rolling start. You don't want to end up in a ditch."

"I had a great time with this car a few years back when it was powered by a small-block on nitrous. It's not that the nitrous deal doesn't work--I mean, it is by far the simplest way to make great power. But, the bottle runs out! With this turbo combination, the 'bottle' will never run out."

Meaney isn't like everyone else. Where a nitrous setup would work well for you and me, it doesn't work for John. He's going at full throttle all the time! Well, at least it seems like it.

INSPIRED BY DEAR FRIENDS
This Corvette was purchased used in 1994 without a motor or transmission. John bought it from his friend, the late Craig Pai, founder American Sports Car Service Center (ASSC), in Highland Park, Illinois. The windshield stickers were left on it as a tribute to his friend who dreamed of such a project as you see on these pages. A few years back, a mild-steel rollcage was installed by ASSC, as was the Aeromotive fuel pump, the battery re-location, and mild interior changes. Since this was originally an automatic car like it is now, the Dana 44 rearend that's stock in a "stick" car was required (the automatic rides has a weaker Dana 36) and the 3.45:1 gears are still in place.

"The real reason I built that car was to develop new technology and make silly power. I built it as a test-bed for further powertrain projects, with a goal of being able to drive it to work or the track, get decent mileage, and run big mph anywhere I go with the air conditioning on! My first customer at DFI, the late Paul Chism, used to cruise around in a turbocharged small-block Jaguar. It ran low 11s at 125 mph, but drove around on the street with that tell-tale trail of condensation dripping from the A/C. I thought that was really cool, (literally) and always wanted to build something like that."

ENTER THE WHACK MASTER
This story wouldn't be complete without serious credit going to Illinois street-machine and custom guru Troy Trepanier and his shop, Rad Rods by Troy. John and Troy have been friends for years, and together they EFI'd his Buick and Rambler. "I first went there and asked if he could get all of this stuff under the hood and still make it functional," Meaney said.

Trepanier replied to his buddy, "Next time, if you want to make it a challenge, it needs to be 4WD, too."

See? That's why Meaney calls his buddy the "Whack Master." Troy is truly whacked, but he also loves to get out the Sawzall and start from something of his own design, hence the name.

"His attitude is so right. I love him like a brother, but truly appreciate his workmanship," said Meaney. "The way the cooling works on this car is the biggest deal to me. For example, the header tube is within an inch of the rubber seal on the wheelwell, yet it runs cool and doesn't toast a thing. Turbo deals make a ton of heat--to see no sign of heat like this is unheard of. People think Troy's stuff is all show but it's not the case....it's called takin' it to the next level! The guy just loves to look good while he's doing it!"

When Meaney turned to the Rad Rides bunch for engine packaging. Troy and John first figured out where to mount the turbos (forward, as the pictures show), so that they could get access for the inlet, exhaust, and the necessary a discharge to the intercooler, all under the hood.

The crazy loop you see in the No. 1 and No. 2 header pipes is part of the reason why this custom system works. Once the location of turbo was picked, it was mounted and the equal-length stainless headers were built up to it. Utilizing a design adapted from the late Tom Sapp, a Detroit insider who consulted on a lot of special Corvette C4 and C5 development, Burns custom small-length collectors (with their slip fit collars that doesn't leak when the stainless expands) work with SPD flanges that adapt the pipes to the 18-degree heads.

Also very impressive among Troy's work is the way the intercooler was packaged with the radiator into the Corvette's conventional location (using a custom fan shroud and a Viper fan motor) and the notching of the frame to include the Vintage Air A/C system. Can you imagine trying to retain power steering, spin the alternator and an A/C compressor? Troy did, and it all works here.

THE ENGINE IS A KEY
Here's the real deal on the important part, the engine. After all, the rest of this vehicle is relatively stock! Meaney called on his friend Mike Moran, the famed street-legal drag racer and engine builder, to assemble a 400 incher from a GM Performance Parts Rocket block and Weld Tech CNC-prepped 18-degree cylinder heads. Utilizing a 4-1/8-inch JE piston with a 35cc dish (Speed-Pro file fit top ring located .300-inch down) and a 3.750-inch Lunati Pro Mod crankshaft with Lunati 5.7-inch rods, this big-bore/short-stroke combo uses a short rod to pull harder off top-dead-center on the street. Considering issues with turbo lag, this combo provides better low-speed response than a typical stroker does.

John says a key to this street-prepped valvetrain combo is the use of Jesel roller lifters, which allow for a solid-lifter cam. "I used to religiously check lash every week, but now I check every two weeks and it never moves," he says. The COMP cam doesn't have a crazy grind--around .500-inch lift and duration around 230 degrees at .050--so he can turn it to higher rpm, make less cylinder pressure, and avoid detonation. That's how you make pump gas power. Del West titanium valves and JESEL 1.5:1 offset shaft rockers help save weight in the valvetrain, which contributes to the adjustment bonus that Meaney speaks of and also helps the engine rev up so quickly. John personally credits Dan Jesel as a big influence on designing this system.

"The key with the motor was to rev it, rather than just make torque down low. I'd rather make 800 lb-ft at 8,000 rpm than 1,200 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm, because cylinder pressure follows torque. In the latter situation at lower rpm, you have detonation, break ring lands, and push head gaskets. The key to going fast is to do it reliably. Only then are you a cool guy!"

Meaney credits Moran for putting it together. "Mike is a magic man when it comes to using copper head gaskets on a street-driven engine. They don't leak any water, which is common." John says that Mike took painstaking time to ensure that the pistons are perfectly clearanced on the lower side of the block's bores. "He remembers every bearing clearance in every engine he's ever done for me. He's that good. In basic maintenance, I noticed that there's not even a shaving of metal on the magnetic pan plug. That's a testament to Moran's meticulous assembly techniques and our choice of parts."

What about the turbos? We'll get to more of that later, as packaging for a vehicle like this is just as big of a story as Precision Turbo's pair of Buick Grand National replacement "pumps." Meaney says, "These particular turbos are relatively small and use three-bolt housings which marry nice to merged collectors with round holes on both sides. So, it's not just easier to build, but there's a straighter shot that continuously converges through the housing toward the turbine wheel. You don't have to take the velocity you built and try to force it into a big square, which isn't efficient and creates heat." Are you people getting all of this? Meaney continues, "This is a low cost, reliable setup where I can swap out the 'wheels' for bigger ones down the road and make as much as 1,700 hp in the same envelope." We told you this guy was sick.

The wastegates used here are from the Japanese aftermarket supplier HKS. Yes, Japanese technology, like tires and spark plugs, can work very well on hot rods. These heavy, cast-iron designs can deal with a ton of heat, and you'll see plenty of that in a summer-friendly, street-driven combo like this. Look for the HKS name to come up in a big way in the American drag car scene, both on the street and the track.

The intake manifold is also a big part of the crazy power produced here. The casting is the venerable No. 053 designed to work with these heads--right out of GM catalog. The magic, however, is in the fabricated bonnet on top. All important to Meaney was to retain the stock appearing hood. Vic and Frank Mortensen from VFN made the hood from carbon fiber. Two weeks of dyno development with revisions on the box produced a gain of more than 90 hp at the peak and close to 75hp average through the powerband. Packaging around the manifold was tough, figuring out how to use stock throttle cables and cruise control cables. Yes, this thing still has cruise control! A Lingenfelter 58mm billet marine throttle body was used to adapt the stock cables, and racer/fabricator Steve Grebeck made the adapter to take them from the square opening of the box to the round inlet of the throttle body, as he hammer-formed the aluminum to allow for the stock accessories.

In terms of other important details, the valve covers were modified by Geoff Skorupa at Performance Tech Center in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, to clear the windshield wiper motor, and he's also the craftsman that built the custom tailshaft and C-member that allows a 4L80E tranny to live under an otherwise-Stock Vette. Grebeck and Moran modified the Stef's oil pan and pickup so that oil would be controlled under braking and cornering. Insurance, if you will. Gary Grundst, of 4X Racing Engines whittled all the little trinket brackets as well as the billet air box which saved John and Troy a ton of time

Gordon Stoney of Willamston, Michigan's Stoney Automotive Engineering (SAE), is an ex-Hydramatic Motorsports director, so he was more than qualified to rebuild that junkyard 4L80E tranny to all-out specs. This includes straight-cut gears for the 1-2 shift to handle the extreme torque. Stoney removed all of the plastic shims and such, swapped to a 2.48:1 First gear, a 1.48:1 Second gear, but, believe it or not, used a stock V-6 torque converter as its giant lock-up clutch and higher stall are a big help. Meaney's specialty is in picking the right computer for the tranny and mapping it. "As soon as I hit wide-open throttle, my program locks up the converter. GM doesn't lock the converter like that because of the shudder that it sends through the car. But if you want a trade of e.t. and mph for comfort, that's the programming change you make." Wow, I guess we were on track with our giveaway car from 2000. the Techno TA Trans Am, where we used the same controller.

WHAT ABOUT THE REST?
If you think this car is totally irresponsible, wait until you hear this next part: This vehicle has a stock braking system. I'm honored as one of few that has been given permission to drive this car. Though I'm not proud of it, I drove this car--in traffic--at over 170 mph on a public road with Meaney holding on for his life. Words can't describe what that's like, but I can say that all brakes suck at 170 mph! All of Meaney's friends have pleaded with him to revise this situation and John has since responded with a Baer/Alcon system that at least helps the situation.

Other than the cage, rearend, and small details added by ASSC before his purchase, Meaney has changed little on his daily driver. Trough it would be tough for even an electronics guru like John, every single factory gauge on this Corvette is operational! Yes, the '80s disco light show that has many disliking these cars is in full effect, adding to its credibility as a street car.

The car rides surprisingly well, thanks to its stock spring and shock package. Under hard acceleration--I'm talking about full-throttle launches from highway speed--the nose lifts uncontrollably. No, the front wheels aren't usually off the ground, but the nose is quite high and gets significant air underneath. It's surprisingly easy to drive under these conditions, again a tribute to the Corvette design, but it'll make you go out and look for an independent rear assembly to slide under your hot rod. I drove the car with open exhaust, where it exhumes reasonable noise at highway speed and cruising, but sounds as loud as any car you've driven at speed, regardless of the turbochargers' muffling effect. Meaney was disappointed with the first attempt at a muffled system and there are plans to revise it.

WHAT DOES IT RUN?
We know that you're dying to hear what it runs down the dragstrip. These figures are equally impressive, but only for those who understand the figures.

Meaney said, "I drove the car 125 miles one-way to Mid-Michigan Dragway, near Grand Rapids, and got 18 mpg. Every time I tried to run it down the track, with the new Michelin Pilot radials and it would spin the tires uncontrollably. Without really accelerating until the eighth-mile, Mike Moran got it to go 11.80 at 141.5 mph on his first pass. After figuring out how to launch it, Mike ran 11.11 at 151.5 mph on his second attempt (timing only 3.3 seconds from the eighth-mile timer to the quarter-mile finish!). He felt it would have run 160 the next pass, but we were kicked out for not having a parachute." John said all that with an even tone, as if it was nothing.

From the photos, you still see the nitrous bottle, a false teaser. "When people walk up on this car, they figure there must be something in the bottle because they see a braided line running out of it.... When a potential street racer looks in they want me to disconnect the bottle and just run 'em on motor! No one expects twin turbos to be under the hood, which is another tribute to Trepanier. To me, this is all very cool," said Meaney, with a sheepish grin. Cars like this should be built to drive everyday, he thinks. That doesn't mean you have to drive them at their limits, of course, but this Corvette proves that the vehicles, aftermarket parts, and combinations exist to create American vehicles that'll pummel anything else on the planet.

It looks as though there's no substitute for good ol' V-8 power and some boost.