FORREST FIRES
SPOTTED recently at Shoalhaven LS Tuning & Performance was the stockbottom-end 6.0L-powered VZ of Gary Forrest. Nothing defines cheap power like this car, with over 750rwhp on pump gas and most parts bought off ebay.
“It’s a stock 6.0L short, but it’s got a baby Comp Cams blower cam with a Holley Hi-ram manifold and a stock throttlebody,” says Shoalhaven LS tuner Bobby Brown, winner of the Naturally Aspirated Eight-cylinder dyno class at Summernats 29. “The only other upgrades are a set of ARP head bolts and twin Lunati valve springs with a Vortec V7 supercharger strapped to the side of it.
“I told Gary that I’d be surprised if it made over 600rwhp, but it went straight into the 700s on 14lb, first pull!”
It came as no surprise when it started pushing water from the heads, with only four bolts per cylinder keeping them bolted on. Changing to the better bolts has helped, but some LSA multi-layer steel gaskets are on the cards soon and should allow them to bump the boost up further.
The intake charge is cooled by an ebay frontmount air-to-air intercooler, and the injectors are ebay 80cc Siemens Dekas, which are at full noise keeping this thing alive. The only other addition is a Chinese-special in-tank fuel pump that runs out of puff at 6800rpm.
“One of the biggest surprises was how well the $300 ebay intercooler worked,” Bobby says. “At the start of the run it’s at 32°C, and at full noise it is still under 40° – amazing really.
“This thing is such a cheap deal for the power it makes,” he continues. “Gary and I are both tight-arses and we don’t want to put a built bottom end in the car. We are determined to get this thing to make over 800rwhp on the stock short motor.”
Incredibly, the car runs on pump 98 straight out of the bowser, and with the limits on the head gaskets at the moment there are no gains to be made by switching to E85.
“Everything is kind of on-the-limit at the moment,” Bobby admits. “The trans won’t last and needs to be upgraded, and it’s still running the stock converter.
“This thing just pulls like an animal on the dyno; it’s actually quite scary to hold when it comes on-noise. I’m just waiting for it to break a tie-down strap!
“I’ve got no doubts that with a built short motor this thing will go 1000rwhp, but Gary is happy driving it all over the world as it is.”