We’re back this week with the fifth and final build installment on Brian and Tyler Hard’s 1968 V4 Pro Nitrous Camaro that’s being constructed at Tim McAmis Race Cars in Hawk Point, Missouri. The first four installments of the build (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) showed what it takes to create one of these heart-stopping machines from the initial 25.1E chassis construction from scratch on the McAmis build table, to engine and accessory fitment, to our last installment, which discussed the interior assembly and powder-coating processes.

This installment will be the last of the build series, detailing the paint and final assembly of this gorgeous machine, which will debut next season in NHRA Pro Mod and the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association. In addition to this build series, we’ll be running a complete feature on the car in the next few weeks, exclusively here on Dragzine. There’s a lot going on in this installment, and it’s picture-heavy, so follow along and let’s get started!

“This is where things get interesting as all of the parts are now painted, polished, anodized, or plated. Any issues at this stage can really delay the project and cost us time and money. My guys know if they fuck up now they die. I don’t think that is out of line,” says Tim McAmis. Harsh words? Not really – when you’re working with a car of this caliber, every single detail must be perfect, both in appearance and performance.

The assembly process takes three TMRC team members to complete, with one paying attention to each section of the car – front, middle, and rear. Obviously, overlap occurs, but each member has been cross-trained in each segment to ensure perfection during the assembly process.

Wiring takes on great importance in a car like this where there are many controls to operate. From the ignition to the nitrous system to the Racepak data acquisition, each component must be wired properly and in the correct sequence to prevent issues later on.

Says McAmis, “This particular project was built using the Speedwire control system for all of the electronic controls. We like this system for its ease of use and simplicity to install.”

As we’ve discussed throughout the build articles, in the interest of saving weight while maintaining strength, titanium was used where possible. 

The parachute pack mount is constructed from titanium, and a set of Simpson Air Launch parachutes were used. 

Here’s the Racetech Carbon/Kevlar Seat along with custom Simpson light weight 7-point harness installed.

Weight savings is critical in the Hard’s machine, but so is chassis tuning. To that end, particular attention must be paid to all aspects of the build in terms of component placement.

McAmis explains, “This is a very light car so we need some weight up front to keep this thing under control during the first 60 feet of the run.”

Keeping that weight in the nose of the car will prevent wheelies and ensure that the chassis stays settled throughout the run – each and every detail has been figured out during the build process, and many of the details sorted out before a single pipe was ever welded upon.

Power comes from a 5.3 bore-space big-block Chevrolet engine, and it’s time to slam it home between the framerails. The Buck Racing Engines-built billet piece uses a billet intake manifold, a set of split Braswell Dominators, and a nitrous system from Switzer Dynamics to build the power.

While all of the components are being attached in the front and rear of the vehicle, the 12-volt wiring is underway in the center of the chassis. It appears as though there is a rat’s nest, but every component and every piece of wire has its place.

“We build a two-tier carbon panel set that will hold the Speedwire controllers and the MSD Power Grid. Each panel is held into place with quick pins and wired separately with Deutsch connectors so changing any component takes less than five minutes,” says McAmis.

The Electrimotion Safety Shutoff Device mounted in the trunk.

As discussed prior, keeping Tyler safe in the driver’s seat has also been a chief concern throughout the build. Tim McAmis Race Cars uses a Racetech carbon-Kevlar seat as it provides full body support and helps to absorb more energy during an on-track incident, just one more measure of safety.

Most sanctioning bodies require the Electrimotion RF Safety Shutoff device be installed in all cars at this performance level.

“All of our cars come equipped with this as a standard device. This will kill the ignition and deploy the chutes at a given point past the finish line if the driver is in trouble,” McAmis explains.

“We build our own billet housings and use the Mark Williams axles and brake kits to outfit them. What you are looking at here is a polished billet housing with polished titanium four link brackets along with MW carbon fiber brakes. We use .875-inch gun-drilled 300M 40 spline axles that are turned by a custom built Dewco ceramic bearing center section and supported by triple adjustable Penske shocks. This thing spins so free you can turn the pinion yoke over with a blast from an air blower,” Tim says.

The sway bar is splined and uses a set of custom-anodized TMRC billet aluminum arms.

The splines are used to ensure that the ends don’t spin on the bar under the immense shock loads seen at launch from a Pro Nitrous car. Sub 1-flat 60-foot times are a necessity in this class to be competitive.

The back of the car is coming together and getting buttoned up at this point. Attention to detail can be seen in the little things, like the TMRC-logo’d shutoff switch and smooth wing-to-body transition.

Justin Spencer from TYRANT Productions is the brains behind the look on this wicked machine. “In order to get the look that Justin came up with, we needed to black out the wheels. We started with the new Weld Delta series in a polished version. After they came in we re-polished them and sent them off for custom black anodizing,” Tim explained.

‘This is a finished view of the electrical control center I mentioned earlier. You can see in this image how it all comes apart easily,’ says Tim.

Although the Speedwire control system is designed to be simple to work with (and it is), it still takes a number of hours to ensure that all components are wired properly.

The modular design of the TMRC installation makes it easy to troubleshoot and remove/replace products as necessary.

Each component has been placed to minimize RF noise and maximize performance – a critical step in the wiring process, as unwanted noise from the electrical system can play havoc with sensitive electrical components.

We move back to the front end at this point, where the fasteners and carbon-fiber nose protector is installed. The teaser of the paint scheme leaves us wanting more, but we’ll have to wait until the final feature on the car to show it all off.

Exhaust duties are handled by a set of Pro Fabrication headers with turnups – these are now installed and ready to fire.

Here’s another shot of the interior with the fresh-air system’s bottle installed and the nitrous shutoff valves mounted in place. Large red handles are used – there’s no mistaking whether the system is on or off.

The car is just about completely assembled at this point – the engine is in, all of the hoses and electrical is plumbed and wired, the wheels are on, and the final steps are underway prior to delivery. An absolute work of art – we can’t wait to see the final product. Stay tuned right here to Dragzine, where we’ll be bringing you a complete feature on this car in the next few weeks!

As a final note, the folks at TMRC have a launched a brand spankin’ new Facebook page, where you can see a lot more of their customers cars and hot new products, many of which are featured on this very build, so be sure to head on over and give them a ‘like’!