Selling a 9-Second Trailblazer to Build a Serious C5 Corvette
Packing 390 horsepower from the factory, a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer would normally move the 2-plus ton of heft to low 14-second time slips. Robbie Dowdy managed to chop 4-plus second off those times at this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, entering the nines for the first time and compiling a 9.81 average over the five-day week.
Fast forward from February to September, and Robbie had the SS on the market as a rolling chassis. “It’s time to move up and go faster,” he said. But what would the nitrous driveline from the Trailblazer go into?
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A 1998 Chevrolet Corvette is the answer, and Robbie now has it sitting on a chassis jig to start the necessary work for single-digit blasts. “Our shop, Coastal Racecraft, is doing a total revamp on it,” said Robbie. “A solid axle 4 link conversion and roll cage updates are the plan; the build style will be a throwback to the Limited Street ORSCA days.”
He contacted TRZ Motorsports for the front suspension, with Menscer Motorsports coil overs handling the travels, and TBM Brakes at all four corners for the stopping needs. “Precision Racing Technologies is handling the horsepower duties with a 370 cubic inch LS nitrous engine that came out of our Trailblazer SS chassis, but I’m switching over to a Powerglide transmission.”
The Corvette will be a multi-purpose vehicle, but Robbie plans to focus on the drag-and-drive as his initial goal. “First hit on this car will be Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive 2024,” he said. “It’ll be 1 a.m. nights in the shop until January from now on.”
The Corvette will also do battle at Street Car Takeover events, FL2K at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, and similar street car races.
“Huge thanks to my dad for helping make a new chassis possible,” said Robbie. “Drag-and-drive events are pure chaos, like Tortuga in Pirates of the Caribbean. With the color of the car being Nassau Blue, I think Tortuga is the name of our new hot rod.”
Shawn Miller from Precision Racing Technologies has been tapped to join Robbie in the passenger seat. “We’re kidnapping him for the week to show him the drag-and-drive world. Plus, I need him to make sure I keep the up arrows in check.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Chris Story and Robbie Dowdy.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com