Banks Pontiac Trans Am
A street-legal Pontiac Trans Am with 700-hp and a Banks turbo breaks the 200 mph barrier and becomes a cover story for Car & Driver magazine.
The first 200-mph street-worthy machine is Banks twin-turbo GT Trans Am, as tested and proven by Car and Driver magazine.
Banks’ American Turbocar Corp. started the Turbo Tuner craze. 700 bhp, 1 G lateral and 204 mph running the A/C…these things rocked the world. Car & Driver’s Csaba Csere proved the point on Mrs. Orcutt’s driveway.
“Speak Power. Well, Gale Banks and his engines do just that.” —Car and Driver
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Duramax goes full tilt with Banks PowerPack
Jay Lamb has been a fan for decades, but only recently was able to upgrade his truck with performance parts from Banks.
Read moreHelping Racers Go For 200 MPH
Banks has a storied history at the Bonneville Salt Flats, having been directly responsible for setting scores of records in dozens of classes.
Read moreAmerican Turbocar Pioneering the Tuner Car
The goal of American Turbocar was to make cars for a small percentage of car elitists. They wanted to offer the kind of performance offered back in the days when Carroll Shelby was making Cobras. Because of the immense power outputs of the cars, they require competent owners with experience.
Banks’ American Turbocar Corp. started the ...
Read moreTop 5 Podcasts of 2022
As we wrap up 2022, we look back at the top 5 podcast episodes from Speed School. We’ve learned and laughed a lot.
Read moreBonneville Beauty Shots
Discover the legendary Pontiac Trans Am, a Bonneville Salt Flats champion and automotive icon. This high-performance machine, immortalized on the cover of the 1988 book “Bonneville Salt Flats,” pushed the boundaries of speed with its twin-turbocharged 454 cubic inch engine. If you crave adrenaline and a piece of American automotive history, explore the world of ...
Read moreRick Young | Speed School Podcast EP 2
Gale Banks welcomes Rick Young, Banks’ 12th employee. Gale erupts in infectious laughter as Rick recalls hilarious antics during the company’s early years.
Read moreEp 1 – Speed School Podcast with Gale Banks
Gale Banks welcomes Csaba Csere, former technical director and editor-in-chief of Car and Driver. The two laugh about making history in a 700-hp, 200-mph street-legal Pontiac Trans Am. And, a hair-raising tale of a 170 mph test drive down a Southern California highway that almost cost their lives. Gale answers your questions.
Check out this episode!
Read moreGale Banks interview from the Salt Flats
https://youtu.be/szyPC-CiYnc
This week’s Time Machine finds a rare interview with Gale Banks recorded before his Twin-Turbo Pontiac Trans Am made its historic run in 1987. The 45-year-old Banks goes over the build of the car and has a timeless message of wisdom for all who are interested in automobiles. The Trans Am went on to beat ...
Read more1987 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 ...
Read more1986 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. ...
Read moreWhen it Comes to Racers…We Roll Our Own!
A friend asked for a race car sponsorship recently, but we usually don’t do that. When it comes to race cars, trucks or boats…it’s more fun to build and race our own! And, that way, if we do it wrong, win a race or set a record, it’s our own doing.
When it comes to fuel, ...
Read moreBlack Line Fever: 283 mph with Gale Banks.
Discover why the Pontiac Trans Am remains the undisputed king of speed. Learn how its aerodynamic design and immense power potential, as showcased by the record-breaking Banks/Pontiac Twin Turbo GTA, make it the ultimate choice for performance enthusiasts seeking to push the boundaries of automotive speed.
Read moreGale Banks’ Favorite Car, Ever!
Some friends have asked me to pick my favorite car. This is easy, even though I’ve Hot Rodded everything I’ve ever touched, even the ones I shouldn’t have, my choice is my 87 Pontiac.
Banks Twin Turbo 283 mph street Trans Am on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1987. We managed to go fast even though the ...
Read moreWarrior In Repose
(From the Archives – 04.12.02)
We have told you about some of the exciting projects currently under construction in the Banks race shop, but we have some good skeletons in the closet here at Banks, too.
Read more“Banks Power – The first 50 years” Opens at Wally Parks NHRA Museum
50 years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum to honor Gale Banks and his achievements.
Read more“BANKS POWER – THE FIRST 50 YEARS” OPENS AT WALLY PARKS NHRA MUSEUM – POMONA, CA
Pomona, California – – On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, fifty years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, in Pomona, California.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WoRjPCMC6k
Pomona, California – – On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, fifty years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks ...
Read moreTwin-Turbo Revival: Part 2
Back to the Future: Fast-Forward Firebird
Now for the kicker. Gale Banks recently pulled one of his original twin-turbo Firebirds out of mothballs, and it’s about to receive a Banks Revival twin-turbo small-block Chevrolet engine, and all the modern goodies to go along with it. Now, this isn’t just any ol’ ’84 Firebird—this one shows 15,000 ...
Read moreTwin-Turbo Revival: Part 1
The History and Evolution of the Gale Banks Engineering Twin-Turbo Chevrolet V-8s
Shown is one of Banks’ original blow-through-design twin-turbo small-block Chevrolet engines. These first-design “production” twin-turbos went into Banks’ GT Firebirds and Camaros. The engines made 500, 600 or 700 hp, depending on the depth of the customer’s pockets.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave ...
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’94-97 PowerStroke
Product Review: Gale Banks Engineering’s PowerPack System For The ’94-’97 Ford 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel.
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225 mph Banks Twin-Turbo GT
“225 MPH? From a gasoline-powered street legal automobile? That’s incredible!” Yes, but not impossible. Yet that’s what a lot of people say when they first learn about the fantastic F-bodied GM cars being custom-built by Gale Banks Engineering, a company renowned for their championship caliber turbocharged race boats, cars and engines. But it comes as ...
Read more200 mph Trans Am
A street-legal Pontiac Trans Am with 700-hp and a Banks turbo breaks the 200 mph barrier and becomes a cover story for Car & Driver magazine.
The first 200-mph street-worthy machine is Banks twin-turbo GT Trans Am, as tested and proven by Car and Driver magazine.
Banks’ American Turbocar Corp. started the Turbo Tuner craze. 700 bhp, ...
Read more