We see plenty of different and unique builds in our daily web surfing adventures, many of which make it to our site. One car that we just couldn’t ignore was this twin turbo Dodge Viper with an ATF Powerglide crammed below the floor.
We found this car over at ATF’s Website, with plenty of photos detailing the process. After putting in a few calls to find out more about this car, we learned that this car demanded the use of ATF’s near bullet proof Stage 4 Powergide transmission. Now this transmission is no joke. In fact, it is very similar to the one the Jim Blair runs in his Pro 10.5 car on the NMCA tour. So why would a street Viper need a tank of a transmission like that? The answer surprised even us.
Turns out the the owner of this car is running a stroked out engine that reaches 520 cubic inches. If that wasn’t enough, two Precision Billet Wheeled 88 mm turbochargers have been worked into the system that runs off the eco-friendly E85 fuel – known for its high octane rating. Our sources tell us that this car was dynoed on a VERY conservative 18 psi of boost and was still able to pump out a jaw dropping 1450 rwhp. At a recent Dyno of the car, they turned the boost up to 21lbs and made 1522 rwhp on C-16. As impressive as the engine is, the transmission is nothing to sneeze at either.
After stretching the transmission tunnel just a tad bit wider, the crew over at ATF installed their Stage 4 Powerglide transmission. This isn’t just some junkyard core that has been cleaned up, this transmission features a Ried Racing case and bell housing that both meet SFI standards. Inside, ATF roids this transmission up with some of the finest components for the Powerglide in the aftermarket, including some of their created parts. This includes ATF billet servo covers, modification to the front pump for more fluid transfer at low RPM, and a dyno test of the fluid release transbrake valve body. Altogether, it all adds up to this transmission being rated for 2,500 HP. ATF then added a custom bolt-together torque converter and a custom AFI flexplate to finish off the install.
What impressed us well was the craftsmanship that ATF used inside the Viper. All too often we see transmission swaps that leave the interior looking a little, unfinished to say the least. (We’ve all see shifter holes that you can see the road through, or shifters that come up through an odd part of the floor or console.) A Hurst Quarter Stick Powerglide Shifter was the weapon of choice for this vehicle, and to make it fit in the late model interior of the Viper, ATF’s owner Jason Gatlin used quote, “everything in his arsenal” to come up with a way to make the shifter fit and look good as well. After spending some time using Sold Works CAD software, a custom ABS plastic console was crafted to give the shifter a perfect fit.
ATF has way more photos of this process than we could have posted here. Be sure to visit www.atfspeed.com for more photos and further information on their transmissions.
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