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Looks like Derek Rockwell is on the verge of breaking the 1,000whp barrier in "El Gappo". NA8 tub with BP4W, aluminum rods, Precision 7275, meth, Tremec 5spd, Ford 9" diff. Low budget, borderline sketch build but some clever engineering and fab. Made 985whp back in August.
Looks like he recently added a copper HG, machined groves for an O-ringed block and plans to up the boost. Several much nicer, high dollar 8-9s drag builds in the last 15 years making 700-850whp but this, AFAIK, is uncharted territory for BP.
Making 1,000whp in a $100k pro race shop cost-no-object rotisserie build is one thing. Making it in a garage build that looks like it cost $25k is another. Many cats to you sir. Please don't die in that thing.
I saw this car in person at FL2K at Bradenton Motorsports Park last month. He made a qualifying run that wasn't clean but trapped 162 MPH.
When we were there, he had the cylinder head off and was trying to do what looked like a valve spring replacement on a lawn chair. Don't know if he was able to get it back together and go rounds the next day.
I am even more impressed now. I was wondering what went into this build and it is all fairly standard parts. Curious to see if it can hold up once the bugs are sorted.
I was at FL2K with miata2fast and was very impressed with these guys and how far they were pushing the envelope on a shoestring budget. No fancy race rig. Changing a burnt valve with lawn chairs in the grass under a little pop up. No enclosed trailer. I was impressed they were doing that well on an early NA8 head.
I saw this car in person at FL2K at Bradenton Motorsports Park last month. He made a qualifying run that wasn't clean but trapped 162 MPH.
When we were there, he had the cylinder head off and was trying to do what looked like a valve spring replacement on a lawn chair. Don't know if he was able to get it back together and go rounds the next day.
He had an injector failure and literally burned a hole through his head, he slapped on a bone stock 4w or BP05 head and kept sending it lol.
I lifted with those also. Going to use something else looking to torque to 105
You did?? See I'm having head lift as well, but I think it's mostly bc I didn't resurface my head when I built my motor, so the cometic hg isn't sealing well bc of that. I was using standard studs at 65ftlb, lifted at 23psi and then I threw these on while I'm waiting for my built head to go on and they have been great so far. How much power/boost are you running where you are lifting your head??
A number of different blocks suffer cracking when you go up in head stud size and eat into other tolerances. Would be interesting to know how he is going. Very cool that he is throwing everything at it power wise.
I always think peak torque produced and not boost or horsepower when it comes to lifting heads, bending rods etc.
Does everyone re-torque their head studs after a few initial heat cycles? Does anyone wire ring their block as I've been very successful with this in the past with high torque applications (turbo and nitrous together). Possibly depends on compatibility with the MLS HG.
1,000whp BP?
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