Indholdsfortegnelse for May 1968 i Hot Rod

Heralded as an “economy” super-car in '66, when outfitted with a 327 cubic inch, 350-hp engine, the compact Chevy II lost good billing in '67 when that engine was dropped from the option list. Chevrolet bounced back firmly into the mini-super area in '68 with their reshaped Chevy II and a better line-up of engine combos for the whole series. When first introduced last fall, a 350 cubic inch, 295-hp V8 was the top performer, but it at least hinted that the car hadn't been forgotten in the performance planning area. Not long afterward, Chevy's 325-hp, 327 cubic inch V8 was thrown onto the powerplant stack, and promise of what it could do led us in search of a “II” so equipped. Announced after our test was completed is a…

Don't start it unless you're in a hurry. The Mojave 360 takes most bikes in the 500 class. And leaves more than a few 650 owners with a sudden case of mumbles. To make the Mojave this quick, we made it lean. Race lean. Tough, taut, double down tube frame. Competition suspension. And the highest horsepower-to-weight ratio in its class. Stock. Jab-fast four speed transmission. Full bore, five bearing four stroke engine. With a three digit speedometer that isn't there just for decoration. Mojave 360. See it. But don't try to catch one if you're riding anything else. Test ride it at Montgomery Ward. If you're timid, just watch. Mojave 360, 260. Mojave 360, 260 Scramblers.…

As Bernie Taggart so aptly puts it, he has put in an-immeasurable amount of time in this latest of a series of rods he has owned, all because he had an innate desire to own a car with beauty, functionalism, and one in which he could take pride in his own handicraft. We'd say he has realized this to the fullest. Not only did he install beefier tube crossmembers in that '31 Model A frame, but he built his own tube front axle to go with it. Special mounts accept twin radius rods on each side and spring hangers that locate the spring behind the axle. Front brakes and spindles were robbed from a '41 Ford. Around in back we find that Bernard makes good use of an abandoned '57…

Not since Bakersfield '66 had such a B field been assembled. Sixty-four fuelers qualified; sixteen Top Gas cars on a card with slightly less than four-tenths of a second separating high and low qualifiers. Among the sixteen Junior Fuelers on the program, barely two-tenths separated the qualified field. There were no stockers, no funnies, no wheelstanders. If you wanted to see the big iron run, the Professional Dragster Association Championship was the place to be. Which is the crux of the matter. Where were you? Host strip for the event, Orange County International Raceway, reported they punched 8500 tickets in two days. This is fair. There may have been less, but not more. Garlits, the “Ramchargers,” Karame-sines, Bruce Wheeler — East Coast cars — big names, hard runners; they were…

Tested at 130 mph. With 7 riding ribs. 6 traction grooves. Two inches wider than Goodyear’s previous high-performance tires, to stop, start and corner better. They are reverse-molded like a racing tire, to put more tread on the road. With low cord angle, for less lateral ruboff. Made with a body of Vytacord polyester cord strong as nylon, smooth-riding as rayon. You’ll know Wide Boots GT when you see ’em. They’ve got that big white “Goodyear” on the side–like Goodyear racing tires.…

During the week, Gene Mori spends his time “steam fittin' “ but come the days off and man like he's touring the local drag strip with his Chevwagen. Based on a 2x Jf-inch tube chassis, his '56 Volkswagen is a far cry from the original. A small-block Chevy engine is outfitted with a fa-inch stroker by CrankShaft Co., boosting the cubes to 352 inches. A straight tube axle mounts a short leaf spring, friction shocks and '36 Ford spindles. Aluminum panels clean up the interior quite a bit, while reducing overall weight. Steering gear originated in a '58 'Vette; the rear end a '60 Olds. Link between the four-speed box and engine is an Ansen safety housing. Halibrand and American wheels look good, cut weight, and M&H's do the trick…

In a day and age of 400-inch, 400- horse, 4000 - pound, fire - breathing street cars, one may overlook a small car with relative ease. Especially if the car happens to be the Corvair. You remember the Corvair. Badgered, belittled and besieged by those who knew all about cars and, of course, knew how unsafe the Corvair was, the lithe fun car is perhaps the most forgotten, overlooked, underrated car being sold in this country. Perhaps a re-introduction would help. Meet the Corvair — 1965, '66, '67 and '68 versions. With only minor changes, the Corvair has been the same for the past four years, but a whale of a long way from the '60 through '64 models. 1965 was the year of the big (and only) change for…

Here's a rare favorite —with FoMoCo updating This little “Vicky,” built by Bill Schmitt of Los Angeles, has to be the sleeper of the month. Bill said he wasn't quite finished when we shot the car; he was going to add some jazzy chrome wheels to doll things up a bit. The only give-away is the extra-wide, slick “weenies” on the rear. Bill doesn't get too many takers when they look over and see that triple-carbed 390 cu. in. '65 Ford under the hood. This huffer has an Isky 390 cam and kit for starters; next comes Jahns pistons with Grant rings under l>06 Ford heads. The ignition is a Spaulding Flamethrower (Grant). Carburetion is by Holley, fed by a Stewart-Warner electric pump through ty-inch copper lines. A Drag Machine…

Nearly two inches wider than your present tire. Have you noticed? How tires are getting lower, wider? This is the tire that started it all. The Firestone Super Sports Wide Oval tire. We introduced it more than a year ago. The world of wheels hasn't been the same since. It's a new kind of tire. Built wider. Nearly two inches wider than regular tires. To grip better. Corner easier. Run cooler. Stop 25% quicker. It's built with rugged nylon cord for extra safety. And like all the Safe Tires from Firestone, Wide Ovals are custom-built, one by one. And they're personally inspected for an extra margin of safety. Get the original—the Super Sports Wide Oval. At any of the 60,000 Firestone Safe Tire Centers nationwide. Firestone TM…

In line with our policy of trying to keep our readers informed on the sources of the more exotic and custom made items for boating, we took a quick look into the cavitation plate and related controls situation. The cavitation plate is quite an interesting item in itself. In essence it operates like the wing flaps of an airplane. It provides lift at low speed and trims the ride at high speed. Boat dragging has contributed to the advanced development of the controllable plate. The drag racer wants to get his boat up and out of the water as quickly as possible (on step or in the planing position). The typical drag boat installation uses a foot-controlled plate that can be depressed to the maximum at take off, and then…

SHOW SCHEDULES INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA Rod & Custom World of Cars, June 7-9, Forum. Hindus Car Club, Post Office Box 400, Maywood, California 90270. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Fourth Roadster Exhibition and Hot Rod Swap Meet, June 16, Hollywood Bowl. L. A. Roadsters, P. O. Box 3056, Los Angeles, California 90028. 243-5738. NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA Custom Car & Boat Show, June 28-July 7, Devonshire Downs. Fantasy Fun Fair Productions, 10761 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, California 91601. 766-5141. RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA Rod & Custom Show, May 25-26, Civic Auditorium. Carlos Casal, 940 32nd Street, Richmond, California 94804. IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO Rod & Custom Car Show, May 11-12, City Recreation Center. Dick Brooks, 216 Davidson Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401. ISHPEMING, MICHIGAN Rod & Custom Auto Show, May 4-5, Natiojial Guard Armory. Peninsula Pistons Inc., P.…

Cale Yarborough qualified for the tenth annual Daytona 500 with the fastest speed ever recorded by a stock car on any closed track. His 189.222 mph speed broke all existing qualifying marks for Daytona, bettering Curtis Turner's '67 record by over 8 mph. It also bettered Lee Roy Yarbrough's Daytona mark of 181, set in 1965 in a supercharged Dodge. With Cale and Richard Petty in the pole positions, and each having 189-plus times, t the race promised to be one of the fastest and wildest on record. Wild it was; not fast. The '68 Daytona running had the slowest average speed of any previous 500 except the 1959 running. But much more than speed — or the promise of it — made the '68 race one to remember. Everyone…

350 … 396 … 427. We've got your number. Put together more ways than probably anyone else in town. Chevrolet Dealers sell more new cars than anybody else. So it stands to reason we take in more good used cars. Which means you're more likely to find the hot little number you're looking for, with a big red OK Tag sitting on it. The OK Tag means the car's been inspected, road-tested, reconditioned where necessary. Means you've got a better car to start with. So stop in where you see the OK Sign. Look us over. Look us under. Turn us inside out, if you've got the time. And check the low prices. Chevrolet Division of General Motors, Detroit, Michigan. More people buy used cars at the OK Sign.…

Win a 1968 Mustang Convertible Play to win—a 1968 Mustang of your own! Here's a candy-apple red hot horse from mags on up. It's a one-in-a-million Mustang convertible with all the custom extras. AM radio and Stereosonic tape system. Bucket seats. B.F. Goodrich 900 wide-track tires. Wooden steering wheel, spring steel. You can't win 'em all—but you better win this one. Or play to win an Alcort Sailfish. The greatest way to make waves! Thirteen lucky second place winners will be shoving off first-class in an Alcort Sailfish. Enter today! At the participating P-F dealer nearest you. Contest closes midnight, June 30th. Nothing to buy. But, seriously, can you pass up a pair of P-F's? The only shoes for fun and games! Sweepstakes void in Wisconsin and wherever prohibited by…

The 1968 National Hot Rod Association Winternationals was the biggest “Big Go West” ever held. There were 750 of the nation's finest drivers battling it out for seven eliminator titles, with 78,000 fans cheering them on. And when the battle was over, the cars wearing Champion's red and black “bow tie” decal captured 5 of those 7 titles. It's more proof Champions give super-good performance—in every make of engine. So do as the winners do—when they're out to win. Run on Champion spark plugs. Champion spark plugs … the heart of a tune-up! CHAMPION SPARK PLUG COMPANY’TOLEDO, OHIO 43601…

It has long been mandatory that all NASCAR Grand National race cars be equipped with full-floating rear ends. The reason for this ruling is purely for safety's sake. Likewise, many other “circle track” racing associations have instituted this same requirement. Wondering why? Well, standard axles feature bearings pressed onto their shafts, which in turn ride in the housing ends. While most axles break inside the housing between the bearing and spider gears, with the bearing retainer usually preventing the axle from leaving the housing, this is not so should the axle break between the bearing and wheel flange. When this occurs, you're on three wheels and in trouble. Needless to say, this is the reason for the prevalent use of full-floating rear hubs. If you're not familiar with “fullfloaters,” then…

owner: Bob Lunsford Anchorage, Alaska car: A/ Altered What does it take to be a winner in the ultra-fast A/Altered ranks? Well, ask Bob Lunsford of Anchorage, Alaska. His Bantam Altered, based on a chassis built by Ed Weddle of Torrance, California, holds records on five strips, in addition to class wins at both AHRA and NHRA 1968 Winternationals, etc. Power comes from an aluminum-headed MoPar hemi, driving through a B&M modified Tork-Flite trans. Prominent parts used in the mill include heads by Mondello, an Engle L-158 cam, Perfect Circle dykes rings, a C-T crankshaft, Hilborn injection and Doug's headers. A pair of coil-wrapped shocks provide the rear suspension, in an effort to deliver that power to the pavement. Steering gear is standard Corvair unit, while the rear end features…

owners: Zakia and Clark Niagara Falls, New York car: Anglia B/ Gasser Jimmy Zakia has been around the Falls (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) for along time. Back in the fabulous ’fifties, which now seems almost like the other side of the looking glass, he was a kid with a’55 Chevy and a will to win. And more than that, his garage on 59th St. became a den of perfection — second not even to the Coast. And so success piled on top of success — national records (B/Gas) and national championships (NASCAR). This ’48 Anglia is the latest and most famous of his string. Power is 332-inch Chevy with CSC crank and rods. Harvey Crane supplied the 308 cam, all the valve gear and even the head work. Cam drives with…

The third annual Permatex 300, held at Daytona on the Saturday before the NASCAR-sanctioned Grand National 500, gave Bunkie Blackburn his first “big” win. He qualified for the pole position with. a 175.903 mph, and besides leading the lap that counts — the last one — led 62 of the 120-lap event. His '65 Dodge was prepared by Ray Fox, and looked removed from its Grand National late-model brothers only by sheet metal. It was smooth and well-detailed. Actually, the car was a G. N. runner at one time and was the car used by Lee Roy Yarbrough in 1965 to set an official track record at Daytona of 181.81 mph. When this was done, a supercharger was fitted. Bunkie had to rely on a single 4-bbl. Blackburn lives in…

owner: Curtis Grubbs Bakersfield, California car: '39 Chevy Coupe Neat! is the word for this really sano '39 Chevrolet. It goes back to the early days of hot rodding. Curtis Grubbs of Bakersfield, California, wanted a car just a little bit better, as he puts it. Better is a point of view, different it is. To be different is the reason Curtis chose the '56 Buick engine; a Chevy in a Chevy is nothing new. Cooling problems required the engine be mounted 12 inches farther back and a Cadillac radiator be installed. The big Buick is fed by six Stromberg 97's on a Weiand log manifold and cammed with a Dempsey Wilson fullrace stick. Jahns 12:1 compression pistons carry Grant rings. The ignition is a W&H Du-Coil unit, which actually…

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PPG AUTOMOTIVE LIBRARY…

Turning ETS under 7 was expected from the team of WarrenCoburn-Miller. It was normal for them to be timed in the 227s. They made a habit out of winning, too. But the big one had always escaped them. Then came Pomona. And it happened. Their screaming 6.87 at 230.76 took one of the biggest. Top Fuel Eliminator at the NHRA Winternationals. The “Ridge Route Terrors” had arrived. And they arrived with Pennzoil Racing Oil. CustomFormula Pennzoil — now available in SAE 20 through 60 — for the strip or high-performance street cars. For family car use, it's Pennzoil with Z-7. Both 100% pure Pennsylvania…. both winners. PENNZOIL COMPANY Oil City, Pennsylvania…

The late model stockers aren't the only machines requiring fender shields when wide ovals, slicks or offset rims are used that move the rubber out from under the fender. A lot of guys install these shields on their GTO's, Javelins, Mustangs and what have you, but they do so for various reasons. Some are sensible and do it because it protects their fender panels from mud, rocks and road tar. Others do it because they are thoughtful; they prevent rocks from hitting the guy behind them. Another group tends to utilize these shields simply because they are “in.” And you think the owner of this '34 Ford, with its wide American mags and Firestone Indy tires, is just trying to stay with the “in” crowd? Not quite! He also lives…

Have a question about motor oil? Lubricants? Engines? Ask the Pennzoil experts… Hot Time In The Old Car. The engine in our '59 car has been overheating recently. I've checked the thermostat, radiator, hoses, softplugs, head gaskets and just about everything under the sun. Now it's your turn! T.P.N., Fillmore, Calif. Overheating in an older engine is often due to hard water deposits formed in the cooling system of the block. Since you've checked all other points, we suggest that the system be flushed. It won't always he satisfactory, but it's worth a try. Get a good, reliable mechanic to do it for you. Darker Quicker. I've noticed that Pennzoil Z-7 seems to turn darker more quickly than some other brands. Is that good or bad? N.A., Dallas, Tex. Good.…

The green tires being fed into the mold are radials. The construction of the tire is complete at this point, and after molding, only minor trimming operations remain. In addition to radial plies and the belt, there may be as many as twelve other pieces in this tire. Tolerances are held close to eliminate imbalance. The drawings show the three types of construction. Here it may readily be seen why the radial may not be expanded on conventional tire making machinery, since there is nothing inside the tire which allows any substantial amount of panto graphing. Notice, too, how the very presence of a belt around the carcass of a tire will tend to eliminate sidewall roll. In the conventional and belted bias tires, the body ply angles are about…

The first turbine appeared on the Indy scene in 1962, in the form of the John Zink “Trackburner” driven by Dan Gurney. Given today's rubber, this car could have been a winner in those days, but the racing scene then was not yet ready for the turbine. Jack Adams took the next step in '66 with the “Dernier Special.” In this case the turbine worked fine, but the car was plagued by braking problems due to the lack of compression drag during deceleration. These pioneers set the stage for Andy Granatelli and his “Silent Sam” turbine, with Parnelli Jones driving, in '67. This race has to be the only one in history in which the guy who lost got more publicity than the winner. Parnelli literally blew off the field…

Acceleratii rapidus maximus. That's Latin for the fact Plymouth's Road Runner is some other kind of bird. Hang in here a moment, and we'll show you why. Body: Road Runner's traditionally a 2-door coupe with a hardtop look. But now, by popular demand, there's also a real, live hardtop version available. Both configurations, however, feature welded unit-body construction, which means they won't rattle like cement mixers after the miles pile up. Furthermore, you can now order the coupe Bird with a new decor package—including a premium allvinyl interior in your choice of eight colors. Engines: the standard Road Runner powerplant is an exclusive version of our 383 cu. in. V-8. Heads are borrowed from the big 440 cu. in. GTX engine because of massive intake and exhaust valves, 3.2 sq.…

Warren-Coburn-Miller Roger Coburn squatted beside the big Chrysler-powered rail, methodically torquing head bolts. Slow and easy. Click-click, click-click. Halfway through the pattern the big wrench swung free in a wide arc with no click. Roger shifted the set of his mouth slightly and looked as if he had just located a splinter at the end of his forefinger. A head bolt had sheared in two. Without a word he held the broken bolt over the front of the engine. James Warren looked up briefly from the other side of the engine where he was shoving plug wires into place. He blinked his eyes once, shoved the final plug wire into place and headed for the toolbox. Twenty minutes later, the broken bolt had been removed and replaced, with no hassle,…

There's good news out of Detroit for Chevy lovers, especially those who felt the Chevy II had been slighted in the performance department with the loss of its 350-hp 327 V8. The '68 Chevy II introduction last fall was cause for hope when it was announced the car could be had with a 350 cubic inch, 295-hp engine. Then a bit later, the 325-hp, 327 cubic inch came along, such as the one tested in this issue. Now the 396 V8 makes its entry to the line-up in 350- or 375-horsepower form. But like all Stockers, it needs some work to make it a real threat. All the pieces are here, though, so it shouldn't be too tough. The 350-hp version has 10.25:1 compression, develops 415 lbs.-ft. torque at 3400…

IN MEMORY OF EDWIN M.ELLIOTT... An unfillable void was left in the ranks of the racing fraternity on February 19, 1968, when Ed Elliott suffered a fatal heart attack. A well-liked and familiar figure at automotive events throughout the country, Ed will be deeply missed by everyone associated with motor sports, but especially SEMA and its membership. Ed was a driving force in the formation of the Association and was working just as hard at the time of his passing. From his position in the advertising field, he was able to make a wide variety of direct contributions to the advancement of our sport, and was never too busy to help out anywhere he could. Ed's strongest love, however, was Bonneville. For years he was as much a part of…

A long, short while back, we showed you a fiberglass goody called “Super Scoop” for scooping air into your bug. A lot of sharpeyed bug lovers spotted the wild wide fenders, in one of the pictures, giving shelter to the big mags and fat rubber, backside. They dug 'em and wanted more details. So, here y'are. First let's mention that the car belongs to Dave Yatski, one of the San Fernando Valley's bug bugs. Second, the gorgeous wide-weenie covers are from C. M. Cochrane Enterprises. Now, about the fenders. Mr. Cochrane found that more and more beetle pilots were coming in and asking for heavy duty rear springs and shocks because their rear fenders kept rubbing on the super-wide tires they were running. Springs and shocks didn't do the job.…

Famous Hurst shifters Reverse Loc /Out Dual Gate (Street & Strip) Engine mounts for easy swaps Lifetime Guarantee Consistent-shift T-handle Brake-holding Roll/Control Hurst/Airheart disc brakes Ask any of the pros about Hurst, any of the big names who drive for a living. Or ask any savvy performance enthusiasts. They'll tell you that if you want to go first class you have to specify some of these key Hurst products. Famous Hurst shifters. 3or 4-speed you can't buy a stronger, quicker unit. A steel-hard jewel. Reverse Loc/ Out. Lets you hit the stick as hard as you want and never slip into reverse by mistake and maybe blow an engine. Dual Gate (Street & Strip). For automatic transmission owners who want to put the fun back in driving. Engine mounts for…

All right … all right … so we've been trying to shield you from the knock-down-drag-out racing bit with a bunch of two-wheeled parlor games the last few months. Truth is, we wanted to make sure that the greenhorns in our crowd got a few miles under their belts before posing the more arduous stuff. Frankly, the slow English Trials and Field Meet fun and games are just as much sport as the quick-paced racing, and serve as a perfect background for a successful racer, but eventually the appetite for speed must be fed. Here we go — the Scrambles. You and the gang can plot an exciting circle course in an area no larger than a football field if necessary; just make sure your sandlot track has the following…