Photo: Carolina Muscle Cars (edited by autoevolution)
The first-generation Chevy Trailblazer SS was something of a pariah in its time. Sure, it might've looked the part of a rugged, dependable 4x4. But let's be real: looks can be deceiving. In a proverbial sea of SUVs from Toyota, Honda, and Ford that were at least marginally more reliable, Trailblazers from this time tend to have the replay value of an ET for an Atari 2600 cartridge. But that's not to say the right team of engineers can't turn one into something special.
As the team at RPM Motorsports just proved, the difference between a drab family SUV and a fire-breathing drag strip thriller is a group of people willing to put the work in. Ordinarily, RPM Motorsports specialized specifically in General Motors-related performance projects aimed at squeezing every last drop of horsepower out of LS and LT V8s. From Cadillac CTS-Vs to Corvettes and Chevy trucks, there's not much made by GM in the last 25 years with a V8 engine that this shop isn't familiar with.
So then, this is just about the perfect team to take what was by most accounts a pretty middle-of-the-road family SUV and turn it into a certifiably badass drag strip princess that punches so far above its weight, it's like Manny Pacquiao landing a lucky KO on Mike Tyson in his prime. To do so, RPM took a 436-cubic inch (7.1-L) LSX V8 crate engine and added Forced Inductions turbocharger and direct port NOS on top of a laundry list of mods including but not limited to chunky 2000cc injectors and a valvetrain fabricated by Jesel, makers of the Equal 8 V8 racing engine.
In short, this motor's built up to its eyeballs; you'll be happy the rest of this Trailblazer is too. We're talking about a TH400-style, three-speed transmission from Rossler Transmissions of Girard, Ohio, and an M9 nine-inch rear end from Moser. You may find a three-speed gearbox to be archaic; we call it dependable. Add on double-adjustable racing shocks from ARCO, and this Trailblazer SS has everything it needs and more to blitz quarter-mile sprints in as little as eight seconds.
Thanks to the high levels of refinement present in every nook and cranny of this build, it can even do so reliably and consistently for pull after glorious pull. At least, this truck would be doing so right now if it wasn't for sale currently. With a current asking price of $87,500 before taxes and fees at Carolina Muscle Cars in North Carolina, there are some pretty sweet sports cars you can buy for the same kind of dough. Still, we hazard to guess none of them can sprint in a straight line the way this one can. Plus, you can pay for the thing racing it in competitions.
So then, this is just about the perfect team to take what was by most accounts a pretty middle-of-the-road family SUV and turn it into a certifiably badass drag strip princess that punches so far above its weight, it's like Manny Pacquiao landing a lucky KO on Mike Tyson in his prime. To do so, RPM took a 436-cubic inch (7.1-L) LSX V8 crate engine and added Forced Inductions turbocharger and direct port NOS on top of a laundry list of mods including but not limited to chunky 2000cc injectors and a valvetrain fabricated by Jesel, makers of the Equal 8 V8 racing engine.
In short, this motor's built up to its eyeballs; you'll be happy the rest of this Trailblazer is too. We're talking about a TH400-style, three-speed transmission from Rossler Transmissions of Girard, Ohio, and an M9 nine-inch rear end from Moser. You may find a three-speed gearbox to be archaic; we call it dependable. Add on double-adjustable racing shocks from ARCO, and this Trailblazer SS has everything it needs and more to blitz quarter-mile sprints in as little as eight seconds.
Thanks to the high levels of refinement present in every nook and cranny of this build, it can even do so reliably and consistently for pull after glorious pull. At least, this truck would be doing so right now if it wasn't for sale currently. With a current asking price of $87,500 before taxes and fees at Carolina Muscle Cars in North Carolina, there are some pretty sweet sports cars you can buy for the same kind of dough. Still, we hazard to guess none of them can sprint in a straight line the way this one can. Plus, you can pay for the thing racing it in competitions.
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