Indholdsfortegnelse for July 1964 i Hot Rod

On paper, dragstrip racing—America's latest million-fan sport —might seem to be just a question of pressing down hard and steering straight. Run down a quarter-mile straightaway, it's all over in a matter of seconds. But a driver has a lot to think about. Fast. Like: keep car in low gear, clutch in, rev engine, concentrate on Starting Light. Yellow, Yellow, Yellow. Green—Go. Half-throttle off the line. Feed in the clutch. Don't “break loose.” Push the pedal to the pavement. Listen to the engine and exhaust. Watch the tach. Feel the push against my back. Stab the clutch, pull the gear lever hard into second. Watch that tach. There. The tires are getting a bite now —6500 RPM already—stab the clutch and jam the gear lever into third. Watch that tach—last…

The PC emblem has long been a familiar sight on winning race cars. It rides with racing “pros” who specify Perfect Circles, “pros” who make their living behind the wheel. These drivers and their mechanics can't risk using rings that give anything less than full power, full time. That's why Perfect Circles are the track favorite. Look at the record: more than 80% of the Indianapolis races since 1922 have been won by PC-equipped cars. Year in, year out, more major USAC events and NASCAR competitions are won by drivers using PC rings than any other ring brand. What's the difference between these PC “racing” rings and those you can buy? Nothing. They are identical, from the specially-selected metals to the solid chrome surface. They are identical in design and…

Eyeball this stock appearing bird. Then make another sweep. Maybe you'll notice a lonely single exhaust pipe 4 inches in diameter! More curiosity may detect a slight hiss coming from within the muscle department. Flip the lid and focus on 800 chrome and gold horses in the form of a 456-inch hemisphere Chrysler garnished with an AiResearch turbo-supercharger. Interested? Read on: After deciding on a boulevard-type sports car to be used for daily transportation which would be suitable for fun at the drags and Bonneville, Gordon Potter of Torrance, Calif., selected the '55 T-Bird. Aside from its classic beauty, Potter found the bird has plenty of room in the engine compartment and the weight distribution is excellent. After considerable planning and designing the necessary components, Potter offset the engine 6…

The popular hot rodding trend of swapping engines in passenger cars has often raised a problem of transmission interchangeability. This is because hot rod specialty companies can only afford to tool up for a limited number of block-to-transmission adaptor castings. They must select the basic engine and transmission combinations that will be most popular in the swap market, to ensure sufficient production volume to offset tooling and production costs encountered in the manufacture of specialty items. That's where interchangeability comes in. Let's assume that a builder has a hot rod under construction and has available to him a 283 Chevy which is fitted with an adaptor to mate the engine to a '53 Studebaker Commander transmission. Upon checking, he'll learn that the Stude gearbox is a Warner unit and is…

If one were to tell of a driver who, on his first attempt to drive a dragster, went faster than 160 mph in the quarter mile, or that an all-new dragster was known to exceed 160 mph on its first run, the chances are good that the story teller would promptly be branded as just that — a story teller. But such a tale is told, and not only did the “novice” driver achieve such speeds on the debut of his newly-built machine, but he shocked some 5,000 already surprised drag race spectators by pushing out an additional 15 mph. Some said that the new car's performance on its first day was to be considered a stroke of luck. They couldn't have been more incorrect, for the machine that plays…

For several years, since the SCTA invited the bike boys to come out and share in the fun at the Bonneville Speed Trials, there has been an increasing number of motor-cycles making an appearance at this classic meet. 1963 was not a year for the big 200 mph-class streamlined machines, but there were plenty of entries in the slower classes, most of which were running between 130 and 150 mph. That may not seem very fast when compared to some of the speeds being turned by the more powerful cars, but the motor-cyclists get as much fun and excitement out of their Bonne-ville efforts as anyone. They are squeezing horsepower from their relatively small engines just as hard as any of the four-wheeling hot rodders — and as everyone knows,…

The name Harley-Davidson has long been synonomous with rugged dependability under strenuous conditions; witness the extended use of these machines for day-in, day-out service by police agencies throughout the world. It becomes virtually axiomatic then that the Milwaukee firm could be depended upon to produce a sturdy piece of equipment for off-the-road trailing. Such a machine is the lightweight (216 pounds) Scat, the geared-down variation of the 175cc (10.65 cubic inches) Pacer road model. The Scat embodies all the strong points generally associated with Harley-Davidson, carrying the design themes for family resemblance, and in a number of instances shares parts with its bigger brothers. This heavy-duty thinking pays off in longevity for a mount which invites abuse. The single cylinder engine is of two-cycle principle, ideal in smaller displacement powerplants…

ENGINE PERFORMANCE KIT Here's a three-way package of power. Has eight matched pistons with heads designed for valve clearance; high-lift design camshaft with tappets; cylinder head and valve assembly with heavy-duty rocker arm studs, spring seat ridges, solid valve spring retainers and oilcontrolling valve stem seals. Part#C40Z-6A044-A(221 CID), #C40Z-6A044-B(260), #C40Z-6A044-C(289) Each $ 342.70* DISTRIBUTOR KIT Consists of distributor and heavy-duty spark plug leads. Features dual-point mechanical spark advance control. Offers high-speed performance characteristics especially suited for drag strip operation and other high RPM requirements. Part #C4DZ-12050 $ 49.80* THREE 2-V INDUCTION KIT Combine this 6-barrel baby with the distributor, cam, and cylinder head kits and watch the horses soar! Kit has three 2-V carburetors on a cast aluminum intake manifold with special air cleaner. Mechanical linkage lets you “go on…

Suggested retail price: $ 2365. The price is the important feature nowadays and it just so happens that Plymouth's new Barracuda fast-back coupe is listed at just $ 3 less than Ford's Mustang. We seriously doubt this is coincidence, but don't get excited about the possibilities of a price war like those we have seen on gasoline, milk, eggs, etc; we suspect that neither Ford nor Plymouth will drop their prices any lower. We've looked the Mustang over already and pronounced it a very good package for the price; now let's explore the briny deep and see what the Barracuda has to offer. This new model is basically '64 Valiant but with a number of changes which distinguish it from the standard Valiant line. Suspension, running gear, engine options, transmissions,…

When a previously-owned AA/Fuel Dragster was wrecked, Floyd Head was not dismayed. Here was the opportunity of building a better, faster car; and he did. Sixteen years' experience from a '40 Ford Coupe, a Chrysler-powered '49 Ford, a fuel-burnin' fiathead dragster and a brace of double-A fuelers gave him the needed background. Head held the top time and quick time records at his home strip in San Antonio. He'd decided to go after them again with a new machine. He was methodical, spending a year in planning and construction. The frame was built to his blueprints by Chassis Research using 2½-inch cold roll tubing for a 120-inch wheelbase. A leaf spring front end in bulldog mount has a lightened I-beam Ford axle and spindles with home-built wheels mounting Pirelli rubber.…

One never knows where hot rodding can lead. Today you might be in your backyard performing an engine swap … tomorrow you might be the Technical Director of your own automobile manufacturing firm. Sound farfetched? Not in this fast-moving age. Because that is just where three young Northern Californians have found themselves. Longtime friends Milt Brown, Newt Davis and Ron Plescia have turned their rodding interests into business interests to become full-time automobile manufacturers. They have designed and have in production their own car, the Apollo, named after the Greek sun god who helped create such a favorable atmosphere for their exciting new product. More than just a flash in the pan, at this writing they are producing a car a week and have thus far delivered 50 units. Technical…

Indianapolis area residents are race fans of the highest calibre and they not only turn out in hundreds of thousands for the annual Indy 500, they also range far and wide over the state to Terre Haute, Salem, Columbus, and other spots where championship sprints, stocks and midget races are held. Just a few years ago, some of the more enthusiastic citizens got together enough financing to construct the Indianapolis Raceway Park in neighboring Clermont, and this racing plant has facilities for a variety of racing. It has a 5/8-mile paved oval, a first-class drag strip where NHRA has held its summer Nationals the past three years, and a road-race course 2 1/2 miles long. In the nearly three years the IRP has been in operation, there have been several…

Don't let the name fool you. Classic Car Wax is the best there is for anything on wheels… antique, classic, sports or dragster. Here's why. Twelve years of research were devoted to perfecting Classic Car Wax. Test after test was conducted under the harshest conditions a car can encounter. Sun, salt, rain, snow, road grime and even the biting atmosphere of industrial areas were pitted against formula after formula, until every possible condition was covered… and conquered. Classic Car Wax has two outstanding features: it is fast and easy to apply, and the lustrous, jewel-like finish it leaves lasts longer than any other wax. It is a paste because no liquid can contain enough wax to do the job that must be done. But Classic is totally different from any…

Take a good look at the car shown on these pages. Would you like to own one? A lot of you would certainly say yes but then if you really stopped and considered all aspects carefully, most of you would decide that it isn't too practical. Ford's new Grand Touring car has a 95-inch wheelbase, 54-inch tread, is just over 13 feet long (158.6 inches), 70 inches wide, and is only 40.5 inches in overall height. The driver and passenger seats are contoured buckets with ventilation to provide maximum driver comfort. They also have an air bag along the back so that seating position can be changed merely by inflating the bags to alter position. This car is designed specifically to compete in races like the 24-hour Le Mans, Nurburgring,…

You'll find nothing slicker in the rain-soaked Oregon-Washington area than the Poncho-pushed Double-A Dragster of Tip Angel and Mike Grimm. The pair have campaigned their rail all over the west coast, and with top speeds over 170 and e.t.'s in the 8. 8O's are always a threat for T.E. The 1200-lb. rig was built in four months, using a Kent Fuller chassis with 100-inch wheelbase, 54-inch tread on the Fuller wheels in front and a narrow 37-inch rear tread for the American mag-mounted M&H's. The '62-design Fuller frame uses 1 5/8-inch chrome moly tube and incorporates torsional front suspension with friction dampers, a Willys steering to the '34 Ford spindles, and a solidly mounted 4-11 rear end. Braking is handled by spots on the rear wheels and a 14-foot Deist…

For one month prior to April 3, 1964, a group of twenty teen-agers studied diligently in a unique subject with classes held both indoors and out. All during this month, they “crammed” for a week-long test which commenced April 3, and didn't end until April 9, some 3243.8 miles from where it started. The subject being studied was “Driving for Economy.” The course was taught in a classroom and over hundreds of miles of highways and freeways throughout Southern California; the “final exams” were held during the 28th Mobil Economy Run with the starting point in Pasadena, California, and the finish on the grounds of the New York World's Fair. These twenty teen-agers were the drivers of Chevrolet's entries in the annual Mobil Economy Run, oldest of all economy events.…

Whether you're in the race or watching from the sidelines, Firestone has the test-proved tire for your sports car. Firestone tires built with Sup-R-Tuf *, Firestone's new extra-mileage miracle rubber, are performance-tested in over 425-million punishing tire miles every year. And they're backed by a No-Limit Road Hazard Guarantee. Both Firestone's Deluxe Champion and Firestone's Super Sports 170TW (exclusive racing tread design) are speedway-proved for highway safety. Check Firestone's full line of tires for sports cars, imports, compacts, stock cars and midgets. Charge them, if you wish, at your nearby Firestone Dealer or Store. Ail Firestone passenger tires carry a No-Limit Guarantee against road hazards and defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the original tread; replacements prorated on tread wear at then current Firestone prices, honored by…

Since last month's feature on the Lee Taylor/Harvey Aluminum jet boat, the “Hustler,” in Hot Rod, several test runs have been made with both good and bad results. The last test was conducted in mid-April at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on the Colorado River. The first run was made down the river at about 125 mph to check out the machine. After being towed back, driver Lee Taylor decided to make a slow run downriver, then make a quick run back; 150 to 200 mph was scheduled for the 4-to 41/2-mile course. With an Army helicopter hovering overhead to observe, Lee eased open the throttle. The big boat ran straight and true, skimming over the water supported by an air cushion, as was intended. At mid-course, the boat was still…