A Kearney father-son pit crew builds project car, bonds (2024)

KEARNEY — Father-son team Steve and Josh Hart say they’ve always been close. During the seven months they’ve been wrenching on their Infiniti project car, they’ve grown even closer.

“We’ve gone from changing oil to swapping a transmission,” Steve said about the leap of mechanical knowledge he and his son are experiencing.

As exciting and challenging as it is to double the horsepower on their metric street rod, the pair also is learning what makes each other click.

“I’m more hesitant to try things, but my dad just goes for it,” said Josh, a University of Nebraska at Kearney chemistry grad and Creighton University pharmacy student. Steve is the sanitation supervisor for the city of Kearney.

Steve said his son takes a more studied approach as they transform their 2009 Infiniti into a modern muscle car. The G37 is well-suited as the platform for the Harts’ plans.

“This is a 370-Z in a tuxedo,” said Josh, referring to the Infiniti’s Nissan sports car bloodline. Stock, the Infiniti delivers 280 horsepower to the rear axle. Turbo-charging the 3.5-litre engine and boosting the displacement to 3.7 liters will more than double the Infiniti’s horsepower, so Steve and Josh need to beef up the powertrain or their 700 horsepower engine will eat the transmission, torque converter and differential for lunch.

Building a project car was Josh’s idea. Steve and Josh tossed it around, and decided before jumping in with both feet, they sought official approval.

Mom was very supportive, Josh said. Steve confirmed it.

“I asked Lynette and she was for it. She supports us really a lot,” Steve said.

Josh and his dad agreed on a few ground rules. Safety would be their first priority. They would share costs equally. “And no speeding tickets,” Steve said.

They believe it will take about two years to complete their transformation of the G37.

They’ll add components under the hood, including a turbocharger and intercooler. Those devices, paired with new fuel injectors and other nifty bits will help the car breathe better. The Harts also will strengthen the path from engine to rear axle. A beefier transmission, torque converter, drive shaft and rear axle will stand up better than stock parts, they said.

Steve and Josh have discovered their problem-solving approach is similar, but Josh is more of a bookworm. He studies a variety of sources before attacking a complex operation. Steve said YouTube and other online sources have been essential to their success so far, but there situations when your best bet is talking with local experts.

“Yep, I remember them clearly,” said Les Leonard, owner of Affordable Transmissions. Steve and Josh asked about a clearance problem with a torque converter. The beefier part they attempted to install is thicker than the stock converter, so Leonard helped figure out a solution.

The Harts weren’t the first father-son team Leonard has coached, but they stood out because they were working on an exotic import.

“They were both really nice guys,” Leonard said.

Josh and Steve have been keeping notes as they progress. Names, phone numbers, parts sources and other info could come in handy, so they’re collecting it as they go. Like so many post-pandemic projects, the Harts are waiting on parts so they can resume their work.

They’re taking a systematic approach, finishing one part of the project before moving on to the next phase.

They’re sharing costs. That means they’re taking advantage of opportunities to shave expenses. When the prior owner tossed in an extra set of wheels, they sold one set and purchased new wheels with the extra money.

They anticipate spending about $30,000 for their entire project, but it’s not about money or even building a fast car, Josh said.

“Our project is a good opportunity to work through problems together and find creative solutions,” he said.

Josh said he’s learned a lot about his dad. Josh said his dad isn’t intimidated by a challenge and is a great teammate and teacher.

“I’ve learned to be persistent. Eventually you’ll succeed,” Josh said.

“I have everything as far as material things, but the important thing is the time you spend together,” Steve said.