The 346ci LS6 came from a 2001 Chevy Corvette Z06 and was topped with aluminum heads, which were ported and polished by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering before the 2.00/1.60 valve combo was installed (using sodium-filled stainless valves). Single springs and 1.7:1 ratio rockers were also bolted up, and the heads, dialed in with an 11:1 compression ratio, breathe through a K&N-equipped airbox and ram induction system that Jeff made. Spark is delivered to the eight GM coils through MSD wires, and the exhaust exits out a pair of owner-made, 1.75-inch headers (coated by Jet-Hot) and out of 3-inch stainless tubing.
The Ultima body comes in a yellow-colored Gel-coat, which is exactly how Jeff runs his car: unpainted. The only bodywork he needed to do to the car was add some brake cooling vents to the nose (on either side of the radiator hole). The only addition he made was the large wing across the body's backside, which is an APR center section with carbon fiber ends (made by Jeff) all supported by aluminum mounts fab'd by Scott Johnson.
Inside the cockpit, Jeff built a full rollcage from 1.5-inch tubing to fit around the carbon-fiber panels he made and the Sparco racing bucket seats. Schwartz also redesigned the dash to his liking, fitting Nordskog digital and bar-graph gauges to it. Besides the seats (with Sparco five-point harnesses) and the rollcage, there isn't much else you can fit in the car. In fact, when Jeff goes on a long drive (often taking his 15-year-old son, Dale, along on the trip), he has to fold his clothes up backpack-style and stuff them behind the seat, 'cause that's the only space left when two people are in the cockpit. The total weight of the car, when the 16-gallon fuel cell in the side pod is full, checks in at 2,210 lbs without the driver.
It takes guts to drive your kit car 400 or so miles to the race track, beat it like a dead donkey, and then drive the car home at the end of the day, but that's what Jeff feels a car should be able to do. He believes it so much his Ultima has had a hand in changing his life: He quit his day job and has opened his own parts business, Highside Motorsports, near his home in Crystal Lake. His wife, Lynda, runs it while Jeff operates Schwartz Extreme Performance, a car-building facility that creates G-machines (typically a '60s-era musclecar that has been highly modified to perform well on a road course). Yes, he's spec'd a few Ultimas for different people, and expects more folks will want one once they see how well he's done with his. It took about 1,000 hours over one year to complete the build.
In his spare time, Jeff is working with son Dale on his Trans-Am, which has been set up with a NOS-equipped motor that produces 700 hp. When he's out driving in the Ultima, Jeff has rolled up on some high-speed motorcycles that are quite surprised to see the bright-yellow racer pacing them for as long as Jeff wants. He also says the car "feels tame" from 100 to 120 mph, but it "starts to get busy" above 160. Jeff commented he hasn't found any Ferraris or Vipers that want to play, but that will probably happen someday. Until then, Jeff intends to keep his Ultima because, as he sees it, as it's about as close to a perfect ride as he can get. And isn't that what we would all like?