Indholdsfortegnelse for July 1965 i Hot Rod

COMPETITION CLUTCH The new “‘Dominator” pressure plate developed by Weber Speed Equipment is reported to utilize husky eyebolts, stronger fingers and heavily beefed springs for positive clutch pressure plate pressure under severe racing conditions. Beefed assembly is said to handle torque loads well into the 600 ft./Ib. range. For catalog, send 50c to Weber Equipment, 310 So. Center St., Dept. HR, Santa Ana, Calif. MUSTANG HEADERS Hedman has announced introduction of new headers for the Mustang, to fit all models with or without automatic trans, that can be installed without any expensive alterations, according to the manufacturer. Available in single outlets ($72 set), or for racing Mustangs with a 4-tube setup for top performance ($130 set). Hedman Hedders, 4630 Leahy Street, Dept. HR, Culver City, Calif. NO-SHO VALVE STEM No-Sho…

The word quickly spread among members of the L.A. Roadsters and plans were laid for a summer weekend’s outing to Fresno and a mid-point meeting with the Bay Area Roadsters. Readying for the trip, Doyle Gammell pre-flighted his ’22 Ford roadster, packed his swimtrunks for the motel stop-over’s big central pool—and checked the calendar to be sure his wedding wouldn’t interfere. Jane (now Mrs. Gammell) made sure, too, and got it out of the way beforehand. This presented a new challenge, what with all the luggage new wives always seem to want to carry, for the abbreviated pickup bed was scarce designed for any tonnage. Some careful stacking followed a priority thinning of the suitcase contents—with the swimwear remaining—and a little rope squeezed things to top-height; the (T’ was big…

A youthful dad, Dias Fournier put good thinking to use when he suggested to his son Tom that they team up in a project calculated to hold the lad’s interest, teach him more than a smattering of mechanics, and finally provide needed transportation for high school and college. A mechanic himself, Dias had developed Tom’s interest through attendance at Balboa Stadium’s various racing events over a five-year period. Starting with a ’34 Ford flatback “Vicky” purchased for $350, the two peeled it for careful restoration, calculating items needed to bring it to contemporary mechanical shape. Retention of near-stock exterior appearance was favored, but beneath the light Bahama Blue enamel, $2000 and two years’ efforts show up a touch of the present. A mildly dropped axle lowers the nose several inches,…

It'll take no “spoonful of sugar" to make Bud Lakeman's sweet-T' go down. Mary Poppins herself couldn't have concocted a nicer rod. On '30 ‘A ' rails, the reproduction '23 'T' roadster pickup body in fiberglass is truly “ragilistic," and addition of a Chevy V8 was an obvious “step in time." Bud started his hobby in karting and built on up from there, putting every “tuppence" toward the new rod. Naturally, a few problems came along, like hooking the Chevy U-speed to the closed driveline, now but 10 inches long, into a Halibrand quick-change center section in a 'U8 Ford rear axle assembly. Tread with the fat 10.00x16 M&H slicks on American mags is 57 inches—over half the 91-inch wheelbase. Front tread measure is but 51 inches, with 6.00x15 U.S.…

With organized drag racing enjoying its greatest season from every viewpoint, the big spotlight now swings out to encompass both the red-hot World Championship Series points race and the 11th annual National Championship Drag Races at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The first “Big Go” was held in 1955 and each subsequent year has seen the Labor Day classic grow in stature to the point where it is the undisputed “prestige” meet of drag racing. The awards and rewards to the winners are both monetary and laudatory, with the 1965 Nationals promising to hit new highs in both departments. The entry list for the Nationals is filled to capacity far in advance of the Labor Day weekend dates each year, so get your entry blanks into the mail as soon as possible.…

NOW, ABOUT THAT HANDICAP Dear Sir: In the March 1965 issue of HOT ROD, I read a letter sent in to “Shop Talk.” The letter asked how a car could win with a slower speed and e.t. than its rival. Your Don Clark explained this well, but when I looked at the NHRA results in April HRM, I was in for a shock! The offender was Mr. Bill Alexander in his Chrysler fueler. It seemed that in practically every run he made he shut down his opponent but took twice the time. Quickly I checked again with Don Clark’s column, but could find no solution. Please clear this up for me! It sounds as if Bill Alexander’s rivals waited till he was halfway down the strip before frantically setting out…

Art Arfons — long-time hot rodder and firm believer in big speed with big engines — shocked the entire automobile world last summer by averaging 536 mph with a home-built jet-powered streamliner. No sooner had Art’s record been accepted by the FI A than he announced plans to try for 600 mph with this same car this summer — and then try to break the sonic barrier with a new car in 1966! We admire Art’s confidence and enthusiasm. And we’ve talked with him enough to know that he appreciates the tremendous problems he faces in trying to exceed 600 mph on land — and then eventually 750 mph with a new supersonic car. If anybody can crack these barriers, Art Arfons has as good a chance as any. Here’s…

Showing off with a resemblance of togetherness, “Lil’ Screamer II” (upper right photos) gives scant indication of its quick-release features. In spite of being a “Pop-T op” car, forget the “No Deposit, No Return” gig; those hungry Halibrand mag-centered M&H’s leave an 8-inch wide deposit and eagerly return for more. The 2325-pound B/Altered storms the strip in under 11 seconds at over 130 mph, doing wheelstands on every shift. A beauty, too, in mother-of-pearl and candy blue acrylic put on by Liddle’s Auto in Aslip, it has won top awards in many car shows. Suspension has been given careful thought and construction, both rear and front (lower right photos). No japed-up rig, ’51 Merc rear end is sprung with over-and-under trans-, verse torsion arms, each individually adjustable and damped by…

The spring of 1965 found Jack Chrisman in a position comparable to that of any one of the dare-devils who successfully negotiated Niagara Falls in a barrel: What do you do for an encore? During 1964 Jack conducted a very successful tour of drag strips throughout the country with his Sachs & Sons 427 supercharged Comet (featured in Hot Rod, September 1964). The hairy-performing white Comet received acclaim as one of the best shows in quarter-mile competition, and was a leading attraction at the NHRA Nationals and Winternationals Championships where it was entered as a B/Fuel Dragster. With the arrival of spring, Jack's feet began to itch — the old urge for something new and faster was strong, so he came up with a little number that’ll set 'em wondering…

Founded in 1903 when 92 cyclists gathered at a joint meeting of the New York Motorcycle Club and the Alpha Motorcycle Club in Brooklyn, the organization then christened the Federation of American Motorcyclists was later reorganized in 1924 under its present title and has henceforth been recognized as the national governing body of motorcyclists coast to coast. Thus, enthusiast-oriented, the AMA has remained active in every aspect of the sport, with club and competition committees comprised of volunteer members representing each state and working closely with full-time Secretary Lin Kuchler and his staff of sixteen employees plus a board of directors. From the amateur competition or sporting riders' level (and that’s where most of us are involved) the American Motorcycle Association is especially worthwhile because of its self-governing program. Sanctioning…

HOT ROD MART Requirements: limit per ad, not dress. We reserve right to edit copy or refuse ads. While not responsible for accuracy of description, we will reject misleading statements. No ads from commercial firms. Only one car may be listed in any one ad; this 25 word including name and address not to apply to parts or equipment, however. $10 per ad must accompany each insertion. When photo is included, the rate is increased to $15 per insertion. Due to normal publication schedule, allow at least two months from time ad is received until it is printed. SELL — ‘55 Allard rdstr., alum body, tube frame, modified Falcon eng., 4-spd, $4000 invest. $2500. W. Goldman, 11 Wolcott Rd., Woburn, Mass. SELL — Beach buggy, Renault running gear, shorten’d whl.…

Just two issues back we reported on the Daytona 500, NASCAR's star attraction and trend setter for their racing season. This month we report on the first ’65 USAC-sanctioned stock car race, the Yankee 300, or — Daytona in reverse! Daytona was all Ford — the Yankee was all Chrysler. There’s no two ways about it, some ‘‘deals’’ have been made in stock car racing this year and unfortunately everybody is going to suffer a little one way or the other. Ford cast their lot with NASCAR and to date, at least, have given no support to the USAC circuit even though there are a couple of red-hot names in this latter circuit who are committed to Ford but have no “‘iron’’ to drive; namely Parnelli Jones and A. J.…

Going racing and winning at it is one avenue of action many of the more competition-oriented have said is the best possible way of establish an appealing sales image for a paricular car that will remain long after the laces and number of victories have faded from memory. You will get as many cons as pros this line of logic but one outstanding example that substantiates it graphically is the Shrysler 300. Back in ’55 when the 300’s were first announced, the original “hemi” head hardops were the hot dogs of that era and wasted 10 time in proving so on the nation’s circle racks. In case you don’t recall, the NASCAR championship was copped in two years’ running (55-756) and even a turn on the old Daytona Beach course…

Once bitten by the roadster bug, there seems no getting over it — or so Andy Southard found. He first contracted the malady while in high school, merely standing by, watching the topless iron the other fellows were tooling about campus. It wasn't long ill he had embarked on his own, a '27 'T' roadster pickup. On completion of the car, it was sold, and though replaced by several customized models of later vintage, it was still the most enjoyable car in his memory. Close to rodding all this time, Andy still found that no substitute exists for having the real thing, and he began to look for something to start on. At last a '29 (A was found at the right price of $350, and the new project got…

There are few cases on record where automobiles out of production continue to dominate some phase of racing after being off the showroom floor for more than a decade. Singularly more impressive is the feat of improving stock performance to highs never considered when the car was new. To their everlasting credit, a small cadre of Hudson lovers have done just this, causing their unabashed enthusiasm to attract an ever-growing body of supporters all over the country. One of the espoused reasons why Hudson went under in the first place has supposedly been laid to the fact that the company refused to switch over to the OHV-V8 persuasion when all their competition did. Even as the ship was going down, Hudson maintained to the end that their engines were as…

They call some of’em "funny cars,” but there’s nothing funny about the way the exhibition machines turn on over the quarter-mile drag strip. It’s a thrill-a-split-second spectacular. And it’s one thing to witness single runs by these specials, but quite another to see them go off side by side in competition, blasting their way down strip, shooting for an Exhibition Eliminator title. What’s this Exhibition Eliminator action? You guessed it. An all-new feature at the Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drag Races; an Eliminator category in which the "run what you brung” boys will compete against one another for cash and merchandise awards. How about Jack Chrisman in his blown/fuel 427 OHC Comet (featured in this issue) paired off with Dick Landy’s injected 426 altered-wheelbase Dodge (they’ll be handicapped for fair…

As promised, here's another goody from the recent boat show in Los Angeles. It might be a good idea for 4-wheel racers to take a look at this, too. It's called Powerwinch, a tool designed to save a lot of back-breaking work and, in effect, makes a one-man job out of loading and unloading either a trailored drag car or a boat. Powerwinch mounts on the trailer, has a plug-in power lead which connects to the car’s electrical system (either 6-or 12-volt), and is capable of delivering a single-line pull of 1500 pounds. A multipurpose adapter permits the unit to be slipped over the car's trailer-coupling ball for other winching applications. Variations on this idea are a power capstan for use aboard larger boats, and a neat power hoist which…