Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2000 i Hot Rod

Want to get paid $300-$400 a month for driving your hot car to and from work? You can do it. But there’s a hitch. Auto Wraps will take one day to apply an adhesive vinyl to your car. That vinyl has the name and logos of some variety of advertiser—it could be a computer company, breakfast cereal, anything—and it will completely cover your car. Even the rear windows can be covered; the wrap acts like a tint and is perfectly legal. When the program is over, the stuff simply is taken off, no harm no foul. The adhesive is guaranteed not to ruin your paint, and the money is yours (and your car is decorated) for as long as the advertiser wants it there (up to one year). Oh, there…

The Holley 3310 carburetor was initially offered on Chevrolet’s new-for-1966 L78 375hp 396 big-block; its 780-cfm flow-rating and vacuum-operated secondary throttle plates provided an excellent blend of power and economy. Soon after making its appearance on the L78, a 750-cfm variant of the 3310 became available over-the-counter and has since become a sweet combination of street manners and strip tenacity. But there are some classic pitfalls that can spoil the entire experience if you aren’t clued in first. Sean Murphy of JET Performance offered the following tips for the almighty 3310. Beyond that, if your Holley carburetor needs re-habbing or if you want to purchase a pre-calibrated Holley for your specific application, JET be the place. Source JET Performance Fuel Systems Dept. HR09, 17491 Apex Cir., Huntington Beach, CA 92647;…

In a bizarre move, Ford offered two 190hp engines for its mid-’80s Mustangs. One was the carbureted 500L H.O. and the other was the high-winding turbocharged four-banger as seen in the SVO Mustang, a package that included five-lug 16-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, exclusive Euro-style body appointments, and handling-oriented suspension. One was built for tire-smoking fans of yore, the other for those who appreciated corners as much as straight-line grunt. The 5.0L became a performance legend in the early ’90s. The SVO quietly went away after fewer than 10,000 retail copies. What it really may have come down to was money. You could get a five-oh for less than ten grand and have piles of torque at hand. The stick-only SVO ran you $I6K to start, and you had to…

The summer of 1959 was a black one for East Coast land speed racers. That was the year the big names in top-end racing left the sands of Daytona Beach for the salt of Bonneville, all the way out in Utah. With that monumental geographic change, interest in land speed racing quickly evaporated east of the Mississippi. But racers always find a way. Top speed competition has recently resurfaced on the East Coast in a series of grassroots events held on a concrete-surface airstrip imbued with incredible teeth, state-of-the-art timing facilities, and a lengthy shutdown. It’s located near the sleepy town of Maxton, North Carolina. The proactive souls responsible for this speed-junkie’s dream come true are from the East Coast Timing Association (ECTA). After hearing about these beautiful crazies through…

Don’t be surprised at the backwoods entrance off the quiet two-lane road: It’s all part of the Maxton experience. From the North or South Take 1-95 to Exit #14, Hwy. 74 West Follow signs (not for Business 74) for Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Exit At bottom of the exit cloverleaf, turn right (north) onto Airport Road. Follow for 0 8 mile to intersection. At first four-way intersection (water tower on opposite side), turn right onto Skyway Church Road. Follow past Meritor Plant on left. Travel 1.2 miles to Hickman Road. Turn left at T-intersection with Hickman Road. Hickman becomes Airbase Road-go straight at merge. Continue for 1.5 miles to ECTA gate. Turn left at gravel drive and follow into pit area…

In its quest to build exhaust systems for every vehicle from the Lincoln Town Car to the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, Borla has introduced its latest Cat-Back system and headers for the 2000 Dakota Quad Cab pickup. Built, like all Borla products, from aircraft-quality T-304 stainless steel, the headers are a four-into-one design while the Cat-Back exhaust features single side exit with a phantom tip. Borla claims both devices together will produce a u noticeable bump in power and a definite change in exhaust tone. P” Both are covered by Borla’s “Million-Mile” warranty, and only Gray Baskerville puts a million miles on his truck.…

Aesthetic questions can be perplexing when it comes time to buy wheels. How can you determine how the wheels will look on your rig without actually bolting them up? The Tire Rack’s “Wheel Rack” cybertool answers that question at www.tirerack.com. The Wheel Rack allows anyone to pick their vehicle from a list of late-model machines and then, in virtual reality, bolt wheels up to that vehicle (in different factory colors) to see how they look. After that, the Tire Rack will guide a buyer through choosing tires to go with the wheels and then mount and ship that package ready to bolt up. Even if you’re not in the market for wheels, the gearhead entertainment factor is pretty high.…

EASY ACCESS CAM COVER FOR YOUR MOUSE While there are plenty of well-designed components on our hot rods, there are also lots of scenarios that’ll still make you scream: “Why the did they make it that way?” The timing chain cover on the venerable small-block Chevy is one. To keep the front of Detroit’s most popular mini-mill dry and free of leaks, the timing chain cover and the oil pan are designed to work as one. A key element is a semi-circular rubber seal located in a channel on the back of the timing cover; when the oil pan is fastened to the block, this seal is trapped in place. Access to the timing chain involves the removal of the oil pan. Suddenly, simple things get complicated, and if the…

Forty third scale, sized between traditional model kits and Hot Wheels-type cars, is growing in popularity in this country. Larger manufacturers are making interesting mass-market models these days in this traditionally European-only size, but there has been a thriving cottage industry hand-casting and hand-painting exceptional 1:43 scale models out of white metal for years. Design Studio does some of the nicest we’ve seen. Our favorite remains the limited-run Pierson Brothers coupe from Design Studios, correct down to the white-letter skinny tires and full interior detail. The base, hand-signed by Dick Pierson hisownself, is included here. The red, white, and blue chopped-top top-speed special is a must-have piece for the hard core hot rod lover and historian. The black ‘36 Roadster, however, tugs at the heartstrings as well: full wheel covers…

Z06. LS6. Two legendary, mouthwatering names from Corvette lore—one signifying a road-race ready performance option on early Sting Rays, born to encourage privateer owner/racers during GM’s participation in the AMA racing ban, the other the ultimate production bigblock head that took guff from no one, street or strip. Chevy’s recent yen for reviving known and revered nomenclature from years past—Impala, Malibu, LT1, Monte Carlo—has met with mixed results among purists. Some monikers are enhanced, others are tarnished. You can probably figure out which is which from the list above. But what happens when you bring two of those vaunted names together, in a combination that never existed? Magic. The 2001 Z06 is the quickest, best-handling Corvette that Chevrolet has ever produced. Zero-to-60 times in 4 seconds flat, through the quarter…

The high-performance engine group at the University of Miami had a problem. They were asked to develop the cylinder heads and intake manifold for a big-block Cobra, but the induction system had to fit under the stock hood and have sufficient airflow capacity for a 470ci FE block to produce 600 hp. Unfortunately, clearance under the stock hood limited the selection of possible cylinder heads. In the pushrod-V-8 world, the FE-block Ford is one of very few engines that situates the intake manifold gasket on the combustion chamber side of the pushrod holes. This means the intake port in the cylinder head is approximately 2 inches shorter than similar wedge V-8s. Likewise, the intake manifold runner is almost 2 inches longer than it would be with the accepted gasket location.…

I made eight passes down the Monster Mile, four of them over 180 mph, and enjoyed the hell out of every one. Though the concrete is cracked and weeds grow where the racers don’t run, the ECTA has established a 30-foot-wide course that skirts the rough stuff and makes a smooth ride. Traction is extremely good, almost too good, in fact. Big-mph cars use Talledega-spec NASCAR slicks, but ZR-rated street rubber is usually the norm for sub-200-mph vehicles-the soft compound tires used on the dry lakes would last no more than a pass or two on the Maxton aggregate. The weirdest thing about Maxton is the turns. The first dogleg comes up about 300 feet after the starting line. In Keith Turk’s ’80 Camaro, I negotiated the 20-degree turn after…

HOT ROD magazine’s fourth Power Fest of the Millennium at the Red River Raceway could have been a washout. The Shreveport, Louisiana, area had been pelted by more rain during a two-week period prior to the race than LA gets in a year—the natives said they were 20 inches ahead of normal. Even Events Director Alan Scrimager suggested bringing wet weather gear—not the best advice for a drag race. Bur the NMCA must have hired the old NHRA rain-makin’ demigod in reverse. Old-timers will remember that when he danced, the rain disappeared. So did many NMCA regulars. The dire weather predictions coupled with the long haul to Red River decimated the field, but not its fervor. There were enough sun and long-haulers to make a go of it. Race Within…

Sometimes the problem with a truck bed is that there isn’t enough of it, and sometimes the problem is there’s too much. Amp Research, whose main business is high-end mountain bikes, has a Bed X-Tender that can handle both problems. Built of aluminum, the Bed X-Tender comes in two sizes, is width-adjustable, and, they say, installs on any pickup in minutes using universal mounting brackets. Fold the $239 X-Tender out across the dropped tailgate, and you’ve got more room. Fold it in, and you have a bin for securing loose items. It’s similar to the extender Ford now offers on the F-150 Crew Cab and Explorer Sport Trac. The X-Tender is distributed by Steel Horse Automotive.…

With the introduction of its all-new fullsize C/K pickups back in ’88, Chevy ignited the lowered sport truck craze of the early- to mid-’90s. Today, slamming a truck so profoundly as to shred all its utility away seems archaic in a what-were-we-thinking kind of way. But still, trucks look good when they’re lowered and their wheelwells are filled with big rubber. With the compact-size S-10 Xtreme, Chevy is trying to have it both ways; a truck that has the lowered look, but retains the ability to function as a truck. Available on either regular or three-door extended cab two-wheel-drive S-1 Os, with either “Fleetside” or “Sportside” beds, the Xtreme package bundles GM’s noted ZQ8 handling suspension with wheel flares, ground effects side skirts, a front air dam with front integrated…

Dial-A-Flow Weldon Weldon Pump’s Dial-A-Flow voltage regulator features pulsewidth modulation. The controller is designed to regulate the speed of the fuel pump motor under changing flow rates while maintaining constant pressure. It’s also adjustable to the lowest operational level of pumps and systems. Information: Weldon Pump, Dept. HR09, 640 Golden Oak Pkwy., Oakwood Village, OH 44146; 440/232-2282; weldon@bright.net. Hold Your Horses Stainless Steel Brakes Stainless Steel Brakes has a disc brake kit for Mustang II front suspensions, so street rodders can upgrade to an 11-inch rotor and four-piston caliper combination. The kit comes with new seals and bearings, CNC-machined brackets, all necessary hardware, and instructions. Information: Stainless Steel Brakes, Dept. HR09, 11470 Main Rd., Clarence, NY 14031; 800/448-7722; www.ssbrakes.com IStylin’ Ring Grant Products Do a quick fix for your Camaros…

Who Owns This Chieftain? This ’57 Chieftain retains its original 347ci/two-barrel mill and lives its life somewhere out on Long Island, New York. Dig those ’59 Caddy taillights! By the way, Chieftain owner, next time you send in pictures to Readers’ Rides, you might want to include your name so we can credit you. It’s Not a Vega! It’s a ’77 Astre, which owner Tim Strauch of Lakeland, Minnesota, bought from his grandma for $350. It’s actually made from three different cars, including a ’75 Vega interior. It still has its Iron Duke 2.5L Four rattling away underhood. Sharp wheels were a Monza option and still look good. The Grandest Am Excitement came in big packages in ’73: Dig this Grand Am 400 four-speed, one of only 170 and owned…

Stuttgart Wields the Axe As the popular Hemipowered Chrysler 300 C ragtop gets the green for production in 2004, the Charger we’ve been touting will change significantly. According to car-truck.com, a Mopar news and gossip Web site, the production Chrysler 300C will closely resemble the show car that debuted earlier this year and will sticker at around $40,000. The decision to kill the current Charger design came from Stuttgart and did not go down well in Auburn Hills; word is that the board feels it would be aligned too closely with the Intrepid that is scheduled to share the same chassis. Also, all the media attention (these quarters included) may have actually helped seal the Charger’s fate. However, that doesn’t mean that the project is dead. There will most likely…

Funny Car pioneer and legendary exhaust header manufacturer Doug Thorley recently held an open house to celebrate the relocation of Doug’s Headers to a larger facility in Anaheim, California. Hundreds of customers and friends showed up, many of whom brought their hot rods out for a little fresh air. Also getting air was Bob Riggle in the Doug’s Headers equipped Hurst Hemi Under Glass. Do you think Ol’ Bob pulled a wheelie or two for the crowd? In addition to a line of preformed headers for many popular applications, Doug’s Headers specializes in custom work and is ready to take on even the most challenging one-off exhaust system, For more information, contact: Doug’s Headers, 2349 W. LaPalma Ave., Ste. 101, Anaheim, CA 92801; 714/502-0286; www.dougsheaders.com.…

There are a few great auto races that every motorhead should see. Indianapolis is one of them, despite the recent political shenanigans. The Daytona 500 is another. But one of the greats, as is the 24 Heures du Mans. For those who think LeMans is just a low-trim-level midsized Pontiac, guess again: 24 hours around eight-plus miles of cordoned-off French public roadways draws an Indianapolis-sized crowd every year who cheer on their favorite teams through the night. This year, the American contingency was the biggest in recent memory. Ford (through Saleen), Dodge, Cadillac, and Chevy were all there; Corvette was set to challenge the Viper’s dominance in the GT class. One C5-R Vette will be driven in part by Andy Pilgrim, an expatriate Brit and former IMSA Street Stock champion;…

After more than 30 years in the vehicle and engine emissions business, I may not be an expert on getting the max power out of an engine (although I am an enthusiast), but I do know plenty about dynamometers. As I read articles and advertisements, it is apparent that there is a great deal of misunderstanding about what different types of dynos can and cannot tell you about the condition and power or your engine. First, let’s define the dynamometer. This a machine is capable of inducing and measuring a load to a test vehicle or engine (test subject) for the purpose of evaluating the subject under operational loads. Dynos can be used with additional instrumentation to measure power output, fuel consumption, emissions, temperatures, or virtually any conceivable engine parameter.…

A small-block Edelbrock Victor cylinder head was sectioned specifically where the FE-block Ford head intake manifold gasket normally is. The Victor intake port was enlarged 5.7 percent (to fit the bigger bore of the FE block) and superimposed on the FE block cylinder head to show where the intake port would be located if a Victor head was made bigger to fit the FE block. The FE block has a 4.23-inch bore and 4.63-inch bore spacing, and the small-block has a 4.00-inch bore and 4.38-inch bore spacing. The Victor head design places the port higher and more in line with the intake valve than the FE head design does. This placement improves fiow at high valve lifts.…

Organized drag racing has evolved so far from its dry lakes roots that it’s nigh impossible to equate today’s promoted realities to yesteryear’s straight-line shenanigans. But that certainly wasn’t the case on May 16, 1954, when a young and obscure toolmaker who worked at the Delco plant in Dayton, Ohio, drove his showroom-new ’53 Cadillac to the Akron drags and hummed the eyes at 81.30 mph (e.t.’s weren’t recorded 46 years ago). Thirty-one years later, the celebrated toolmaker-turned-enginebuilder made his last official pass on September 9, 1985—his Pinto ran a 125.70/10.33 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, the home of the NHRA US Nationals. What happened during those years still amazes the legendary “Ohio George” Montgomery, but not because of fame or fortune. No, Montgomery pinches himself every day just to make…

John Beckett, Tom Sarda, Worley Scoggin, Jim Bodinheimer, and Lionel Williams established the East Coast Timing Association in 1995. The ECTA has more than 300 members who support a for-profit racing organization. Their venue is a deserted 10.000-foot runway at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in Maxton. North Carolina, affectionately known as the Maxton Monster Mile (about two hours southeast of Charlotte, off US 74). The ECTA wisely adopted Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) rules; membership is S50 annually, and the entry fee is S-100 per race. Remaining Schedule for 90: September 30-0ctober 1 October 28-29 (events also in April. May, June, July) For more information, call John Beckett 828/684-3009. Differences Between Land Sneil Ration Venues Location Course Length Timing Trap Shut Down Length Surface Traction Quirks Possible Runs Per Hour ECTA…

In the summer of ’98, Keith Turk came to a stark realization: He had no choice. It was the day before the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah, would surge to life with land speed racing’s big go, Speed-weeks, and he had to be there. Turk called his wife on his way to the airport to tell her he’d be home in seven days, bought a ticket at the gate, and walked on the plane with just the shirt on his back. That morning, he had visited a close friend who’d recently become paralyzed. On the long ride home, he felt an urgency to do the things he always dreamed of, and one of them was going to Bonneville. Once at the Salt, Turk enjoyed the tastes and sounds of…

Short of strapping on a pair of Morton-Thiokol solid rocket boosters, it’s dangnear impossible to make a Ford Excursion seriously quick. But Kenne-Bells supercharged Excursion is at least a more athletic mammoth than the stock vehicle, and any improvement in its elephantine ways is appreciated. The stock 6.8L SOHC V-10 is rated at 3lOhp and 425 lb-lt of peak torque. That’s decent, but with a staggering 6,734 pounds (in two-wheel drive form) to push around, it makes for leisurely acceleration. A stock 4x4 Excursions’ trip from 0 to 60 mph takes 10.9 seconds, and the quarter-mile ambles by in 18.1 seconds at 75.6 mph. Throw a fully burdened trailer behind one of these massive SUVs—there’s no reason to own one if you don’t tow—and making it to freeway speeds can…

Because this writer is usually assigned to cover the NMCA race portion of each HOT ROD Magazine Power Fest, I rarely get a chance to check out the car show. But for the lourth in our ten-event Power Festival series for 2000, the car show was my fate. It gave me the chance to meet plenty of great people and discuss their varied rides and philosophies. Power Festival 2000 Sponsors ATI. AUTOMETER. BG FUELS, BORLA PERFORMANCE, COMPETITION CAMS. CSI. DEMON CARB. EDELBROCK, FLOWMASTER, FORD RACING, HEDMAN HEODERS. HOLLEY, HOOSIER RACING TIRE. MICKEY THOMPSON TIRES, M0R0S0 PERFORMANCE, MOSER ENGINEERING, MR GASKET COMPANY, MSD IGNITION. NITROUS WORKS, TENNEC?, TORCO RACING FUELS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS Modern lech Truck Paint Street Rod Interior Engine Engineered Daily Driver Street Machine (Tubbed) Street Machine (Non-Tubbed) Tommy…