Indholdsfortegnelse for May 1998 i Hot Rod

Body and Soul In 1964, Detroit history was made. Pontiac Division Manager John DeLorean and adman Jim Wangers got the corporate suits to approve the installation of a large-car powerplant in a medium-sized sedan and created the GTO—the Motor City’s first such production-line assimilation. It was guaranteed to appeal to the War Baby explosion, and put considerable power—on the cheap—in the hands of anyone with the shekels to pay for it. Torque peaks rivaled the Rocky Mountains, compression ratios were higher than Lenny Bruce, and, used as intended, the musclecar might have traveled 12 miles on a gallon of icy-blue, lead-laced Sunoco 260—the mother’s milk of high compression. It’s difficult to imagine that vehicle dynamics relied so heavily on a rudimentary chassis and the woeful bias-belt tires of the day.…

If you’re building a car for competition in the HOT ROD/NMCA World’s Fastest Street Car drag racing series and have questions not addressed in the rule book, call 217/253-2187 to contact Tech Director Willie Benner. “Barefoot” (as they used to call him for his penchant for racing without shoes) can guide you to complete legality. And yes, shoes are required in all classes except Pro Toe and Street Feet. Pat Musi’s New Pro Street Threat Race fans who liked Pat Musi’s Popeye Pro Street ’69 Camaro are sure to enjoy the ’97 NMCA Pro Street champ’s new ride, this swoopy new Trans Am. Besides the sleek body shell, big changes for 1998 include a Willie Rells (Spring Valley, CA) tube frame and NOS/Harold Martin electronic fuel-injection system, replacing last year’s…

Horsepower and advertising are inextricably linked, always have been, always will be. Proof positive is seen in the recent Cadillac billboard ad campaign depicting a Northstar V-8-equipped Seville and the boastful motto “Today’s Muscle Car.” The performance-oriented Eldorado Touring Coupe (ETC) claims 300 hp from its 280ci, 32-valve powerplant. After driving the car, there is no doubt that it’s quick and fast. But how many of those 300 ponies and 295 ft-lb of torque actually make it from tire to tarmac? Again, the Dynojet toid the tale with readings of 216 and 222, respectively. Although drive-wheel horsepower is significantly lower than advertised engine output, any Northstar Cadillac is a solid street performer, despite a minimum curb weight of 3,800 pounds. Current production levels exceed 1,200 units per day, so we…

A recent national radio advertising campaign for Dodge contained this whimsical question-and-answer segment: “Do you know which Dodge has the quickest acceleration? That’s right, Viper. But do you know which Dodge comes in second? The answer may surprise you. It’s the Neon R/T.” Dodge is serious about marketing the entry-level Neon as a high-performance vixen, and Dodge should be. With the optional 2.0L twin-cam four, this car is peppy. But how much of its 150 hp actually sees the street? How ’bout a maximum of 117 at 6,000 rpm? That’s what the dyno told us, along with an indicated 110.9 lb-ft of torque. Doesn’t sound all that sexy, does it? But remember, these little bombs weigh in at around 2,500 pounds, so the power-to-weight ratio is what really counts. Despite…

Since its introduction in 1982, the Mustang GT consistently had more street huevos than its crosstown F-body counterparts. Its 5.0L motor and low curb weight struck fear into the hearts of Camaro and Firebird owners everywhere. Even 5.7 TPI jockeys were at risk. Then came the 4.6L (281 ci) of 1996, and suddenly the tables turned. An LS1-powered (or LT1, for that matter) anything will run rings around a single-cam Ford. To see exactly how the new engine measured up, we put a ’97 Mustang GT on the roller. At 180 and 250, both hp and torque trailed that of the competition by a wide margin. Are we down on the 4.6L No way, it’s a trick piece, but it will need more cubes to regain the crown. Again, we…

In the colossal living room that is Southern California’s high desert, the miscreants are busy planning their next scrape in the latest fourth-generation Camaro. Should we lay rubber? Shoot photos? Head for the fallow gold fields of Randsburg? How about soup? Yeah, lunch first, at the Thai place, accompanied by a fistful of stunning hot pepper and a crisp Thai malt…or two. After all, my partner, Kirschenbaum the Kvetch, sips booze at no time. Besides, he ain’t been outta the house for about a month and he’s willing and able to exercise control over our collective destiny in the greatest regular-production Z28 of all time. Soon, we’re motoring through desolate parts and we find ourselves, as always, feeling altogether insignificant by the scope of it. It’s hot and dry under…

Though we often pay them lip service, precious little has been done of late to discuss powerplant merits other than the venerable Chevrolet—usually because these engines have been discontinued and because there are few new parts available for them. So we now embark on the first segment of our new “Alternative Engine” series. Each of the motors we’ll outline is designed to specification: 500 streetable hp at the flywheel (on pump gas) for $4,000 or less, to include all parts and a bare machined block. (Cost of assembly will be extra.) No blowers, no 13.5:1 pistons—we’re after reliable, repeatable, naturally aspirated street performance. In between the ingredients, we’ll throw in some tips and tricks to make assembly easier. This month, we’re doing a 455 Buick as prepared by Rob Chilenski,…

HOT ROD has always been about technology and going fast more than it has ever been about a type of car, though the division lines of nationality draw far sharper comments than do the intramural squabblings of Ford against Chevy against Mopar. Disrespect comes from either lack of understanding or fear, and there is plenty of disrespect toward imports among American car nuts. For a group who holds going fast above all else (as we do), the import crowd has drawn plenty of sneers and derision from traditionalists. But the times they are a-changin’, and import performance cars are a growing niche that can be ignored no longer. What Price Hondas? Why Hondas? For the same reason that the ’55 Chevy was the hot setup 40years back: cheap, plentiful, stylish,…

Hot rodders are a demanding lot. We want fantastic throttle response and gobs of straight-line acceleration. We want notable fuel mileage, too. We want impressive looks, a solid feel, and glued-to-the-road handling. We want it all. And there are lots of ways to have it, but one of the most beneficial changes a hot rodder can make is often overlooked: diet. Shaving pounds from a car won’t help its looks, but it will increase performance. Once the fat has been trimmed, tuning the concentration of the remaining mass can bring further improvement. Better yet, why not plan and incorporate weight concentration before the project begins? Yo, Fatso! A typical American performance car weighs 3,000-3,500 pounds. Paring as little as 6 percent of the weight from a 3,300-pound Camaro or Mustang,…

Restoring and maintaining a classic car saps pocketbooks and emotions in equal measure. Most of us have heard horror stories of vintage iron wiped out in unforeseen accidents, and no matter how many times the subject comes up, we still get a chill when we consider our machines meeting a similar fate. But there is some relief from feelings of dread and apprehension. You can cover your baby for potential tragedy, so you’ll be able to bring it back to life, or if need be, replace it. Most of the time it ain’t cheap or easy to do, but you need to arm yourself with knowledge. Your task should not be to simply find the best price, but rather, the best coverage for the best price. Before filling out anything,…

Mint Condition Street rodders should recall the name Jim Inglese—he was the guy who supplied Weberized carburetion to the “high-techies.” Inglese sold his exotic intakes to Total Performance and moved into the diecast-model restyling business. About a year ago, I received a letter from Inglese stating, “My newest gig is designing rods and customs for the Danbury Mint, so find enclosed the first release of my designs—this ’55 ’hot rod’ Nomad.” Clearly, the Inglese/Danbury Mint (800/332-6468) collaboration has produced a superb collector’s item, one that no serious model fetishist can be without. Better yet, a subsequent survey sent to various magazine editors has indicated that there may be an equally nice ’32 roadster in the works—perhaps patterned after Doane Spencer’s historical highboy.…

Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? For many of us—at least, those of us who can’t afford a race car and refuse to wait for hours to make a sin-gle dragstrip run—the ultimate ride is one you can drive on the street every day, one that brings a smile to your face, a song to your heart, and a rise in your pulse rate. Whether you’re accelerating from a stoplight, banging gears as you go, or cutting apexes on snaky mountain roads, a street-driving experience lasts a lot longer than any dragstrip run, and can be as fulfilling. Just you, the car, and the open road, melding as one on your way to nowhere in particular. Become the gestalt and the gestalt becomes you. Having the right power…

When GM replaced the venerable LT1 with the all-new alloy LS1, most performance fans predicted the worst. With the same bore spacing as its only link to the classic Mouse, the LS1 had big brogans to fill. All we can say is those shoes are already a tight fit! How does 292 hp at the rear wheels grab you? The optional WS6 package with Ram Air and less-restrictive exhaust brings advertised hp to 320 (a similar upgrade package is part of the Camaro SS option). At that level, the WS6 LS1 is roughly twice as powerful as an ’82 LU5 CrossFire 305 V-8 (165 hp). This means we have one of two things: a ringer or, as many in the performance aftermarket have concluded from similar experience, a situation where…

As factory-performance packages keep getting hotter, it’s easy to become jaded. In 1989, we got all excited when Dodge and Carroll Shelby teamed up to produce a limited-production Dakota truck packed full of 318 V-8. Ten years later, those concoctions seem downright tame. In an equally amazing turn of events, the new Dakota R/T 5.9 package stuffs a midsize pickup platform with 360 ci. We tested one of the very first. The figures were impressive but fell short of what we expected—the 5,500-rpm rev limiter didn’t help matters, either. There we go again, too damned jaded! Hey, 191 hp at the rear tires is a stout figure no matter how you look at it. JUST THE FACTS, MAN Miles on test vehicle: 1,230 Engine: 5.9L OHV V-8 Transmission: 4A Rated…

Ford’s deadliest piece of street artillery is the SVT Mustang Cobra, and in a lot of ways, it reminds us of the ’69-70 Mustang Boss 429. Like the Boss, the SVT is powered by a decidedly exotic powerplant that, because of its width, is installed on a special niche assembly line. Further, the Cobra is cloaked in a mystical aura of exclusivity, as production is limited to 5,000 units per year. Would this aura have any influence on the Dynojet? Joe Jill, Jr. buried his foot into the car’s plush carpet—-256 hp at the rear wheels and a calculated 260 lb-ft of torque at the transmission-input shaft was the result. Hmmm, respectable numbers, to be sure, but barely within striking distance of the LS1 pushrod motor. As we recall, the…

Boy, talk about ungrateful. For years, there was nothing in HOT ROD about Pontiacs save for some F- or A-body chassis stuff that translated across all GM lines. So we, who have nothing but good intentions in our hearts, are doing our level best to rectify the situation. To wit January’s Edelbrock Pointiac head story. A two-parter on the ACC Judge. A Readers Rides section. The HOT ROD Funny Car’s Ponged street attack with a Pat Must 98’ Firebird. And we just stole away the editor of High Performance Pontiac magazine, fer cryin’ out loud. What do we get in return? Whiners. Moaners. Complainers. Self-righteous bottom-feeders who give the great Pontiac marque a bad rap. Screamin’sissies who haven’t got the backbone to include a return address with their logic-free rants…

Choosing a “top this” or a “best that” is totally subjective. So when management honored and inducted 100 rodders to HRM’s Hall of Fame, we knew some of our loyal readers would take exception and voice their opinions—and displeasures. Space consideration precludes a thorough airing of their missives, but a suggestion from Dick Duclow and 20 of his friends sums them up: “If your top 100 represents the true ’pioneers’—the people who ’made a difference,’ the people who were ’a credit to the sport,’ the people who always ’gave their all’ for the fans, the people who left the fans with ’a memory they’ll never forget’—the list should have been the top 101, and I think you can understand why. I and all the Pontiac enthusiasts feel that Arnie ’The…

Lots of power generates lots of heat. Being able to manage your hot property is the path to more power. Heat in excess can be more than just detrimental to engine output; in the extreme, heat can kill it. Here’s a brief look at parts you can rely on to help your motor stay cool. Steeda Steeda now has a heavy-duty radiator core for the ’94-’95 Mustang that bolts into the tight confines of the late-model body. It’s crafted from premium-quality aluminum and features a two-row, 21/4-inch-thick aluminum core for maximum cooling. Information: Steeda, Dept. HR05, 2241 Hammondville Rd., Pompano Beach, FL 33069, 954/960-1738. TD Performance Products Mega-Flex polished stainless-steel radiator and heater hoses look great, stay bright, and are more resistant to radiator chemicals than bronze or copper tubing.…

Keeps the Pucks in Line Q I’m converting drum brakes to discs on my ’71 El Camino. The instructions in the kit say it’s important to keep the brake pucks lined up exactly with the rotors, but they don’t say why. If I’m off a little, will it make that much difference? Steve ParkerTampa, FL A It can. If you don’t maintain a parallel between the mating surfaces of the pads and the brake rotor, some braking force is going to be lost, or improper pad loading will occur. In fact, if misalignment is severe wear at the junction of pad and rotor. Whatever time you take to assure proper alignment is likely to pay off in preventing early wear or damaged components. What’s “Hoppening”? Q I’ve been working with…

Once again, Ford builds the best-selling vehicle of all time, anywhere, ever. First the Model T, now the F-series pickup, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The iron titan has sold more than 23,000,000 units worldwide, edging the 22,000,000-selling Toyota Corolla and the VW Beetle (still being produced in Mexico), of which some 21,000,000 have been globally sold. Considering that Ford sells a half-million F-series trucks in the States each year without breaking a sweat, it should stay out front for the foreseeable future.…

Joe Goes Racing In the Pits with Coach Gibbs It was a simple but exciting plan. I’d go to the NHRA Winternationals, hook up with the Joe Gibbs/lnterstate Batteries/HOT ROD Funny Car (F/C) team, get my hands dirty helping out, then write about the unforgettable experience in Heads Up News. But upon my arrival at the fuel pit early Saturday morning, Gibbs’ public relations man, Dave Ferroni, quickly pulled me aside and said that things “under the tent” were a bit stressed, and maybe it would be best if I watched the proceedings from a distance. Our team had failed to qualify, and Saturday was the last chance. To make matters worse, a steel-gray mantle completely surrounded the Pomona Fairplex and the weatherman was predicting a 90 percent chance of…

With the frantic activity surrounding the HOT ROD/NMCA merger, the 1998 rule books contain omissions and minor errors. Fear not, 99.9 percent of the rule book information is solid. All the following revisions and clarifications to the 1998 HOT ROD/NMCA rule book took effect January I, 1998. Sharp readers will note that ’68 Hemi Darts and Barracudas are now accepted. Could this mean we can expect an invasion of NHRA SS/A racers? Let’s hope so! Check below for other specifics. PRO STREET Nostalgia weight breaks: Change ’68-72 Chevelle and GTO to ’64-74 (page 32). SUPER STREET Weight breaks: Change last line in paragraph to read: Super Truck entries may subtract 200 pounds for a fullsize truck, 100 pounds for a midsize—i.e. Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-10 (page 50). HOT STREET Change…

Because we tested the Pontiac Trans Am first and were duly impressed by its near-300hp rear-tire power reading, we expected the Corvette, with an extra 40 advertised horsies, to deliver in the neighborhood of 320 hp to the road (see above figures). We queried tuners and members of the late-model performance aftermarket who unanimously suspect the GM is installing the same 5.7L LS1 motor in Camaras, Firebirds, and Corvettes. Yes, the intake and exhaust tracts differ somewhat, but ac-cording to these sources, not enough to account for significant performance disparities. So what we appear to have are slightly overrated Corvettes and grossly underrated F-bodies. Regardless of paper-and-ink power ratings, any of these cars is capable of sub-6-second zero-60 and mid-13-second times off the showroom floor. That’s all ya really need…

Ten years ago, we couldn’t have imagined a Detroit-built supercar like the Dodge Viper GTS coupe. Ten cylinders? Six speeds? Plastic body panels? The legendary street Hemi has been blown into the weeds! With these thoughts in mind, we watched anxiously as Joe’s son, Joe Jill, Jr., brought the bestriped blue beast through the gears for its moment of truth. At wide open throttle, the V-10 made its infamous muted whooshing surge as the Dynojet got the goods. The data was most impressive: a whopping 406 hp at the rear tires, and a computed input-shaft torque reading of 445 lb-ft. For the sake of comparison, a typical unmodified street Hemi delivers 320-350 hp on this same dyno, so the Viper’s V-10 is more than capable of embarrassing an American horsepower…

Although front-drive performance cars aren’t exactly lusted after at HOT ROD, we were curious as to the drive-wheel output of GM’s supercharged V-6. Also available in Buicks and Oldsmobiles, this potent Buick-developed, Eaton-blown package, like the awesome turbocharged Regal Grand National motor of the ’80s, ensures that historians won’t overlook the 231-inch V-6 as some slurry by-product of GM’s ’61 compact-car development program. To get the goods, we strapped the front end to the Dynojet’s roller and let it rip. Surprise: 197 hp and a calculated 262 lb-ft of torque at the input shaft, despite the automatic transaxle and power-robbing torque converter. The healthy torque net is testimony to the power of supercharging, and accounts for an extremely responsive low- and midrange. Make no mistake: With a curb weight in…

Words are funny things. They are simultaneously infinite and limiting. They can mean any or all of several things at once. Words can corrupt a pure thought and revert the foundations of discussion and debate to rubble. Just one letter out of place—an M for an N, a G for a C—can change the root and direction of an entire sentence, paragraph, story. Take a word, any word—number, for example. What can it mean? Is it simply a way to express a string of digits that, when pressed into greater context, can reveal greater meanings? Numbers are officious and concrete; cold, harsh absolutes are their realm. There is no sense of humor—mistaking an 8 for a 6 is only wrong, not clever or amusing. Sadly, numbers run our lives. Computers…

Mercedes-Benz has always been utterly logical about its model designations. The sporty new folding-hardtop coupe, for example, is the SLK 230; “SLK” stands for the German translation of sporty, light, and compact, with an engine displacement of 2.3L. Simple, right? Such was the case in the 70s, when Daimler-Benz gave us diesel-puking gems like the 240D, named for the 2.4L diesel engine clanking away under the hood like 100 marbles in a dozen coffee cans. Sehrgut? No chance, mensch. Using Mercedes’ own designations, you can’t really call Lew Reid’s 75 240D a 240D anymore, because it no longer harbors a diesel. Nope, there is now a 474ci big-block Ford snarling away behind that chromed, upright, three-pointed star on the grille, which means that this would have to be a…hmm…if the…

The best way to build a rod is to sketch it first. Unfortunately, most of us are motor morons, and so artistically inept we can’t even draw attention. Some thoughtful rodders build models, commission automotive designers, or take photos of cars they like before commencing with the project. On the other hand, a significant number of us “wing it,” and hope that imagination will suffice. But there may be a $20 solution to our pencil paranoia. Thanks to Chip Foose—director of Hot Rods By Boyd and automotive artist extraordinaire—there’s a simple, el cheapo way to precision-render the rod of your dreams. Read on, Chillen.…

Brute Strength Raybestos Brake Pads The Raybestos Brutestop line of disc-brake pads gives performance-minded customers superior braking power under all conditions. These brakes dramatically reduce fade, and recover up to twice as quickly as standard pads. Brutestop’s integrally molded construction is 400 percent stronger than riveted pads for all performance-production cars and light-truck applications. Check out Raybestos Brutestop disc-brake pads at your favorite auto-parts store. Mirror, Mirror Classic Industries GM owners will be happy to hear that Classic Industries has issued new chrome-backed inner rearview mirrors. Each one is reproduced to exact specifica-tions, down to the small est detail. The mirror includes a day/night adjuster with the correct color trim around the assembly. Information: Classic Industries, Dept. HR05, 17832 Gothard St., Huntington Beach, CA 92647, 800/854-1280. Pump Up da…