This Supercharged Station Wagon Keeps a Promise Made, While Making Updates for Wheels Up Single Digit Passes at Hot Rod Drag Week
Although some look at cars and trucks as mere transportation, others look at them as part of the family.
Memories created with them hold more value than the replacement cost of the car, and in some cases, they carry a promise made to keep a vision alive.
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Travis Fathi wasn’t a station wagon guy, nor a Chevrolet fan at first. “I have always been a blue oval guy,” Travis said about Fords. “Mustangs in particular will always be a part of my personality.”
More of a street car fun guy than a track racer, Travis got a quick lesson in finding blue lights behind him. “Going light to light with locals not only earned me a reputation, but also 11 points the first 6 months with a license,” said Travis.
Despite the odds, this 1983 Chevrolet Malibu wagon became part of the Fathi household in 2016, and it carried a promise with it. “I purchased it from my good friend John Barton,” said Travis. “Before John passed away, I promised him that it would always be old school, a big block street rod.”
The first few years of ownership, Travis spent the time to go over the wagon, making sure it would handle the street miles and big block power he had planned for it. That, and an eventual appearance at Hot Rod Drag Week.
“I have been in love with drag-and-drive since the beginning,” said Travis. “Watching Hot Rod Drag Week grow the first few years it was around lite that fire. As life had it, I got busy, started a family, put it all on the back burner until 2020 when all of our lives were turned upside down.”
Travis discussed getting a pair of drag-and-drive cars ready for drag-and-drive action with a friend for 2020. For Travis, that mean the wagon would see the street and the strip.
Despite starting on his plan in 2020, Travis barely made it to the 2021 edition of Hot Rod Drag Week. “I entered the Super Street Big Block Power Adder class,” said Travis. “Somehow I managed to pull off a third place win, overcoming a stack of issues, including knocking the transmission out day two of the event.”
Following the first drag-and-drive, Travis took an approach to take lessons learned and apply them for the next year. For the Malibu wagon, that means evolving from a stock chassis to a tubular front end, adding rack and pinion steering, and a large 555 cubic inch big block with a Whipple 8.3-liter screw blower.
A Turbo 400 transmission from Hitman and a Gear Vendors Overdrive with a Capazi-spec’d Circle D Specialties converter passes the power, and the car rides on Weld Racing wheels and Mickey Thompson rubber.
Travis upgraded the binders to TBM Brakes, and fellow drag-and-drive runners Nick and David Diehl added some bars to the roll cage to certify it for 8.50-legal work.
“Each year we learn more and more about what it takes to survive at these events,” said Travis. “The racing is only half the fun though. Our drag-and-drive family has grown into what will be life-long relationships and that is the real push and strength behind all of the madness.”
“I believe that the biggest challenge of these events is finding the time, energy, and dedication it take to get a car built and show up for tech on day zero. From there on, the drag-and-drive community will push you and guide you to succeed.”
What’s next for Travis? A return to Hot Rod Drag Week this year. “My copilot the past three years has been Wayne Gutierrez,” Travis said. “As long as he doesn't piss me off to bad before September, he will ride with me again.”
“As far as future events, we will be dedicating our schedule to ‘localish’ drag-and-drive events next season. Back to the Street, Drop the Hammer, as well as a Sick event. None of this would be possible without my amazing wife, who carries our family while I am out honing.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Hard Target Images and Travis Fathi.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com