Project Salt Shaker

Clocking more than 267 mph, Banks Twin-Turbo Trans Am breaks Banks’ own 1981 record for World’s Fastest Passenger Car

1986 Banks Pontiac Trans Am World Record 260.212 mph. Clocking more than 267 mph (one-way), Banks Twin-Turbo Trans Am breaks Banks’ own 1981 record for World’s Fastest Passenger Car

Powered by a Gale Banks 1,400 horsepowered, twin-turbocharged 456 ci big block engine, and using Banks reverse deflector turbo pistons, camshaft and turbo valves, the Trans Am recorded an average speed of 260.212 mph. Still sporting stock power windows, tilt steering and functioning stereo, the Trans Am recorded a one-way blast of more than 267 mph – approaching an incredible 390 feet per second. The Banks Trans Am was the world’s fastest, stock-bodied passenger car on gasoline, eclipsing the 1968 Kehoe-McKinney-Banks Sundowner Corvette record by nearly 20 mph.

The Studebaker era ended for good at Bonneville with the Banks Firebird’s stunning 267 mph clocking. This is the first brutally fast passenger car record at the salt and the third in a row for Banks’ team.

Project Photo Gallery

Firebird 250 Salt Race
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Firebird 250 Salt Race
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Firebird 1986
Firebird Salt 1986
Firebird exploded
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Popular Mechanics Feb1987 cover
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Popular Mechanics Feb1987 p129
Firebird 250
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Latest News

  • 1987 Banks’ Bonneville Trans Am displayed at GM Assembly Plant1987 Banks’ Bonneville Trans Am displayed at GM Assembly Plant
    Record-Breaking Pontiac Trans Am GTA Boosts Employee Morale The Banks Trans Am GTA, a Pontiac Trans Am modified for record-breaking speeds, became a symbol of employee pride at GM’s Camaro and Firebird assembly plant in Van Nuys, California. After achieving new land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Trans Am was brought back to ...
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  • 1986 Banks Trans-Am Smashes Record1986 Banks Trans-Am Smashes Record
    Banks Trans Am Crushes Speed Record at 267 MPH! The Banks Power team joined forces with Pontiac and Popular Mechanics to create a record-breaking Trans Am. This powerhouse featured a monster 1,500 horsepower twin-turbocharged engine built by Gale Banks. After just three years of development, the Banks Trans Am obliterated the 1968 record of 201 mph. ...
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  • Salt ShakerSalt Shaker
    Gale Banks Engineering’s 1988 Pontiac Trans Am is the World’s Fastest Street Machine
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Latest News

The Banks CoolRunner lower oil pan replaces the factory stamped-steel pan, providing complete drainage, +2 quarts capacity, and FlowThru cooling fins

Duramax CoolRunner Oil Pan: Fix Dirty Trapped Oil

Discover the dirty secret hidden in factory Duramax oil pans: an elevated drain plug that traps nearly a half-quart of contaminated sludge every oil change, and how the Banks CoolRunner pan cures it with complete drainage, FlowThru cooling fins, and +2 quarts capacity.

Banks 5-inch Monster Exhaust system and patented Exhaust Pressure Module for 2024-2026 Chevy and GMC Duramax trucks

New 2024-2026 Duramax Monster Exhaust: True 5″

Banks introduces the world’s only true 5-inch DPF-back Monster Exhaust for 2024–2026 Duramax 6.6L trucks, using a patented Exhaust Pressure Module to cut backpressure without triggering check engine lights or melting trailers.

Banks R866SC V8 6.6L Supercharged Diesel

The Banks R866SC V8 6.6L Supercharged Diesel is an engineering powerhouse delivering 600-650 horsepower. Featuring a 3.8L Whipple supercharger and custom FEAD, this complete package is built for extreme performance.

Banks Derringer Level 2 fuel economy calibration chart for 2024-2026 Chevy and GMC Duramax L5P

2024-2026 Duramax Fuel Economy: Banks Derringer

Banks Derringer High Output tuner does more than just add power to your 2024–2026 Duramax 6.6L. Level 2 is specifically calibrated for improving fuel economyby adding more boost and optimizing fuel injection. And, Level 2 delivers an impressive 60 hp and 90 lb-ft to the wheels. For even more power, bump up to Levels 3-6 for power increases up to 86 hp and 178 […]

Banks Monster-Ram Education graphic showcasing the high-flow intake elbow for 6.7L Cummins trucks

Cummins Grid Heater Bolt Fix: Banks Monster-Ram

On all 6.7L Cummins, the factory grid-heater bolt is a known risk: if it breaks loose and reaches cylinder #6, engines are replaced—not repaired—an outcome costing north of $30,000. If you do nothing: the stock grid-heater bolt stays in the system—every start is a roll of the dice, and other replacements “fixes” still choke air flow. […]

Banks Monster-Ram Education graphic showcasing the high-flow intake elbow for 6.7L Cummins trucks

Killer Grid Heater Bolt: Hector’s Close Call

Hector’s 2015 RAM 3500 threw an intake-heater code, then his remote start system stopped working. He pulled his intake plate after reading about the killer grid heater bolt. To his horror and delight, he saw “the nut had broken off and was just sitting there” — one drive from disaster. Rather than install another factory heater plate, […]

Banks Monster-Ram Education graphic showcasing the high-flow intake elbow for 6.7L Cummins trucks

6.7 Cummins Monster-Ram: Smooth Intake Airflow

Your 6.7L’s stock intake elbow kills airflow with its sharp bend and restrictive air path. That added restriction makes the turbo work harder and dulls response. A Banks Monster-Ram intake elbow takes a different route—literally. We rerouted the #1 fuel line and replaced the restrictive grid heater which allowed us to open the air path and remove […]

Banks Monster-Ram Education graphic showcasing the high-flow intake elbow for 6.7L Cummins trucks

RAM Grid Heater Failure: How It Happens & The Fix

RAM 6.7L engines can suffer catastrophic damage as a result of a bolt inside the factory grid heater, which melts and drops into the intake manifold. In this 8-minute close-up, you’ll see exactly what fails, where to look on your truck, and the upgrade that removes the weak link. If you own a 6.7L, this […]

Dave Bell of Dave’s Auto Center and Gale Banks standing together next to a diesel engine block in Centerville Utah

Gale Banks Visits Dave Bell at Dave’s Auto Center

“This video is a huge full-circle moment for me,” says an emotional Dave Bell, owner of Dave’s Auto Center in Centerville, Utah and the star of the wildly popular YouTube channel of the same name. “I’ve looked up to Gale Banks since I was 15 years old,” Bell continues. “His engineering and genius has paved the […]