Jim Hand, retired security chief and self-taught mechanic, spends his leisure time
attracting crowds at KCIR with and unusual '71 GTO wagon powered by a Pontiac
455. By flogging parts like cams, carbs, exhaust and cylinder heads,
his 2-ton Poncho has run 12.46 at 110 mph and doubles as Jim's daily driver. With
a Turbo 350 trans, 3.55 gears and 9x28" slicks, the engine stays below 5200 rpm so
stock rods, crank, and 2-bolt block function just fine. All work, including body
and paint, was done by Hand. |
SLEIGHT OF HAND
How to run 12.50s at 4100 pounds without mirrors.
Story & photos by Jeff Leonard
Question-What does it take to move two tons of Pontiac station wagon 1320 feet in
twelve and a half seconds, reaching a speed in excess of 110mph in the
process. Answer-A. A friend with a quick pencil; B. A 55-gallon drum of
vanishing cream; C. Lots of experience and a perchance for testing.
If you answered A or B, you missed the boat. Hard work, a batch of home-brewed
speed secrets, and a never ending test program has made Jim Hand's Raytown,
Missouri-based GTO station wagon into a certified bracket sleeper.
No, that isn't a misprint. A GTO wagon is just what it is, according to the
dealer's invoice. "GTO Appearance Option" is how it reads on the paperwork, and
it consists of the basic GTO front sheetmetal, hood, and interior instrument
package. Curiously, the car was ordered with a small-block in place of the
famed 400-inch big-block Pontiac that made the letters GTO meaningful in terms of
high performance history.
This unique piece arrived in Hand's driveway with three wheels missing and with a
healthy dose of body rot. Being a self-taught paint and body man, Hand went to
work on the wagon's exterior first. New sheetmetal was grafted onto the rear
quarter panels, which Jim tucked in a bit, cleaning up the air flow around the
wagon's back end. The roof line was smoothed out by removing the rain gutters,
and all the glass panels on the back half of the car were flush mounted. These
may seem like modest changes, but one of Hand's main goals was to keep the wagon
as stock appearing as possible, yet improve the car's drag coeffcient.
After completing all the bodywork, Jim covered his GTO in four coats of GMC maroon
lacquer. Four coats of clear completed the finish, one that has won "Best Paint"
at more than a few midwest car shows. Most observers marvel that Jim was able
to "get by" with only four coats, but as Hand puts it, "All that extra paint does
is blot out the details and add weight to the car." And the last thing this
car needed was extra weight.
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