Jim “Parish” Neuenfeldt has a knack for taking unlikely platforms and turning them into serious Drag Week contenders. His latest creation, a 5.3L turbo Chevy-powered Ford Fairmont, may look like “vanilla poop with rust flakes” (Parish’s own words), but when it hits the track, this RustRocket flat-out runs.
Built for Fun, Built to Win
This Fairmont was built by Parish, John Stevenson, and a group of Omaha friends, with additional help from generous enthusiasts who donated parts and wrench time. Despite its rough exterior, the Fairmont proved its worth at Hot Rod Drag Week 2007, where it claimed the Daily Driver class win with consistent 10.80-second passes.
This isn’t Parish’s first taste of Drag Week success either—he’s also won with his 10-second, 5,000 lb turbo Silverado two years in a row. That makes this Fairmont victory his third straight class win.
Under the Hood
The setup is as straightforward as it is effective:
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Engine: Vortec 5300 5.3L Chevy V8 from a Suburban
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Turbo: Generic MP70 unit
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Supporting Mods: Mix of budget-friendly eBay parts and clever fabrication
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ECU: MegaSquirt-I PCBv3.0 Engine Management System
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Wideband O2: Innovate Motorsports LC-1 with gauge
This combination proves you don’t need a six-figure budget to run deep into the 10s—you just need determination, creativity, and some well-chosen components.
Why DIYAutoTune?
Jim has been running MegaSquirt EMS systems for years, starting with his Silverado. For the Fairmont, he again chose DIYAutoTune’s MegaSquirt-I, supported by an LC-1 wideband O2 we donated to help his effort. The result? Reliable tuning control that allows this mismatched Fairmont to perform like a purpose-built race car.