Indholdsfortegnelse for April 1960 i Hot Rod

Smarting from a no-show at Continental Divide Raceway and a decisive trouncng at the country’s second major compact car race at Sebring last December, Chrysler’s Valiant came to Daytona Speedweeks with more power than was decent, an eye for revenge and the performance to do the job. The result might have been different but not by much had the rules allowed John Holman and company to enter the sizzling “C.P.” Lark V8 buzz bombs that made hay at Sebring. The Larks were kept out by a displacement limit of 200 cubic inches which was fair enough in the light of past performance but the handicappers couldn’t figure on the fact that the docile Valiant would end up pumping over 180 gross horsepower out of its 170 inches for a top…

Anyone who read HRM’s comparison/I road test of the three “compact” cars in the February edition is well aware of the fact that we found the Corvair lacking in the handling department. Our editorial comment was that the rear wheels had entirely too much to say about where the front wheels (and consequently the entire car) were going. It was men tioned that the apparent reason for this was the change in camber encountered in severe cornering. Camber, mumbled in a mystic manner by your neighborhood front-end alignment man as though something akin to nuclear fission, is nothing more than a technical term describing the angle of the wheels when viewed from the end of the car. Before the Corvair, camber was usually a front-end term, but Chevrolet’s entry into…

Engineers who design modern automobiles have made outstanding progress ** in their efforts to simplify the operation of their products. They have eliminated the clutch pedal completely, provided transmissions that shift themselves, eased the problem of turning corners by letting the engine do most of the work, and reduced the effort required to apply the brakes by utilizing engine vacuum to carry the load. With some makes of cars they have gone even further than this to minimize the brain work as well as the physical motions required for driving by simplifying their cars’ instrumentation. However, the method of minimizing brain work is based on false assumptions. It is satisfactory in some instances but entirely inadequate in others. The method of instrumentation simplification used by the automobile manufacturers consists of…

Now that the “thinking men” among the 11 hot rodders have accepted karts as part of “their” sport, the name of the young Nisei who was crowned champion at the international races in Nassau (see last month’s HRM) is mentioned as often in rodding circles as is Chevrolet’s. An employee of the McCulloch Motors Company, Jim’s impatience to “get going” led him to modify the existing Model MC-10 powerplant to his own specifications on his own time, rather than wait for the factory’s inevitable changes as their karting experience accumulates. It takes more than horsepower to produce a winner, though, and Jim’s not lacking in the other two basics: a chassis that handles, and a “handler” to take advantage of the fact. The Yamane combination fulfills both requisites: take a…

“COMPLETE” is truly the word to describe this amazing book. For beginners and seasoned Hot Rodders, from basic theory to the latest in techniques, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HOT RODDING covers the entire field in detail. Authored by automotive magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen and the editors of Hot Rod Magazine, this master reference is certain to provide you with scores of ideas YOU CAN USE. OVER 200 PAGES OF THE MOST EXCITING HOT RODDING MATERIAL EVER COMPILED IN ONE VOLUME! THE HOT ROD STORY-Learn how the sport of hot rodding actually began. Here is the history of its development, obstacles which blocked its growth. HOT RODDERS TACKLE THE WORLD S ENGINES - How veteran hot rod enthusiasts get more power. An invaluable checklist of primary facts. THE TRUE FACTS…

“Zero-five-seven… you are fifty feet above glide path… increase your j rate of descent… you are now on course, on glide path… over touchdown point…1 take over visually for landing and contact tower.” The man in command of this situation is an Air Force Ground Control Approach Radar Technician. And those “blips” on the glide paths of his radar screen represent an aircraft coming down blind through bad weather. This is the kind of man whose dependable skill and calm judgement make him a key member of the Aerospace Team… he is the kind of man who can meet the qualifications of the U. S. Air Force. Are you that man? As a trained and experienced Air Force technician, you will have an opportunity to build a career for yourself…

We have just found the perfect gift for the man who has everything—or at least for the man who has everything but a really exciting car. This ideal present is the latest of Chrysler’s special 300 series and goes under the name of the i960 300F. The price tag on this car is somewhat higher than most of the cars we test but judging from letters that arrive at our desk, we have a larger number of readers who are not only interested in the higher priced performance models but actually have the means to pay for them. Chrysler’s 300 is a limited production model and as such does not have to adhere to the rules usually followed by Detroit when building a large car to sell the American public.…

Should there be doubt in the minds of some regarding the congruity of a motorcycle road test between the covers of this magazine, it is destined to disappear in a cloud of smoking rubber with the first twist of the throttle of Harley-Davidson’s big, booming CH Sportster. This is two-wheel hot rodding with a capital “H” in a 55-cubic inch V-twin that gallops through the standing quarter mile at over the century mark, explodes up a knee-deep sandwash like it was shot from a gun, and purrs down Main Street with the docility of a scooter. Here are the unwashed facts gained from a two-month, 1000-mile flogging given the Samson of sports motorcycles, the hot rod from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Introduction to the Sportster was made at John Gregurich’s Motorcycle Specialties…

Organization — Activities — Projects; when combined, will provide the foundation for a good hot rod club—an NHRA Charter Club — the Rebels of Lin-coln, Nebraska. Some five years ago, thirty men gathered to form what is known today, throughout the midwest, as one of the most active clubs in operation. Evidence of the Rebel’s illustrious career is portrayed in the wide array of trophies gained in just one year (1959) of competition. Whether it be in a car show or on the drag strip, members of the Rebels are always on hand to take their part in competition. Rebels entries in the many car shows of the midwest have gained the club recognition as having some of the finest show cars in that area. Their competition at the Lincoln…

We cannot promise that you will win every race if you drive our Challenger Racing Karts… We can promise you that if you race a Simplex you will have every mechanical and engineering advantage that a Racing Kart can provide, including two shoe automotive internal expanding brakes and the finest steering mechanism of any Kart in the world. You’ll be proud to race this Kart. For the non-racing driver the Challenger provides all the thrills of FUN DRIVING a Kart with the added satisfaction of knowing you are driving the finest Kart that money can buy… Single or Dual Engines, or without Engines. Prices range from $139.00 to $269.00. Send for free literature. SIMPLEX MANUFACTURING CORP., 540 N. Carrollton Ave., Dept. HR., New Orleans 19, La. WE HAVE THE BEST…

Speedweeks is the name the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) calls their annual mid-winter speed carnival in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nationwide interest in this event is very high because the current model cars being raced during Speedweeks are, with a few reservations, the same cars that anybody can order from his local new car dealer. The reservations include most generally the heavy-duty suspension pieces that are necessary to improve safety and handling at high speeds although the special talents of racing mechanics can usually coax several more horsepower from the engines. The annual speed competition among the late model stocks was, until last year, confined to the world famous sands of Daytona Beach with the big finale of Speedweeks being a 160-mile stock car race on a…

Four hundred will get it but Nathan On June 20, 1958 I received a call from Bonneville buddy Nathan Ostich, M.D. I knew that he and Ak Miller were putting together a thing called “The Thing"—a Henry J crammed full of 456 cubes of Chrysler and 6-71 blower. But Doc had other things on his mind. “What have you got tucked away on Cobb?” he asked. John Rhodes Cobb of London had set the World Land Speed Record 11 years before when he averaged 393.8 mph on the Bonneville Salt. “Sure I’ve got a fat file on Cobb,” I told Doc. “What’s the problem?” “I want to build a fast car.” he said. “Really fast this time. Fast enough to blow off the Cobb record by a hundred mph or…

AFLOAT South San Francisco, California…

The greatest percentage of competition car axle failures have been within the rear end housing itself. This has been verified by long observation of failures of this sort at many, many drag strips throughout the country This failure usually occurs at the root of the splines at the inner end of the axle. Note illustration. With a definite need for some sort of husky axle retainer for the Ford-type axle being established. George Jackson and Jim Carson of J & C Engineering Company. Dallas, Texas, have come up with these really sturdy J-inch steel plate safety rings for $19.95. These arc made for all the Ford. Lincoln. Mercury. T-Bird, £-ton Ford pickup and Oldsmobiles. They are NHRA approved. One of the great advantages of this item is its ease of…