Chevrolet Camaro 1969 $149,900

Longtime PHR readers should know this car simply from seeing how tall the valve covers stick up under the hood. No, that engine isn't raised in the chassis--it really is that tall. Where a normal big-block Chevy has a deck height of 9.8 inches, and a big big-block measures 10.2 inches, what do you call one with a height of 11.7 inches? Unbelievable was the cover blurb when we featured Tony Bartone's Bill Mitchell-built 705, the biggest engine ever covered in these pages. Back in that February 2000 issue, we presented some scary facts about this crazy Merlin setup. This engine made 800 lb-ft of torque on the dyno's first sample, just off idle! Since then, Tony had Pat Musi convert the engine over to EFI, mostly to make sure it would fit in the car. That car is this '69 Camaro, which is part Pro Street, part g-Machine, and completely nuts. A winner of 25 NHRA National Events in Top Alcohol Funny Car and holder of the all-time NHRA record for consecutive round wins (37), Bartone is no stranger to sick power. He's been reading PHR since his teenage years and had his share of hot rods, but never owned a feature-quality car or something that set a precedent within the hobby. In fact, Tony's automotive interests (beside drag racing) have focused on European exotics up until now, and his heavily modified 993 Twin-Turbo Porsche with AWD boasted 650 hp and plenty of thrills. Still, he wanted a car like this. The project started with a visit from yours truly, where Tony and his younger brother Michael asked what would re-set the curve for street machine excellence. Since their race shop is near Bill Mitchell's Hardcore Racing Products and World Products engine facility, we went down the street to see the inspiration, aluminum Merlin Superblock. This wasn't to be a racing engine, but a true street engine that could tear the driveline out of any ride on the street. Using a Callies 5.300-inch crankshaft, Crower's 7.750-inch forged billet rods, and a set of Lunati's 4.600-inch pistons, the foundation was laid for a $30,000 dream engine that makes 893 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm and 829 hp at only 5,300 rpm. The engine only revs to about 5,500 rpm on its best day, since those heavy parts are hard to get moving and the Brodix -4 cylinder heads (which start with a giant 390cc intake runner before porting) just can't keep up with such a giant port. The giant intake valves, measuring 2.350 inches, are a major hindrance, too. Would they go this route again? Though it's not the most efficient engine around, the wow factor makes it worthwhile if you have the means. Now, back to the actual car. Michael Bartone found the victim in the Bronx, and within hours of calling the kid who was driving a blue '69 Camaro to work, that same kid was then riding the bus, looking for another car! Since they used so little of that original car, they could have actually built this project from scratch. After graffiti party, where everyone took turns spraying their favorite sayings on the Camaro, it was disassembled and Joe Collazo's Magnum Force Race Cars, in Ronkonkoma, New York, started on the chassis. Collazo built a 12-point cage from .038 x 1-5/8 chromemoly and used traditional 2 x 3-inch box tubing upon which to attach the suspension systems. Chassis Engineering supplied the four-link and back half foundation for the rear, while Tony purchased a fabricated front clip from the late Art Rasmussen (whose business is now run by Wayne Due). Wilwood supplied gargantuan brakes for this car, with 13-inch NASCAR rotors and huge, 6-piston Wilwood Grand National calipers, but using these parts required special hats machined by Doug Rippie to attach to the C4 Corvette spindles. Adjustable QA1 coilover shocks are found all around, mounted with attachments from Chassis Engineering, from where nearly all of the subsystems were located. Under the hood you'll find the industry's best parts, like Aeromotive's fuel pressure regulator, 1000hp/45psi electric fuel pump (a must for an engine t

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