Indholdsfortegnelse for October 1967 i Hot Rod

Where do automobile mechanics come from? It’s a cinch they aren’t graduated from our conventional colleges with sheepskin in one hand and a toolbox in the other, so just where do mechanics get their start? Simple. You fellows out there reading this magazine furnish the raw material for nearly all the mechanics, service writers, parts department specialists, salesmen, and eventually even some dealership owners in this country. Some of you have already made the grade; our reader surveys indicate a high percentage of you are associated with the automobile one way or another in making a livelihood. There is one fact that nobody can deny and that is HOT ROD’S readers love automobiles. All those pistons, rocker arms, gears, axles and such really turn you on and you get your…

CAMARO/FIREBSRD “DUO-WRAP” Hellwig Products Co., Inc., of Glendale, California, has announced a new concept for the mono-leaf rear spring of the Camaro and Firebird. To bring out the best capability of the suspension, Hellwig “duo-wraps” the mono leaf with top and bottom bolt-on leaf assistors whose primary function is to dampen rebound and compression. For information on the many benefits realized, write to: Hellwig Products Company, Inc., Dept. HR, 6231 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, Calif. 91201. SOCKET WRENCHES A completely new line of socket wrenches is now being marketed nationwide by Crescent Tool Company, Dept. HR, 70 Niagara Street, Buffalo, New York 14202. Containing 18 different sets, the line ranges from a 9-piece basic kit to an 81-piece complete mechanics set (LMTSB 81). Four drive sizes are made: V2and %-inch…

It s come around to that time again — new car time. In a world without civil disorder, Vietnam, separated loved ones, air and water pollution, and a thousand other things, it was looked forward to with Christmas-like anticipation. These days it seems to have somehow lost some of its importance. Besides that, the auto industry itself is in a period of transition. Forced by federal regulation to comply with safety and exhaust emission standards, their ’68 offerings are not as revolutionary as they might ordinarily have been — or so they tell us. Models and sizes are being shuffled back and forth, and the performance engines are hedged with ultra-conservatism to skirt higher insurance rates. Even at that, we’ll stick to this area of super and near-super cars and…

Chevrolet Chevy’s back. If you weren’t aware that they’d been anywhere, then you’re not alone; because someone helped widen the sales gap that old “No. 2” almost closed up about a year ago. But how could you ever have doubted? Pete Estes is running the show. No, they’re not in racing yet. But in case you forgot, Chevrolet and Chevrolet-pioneered machines win so many more races than anyone else that it’s a joke. And if Jim Hall or Smokey Yunick triumphs, it’s all the more dandy because they’re independents and beat the “bourgeois baddies” at Ford. If they lose, well, they were “done in” by all that cubic money. Chevy has it all. Part of what they’ve got is one whale of a ’68 lineup and something more is the…

Most everyone recognizes that ignition timing can not only affect an engine’s octane requirement, but its overall performance and economy as well. Occasionally overlooked, however, is the shortened plug life and possible preignition which can occur as a result of overadvanced ignition timing, claims Champion Spark Plug Company. Plug tip temperature begins to soar as timing is advanced beyond factory “specs.” Even at normal 70 mph turnpike speeds, over-advanced timing can begin to overheat the spark plugs. If fuel octane were a bit too low for the additional advance, and detonation occurred, it’s a good bet that temperatures would reach the dangerous preignition level. In order to reduce the possibility of inaccurate timing during a tune- up, keep in mind these “timely” suggestions for using your timing lights: 1.Avoid Parallax.…

The VW cam is normally riveted to the timing gear. After miles of hard usage, the rivets sometimes work loose and finally break off. Even if the malady is discovered before it becomes disastrous for the gear, timing is apt to be severely affected as the rivets loosen up. SCAT Enterprises of Inglewood now modify all the cams they sell or install to eliminate the problem entirely. Three holes are drilled and countersunk in the timing gear and a corresponding three holes are drilled and tapped in the cam mounting flange. Don’t think all this is worth the trouble? OK. Remember, though, that on a VW the cam is the very first item to be installed when building an engine from scratch, and the very last item to come out…

Champion Spark Plug, a company deeply involved in automobile racing of all types, has recently published a list of driving tips. In turn, the tips are endorsed by a number of major racing drivers. There is nothing very new or shocking in the list, just well thought out, gentle reminders on how to make safety work for the driver. 1. When approaching a curve, apply brakes gently before reaching the bend. Then as the car straightens out, accelerate. You’ll find this ride smoother and safer. Also, by doing this you’ll increase the life of the car tires. 2. Always dim headlights when overtaking a car at night. High beams aimed at the other fellow’s rear view mirror can blind him and create a real driving problem. Abide by the Golden…

Tired of taping weight to the front end of that rail? Try these neat clamps that were hewn from aluminum stock, drilled and tapped for countersunk screws and attached to the front end of this fueler. The addition (or subtraction) of weight is accomplished by the use of any one of several sections of tubing, all of the same diameter and length. Some have more weight in them than others … a pre-determined move facilitated by the use of hollow tubing. A little extra trouble, perhaps, but a definite mark of a professional racer.…

This may be like saying that snow is cold to a lot of you guys, but if you happen to be new to the sport of coaxing more horsepower from hunks of iron, you may still need convincing that the little things count a bunch. Like matching ports. How much are ports usually off? Usually a bunch. Recently at a busy garage we lined up six heads and laid the intake manifold gasket over the ports. Holding the gasket in place, we made a pass across the surface with a light coat of paint from a spray can. The head shown in the picture came closer than any of the others in our sample of matching the gasket. However, upon locating the intake manifold which would be bolted on the…

Ever scan the sports page of your local newspaper and attempt to dig out results of the past night’s happenings at the neighborhood drag facility? You say you don’t have a local drag facility? All right, suppose you live in one of the country’s major metropolitan areas and there is a strip within driving distance of your doorstep; a track to which you normally trek but one where you happen not to make the program on some given Saturday evening. Now, try to find even quasi-adequate coverage of what took place during your absence. Oh, you’ll have no problem if somebody happened to bend a car around a guard rail or if some “digger” lifted a blower in the lights and took a short but driver-fatal journey through the brush…

Experienced engine swappers (and after one job you’re experienced) know that transplanting an engine of the same make as the chassis involved usually eliminates a score or so of minor, time-consuming problems. The examples of this are numerous. The current big-block Ford (352-390-427in ch) practically bolts right into those chassis which came with the Y-block V8; the small-block Ford (260-289-inch) is a similar drop-in for the early Falcon. Now, we realize this is like telling most of you guys that snow is cold. But for a lot of youngsters, a little looking before leaping for a cutting torch will save a lot of time, dough and patience. The factory boys like to get in on this engine swapping too; and you can bet that, in any number of cases, Detroit…

When you cam an engine for more power, you effectively increase its ability to breathe by opening the valves wider and holding them open longer. Keeping them open longer is known as increasing the duration of the cam. Theoretically, the exhaust valve opens when the piston reaches BDC of the power stroke and remains open as the piston rises to TDC on the exhaust stroke. At this point, the intake valve opens and the exhaust closes. If you’re going to extend total duration, you must open the exhaust valve before the piston reaches BDC and open the intake valve before the piston reaches TDC. This gets into what is known as overlap: a situation in which the intake opens before the exhaust is fully closed; a time in which both…

The very successful Ramchargers solved the “where to put a spare engine” problem by mounting it on rails near the front of the trailer which hauls their big fueler. There are a number of ways of working the hardware for a setup like this. In this case, four sets of double rollers carry the weight of the engine onto the rails which may be extended out past the trailer. The holes beneath the rollers are used to align a bolt with a tab on the underside of the rail back in the trailer to prevent the big block from shifting in the trailer. Normally, the engine is carried complete and ready to run except for oil. In this case, a head had been borrowed. Notice the tag on the timing…

There are few things in drag racing more frustrating than attempting to cool down a hot stacker between rounds of competition on a scorching day. One of the items to help do the job is the pressurized spray can of the type used to spray insecticide on agricultural products. The can is simply filled with ice and water before going to the strip and then used between rounds on the radiator and intake manifold to effectively lower engine coolant temperatures. Just squeeze the handle on the nozzle for a chilling stream.…

Engine: A Keith Black hemi. Car: Roland Leong’s ’’Hawaiian II.’’ Trick: Locating approximate TDC piston position with a screwdriver. Just slip the ’driver into the open plug hole, hand-crank the engine, watch rocker arm action and note when the screwdriver heads for its topmost position. When the ’driver is up and both valves are on their respective seats (as detected by rocker arm action), it’s time to set the valve lash for the cylinder in question. If you try it, make certain you don’t wedge the screwdriver against the piston top and either scratch the piston head or break up a few parts. Slow motion is the key.…

You can save time in tuning a VW the second time if you’ll spend just a minute more on the job the first time. Rotate the crank pulley until the two notches on the inner flange are visible. Measure 1 1/8 inches to the right of the right notch. Place a small dot of white paint on either or both of the flanges at this point. Now, at full advance, the timing light should pick up this mark and line it up with the split in the cylinder case. Total advance here is 32 degrees. We assume, of course, that the cylinder case is spotless and that the split line can be readily seen at all times. ’Tenshun!…

WHEREVER WHEELS ARE TURBINE Dear Sirs: The turbine has as much right to run at Indy as the V8! Offy backers yelled at the appearance of the V8; the turbine deserves just as much a chance as the V8 had to establish itself at the Brickyard. Are the auto manufacturers afraid the V8 and Offy will be forgotten and replaced by the Whooshmobile? Robert Riley Poplar Bluff, Missouri… I was always under the impression that races such as Indy were created out of the need for the advancement of speed and spectacle as well as safety and enjoyment. Why, then, should a car such as the turbine be banned from competition with cars powered by internal combustion engines merely because it proved to be more than an equal match? If…

Though a few companies like Hurst-Campbell, Ansen Automotive, and C-T Automotive manufacture a line of engine mounts and frame adapters for a wide variety of mills and chassis, there’s bound to be an individual who won’t be satisfied. Maybe mounts aren’t available for his particular hybrid, or could be he’s “bucks down” at the moment. But it could be that he’s the type who would rather build his own than wait for a shipment in the mail. (Everyone doesn’t live downtown, you know.) Whatever the reason, building your own engine mounts isn’t the toughest job in the world, but it does require the use of a few tools. Without these, it’s either buy your mounts, have someone else make them for you, or forget about it. But let’s get on…

A telephone receiver sits in the cradle of an audio phone on a desk in the Stahl-Moroso Performance Associates store in York, Pennsylvania. The buzzer that signals incoming calls honks a new arrival countless times each day. “Hello, Jere?” “Yeah.” (A file drawer is opened and one of the quickest 4-speed operators between both coasts keeps thumbin’ through papers.) “This is Phil Swaim in Roanoke, Virginia. I gotta problem with my F/Stocker and need to know a coupla things.” (The southern accent is rather thick.) “Like what?” “Well, I don’t think I’m gettin’ enough transfer ’cause the tires don’t seem to be workin’ off the line.” “What’s the car?” “It’s a ’56 Del Ray Chevy with a 2.20 Muncie and 4.Il’s.” “Go to a 4.56, put a set of ’57…

We’re quite sure you’ve all seen and envied those keen T’Bird turn indicators. When the driver flips the “trafficator,” there’s just no doubt which way he’s going to turn. It’s not only pretty, but it’s about as “far out” as you can get in the safety department, too. After a trip to the local Ford dealer and a quick look at the $89 to $190 cost of this unit (complete with special wire loom and motor-driven breaker switching system), one is prone to forget the whole thing. All is not lost, however. G&T Equipment of Long Beach, California, has devised a way to get around this cost. Their basic unit consists of transistorized switching (no moving parts) and a heavy-duty flasher for $26. With this you can have sequencing flasher…

So you say this isn’t the first article you’ve seen on driveshaft chopping, or fabricating? Well, let’s say we hope it betters anything done in the past. You’ve also heard of balancing a driveshaft … we’re sure of that. But have you ever heard of “timing” a driveshaft? If so, then you’re on the ball. If not, then keep reading because you’re the guy we’re after. Any time you switch to a different make of engine, relocate either an engine or a rear end (or both) or change transmissions, you’re a likely candidate for a new driveshaft. Because of the reasons necessitating a new driveline, chances are you can’t buy one “off the shelf.” Nope, these are items that must be custom-made for the situation. What you need to begin…

The British are coming! None of that land-or-sea jazz, but straight down the quarter-mile at a speed of 148 mph, with an e.t. of 9.93 seconds! That’s Alf Hagon, first Briton to crack the tens, and now possibly a threat to that evaporative American, Leo Payne, the Cedar Rapids boy who consistently scorches the quarter-mile in the midnines on a single-engine Harley Sportster. Hagon’s mount is a 1260cc (77 cubic inch) J.A.P. V-twin that is supercharged and running on a 30% nitromethane fuel mixture. Alf has been hacking away at this mark for a long time and now appears to be within stroking distance of America’s best. And he is considerably more than a dragster handler, for the British concern over which he presides manufactures tailor-made motorcycle dragster frames for…

SHOW SCHEDULES ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA 1968 Motorama, March 6-10, Anaheim Convention Center. World’s leading all-automotive spectacular. For information: Motorama, 5916 Hollywood Blvd.. Los Angeles, California 90028. Telephone (213) 466-8534. LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Rod-Custom, Auto-Rama, Motorcycle & Speed Show, October 27-29, Long Beach Arena. Competitors Car Club, P.O. Box 400, Maywood, California 90270. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Southland Roadster & Speed Show, October 1315, Shrine Auditorium. National Custom Car Club Association, P.O. Box 571, Canoga Park, California. SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA Inland Empire Custom Car Fair, November 3-5, Orange Show Center. National Custom Car Club Association, P.O. Box 571, Canoga Park, California. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Southwest Speed Show, November 3-5, Community Concourse. National Custom Car Club Association, P.O. Box 571, Canoga Park, California. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA National Custom Car & Motorcycle Show, November 10-12,…

If you have a ’67 MoPar which is being regularly flogged on the race track each weekend, the following chart on compression pressure may be of some help in tuning the car and making certain the engine is in top condition. Compression testing is an item often skipped in tune-up checks. The test is easily made and will indicate whether piston rings or valves are in distress. If rings and valves are normal, compression builds up quickly and evenly to specified compression on each cylinder. If there is ring trouble, compression will be low. The compression will tend to build up for a few strokes if a small amount of heavy oil is added to the cylinder. Compression pressure is taken with the engine warm, spark plugs removed, throttle wide…

In case you were waiting for one more example of wheelie bars before coming up with your own design, maybe this will help. Mounting bracket of square tube is bolted to the underside of that slick step-plate bumper. Quick removal of the wheelie bars comes from the two bolts per side. The bars are made from two pieces of leaf spring per side with a caster clamped on the end with four bolts per wheel. Plate everything in sight and get on with the show. Any questions? Yessir. What does he use that trailer hitch for and what’s that little tube for that’s taped to one of the wheelie bar brackets? Hmm, hadn’t noticed. Guess we’ll have to study on it.…

Just another in the long line of drain plug types that’ll screw into a block fitting and facilitate quick drainage of heated engine coolant. Radiator drain plugs will also serve the same purpose. Whichever type you decide to use, make certain a smear of thread sealer is applied to the threads prior to unit installation. If you don’t frequent the race tracks often enough to feel this trick is worth your while, think of how easy it would make total drainage of coolant when sub-zero weather arrives and you need to dump the water for an overnight engine stint … in a super-cold garage.…

Mr. Jim McFarland Editor Hot Rod Magazine 5959 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. Dear Jim, Like you said, I went off down to Costa Mesa and looked up Ted Treavor for a story on his Volksrod, but I’m not going to do it again for you. No siree bub. In the first place, rush-hour on the Santa Ana Freeway (which is sunup to sundown) is no place to be with a Touring. I mean, the Olds didn’t heat up or anything, but all the other drivers keep trying to get a look at your rod and really thrash the traffic situation. Careening off guard rails and busting radiators and all that sort of thing. Besides, have you ever seen a guy trying to take a picture of your car while hurtling…

(1) Take a pickup truck; install generating equipment for light, heat and air conditioning and an engine suitable for “live” demonstrations. Attach to the truck a large, roomy (2) Modify the interior of the trailer to provide individual work benches and storage space for tools, engine components and texts. (3) Set up a bank of modern test equipment, with appropriate electrical connections so that the devices are fully operable. (4) Arrange step-by-step demonstrations of tear-down, test and reassembly procedures for engine components to be studied.. (5) Provide a factory-trained specialist to give instruction in testing and servicing all components of AC and DC charging systems, carburetor overhauling, trouble shooting and tune-up. (6) Obtain sufficient quantity of alternators, generators, voltage regulators, distributors and carburetors so that each of the 10-15 students…

CAN’T RESIST IT Dear Jim: In two months, I’ve gone through three coils on my ’59 Chevy. I’m smart enough to suspect a problem somewhere besides in the coil, but thus far I haven’t turned up anything conclusive. I do have tube headers on the car, and the fact that I mounted the coil on the firewall and near the pipe leading from the #8 cylinder may have something to do with overheating the unit. But as I said, I’m not sure. Jack Pitt Little Rock, Arkansas I’m not sure, either, but I know of one item you’d better correct or you could be looking at a year’s supply of coils. Check the ballast resistor located on the firewall and near the master cylinder. The chances are pretty good that…

If the young GI freshly arrived in South Viet Nam thinks he had troubles with the Vietnamese language, he should consider the plight of the uninitiated fan who wanders into the pits at his first automobile race — drag or oval. Auto racing mechanics and drivers have a lingo that is as foreign to the outsider as Chinese is to Spanish. Strangely there is a difference in the way they talk on the two circuits. Until the 1965 season got underway, the paths of the oval-track enthusiasts and the drag racing breed seldom crossed. It was almost like two different worlds. Drag racing buffs ignored stock car racing. The oval track regulars looked on the short, brief acceleration runs at the drags as if they were quick injections of The…

SELL — ’40 Ford cpe, orig. perfect body, new paint, elec, fuel pump, Chevy 283 eng., 12-volt, hydr. brake & clutch, $1350. K. Utley, 1937 Southland Dr., Bowling Green, Ky., 502-843-9620. SELL — 1942 Carson custom Continental convertible, one of a kind. V-12 stock engine, top body chrome, immaculate. Sacrifice $1450. E. Devlin, 3605 Kincaid, Eugene, Oregon 503-343-3980. SELL — ’39 Ford cpe., balanced Buick eng., 6 deuces, Mallory, headers, Isky cam, aluminum pistons, 5.38 Chevy rear end, ’36 LaSalle trans., rolled/pleated interior, $2200 invested. Best offer over $995. Terry Spiker, R.l, Box 93, Sidney, Nebraska 69162. SELL — Astra GT cpe., custom-built street/strip/show, 95% complete. $4800 invested. 327 ’Vette eng., 2000 lb. Never raced; must sell. Best offer over $2000. J. Jurick, 143 Princeton Rd., Elizabeth, N.J. 07208. SELL…