Indholdsfortegnelse for June 1963 i Hot Rod

NEW CHROME WHEELS 'Sebring Special' ('SS') chrome wheels are plated with Inco Duplex nickel and chrome for finer appearance and greater durability. Safe, all-new wheels are produced by Sebring of Detroit, and retail for $79.95 set ($22.50 each). Also available are chrome lugs at 75 ea. Sebring of Detroit, Div. of United Platers, 3452 Denton St., Detroit 11, Michigan. 1/4 SPEED, DOUBLE LOBE CAM KIT Principle of the new Schaller 1/4-speed cam is fully patented; incorporates such features as reduction in spring pressures to 95 lbs. seat, 195 lbs. open, which greatly increases horsepower and materially reduces cam wear and breakage while giving an engine a “flatter” torque curve and higher RPM range. For information: Schaller Cams, Dept. H, 444 Queens Lane, San Jose 12, California. NEW ANCO BLADES HARNESS…

This year's Indianapolis 500 will see a new breed of car which should go far toward revolutionizing the field of race car building. To date, two of these little machines have accomplished feats during practice that most cars have been unable to match while in competition. We are, of course, referring to the Thompson-Chevrolet and the Ford-Lotus cars. During the latter part of March, both were able to get in some time on the Indy track for tire tests and fuel consumption runs. To say the results were spectacular would be the understatement of the year. Dan Gurney toured the track in the Ford-Lotus at speeds in excess of 150 mph with apparent ease. Krause, in one of the new Chevrolet-powered Harvey Aluminum Specials, racked up a 146-plus lap easily…

When we arrive at a strip, we unload the car and check first to see if the oil level is adequate. We then start the car and take a practice run. After the warmup run, plugs are changed, if necessary, and the timing is checked. When the car is ready — in top performing condition — we feel there are only three more ingredients left to make a winning combination: The selection of tires based on track condition, the driver, and lady luck. I have the seat adjusted as far back from the wheel and as high as possible with the Dodge six-way adjustment. I do this because it's most comfortable, I can see better and my weight (185 pounds) is closer to the rear wheels. Trial runs are important…

Dearborn, Michigan…

Kirkwood, Missouri…

Pacific Palisades, Calif.…

When karting was first introduced to the nation at large in '57-'58, it caught on with an explosive enthusiasm that astounded even the calloused “experts.” From the very first, these diminutive hunks of jiggling dynamite captured the fancy of many an old time rodder. They were different; they were new; they were exciting. Hauling along at speeds upwards of 70 mph a couple of inches off the ground is an interesting experience, to say the least. As should be expected, kart racing developed in two main streams, sprints and enduros. Perhaps the most famous of the enduros became the Tecate Grand Prix in old Mexico, which was unfortunately discontinued after 2 years. Fans of karting bemoaned the demise of this tremendously popular bash in the dusty streets of a sleepy…

What makes a normal, average type person turn into a Model A restorer? Think back to the last time you saw a Model A going down the road. That rhythm of the four, sweet-hitting cylinders. The never-to-be-duplicated sound of the up-draft carburetor, the mellow tone of the tapered muffler, all actinglike a magnet on your sense of hearing, drawing your eyes toward the “thing” that sounds like nothing else on four wheels. Then the 'A' is spotted and it is a proud thing. The look of an 'A' bravely forging along the streets and highways is like a well-trained athlete determined in its pace but not hurried, agile in its movements but not clumsy. It is this sight and sound that keeps wearing away the resistance of the “normal” person…

I'LL SHARE MY ENGINE Dear Sirs: If you think the enclosed drawing and its meaning are worthwhile, please publish it for the benefit of other HRM readers who may be interested in using the idea. In reading a December 1956 issue I used the methods outlined in the drawing to make necessary changes on the distributor of a 283 Chevorlet 170 HP. Results were good. I know because my wife commented on how much easier it is to engage the clutch without killing the engine. I began looking for the method after reading Don Francisco's Chevy book. Results: (static timing is on regular gas timing) Static timing was at about 700 rpm One thing I want to mention is the fine quality of your magazine content. Those who are so…

Few drag racing events held in this country today feature — almost exclusively — a premium field of both gas and fuel dragsters. And, very rarely is a meet's program highlighted by some 30 rails uncorking elapsed times under 8.50 seconds, along with speeds knocking 190 mph. But at Bakersfield, California, during the annual Smokers Club U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships, these vibrating displays of performance were commonplace. The Smokers Championship drew an exciting array of the nation's top-flite quarter-milers; virtually every big rail and leading driver was represented in the lineup and by race time nearly all had popped through the 1320 in less than nine seconds, most in the bottom eights; each ready for the round-robin eliminations and a try at the important overall Top Eliminator title. Following…

Santa Monica, California…

Denver, Colorado…

Last month Hot Rod had a rundown on Pontiac's limited-production draggin' special which used a number of unusual methods to drop the weight of a Catalina coupe down to a little over 3300 pounds. This month we have little brother Tempest and if you think that Catalina was a drag strip special, wait 'til you get the lowdown on this latest bomb. This, too, is a limited-production automobile for the simple reason that just shortly after Pontiac got everything ready to go into high gear on the production line, orders from General Motors' top management specified that all divisions stay away from racing and emphasis of high performance. A number of component pieces for the hot Tempests were already built by the time this edict was made and several orders…

Just in case you hadn't noticed, the hottest item on the automotive accessory market today is the transistor ignition. One transistor ignition manufacturer told us that he had literature from twenty-seven competitors and didn't know how many he had missed. New brands are popping up almost weekly. Since Hot Rod is for the real automotive enthusiast, the guy who knows cars and likes to make his own repairs and modifications, it is only natural for us to try to keep our readers informed on the latest innovations for the sport. Two years ago we did a story on Electric Autolite's Transigniter, one of the first transistor ignitions on the market, and at that time predicted that this type of ignition could solve a lot of problems present in the conventional…

A HAULIN' WAGON Dear Don: I read and enjoy your column in Hot Rod Magazine every chance I get. As I am strictly amateur, I would appreciate your advice on an engine, transmission and rear end swap for my 1951 Ford pickup truck. The truck has a stock V8 engine which now needs replacing. I would like to know what engines will fit with a minimum or reasonable amount of effort. I intend my truck for street use and very light hauling as a delivery wagon, so I don't want any record-breaker, but only serviceable results. I have a chance to buy a '53 Cadillac engine at a low price, but I'm not sure if it will fit the truck or my needs. I would appreciate and use any information…

According to the chef at our local pizza parlor, avanti is an Italian word meaning forward. Not the ardent, immodest type of forward but forward like advanced, radical, onward. At least we're sure that the last three descriptive words are what Studebaker had in mind when they picked the name Avanti for their four-passenger sports coupe. Studebaker's Avanti has been before the public eye for a full year but it is really just now getting a fair share of exposure to car buyers. Soon after introduction in the spring of 1962, problems popped up in body manufacture which seriously curtailed production. Avanti's body is made of fiberglass and manufactured for Studebaker by the Molded Fiber Glass Company of Ashtabula, Ohio. MFG also makes body parts for the Corvette and about…

Santa Ana, Calif.…

Salt Lake City, Uta, John's Corvette V8-powered '21 'T' is only one of a long string of hot rods, customs and motorcycles built over a few short years. His latest creation has scored in almost every show category possible plus sprinting 120 with 12.9 e.t. quarter mile. '29 Ford frame has been revamped to mount '40 Ford rear end attached by special radius rods and shock brackets. High ratio Zephyr transmission is teamed with a low 4-11 rear end gear set to pull the big Inglewood slicks on Ford-centered Buick rims. Note T-Bird taillights.…

Elgin, Illinois…

QUARTER-MILE DRAG RACING shows a tremendous increase in popularity as the new season gets under way, according to word received from Wally Parks, president of the National Hot Rod Association. Comparing reports of the first quarter this year against the same period in 1962, NHRA found the total number of sanctioned events had increased a full 25 percent, participant entries had gained 108 percent and spectators had boomed an impressive 100 percent. IN ALL AREAS, opening events for the '63 season's drag racing were surpassing previous years' records for crowds and contestants. New strips are being built in all parts of the country and many of the older strips are rapidly being upgraded in order to maintain their share of this fast-growing sport's participation. ON THE SAFETY SCENE, NHRA has…

If present plans materialize, J. C. Agajanian hopes to revolutionize the richest race per mile in the world today, the 41st annual Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb, scheduled for July 4th at Colorado Springs, Colorado, home of the United States Air Force Academy. The internationally known racing figure has replaced the late Lloyd Faddis as managing director of the world-famed 12 1/2-mile, 2200-foot race up the 14,110-foot peak which Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike discovered in 1806. Agajanian, whose car won the 1952 Indianapolis '500', has posted a purse of more than $12,000 for his version of the race, which starts at the seven-mile mark and runs to the top. In previous years a driver could enter only one of the divisions; championship, stock or sports car. However, for this year's…