.... We'll be switching over to a trailblazer engine pretty quick. We'll put the stick shift set up behind that one...
Would that be the Atlas 4200. I just bought an Atlas 2.9 for the lakester. If you are real familiar with these engines I'd like to talk at some point. I've found some info on the internet and talked to the Self's but the more I can find the better,
Sum
Sum, thanks for jumping in the build. I appreciate it. The 4.2 comes out in the Chevy Trailblazer. I don't know if it is considered an Atlas. They do have oiling issues, which I'm told is easily corrected with a dry sump. The 2006 and later uses the aluminum valve cover and is preferred because it has a much better exhaust port. I did originally Facebook the Self's at first about the engine. They won a race this past year with that combo. I since have talked with someone else who is also well known for making them fast. My guy's engine is 245" and makes 614 hp. This is a pic my son took of Self's car when we were down in Louisiana.
Yep the 4200 is one of the Atlas family motors. The 5 cylinder and the 4 I bought are the same engine minus cylinders. As you mentioned it is easy to run oil to the other mains with galleys that are already there. The head does not flow oil back well so some recommend one stage of the dry sump to help with that. I think for our longer pulls that needs to be addressed. I recently bought an adapter from Marc in Canada that adapts the engine to GM transmissions and just got a G-Force 101A to use. Not sure what transmission you are planning but none of the trailblazers had a manual although one guy was making flywheels based on a couple that GM initially made. I have a number of links to 4200 stuff that I've found that I could post or PM to you when we get back home if you are interested.
The engine has great heads that will flow up into the 300's very easily on the intake (the Self's are over 400 now), but like you mentioned need more work on the exhaust side. The last I talked to Glen Self they had set a national record in the high 7's NA. They have another motor they built that is making about 1400 HP I believe on only 15 lbs. boost. Also there is an Opel running on the salt that has a current record with the motor.
I like the weight jacks and one thing you will have going for you is probably a better spring selection than what Hooley has on the forntend he used. On the frontend shape I'd study the blowfish. It has worked very well for them and I like how it appears to send more air down the sides of the car.
We have talked about narrowing the front on Hooley's Stude but now I'm glad we didn't as all of the turbo plumbing and intercoolers has used all of it and Hooley lengthened the front 2 feet to boot and it is all used. If you think at some point you might want to go blown I wouldn't narrow the car. The body is still the wide point and dictates the frontal area so I'm not sure narrowing the front helps much, but that doesn't mean that a non-stock front wouldn't be better as I think it could as mentioned above. Hooley wants to keep the Stude looking like one as much as is possible so he has the stock looking front.
BTW I'm a born and raised in MO guy that transplanted himself to the west
. Good luck with the car,
Sum
[/quote]