Indholdsfortegnelse for May 1983 i Hot Rod

Chrysler T-Wagons Chrysler is planning to introduce a couple of front-wheel drive van-type wagons for 1984. The computer-designed van/wagons feature a low drag coefficient of .43 and will be powered by a 2.2 liter engine with a 5-speed manual transaxle. Automatic transaxles with 2.6 liter engines will be optional. The new wagons will be named the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager. They’re designed to carry up to seven passengers with fuel economy in the 24/39 mpg range. Buick V6 Guide Buick is making available copies of the Jim Ruggles Buick V6 Performance Guide for serious Buick enthusiasts. They’re free, but please … only one to a customer. Send your request to Special Products Engineering, Buick Motor Division, Flint, MI 48550. Corvette GT Chevrolet is prepping a special Corvette with…

In an age where people are comfortable with real lemons in their furniture polish and artificial ones in their lemonade, some things just don’t seem right. Thankfully, Pro Stock racing hasn’t gone the way of meat substitutes, artificial coloring, or synthetic oils. On the contrary, Pro Stockers are sleeker and faster than ever with their 500-c.i.d. engines—proving once again that there’s no substitute for performance. Chevrolet’s rat motor has been the dominant force in Pro Stock racing since they went to the large displacement format, and if it weren’t for the expertise of Ford racers like Bob Glidden, the pro ranks would be an all-Chevrolet show. Now Oldsmobile has decided to enter the arena, and they’ve geared up to do it in style. The Hurst/Olds has always represented Oldsmobile, Hurst,…

So, you wanna go racing? Don’t have much green? All you have is a grocery-runner and moths in the wallet? Well, you’ve come to the right place, buddy! Some of you may have heard of a guy named Bob Lambeck, a 20-year veteran of the asphalt jungle who’s run MoPars for Dick Landy, raced in about every full-bodied class ever devised, and is now successfully building engines for boats and race cars (Bob Lambeck Enterprises, 7510 Gloria St., Van Nuys, CA 91406, 213/787-5678. Having started long ago with a low-buck ’57 Chevy stocker, Bob can relate to the dilemma a lot of us face when we get the urge to go racing. He’s decided to re-enter the drag racing arena with a new project, and it’s going to appear step-by-step…

If Chevrolet Product Promotion Engineering has anything to say about it, this year’s Indianapolis 500 may at last see the end of the race’s dominance by exotic, built-for-the-purpose racing engines. Assuming things go according to plan, 1983 could mark the stock-block’s coming of age at the brickyard. Now we’ve all heard that tune before; what makes this year any different? First, it’s a serious effort with top-name talent including engine builder Ryan Falconer and an as-yet undisclosed (at the time we went to press) top-line chassis, big-name driver, and high-bucks sponsor. Just as important, there is a brand-new competitive aluminum cylinder head, for Chevrolet has decided to release the long-rumored, eagerly awaited big-block-style splayed valve 90-degree V6 head. With the currently available aluminum wedge heads, Chevy’s turbocharged 209-inch engines have…

Here’s the deal… move the battery to the trunk and you win: (1) a cleaned-up engine compartment, (2) weight transfer to the rear of the car, and (3) a decent way to make your ride harder to steal. At one time you had to fabricate a battery box yourself or get a plastic one from the marine suppliers. Now, the aftermarket suppliers are making the chore a lot easier by wrapping up the box, cables, and hardware so you can do the job with a minimum of sweat. There are three ways to build a house for your battery, either an open framework (like the OEMs use under the hood), a plastic case, or a metal case (sometimes used for ballast on race cars). If you’re fabricating the interior tin…

After spending all week working in a coal mine, Brennan Newsome of Grethel, Kentucky, likes to let loose on the weekends. A couple of spins around the block in his totally blown Total T-Bucket are just what the recreation therapist ordered. The silver and black ’23 T fad car is basically a product of the Total Performance works up in Wallingford, Connecticut, starting with their 1 ½x3-inch tube frame and fiberglass body and rear fenders. Other Total regular features include a chrome tube front axle with Chevy spindles and Hallcraft wheels and disc brakes, and a Chevy 12-bolt rear axle mounted on coil springs. Inside the Spartan interior are black threads, a Hurst shifter for the Turbo 400, and Stewart-Warner gauges. But the piece that sets this Ford T apart…

Add inches—shed pounds. Not your typical diet ad, but it’s Henry Jay Heon’s “ticket to ride.” The Sacramento, California, native purchased an old ’66 Nova grocery-getter and dumped in a big 468-inch rat motor crammed with TRW, Isky, and Crane parts. Two Holley 750s feed the hungry inches via a Weiand Team G tunnel ram, receiving the gas from a trunk-mounted tank and Holley electric fuel pump. MSD lights the spark; Hooker exhausts the spent mixture. Henry had to shave the shock towers to provide clearance for the headers, as well as fabricate his own oil pan which provides a 9-quart reservoir for a Melling pump to distribute throughout the motor. A B&M Quick Silver shifter handles the Turbo 400 installed behind a 5500 rpm stall speed Fairbanks torque converter.…

When Sophia, North Carolina’s Roy Hill decided he needed “mo’ par,” he switched to FoMoCo. Now Hill’s new hustler happens to be based on an ’83 Mercury Capri, “Fo’motivated” by 497 inches of Jack Roush-prepared Boss 429 Ford. Innard accouterments include an HTC billet stroker, Venolia “hemi” slugs, Bill Miller aluminum rods, Race Cams roller-type tappet tickler, and a Crane, Ford, Dale West, and Sonny Bryant-style valvetrain operating inside a set of Roush-readied cylinder heads. Induction is by Braswell, which includes both the adjustable intake manifold and a pair of 1150-cfm Holley gas-passers. DeHart Race Cars built the chassis while Lamb, Monroe, Lenco, Summers Bros., Hurst, Hays, and Henry (as in Ford) supplied the rest. A pair of 16/34.5-15 Firestones gives the 2350-pound fastback–complete with Harry’s ’Glass fiberglass fenders, hood,…

Chevrolet’s new L69 engine option for the Z28 Camaro was designed with a singular purpose. The Camaro was just a blink away from being one of the best looking and best handling cars in the world, but it was horribly underpowered. Something had to be done to uphold its image against pretenders to the throne. Sure it would be a snap to drop in a 350-c.i.d. engine and start taking names, but that approach presented certification problems and unfavorable fuel economy. It was obviously time to apply a little hot rodding science to the lackluster 305-c.i.d. engine, hence the development of the 190 hp L69 engine option—a powerplant that adheres rigidly to proven hot rodding principles. Bump the compression a bit, change the cam, free up the exhaust system, add…

Gary Bryson is not your average run-of-the-mill stick-in-the-throat hot rodder. He’s been involved with some of the finest equipment ever made, built project vehicles for all kinds of companies, and generally has it all together. Given the prospect of making a new Dodge Mirada perform like a true gentleman cruiser, he replied with typical enthusiasm, “You wanna what?” As time went by, though, he began to actually like the big coupe, and it started to take shape in the finest Bryson tradition. Although the J-body (’80-’83 Mirada and Cordoba) cars are fairly popular, they are the signals of an end to V8-powered cars for Chrysler. Their attention has been refocused on the future of front-wheel drive vehicles powered primarily by 4-cylinder engines. From the looks of things, Chrysler will keep…

Get 1000 nice rods together anywhere in the country and there will be two or three cars that stand out from the rest. Robb Beard’s Hyattsville, Maryland-based dangerous Deuce sedan is one such car. The first thing that knocks you out is the Joe Rotolone flame job over a bunch of louvers and a filled grille shell. If that doesn’t get you, the sound this thing makes will. A wild 302 Windsor Ford with ported 351 heads, ’66 factory Webers, Crane valvetrain, and Vertex magneto are proof that Robb hasn’t forgotten what hot rodding is really all about. When it comes to stance, Robb may not be playing with a full deck. He describes himself as being into “low, earth-scraping” cars (note license plate), and being a bodyman by trade,…

General Motors’ new Camaro and Firebird “F-cars” may rank among the world’s best handlers, but their drivetrains leave a lot to be desired, especially if they’re subjected to any serious power production. Gale Banks Engineering (843 Commercial Ave., San Gabriel, CA 91776, 213/285-3107) foresaw the potential problems and decided to remedy them by installing the stronger Turbo 350 trans. It turns out the Turbo 350 (TH-350) measures the same length overall as the 200, so it’s practically a bolt-in. Either an early TH-350 with Chevy-only bolt pattern or the late models with a universal bolt pattern can be used; however, Gale reports the late cases are somewhat stronger. The 350s bolt up to the same mount as the 200s, with no driveshaft mods required. Provisions must be made for hooking…

Chevrolet automatic transmissions are like Chevrolet engines—they’re cheap and reliable, with a high ratio of performance value per dollar investment. For all the same reasons people prefer Chevy engines, more and more of them are choosing Chevy transmissions to help motivate their street rods, street machines, and even their boats. A trend that began on the track has since spread to the street, and even MoPar and Ford enthusiasts have begun praising the merits of 2-speed Powerglides and 3-speed Turbo Hydra-matics. More performance-oriented hardware is available for these transmissions, and like the small-block engine, they continue to benefit from ongoing development programs that keep their performance level on the upswing. In light of this latest trend, Marvin Ripes at A-1 Automatic Transmissions in Canoga Park, California, has taken the time…

I couldn’t believe you would pick my car for HOT ROD Magazine.” Why not Tom Kouba? Your Aurora, Illinois-based ’66 GTO epitomizes what hot rodding is all about. For instance, you’ve done all the work on the goat yourself save for the Animals Custom ’73 Vette medium blue paint job. You bought the car for $150 (less engine and transmission) and brought it back to life in your one-car garage. You drive it on the street, rather than put it on a trailer and take it to some car show or drag race. And your peers recognize its “long comings” by showering your ol’ goat with numerous awards. Not everybody would put a polished and prepped (by Tom) 396 rat in the place once occupied by a “detonator V8.” Not…

Time is running out! The 1983 HOT ROD Magazine Super Nationals is just next month–June 17, 18, 19–at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, Ohio. As the hands of the clock keep counting down the hours, our hot little hands here at HOT ROD are filling with more giveaway goodies than you can shake a stick shift at. Pre-’49 rod and ’51-and-earlier kustom owners will have a crack at more than $50,000 in giveaways, including the Grand Prize Stroh’s “Buttera ” roadster (see page 106), a Chevy 350 Targetmaster V8, a Buick V6 Targetmaster, a Ford 302 V8, tires from Firestone and Goodyear, and, for spectators as well as participants, a 1983 Pontiac Trans Am–to name just a few! And for everyone’s further enjoyment, we have some heavy-duty competition. Rodders…

Three years ago, Yamaha released the first V-twin from Japan, a 750 Virago, followed closely by a bigger 920 version. The public had waited nearly 10 years for a Japanese Vee, and they snapped up Viragos like crazy. Yamaha came to the natural conclusion that a fast-selling 750 would also be a fast-selling 500. So they spent a year developing the mini Virago–combining technology from the two larger Vee’s and from their water-cooled four-valve 550 Vision. The result is a neat little machine that offers the V-twin mystique to anyone who might be put off by the larger Viragos’ size or price. The 500 has many virtues and only one fault. That fault is inherent in cruiser styling, which dictates a bolt upright seating position that gets uncomfortable after an…

We had a chance to sample the latest in the line of Bostic’s “Pop” Rivetools and their long awaited threaded rivets. First, the interesting stuff … the rivets. These clever devils are just right for installing panels that you want to look permanent, but aren’t. Instead of using quarter-turn fasteners, now you can use Allen screws for a more finished look. The rivets install like any other of the variety of types made by Bostic(the company that started the “Pop “ name), including closed-end watertight rivets, countersunk, large flange, colored, and standard. The threaded models look really good in place and offer a strong mounting point for all kinds of tricky installations. We used them to mount a fuel regulator bracket, nitrous solenoids, and various small brackets. The new tools…

James Bond Gets Serious In the early adventures of the legendary Mr. Bond, the wheels that contained all the gadgetry were none other than an Aston Martin DB7. Now for those of you who have never driven one of these beauties, you’d be more than a little surprised at their performance. Years later, the current management of Aston Martin has decided to re-enter the racing game with a number called the Nimrod; it’s designed to compete with the other prototype cars including the Lola Chevy turbo. What do you suppose “Q” has built into this one? Southern Knights Hollywood! The mere mention conjures up images of movie stars, hot cars, and … Florida??? Turns out the Road Knights, one of the largest cruising clubs in the South, rolls from Hollywood,…

Barry Lobeck builds rods at an almost alarming rate, and they all have one thing in common—the right look. Barry’s cars are usually untrick, but they have the right stance, the right parts, and make the statement… “Hot Rod.” Lobeck’s ’40 Ford coupe is a perfect example of what we are talking about. The suspension is strictly ’40 Ford with Aldan shocks, a dropped front axle, and a ’59 Ford rearend. Things have been updated with ’70 Chevy steering components and front brakes. The engine is a stock ’69 Chevy 350 with a Vette 30/30 cam, Z28 intake manifold, and Holley carb. Of course, it received a couple of dress-up items like Vette valve covers and Lynx air cleaner, but that’s it. The tranny is a stock Turbo 400 shifted…

Over the years, even before World War II, hot rodders would generally fall into two camps of constructing—they either built cars that looked fast or cars that were fast. The fast lookers ultimately became customs. The fast “cookers” evolved into boulevard-bred Venus Flytraps—silent, but deadly sleepers. Boyd Gaebel’s outwardly innocent ’67 Nova SS almost, but not quite, epitomizes the term “immaculate deception.” Its body is “little-old-lady-from-Pasadena” straight, which is ironic because that’s where Boyd purchased the car some five years ago. And save for a few church parking lot dings and scratches, the car is cherry pie. Since the early ’70s, Gaebel has been a street-sweeping legend in and around the Whittier, California, area. “Before I bought my Nova, I had a ’71 Vega with a 350 in it. This…

All that glitters is gold,” said the monkey as he peered under the hood of Dave Murry’s ’67 camro. But the $25,000, five-year, driven-daily-in-summer project is more than just another glitter queen. According to Murray,” it represents a lot of hard work,” not to mention hard currency. For instance, the frame has been molded in and painted candy apple by its owner. The 350-inch mouse, while covered with 24-carat gold, still employes an lsky cam, Weiand intake, 6-17 huffer, a pair of 600-cfm Holley juice blenders, and a fully balanced and blueprinted reciprocating assembly. The all-steel body features molded-in spoilers and detalied firewall plus a brilliant candy apple brandywine acrylic lacquer paint job by Murray. And on the inside is a pleasing mixture of gray with wine-accented vinyl and Hyde…

When the fledgling Kustom Kemps of America (KKOA) held their first “Lead Sled Spectacular” in Wichita, Kansas, back in 1981 and 300-plus custom cars cruised in from all over the country, everyone involved thought it was the greatest thing since “American Pie. “ The event drew plenty of publicity, and the general response was anything but negative. And when the Kempers decided to stage a reprise “nats” in the summer of ’82 at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, little did they expect the turnout to double in just one year. Not only did more than 600 customs attend, but the quality of cars at last year’s Spectacular improved twofold, as well. The first cruise-in was just like the Fifties—half the cars there had primer spots and other signs…

High-performance street cams are usually small enough to be installed without additional engine modifications. Cam designers are pretty well acquainted with the physical limitations of most popular engines, and they strive to design cams that improve power without approaching these limits. In most cases you don’t have to concern yourself with valves kissing the pistons and valvesprings stacking solid at maximum lift, but these and other problems become real and significant barriers when you select marginally streetable camshafts with more timing and valve lifts greater than .500-inch (for the average small-block engine). Now assuming you understand and accept the low-speed driveability problems associated with running a big cam, your main concern is how to get the cam installed in the engine properly without confronting the first law of mechanical relationships:…

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. Hot Question Here at Whitney High School there has been a question asked, “What is the hottest part on a piston while a car is running?”: (A) the top third, (B) the middle, (C) the bottom third, or (D) it is equal throughout. There has been several arguments over this, so we decided to let you be the judge. Brian RichmondWhitney Texas Circle A, and go…