Indholdsfortegnelse for January 1983 i Hot Rod

Braking Even Kelsey-Hayes has developed a new, adjustable proportioning valve to control front and rear brake balance on race cars, off-road vehicles, trucks, and, of course, street machines and hot rods, provided they aren’t equipped with a dual-diagonal-biased system. The intent is to properly balance rear drum brake systems to front disc brake systems for safe braking under predictable conditions. The new valve is available from Chevrolet dealers under part No. 14044822. 140 mph Camaros? Chevrolet has heard our Pleas, and they have finally decided to release the 140 mph speedometer seen in the Indy Pace Car (HOT ROD June 1982) and selected engineering vehicles. This easy-to-install, direct replacement speedometer head will be available after the first of the year under Chevrolet part No. 25052189. V6 Power Banjo Matthews will…

Death in the Driveway According to our friends at Armor All, washing your car at home isn’t as safe as taking it to the cleaners—that is, the drive-through type of car wash. They claim commercial car washes will, under most circumstances, clean the car’s finish better and with less abrasion than the traditional weekend soapsuds bath in your driveway. The difference seems to be the amount of water used and the pressure available at the commercial drive-through wash. Also noted in a study conducted by the University of Texas was the type of chemicals used at the professional wash; evidently, the detergent used at most commercial car washes removes dirt more safely than the stuff we use at home. You learn something new every day. Radar 1/Michigan 0 The Michigan…

Years ago, when organized drag racing was still wedded to the philosophy of “engine-nuity” in action, there was a common bond that united all drag racers—excess. In other words, if one engine was good, two were bound to be better. Thus began the era of the multi-motored movers. Now like all, good, excess-thinking (and practicing) hot rodders, “T.V.” Tommy lvo, drag racing’s most notorious pyrotechnist, decided in 1961 to go it two better. His reasoning was excessively simple: “If they [the fans] like two engines, they’ll love four.” Un-four-tunately the powers that be, in the form of the NHRA, felt differently and proclaimed that four was two much. lvo’s excess was quickly relegated to being an exhibitionist, and there it remained for years, thrilling those same fans with thousands of…

Last month we showed you some of the more commonly used components for wiring your street rod. We talked about wire sizes, fuses, terminals, and other good stuff. This month we’ll cover the techniques used to assemble these pieces into a harness that should work the first time, every time. The most important step in building a harness is planning; time spent measuring your car and deciding where to run the wiring will be invaluable later on in the process. In last month’s story, I suggested current carrying abilities for different wire gauges. The ratings were based on a maximum length of 20 feet, which covers almost any reasonable wire run on a car. If you find you need longer runs, you can either use the next larger size wire…

The addition of fat tires or an old, ’60s-style heavy-duty differential swap often calls for a narrowed rearend housing and shortened axles. “So, what’s so tough about narrowing a rear—all’s ya need is a hacksaw and a tape measure.” Right… and all a butcher needs is a meat cleaver. Sorry, but to avoid the great “Texas Rearend Massacre” requires a little finesse and advance planning. Wide Tires Call for Narrow Rears While anyone (as you’ll see) can figure out how short the rear. needs to be, the actual machining process requires some good equipment and someone who knows how to use it. So, to avoid pining for our pinion, we contacted Steve Kloukis, owner of Kiss Racing Systems (11235 Coloma Rd., Unit I, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, 916/635-3773), who went…

One look at Bill Stull’s ’79 Chevy stepside and you gotta know it’s from Southern California. Forget that, it’s a lowriding, turbocharged rat-powered, front end tilting, heavily hammered pickup which features every dress-up gismo that Stull Industries, Inc. (7331 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620, 714/522-4083), makes or sells. No, my wet friends—only a native-born hot rodder from frigid-free Lotusland would punch 96 louvers in the top of his truck’s cab. "We originally built the stepside to help us promote Stull Industries, Inc., and Pickup Parts Store," recalls partner Bill Ruffulo. "But Stull wanted to create a new look that would feature a stock car street image using the latest parts built by us and other quality manufacturers." In other words, Bill Stull, Bill Ruffulo, and Sam Inman gave the…

Ways of Measuring Horsepower There are several different ways of measuring horsepower. Here are some of the most common: Indicated Horsepower (IHP): The actual amount of power produced within an engine, as based on an indicator diagram derived from an oscilloscope or other special instrument that makes a drawing of the events occurring in the cylinder. This diagram shows the pressure at each instant of the complete 4-stroke combustion cycle. Once this diagram is plotted, the mean effective pressure is derived by subtracting from the average pressure developed during the power stroke the average pressure during the other three strokes of the combustion cycle. This figure is in turn put into the following formula: P = Mean effective pressure in psi L = Stroke in inches A = Area of…

I guess HOT ROD Magazine’s idea of a space filler is to inflict me on you through the auspices of "Hot Shots." It bores me, too. In fact, as a self-styled photojournalist what really bores me is standing in front of a camera or writing about myself. Consequently, when Charlie Hayward—HOT ROD Magazine’s "Chevyfied" art director and our candidate for the honor of being the world’s tallest Q-tip—suddenly appeared at the door to my cave with Dave Wallace’s yarn entitled "This ’Rodney’ Is Not for Sale" in his dusty dukes, I knew I had been delivered from that writing-about-myself evil. So without belaboring the point, I’ll switch pens and let Dave do the writing. The Proud History of the Basket-case Roadster One of America’s best-known street rods, Gray Baskerville’s ’32…

Editor’s note: Although our buyer’s guides are by no means intended to be considered 100 percent comprehensive due to the current complexity of the industry and the nature of private enterprise, occasionally we accidentally omit a manufacturer of long-standing stature. In the November ‘82 HRM issue’s ‘“Feedback” tach and instrument buyer’s guide, we managed to leave out Mallory’s line of tachometers (Pro Series RPM Limiting and Pro Series II). We apologize for the omission. Duraduster After reading the September ‘82 issue of HOT ROD, my eyes almost popped out when I saw Rick Dobbertin’s Nova. I live in Springfield, too, and I’ve purchased many parts from Rick’s AA/Speed & Custom/Turbo Dynamics. My car is a 1972 Duster that has had a large dose of high-performance, although not to the extent…

Featured Filter A-l Automatic Transmissions, Inc., has introduced a new remote oil filter kit for automatic transmissions. An important feature of this unit is that it filters the automatic transmission fluid as it exits the converter and traps impurities before they reach the transmission. This kit, which can be easily retrofitted to any vehicle by tapping into the transmission cooler lines, includes adapter/bracket, spin-on filter, and all necessary fittings and bolts. For more information contact A-l Automatic Transmissions, Dept. HR-1, 7359 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91303 (21⅜84-6222). Canned Goodies VHT has released three new products for your car. First is "Window Tint," which gives windows a smoke finish; second is "Metal Tint," an inexpensive substitute for custom-plating and anodizing operations; and third is "Chrome Spray," which is a quick-dry…

Back in the late 70s, Middelton, Delaware’s Tom Shallcross managed to unearth a rare ’33 Standard coupe and now feels that it’s one of the very few three-window coupes to have ever been made into a street rod. First he took the car apart, and reworked the chassis by sliding a narrowed (by 4 inches) Corvair front end under the front crossmember and a narrowed (by 4 inches) 76 Corvette I.R.S. under the rear crossmember. He then added a Jag rack-and-pinion steering system plus four Vette disc brakes. Next came the addition of polished American 200-S wheels (5s on the front, 8s on the rear) surrounded by Pirelli 165-15s and LR78-15 tires. Now it was time to slip in the supercharged stovebolt V8. Blown tie is basically a 4-71 stuffed…

THE BEST OF HOT ROD, HISTORY OF DRAG RACING, ENGINE SWAPPING, ALL THREE BOOKS FOR ONLY $14.85. If you want to know all about the people and machines that made headlines, the golden age of drag racing or the most popular engine swaps of the ’80s, these Petersen automotive publications are full of fascinating facts, exciting retrospective information and practical how-to tips! Each publication is a collector’s item and an invaluable source of reference for auto enthusiasts of all ages! Now all three books can be yours for the unbelievably low price of $14.85. Total value = $27.85. You save $13.00. These books are available in limited quantity, order your special triple acton titles today! THE BEST OF HOT ROD: The people who made the sport great, the engines that…

While street is neat and roadsters rule, sleds aren’t dead because kemps are "kool." And to be reasonably kool in the old days, a kustom-lover would commission one of the early customizers to work his metal magic on what we now call fat-fendered (’35 to ’48) Fords. The totally kool, with wallets to match, took the quantum leap into full kustoms, kemps that featured such mods as chopped, channeled, or sectioned bodies; one-piece tops; different grilles and bumpers; plus such eye-catching embellishments as flipper disc hubcaps and, of course, dual spotlights. Meanwhile, if the name Ken "Posie" Fenical isn’t all that familiar, he’s the guy who owns Posies, a street rodding establishment which specializes in building special interest vehicles and "Super Slide" leaf springs. And what you see here, a…

If there’s any secret to success in competitive motor racing, it probably has a lot to do with attitude and the willingness to step outside the mainstream of activity. Taking an alternate route to the finish line is just as acceptable as out-driving the competition—and Craig Carter of Marion, Indiana, is equally adept at both. Little more than a year ago Craig won his first IMSA Kelly American Challenge race in Mid Ohio. Now he is virtually unstoppable, and after winning nearly every race on the circuit last year, he clenched the championship with another fine job of driving at Mid Ohio, 1982. Carter is a smooth, steady competitor who, during the 1982 season, qualified either first or second at every race. After nine races in an ll-race series (as…

The installation of non-stock reciprocating components—such as different stroke cranks, shorter or longer connecting rods, and/or pistons with different skirt designs or compression distances—leads to the possibility of the piston hitting the crank. Allan Bechtloff of Hank the Crank, Inc. (7253 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91605, 21⅜77-0347), offers the following formula for determining the extent of the possibility: (R-½P-T)-(½S+½M+C)=D Where: R = Rod center-to-center length P = Wrist pin diameter T = Piston thickness measured from the pinhole to the piston buttom S = Crankshaft stroke length M = Crankshaft main journal diameter C = Full height of crank counterweight measured from the main journal surface to the counterweight edge D = Amount of separation between piston bottom and crank counterweight. If D is greater than zero, you are…

Tool Crib This month’s selection for Tool Crib is a handy addition to anyone’s garage or shop. How many times have you stripped out threads or broken a stud and had to drill it out? Microdot Fastening Systems has introduced three new Master Thread Repair Kits that contain everything necessary to install helically coiled thread inserts. The part No. 1208FMK set is for repairing fine threads in sizes ¼-½ inch, the part No. 1208CMK set is for repairing coarse threads in sizes ¼-½ inch, and the part No. 1221MMK set is for repairing metric threads in sizes 5x0.8mm-10xl.5mm. For more information contact Microdot Fastening Systems, 1025 Armando Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, 714/870-6650. Editor’s Note: Those manufacturers with new or unique tools of interest to automotive enthusiasts should send information on…

We know it’s the beginning of the new year We realize Jackson Frost is here and that those ’48-and-earliers are headed for the garage to be taken apart and readied for next year’s cruise-a-thon. And that’s what we’re getting at—a new rod-related season that wouldn’t be complete unless all of you hot rodders and lead sledders plan to attend HOT ROD Magazine’s 5th Annual Super Nationals. The date is June 17-18-19, 1983; the place is Berea, Ohio; the time will be the best of your life. True, we’re asking you to spend some money like a $25 pre-entry fee (or $35 at the gate), but look what you get for your hard-earned bucks: FIRST: A door prize to end all door prizes. We got Little John Buttera to build us…

Most hot rodders think nothing about swapping engines or making an afternoon camshaft change, but when it comes to the nonmechanical fringe jobs like paint, bodywork, and upholstery they really lack the confidence to tackle the unfamiliar. But what many don’t realize is that most interior work is not that difficult and requires only a few special tools. We’re not saying that the average person can whip up a Tony Nancy Interior at home, but you can repair most factory interiors, and if you’re fortunate enough to drive a popular car, there are reproduction interior kits available from many companies. A good place for the beginner to start is with the carpets, seats, and door panels. Replacing dashpads and headliners is a little tougher, although still within reason In the…

Plasterer Red Stauffer is unusual. He’s a low bucketeer, a craftyman, a guy who can build it himself in the back of his yard. And if you need proof, just look at his driver-type, ‘32 Ford Victoria. Now we mean driver-type because he drove the Deuce from its hiding place in central California to his home in Winter Park, Florida. This, in itself, was quite a chore because the ancient, club-chopped project was still powered by a flathead. The original frame was boxed with %⅛ inch mild steel, then given a series of suspended animations. These animations included a front suspension consisting of a Super Bell dropped tube axle, parallel-link split wishbones, Armstrong lever-type shocks, and a fully detailed front cross-spring augmented with polypropylene strips placed between each leaf. The…

Alaid-back John Bloch recalled, “What we wanted was an old-time hybrid—you know, a ’60s sports car which would have grocery-getting flexibility, yet perform like ’80s exotica.” We think Bloch’s criteria pretty well sums up the design philosophy behind one of the most unique conglomerations of early-model styling covered by late-model components ever to come down the pike. It all started about three years ago, when Bloch decided to upgrade his old 64 MGB. The original plan was to swap in some serious V8 power (and powertrain). But after seeing HOT ROD Magazine’s coverage of what Smokey Yunick was doing to the new Buick V6s, Bloch and car-builder Steve Findley decided to switch to V6 thinking. Bloch contacted Buick’s Herb Fishel, a program was laid out, and before you could say…

No, the flamed Ford bears no relation to the famed masked man of the ancient airwaves. Nor does Tonto, his faithful sidekick, have anything to do with it. That responsibility fell on the staff of HOT ROD Magazine. Here’s the scoop. Ford Motor Company wanted to see what we could do with an ’82 Ranger pickup and $3000 in up-front money. The rest would be left to our imagination. So we, along with a handful of fellow hot rodders, managed to transform a mundane mini-mover into what we would like to think of as a scintillating stepside. The first order of the business was to come up with a series of ideas to ensure our Ranger would be totally unique. The obvious answer was to convert the pickup from a…

Roger Fillebrown doesn’t have any close ties with NASA, but he definitely believes in rocket power for his race cars. His Warren Brogie-built ’27 ‘’T” roadster is powered by a potent big-block Olds engine that needs surprisingly little help to speed the car right into the high 9-second bracket for Super Gas or Pro Gas. Roger wanted a light car with lots of power and minimal maintenance requirements. A big, near-stock engine in a 1700-pound car fills the bill almost perfectly. Nothing breaks, the car goes fast, and Roger gets to race regularly without having to slave over the car constantly to maintain its performance. You couldn’t ask for a more laid-back approach, or one that’s any more successful from the start. The “Olds Timer” is right on time at…

Address all questions to Talking Tech, HOT ROD Magazine, 8490 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069. Please restrict inquiries to one question per letter. All letters must be signed and contain a return address. Due to the large number of questions received each month, personal replies are not possible. Questions will be answered only in this column, so please, no tech questions by phone. More About Putting Hemi Heads on B Motors In the October ’82 issue I answered Guy Batchelor’s letter concerning the installation of Chrysler Hemi cylinder heads on Chrysler B-engines. Bill Dedman was kind enough to write in and supply us with the following additional information on this swap: "Hemi blocks have holes in the deck surface to allow the exhaust side push-rods to contact the rocker…

Address all HOT ROD Mart correspondence to: Dept. HRM, HOT ROD Magazine, 8490 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069. HOT ROD Mart requirements: 25-word limit per ad, not including name and address. We reserve the right to edit copy or refuse ads. While not responsible for accuracy of description, we will reject misleading statements. No ads from commercial firms will be accepted. Only one car may be listed in any one ad, but this limitation does not apply to parts or equipment listings. Only one month may be paid for per ad. $20 per ad must accompany each insertion. When photo is included, the rate is increased to $32.50 per insertion. Photos cannot be returned. Due to normal publication schedule, allow at least six months from time ad is received…