Indholdsfortegnelse for January 1967 i Hot Rod

A few weeks before the final race of the World Grand Prix circuit, we were contacted by a gentleman named Fred Van Beuren, an American by birth, who has spent the past twenty-five years living in and conducting a furniture business in Mexico City. He is also a member of the technical committee for the Mexican Grand Prix. While having lunch with Fred, we learned that: a) he was an automobile enthusiast; b) he reads HOT ROD faithfully; c) the pictures of dragsters and funny cars he saw in HR fascinated him; and, d) he and the other members of the Grand Prix committee thought that the Mexican people would like to see some of these American drag machines in action. So, Fred then outlined the purpose of his visit.…

The title says something 'bout carburetors; perhaps one of the least understood components of contemporary automotive engines. Personal preference regarding the use of one or a half-dozen such fuel/air mixers not-withstanding, you need a grasp of the fundamentals underlying the function of that collection of brass and pot-metal affectionately called a “carber-ater,” if you plan to piddle much with cars. You won't be required to dis-mantle anything during the course of the story, just absorb a few ideas and a little ink. We plan to build a class-room-type carburetor, fully aware of the variety of carb types on the market but knowing also that the basics form a common ground for the entire group. And now the fun begins. Gasoline requires the addition of air before normal spark-derived combustion can…

The advent of the mag-type alloy spoke wheel and its increasing popularity has opened some new vistas that have long been obscured by the stock disc-type wheel. With the open-spoke wheel, those ugly brake drums are coming into view again. With beautiful chrome wheels designed to add class to your car, the unsightly rusty brake drum showing through just doesn't get it. In the wheel manufacturing business himself, Louie Senter of Ansen Automotive was well aware of this problem, and has come up with some Go-Go discs that slip over the wheel studs behind the wheel, thereby shielding the brake drum from view. In addition to plain black, these. 025-inch-thick aluminum discs are available in every color of the rainbow, including candy and metallic finishes. You can also get a…

Whether you've had the opportunity to see the package or not, here is the Ram-Air arrangement Olds incorporated on their 50-odd drag race cars in '66. Designed to inlet the air in a high-pressure area (the front of the car), ducting runs over the front fender wells and into each side of the 3-carb air cleaner you see in the pic. Reported to be capable of providing a 2-3 mph boost in quarter mile speeds, none of this rigging appears so difficult that something similar couldn't be fabricated in your own workshop. Although air cleaners for 4-bbl carburetion may not appear similar, each of the ducts could be fitted to the sides of a circular-type cleaner. Just trim out a pair of cylindrical holes, equip each one with some sort…

Contrary to what you may hear in the pits on race day, the name of the race is the Motor Trend Riverside 500—not the Dan Gurney Slalom. Dan has won all four runnings of the Riverside bash, and he'll be the man to beat for the $72, 000 purse this year. A lot could change before the race is held January 22nd, but the word is now Gurney will leave the Wood brothers/Ford camp to team up with Parnelli Jones in a pair of Comet GTX's. The Wood brothers will most likely be doing their “world's fastest pit-stop” act for another team of Ford drivers. The increased purse and the fact the race is a World Championship points meet means a great number of “names” will show up to give…

Flopped on its side, this Crosley steering box is the central part of a different (to say the least) front end arrangement. Flat plate anchored horizontally across the lower side of the frame rails forms the support for the unit. Heim-type joint at the apex of the “V” screws into a threaded section of tubing, providing easy and ready adjustment for caster changes. Remainder of front end package is of the “traditional” design. You can laugh if you want, but it works! SHOCK MOUNT If you're building a street rod and are looking for an inexpensive shock absorber mount, give consideration to this type. From what we could learn, it came from the front end of a '49-'52 Ford pickup truck. Of forged steel, the mount bolts to the side…

One of the seven NHRA division tech inspectors, Jim Dale, stood squinting into a faceful of dust-laden Oklahoma sunlight on Friday of the '66 Points Finals kick off. Behind Jim and near the entrance to the pit area, Jerry Ruth (the before-Tulsa AA/FD speed record holder at 218.44 mph) unloaded his car into the tech line. To the obvious question, Dale returned; “Personally, I don't know. Most of the local racers feel Ruth's 218 won't be bettered here, even though the meet does gather a better part of the country's machinery and drivers.” He was correct. Tulsa sits square on Oklahoma flatland, 600 feet above sea level and void of a measurable amount of the humidity in which many of the assembled group were accustomed to running. Those who came…

If you'd rather watch TV than a tach, forget the SS 396. But if you've always wondered how the torero feels when the crowd hushes on a hot afternoon in Seville, SS 396 just might give you the message. Buckle in. Set your shoulder belt. (You can order that, too.) You're behina an all business instrument panel with its warning light for the dual master cylinder brake system, GM-developed energy-absorbing steering column, four-way hazard warning flasher and a raft of other safety features. You're set now to boss around the 35O-hp edition of the Turbo-Jet 396 you ordered, along with full instrumentation, the close-ratio 4-speed, Positraction. And some other necessities of life like a stereo tape system as good as the one at home. Maybe better. So what's more to…

owners: Lillich & Garrett Abbott stown, Pennsylvania car: '39 Studebaker Charles Garrett and Harry Lillich started their project with a $100 '39 Studebaker coupe which has now turned more than 118 mph in the quarter, with a low e.t. of 11.Iff. The weight was brought down partially by the use of 'glass doors and nose with plexiglass in all the openings. The frame remains basically stock. Homemade rear traction bars of braced square tubing help to keep the 1/2-ton Chevy truck rear on the strip. Final gear is 5.83:1. The front end features chrome CAE tube axle, tie rod, spring and radius rods. The 40Willys spindles are ringed with Airheart spot discs. Halibrand mags are used all around. Tires are 5.00 x 15's up front, M&H 9.00's in the rear.…

owner: Jim Grant Riverside, California car: '23 Ford 'T'…

Misjudged the location of that post, huh, and gouged a neat crease in the bottom of the fender, huh? 'Tain't that bad. Do-it-yourself body work is time consuming but not unduly complicated when it comes to the small jobs. The people at 3M (the “Scotch” tape people) have come up with a short series of pictures that should help explain the story of the small repair. If you decide to tackle a job, be sure you understand the following.…

If you're going to do any serious dragging with a street machine, it is mandatory that you have a really solid set of traction bars to anchor the rear end. Britting Engineering of Azusa, Calif., makes just about as solid a set as we have ever seen. The bars themselves are 2x3x3/16-inch tubing with heavy steel plate gussets welded directly to the axle housing. The forward-mounted anchoring crossmember is 2x2x 1/8-inch tube and is welded directly to the frame. The bars bolt to crossmember through welded anchoring tabs. The complete heavy-duty kit goes for $85 with a pre-fab crossmember you will have to cut to length. This setup is rather stiff for street. Bar length and one-half spring length don't always match, resulting in improper spring/bar geometry. Have car supported…

The Salton 500 for '66 will be known as one of the best races ever held on the “Submarine Racecourse,” as the 220-feet-below-sea level Salton Sea has become known to the racing fraternity. In an effort to give all contestants an equal chance, Race Director Mel Zikes formulated some new and interesting rules for this year's event. No Allisons, no qualifying and no limit to automotive engines. This threw things wide open and was really appreciated by the racers, attested to by an entry list of 91 boats. Of these, 89 made it to the starting line, under the guidance of a helicopter which set the starting pace for the pack (another Zikes innovation for the betterment of the event). Traditionally, the race is run in two heats, starting at…

SHOW SCHEDULES COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA Speed & Hot Rod Show plus Teen-O-Rama, Feb. 11-12, Orange County Fair Grounds. Hunters Car Club of Santa Ana, P.O. Box 400, Maywood, Calif. 90270. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Western Nationals, March 30-April 2, Great Western Exhibit Hall. N.C.C.C.A., P.O. Box 571, Canoga Park, California. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA National Roadster Show, Feb. 17-26, Coliseum Exhibit Hall. Al Slonaker, 8208 East Meadowbrook, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85251. SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA Inland Empire Teen-O-Rama, Custom Car & Hot Rod Show, Jan. 12-15, National Orange Show Grounds (2 buildings). K-MEN Radio, Coachmen Car Club of Berdoo, P.O. Box 400, Maywood, Calif. 90270. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Southwest Rod-Custom Exposition, Jan. 27-29, Community Concourse. N.C.C.C.A., P.O. Box 571, Canoga Park, California. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Motorcycle, Custom Car & Boat Show plus Teen-O-Rama, March 10-12,…

A NEGATIVE APPROACH Gentlemen: Thought it was really “A Rare One” until we noted the horn location had changed in the photos, tipping us to the fact the negative was reversed during printing. Excellent article and photos. Gerard and Bruce Parsons San Luis Obispo, Calif. P.S. The two of us (father and son) have a Rutherford-equipped fourbanger '29 'A' sport coupe, “Rajo” 'T' Ford and are now going the '55 T-Bird route. Can you top 100 mph?—Editor 'A' DISPUTE Gentlemen: Wow! is all I can say in regard to your November article on Bob McCoy's “A Rare One.” I've owned four A's, the best of which would only do 73 (in the quarter). The engine was bored. '080 with Isky full-race cam, Jahns 9.2:1 pistons, dual Stromberg 97's and a…

We're considering awarding our first Good Guys of The Year Award to Muntz Stereo-Pak. Mainly because they've been downright super about a lot of things—like having produced the finest car stereo system in the world at the lowest cost in history.. Now we always figured that car stereo was a smashing idea, but who could afford all that money? Well, we mentioned the matter to some of the people at Muntz Stereo-Pak and they promised to look into it. When they got through looking, they came up with the snappy new Muntz M-30 that looks and sounds so great. And they sweetened the pot by hanging a price tag on it that said it cost only $39.95. Heck, our Good Guys trophy will cost more than that. Hmmm … On…

owner: Buzzi Fabio Torino, Italy car: Custom Roadster…

owner: Don Knight Buffalo, New York car: '64 Chevy II…

The year of 1966 should be remembered as a vintage year for the sport of drag racing. A lot of people had a lot of fun. Cars went faster than ever before. Elapsed times fell. Yes, 1966 was a very good year. Thus, it is fitting the year be ended with the presentation of the Hot Rod Magazine Top Ten Awards for 1966. The Hot Rod Magazine Top Ten are not only representative of a progressive sport but are some of the hardest working and most deserving participants to be found in any sport. Some of the Top Ten are professionals in that they make their living solely by participation in the sport. Others are called amateur because their livelihood is not dependent on the sport. However, they are all…

The Japanese Indy 200 run in October was a pioneering effort at best but still managed to produce more thunder than anything since Mount Fuji erupted in 1707. The firsts that were scored at this outing added up to an increasing interest in motor sports by the Japanese. Not only are there plans for the race to be run again next year, but a new track is to be built for the event. Designers for the new facility are Sterling Moss and Charlie Moneypenny, who designed Daytona. This year was the first time Indy racers had ever been to Japan, and the Japanese consider the sport much more an art than perhaps the Americans and Europeans do. The race programs are filled with statements from authors, movie directors and artists,…

One of the most common things about drag racing is that there are probably as many “team-owned” cars as there are individually-owned machines. Of course, the answer lies not in the fact that all of these guys are such close buddies that they can't bear to race solo, but because of the high cost of drag racing. Sure, there are dozens of classes that are suited to the would-be racer who happens to be “bucks-down,” but too many of these team members want to be up in the big numbers, and like that takes bucks. The teams of Sox & Martin, Adams & Wayre, and the Beebe Brothers & Sixt are just a few of the more successful groups racing-today. The young guys shown on these pages aren't in the…

owner: Earl O'Day Rising Sun, Indiana car: '36 Ford Pickup…

TO SAY THAT hot rodding came to Sweden recently is not quite correct; it is a sort of renaissance. During the late forties and early fifties, there was a shortage of both tracks and racing machinery. The lack of tracks was compensated for by racing cars mostly in winter, on ice circuits. Racing cars from the thirties mixed with “Scandinavian Specials.” These specials were a lot like early American hot rods—built with mostly pre-war parts, using big American engines (mostly Ford and Mercury V8's) and simple suspension layouts. These cars defeated everything else on the ice circuits, in spite of being rather heavy and unsophisticated. Some more exotic machinery appeared occasionally, but because it did not have the ruggedness that is often necessary for ice races, it had difficulty in…

HOT ROD MART Requirements: 25 word limit per ad, not including name and address. We reserve right to edit copy or refuse ads. While not responsible for accuracy of description, we will reject misleading statements. No ads from commercial firms. Only one car may be listed in any one ad; this limitation not to apply to parts or equipment, however. $10 per ad must accompany each insertion. When photo is included, the rate is increased to $15 per insertion. Due to normal publication schedule, allow at least two months from time ad is received until it is printed. SELL— '31 A rdstr., Buick eng., chrome, new top, stereo tape, extras, built for st./show, black int./ red ext. $2000. E. Aston, 10026 France Ave., Tujunga, Cal. SELL— '57 Chevy Bel Air…