Page 18 - NM Spring 2020

Brian Kohlmann teamed up conjunction with a F.A.S.T. XFI-2 The car would only start on a max
with his long time nitro friend computer. MSD mag style bases timing of 380. The goal for max
and innovator, Roger “Radar” were essential to work with the horsepower was to run the car on
Lechtenberg. Together they dual drive. To simplify servicing, 500 with nitro fuel, but there is no
figured out how to run a fast, designated colors were used to way the car would start with this
reliable, street driven car. We are differentiate between the ignition amount of timing advance. To
not talking about a once a year wires for gas and ignition wires alleviate this issue, the second set
drive down to the ice cream shop for nitro. Engraved valve covers of spark plug holes were machined
and back. The car is a regular complement this setup to help avoid and a set of twin plug magnesium
competitor on Hot Rod magazine’s severe consequences in the event valve covers were acquired.
premiere event, Drag Week. This that the spark plugs or wires were
car has covered 1000’s of miles reversed. Here is how it all works. The
enduring every imaginable road car is started like a normal car on
and weather condition thrown at it. Switching plug wires back and pump gas with EFI. Once running,
Current ET’s are solidly in the six forth was the original method the nitro shutoff is opened while
second zone, yet streetable enough when changing fuels. This simultaneously turning on the 44A
to pull a loaded trailer for a week of limited the amount of ignition lead magneto. When the cackle of nitro
nitro racing. Here are the details. that could be run and still start is heard seconds later, the EFI
the engine while on nitro. The system is shutdown. The engine
The engine combination has been downside of this setup is obvious, running on gas acts as the starter
upgraded to a polished 426 Keith less horsepower. The idea of a for the nitro. This allows a 12 volt,
Black hemi with polished Stage twin plug setup was born out of engine mounted, mini starter to be
V heads. During street driving, necessity. The Stage V heads are used eliminating the weight and
engine temps were an issue. The cast for dual plugs. Originally, only wiring nightmare of a 48 volt crank
combination of a growing block one plug per cylinder was utilized. mounted system. At the end of a
and rod clearances resulted in
dangerously low oil pressure
situations. To combat this, a large
oil cooler was fitted. An electric fan
on this cooler is employed for stop-
and-go traffic. The coolant flow
was reversed to cool the cylinder
heads first. This has resulted in
steady coolant temps of 150* and
stable oil pressure.

Things are not always as they
appear. For the nitro setup, some
clever ideas were incorporated
to improve performance. What
appears to be a dual mag setup
is only one magneto. The other
distributor is a custom piece.
Bob Wyman, Jr. at System 1
started with a 44A mag and
completely gutted it. A custom
shaft and accompanying spacers
were machined, turning it into
an EFI distributor to work in Dual ignition systems supply spark for gasoline and “The Devil’s Juice.”

18 Nitro Madness Magazine SPRING 2020