Indholdsfortegnelse for November 1984 i Hot Rod

In this issue of HOT ROD we show you “How to Build a Street Machine.’’ This doesn’t mean that you can grab this magazine, run out to the garage (if you have one), attack the family transportation—and zingo, you have a street machine. Not quite! In fact, unless you have a fairly good working knowledge of auto mechanics you’ll probably have a hard time getting to first base. What we offer you in this issue are a few ideas that, when applied to your car, will make it faster, better looking, and something more personal. Most of the modifications can be performed on your car independently of one another, usually in a reasonable time frame, like on a Saturday or over the weekend. We supply the info to take you…

Sunny days, summer nights, hot rods, and rock ’n’ roll! Southern California’s Orange County Cruisin’ Association (OCCA) Labor Day party was a weekend car-nivaz of American Pie. Vintage rock ’n’ rol served as the backdrop for sockhops barbeques, Clowns, contests. concession stands volleyball, and manufacturers exhibits The Orange County Hairgrounds was home for the cruisin’-style good times that were open to all pre1966 rods and customs. More than 800 cars and trucks showed up, and with camping available on the grounds the place was jumpin for four days solid. Nos. Italgia is fine, but with groups Hike OCCA leading the way, the cruisin scene is becoming a dynamite current event! For more information on their events, contact: Orange County Cruisin’ Association, PO, Box 1948, Tustin, CA 92681.…

Beam Me In Danchuk Manufacturing recently added an exact reproduction of the original ’55-’57 Chevy antenna assembly complete with instructions and mounting kit. Danchuk has a complete line of ’55-’57 Chevy reproduction parts. For more information, contact Danchuk Manufacturing, Dept. HR-11, 3221 S. Hallahay, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Dash Fix The answer for cracked and split dashboards is the Doctor Vinyl Dashboard Repair Kit. The damage, either large or small, can be repaired by filling the crack or hole with a special dashboard filler and allowing it to air dry. As the filler dries, it bonds the damaged dash together. Repair-it also manufactures a complete line of repair kits for vinyl and leather. Repair-it Industries, Inc., Dept. HR-11, 436-440 W. Hopcan Ave., Barberton, OH 44203, 216/745-0060. Direct Response Direct Connection…

Part II What does it really take to build a good looking, fast, and dependable street machine? Possibly $10,000 to $20,000 or more could be wrapped up in a car that didn’t even require major fabrication. You can spend that kind of money, but you don’t have to. In fact, some of the most fun hot rods and projects are the ones that cost the least. Last month we started Project “Junkyard Dog,’’ a challenge to build a sensible 13-second street car that you would be proud to drive anywhere—and that didn’t cost over $3500, complete. In order to attain these lofty goals, selecting the “right” car and powertrain was vital. What was needed here was a midsize body style equipped with a bigblock engine. The car model also needed…

PROFILIN’ Nothing rocks my boat any faster then when some slack-jaw says, | built it to be different.” That has to be the most overworked excuse in street rodding. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of rods aren’t all that different. They’re just safe—safe because those rods don’t jar the imagination or torque off the peer group. Yet, once in a while, there appears on the rod-rizon a mind-manipulator, gut-grabber, and throat-clutcher which puts the fun back into the run. That happened at NSRA’s Columbus Nationals … and it came in the form of a flair pair that defies description. No doubt about it, Ken Smith’s 34 highboy DeSoto Airflow, an incredible mix of metamorphic elements—and Egon Necelis equally devastating 40 four-door La-Salle--made being different’ completely…

PART 2: BUICK V8 Would it get your attention if we offered you the inside line on a high-torque, long-stroke, small-block engine that weighs nearly a hundred pounds less than a small-block Chevy? Or how about a motor with more than 500 foot-pounds of torque, over a hundred more cubic inches, and just a few pounds heavier than a small-block Chevy? Still a little skeptical? Okay, then how does an all-aluminum, 320-pound V8 tickle your throttle foot? And suppose we told you these engines were cheap and plentiful, and could be made to run hard using a lot of stock-type parts? Are you going for it yet? Well, we are, and so are all the guys who have experienced one of the best-kept secrets in hot rodding. We’re talking about…

GENNIE OR NOT This letter is in reference to your article on a supposedly original 427 Fairlane in the July ’84 issue. I own a ’66 Fairlane GTA, and to the best of my knowledge, all 427-equipped ’66 Fairlanes had a 427 emblem on the front of the front fender. This emblem is barely visible in the photo with the two men lifting the hood off the genuine 427. Although Mr. Morris’ Fairlane is not a genuine 427, it is still very pleasing to see it in your magazine. Gerald Forgnone Salinas, California INDY ADVENTURES Yeah, I know, ten points off for each week late in turning in my composition. But I have a good excuse. Can you imagine being somewhere between Indy and Jackson, Mississippi, returning from the Super…

In a remarkable display of generosity and satisfaction, Mr. William M. Matson formally relinquished his key ring and turned his 1964 Pontiac GTO back over to Pontiac after 20 years of faithful service, Matson, formerly of San Diego, California, was transferred to Washington D.C., and rather than take his faithful companion back to that salt-air atmosphere he wrote to Pontiac and offered them the car if they would look after it. “It isn’t a car anymore, it has become a friend,” wrote Matson, who wanted his “friend” to go back home to Pontiac with no cost or obligation. Pontiac agreed to the offer, and West Coast Regional Sales Manager Bill Enockson accepted the keys from Matson in a brief ceremony at John Hine Pontiac in San Diego. The 20-year-old musclecar…

After several months of dismantling, refinishing, plating, and plumbing, the Mr. Gasket Aero Camaro is a rolling, running reality. Loaded with a John Lingenfelter 383 small-block, Darrell Young TH 350, and a GM posi rearend handled by Hooper’s, the drivetrain is definitely up to the task of a little street action. This final chapter in the Aero Camaro story deals with the interior treatment, preparation of the body for paint, plumbing of the engine compartment, and all the other touches that make the car appear detailed and properly dressed as a street machine. The Camaro was purchased complete with a rear deck lid spoiler, a la GM. In front, a stock GM Z28 spoiler was added to complete the look, and a hood scoop from A&A Fiberglass was bonded to…

Thirty years ago at Chevrolet the thunder began… It was heralded in an ad slogan for the 1955 Chevrolet featuring a revolutionary new small-block V8 engine. It read, “Stealing the thunder from the high-priced cars” How true it was. Because in 1985, Chevrolet is still stealing the thunder as America celebrates the 30th anniversary of the small-block V8, the winningest and one of the most popular V8s of all time. And to celebrate the occasion, Chevrolet is the featured automotive division of this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association show. The small-block V8 was created under the direction of Chevrolet engineering. Displacing 265 cu. in., this overhead valve powerplant was a model of simplicity and economical design. Due to its lightweight casting and low reciprocating masses, the small-block could be tuned…

It was bound to happen. No self-respecting resident of Flint, Michigan, could keep his demonic dukes off those balloon-bodied “Bufords. So Flint’s Mike Alex didn’t wimp out and flake around. He simply removed 10 grand from his bank account, enlisted the help of Bob and Lee Cross, and then spent the better part of 105 days proving to the world why he’d rather own a Buick. The 3¼-month project started with an Alex and Cross-constructed chassis which is based on an Alston Pro Gas-fabricated frame featuring Gabriel shocks, coil-over springs, Don Ness four-link-type split wishbones, Moroso wheelie bars, 72 Pinto rack-and-pinion steering, spindles, and front disc brakes, plus a ’69 Camaro rear end which has been narrowed 10 inches and retains the stock drum brakes. As for the right-on rollers,…

CARS ’40 CHEW Coupe Street Rod. 327/350 hp, 400 Turbo. Call for details. $8000. Mason Covington, 351 Brightwood Ave., Hampton, VA 23661, (804) 722-9124. 71 CAMARO RALLY SPORT, magazine cover car, 350 4-barrel, 4-speed, Hugger Orange, black interior, Center Line Champ 500 wheels, BFG tires, trick suspension, fiberglass hood, whale tail trunk lid, much new, needs minor detailing, $4500 or trade for 1-ton crew cab or flatbed truck, (206) 481-2807, Seattle, Washington. 52 CHEVY PICKUP Excellent original condition. $3500. Leonard Shortland, 1 Shadow Vista Dr., Prescott, AZ.86301, (602) 778-3995. ’48 CHEW SEDAN DELIVERY Custom body modifications, too many to list. Camaro subframe, new 327 tri-power, Fairbanks Turbo 350, full power with air conditioning. Has won several awards. $11,500. Darrel Turner, (513) 398-2355. CORVETTE, Mark Hamill’s original Corvette Summer movie car.…

At press time it was still an unsubstantiated rumor, but we know that NHRA is seriously considering shortening the quarter-mile by 320 feet to reduce top speeds-now that Fuelers are running over 260 mph. At the recent Indy Nats they set up 1000-foot clocks to record both mile-an-hour and e.t. times in all classes, in possible preparation for the restructuring of indexes in the future. Switching to a 1000-foot track might cause confusion at first-especially in terms of comparing times and speeds to traditional quarter-mile figures. However, I feel such a change might be very practical. Not only would it reduce terminal speeds, thus making Fuel racing less dangerous and less costly in terms of parts attrition, but it would also make many tracks with a marginal shut-down area considerably…

Roots This is how organized (?) drag racing looked before there was such a thing as the National Hot Rod Association, huge spectator gates, high-dollar racing efforts, and nationwide media coverage when two highboy roadsters—’29 A vs. ’32 squared off at the old Santa Ana blimp base in Tustin, California, during the early ’50s. Note that the official is wearing an SCTA jacket and the the A-bodied roadster is equipped with an early set of asphalt slicks, not to mention the ’39 “cc’s,” sunken license plate, chrome gas tank, no rollbar, and baby moon hubcaps which were commonplace mods 32 years ago. FAT ATTACK “Where Meat Is Neat and Rotund Is Beet” I hate to say it, but street rodding is getting kind of wimpy. Now don’t get me wrong.…

The year 1982 signaled the return of performance to Detroit iron. And nothing exemplified this comeback better than the Mustang GT. It was marketed as “The Boss is Back,” a no-nonsense, wheel-spinning, exhaust-throbbing musclecar. And although it delivered all that it promised, the ’82 Mustang was overshadowed by the introduction of GM’s slick new F-Bodies, the Camaro and Firebird. Sporty styling and road-holding ability won out over brute acceleration. Here we are some three years later and the Mustang is still leading the acceleration contest; and yes, it’s still saddled with the same styling and suspension system. Yearly refinements in the powertrain (and in ’85, in the suspension department) make these cars very desirable in hot rodders’ eyes—if only they had a little more pizzazz in the looks department. KS…

My first reaction was, “Why an 8.50 index? Most of these cars can run a lot faster than that.” I have to admit that I still lean toward the old school of drag racing: start heads up and run as fast as you can. I’m sure many other racers react the same way when they first hear about this new group in Ohio called the “Outlaws.” Blown hemis in altereds and dragsters—why, they should be running in the sixes or sevens Well, that’s what you might think before you see this bunch run. It’s true, you could bring out your Top Alcohol Digger—which should go mid-sixes if it’s any good—and run with these guys. But don’t think for a minute that you’ll be stealing candy from kids. The Supercharged Outlaws…

PROFILIN’ In 1970, Detroit’s performance high-watermark—the musclecar-hit its peak. And, at least among MoParphiles, no other engine exemplifies pure, raw power better than the legendary 426 Hemi. conservatively factory-rated at 425 hp and 490 Ibs.-ft. of torque. Put one of those monsters in a ’70 Cuda and you’d have one mean, nasty, predatory species of fish. You’d also have a relatively rare combination. But the rarest catch yet is a Cuda convertible with a Hemi. There were only 14 made in 1970; of these, nine were automatics, equipped with a Slap-shifted 727 Torque flite and 8 ¾-inch Chrysler rearend. Akron, Ohio’s Paul Suloff, ex-Chrysler drag racer and present Goodyear Tire regional ad manager and part-time car restorer, owns one of these nine. However, it wasn’t easy getting it! After giving…

We saw the future in the pasture! HOT ROD’S dream of a unified hot rodding movement took tangible form at the 1984 Super Run in Reno, Nevada. Building on the success of the HOT ROD Super Nationals in June, a rebel alliance of street rodders and street machiners gathered in the high desert air to foster the growth of a mechanized solidarity movement that will have far reaching effects on the future of hot rodding. Hot rodders attending the Second Annual Super Run represented a united coalition of car lovers who once again proved that they are responsible citizens pursuing a worthy goal—such as the modification and preservation of high-performance automobiles as a unique and distinctly American art form. If you’d like to get in on the fun, watch HOT…