It's been a couple of weeks with my car after picking it up and finally have time to write a review for my experience with JRE.
First and foremost, a huge thank you for the entire staff at JRE for their professionalism, attention to detail, and dedication. I've never seen a shop so thorough with their inspection services. We found several things broken on the car due to 3 full seasons of track abuse. Dating back to last July when I melted my catalytic converters, they performed the repair on the fly so I could still get my tune and dyno session in. The shop cleanliness is unbelievable. You can literally eat on the table where they assemble the engine parts, etc. Everything is in its proper place and extremely organized.
Initial conversations were very productive. Ted made time in his busy schedule to answer all of my questions. I would often come back with conflicting information that I've seen on the web and ask him about various subjects. He would make the time to explain technical matters in a way that was extremely easy to understand. Estimates were generated rather quickly, and he was very realistic and upfront about any potential additional costs to do things the 'right way'. JRE explained the benefits of building a fresh long block as opposed to building a monster on a worn engine with fatigued internals. I opted to go the more expensive route for long term insurance. I was provided a car drop-off date which the shop stuck too, and they were right on the money when they estimated the build + Install would take a total of two weeks. Phone calls and emails were answered promptly, they accommodated my requests for pics and videos throughout the process. All parts removed from the car were retained and provided to me at the time of pickup. The customer service experience was nothing short of white glove.
For this build I requested a setup that favored mid-range as I need to be in the meat of the power band when exiting corners on the race track. We were able to achieve that with the Terminator 2 cam. On pump gas and 100 octane, the car makes 700ftlbs as early as 3000rpm. The suggestion was made to go with Johnson lifters and .660 springs while running a cam profile that goes easy on the valve train parts without sacrificing performance. Overall, they developed a well balanced cam package that not only makes big power, but is completely livable on the street and around town. Even with the aggressive chop, the car does not buck around town, which surprised me. The terminator 2 cam is pure magic. I spent countless weeks studying the different cam profiles offered by TSP, BTR, Katech K-force, even paused YouTube videos when content creators showed their cams in their videos so I could read their custom grind engravings. 90% of camshafts I've studied are top end camshafts and make great YouTube horsepower for bragging rights, but lacked the mid-range pop that I need to fly off of corners. Additionally, most camshafts are running astronomical lift values and will rapidly wear valve springs. While we determined that I will inspect my heads after every season, we don't anticipate a real need to change springs as the motor is configured for reliability.
Driving Impressions
As you can imagine, 841hp/754ftlb at the wheels is way more than anyone needs. The other day I had the chance to cruise in a downpour on the way to work with Yokohama R-comp tires and no issues. On a 40 degree day today, I managed to finally get full throttle on a local stretch of road with no traffic in 4th gear. 1st and 2nd, forget about it. 3rd gear might be possible with slicks up to temp on the track. 4th gear can take full throttle on R-comp tires if you roll into it. Don't stab it, otherwise it will break loose. The acceleration is violent past 50% throttle and it almost feels like Ted tuned it that way on purpose. Maybe that's when the enrichment kicks in - I'll have to ask him. Docile around town, and a sense of urgency when I need it. My gut says that it is now a high 9 second car with a 200+mph top speed. So far my two buddies who have been in the car have expressed that it is a night and day difference from when it was a 700hp build.
On the dyno, we monitored fuel rail pressure, temps, and everything checked normal after multiple pulls. The power we made was done with 12.8-13.4 lbs of boost depending on where we were in the rpm range. All on pump 93, and we tested 100octane for those hot days on track in the summer months. We still have some room for roughly 1000hp at the wheels if I feel I need more, but I honestly think this is enough now - for the way I will be using the car. Track season will likely start next Month for me. As things currently stand, we were able to achieve this performance with nothing more than the camshaft fuel lobe, and a JMS Booster.
Build Details
841whp @ 7200rpm | 754ftlbs | 13.4lbs Boost | Pump 93/100
Magnuson 2650 with 100mm upper pulley
New LT4 Long Block
Terminator 2 Rough Idle Camshaft
VVT Delete Cover, 3 Bolt Gear and Bolts
TSP Gen 5 LT4 Valley Cover
LT Timing Chain Gen 3 (3/8 x 7/32 x6)*
Johnson Tie Bar Lifter kit
3/8 Pushrods
GM Camshaft Lifter Kit/Guides/Crank Seal
ARP Crank Bolt
ARP Flywheel Bolts
BTR Bronze Bushing Trunion Kit
LT4 660 Spring Kit using TSP Seat Seal.* Install height 1.810”
Katech LT Oil Pump
Katech 174* Thermostat
ATI Superdamper
ATI 8 Rib Crank Pulley 9.17-17%
8 Rib serpentine Belt 86-1/8
SAE VR1 Racing Motor Oil
American Racing Headers ceramic coated 2” Headers + Long System
Iridium LTR7IX-11 Spark Plugs
JMS Voltage Booster
Monster Triple Disc Clutch rated at 1,150HP
JLT Cold Air Intake with 5" Tube
Nick Williams 103mm Throttle Body
Moroso Catch Can
Apex SM-10 18" wheels. 18x11 front; 18x12 rear
Track: Pirelli DH Slicks: 310/660/18 front; 325/660/18 rear
Street: Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 305/30/19 front; 325/30/19 rear
ARP hardened wheel studs
Griffin Motorsports Heat Extractor Bracket
Ferodo DS3.12 brake pads, front and rear
*steel braided brake lines
Castrol SRF Brake Fluid
Camber: -3.0 front; -2.0 rear
*Coming Soon* Custom Penske Triples or MCS Double Adjustable Suspension with the GTR spring rates (800lbs front; 1100lbs rear)
I'm gonna give this experience a 9.5 out of 10 rating. I would have loved to get slightly better pricing on some of the parts we bought, but this experience was close to perfect overall. It was money well spent, and now I just have to figure out what I am going to throw that spare motor in.
I will be back with track impressions in about a month or so.
