Indholdsfortegnelse for December 1983 i Hot Rod

Master Cams Lunati Racing Cams now offers Bracket Master II, a new, economical series of camshafts (hydraulic and flat-tappet profiles) designed specifically for bracket racing. The Bracket Master II is a precision-ground camshaft that is said to deliver repeatable power, run after run, while extending the longevity of engines built for this type of racing. They’re ideal for power limits in the 7500-rpm range with mechanical tappets, or up to 6000 rpm with hydraulic lifters. Catalog and T-shirt (specify shirt size) are now being offered for only $5. Lunati Racing Cams, Dept. HR-12, 3871 Watman Ave., Memphis, TN 38118, (901) 365-0950. Urethane Bushings Addco offers a low-cost “first step” way to handling improvement in the form of urethane end link bushings. These red urethane bushings (eight per package) can be…

The pundit who claimed “Death and taxes are inevitable” wasn’t a hot rodder. If he had been a hot rodder, he would have added “change” to his observation. Be they new or old, open or closed, mild or wild, mean or clean, hot rods have one thing in common-they are constantly undergoing change, and their owners are constantly looking for a new or “different” do-wa-ditty. The latest do in this wa-ditty search is what we call “high-tech.” High-tech is simply a word we coined to describe the ’80s look in hot rodding. However, high-tech is a catchall term which can equally apply to subtle styling, precision-machined components, or all-out performance packages. While various elements of high-tech have been with us for years-Harry Miller’s Indy cars, coffin-nosed Cords, and Bill Niecamp’s…

For a Ford lover, it was like a weekend in paradise. The 8th annual Shelby American Auto Club Convention was to be held in Dearborn, smack between the bronze reflective glow from the Hyatt Regency's five-acre glass walls and nearby Greenfield Village, where Ford history can be reviewed and relived for a day. Across Michigan Avenue stood Ford's World Headquarters, an imposing structure containing some of the same people who originally masterminded the Mustang, combining Fairlane leftovers and unibody techniques into one of the most commercially memorable events in the history of Detroit. In this corner gathered the '65 and '66 GT350's and their owners. Over there were the later models; in still another area were the Boss Mustangs. And then there were … gulp … the Cobras—what we all…

First of all, the Dodge Rampage is not an imported, recycled, or otherwise misrepresented vehicle; it's made in this country and was designed by the people at Chrysler. The Chrysler-built engine is a genetically improved version of the VW 4-banger, with Chrysler improvements. It's a front-driver like the VW pickup, which makes handling an interesting situation, especially when the truck is loaded with a couple of old 440 blocks. You can't pull a trailer with it, but what you can do with it will surprise you pleasantly. The toughest decision to make is whether you'll be using the Rampage as a truck or a car; if you need to haul stuff around all day, some of the suspension changes we made won't be practical. Our goal was to reconstruct an…

Higher Output 302 I recently purchased an ’83 Mustang GT with the 5.0L engine and 5-speed. The car goes good with the 600-cfm Holley 4-barrel and 3.23 gears, but I’d like to stay ahead of the L69-optioned Camaro. Would you please suggest any modifications or tuning tips I could use. Also, any suspension changes? I’d like the car to be potent, yet retain good streetability and be dependable. Dave McDuffie Sumter, South Carolina The biggest payoff for any latemodel car is the installation of a street nitrous oxide system. It doesn’t affect the car’s streetability, gas mileage, or emission control system, since the nitrous kicks in only when you want it to. More extensive mods (local emission control regs permitting) should consist of the following: headers and a low-restriction exhaust…

SELL—Complete collection HOT ROD Magazine. January 1948 through present plus yearbooks and other HRM publications, $3000. Rod & Custom collection, complete, $1000. Rick Eccli, P.O. Box 1553, Cheyenne, WY 82003. (307) 634-3231. SELL—1933 Plymouth five-window coupe with '55 Chevy 265 engine, Jaguar transmission. Ready to restore. $4000 o.b.o. Steve Thompson, 5217 Hireford Rd., Apopka, FL 32703. (305) 889-0152. SELL— Chrysler Power Magazine back issues, $5. New Hemi heads, $600. Bigblock econo heads, $250. Hemi swap kit, $50. Wanted: Race car/boat hauling. Roland Osborne, 699 Laurel Valley, Azusa, CA 91702. SELL—Chrysler rally wheels, all sizes 5 1/4 to 10 inches wide, including rare 15x7 small-bolt circle wheels. Also 426 Hemi motor. S.A.S.E. for speedy reply. Dave Mcelrath, 2732 Connecticut Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15216. SELL-HOT ROD Magazines, 1949 (Vol. 2) to 1978,…

Lilliputian Lowdown I’d like to suggest a page or so every month for model cars! Many of your loyal readers who can’t afford the real thing have put together some first-class model cars, and national interest in them is growing by leaps and bounds. In our Model Car Club of Minnesota, we have swap meets, demonstrations, slide shows, contests, and questions; most of us love it as much as the real cars. Kirby Hughes Model Car Club of Minnesota 1630 Olive Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Interest in model cars is really growing, and we might go back to showing model cars as we did in the earlier, salad days of model cars. We mentioned something about the new onslaught of radio-controlled race cars in the November issue, and will probably…

Ford GTP’s Grand Debut Ford’s space-age Mustang GTP car ran away with the show in its initial outing at Road America-finishing first and third in the most impressive IMSA debut ever recorded. Klaus Ludwig put the Mustang ahead of the pack on the 32nd lap and stretched the lead to nearly a two-lap margin by the time co-driver Tim Coconis took an early checkered flag due to rain. The high-horsepower 1.7L turbocharged engines performed almost flawlessly, although there were problems with cracked exhaust manifolds. With this opening success, the Ford teams are looking forward to the Daytona finale at Thanksgiving, when both cars will be fitted with the completely new 2.IL engines. The fact that Bobby Rahal and Geoff Brabham finished third indicates the overall reliability of the cars and…

As hot rodding emerged from the initial post-war period, it began to diversify. More and more enthusiasts began to display their personal preferences, and the spectrum of modified vehicles broadened as these rodders began to modify everything they could get their hands on. The sport experienced tremendous growth and fostered another generation of trendsetter cars-the pre-musclecar classics we have all known and loved-’55-’57 Chevys. It’s always been difficult to pinpoint exactly why some cars achieve total acceptance to the point where they are revered above all else, but the classic Chevys were definitely wrought with a generous mix of that righteous magic that stirs the hot rodder’s soul. Chevrolet achieved similar success with the, ’67-’69 Camaro and the ’66-’67 Nova, but the ’55-’57 Chevys were the real trendsetters-the first Chevys…

Car building entails quite a bit of metal fabrication, and that means welding. It is almost impossible to build or modify a car and not use the services of a welder. There are several ways to get the job done. The first is to take your welding to a friend or welding shop—this method can be both expensive and inconvenient, usually because the time you need the welding done is 11:30 p.m. Or you can purchase some welding equipment and weld your parts in your own garage. Most rodders are do-it-yourselfers, so the idea of owning your own welding equipment is attractive. But the two largest questions are “What type of equipment do I need?” and “How difficult is this equipment to use?” The answers to both these questions concern…

It can be argued that the dragster is the ultimate hot rod. Sure, hot rods are plenty of other things, too, as demonstrated elsewhere in this 35th anniversary edition. But ever since a pair of stripped-down, souped-up roadsters pulled up to a stoplight together, straight-line drag racing from a dead stop has been the primal form of hot rod competition. Of course, it wasn't until drag racing became a legal, weekend sport after the Santa Ana strip opened in 1950 that rodders actually began to build cars strictly for the drags. Previously, hot rodders raced at the dry lakes, where wind resistance, rather than inertia, was the primary concern in vehicle design. Consequently, many of the first competitive drag machines, such as Art Chrisman's #25 car, were actually lakes “modifieds"-severely…

Wiring GM Alternators with Integral Voltage Regulators When changing from a generator to alternator, or building up a new electrical system from scratch on your restored street machine, street rod, or boat, why stick with the old, cumbersome and trouble-prone separate voltage regulator when GM has had their 10-SI series integral voltage regulator alternators on all their cars and light-trucks since 1973 (and on certain other cars and Corvettes since 1969)? Probably the biggest reason for fighting, not switching, was the weird wiring. There must be a load or draw on the voltage regulator to control its output. GM accomplishes this by wiring the No. 2 (field) wire into either an indicator lamp (see Diagram A) or, on some gauge-equipped cars, into the ammeter. You can duplicate the “stock” wiring…

Form Follows Fiction In last October’s “Roddin’ at Random” we showed you a rendering of the Art Center (Pasadena, California) PPG Camaro Pace Car. At that time the car was still a dream; now it paces the cars in the PPG Indy car series, looking a little like a fox and hounds chase. The beautiful Z28-based vehicle is the culmination of efforts by a team of Art Center students working in collaboration with PPG to produce a concept car. PPG, of course, has a hand in almost every automobile built in America, with their glass, chemicals, resins, finishes, and coatings divisions providing those materials to the four majors. In its first outing ahead of the world’s fastest road racers (a decent Indy car will go zero to 60 in about…

A ’musclecar” may be defined as a."factory-built intermediate-size car having an engine displacement in excess of 380 cubic inches.” That’s somewhat arbitrary, leaving out as it does Vettes, ponycars, and early ’60s greats like the 409 Impala. As far as I’m concerned, any and all of these cars represent a unique period in automotive history when gas prices were low, octane and speed limits were high, there was “no replacement for good ol’ displacement,” and a computer was something the astronauts used. To the youngsters among you this might all sound like a fairy tale, just like World War II and the Nazis, or gunfighters shooting it out in the old West. Yet the old West still holds a fascination for Americans, as do the stories our parents and grandparents…

They called it “The Snarling Beast.'' Thirty-five years ago when HOT ROD first began celebrating speed, the Vincent HRD was the fastest thing on two wheels. No questions asked. Today the Honda V65 Magna has a tougher time of it. There are Kawasaki Turbos and Suzuki Katana's to contend with, especially on the top end. But for sheer arm-jerking acceleration and the kind of boulevard styling hot rodders love, the big Honda is tops in 1983. Though separated by 35 years, both machines have the same single purpose—to capture a rider's soul with raw performance. The mystical effect of horsepower on mind and body never changes with time. People take all the power technology can give … and then wish for more. In 1948, the 1000cc Vincent V-twin you see…

Piston Machining Decking—Removing material from the piston top to (1) provide the proper clearance between the piston deck and cylinder head, (2) equalize the distance from the center of the pinhole to the piston deck, or (3) reduce compression ratio. If the piston has a dome, it may also be cut, for reason (3). Usually performed in a lathe or mill. Flycutting—Increasing the valve relief diameter (for oversize valves) or deepening the valve reliefs (in order to provide adequate clearance between the piston and valve heads when they are in close proximity, which occurs during the overlap cycle of the camshaft). Drilling for Pin Oiling—Sometimes, especially in a piston designed for a pressfit pin, there is inadequate provisions for pin oiling. In such cases, an additional oil hole in the…

Tool Crib Some of you might have seen this one before, but like the perennial blind rivet guns, it's been improved with some additions and a case to stash it in. The tool is Davenport's “Cricket'' sideways ratchet, designed ingeniously so you can tighten or loosen hardware in tight spots by just squeezing the handle. No rotation of the tool is required, although it'll work that way, too. Direction is reversed by flipping the handle over and pushing the ⅜-inch drive lug through to the other side. Newly added are the ⅜-¼-inch adapter and several screwdriver bits, as well as a plastic case to stash all the pieces in. Available from Unique Tool Sales, 5023 N. Rosemead Blvd., #18, San Gabriel, CA 91776, (213) 2860894.…