Indholdsfortegnelse for October 1997 i Hot Rod

Garage-Sale Queen Richard Beeton of Wichita, Kansas, bought this ’57 Chevy sedan delivery at a garage sale for a paltry $400. He got what he paid for, too—the resurrection took six long years. Now the 302 Chevy features a Comp cam and a Corvette dual-quad intake. Bodywork was the major task, but Richard did a few subtle interior mods, including Pontiac 6000 power seats, a custom console, in-dash A/C, and power windows. The delivery has more than 8,000 miles on the clock, and 10 car-show trophies to attest to its rebirth. Can’t Drive 55? This thang was built to cruise. Lloyd Andrew of Valley, Nebraska, finished the bad boy a dozen years ago, and it still looks fresh. A 350 with a 600-cfm Holley on an Edelbrock intake gets the…

Around the Bend Round Three in the WQSCDRS Street Car Battle (June 21-22) On Saturday, Mother Nature opened the sluice, deluged Beech Bend Raceway (Bowling Green, Kentucky), and ignited pyrotechnics worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Thankfully, the oldest girl in the world grew tired of her power trip by 1 p.m., and the track crew had the asphalt dry for afternoon qualifying. By Sunday, we were ready for eliminations—and a dip in an icy pool. The weather had turned hot and muggy, but that didn’t deter the racers or the fans who came to support them. Without further adieu, the winners are as follows: Pro Street: Tony Christian. Super Street: Billy Glidden. Hot Street: Noel Davis. Real Street: David Henninger. How they got there is the subject of this month’s…

Ah, women. They are indelibly attached to everything you do. They walk into your life, set a spell, and whether they stay or leave will inflict a misery so profound that you wonder why you ever bothered in the first place, that you wonder why it’s even such a shock since all the other relationships ended the same way, that you think maybe there could have been a better use of your time, money, and emotional energy. They break your heart, they want to be your friend, they expect you to shift gears in the M-22 Rockcrusher of Life like you’re walking from the foyer into the rec room. Ladies, I’ll bet you know a couple of guys who fit the profile, as well. It’s not a one-way street. It…

Building a fuel system for a street/strip car requires creativity. If you’re planning to use nitrous in the form of a 100hp-or-larger kit, you need two separate fuel systems—one for the carburetion and one for the nitrous oxide. That means twice the number of fuel pumps, lines, regulators, and so on. But it’s entirely possible to maintain a sanitary appearance with all this extra equipment. Expectations for the Pavement Pounder required formidable fuel delivery. The engine produces 890 hp with a single four-barrel carburetor. A Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS) Big Shot plate setup is squeezed between the Holley Dominator and the intake manifold—which also requires a significant amount of fuel. Both systems need constant, unvarying pressure—especially the nitrous phase. As a final challenge, the fuel pump that feeds the engine…

Hot rodders are stretching the street car envelope. High-speed events such as the Pony Express 100, the Silver State Classic, and street car road-course opportunities put an undue load on parts. Maximum sustained loads build tons of heat, much of which migrates into the oil. While you may think that oil and water temperature rise or fall in unison, the fact is that the engine can experience moderate coolant temperatures while the oil temperature blows through the roof. Inspect a professionally prepared road race or circle track car, and you will discover a large oil cooler. Dyno tests have proven that oil temperatures of approximately 220-240 degrees Fahrenheit are necessary for maximum power. While not every street machine needs an oil cooler, if you’re considering leaning on the engine for…

Christian Crossed Many famous and successful racers such as Frank Hawley and Roy Hill have turned to teaching up-and-comers the fruits of their experience. When I read about Tony Christian, I felt that if Warren Johnson had a school on public relations, Tony A would have been a star pupil! His picture would be on the wall above the professor’s desk. Tony has the equipment, the talent, and most of all the budget. Too bad money can’t buy a decent personality. D.A. PetersonRamsey. MN One would think Tony Christian owns your mag the way you build him up. I was rooting for his ’57 at the World Street Finals in Bradenton, Florida, back in 1996—until a buddy and I pointed out a fuel leak prior to the run and didn’t…

Nouveau Doorslammers The first examples of the NHRA’s proposed Pro Stock Truck class were unveiled at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals at National Trail Raceway (Columbus, Ohio) in June. Ford and Dodge will arrive soon, but Chevy beat them to the punch with exhibition runs at the Columbus race. Jerry Haas built the chassis, and John Lingenfelter did the motors, so they got the nod to handle the driving, as well. The two squared off six times, tying with three wins apiece. Lingenfelter recorded the best numbers with a 7.953 at 171 mph. The 2,650-pound trucks are constructed with a Pro Stock-style tube frame and a strut suspension chassis, but are draped in production steel S-10 bodywork. The engines are limited to 358 ci (just like NASCAR), but with a Sonny…

Is the kid buggin’ out for a race car? A go-cart? Anything with wheels that he or she can blitz around the block? We received a press release from the Junior Sprint Cars of America (JSCA), an organization that sanctions these full-on, fully suspended racers that resemble, well, small Sprint Cars. Look closely and you’ll see full suspensions on the carts with 11 classes based on weight and engines. The JSCA has classes for ages 5 through 18 with a bunch of different engines ranging from four-cycle Briggs & Strattons to Hondas, NCs, Continentals, and others. The JSCA is a nationwide organization that sanctions roughly 20 races a year. There’s also a like-minded group called the Quarter Midget Association with similar rules and cars. Contact: Junior Sprint Cars of America,…

Halibrand is celebrating its 50th year by producing a limited-edition commemorative Challenger Wheels clock using this wheel mold, held by Halibrand President Richard LeJuerrne. It is the original mold for Mickey Thompson’s legendary four-engine Challenger land speed car that ran 425 mph in 1968. The clock will be available at the Halibrand booth during the company’s big 50th anniversary celebration at the 1997 NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Oklahoma City.…

Pro Stock driver Jerry Eckman and crew chief Bill Orndorff (of Orndorff Racing) have been suspended from further competition after an NHRA investigation revealed that the team was using nitrous oxide. An explosion in the pit area on June 13 during the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, set off the investigation. According to reports, the team had hidden a small nitrous bottle inside the dry-sump oil tank, and the reservoir exploded when the bottle got too hot while the oil was being heated. According to NHRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Graham Light, “This is clearly a violation of NHRA rules and regulations. Therefore, Eckman (below, right) and Orndorff have each been fined $25,000 and are prohibited indefinitely from owning, driving, or in any way participating in NHRA…

With all that horsepower blistering the overland route, it’s only natural that the metal’s going to suffer. Luckily, we had empty trailers running cleanup and some eager hands manning them. Baer Racing’s sag wagon made 30 emergency stops in all, with a couple of folks making the grade twice. An abbreviated list is spelled out here. Thanks to Dutch Miller—Baer Necessities Power Tour Project Coordinator—for the lowdown. Jeff Moses, ACC ’69 GTO Judge, leaking power steering. Loaned tools and stood back as Rick, Jeff, and Jeff Jr. rehabbed the pump with the speed and efficiency that let them build the car in the first place! Anonymous, ’55 Nomad, ran out of gas. His license plate said “FLAMIN”—and man, his wife sure was! Marty Krueger, Cobra kit car, faulty fuel pump.…

Thumpin’ big-blocks are nothing new to HOT ROD. We’ve recounted the buildups of several healthy rodents, but this one took a slightly different turn. Flowmaster wanted a badass street motor to test its new line of Scavenger racing mufflers, and what better way to do that than with a GM Performance Parts 502 that musters 1,000 hp on pump gas? And it had to execute this high-g maneuver using off-the-shelf parts, a single-plate nitrous system and, if possible, a price ceiling of $10,000. If you’ve ever seen photos of a jet fighter at twilight in full afterburner, then you’ve seen that cone of blue flame pummeling the night sky—pure pour-the-coals-to-it power. On a land-locked engine dyno, this motor erupts some wicked flames of its own when Flowmaster’s Kevin McClelland hits…

Rattlefest Q I recently had a reputable shop install a high-compression engine in my ’81 Cutlass Supreme. The 305 small-block Chevy has iron heads, 1.84/1.50 valves, and a cam with 202 degrees of duration at .050-inch-tappet lift and a 112-degree lobe separation. The problem is major part-throttle detonation. I had a mechanic remove a delay valve and retard the base timing from 11 to 7 degrees. Still, the only way to get rid of the “rocks in the coffee can” rattle is with lots of 104-octane boost on top of 92-octane fuel. To compound this problem, I am using an old cast-iron intake manifold and a Rochester two-barrel carburetor. Tim ChristiaensVancouver, B.C., Canada A The 305 is a notorious detonator, and with iron heads the compression ratio should not exceed…

Regarding Jeff Smith’s story on higher education (“Summa Cum Horsepower,” June ’97), UTI offers an Associate’s of Occupational Studies degree, not an associate degree in Applied Science. Also, ASE/NATEF certifies the program, not the school. Finally, UTI’s program qualifies for one year of ASF certification credit, not two. In the July HOT ROD, “Truck Parts for Power” a typo appeared within the listed phone number for GM Performance Parts. The correct number is 800/577-6888.…

Maybe it has to do with the brick-like styling, or the anemic powerplants lulling the driver into a state of mobile unconsciousness, but in case anybody ever asks, Pete Weidner of Weidner Designs in Marco Island, Florida (813/394-9408), has the answer to the Volvo question: He’s fond of stuffing small-block Chevy motors in them and creating Swedish sucker-makers. Weidner says the conversion takes a used Volvo (in this case a ’78 Bertone coupe), about 120 to 160 hours (most of which is spent chasing parts), and a small arsenal of money— $12,000 or so, including the car.…

Ronda’s Last Ride is the latest from the Youngblood Motorsport Gallery’s “Bad Boys of Drag Racing” nostalgia series. This print depicts Gas Ronda and a Cammer-powered Mustang Funny Car during Ronda’s horrible, career-ending fire in 1971. Like all the prints in the series, this one’s a collaboration of Young blood and Cindy Arias (who draws the portrait), and is limited to 1,000 18x26-inch lithos. Each litho is signed and numbered by the artists, as well as Ronda, and each includes a story about the driver. To order, send S50 (plus $8 S&H) to: Allstar Racing Collectibles, Dept. HR10, 3685 S. Highland Dr., No. 15, Las Vegas, NV 89103,702/876-5900.…

In last month’s Power Tour coverage, we mentioned that station wagons were the next big thang. Here’s one more reason we think so: Wagons of Steel Magazine. Everyone has a station-wagon story locked somewhere in their memories. and WOS celebrates this once-dying breed. It looks like a punk-rock fanzine: photocopied, 36 pages of home-brewed opinion and fun, full of irreverence and disrespect. In other words, mighty good reading. Editor Gaffo Jones has assembled a demented cast of players in his driveway, including Josephine, his 13-second ’72 Chrysler Town and Country race tank, and Eduardo the Valiant, a wrinkled ’65. He prefers Mopars, but gives Fords and Chevys their due, as well. Everything from vintage ads and junkyard visits to plugs for Gaffo’s own T-shirt emporium (ever needed an Olds Vista…

Ken “Posie” Fenical chose the ’67 Mustang of Jim Manfred (Humble, Texas) for this month’s Pick. Jim’s ’Stang is a GTA 351W four-barrel car that’s been given the full restomod treatment. The small-block has been rebuilt with good parts, and topped with a Holley/Weiand induction combo, Hedman headers and 3-inch dual DynoMax turbo mufflers, and backed by a C4 with B&M and TCI goodies. The 8-inch rear holds 3.25:1 gears on an Auburn limited slip. The suspension has also been redone, with a combination of stock and high-performance parts, and the body has been straightened, outfitted with a Maier fiberglass Shelby hood, and sprayed with three coats of Dark Garnet Red Poly paint. Jim’s car is a good example of how to build a fun, clean, daily driver: Don’t get…

The Power Tour is all about driving hot rods, and the following list of folks are the ones who put the most miles on their machines—the Long Haul Gang. They started out with us at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on May 9, and didn’t stop until we hit Mount Clemens, Michigan, on May 17. We appreciate everyone’s involvement, whether you joined for a few miles or a few hundred miles, but the Long Haulers deserve special recognition. Though the Tour lasts 10 days (11 if you count the Thursday night party at the Museum), you have to get to LA in order to begin. Translation: two weeks of vacation time from work. Factor in travel expenses and trinket money, and you’re talking about a hefty commitment. We’d…

Anything to do with cars—high-performance or not—is expensive, even when you do the work yourself. Therefore, HOT ROD has decided to help out. We’re not printing free money this month, but we have cataloged a slew of rock-solid, reliable, do-what-they-say-they’ll-do parts at the right price. Our idea was to choose 30 of the best buys in hot rodding. They aren’t necessarily the cheapest parts on earth—some are in excess of $500—but there’s some good low-buck stuff in here too. Our criteria was based on experience and an eye for a bargain. Space considerations may have forced us to leave out a few things. And being mere mortals, we I may have overlooked something. If that’s the case, let us know by writing to HOT ROD, c/o “Budget Bang,” 6420 Wilshire…

Where To Put It Steel Buildings Whether you’re looking for a backyard shop, storage for your recreational vehicle, or shelter for your livestock, SteelMaster has the building to suit your needs. All the company’s structures feature do-it-yourself construction, and require virtually no maintenance. Information: SteelMaster, Dept. HR10, 353 Industrial Park Dr., Boone, NC 28607, 800/888-4606. Performance Lubricants Oils and Greases From the makers of Peak antifreeze and coolant come Peak Performance Products lubricants. This new line consists of motor oil, automatic transmission fluid gear oil and greases. Information: Old World Industries Inc., Dept. HR10, 4065 Commercial Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062-1851, 847/559-2000. Hooker Tips Large-Bore Tips Hooker now offers large-bore rolled-style tips with show-quality chrome finish or black powdercoating, and aluminized internal parts with a drainage system to reduce corrosion. Available…