1996 Seven in Seven
Turbo & Hi-Tech Performance, May 1996

Nowadays, 12-second Buicks and Fords are a dime a dozen. No one really takes notice until you are in the 11s or 10s. Excitement begins to build once a car starts turning out 9s and 8s. And for those select few that run in the 7s, that exclusive e.t. is the ticket to stardom. Here, we focus on a lucky group of seven Buicks and Fords that have been awarded seven-second timeslips (plus one that has graduated to the six-second range). This seven-second club consists of four Buick V6s, two Mustangs and a Ford Thunderbird. Each of these dragstrip predators have posted times in the sevens with mph speeds of approximately 170 mph and up--quite a blast for these potentially streetable vehicles. This exclusive group is made up of a dedicated bunch of tuners and enthusiasts that have every intention of making their cars go even faster. Each owner has traveled a hard-earned, innovative and sweat-streaked road to get in the 7s and each car is a unique effort in automotive creativity abd effective modifications.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Hurley Blakeney	1995 Thunderbird	6.75	205
Although Hurley Blakeney's Thunderbird runs in the sixes, this "graduate student" of the 7-second club also used to run a 7-second Mustang until is was wrecked about a year ago. Hurley's twin-turbo '88 Saleen Mustang ran a best 7.16-second, 195-mph blast during the NHRA Western Auto Nationals. Hurley Blakeney's new ride is the Ford Thunderbird. To date, this Blue Oval bully has run a 6.75-second, 205-mph quarter-mile in Houston, breaking an NHRA AA/Altered record. The 380-cubic-inch powerplant is an aluminum SVO Ford engine prepped by Ken Duttweiler that puts out 1539 horsepower and 1250 lbs-ft of torque. Internals include a Crower crank and rods, Weeaver dry sump pump, I&D rocker arms, Competition Cams cam, lifter and rollers, JE pistons, Clevite bearings, Hogan intake manifold, Danny B. belt drive and a 90mm throttle body. Other items of interest are Yates heads ported by Ernie Elliot, an ACCEL DFI engine managment system, two Weldon fuel pumps, and two Paxton fuel regulators. An MSD ignition provides the spark. Of special interest is the twin Turbonetics/Duttweiler turbos. Other go-fast goodies include Borla mufflers, a dual-disc A.F.T. clutch, five-speed Lenco air-shifted transmission, Ford 9-inch rearend with a 4.44:1 ratio, Lamb struts and springs and Koni electric-adjustable shocks. With the help of a chrome moly chassis by Smith Racecraft and a corbon fiber body by Harry's Glass the car weighs in at a featherly 2370 punds with driver. According to Hurley, this is the first NHRA doorslammer to run over 200 mph.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Racin Jason Betwarda	1988 Ford Mustang	7.74	185
Racin Jason is a name synonymous with fast Mustangs. Jason Betwarda's white ragtop Ford has been a familiar and blurry sight a numerous ractracks and the car's most recent blasts of 7.74, 7.78 and 7.79, in the 179-185 mph range at Englishtown and Atco Raceway attest to the Mustang's prowess, consistency and durability. The 331-cubic-inch Duttweiler-prepped motor includes a pair of hybrid Turbonetics turbos running 28 psi, a modified intercooler and an Accufab 90mm throttle body. Additional power enhancers include TFS heads, a Hogan manifold, a Paxton fuel regulator and Weldon fuel pump. Exhaust gasses are channeled efficiently by Hooker custom headers utilizing an HPC coating. The 2940-pound Mustang also relies on a Freddy Brown Transmission-prepped two-speed Powerglide and an Art Carr nine-inch torque converter. Making over 1300 horsepower, Racin Jason's Mustang includes extensive chassis work and a Pro stock-style chassis is in the works for the near future. Driven by Mike Ragusa, the Racin Jason Mustang is, naturally, looking to go even faster in the coming season.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Lawrence & Janace Conley	1986 Buick Regal	7.82	175
"Tweaked" is the pride and joy of Lawrence and Janace Conley of Conley's Performance Plus. This single-turbo Buick Regal rocketed into the 7-second club with a recent 7.82-second effort. Tweaked features a 272-cubic-inch powerplant, a PT-90 turbo by Harry Hruska of Precision Turbo & Engines, JE 9.5:1 pistons, three Bosch fuel pumps and custom sheetmetal intake manifold. The 2905-pound Buick also utilizes a custom intercooler, sequential ACCEL DFI system, 170-pound Seimen injectors and an Art Carr Powerglide transmission. The Stage II powerplant also includes a Precision Turbo & Engines full-roller cam and Buick Stage II heads. The steel and fiberglass body rests on a stock front and aftermarket back-half frame. Other modifications include an Art Carr eight-inch torque converter, CPP intake and a Ford 9-inch rearend with 4.30 gears. On the dyno, Tweaked puts out 1156 horsepower at the wheels at 25 psi and 1072 lbs-ft of torque.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Ken Duttweiler	Buick Regal	7.84	175
You'll probably notice that a few of these 7-second cars have been given engine-enhancement upgrades by Duttweiler Performance, so it comes as no surprise that one of the cars we look at is Duttweiler Performance's own blistering-red Buick. Kenny Duttweiler's best quarter-mile e.t. of 7.84 seconds ant 175 mph came late last year at the Turbo Magazine co-sponsored ISRA Hi-Tech Shootout. This red twin-turbo Buick features a DFI sequential Pro Box fuel system, MSD 7AL ignition and crank trigger. The 274-cubic-inch powerplant also utilizes JE pistons, Cunningham rods, Stage II heads, a Competition Cams camshaft and a Hogan sheetmetal intake manifold. That powerful motivation is channeled through and Art Carr Powerglide and 9-inch touque converter. A set of Hooker headers lend further support to the 7-second speed. The chassis on the 2950-pound Buick is a back half set-up with a four-link independent suspension. Duttweiler's wheel-standing Buick is a favorite at many of the Buick and other drag meets and the "Doctor Of High-Tech Performance" is always on the lookout for more potent power prescriptions and faster timeslips.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Jim D'Alessandro	1987 Buick Grand National	7.89	169
Jim D'Alessandro's blistering Buick was the first single-turbo V6 buick in the 7s. The 271-cubic-inch powerplant (bored and stroked from 231) is highlighted by a custom Kenne Bell/Garrett five-inch (inlet) reverse-rotation turbocharger running 21 pounds of boost. Other modifications of the Stage II block is a set of Wiseco pistons running at a 7.0:1 compression ratio. Bill Miller rods, a forged Buick crankshaft and a custom camshaft. Also contributing to 7-second performance is a pair of heavily-modified Stage I M&A aluminum street heads fitted with 2.02 intake/1.66 exhaust valves. A Powerglide transmission, 4000-rpm stall converter and a Ford 9-inch rearend running 3.89 gears help to channel the power to the rear wheels. Running a lightweight 2375-pound curb weight the Grand National features a tube chassis and fiberglass hood and bumpers. With a little more tweaking Jim D'Alessandro says the car should run in the mid 7s. He has recently joined forces with Bowling Green Custom and the car will soon sport a new paint job, upgraded turbo abd additional engine parts.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Gene Deputy	1989 Mustang GT	7.92	177
The Texas Turbo flagship was the first turbo 5.0-liter to break the 10-, 9- and 8-second barriers and has recently broken into the 7s. That blistering 7-second performance took place during the Memphis NMCA World Finals. Deputy has recently performed some new modifications to get into the 7s, which for the most part involved a larger powerplant. The car;s 1300 horsepower comes complements of a Ford Motorsport SVO 351-cubic-inch four-bolt main block with a moldex cross-drilled steel crank, custom-length Carrillo rods and trick pistons. The camshaft is a special Texas Turbo grind designed by Gene Deputy and ground by Lunati. The cam actuates Lunati valve springs via Ford Motorsport rocker arms. Twin Garrett AiResearch TO4B custom turbos feature modified housings and a custom oil return system designed by Deputy. The turbos also utilize a large Texas Turbo intercooler to chill charge air. Fuel and ignition are controlled by a DFI computer which controls a fuel system made up of twin Granatelli fuel pumps, a Granatelli regulator, 93 lb/hr Bosch fuel injectors and custom fuel rails. And MSD 7ML ignition and distributor with a special offset belt drive send voltage through Magnecor plug wires. Driveline specs include a Lenco transmission outfitted with a Bruno trans brake and an Art Carr eight-inch converter turning a Ford 9-inch rearend. Gene reports that on the way to that 7.92-second blast he missed second gear, so faster times should be in the near future. However, he also explains that the Mustang will only run one more time, at the upcoming (at press time) Pro Stock Super Bowl in Houston. After that meet the car will be sold or retired.
Owner	Vehicle	ET	MPH
Pete & Ken Barton	1987 Buick Grand National	8.08 (corrected to 7.97)	165
This screaming Buick is the proud ride of Pete & Ken Barton of ANS Performance. Churning 1300 horsepower out of its 271-cubic-inch on-center Stage II powerplant, this twin-turbo Buick weighs in at 3100 pounds and has a square-tube back half frame. The Grand National utilizes a pair of custom-built TE-63 turbos from Precision Turbo & Engine, set at a maximum boost of 25 psi. Additional modifications include Richard Lee wastegates, a Spearco intercooler, ACCEL DFI sequential fuel injection engine control and two Weldon 140-gph fuel pumps. The beefy engine, which has been bored and stroked to 271 cubic inches (from its original 252-cubic-inch size), includes JE pistons, Carrillo rods, Stage II heads fitted with titanium intake valves and stainless-steel exhaust valves. Stainless-steel headers also provide a few more ponies which are channeled through a TH-400 transmission and a TCI nine-inch torque converter. Recent additions to the Buick include door panels, door windows, a Pro-Mod wing, rack and pinion steering and Wilwood front brakes. The 7.97-second blast was recorded at Las Vegas during the November '94 "Shootout At Sundown III."