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Spectre's line of air intake components offer performance that works on nearly any application.

At the turn of the 20th century, automobile engines were largely custom one-off's. Various models may have used the same type of engine, but the parts were typically machined by hand. This meant that an intake manifold or carburetor from one Buick engine, probably wouldn't fit onto another without a lot of filing and fitting. Cadillac solved this issue in 1909, by introducing the idea of standardized parts that could easily be swapped between cars. Building a custom car however, often requires the same amount of individualized craftsmanship that was once put into a 1901 Autocar Phaeton, or a 1908 Pope-Toledo Touring. When you put a big powerful engine into a car that it wasn't originally designed for, you usually have to fabricate things like motor mounts, wiring, and cooling system components. Fortunately, Spectre Performance can help you craft a custom air intake system that will increase your horsepower, without decreasing your budget.

When it comes to performance intake systems, you need lots of cold air, and minimal airflow restrictions. To achieve this in a one-off custom application, Spectre offers all of the air intake components that you'll need:

Spectre Performance air filters are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

Spectre Universal Air Filters
The heart of any performance intake system is the air filter, and Spectre makes some of the most advanced performance air filters on the market today. They are made from a proprietary oiled synthetic material that can remove airborne contaminants that could harm your engine. As a result, more clean air can get to the motor, and your right foot will have more power to play with. Spectre Universal Air Filters are available in a wide variety of shapes, lengths, flange diameters and colors. Visit the Spectre air filter page to find the right filter for your application to see the selection.

Spectre Air Intake Tubes
Once air enters the intake system, it has to travel down an intake tube to reach the motor. If there's a bunch of narrow bends or uneven surfaces, the air will become turbulent. To keep this from happening, Spectre offers a huge selection of intake tubes that are available in a variety of diameters, angles and lengths. From 2.5 to 5 inches in diameter, straight to 180-degree mandrel bent aluminum U-pipes, Spectre has air intake tubes that can feed air to any motor, while minimizing restrictions and turbulence. Visit the air intake tube page to see all of the offerings from Spectre.

Spectre Plenums are designed to deliver air even in tight spaces.

Spectre Plenums
Getting air to your engine is one thing, getting air inside your engine is entirely another. That's why Spectre manufactures a selection of single and dual inlet plenums. Designed to securely attach to your carburetor or throttle body, Spectre plenums are available in low-profile and standard height. So your engine can breathe, no matter how tight the hood clearance.

Spectre Heat Shields
Hot air is the natural enemy of performance, so Spectre makes a wide range of heat shields to fit popular Chevy muscle car and pickup applications like Camaro, Chevelle, Impalla, Nova & C/K series trucks. Designed to work for carbureted or fuel injected motors, these Spectre heat shields are made from powder coated 5052 aluminum and come with a thick rubber gasket that seals against the hood to keep out hot engine bay air.

Spectre carries Mass Airflow Sensor Adaptors for late-model Ford, GM, and GM LS7 engines.

Sensor Adaptors & Mounting Accessories
To enable a secure installation for your custom intake system, Spectre carries a huge assortment of mounting plates, adaptors, couplers, and brackets. They also make sensor kits for late model Ford, GM, and GM LS & LS7 crate motors. If you're ready to find out exactly how Spectre can make your custom build perform as good as it looks, visit the Spectre Performance air intake components page.

You can view all the Spectre Performance products for any vehicle by using the Search by Vehicle tool and you can find a local Spectre retailer by plugging your location into the Spectre Dealer Search as well.

James Shipka, Spectre Driver and International Racer, comes away from OSUSC Pike's Peak with the OUSCI Invite.

A picture perfect day for racing as OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car descends upon Colorado's picturesque race venue, Pike's Peak International Raceway.

OPTIMA's Search for the Ultimate Street Car (OSUSC) presented by Advance Auto Parts, descended upon one of the nation’s most beautiful locations in the series, Pike’s Peak International Raceway (PPIR) located in Fountain, Colorado. Less than 10 miles south of Colorado Springs, home of the Pike’s Peak International High Climb, this area has seen a lot of action in the past few weeks and was happy to see more.

Participants came from all over the United States, including one from Alberta, Canada. With a field of 56 participants divided into 4 classes, GTV, GTL, GTS, GT, this was some of the best competition this series has seen with loads of seat time for the competitors. Competitors accumulate points throughout the season, taking from their top three events, for a points champion to be crowned. As a result of less than desirable weather at New Jersey Motorsports Park, we saw a few participants going the extra mile to make up for their losses earlier in the season.

Brian Hobaugh, GTS Class points leader, taking a moment to reflect and strategize at PPIR.

Jake "The Kid" Rozelle reaching speeds of close 130 MPH on the road course.

Higher temperatures and elevation played a part in how the participants planned for the 2-day event that could help stack on some serious points for those chasing the OSUSC Championship. The drivers that were real standouts were those drivers that planned ahead. Understanding that the elevation could affect their motors power, car prep is essential to offset potential problems. The drivers would also need to stay hydrated. All this time and attention for a chance at the invite.

The coveted “Invite”. This year OSUSC features 10 events around the nation where participants would compete for an invite to the grand finale - OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Only 5 invites are awarded at each event, one invite for the 1st place finisher in each class, plus the Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event invitation awarded to the driver who embodies the spirit of this racing series.

OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational, conceived in 2008, takes place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the close of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. One hundred worthy cars and drivers are invited to compete to see who and what will be crowned as the victor with the Ultimate Street Car. With ten events in the 2016 season, Pike’s Peak marked the midway point of the season. The outcome of this event would prove to be pivotal for those in the championship chase.

GTL Class Winner and Points Leader Rich Wilhoff on the road course pulling away from the competition.

Driver Brian Hobaugh, pushing his Z06 to the limit even with his ABS brake issues.

One of the OSUSC drivers, Jake Rozelle, pulled off a three-peat at PPIR. Rozelle has proven he is the one to beat in the GTV Class this season. Pike’s Peak was Jake’s third event of the 2016 OSUSC season and he is leading the points race with 1,417 points in the GTV Class. When we caught up with Jake he said he was very happy with his 3rd place overall position along with placing 1st at Pike’s Peak. He was seriously stoked with the performance of his 1969 Camaro, seemingly unphased by the heat and higher elevation. Rozelle considerably opened the gap between he and Larry Woo who is currently second in GTV Class with 880. Woo couldn’t make it to PPIR but we will see these two battle it out at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in early August. Since Rozelle had already received the OUSCI Invite at the season opener at Thunderhill in Northern California, Canadian, James Shipka and his 1967 One Lap Camaro was awarded the invite from the GTV Class.

The GTS Class with a mere 13 participants had some fierce competition. Corvettes made up the majority of the field but throw in 2 Vipers, a Lancer Evo, and a Nissan GT-R and it’s safe to say this class saw some serious action. We spoke to 2013 OUSCI Winner and 2016 OSUSC GTS Class points leader, Brian Hobaugh and he shared that he was keeping eyes on Lynn Proctor and Glen Barnhouse as the weekend progressed, as these were the guys to beat. As if foretold by a psychic, Brian would share the podium with these two gentlemen with Glen in 1st Place with his 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, Lynn in 2nd Place in his 2005 Dodge Viper, and Brian coming in 3rd place in his 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Brian suffered a couple of mechanical setbacks that were quick fixes but we can’t help but wonder if the podium line up may have been different without these problems.

John McKissick wins the Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event invite to OUSCI.

Jordan Priestley takes the win at OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car in GT Class.

Both Brian Hobaugh and Lynn Proctor have already secured their invite to 2016 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. But the real story is that of Glen Barnhouse who walks away from Pike’s Peak with his first GTS Class win and the OUSCI invite. He has consistently been a judge favorite in the Lingenfelter Design and Engineering segment of the events. But Barnhouse’s prowess on the course is what ultimately earned him the well-deserved win and invite! Lynn Proctor didn’t leave PPIR without enjoying a bit of his own success by narrowing the margin between he and class points leader, Brian Hobaugh to a slim 15 points, and we still have the second half of the season to go. If we are following the leaders for the points championship, we must recognize Steve Kepler’s fantastic 5th Place finish at Pike’s Peak that has moved him up in rank to 3rd Place in GTS Class.

For the vehicles weighing less than 3200 pounds, the GTL Class is where you’ll find them. You may recognize the name Rich Wilhoff with his 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 as being the dominant driver in this class. And yes, once again he proved he was the one to beat. He laid down scorching times, sweeping all three timed segments and walked away 490 points for the PPIR event, earning him the third highest score of the season behind Steve Kepler’s GT-R and Mike DuSold’s ’67 Camaro. Rich Wilhoff has expanded his points lead by almost 200 points and with several of the future 2016 events already sold out it may be difficult for anyone to catch him. Rich, along with fellow competitor Ken Thwaits have already earned their OUSCI invites and as such the OUSCI invite is to be awarded to the third place finisher. David Carroll and his LS-POWERED 1975 Datsun 280Z will be attending the 2016 SEMA/OUSCI show and challenge.

Now let’s talk about the late model muscle cars in the GT Class. This class continues to be the most-popular in the series. Many of the cars are competition ready from the showroom floor and perhaps that’s what makes it the popular choice. Although many, like Jordan Priestley and his 6th Gen Camaro, find a few things to improve. Jordan shared that his win was hard earned. The field was full of very competitive driver’s including a series newcomer, Mark Legg in his BMW 1M Coupe. Legg is also an instructor at PPIR. Priestley had his work cut out for him. Priestley’s win got him ever closer in the points chase to Mitsubishi Evo driver, Ken Thwaits. However, Ken remains the class championship points leader by over 50 points. Jordan earned his invite to OUSCI early on in the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway so this afforded 2nd Place, Cliff Elliott and his 2016 Ford Mustang GT the invite to OUSCI.

And finally, a big shout out to John McKissick and his 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XL as OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event Award and Invite to OUSCI. John’s infectious personality couple with his willing and ready attitude to help a fellow competitor embodies what this series is all about.

For more information about this series you can log onto www.driveusca.com. And be sure to check out the OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car on MAVTV where available every weekend starting Friday at 8PM.

Shipka debuted his "One Lap Camaro" at the Inaugural Optima Event in 2008 with just 25 miles under its belt. Originally slated to be a Pro-Street car, we're thrilled he chose to make this build a Pro-Touring ride.

What makes the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car series unique? And more over, how do you win? Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car (OSUSC) features (5) components for racers. The participants compete in the Detroit Speed Autocross, Powerstop Brakes Speed Stop Challenge, Falken Tires Road Course Hot Lap Challenge, Lingenfelter Design & Engineering, and the Lucas Oil Road Rally, earning points for each segment based upon class and finish. With four different car classifications, this series doesn't simply cater to one year, make, or model of car, but to all years, makes and models. Optima wants to find the Ultimate Street Car, new or vintage.

James Shipka in his Spectre equipped and sponsored 1967 "One Lap Camaro" came to WIN. Expert, Shipka, leading the pack in GTV Class on the road course.

To be competitive in this series drivers must consider car setup, driver ability, environmental conditions, including air and track temperature as well as elevation. To be unprepared can potentially knock a driver from a podium finish, end their day, or even their weekend. A driver like James Shipka comes to Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car with years of experience and relies on Raymond Performance to make sure the One Lap Camaro is ready for anything.

This would be James' first event for 2016 as priorities found him tucked away in Calgary, Alberta expecting a new bundle of joy to add to the Shipka Clan.

His Spectre Performance equipped and sponsored, Lingenfelter built LS7-powered One Lap Camaro (OLC), complete with T-56 Magnum transmission and Centerforce DYAD Performance Clutch has seen three Silver State Classic Challenges, competed and won four times in One Lap of America, along with being a multi-time participant in Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car (OSUSC). In fact, he and the One Lap Camaro even participated in the 1st OUSCI event in 2008, having only 25 miles on the odometer! At the Goodguys Del Mar Spring National's in 2009, James' OLC was nominated as a finalist for 2009's Detroit Speed Muscle Machine of the Year.  With this racing pedigree and Shipka's commitment to Spectre Performance it seemed only natural for James to be chosen to be part of the Spectre Performance Race Team. And he certainly didn't disappoint this past weekend at OSUSC Pike's Peak International Raceway for the fifth event in the 2016 series. Following an extended break after the 2015 OUSCI, James and the One Lap Camaro came back with a vengeance! Whether proving to himself or the pro-touring community, this husband and father of two beautiful girls, has what it takes to be competitive and is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Just 3/10th's of a second off the GTV Class leader, Shipka navigated the Power Stop Speed Stop Challenge with confidence.

Shipka's introduction to muscle cars by all means isn't typical. When asked, it was "alphabetical seating" that was the real instigator! He met his wife, Debbie, in High School, and she actually got him into cars. Together they modified her ’77 Ford Mustang II and drag raced it! That's when James would say he literally got hooked on muscle cars.

Ready to push the "One Lap Camaro" to its limits in the Detroit Speed & Engineering Autocross Segment. James gave it all he could to beat fellow competitor and team mate Jake Rozelle. Jake came out on top.

Fast forward through attending university, opening their own speed shop, a wedding, relocating to Florida and back, the time seemed right for another project. But like all projects, this one started out as a plan. "Sure," James says, "it's cheaper to buy a car that's done, but I want to know it's secrets". So in 2005 James and Debbie, decided to pick up a first-gen Camaro. Originally intended to be a Pro-Street car, Shipka's “roller”, bought off eBay, almost sight unseen, showed up in worse shape than anticipated. He soon discovered this car needed virtually everything. It was then, at that moment, he set his sights on building a pro touring car.

Spectre Performance Race Team Driver James Shipka takes Second Place in the GTV Class Overall at Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car at Pike's Peak International Raceway.

To James, the One Lap of America represented the ultimate test of performance, reliability, and drivability, so he chose to build a car that would be competitive in North America's most challenging cross-country rally. To succeed, the car would need to balance power and performance with dependability. "It would also need to have equal parts track and highway manners. After all, you're talking about a week-long race that incorporates 3,500 highway miles with road course, autocross, drag race, skid pad, and circle track elements," shared James. This decision has been a good one for Shipka and Spectre Performance. Not only does this Spectre Performance Race Team driver know how to maneuver around a road course, he knows a thing or two about a fast yet technical auto cross like we saw at Pike's Peak International Raceway. Deftly and precisely showing the mesmerized onlookers how to make his way through the sea of cones. Perhaps his years of experience driving in the snowy Canadian winters have come in handy as well, when it came to the speed stop challenge and stopping in a 20 by 40-foot box sans drama.

Consistent, competitive, driven and reliable are just a few words that come to mind when we think of James Shipka, his One Lap Camaro and Spectre Performance.

While Dave Cavanah’s 1969 Camaro looks subtle, its performance is anything but.

When Mike Cavanah started out to build his ultimate Pro Touring car, he bought a 1969 Camaro off of eBay as a starting point. While a huge fan of the Camaro and the ‘69 sheet metal in particular, Mike felt that perhaps there were enough Pro Touring ’69 Camaros already in existence and changed his plans. Instead he built his now famous 1966 Chevelle Grand Sport.

The cockpit is set up for serious driving with supportive seats and an array of analog gauges.

Fast toward a few years. Construction of the Chevelle was completed and Mike was enjoying driving it around in the Santa Monica mountains as well as at track days and autocross events. And then another 1969 Camaro sort of dropped into his lap. The car was stunning, the price was right, and it needed virtually nothing, and since he wasn’t faced with a three-year build as there was to get the Chevelle on the road, he bought it.

Before we get into specifics, the car has a history about as unique as you’ll find. It was purchased by Major League pitcher Brad Penny, then playing for the Dodgers, with the intent to have it rebuilt and modified. He took it to the shop of late Boyd Coddington where it was stripped to a bare shell and all rust and damage repaired. After the master builder passed away Penny moved the project to Timeless Kustoms, where it was completed in 2013. Distracted by his career, Penny sold the car to another party who then brought the car back to Timeless Kustoms. In turn Timeless Kustoms, knowing his fondness for 1969 Camaros, contacted Mike.

Check out the custom diffuser with integrated exhaust ports and rear wing designed to keep the car planted at speed.

Beyond the 1969 body, Mike was attracted to the car because of the high level of workmanship and attention to detail of Timeless Kustoms and the fact the car was ready to drive as it sat. Mike ordered a few changes to suit his personal preferences and soon he was out running the canyons near his home.

Headlight doors hide the front headlamps, just like those found on some first generation Camaros.

Back to the build: Timeless Kustoms cut out the floor of the Camaro’s OEM unibody (firewall back) and replaced it with a body on frame configuration with a custom floor pan. The Camaro shell now sits on an Art Morrison 2×4 Max G chassis, which features C6 Corvette front suspension and a four link solid axle rear suspension. To improve rigidity, a 10-point roll cage was fabricated and installed in a manner as to not draw attention to itself. Out on the corners are Corvette Z06 wheels bolted to 15.5? Brembo carbon ceramic brakes all around.

Under the hood sits a Chevy LSX small block assembled by Times Kustoms, which is fed by twin turbos. The LSX block measures 380 CID with a 4.125? bore and 3.620? stroke with a rational (for a turbo) 9.0:1 compression ratio. A camshaft was custom-ground to match the characteristics of the turbo LSX. Atop the block are a set of CNC machined LS7 cylinder heads. Air is drawn in through a K&N 69-series air intake system, utilizing the MAF sensor connector to tie into the GM engine harness and E-67 computer.

The twin-turbo 380 CID Chevrolet LSX small block is fed by a K&N filter at the end of a custom intake tube and produces in excess of 750 horsepower.

Past the filter, two Precision Turbo water-cooled turbochargers upgraded to ball bearings squeeze the incoming air and then move it through a Spearco intercooler to get rid of as much heat as possible. The pressurized air meets fuel in the cylinders drawn from the custom fabricated fuel cell by a Fuelab boost referenced, in-tank, 1200 HP fuel pump system.

Taking all the abuse is a Tremec wide ratio six-speed transmission from American Powertrain. Between the engine and the gearbox is a Centerforce twin disc clutch set-up. A 4-inch aluminum driveshaft transfers all that grunt back to a Ford 9? rear end, carrying a Detroit Tru-Trac limited slip differential fitted with a 3.50:1 ring and pinion.

Enough about what’s under the body shell. Let’s talk about the exterior, because if the mechanicals are fascinating the exterior is stunning. As is common practice these days, the bumpers were tucked tight to the body. Further, the drip rails were shaved for both aesthetics and aerodynamics. A custom rear wing was fabricated by Timesless Kustoms as well as an undercar diffuser, to help keep the car planted at speed. To help pull heat through the intercoolers, a set of subtle heat extractors were fitted in the hood. Detroit Speed powered headlamp doors are fitted to the grille, much like the option on some first generation Camaros. If you can’t name the paint color, don’t worry as it’s not in your typical hot rodders’ repertoire. It’s actually based on BMW’s Luscious Sparkling Graphite.

Of course the interior is up to the standards set by the mechanicals and the exterior. One of the first things you notice is the Marquez design dash packed full of fully analog Auto Meter gauges, tracking virtually every function on the car. The seats were custom built and designed for fast road or track day use. The interior upholstery is by Eric Thorson, along with a one piece suede headliner and Accu-Mat sound deadening. It does get a little warm from time to time where Mike lives, so a Vintage Air air conditioning system was installed.

As impressive as the list of components and modifications are, they’re little substitute for the impact the car makes in person on your eyes and your ears. For the time being, you’ll have to catch Mike driving the canyons to spot the car as he’s decided that he prefers to bring his Chevelle Grand Sport to shows and competitions. But with a fantastic as this Camaro, you never know – he may change his mind.

Spectre Performance will be attending the Goodguys 19th PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio this weekend.

The Goodguys PPG Nationals takes place every July in Columbus, Ohio.  The show brings in over 6,000 vehicles along with over 75,000 people throughout the three-day event.  Hundreds of vendors line the midway showcasing new products and competing for awards like the Best New Product and Best Booth Display.  The Saturday evening award gala includes two of the biggest awards all year, the Street Machine and Street Rod of the Year while the autocross includes the ultimate showdown between vendors.

Staff will be present in four different locations across the fairgrounds to answer questions and talk about product.

Spectre Performance has attended the PPG Nationals since 2010.  Though the show was known for its number in participants and spectators back then, the growth over the last six years has been extremely impressive.  Though, with so many spectators walking the midway and endless aisles of show vehicles, how can one see it all?

One of two K&N and Spectre truck and trailers will be set up by the autocross to provide a pit area for all the Spectre ambassadors racing throughout the weekend.

Rather than displaying in one location during the PPG Nationals as they had done in the past, Spectre Performance will be displaying in four different locations across the entire show.  The main booth featuring all four brands names including K&N, AIRAID, and Spectre will be located in the main vendor midway.  This is where you can find several products on display, talk to brand representatives and check out some beautiful builds.

The Spectre booth near the autocross will also host on-site custom air intake design and installations.

Near the autocross, Spectre Performance has another truck and trailer display that will be flying the K&N and Spectre banner.  This trailer will be home base to several autocross participants throughout the weekend.  The autocross is where you can catch a glimpse of the competition along with several fast cars and screeching tires.  The autocross is always one place that is guaranteed to provide entertainment to all ages.

Spectre has done several custom air intake installations at events such as the PPG Nationals.

Five Spectre sponsored drivers will be in the Spectre Performance booth with their vehicles as brand ambassadors throughout the weekend.  You can find hero cards on each of these drives at the Spectre Performance/K&N trailer.  Drivers are available for questions, pictures and autographs so make sure to get your hero cards and get them signed by each of the drivers.

The huge K&N and Spectre awning near the autocross will provide shade to live demonstrations and on-site air intake installs.  In the past, Spectre has been known to build one-off custom air intakes for most applications.  Customers would often bring their cars into the booth so a Spectre representative could fabricate a unique and custom air intake system for their car.  Goodguys Columbus will mark the return of this popular service.

Make sure to check out the Spectre and K&N displays to see the latest products and spin the wheel to win a prize.

As you enter into the Goodguys PPG Nationals, you might find a small pop-up with the Spectre, AIRAID and K&N name.  Here you can find product brochures along with information on the displays across the show, raffles held at the main Spectre Performance/K&N Booth and info about show attendee discounts.

When wandering through the event, it is hard not to get lost among all the cars.  Spectre Performance and Autometer Products put a trailer together that travels across the county displaying their latest products at car shows and race events.  This trailer will also be on display at the Goodguys PPG Nationals on the opposite side of the venue from the main Midway.

From intakes on display to raffle prizes, Spectre has brought a little bit of everything to the Goodguys PPG Nationals.  If you plan on attending, make sure to stop by the Spectre and K&N trailers to spin-the-wheel, see the latest products or check out some of the fastest autocross racers on the Goodguys circuit.  If you have to live vicariously through our newsletters, make sure to sign up for the Spectre Performance Newsletter and check back for more event updates.