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Archive – Silver Bullet

Jason Sands Jason Sands . July 05, 2026 . Drag Racer
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Doug and Carrie Reed’s Insane 3,000-hp ProCharged Outlaw El Camino

Its not often that the words “street” and “Outlaw 10.5” go together, but such is the case with Doug Reed’s wild street and strip stormer. One of the nicest drag vehicles we’ve ever seen, the low ’66 combines supercharged big-block power, a dedicated race car chassis, and most impressive of all, a passenger’s seat.

What separates Doug’s Chevy from most Outlaw cars is that the El Camino is real steel, save for a set of VFN bumpers and 6-inch cowl hood. While the outside says street car, a six- second-certified chassis says race car. Built by Bunker Motorsports, the double-frame-rail, chrome-moly chassis was designed for optimal launches and resisting the twist of the mega-horsepower engine. The suspension and steering are also race car hardware. Up front, Strange supplied both the rack-and- pinion and the struts, while Wilwood brakes help stop the car. The rear 4-link suspension was also built by Bunker, and features a Fab 9 Chris Alston Chassisworks rearend, shocks and Wilwood brakes.

This engine bay is one of the cleanest we’ve ever seen on a race car. Producing an estimated 3,000 hp, the 480-ci Donovan runs on M5 methanol and is force-fed a whopping 35 psi of boost from a 139mm ProCharger.

Where things get really exciting is under the hood, with an all-aluminum 480-ci Donovan producing an estimated 3,000 hp. The high- winding 8,500-rpm engine was built specifically for traction on a small tire and uses a mammoth 139mm ProCharger at more than 35 psi of boost to make its power. The engine was built by Jeff Simpson Racing engines and machined by Rex Hutchinson using nothing but the best, with a Bryant crank, GRP aluminum rods and custom Ross Racing pistons. The cylinder heads are a pair of high-flowing 18-degree Dart Big Chief heads with 2.40-inch intake valves, 1.90-inch exhaust valves, T&D rockers and Jesel lifters. A solid roller camshaft of an undisclosed specification from COMP Cams motivates the valvetrain.

When the throttle is chopped, twin ProCharger blow-off valves send excess boost into the atmosphere. The engine runs on methanol, so no intercooler is needed, and a simple 3.5-inch discharge tube connects the blower to the intake.

While Doug’s engine would be pretty stout on motor alone, a whole lot of boost in the form of a gear-driven 139mm F3R ProCharger pushes the power plant into the ridiculous zone. Making more than 35 psi of boost, the blower works in conjunction with a 123mm Wilson throttle body, Hogan sheet metal intake and 16 Moran 500-lb- hr injectors that spray M5 methanol into the engine to cool the blower’s intake charge. Exhaust is sent out through a set of 2.5-inch headers with 5-inch collectors and into a Spintech 5-inch oval exhaust. A 44 amp Pro Mag and MSD power grid light everything off, while a Big Stuff 3 system manages the whole engine.

The crown jewel sitting atop the Donovan is the Hogan sheet metal intake incorporating Hogan fuel rails and 16 injectors (two per cylinder). Methanol runs a very rich air-fuel ratio compared to a gas engine, so huge Moran Racing Engines billet 500-lb-hr injectors are employed to match the airflow from the blower. The entire fuel system is fed with a Waterman Racing fuel pump.

While Doug’s engine is an extremely impressive combination, the transmission still has the mammoth task of getting all of that power to the track. For shifting gears, Doug went old school, relying on a three-speed big-shaft Lenco. Instead of a clutch, a Bruno drive featuring a traditional torque converter was selected to handle the load. Doug credits Spec-Rite converters for building an awesomely strong 4,500-rpm converter that handles the strain of the blower motor.

The full tube chassis creates the unique long and low look. Barely visible rear tires are 33×10.5W Mickey Thompsons mounted on 16×16-inch Weld Racing V series wheels. Twin Stroud chutes also double as a handy dandy license plate holder.

In early testing, Doug has clicked off high fours in the eighth-mile at more than 150 mph, which is incredible for a 3,400- pound street car that’s about 800 pounds over the Outlaw 10.5 minimum weight. To top it off, the Chevy gets plenty of miles on the roads of Northern California. With a wild chassis, all-steel body and high-winding ProCharged Donovan, Doug and Carrie’s Silver Bullet is quite a ride, whether it’s cruising the boulevard or blasting down the race track.


 

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