Cars » Chris McGuire's 64 Tempest Gasser 467 Convertible

Here's a letter from long Time customer Chris McGuire

Good morning Butler Performance , this is Chris McGuire, thank you "really "for your interest in my ride ! My goal was build it , enjoy it , and have folks like you appreciate it ! Thank you ! Well , this was it 1996 , in a field , minus "injun", trans , top , and interior . I paid a whopping $100 bucks for her and took her home. 19 years of "regular" hot rodding fun , transformed to "Gasser ". In this lengthened "teepee" started my 5 yr journey into a new style of "attitude ". Speedway Motors supplied the straight axle kit along with other compatible parts , I didnt chop off the front end like most , instead I took off the stock suspension and plated the frame . The engine crossmember was cut in half "length wise" then rebraced to give more under clearance for the straight axle. Already knowing about Butler Performance and their earned reputation , my first contact with Butler Performance was around 4/ 2016 and after detailed discussions about application and expected performance.

I purchased a bad*** "pump gas" 467ci stroker kit for my bare 67 400 pontiac block along with a complement of other suggested components from Butler Performance . I decided to buy a billet 4 bolt main splay kit from Pro Gram Engineering and have the block fitted for them by John Rankin at R.P.M of Martinez Ca . I also purchased a set of round port Butler race prepped Edelbrock performer aluminum heads for my 467 kit . A Victor Edelbrock manifold was the choice to fit the Butler 'turtle' air diffuser on the plenum floor, I also port matched the intake and 3/8 "heat displacing carb spacer . The valley pan came from Nitemare Performance . Butler performance suggested a minimum 950 cfm carb for my application , Butler also added that Dougs long tube headers would be the best for evacuating exhaust away from those big breathing heads . I chose the Holley 950 XP for carburetion . Fuel delivery is via BG 400 , all A/N 1/2 in line was used from carb to a16 gal trunk mounted JAZ fuel cell . All engine internals were treated with A.R.P fasteners . I fabbed a modified 7qt deep sump oil pan w/ oil trap , a reworked windage tray "clearanced" for A.R.P main studs , a Butler high pressure 70 psi anti cavitating oil pump , I also lengthened the oil pick up tube

I used Crower 1.65 rockers , Johnson short travel hydraulic lifters , chromoly pushrods w/ oil restrictors also home fabbed is the oil filter adapter , head to frame mounts , mid plate mount , ladder bars , rear coil over shock mount. I narrowed and replated the stock rear wheel well frame rails and made wheel tubbs . Jegs supplied a "cut to fit "10 pt roll bar kit that I cut and welded to the frame and also made the roll bar gussets and customised two Jegs driveline loop supports. The trunk bulkhead was homebuilt .The differential is a 57 /64 "period" correct Olds/Pontiac 9.3 that I found locally at a friends auto wrecking yard (FairVac Auto) buried in a pile of other diffs , I dug it out , my friend Don D confirmed it was the "real deal " and shelled out $100 bucks. I took the 308 non posi and beefy axles out and saved them , I had the housing narrowed and steel billet ends were welded in place along with a FABCRAFT back brace , all done by Theo at Wizzard Racing of Woodland Ca . A 4:10 "Trophy Track" posi by FABCRAFT Metalworks was chosen .

The 9.3 differential gearing was all set up in the housing professionally by local friend Don Doan of Vacaville Ca who also supplied the 31 spline Moser axles. All four corners were treated to A.R.P racing studs and long shank lugnuts . Mark Williams Enterprise supplied the billet carbon fiber drive shaft with billet ends , quick release billet yoke , and greaseless Spicer 1350 series u joints . I chose a well built J.W transmission th400 reverse pattern w/ transbrake , deep pan and ultrabell bellhousing. A T.C.I flexplate and Tuffstuff high torque mini starter were the choices for the build .

A custom 4000 stall torque converter was built by Lenny at Ultimate Converter Concepts exclusively for my ride . I used M/T street S/S radials 30x10 x-15s rears ,15x4.5 -15 pizza cutters up front with an 11" Wilwood brake kit from Speedway Motors . "Make memories" , "have fun". Thanks Butler Performance for your interest in my story !

Sincerely : Chris McGuire...