As a heavy equipment operator in Lancaster, MA, car audio enthusiast Jeff Lamb knows what it takes to get to the bottom of things. He has been running heavy machinery for almost five years near one of the nation's biggest projects, Boston's highway improvement project the Big Dig. Operating such grandiose equipment requires one's complete attention - it's a balancing act of gingerly working the controls without accidentally scooping-up the super's Cadillac.
Like so many others, Jeff discovered his passion in high school where out-bumpin' classmates was just as important as girls and corndogs. Priorities being what they were, it would be some years before Jeff met his wife, Joanie, and the crew of friends that would help him to achieve his goal of becoming a national-level car audio competitor.
Brute Power
In 1999 Jeff picked-up the exact car he wanted with one purpose in mind: to show. It was important the car be high-performance because as much as Jeff likes to twist the volume he also likes to drop the throttle. A brand new, black Grand Prix GTP with supercharged 3.8 V6 fit the bill nicely. And with a nod from his wife, it was all systems go.
Before the car was dissected it had to wear the appropriate stance - an attitude adjustment if you will. Eibach springs were added to level the car out, keeping in mind that several hundred pounds of gear would soon be permanently added. Finding a set of pleasing wheels was more difficult. Jeff had his eyes on some19-inch Breyton wheels but there was one snag - Breyton does BMW, not Pontiac. The ol' fill-n-drill was applied: the wheel centers were heli-arced solid and machined flat, then re-drilled with the correct lug pattern. The brake calipers had to be clearanced as well to make this marriage complete. Jeff probably should have built a full-sized spare at the same time because, en route to a show, the front left wheel fell off after a theft attempt. Even two wheel locks weren't enough to detour the thugs from causing four grand in damages. Let's not even mention the headache of having to build another custom wheel. My advice: build two.
While the car was still lightweight, the temptation to add power was mighty powerful. Paying attention mostly to the intake side of the motor, Jeff had some work done on the nose of the factory Eaton blower for bigger power. A smaller pulley would get the blower spinning faster to create more boost. To optimize the improved pump, a throttle body spacer was added to increase the manifold length for more torque. A variety of goodness came from a custom fresh air box: mainly a ton of thrust when the gas is applied. All of this compressed air, combined with an increased fuel delivery, needed a high-performance ignition to burn it. When spent, a Borla stainless steel exhaust displaces the soot to the tune of a healthy 3.8-liter, blown V6.
The Equipment
Before long, Jeff found that Boston streets were more appropriate for monster trucks than street racing. Time to get serious about his true romance: car audio.
A group of close friends and colleagues were called on to help Jeff dig deeper than he ever had before. Focusing on the east coast IASCA and newly formed Sound, Looks And Performance (SLAP) competitions, Jeff set out to build a hard-hittin' 601+ AMA car. With an aggressive east coast schedule, SLAP competitions would be the key source of head-to-head for Jeff. Since both camps share similar rules, the car would have to be ambidextrous in its duties, making it through IASCA and SLAP judging lanes with equal enthusiasm.
The heavy equipment was called in. Custom Audio Radio in Saugus, Mass., was the primary retailer and installer on this job, with Jamie Perkins at the controls.