Featured F-Body

Featured F-Body

October 2001 - Stefan Dunhem's 98 Firebird (Project: Virus)

With a name coming from it's owner's college years as a virology student, Project: Virus is a V6 that has always been a bit of an enigma. Though it has the potential to be one of the fastest 3.8 F-Bodies ever to see a road course, Stefan has to this day not yet fully finished his going on four year project of a car. The heart of this beast is it's supercharger--a custom installed ATI Procharger P600B kit that was originally for the LT1 V8. Current boost levels are at 8 psi though Stefan will eventually upgrade the fuel system so he can install the 15 psi pulley that has been sitting in his garage for months and is his ticket to record-breaking timeslips. The engine can easily handle the boost--being a balanced and blueprinted race-build with hardened and lightened L67 pistons and rods at it's core (forged, 8.0:1 compression), hardened/lightened crank, 3-angle valves, full port and polish, and all the bells and whistles of a complete racing machine shop rebuild. Drivetrain, suspension, and safety modifications are too numerous to list here (see the car's website for full details) but if there's a go-fast part out there, chances are this car has it. The Virus was never intended to be a dragster, but is rather an all-around performer equally at home at the dragstrip, on the road course, or at the autocross track (shown in the picture). Stefan's eventual goal is to finish the 15 psi boost upgrade and push over 400 hp at the rear wheels. Considering the fact that even now with reduced compression, 2.73 road course gears, and only 8 psi of boost he'll give a C5 Corvette a run for it's life, his goal might not be too unrealistic.

Year: 1998 Color: Black
Engine: L36 3.8 V6 ET: ???
Transmission: BW T-5 manual MPH: ???
Rear Gears: 2.73 60': ???