Over the last few months we’ve rolled out five individual segments (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on the buildup of Brian and Tyler Hard’s 1968 V4 Pro Modified Camaro that’s been constructed by the wizards at Tim McAmis Race Cars in Hawk Point, Missouri. The installments centered around the five different phases of race car construction, from the 25.1E chassis construction to engine and accessory fitment, wiring, interior assembly, and even the powder-coating process.
As Tim McAmis Race Cars is a one-stop shop for all things Pro Mod – along with just about every other race-car oriented accessory from composite body pieces to tools – it was up to the team to put the entire package together and deliver it to the Hard team at the end of the process.
Car owner Brian Hard is no stranger to the business world; as CEO and President of Penske Truck Leasing since 1988 as well as a member of the board of Directors of several large business entities, he has an idea about what it takes to bring together a successful program. He’s chosen McAmis to build a number of cars for the family’s racing operation – and the results have proven themselves out.
“Working with Tim and his team is an absolute pleasure. Whether it’s building a new car or updating an existing car, they always make you feel like your project is the most important project they are working on,” says Brian.
From start to finish, the entire car has been constructed at TMRC, with the exception of components like the engine and transmission that were put together by their respective builders and shipped to the TMRC facility for installation.
According to McAmis, Hard Racing makes it easy for him to do his job. “They know exactly what they want as they’ve been through this process with us a couple of times in the past. I already know what they like in terms of options and complexity of the car. We base that all around having built the previous relationship up with the customers, how they race, and what they want,” he explains.
There are currently three cars in the Hard Racing stables, not including this one. It’s safe to say that racing is a way of life for this Pennsylvania family – when work is not front-and-center, you will likely find them at the racetrack searching for that extra edge in elapsed time.
“Tyler and I started running with a Super Stock Hemi ‘Cuda about seven years ago. Kevin McCurdy joined us about five years ago when we added our TMRC ’68 Camaro Top Sportsman car that Tyler has been driving up until now. A year after that, we added a blown TMRC ’68 Camaro Pro Mod that Kevin drives. With the addition of the new nitrous car, we’ll be running three TMRC ’68 Camaros along with the Super Stock ‘Cuda,” Brian explains.
Chassis tunability is front-and-center in this build, as with all others that come out of the TMRC headquarters. Tim believes in building a stiff car that’s able to be worked by adjusting the suspension components to affect the vehicle’s performance.
A build like this has a laundry list of details that need to be attended to throughout the process, as each particular component needs to be placed properly to avoid any sort of stack-up issues down the line. The Hard’s Camaro will use an 864 cubic-inch Buck Racing Engines-built 5.3-inch borespace big-block Chevrolet huffing a ton of nitrous oxide from Switzer Dynamics and exhausting through a set of Pro Fabrications’ finest headers. Transmission duties are handled by a Rossler TH210 Pro Mod transmission and Neal Chance torque converter.
The rearend of the car is one of TMRC’s billet designs, coupled with a pair of Mark Williams axles and Dewco differential. Rear suspension is handled by a TMRC 4-link riding on a set of Penske shocks, which will help to provide the ultimate in chassis tuning consistency. Weld Racing wheels and Hoosier tires round out the driveline.
Remember where we talked about weight savings? That theme continues through every single aspect of the car. The application of titanium is liberal throughout the build, in any place where it’s possible and accepted for use.
All of the carbon-fiber and titanium used in the build process helps to get the car down to weight, where it can be competitive with the blown combinations in Pro Mod.
One hallmark of a TMRC build is the level of fit and finish, designed to produce a beautiful car for the owner – that’s part of why as many components as possible are produced in-house, where Tim can keep an eye on construction techniques.
“The attention to detail is always first class with TMRC. From planning through final assembly it is always there,” Brian says.
Test-fitting each and every component to the car is a necessity. McAmis says, “Once the body is mounted it is time to finalize some of the small accessory tabs and components that go inside of the car that just can’t be located until the body is solidly mounted on the chassis. This is also when we pre-fit all of the carbon fiber interior panels.”
Inside the car, the latest-and-greatest in race car electronics are used throughout, as data acquisition and computer tuning have become so prevalent throughout the industry.
To that end, an MSD Power Grid ignition system, Speedwire Systems wiring package, and Racepak dash and data recorder system have been installed.
When we chatted with Brian, he didn’t expect to have too many challenges, thanks to the excellent crew he’s assembled and the right-out-of-the-box readiness of the new car. Kevin McCurdy, Darren Miller, Jimmy Daniels, Nina Hard, Jan Hard, and Brian himself will all be onboard to get Tyler comfortable in the car and heading down the straight and narrow. There’s only one sponsor – Hard Racing, LLC.
“I suspect we’ll have the normal new car learning curve, and we hope to be competitive by mid-year,” Brian says. As competitive as Pro Mod has been in all its forms over the last year, we have no doubt Tyler will be right on the pace in no time.
And now, what you’ve all been waiting for…pictures of the finished car. Click on the photos to view them full size.
What you see here is the end result of setting out to build a no-expenses-barred Pro Mod with the baddest and best companies in the land. A pinch of this, a dash of that, splash on a little bit of paint, and you wind up with a piece of automotive art that takes advantage of the latest and greatest construction techniques to become worthy of your admiration. Enjoy – and try not to get too much drool on the screen!
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