Imagine the foundation of this over-the-top engine to be the grenadine of the drink. If that's the flavor, then the punch from the tequila comes in the form of the induction system that is quite noticeable when the hood is opened. Once the crew at FTK dropped the bullet between the shock towers, a Hogan custom-fabricated sheetmetal intake manifold-a work of art in itself-was lowered on top of the intake galley. A custom throttle body was bolted to the front of the intake, and wrenches were spun, tubes fabricated, and a twin-turbo kit from Turbo Horsepower installed. A pair of 67mm hairdryers are found on both front corners of the engine bay, and together they blow in a total of 25 pounds of pressurized air. An intercooler chills the air charge before it makes its way into the manifold.
Fuel is sourced from the stock fuel tank and pushed into the cylinders at 80 psi courtesy of an Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump and a set of gorilla-sized injectors. A strong spark is needed to light the fire in the combustion chamber under a high-pressure circumstance such as this, so a set of MSD coil packs replaces the factory items. Spent combustion gasses are piped out of the engine through a set of NASCAR-style mufflers and an accompanying side-exit exhaust system. As for the ECM, Ray tuned everything himself. Oh yeah, and as if the turbos and the power they provide weren't enough, he had a Nitrous Express wet-style nitrous system plumbed in and jetted for an extra 300hp kick in the pants. All told, this Godzilla of an engine churns out an astounding 1,243 hp at the rear tires. "While the engine is currently jetted for a 300hp shot, we're still playing with the nitrous aspect of the engine," Ray says. "The block is strong, but it won't take much more than what we're throwing at it now without breaking."
Speaking of breakage, being able to get this amount of power from the flywheel to the rear tires requires the usage of some Fort Knox-style driveline components. All of the power moves from the engine to the rearend via a custom-built six-speed transmission from D&D Performance. While the trans started out as a T-56, it's now a horse of a different breed thanks to all of the prototype and custom internals D&D installed. Sitting in the bellhousing of the do-it-yourself trans is a McLeod clutch. The trans links up to the rear via a custom aluminum driveshaft. As for the rear, it's a Moser 9-inch unit stocked with 4.11 gears, 35-spline axles, and a Detroit Locker differential. When Ray wants to take the car to the strip, he dumps out the street components for a set of 40-spline axles and a spool.
The rolling stock for this Pony consists of 20-inch Makaveli rims wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber. Serious meats are needed to handle the serious power coming from this rocket. | 
Topping the 302 mod motor is a Hogan sheet-metal intake manifold that adds both form and functionality to the engine compartment. | |