Adrenaline on full flood and heart rate pounding, John Andrade, Jr. stood in disbelief, staring at the mangled mess of GM G-body in front of him. The likeable Oklahoman had called out the “Dominator” on the popular Discovery Channel show Street Outlaws and was hoping to make is way up “the list”—the top 10 of Oklahoma City street racers—in his nitrous-assisted small-tire 1982 Hurst/Olds-clone Cutlass. Unfortunately, within the first few hundred feet of unprepped surface, the car made a hard right, crossed the centerline, jumped the curb, and came to rest in the grass with its nose pointed toward the starting line…and Andrade’s season plans were immediately scrapped.
Harrowing as it was, by Andrade’s admission, it could have been much worse. After assessing the smoldering mass, the car had sustained some serious damage all around. Up front, the car had a broken rack and pinion, a pair of snapped tie rods, two blown shocks, a broken coil spring, and a bent wheel. The rear didn’t fare much better, as the rear suspension was bent, both rear brakes were damaged, and both rear wheels were mangled. unshaken, Andrade set out to rebuild and put the car back on the street—stronger than ever.
Andrade first acquired the car two years ago, when a phone call from friend Justin “Big Chief” Shearer prompted him to seek out a new ride. “Justin called me about being on a TV show. He said, ‘Are… Read more of this article. Just click on the digital feature below this introduction.
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