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Jim Oberhofer

Mac Tools/Jesse James Top Fuel dragster co-crew chief Jim Oberhofer will appear as a member of the design team on the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage from 9-10 p.m. ET, Monday. Oberhofer contributes his drag racing know-how to help design a quarter-mile Cadillac racer. The show is hosted by legendary fabricator and all-around wildman Jesse James, who sponsors the Mac Tools/Jesse James Top Fuel dragster.

Oberhofer, a 17-year Kalitta Motorsports veteran, filmed his part of the show in February after the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

"It was a lot of fun," Oberhofer said. "I think Jesse already had in mind what he wanted to do with the car before we got there. I was just there to validate some of his ideas about building the racecar.

Jesse James takes his tricked-out Caddie for a spin.

"I was there mainly to tell him and the other guys on the design team if things would work. Obviously, I know more about Top Fuel racing, but the basic principles can be used to make anything go faster – things like getting good traction and motor angles and stuff like that are what I helped with."

The project began as a 1981 Fleetwood Cadillac. After just a few days of flying sparks, raging power tools, the addition of rear slicks, a supercharged powerplant, and many more custom pieces, the new metal monster hit the pavement with James behind the wheel.

"The car was trick when they got done with it," Oberhofer said. "When we got to see it run after they were finished with it, I was surprised how quick it ran. There weren't any timers, but you could tell that it was a fast car. You could tell Jesse had a lot of fun driving it.

"He enjoys what he's doing. We watched him working on the car some. Even with all of his celebrity status and all that, he still really likes just getting in there and getting his hands dirty and banging away on metal."

Two of James' world-famous West Coast Choppers custom motorcycles can be seen in the Mac Tools/Kalitta Motorsports pit area at any one of the 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national events.