Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2014 i Hot Rod

Fifty years ago this month, the world was introduced to an orange elephant from Highland Park, Michigan, that did something Chevrolet’s 427 Mystery Motor couldn’t the year before. Chrysler’s 426 Hemi dominated the ’64 Daytona 500 and solidified the Hemi engine into a legend that owes more to its name than the cubic inches it displaces. When the ’64 race Hemi debuted in its NASCAR “Track” trim and swept with a 1-2-3 finish at the very first motorsport event it entered, it paved the way for over-the-counter race “Drag” and “Street” versions that guys like us could actually buy. But how could an underdog company like Chrysler build an overachiever engine like the 426 Hemi and win a race that General Motors couldn’t using the same basic game plan? The…

There’s something to be said about a guy who stuffs a realdeal front-engine dragster into his conference room and calls it a table. To sit around this glass-covered digger, you won’t use a pit pass—you’ll need your people to get you a meeting with Bud Brutsman, the CEO of Brentwood Communications International Inc. (BCII). Brutsman’s the guy who produced many of the car shows you’ve seen on TV: Rides, Overhaulin’, and Hot Rod TV—and he’s a true gearhead. The idea for the dragster conference table came about during production of a new TV show he’s doing called Backroad Gold, which stars Corky Coker of Coker Tire Company and begins airing on Travel Channel this month. While in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for filming, Brutsman struck a deal with Coker to have his…

The HOT ROD staff is a pretty lucky bunch. Where we live, you have to seek out snow, but apparently those of you who live elsewhere have a thing called “winter” to deal with. This carkilling season is why our editor moved out of Massachusetts. From what he tells us, there’s snow on the ground, ice on the roads, and the worst part is the corrosion-fueling concoction of chemicals used to de-ice the highways. Sounds evil. On the plus side, winter can be a time when you put your cars in the garage for longterm wrenching projects, and turn to a car or truck that you might not otherwise consider driving—a guilty pleasure of forbidden iron. We call these sacrificial automobiles “winter beaters,” and for best results we recommend you…

If you had your way, you’d spend every free day at some mecca of speed, but scheduling your week of around Bonneville every year might eventually lead to a cranky spouse and whiny, sunburned children. When the fam finally puts their feet down and demands a vacation they can enjoy, you can smile and give in, because there is car stuf to do everywhere. Take for example, New York City. The Big Apple is arguably one of the least car-friendly cities in the world, but with a little research and a MetroCard, we’ve discovered that the hot rod spirit is alive and well in the Empire State. Here are a few ways to get your petrol fix in the biggest city. 01] BELLMORE STATION • Bellmore, NY Start your weekend…

Being a hot rod enthusiast, you are probably caught up in the aura of the ’67–’69 Camaro, finding those three years to be the pinnacle of Camarodom. So it may come as a surprise that when the ’70 Camaro (or ’70½, as some have tagged them) hit the magazines and showrooms, it was considered the ne plus ultra of Bow Tie execution—the standard by which all Camaros, all muscle cars really, would be judged into perpetuity. It had such sophistication and extreme presence with its “European styling” that it was quite naturally the top of the affordable-performance-car mountain, possibly even supplanting the Corvette, which received only a mild facelift that same year. Even Motor Trend gushed saying, “Everything else you knew just went obsolete. The shape of the…

Fifty years ago this month, two legends were born in Daytona Beach, Florida. One was an incredibly talented 26-year-old driver from North Carolina, who would go on to become the “King” of NASCAR. The second was a virtually indestructible “Elephant” of a motor that would redefine American performance engines and create the architecture used by Top Fuel drag racers to this very day. The legend of this “King” and “Elephant” is famous around the globe. Some of you know these two by their numbers (43 and 426), their colors (Petty Blue and Hemi Orange), or the black crinkle-finish covers they wear on their heads. All of you know their names, Petty and Hemi. Both the man and the engine are intrinsically tied together because of events that aligned…

Gary Higginbotham from American V8 Classics and Customs in Alpharetta, Georgia, showed off an interesting ’69 Camaro at the ’13 SEMA show that caused a lot of double-takes under the hood. Many onlookers thought they were seeing a mirrored firewall, but they were actually looking at matching LS 427ci engines mounted in tandem. GOT PICS? If you’ve built or restored your car and have documented it in pictures every step of the way, we might be able to use your story in HOT ROD. Contact us to find out. Mail: HOT ROD Start To Finish, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245. Email: HOTROD@HotRod.com.…

I’m not an EFI guy—yet. However, I am slowly seeing the light. I’m not anti-EFI or against technology, it’s just that my first real taste of the perils and power of electronic fuel injection only came during a recent road trip while filming episode 24 of Roadkill, and since that experience I’ve been lured halfway to the dark side, at least in certain applications. Freiburger, Brandan Gillogly, and I spent three days swapping the Crusher Camaro’s carbureted and blown big-block Chevy and 4L80E powertrain for a naturally aspirated and EFI-equipped LS7 with a 4L70E trans during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis, while a video crew followed our every move and streamed it live to YouTube on the Motor Trend channel. The install was fairly easy. Holley…

Have you seen those new modular small-block Chevy oil pans? They’re, oh, wait, no, that’s not supposed to be like that. Apparently, a connecting rod at high speed makes a pretty good buzz saw. Ken Stasiak sent us this photo of his oil pan after a dragstrip failure. Back in the good old days, this pan was one piece, and it was keeping the juice in the 555ci big-block that powered Ken’s 9-second, street-legal ’65 Corvette. Then there was some sort of disagreement between the No. 1 rod and its fasteners. The rotating parts blew out with such force that Ken was able to reach through the remains of the block and remove the top of the piston by hand. Some of the pieces he never did find. “They’re lying…

When I’m on a perfect road trip, I envision myself within a cocoon of isolation from the real world—a place where I dismiss the rules of career, time, and even couth. But much has to align for that bliss to set in. A proper solo trip involves no schedule, no route map, no cities, and a questionably roadworthy vintage vehicle that’s loud enough inside to quash any instinct to answer the iPhone. If you can evade areas of connectivity entirely, all the better. Using an old car is key, as it philosophically and socially sets you apart from the average motorist. A patinaed old ride opens doors with everyone from parts-counter guys to the hermit with a secluded junkyard and a shotgun. The unique car will probably lead to an…

It was like a bomb dropped on Daytona. The first day of qualifying for the ’64 500, Darel Dieringer’s ’64 Mercury set a new top speed of 169.014 mph. It looked like a precursor to another Ford win at the 500. But the next day, and with crosswinds, Richard Petty went 174.639 mph in his ’64 Plymouth—his 426 Hemi-powered ’64 Plymouth. NASCAR would never be the same again. The new single four-barrel Hemi took the top three finishes at the Daytona 500, and pandemonium ensued. Chrysler had created a racing engine loosely based on its Hemi design of the ’50s, but these new Hemis had little in common with their predecessors. Petty would go on to win the NASCAR Grand National Championship that year, with Dodges and Plymouths clearly dominating…

Steve Hayne // Fredericksburg, Virginia This ’68 camaro sits on Forgeline Wc3 three-piece wheels, 18X10 in the front and 18X12 in the rear. this first-gen camaro was originally a drag car. Bill Powell // Denver, Colorado Bill built this ’53 chevy pickup himself with a 283ci V8 backed by a 8.5-inch 10 bolt. Bill drives it every chance he gets. Dick Tatina // Countryside, Illinois This ’49 oldsmobile coupe is dressed in Victory red. dick rebuilt the original rocket 303ci V8 and Muncie m20. George Jones // Smithfield, Virginia George has owned this ’67 plymouth Belvedere for seven years now. it’s powered by a 318ci V8 and backed by an automatic. Charles E. Humphrey // Macon, Georgia This ’71 chevy truck is currently on display at a Summit racing storefront.…

It all began innocently enough: Popular & Performance Car Review (which became Muscle Car Review) published an article titled “Fifty Fastest Musclecars” (Nov. ’84) based on car-test data published by automotive enthusiast magazines of the ’60s and ’70s. When the article came out, a ’66 427 Cobra was ranked First, a 425hp ’66 427 Corvette was ranked Second, and a ’70 Buick GS Stage 1 was ranked Third. A Buick? Te third-fastest muscle car ever made? Faster than a Hemi? Impossible! At least, that’s what several Mopar fans thought. Even though 8 of the 50 cars on Popular & Performance Car Review’s list were Hemi-powered, that wasn’t good enough for many Hemi owners. Florida resident Roy Badie wrote to the magazine: “I am surprised at the bogus muscle-car report…Anyone who’s…

“So do you think the Hemi is overrated?” I’m sitting at a small table at the Waffle House in Ocala, Florida, when I ask this question, and “Big Daddy” Don Garlits nearly slams his fist in his scrambled eggs and tomatoes as he leans across to answer me. “No,” he shouts, waving a triangle of toast. “It deserves every bit of its reputation.” Well, Don Garlits would know. The Chrysler Hemi helped him achieve 17 world titles, eight U.S. National championships, and more records and event wins than we could list in this magazine, let alone this article. I offer him some of my waffle to make up for asking such a stupid question. Later, during a phone interview, I ask the same question to Ramcharger and former…

Halfway between the “Mile High City” and the über-chic hamlet of Vail, Colorado, lies the quaint Victorian-laced town of Georgetown, Colorado. Once the site of a large silver-mining operation, the town is now a throwback to a quieter time. Visitors enjoy the natural ambiance of the touristy downtown, while sightseers marvel at the startling scenery that surrounds the village. At 8,500 feet, it’s on the doorstep of the Continental Divide; here you’re pretty much “Rocky Mountain High,” as Mr. Denver so cleverly put it. But in the summer of 1952, these hills were not as quiet. Tat year, the Denver Sports Car Club (DSCC) plotted and executed a hillclimb challenge up the town’s old wagon path—a dirt-strewn route that led south out of town, up Leavenworth Mountain and forged…

It still doesn’t have a name, but it finally has a firewall and an engine. The first issue with stabbing a 426 Hemi into the ’55 Chevy is the lack of space between the core support and the firewall. The radiator can go ahead of the core support like the factory positioned it on straight-six-equipped cars, but there still isn’t enough room for a mechanical fan or twin electric fans without positioning the engine where the valve covers hit the firewall. That won’t do since we’ll need access to the covers to check the valvetrain frequently. So we did the smart thing and cut the firewall out right along the upper seam and along the body mounts. We then sheared 2-inch-wide strips of 16-gauge sheetmetal and welded them into the…

Some cars are loyal beasts, always reliable, always predictable. The Opel—which I’ve been driving while working on a new engine for the Challenger—is a feral animal. It was abused and neglected for years, and I must teach it to understand love. It doesn’t want to be loved though; it wants to make me look stupid. I must admit the Opel hasn’t exactly failed me. I’ve always made it home, but it repeatedly lulls me into thinking it’s in good working order, and then bam!, it pulls something. For example, the gauges work but not consistently. They sort of bounce around in a generally accurate area. Oh, and one evening the temp gauge pegged hot and stayed there, prompting an emergency exit during rush hour, only to find all components perfectly…

THE COMBO Greg Miller has owned his ’68 Chevelle SS for more than 20 years. Backed up by a Tremec TKO-600 five-speed overdrive manual trans and 3.42:1 geared 12-bolt Posi rearend, the car’s latest engine—a balanced and blueprinted, 9.5:1, 0.030-over 396—currently sports Edelbrock aluminium Performer RPM oval-port heads and a Comp Cams XR282HR Extreme Energy hydraulic-roller cam (0.521/0.540-inch lift with Harland Sharp 1.7:1 roller rockers, 236/242 degrees duration at 0.050, 110-degree LSA). ACCEL’s rendition of the large-cap GM HEI breakerless non-computer distributor enhanced by an ACCEL in-cap Super Coil light the spark; full-length Jet Hot–coated headers (1¾-inch primaries into 3-inch collectors), dual 2½ pipes, and generic turbo mufflers exhaust it. Originally, the motor was fueled via an engine-mounted mechanical fuel pump, a 750-cfm Holley double-pumper carb, and an…

SEND YOUR PHOTOS To be included in Scene by Readers, send low-rez photos and some information about them to HOTROD@HotRod.com. If we elect to use your photo, we will email back with instructions on how to send us a high-rez photo for publication.…

Nostalgia racing has got to be the best idea the National Hot Rod Association has had since the NHRA’s inception in 1951. The NHRA’s Heritage Series offers races across the country for front-engine dragsters, vintage Funny Cars, Altereds, and other glorious throwbacks to the days when every race car was distinctive and the teams could win with smarts as easily as with money. We’re happy to see the events are growing, and this year at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield there were so many racers that they filled the staging lanes and stretched all the way back to the pits. If you haven’t been to one of the Heritage Series races yet, find one nearby and get over there (NHRAhotrodheritage.com). There’s really nothing like a day spent with…

Billed as “Daytona Rising,” the $400 million remodel of the World Center of Racing is taking place at Daytona International Speedway, located in Daytona Beach, Florida (for those living under a rock for the last 50 years). The reimagination of Daytona broke ground in July 2013 and is slated to be finished for the ’16 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the Daytona 500. The back-stretch seating will be eliminated, while front-stretch seating is to be improved by raising it 12 feet. All of the metal seats are being replaced with 101,000 molded, wider seats. Upper-level views will be similar to those of the Petty, Earnhardt, and Sprint towers. Twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands will be another notable improvement. NASCAR says they’re providing the…

“Hot Rodders Capture International Speed Records for U.S.” Tat’s the cover blurb on the Nov. ’52 issue of HOT ROD magazine. Beneath that declaration of national pride is a photograph of a wide, low streamliner. Its sunburned crew, including builders George Hill and Bill Davis, are dressed in grimy T-shirts and cuffed jeans, just a group of young California hot rodders testing a backyard-built machine. They went out to Bonneville because they wanted to run fast, but they did more than that. They broke a 15-year-old record and ushered in the era of the American top-speed hero. More than 60 years would pass before Bill Davis would be back on the salt with a reborn version of the car that started it all. Te story of his first…

Contact ICON IMAGE GRAPHICS; Cerritos, CA; 714.523.2407; IconImageGraphics.com ROOKIE MISTAKES Too Much Heat: Some vinyl, like the 3M 1080 series, has memory. If the vinyl becomes wrinkled before it’s applied, you can gently heat the material for a few seconds, and watch the film return to its original shape. Overstretching: Vinyl is layered material. If you pull too hard, one material will stretch while the other doesn’t, resulting in waves and ruined adhesive. Firmly hold the material, but don’t stretch it.…

Q: I have a question about the small hose going from the front of the intake manifold to the water pump on a big-block chevy. i have a Dart manifold that has no provision for that water hose. I’ve heard different opinions about this hose: Some say plug off the hole on the top of the water pump and forget it. Others say chevy put it there for a reason and it should be there. I’ve also seen manifolds with water lines running from front to rear on both sides of the manifold. I’d like to get your opinion. A: All engines that run a thermostat need to have some type of bypass provision to avoid localized hot spots, minimize the chance of steam pockets developing, promote even and…

01] AMERICAN RACING AmericanRacing.com; 800.959.1969; $150; PN VN690 The third-gen Camaro IROC wheel is arguably the best-looking factory wheel in recent decades. The American Racing Hot Rod five-spoke mimics that IROC wheel. Only offered in chrome, it’s said to be superior to anything the factory ever ofered. Perfect for those who want to show of trick brakes or suspension, the wheel is available in 16-, 18-, or 20-inch diameters, but only with a 4.5-inch backspacing. 02] WELD RACING WeldRacing.com; 800.788.9353; starting around $390; PN RT-S S76 Weld Racing introduced three new wheel designs in its RT-S line at the ’13 SEMA Show. Designed as a throwback to the muscle-car era, these will fit most late-model muscle cars. Built from high-quality cold forged aluminium, they are strong while still cutting down…