This is back in 1999. Dan was one of first (if not THE first) to start tuning and calibrating Harley-Davidson’s EFI motorcycles. The big bikes (Ultras & Road Kings) had Magneti-Marelli fuel injection while the Softails had a Delphi system.That same year (1999) was actually pretty good for Ferrari sales. Despite some troubles with the economy, the Ferrari 360 Modena was selling briskly and American buyers couldn’t get enough of them. A lot of grey market cars were imported to satisfy demand, but they had to be converted to the American OBD II standard and meet emissions regulations. Above you can see some of Dan’s data acquisition equipment and his signal plotter. This equipment uncovers a lot of secrets……such as an odd crankshaft signal output and no cam sensor. Then you look closer and you see two of something you only expect to see one of. There’s one ECU in the front right side of the engine bay, beside the red intake manifold plenum……and another on the left side. This Ferrari 360 V8 runs two crank sensors; one at the top of each bank and uses two ECMs, effectively running the V8 as two in-line 4 engines. The ECUs are the same Magneti Marelli part number as that used on Fiat’s least expensive car at the time; how’s that for cost-cutting?Back to the shop for more diagnostic work and more riddles. Cars are like puzzles for adults, only you get more than a pretty picture to look at when you get everything back together.Speaking of pretty pictures…This is a Roe Supercharger on a Viper. Looks pretty, makes gobs of torque ’cause you know, the Viper clearly needed more torque.Yep. It makes torque. And more torque. And then when you think you’re done, it piles on still more torque. Tires, please!This is just beautiful. ‘Nuff said.If you need a good laugh, you can always get nitrous. Tucked away in the stretched swing-arm cavity is a little 2.5 lbs bottle. Sweet stuff. The bottle doesn’t last long, but then it doesn’t have to. You’re wherever you want to be in nothing flat! That’s if you’ve got the stones to go wide open and the guns to hang on.Of course, you could always go with boost. Here’s 1400 hp worth on pump gas!Love the track? The C6 is bullet-proof speed.An original ’36 Ford Phaeton, all steel. New Ford Motorsport 351. Little bit of tweaking and it’s good. The owner drives this car cross-country every year. Now that’s what we’re talking about!The best thing about a speed shop is the company, meaning the people. Customers who become friends and who better to spend time with?A proper Goat! This one’s got an LS3 with a wee little cam in it and a 6-speed manual. Can you imagine trying to get this kind of power, drivability and fuel economy out of the original carbureted engine with the automatic trans? Ha!The GT500. Pulley, throttle-body, intake and intercooler. The perfect weekend track toy for our Ford fans.And a nice refresh for a Florida beach cruiser.Wait, before you put the pulley puller away…These wheels on this T/A. Sweet!Blow my 572! With this kind of power, it’s not a “throttle pedal” anymore, it’s a weapon. Your foot just determines the level of annihilation you unleash.Ah, the beginning of another project. This is Dan’s little big block. Only 478 cubes, but built for 8,000 RPM and 35 psi of boost. With enough thrust, anything flies!Dan on his turbo exhaust…Yep, gonna weld a flange here like this. Hail the rail!Fred Flintstone had fuel injection first. It was mechanical, but it worked. Still does.Big G’s engine. Lots of RPM, lots of nitrous.And a nice caboose.Big G at the track with “the crew”.Family photo: Dan’s ‘Busa, his track car “PeeWee” the Miata and “Coop”, his little JCW Mini.Dan’s wife’s 60th Anniversary Z06. Yes, “it’s stock.” She daily drove this car to work for 7 years. There’s no room for trailer queens around here.Work, but enjoy. Live in every moment. This is sunny South Florida.Time for a cam for this little track car!Looks great now! New cam, heads, intake, etc, etc. Oh, I know…Let’s throw in some nitrous!More cams. Twice the fun!Then off to the track for testing.More track toys.More boost, please. Ovals, you say? Yeah, we dig it.Moonshinin’s come a long way.200 mph bug splat.Oh, another one?A restored El Camino we built for one of our favorite people.The El Camino gets driven almost every day.But in the back there are a couple of bottles of fun. The bottles are painted the same color as the two-tone on the car. It turned out nicely.Gramps bought it new.He had a blower put on it. “Did you put in a driveshaft?” we ask. “Nope. Don’t need it” he said.Well, Pappi, you need one now.And a new transmission, ’cause it went too. Gramps didn’t care. He got it fixed, got back on the road and immediately got a speeding ticket. Damn straight they’re the Greatest Generation!
