Indholdsfortegnelse for March 1968 i Hot Rod

When the National Hot Rod Association Champions were crowned at Tulsa, six of the seven titles were won with Champion spark plugs. These Champion-sparked victories at the World Championship Finals—coupled with those at the '67 NHRA Nationals, Springnationals and Winternationals—give overwhelming proof: Champions give super good performance in every make of engine. Good reason for you to run on Champions!…

For a guy who was introduced to the sport of hot rodding “by mistake” Ed Cholakian has certainly gained from it. Most of his time is spent dreaming up and marketing auto accessories, but he still finds time to make an annual trek to Bonneville with a frightening orange-colored Corvair. Built by Don Torgeson and Gil Ruiz of Santa Barbara, California, the A A / Altered craft was tops in class in '66 and '67, and also set a class record during this latter attempt, clocking 209.91 in the eyes. Of course that pancake six didn't cut the cake, but a 5/8-inch stroker by C-T Automotive inside that big 392 (now 462 inches) Chrysler did. It's backed by a '37 Cad stick trans and a '48 Ford rear end with…

Pit-apron activity just prior to an Indy 500 borders on being a display of organized confusion. The stands and infield represent a massive sea of people and the rip of alky/nitro-fed four-cam Ford Indy engines cuts its way into the early morning pre-500 air as equipment is brought up to temperature. You can shave “goose bumps” off the back of your neck. Bands, flags, public announcement systems, balloons, the smell of popcorn, hot dogs and new rubber add to the distractions, but out on the apron and squatted near the only pushrod-type engine to have qualified for the '67 race, is someone you'd likely like to meet. Exhaust tone of this particular engine is well below that of the super-rpm four-cammers, but its response to throttle action is immediate. A…

Head “spec-ing” or “cc-ing” is a little like paperhanging — very easy if you know how, but complicated beyond all belief if tackled without a guide of some sort. Sure, it looks simple. You just take a piece of plastic, a burette full of liquid and start measuring chamber volume. Neat. And then what do you do after finding that one chamber holds 63 cubic centimeters and the one next to it holds 65.5? Drop back five yards and punt? No, follow the guide, who in this case was Hal Rawson of Bill Thomas Race Cars in Anaheim, California. Rawson has built more strong race engines than he cares to remember and knows the ins and outs of engine spec-ing like the back of his hand. The reward for following…

When it comes to solving problems, it can truthfully be said that Mickey Thompson has the virtue of bulldog tenacity. Others have chosen to call it “block-headed stubbornness” but in either case the result is the same; he never gives up till the problem is solved. Mick's most recent venture has been into the manufacturing of exhaust headers in an effort to augment his line of various other speed equipment items. The original reasoning behind the use of headers was to give each indvidual cylinder a separate exhaust stack, thereby reducing the back-pressure the engine had to work against during the exhaust cycle. Next, some unsung genius began to think about the individual exhaust pulses as they traveled down their separate stacks. Exhaust flow in the header is not a…

THE “SLEEPER” IS COMING BACK … The “Sleeper” hasn't terrorized the drag strips for almost a year now. It bides its time in a garage in Cypress, California, waiting for its driver, owner and builder, Sergeant Leon R. Dunsmore, to return from Vietnam and awaken it once more for the race through the lights. The “Sleeper” is an average looking 1957 blue Chevrolet sedan, but that is as close to average as it can be compared. The blue Chevy has been known to turn a respectable 104 mph in only 12.67 seconds on the quarter-mile strip. Sergeant Dunsmore, presently assigned to the U.S. Army Support Command at Cam Ranh Bay, is scheduled to return to the States next year, and hopes to add a few more records to his already…

One of the more critical points in an engine is that of exact connecting rod length, and when you think about it, of what use are precision machined pistons and a properly indexed crankshaft if the con rods don't fill the bill, too. Bud Child, of High Performance Engines Ltd., in Vancouver B.C., Canada, offered us this little bit of information that may be of help to more than one reader. He explained how you can easily check your own rods and then go about having them corrected, should they be of unequal length. First of all, you would need at least a five-inch micrometer. If you haven't your own, maybe you can borrow or rent one for the day at a rental service. After removing the rod caps, check…

Q: What was the high point in your drive to win the World Championship? Hulme: The greatest thrill was the race in Monte Carlo. This was the first win I ever had in the Grand Prix, and the greatest thing that has happened to me in motor racing. Q: Because Monte Carlo is a particularly tough race on the Grand Prix circuit? Hulme: It is a tough one and it was the first one of the season. It is one of the most difficult for a driver from the machine point of view and it gets the greatest world coverage. Everybody knows about Monte Carlo. Q: You were the only European driver to finish at Indianapolis in '67 and you were named Rookie of the Year. Is there a great…

Some day Pontiac will relent and become part of General Motors again. It's a neat blind, this pretending to be a part of the Corporation, but her sister divisions know the real truth concerning what really comes out of that old, seemingly innocent, red brick preWarren G. Harding building where they used to make Oaklands. Downstairs in the executive garage, you can still see hand-hewn oak floor joists, and there is an unavoidable contrast between these construction relics of another era and the bright pink Firebird parked there waiting shipment to Nancy Sinatra. Caught in the vortex of the safety and smog furor, Pontiac somehow still manages to build beautiful machinery, automobiles that meet the Federal standard, yet doing it with such elan that it puts everybody else in the…

Everybody in Detroit is mad at us — except Ford. With the help of about two thousand of you out there in reader land who dutifully filled in the ballot in our November issue (“Ford's Ultimate Super Cars,” Nov. '67 HRM), tore it out and mailed it to Dearborn, several key executives who doubted that Ford cars lacked competitive street performance reversed their opinion (under a write-in confrontation with the buyer) and — presto — a new marketing direction was embarked upon. This was not the greatest news to the rest of “Mo-Town's” super-car purveyors who were happily slicing up a big, trend-setting market while the Total Performance people got the leavings. It was their standard cocktail-hour joke, and we went and ruined the whole deal. The laughing stopped the…

owner: Davis & Ingram Campbell, California car: AA/Altered Joe Davis and Wes Ingram had seven competition machines behind them when they turned their collective talents to the “Jewel 'T.'” The car started out as an A/Altered, then the decision was made to add the puffer and attempt to be the first legal NHRA Gas Altered to run in the eight-second bracket. On the first full run, the car was just .07 off the National Record! Pretty impressive for a three-month construction job. Because of the short wheelbase (97 inches), the big-block Chevy was set lower than usual. Logghe coil shocks and leaf spring wheelie bars work the big Goodyears to put the power to the ground. The rear end assembly is '61 Olds running a 4.44 gear. Tread on the…

The world comes at you over a thrusting, contoured hood in exact GTO scale, the scoops and tach put down precisely where they are in the big car. But you see, that's the key. The Firebird is shorter than the GTO (188 inches total compared to 200.7) and the wheelbase is more restrained (108 inches to 112), yet the width is nearly identical (72.8 to 74). And the track (Wide-Track) is identical at 60 inches. Under the bulging bonnet, one of the impressions you get, besides that Pontiac has deliberately created a flattering backdrop for their engine, is that all 400 cubic inches of it is slid way back into the compartment. At first it seems an illusion, like the deliberately long front fenders are distorting the perspective, but you…

Once upon a time (just reeks with originality, doesn't it?), there was this little boy. He owned a St. Bernard dog named Clyde. Now Clyde was somewhat above average as far as being strong-willed was concerned and even when on a leash, he still went pretty much where Clyde wanted to go … even though the little boy was on the other end of the string. Fact was, the little boy sorta went where Clyde wanted to go, when Clyde wanted to go and for as long as Clyde wanted. Surely you are getting the feel of the thought. OK, then step into the '68 version of the Nickey/Thomas 427 street Camaro. Same situation as with the little boy and Clyde, only the car's named “Rapid,” and the little boy…

SAVE A TRANS Dear Sirs: I attempted to tow from Van Nuys to Carlsbad (about 150 miles), leaving the driveshaft in my stick-shift car. After an hour of freeway towing, I noticed many hot, smoking parts lying on the asphalt behind me. Being very familiar with my transmission, as all three-speed racers are, I recognized those parts on the freeway to be mine. What was left of the transmission dropped and dragged along the ground until I stopped. (My apologies to the motorists who were following and got their tires entangled in the loose parts, I really hadn't planned it that way.) The reason the transmission broke up was from the absence of lubrication while towing. A three-speed is lubricated by the “splash” system. The cluster, lying in the bottom…

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A DOUBTING THOMASYERSKI? Dear Sirs: Even though I'm a Ford man, I completely agree with the sentiments of the Georgia-based Ford dealer who wrote you in your January '68 issue. It was a true and hard-hitting letter and I was really surprised to see something like this actually printed in HOT ROD. I also think factory sponsorship is fine, but should be offered to everyone or nobody. It's getting so that a lot of people are starting to think Fords are really great, but I think GM might have won some races too if they'd backed some factory cars. Incidentally, you guys aren't going to have “Everybody's Automotive Magazine” until you start running something about Le Mans, Sebring, etc. Dan Thomasyerski Omer, Michigan We have trouble enough running about the…

SCATTERBLANKET This wraparound scattershield is designed to contain clutch components attendant with blown units. Constructed of ballistic material and secured with double-locking buckles, the cover can be easily transferred from one vehicle to another. Priced at $112, the unit is ideal for racing teams, clubs and car owners in the market for an explosion-proof shield. For information contact: Chute Metal Co., 18434 Topham, Tarzana, California. BARREL AND PISTON ASSEMBLY Webco, Inc., is now marketing a big-bore barrel and piston assembly for the Triumph twin. All pistons are machined with the clearance in the piston and all cylinders are bored and honed, ready for instant installation. There are four standard kit sizes and all include circlips, rings and head gaskets. Compression ratios are 91/2 and IOV2 and all units can be…

If you have ever bought a spark plug, a can of oil or a complete engine from your local speed shop, you were a part of a recent trade show held in Anaheim, California. In fact, you (the consumer) were the sole reason for the get-together. For the second time in as many years, SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association), in conjunction with Hot Rod Industry News, held a trade show. The aim was to put together under one roof most of those people who design, test, manufacture, distribute and sell all of the hundreds of thousands of parts and pieces that you, the consumer, continue to buy. Recently, Hot Rod Industry News — sister publication of HOT ROD Magazine — conducted a survey of the speed and custom equipment industry.…

Air scoops, that's what. Snagging cool air for Oldsmobile's new performance-boosting Force-Air Induction System. It's now available for the first time on all three Cutlass S models (a similar performance package is offered on Cutlass Supreme and F-85 coupes). Though Cutlass S has plenty of other good things going for it, too. Here's what the specs look like when you equip it with the Force-Air Induction System: ENGINE Type Rocket V-8 Bore x stroke, inches 4.057 x 3.385 Displacement, cubic inches 350 Compression ratio 10.25-to-1 Bhp 320 at 5800 rpm Torque, lb.-ft 390 at 4000 rpm Carburetion Specially calibrated Quadrajet 4-bbl. System includes dual air scoops, ducts and hoses; dual-intake air cleaner; extralarge intake and exhaust valves with spring dampers; special high-lift cam shaft; special crankshaft vibration damper; specially calibrated…

Check this one out for a street “sleeper.” Harry Boula of Van Nuys, California,' dropped a 383 Mopar into a 1962 Lancer, and the swap is basically the same for the discontinued MoPar 361 and the current 440. Chassis modifications remain the same for 1960, '61 and '62 Lancers and Valiants. For front motor mounts, you'll need '64 Chrysler pads and two right side brackets from a MoPar slant six, with the brackets requiring some minor modifications. Trim the tabs (or ears) from the mount and reweld them across the channel. (Check the pics.) Simply align the tabs across the channel so the holes match the studs on the mounting pad, then weld them into place. Use the upper hole in the channel to bolt each member to the frame.…

If you made the mistake of dropping out of school, think about this. There are plenty of places where you can go back to school: adult education classes, trade schools, colleges, correspondence schools – or you can go back to high school. you’ve been thinking about dropping out, don’t. It’s tough to go back. No matter how you doit⃛ finish. A diploma is the stuff better jobs are made of. And it’s never too early to think about a career. “Your Career in the Retail Automobile Industry” is a booklet we’ve produced to start you thinking. To get a copy, send us your name, address and “career booklet” on a postcard. See if you'd like to aim for our business. But remember, there are many businesses, many opportunities. The important…

It could only happen in Southern California. Tom Davis of Van Nuys has made such a specialty of building custom crankcase pans that he has found his company, Aviaid Metal Products, is involved almost exclusively in the construction of custom oil pans. It's easy to look at an oil pan and think it's a snap to build a bigger sump for more capacity, or just chop it a little for clearance. Just try it. To give you a clue, Tom supplies pans to a long list of engine builders who have found it much easier and more economical to buy from him than lose valuable time trying to sling together a pan for some special application. Tom's list of customers reads like the who's who of auto racing: Shelby, Holman…