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When you work in the engine industry, the temptation to build something wild for yourself is always there. For Skyler Hawkins of Atlanta Speed Shop, that temptation sat on an engine stand for nearly two years – waiting for the right moment and the right direction. Now, the Gainesville, GA builder is finally bringing his personal project to life: a supercharged 427 cid LS destined for drag-and-drive duty in a Camaro.
“I had a 5th-gen Camaro, and I blew the engine up in it,” Skyler says with a grin. “That was one of the first engines I built. I’ve been sitting on this build for about two years, and I’ve always wanted to do drag-and-drive. I work in the engine industry so I might as well go all out.”
This 427 is built with that mindset from top to bottom.
Dart Foundation with Premium Rotating Assembly
The build starts with a Dart SHP Pro LS block – a piece known for handling serious cylinder pressure and high rpm. Skyler paired it with a Dart billet crankshaft, choosing a 4.000” stroke to work with a 4.125” bore for the classic 427 cid combination. With a projected 30 psi of boost from the massive Whipple 4.5L supercharger, compression is set at a manageable 9.2:1.
Inside, the rotating assembly is put together with the kind of parts you expect from a high-rpm, high-boost LS. “It’s got Boostline rods in it, Diamond pistons and Clevite bearings everywhere,” Hawkins says. It’s a combination aimed at strength, stability and reliability under repeated long-haul drag-and-drive conditions.
Airflow Through CNC Mast Black Label Heads
Up top, the engine wears Mast Motorsports Black Label cylinder heads – their fully CNC’d 305cc LS7-ported design. The heads are matched with a serious valvetrain, which Skyler walked us through while pulling a cover off the engine.
“It’s got a solid roller cam – a custom grind from Cam Motion,” he explains. Specs come in at 255/275 duration, 119 LSA with four degrees advance. The package is tailored to carry the motor to 8,000 rpm “if the blower will allow it.”
Supporting the cam is a set of 7/16th Manley pushrods, PAC springs, titanium retainers and a full complement of Jesel rockers. “This is their custom offset setup for the Mast heads,” Skyler adds. The result is a valvetrain that won’t flinch at high blower rpm or extended street mileage.
Front Drive, Dry Sump and High-RPM Control
The front of the engine showcases both beauty and purpose. Skyler fitted an RCD front drive along with an RCD gear drive to ensure rock-solid cam timing – especially important when spinning a big supercharger and trying to keep valvetrain events consistent at 8,000 rpm.
Oil control comes from a Peterson R4 four-stage dry sump system. “This is their drag racing line with the bigger size pump,” Hawkins says. With long days, hot conditions and extended pulls typical of drag-and-drive, the dry-sump setup is essential for protecting the rotating assembly under load.
Whipple 4.5L and Big-Boost Aspirations
The centerpiece of the combination will be the Whipple 4.5L blower. Drag-and-drive cars need to be streetable, but still violent when the loud pedal is down and the Whipple offers both.
“We’re trying to shoot for 30 psi,” Skyler says. “That’s kind of pushing it on that blower, but that’s the goal.”
With that much air and the 427’s high-flow Mast heads, the expected output is serious. “At the wheels, probably 1,400–1,500 hp,” he notes – numbers that will easily put the Camaro into the mid-8-second range Skyler is targeting.
A Personal Drag-and-Drive Mission
While the engine is the main attraction, the story behind it is just as compelling. Skyler spends his professional life around high-horsepower racing – regularly going to the track with Atlanta Speed Shop’s Top Fuel car. But he wanted something of his own.
“We’ve seen the drag-and-drive videos and we’re in the racing industry,” Skyler says. “I wanted something of my own. I always thought a fast car is cooler if you can drive it on the street.”
The goal is a Camaro that can run 8.50s in the quarter and still behave well enough to handle the endurance drag-and-drive environment. When the engine finally finds its home between the Camaro’s frame rails, he’ll have the kind of weapon any engine builder would be proud to take down the road – and down the strip.
If this build is any indication, Atlanta Speed Shop’s own drag-and-drive entry is going to make noise in more ways than one.
Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade1 and Elring – Das Original. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at gjones@babcox.com.
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