[DeTomaso] Big horsepower for French Pantera!

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Hi guys,

I was just chatting with John Christian (JC), who is a quiet legend in 
Pantera circles.   From his first days as a Ford engineer (his first assignment was 
developing the then-new 351C for drag racing, and he managed to get something 
like 700 hp or something like that for a local drag racer named Jack Roush), 

http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=3664

to his long 25+ year stint working for Roush (Jack is no dummy and hired him 
away from Ford), and then more recently, time spent managing a race engine 
development program for GM's Daytona Prototypes and four-cylinder drag racing, JC 
has done it all.

He's gone into business for himself building 'boutique' top-quality engines 
for deep-pockets Pantera guys.   His engines use only the best components, and 
are meticulously assembled, and both of those cost money, so we're talking 
$25K and up.

But the results speak for themselves.   His latest project has just been 
completed and put through the paces on the dyno.   It's a 377 inch dry-sump motor 
with a DART aluminum block, Yates heads, and a throttle-body fuel injection 
system (with the throttle body for air only; eight individual injectors squirt 
into the runners of a modified four-barrel intake manifold.   Because it's 
going to France, where race gas isn't available, it's been designed to run on 
ordinary pump gas.

The results?   A whopping 675 horsepower and 510 ft/lbs of torque, with the 
power peak at 7000 rpm, and max rpm of 7800 or thereabouts.

Not bad!

His next project has had numerous fits and starts due to problems with 
suppliers.   At his level, every single component is being custom-made, and he's had 
all sorts of problems with piston makers forgetting to include necessary cuts 
on the face of the piston, crank problems, block problems, etc. etc.   But he 
thinks he just about has those licked, and soon he'll be assembling another 
motor, with lighter pistons, which will probably produce similar power numbers 
but rev a little higher, 8000+ rpm, again on ordinary pump gas.

Stay tuned!

Mike


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