Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2009 i Hot Rod

THE FE GUY See the Ford SOHC motor buildup on page 92? If you recognize Jay Brown’s byline, it might be because he has been a competitor in every single HOT ROD Drag Week™ event and won his class at the first two. His ’69 Mach 1, shown here in 2005, is one of our favorite drag muscle cars ever. Jay is also godlike over at FordFE.com and was a qualified candidate to build the SOHC motor and write the story for us. Perhaps for the first time ever, FE freaks won’t be able to pan HRM for writing about their objects of worship. SPEAKING OF DEAD BRANDS As we face the government mandated demise of Pontiac and perhaps of American cars as we know them, it was interesting for…

When you decide to build an AMC, you might as well think of a few cool comebacks for when guys poke fun at your ride. The three guys here chose the best possible comeback: They proved their versatility and performance by driving 25 miles to and from Dalton, Georgia, to Brainerd Optimist Dragstrip, where they all ran in the mid-6s on the eighth-mile track. That’s like low to mid 10s in the quarter. There was no tire swapping or fueling up with race gas—they simply lowered the air pressure in the rear tires and went at it. You could say Jason Neal (with the orange ’74 Gremlin) started the AMC fad in his family, since he is the oldest, but his son, Jade (with the ’81 Spirit), is the one…

“SEVENTY PERCENT OF PEOPLE ASK IF IT’S CHOPPED; THE OTHER 30 CAN’T FIGURE IT OUT.”—KEITH BRIGHT Hardtop wagons were a short lived phenomenon in the late ’50s, adding pillarless style to otherwise stodgy rides. They went over well at first, but then the chrome-laden ’58 Buick Caballero Estate Wagons sold about half as well as their ’57 predecessors. Even so, Keith Bright of Bright Built Hot Rods in Salinas, Kansas, wanted one as the flagship rod for his shop. His grandparents had a ’58 Buick Century in his youth, and that big, bulleted chrome grille stuck in his mind. Keith looked for several years to find a candidate for a project, then one day during a trip to Wyoming, he saw one pass as he sat at a stoplight but…

You’d expect a 604ci Boss Ford in a ’69 Mustang—maybe even in a Deuce show car or a replica ’70 NASCAR Torino. But Mike Miller doesn’t fit that mold and stuck this monster in his original-owner ’75 Ford Ranchero. It was once Mike’s daily driver and was used to haul drywall to worksites, then a well-used Pro Streeter that was sometimes drag-raced at California’s now defunct Carlsbad Raceway. Most recently, he completely disassembled the car, removed the nitrousd 400ci Cleveland, and had JBA Engines in San Diego build a Boss 429-based hemi that would star in the makeover. In addition to being a Dare To Be Different freak show, it’s probably the most blindingly polished Boss motor ever. What would you expect from a guy who also has a Mopar…

“I saw one of these on Barrett-Jackson for $60,000. Mine ain’t worth that, but I’m having more fun.”—Bobby Davis It’s hard to believe this is the fifth straight year of the HOT ROD Top Speed Challenge™ held in conjunction with the East Coast Timing Association’s season-opening April event. What’s even more surprising is that five years represents one third of the ECTAs history. At this year’s awards banquet, we were treated to a presentation from Tom Sarda, cofounder of the ECTA along with the late John Beckett. He told the story of becoming weary of having to drive west for racing at Bonneville, especially one year when flooding of the Mississippi left no convenient way to get from the East Coast to the fabled Salt Flats. Tom and John began…

PERFECT AND FASHIONABLE VS. DIFFERENT I think about cars a lot. It’s my job and my obsession. But lately the thoughts have been kind of negative, I must admit, because I’m down about my financial situation and its impact on my ability to live the dreams in my head. I’ve sought out a vicarious fix from the masses and have been left equally dissatisfied. The problem can be broken down to this: I think it’s time to abandon perfection, shun fashion, and do something really different. Do it cheap. Do it loud. Do it now. Perfection. For decades I’ve let it ruin my project cars, and by that I mean that, if I can’t get it exactly right as seen in my mind’s eye, then I let it sit. My…

This is the second issue to include the new Hot Rods section of the mag, where we’ll feature more cars per issue than we have in recent history. This month, it’s a collection of Dare To Be Different rides. Got killer photos of cars in action along with details about them? Tip us off: email HOTROD@hotrod.com or mail to HOT ROD Hot Rods, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. If you’ve never seen one of these cars before, there’s a reason. In 1954, Kaiser hardly made any two-door Manhattans; sources conflict on the exact number made, but they all say less than 250. Even when a factory McCulloch supercharger was added to the cars’ 226ci flathead six for the ’54 model year, they just weren’t hot sellers. For Robert…

Your hot rod might be prettier and possibly quicker, but nothing on the street is hotter than Auburn, California, detective Jerry Johnson’s jet-powered pickup. In fact, its 1,400-degree exhaust got the cab’s carpet smoking within minutes of initial fire-up—just as predicted by aircraft experts who’d warned that excessive exhaust and oil temps in any enclosed area would quickly cook a turbine engine, if not the entire vehicle. And no way is your noisy hot rod louder than Jerry’s; when this ’68 GMC idles into the cruising spots, the shriek exploding from 10-inch stacks drowns out any number of rumpety-rump big-blocks. A motor swapper since the ’70s—when he stuffed a 650ci GMC turbodiesel into his ’72 Chevy 4x4 pickup—Jerry picked a Vietnam era Boeing T50 jet this time because its turbine…

Though the Karmann-Ghia was designed as a sporty, stylish, image car for Volkswagen, the teeny-tiny, 60hp, air-cooled Type 1 engine made its performance subpar. Jamie Walters is of the opinion that they’d be a ton more fun with about 10 times more horsepower courtesy of a Viper V-10, and we agree wholeheartedly. So far the build has proven to be as challenging as you’d expect, since the logistics of packaging the V-10 within the Ghia’s sheetmetal requires rethinking everything beyond the skin, but the expertise of Dean Laurent at Deanz Rodz & Racecarz is making it happen. The final goal is a life-size version of the 1:21 scale model that was the original inspiration for the car. Check out their progress at (www.deanzrodzandracecarz.com) and send us photos of your equally…

“The lines are blurring between Baja racing, Tuff Trucks, and rockcrawling.”—Fred Williams, 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine We almost wish we could see your face right now. You turned the page and instantly wondered what this weird 4x4 junk was doing in HOT ROD magazine. The closed-minded probably didn’t even read this far but quickly flipped past this story, back to the comfortable world of bolt-on street machines. The real hot rodders are still with us right now, wondering what’s going on and looking for ways to shift the ideas on these pages onto their own rides. Real hot rodders are all about considering a vehicular situation and making it bigger, louder, faster, and stronger. That’s what’s happening here. The history of the four-wheeling hobby follows a progression similar to that…

This comes at the right time. Edelbrock has introduced its E-Street cylinder heads, a new line of lower-priced stuff to combat the knock-offs and the legit competitors that use Chinese castings. The E-Street heads are cast and assembled at Edelbrock facilities in California, USA, and are currently available for small-block Chevys and Fords. We asked if Mopar versions were coming soon: negatory The E-Street line is marketed for applications under 400 hp and 5,500 rpm. The heads appear to us to use Edelbrock’s Performer RPM castings but without all the finish work and hand-blending used in the higher-cost heads. Less costly valvetrain components are used, though features such as Helicoiled rocker-stud bosses are retained. The main things limiting the rpm potential are the valvesprings, which are intended for small, flat-tappet…

KABLOOEY Top Fuel driver Arley Langlo, 68, of Goleta, California, fireballed his car’s engine just off the starting line of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during this year’s Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals. Langlo has a reputation for producing these fireballs, which have cost him a racing fortune over his 30-plus-year career. Alas, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him competing any time in the near future. Endless oildowns and hours of cleanup have resulted in the NHRA deciding to decline his future Full Throttle Series entries. For that to change, Langlo will have to successfully complete a series of trouble-free test runs under NHRA observation. —JON ASHER FUTURE RODDING A guy at a car show a while back mentioned that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the end of the…

“I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT AT FIRST.”—GARY LINDSLEY A good deal is only a good deal if you know what to do with what you’ve found. Unfortunately, the ’48 Plymouth Special Deluxe business coupe Larry Lindsley picked up for $500 had been basically sitting since he found it. Larry found a good deal but not the motivation to build it. With no real plans on the table, one day he drove the coupe over to his dad’s house and said, “Dad, I’ll give you this car if you want to do something with it.” Gary Lindsley pondered the solid little coupe for a moment. “Yes, I’ll do something with it,” he replied. Exactly what that would be, he really didn’t know yet, either. While the idea…

“A HOT ROD IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.”—ANTHONY PITTARI The big three: paint, stance, and wheels. They’re the three decisions that can make or break any car, and for some, they’re the only ingredients required. That’s the plan behind the small trend we call Slo Touring. Just pick any unique or typically underused fullsize car, give it the big three the right way, and you’re instantly cruising in cool style, sans speed. If you’re not planning on quartermile or road course use, spend your money where it counts—on the stuff guys see when you cruise by. For some people, the more they stand out, the better. Anthony Pittari is just such a guy. He also owns a show-worthy ’68 Chevelle but wanted something less overdone. Each day on his…

What’s the big deal with this ’71 Dodge Coronet wagon? It’s a factory Pistol Grip four-speed car, that’s what. It used to be green and the hoodscoop is an add-on, but everything else is original, including the 150-mph speedo. The only update current owner Charles Wilson has performed is replacing the aged 383 with a warmed-up 440 big-block. Charles and the Coronet have Long Hauled six Power Tours®, and they’re preparing for the seventh this year. The wagon regularly serves duty doing publicity for a printing business and for hauling the kids, but Charles’ favorite pastime is surprising cocky guys in new Hemi Magnums.…

We were in the office one day, bemoaning the fact that we’re broke and the economy is in the toilet. So we decided to take action—not by asking for a handout but by going out and getting you some great deals on the speed parts you need. Here’s how this deal worked out. HOT ROD approached our advertisers and offered to give them ad upgrades if they would create some screamin’ deals for our readers. Those deals are what you see spelled out on these pages. In some cases you get straight discounts, in others it’s a buy-something-get-something-free program, and then there are a number of cash-back rebates. Some are better than others, so we instituted a five-star rating system—five stars meaning it’s an enormous screaming deal and you need…

Once upon a time, picking a cam for a given engine combo was all about compromise: improve top-end power at the expense of low-end torque, run well at wide-open throttle but sacrifice idle stability and part-throttle cruise driveability, trade off performance for gas mileage, run hard or run clean. Thanks to OEM-developed variable valve timing (VVT), it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. VVT is a generic term for various concepts that allow changing the advance, overlap, and even (in the case of some import overhead-cam engines) the duration and lift of a four-stroke internal-combustion engine’s intake and exhaust valves while the engine is operating. This technology has been under development for more than a century (a variation was tried out on some early steam engines), but it is…

101 THINGS EVERY GEARHEAD NEEDS TO DO BEFORE HE DIES Call it the hot rodder’s bucket list. We put together the top events, races, and things every hot rodder needs to do at some point in his life. Power Tour®, where this photo was taken last year, is certainly one of those things. We speak from obvious experience, since we’ve been doing it since 1995, sometimes twice in the same year. Check back next month for the other 100 items on the list. —ROB KINNAN SEE THIS AND MUCH MORE IN THE SEPT. ’09 HOT ROD MAGAZINE On Sale July 21, 2009 Meanwhile, Get Your Car Fix at HOTROD.com…