After Grenading an Engine on Miles of Mayhem, Colin Gee Sells His Car and Starts His Third Drag-and-Drive Build in Three Years
After making a solid impression (and several big wheelies) in an 1983 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon during 2022 and 2023, including the 2023 edition of Sick Week, Colin Gee started thinking about a new car build for drag-and-drive duty.
Little did he know that just over a year after he started that build, it would have a blown-up engine, then Colin sold the car, and started on another build!
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Confused? So were we, so we needed some details on how and why Colin was on his third different drag-and-drive build in three years. “The Malibu wagon was heavy,” he said. “It was 3800 pounds, and wasn’t supposed to go that quick.”
Colin had debuted the small tire wagon at the Miles of Mayhem event in 2022, where he finished first overall, as well as tops in the Small Tire 275 class.
Just over six months later, Colin brought the wagon to Florida for Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in early 2023, where he made the swap to the 26-inch tall x 8.5-inch width 235 radials for the Rowdy Radial class.
He made his quickest and fastest pass on day three with a 5.28 at 138 mph on the eighth-mile distance, and completed the event with an eighth-place finish and a 5.54 average.
Upon returning home, Colin started weighing the pros and cons, and decided he couldn’t justify pushing the wagon any further. “It was running out of safety with the 8.50-second certified roll cage and low 5-second eighth-mile times,” Colin said. So the potent turbocharged LS drivetrain was removed, a stock 4.8-liter LS and an overdrive 4L80E went in. Colin’s wife Alanna is now daily driving it.
With the wagon re-purposed, Colin needed to find a new foundation to start with, something lighter with more safety that would accept his driveline in that he could go quicker and faster in. A 1981 Buick Regal would be the candidate, and it already had a 7.50-second SFI certified cage in place. It wasn’t much beyond a basic roller from that, so Colin needed to do a lot of work to it to get ready for a return to Miles of Mayhem this year.
After a little over a year of work, and weighing in a little over 900 pounds lighter than the Malibu wagon, and packing plenty of safety gear, Colin went searching for his second victory at Miles of Mayhem in three years.
But on day four of the Canadian drag-and-drive, disaster struck the 5.3-liter engine. “Our line for the shifter came apart and rode the limiter for a bit until I shifted it,” said Colin. “But it was too late, and the stock rods exited the motor.” He packed up and headed home.
Less than a month after Miles of Mayhem was complete, news hit social media the Buick had been sold. Several people were confused, including your author, but Colin had a reasonable explanation. “The friend who sold it to me really wanted it back after the changes,” Colin said. “It gave me the opportunity to build something I want. I wouldn’t have sold it to anyone else if it wasn’t him.”
So with the Buick sold as a roller back to its previous owner, Colin could move on to the next project, and it will be a serious one at that. “I’ve always wanted to do a square body S-10 on leaf springs and light weight,” said Colin. “I have one, and it’s not in the greatest shape, but it’s useable for this project.”
Colin wasted no time getting it cut up. “Going to build a 25.2-SFI roll cage for it, and use mono split leaf springs,” Colin said. “Everything I have now for the rear suspension came from Matt Funkhouser. The factory front subframe is getting TRZ suspension, and will house a twin turbo LSX engine.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, DRD Photos / Dominick Damato and Colin Gee.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com