October 2013`s Issue of RPM Magazine that has a feature

The Prodigy
Story & Photos By Brian Hansen
Photography By Pete Ores
2500HP, 4600lbs, 1000WATTS & Air Conditioning means that Ken Ivaska is gonna be
cool, comfortable & listening to his favorite tune
when he kicks your butt on Saturday night at
the strip in his ‘67 Cutlass 442!
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The Prodigy
T
he year was 1981 and 15 year-old Ken Ivaska was on the
hunt for his first car. His older brother Greg had just bought
a 1970 Road Runner with a 383 and Ken was determined to find
himself a musclecar of his very own. Winter had set in when Ken’s
dad took him to a car show at the Amphitheater in Chicago where
he saw this 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 for the very first time. A
small for sale sign was neatly placed on the dash with an asking
price of $3,500. After convincing his Dad that this was the car that
he needed, they spoke with the owner and a deal was struck. Little
did Ken know at the time that 32 years later he would still own the
Oldsmobile that sparked his ongoing interest in cars!
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When he purchased the Olds the factory 400 cubic inch engine had been replaced by a rare W30 455 power plant and was
backed up by a Muncie M22 4-speed transmission. It was decked
out with all of the hop-up parts of the era including air shocks,
Accel spark plug wires, Sun tachometer, Hurst shifter and ladder
bars. Besides being a stout performer it was a certainly a looker
with its Midnight Bronze paint job and custom air brushed flames
running down the side of the car.
Up until the early 1990’s he drove the car on the street and
occasionally raced it at the drag strip. Then Ken got married, started
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a family and focused on running his business, so the
Oldsmobile was parked in a garage. For nearly 22 years
the Oldsmobile sat, until 2009 when it was delivered to
Roman Performance & Fabrication to be transformed
into one of the most unique, and wickedly fast, street
cars in the country!
Engine & Drivetrain
“I knew the car would be really heavy once all of
the latest modifications were completed to the Oldsmobile
and it would take a lot of horsepower to get it in the
8’s!” Ken exclaimed. “After speaking with Graham Jones
over at Fast Times Motorworks (Des Plaines, Illinois)
he suggested doing a twin turbo big block Chevy similar
to the one that powered Nick Scavo’s Outlaw 10.5”
Camaro to 6- seconds @ 220+mph in the ¼ mile. Of
course there would be some differences between the two
engines since I intended to run pump gas and drive the
car regularly on the street, but Graham knew that he had
a combination that would be capable of producing the
power that I was looking for.”
Ken’s 442 on the trailer. Back in the 1980’s this is how the
Oldsmobile was transported to the race track...with the family car!
With a fresh set of Goodyear Eagle slicks Ken was ready to tear up
the ¼-mile at Great Lakes Dragaway!
Linda Vaughn. This photo of Linda Vaughn (Miss Hurst Golden
Shifter) standing next to Ken’s Oldsmobile was taken in the early
80’s. Linda was often referred to as the “First Lady of Drag Racing”
as she toured the world representing Hurst Industries from the mid
1960’s through the early 1980’s when she retired. Today, Linda still
makes appearances at various car show and races around the
country to greet her many long time fans.
Photo page 48: Launching the big bad Olds at dusk. Check out the
Mickey Thompson 10.5W slicks bite into the sticky Great Lakes
Dragaway track surface.
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The foundation of the 598-inch big
block Chevy is an all-Aluminum Donovan
block, Scat billet crank, Crower billet rods,
9:1 compression JE forged pistons and a
solid-roller camshaft custom ground by
LSM. When asked about cam spec’s Graham simply responded, “big enough”. Topping off the short block is a pair of Dart
CNC cylinder heads filled with 2.350 intake and 1.840 exhaust valves. Feeding the
hungry beast is a pair (yes TWO) of
88mm PTE (Precision Turbo & Engine)
turbochargers, a Hogan sheet-metal intake
manifold, PTE 160gph fuel injectors and
Wilson 105mm throttle body. Firepower
comes from an MSD 7531 teamed up with
FAST Electronics XFI. Exhaust gasses are
extracted by a custom set of stainless 2
¼” primary headers that dump into four
(Yes, FOUR) stainless steel mufflers and
exit out the rear thanks to a pair of 4” diameter oval tailpipes.
The 598 big block is built
by Fast Times Motorworks
with all of the best parts
available. Running on pump
93 octane gas the big
Chevy pounded out 1,365
horsepower on the chassis
dyno with only 15 pounds of
boost! Crank up the boost
a bit to, oh I don’t know, say
45lbs, add in some race
fuel to make it happy, and
this mill is estimated to produce upwards of 2,500HP!
And if that’s not enough, just
look at it... this monster
looks like it could devour a
small town!
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Photos, right: The original interior (complete with
bench seat and arm rest) was reupholstered by
Ed’s Auto Interior in Villa Park Illinois and looks
factory fresh.
Since Ken did not want clutter up the interior of
the Old’s with lots of gauges and switches, Ed
Romanowski came up with the idea of using the
factory arm rest to house the transmission paddle
shifters, electric exhaust cut-outs, license plate
drop control, tail light cut-out and emergency kill
switch.
A killer stereo is tastefully hidden in the glove
box. Tilt/Telescopic steering column, reupholstered factory bench seats and Vintage Air A/C
make this arguably one of the most comfortable
8-second street cars in the country.
RPM Magazine, THE Voice Of Fast Cars WORLDWIDE
RPM Quick Tech Sheet
1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass - Str
eet/Strip/Show
Owner/Driver: Ken Ivaska
Engine Short Block: 598 cubic
inch big block Chevrolet built by
Fast
Times Motorworks; aluminum bloc
k, SCAT billet crankshaft, JE forge
d
pistons, Dart CNC aluminum head
s, Crower billet connecting rods
.
Induction: Hogan sheet metal intak
e manifold, Wilson 105mm throttle
body, PTE 160 gph injectors.
Cylinder heads: Dart 18 degree
CNC Oval Port aluminum heads.
Power Adder: Twin 88mm Prec
ision Turbo & Engine turbochar
gers.
Comfort Options: Vintage Air A/C
and a thumpin’ stereo system!
Ignition: MSD 7531 with FAST
Electronics XFI
Tran smi ssio n & Con vert er:
Turb o 400 by And y’s Perf orm
ance
Transmission/ Neal Chance torqu
e converter
Suspension/Chassis: Stock Susp
ension modified by Roman Perf
ormance. Double framerail with full
tube back-half under the factory
floor
Wheels: Bonspeed Wheels (20x
15” rear and 18x8” front)
Tires: Mickey Thompson 29x15”
SR Radials (rear) for the street
and
Mickey Thompson 10.5x10.5W
slicks for the drag strip.
Weight: 4,350 pounds… without
driver!
Exhaust: Four stainless steel muff
lers, QTP electric cutouts, cust
om
stainless 4” over-the-axle tailpipes
Hor sep owe r: 1,36 5 dyno ed
to the rear tires with 15 pou
nds of
boost...over 2,500 potential from
engine.
Performance: 8.55 @ 165mph
(only 18 pounds of boost and throu
gh
the exhaust!)
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51
Mid-track charge! With over two tons to move down the 1320 it takes a lot of horsepower to push the Oldsmobile into the 8-second zone. When Ken takes
OLBOOST to the track he swaps out the 20” wheels for a custom set of 15’s wrapped in Mickey Thompson 10.5x29.5W slicks. With gobs of torque at his
disposable, he needs to walk the big Oldsmobile out of the hole though, even with 1.45 60’ times.
With enough torque to rotate the Earth on its axis, doing long smoky burnout’s like this is no problem at all. For street use Ken likes to use gigantic Mickey
Thompson 29x15” radial tires out back. As we witnessed firsthand, these tires can’t handle the power but they sure make for some nice burnouts!
So how much is this combination capable of producing you
ask? According to engine builder Graham Jones, this monster should
be able to make north of 2,500hp running on VP race fuel with the
boost turned up to 45 pounds. During chassis dyno testing, running on 93 octane pump gas, Dan Bills at Finish Line Performance
recorded a best of 1,365 hp at only 15 pounds of boost. The
engine could have produced more power but the chassis dyno had
enough and threw in the towel!
To transfer the power to the pavement a TH400 transmission built by Andy’s Performance Transmission, Neal Chance torque
converter and Gear Vendors overdrive. Rolling stock consists of
20” rear and 18” front billets with Mickey Thompson 29” X 15”
SR Sportsman Radial tires on the rear. Don’t let those rubber band
tires fool you though, this is no run-of-the-mill Pro Touring or
Retro Mod ride. When things get serious, custom 15” wheels are
wrapped with Mickey Thompson 10.5x29.5W slicks for the track.
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Bells and Whistles
When Ken Ivaska first discussed the project with Ed
Romanowski at Roman Performance & Fabrication there were three
main goals: fit the twin turbo big block Chevy that was being built
at Fast Times Motorworks under the flat factory hood. Next, it had
to have a cooling system that would allow the car to be driven
anywhere without overheating. And last but not least, be one of the
biggest and baddest street cars in the country! It was a tall order to
fill but Ed was up to the challenge.
Since being able to reliably stop the 4,600-pound behemoth
was crucial, Romanowski called up Rick Elam at Baer Brakes for a
set of super stoppers. Baer’s Extreme+ featuring 6-piston calipers,
staggered size stainless steel pistons, hubs manufactured out of
6061-T6 billet, Timken or SKF bearings and Baer Sport high-friction ceramic brakes pads were recommended for the front. Since
Ken planned to run the smaller diameter 15” Bonspeed rims with
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According to Ken all trim on the car is original. It’s in such nice shape
that you’d think that he replaced it with hard to find NOS parts.
Neatly tucked away in the trunk is a pair of Alpine stereo amps, subwoofers, 18 gallon
fuel cell, and a Weldon fuel system. All the aluminum work was done by Jason Arrigo
(Arrigo Specialty Metal Works) by hand using an English Wheel.
Since Ken planned to drive his Old’s on the street even during the dog days of summer
in Chicago, a double radiator system was designed (one in the front of the car and a huge
one mounted under the trunk) to keep the 598 BBC cool.
The chassis was reinforced using double framerails with a full tube back-half (all under
the factory floor). Global West control arms and rack & pinion steering replace factory
components. A Fab 9 rearend is filled with Strange gun-drilled axles and 3.50 gears.
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53
Mickey Thompson 10.5W slicks at the track, Rick recommended the SS4
single-caliper brake system for the rear.
To keep the big Chevy happy in the summer heat, two Ron Davis
custom radiators were installed. One is located in the front of the car just
ahead of the jumbo intercooler and the other was installed directly under the
trunk floor and measures a whopping 31”x 20”. As Ken commented, “we’ve
had this thing out in 90 degree weather and have never had it run warmer
than 195 degrees with the two custom radiators and auxiliary cooling fans.
It’s fun to watch people’s expression when we go to park the Oldsmobile
and the fan under the trunk continues to run after the car is turned off.
They have a perplexed look as they try to figure out what is creating all of
that noise under the back of the car!”
Ken wanted to cruise in comfort so he had a Vintage Air A/C System
installed so he could stay cool, even on the hottest Chicago summer nights.
The factory AM radio was left in the dash but is no longer used after ABT
Electronics installed a killer stereo that includes a head unit tucked away in
the glove box and multiple amps/sub-woofers tastefully mounted in the mammoth trunk. This car is the complete package when it comes to a street and
strip machine with its balance of power and creature comforts.
Street Racing in the 1980’s
Although Ken no longer condones street racing, back in the 1980’s
illegal street racing in the Chicago area was commonplace at locations like
Fulton & Damon, Ogden & Kostner, Irving & Cumberland, Doty Road and
by the City of Chicago Incinerators. The 442 was a pretty stout performer
800-626-1828
www.bteracing.com
Bill Taylor Enterprises
2 Memphis Avenue • Mt. Pleasant, MS 38649
Some Parts Not Legal for Sale or Use on Pollution-Controlled Vehicles
ASSEMBLED POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSIONS
re
Signatuoduct
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Racing P
Top Sportsman / Top Dragster
FEATURES: New BTE Magnum SFI Approved Case, Ringless Vasco Turbo Spline Input Shaft,
Mega Racing Band, Two Ring Servo, Performance Servo Spring, Coated Deep Aluminum
Pan, BTE Straight Cut Gear set (Available in 1.80, 1.98, and 1.69 ratios), Roller Tail
housing/Rear Cover, New BTE High Volume Pump, Roller Governor Support, 10 clutch
drum, BTE Top Sportsman High Pressure Transbrake Valve body, Dyno-tested.
$359599
Bracket Powerglide
FEATURES: 1.76 Gear set with 4340 forged output
shaft and housing, Steel Clutch Hub w/
5 clutch pack, Rebuilt Pump,
Two ring servo, BTE Bracket
Transbrake Valve body, Kevlar
lined Band, Dyno-tested.
$84995
54
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RPM Magazine, THE Voice Of Fast Cars WORLDWIDE
with the 1970 455 W-30 engine combination that was
in the car when it was purchased and he rarely lost a
race on the street. That was until he encountered a
certain 1965 El Camino owned by Chuck Samuel, who
also lived in the Chicago area. As Ken tells the story,
“the 442 was known in the Chicago area to run hard
on the street. One night we were racing on Milwaukee
Avenue and I got lined up next to this guy with an El
Camino that had a set of slicks on it. As we were getting ready to race I looked over and noticed this
knucklehead was putting on a red open-face helmet. I was thinking, what was
the helmet for? He didn’t need it, if anything I would need it because I was going
to clean his clock. Well it didn’t turn out that way. The guy behind the wheel of
that El Camino was none other than the legendary street racer Chuck Samuel.
Ken continued, “he kicked my butt in a big way. His car was so loud I
didn’t realize that my shifter had popped out of 3rd gear as were racing down
Milwaukee Avenue. By the time I noticed that it was not in gear I had spun a few
main bearings and the oil pressure gauge dropped as fast as the tach. When we
passed the finish line my heart dropped to the floor because I knew that the 455
W30 engine was mortally wounded. It was at that point that I decided if I couldn’t
beat em’ I might as well join em’ and ended up building my first 454 big block
Chevy for the Oldsmobile. From that time one it’s always been Chevy powered!”
Special Thanks
Projects of this magnitude don’t happen without a lot of help from some
very talented people. Ken wanted to make sure that thanks go out to Ed
Romanowski- Roman Performance and Fabrication, Graham Jones/Jeff
Dagostino- Fast Times Motorworks, Vince Thornberry-Paint Spot, Jay HarrisISIS Wiring, Dan Bills- Finish Line Performance, Joe Lanute- American CNC,
Rick Johnson- Gear Vendors, Ed Smith- Eds Auto Interiors Villa Park, Jason
Arrigo-Arrigo Specialty Metal Works, Nick Scavo, Chuck Samuel, Mark Enwia
and Mike Engstrom for everything that they did to help make this dream a reality.
This car is not a trailer queen… and never will be one. Ken has
always enjoyed driving his rare 442 since he first got behind
the wheel 32 years ago.
RPM Magazine, THE Voice Of Fast Cars WORLDWIDE
Special thanks to my wife Terrie who has always supported me through
all of my projects… especially after she overheard the cost of this build!
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