Tuning Prowess

With much of the hardware in place, making the electronic connection to the engine, its components and sensors proved a daunting mission. Once the meticulous task of wiring up the engine bay was completed, John returned to Sound Performance for tuning. With Larry Prebis in command of the ProEFI 128 engine management system, the boost was cranked up to 48 psi as the tables were dialed in for E85. The results even surprised John, as the Supra spun the rollers of the Mustang dynamometer to the tune of 1,280 horsepower, surpassing his initial goal by nearly 200 horsepower. John said, “I think the fact that I can daily drive a nearly 1,300 whp car while having the A/C blasting makes it a little unique. With an ECU featuring traction control, a flex fuel sensor and boost control, there’s nothing missing. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that it was built in a 2-car garage with parts fabricated by the owner.”

The ProEFI controls appear subtly on the dash and use the factory traction control buttons to toggle between settings.

Not The Smoothest Trail

This build was not without its hiccups and speed bumps. When the engine was first fired up, John noticed that the oil pressure was not reading within specifications, prompting hours of troubleshooting and research to locate the source of the problem. He discovered that the oil pickup screen bolts were not tight and were sucking air into the system instead of oil. The engine was removed, the pans pulled and the pick up tube and screen tightened. Within 24 hours, the engine was back in the chassis and fired up. On the flip side, John shared a personal triumph after returning from the tuning session. “One of the most exhilarating points was racing an Underground Racing Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo and staying door-to-door with it. It’s a great feeling knowing that the car you built with your own two hands is capable of hanging with one of the best machines that money can buy,” he stated.

Steps Toward Success

Still acclimating to the additional power, John finally took his Supra onto the drag strip. With boost pressure dialed down, he managed a 9.60 second elapsed time and cleared the traps at 160 mph, inching closer to one of his goals. He recounted, “The car needs a better 60 foot time, and with the boost bumped up, it should be able to break the 8-second barrier.” Although not built for the purpose of show, the attention to detail invested in this Supra has not gone unnoticed. It earned the “best engine bay” and “best performance vehicle” at a couple of the bigger local car shows and won the “highest horsepower car” at the 2012 RPM Car Show in Chicago. The opportunity to try for his second goal arrived on the weekend of June 1, 2013. At the WannaGOFAST Chicago ½-Mile Shootout, Sharkey’s Machine ran a mid-boost pass without nitrous oxide injection and achieved a trap speed of 198.43 mph. Unfortunately, the chance to run more boost and/or squeeze never presented itself, as the heavens opened and the event was rained out. The event ended with the Supra in third for the day, behind an AMS Alpha Omega GT-R and the Boostin Performance 2G DSM.

Get Out And D.I.Y.

John concluded, “I’m pleased with the build and I can’t wait to have a chance to run at full boost in the pursuit of my performance goals. I think the greatest part about this entire build is the fact that Robert and I built this car ourselves. We are normal guys with blue-collar jobs. I think it’s a cool thing to show people that ‘Average Joe’s’ can build quality platforms using their own hands with a little determination.” Pride of ownership and painstaking attention to detail has set this one out of 31 apart from the rest.