Indholdsfortegnelse for June 1984 i Hot Rod

Rare Holley Carburetors Some of the performance aftermarket manufactures really do have our best interests at heart. Holley Carburetor has announced they will be making available many of their OEM-type carburetors for older musclecars. The newly released carburetors will be available under their original Holley list numbers and are exact one-for-one replacements. They will offer 29 different 2-barrel and 4-barrel models, including those used on many of the high-performance “Tri Power” systems like the 1967-’69 bigblock Corvettes and 1969-’71 Chrysler “Six-Pak” engines. Four-barrel carburetors ranging from 585 to 850 cfm will available for 1966-’72 Chevys with engines ranging from 327s to 454s. Ford 4-barrels will include carburetors for all Shelby and Boss engines and the 1970 429 “Blue Crescent” engines. Some Ford carburetors will include the “Le Mans"-style float bowls,…

Born Again Holley Replacement Parts Division of Colt Industries is now resurrecting many of the popular carburetors that were original equipment on such classic performance cars as the Shelby Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Dodge R/T Challenger. These new carburetors will be issued under original Holley list numbers and are exact one-for-one replacements. Initially 29 different part numbers will be offered (both 2 and 4-barrel). For a complete catalog (part No. L-30007-1), send $2.50 to Catalog Sales, Holley Replacement Parts Div., Dept. HR-06, 11955 E. Nine Mile Rd., Warren, MI 48090. Locks & Burgle American Accessories tough new Gorilla Lock is now available in a convenient four-pack. It comes complete with patented key wrench and free “Protection Label.” American Accessories, Dept. HR-06, 2141 E. 51st St., Los Angeles, CA 90058. Custom…

The musclecar controversy has raged unabated for years, and there’s no shortage of experts who will tell you exactly which cars were really king of the hill in the glory days when horsepower and cubic inches ruled the streets. Everyone has their personal favorites, but how fast did these cars actually run and were there really any clear-cut killer combinations that gave no quarter and asked none. HOT ROD has made a thorough search of the old road test records published by the various magazines as well as recognized authoritative publications like American Supercar by automotive historian Roger Huntington, and we’ve compiled a representative list of musclecars spanning the heart of the Sixties musclecar period,. We also tied our investigation into NHRA’s Stock Eliminator category by comparing published performance tests…

Before braided stainless there was rubber hose. Rubberhose, although perfectly adequate for most automotive plumbing requirements (fuel, water, vacuum, tranny fluid, and other low-pressure substances), has about as much personality as a soggy noodle. Back in the ’50s we thought colored plastic hose was neat for fuel lines, but it wasn’t exactly safe—especially when one of those 97’s flooded, burped, and caught fire. Then we discovered Air Force-Navy (commonly called “AN”) surplus braided stainless steel-covered hoses. These look neat, but they far exceed temperature and pressure requirements for most automotive applications. Consequently, they are very expensive and require high-quality, sometimes complicated fittings. There’s another alternative for plumbing your car that most hot rodders have overlooked for years: hard lines. Rather than messing with hoses at all, you can run steel,…

Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen was known to say, “Leavers lose.” But that only held true after the colorful flag starters were phased out of drag racing and replaced by Christmas trees and pro starts. Before remote-controlled electronics got into the act, a sharpie could leave on the starter, and few did it as well and as often as “Jazzy” Jim Nelson and his incredibly quick ’51 Fiat-bodied A/Competition coupe. Even in his heyday, “Jazzy” Jim Nelson, not to be confused with Jim Nelson of Dragmaster fame, was considered by his peers to be somewhat eccentric. He was a loner, rather secretive, and, as a 38-year-old when these photographs were taken in 1955, one of the more mature individuals successfully competing in what was then a kid’s sport. But, oh, could…

Trunk Route In your July issue, on page 44, was Marlyn Englert’s 1950 Chevy (“Yellow Zonker”). How did he manage to move the master cylinder to the trunk? I would like to move as much weight as possible from the front to the rear of a Camaro for the handling and traction advantages. Tony WilliamsFreeport, Pennsylvania Relocation of the master cylinder and power brake booster to the trunk is done mainly for esthetic reasons, as the resultant setup is in my opinion too cumbersome and unreliable for a high-performance brake system. In a typical remote master cylinder application, the brake pedal connects to a small hydraulic cylinder hidden conveniently out of sight. This generates sufficient pressure to actuate a slave cylinder and pushrod (a la typical hydraulic clutch linkage), which…

Tool Crib This month’s trick tool was actually developed for medical use, but has found its way into our toolbox because it’s great for testing anything requiring a vacuum signal for operation. You can check distributor advance diaphrams for leaks, artificially shift transmissions, test EGR valves for operation, and also find problems in your air conditioning and heater door operators (usually vacuum motors on later cars). The Mityvac Test kit includes adapters to fit any size vacuum line and a manual written specifically for automotive testing using the tool. For more information, contact Neward Enterprises, Inc., 9251 Archibald Ave., P.O. Box 725, Cucamonga, CA 91730. Editor’s Note: Those manufacturers with new or unique tools of interest to automotive enthusiasts should send information on such tools to the following address for…

Corrections In our April issue, we incorrectly stated the horsepower and torque figures for the ’84 Hurst/Olds. The ’84 has 180 hp @ 4000 rpm, and develops 245 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3200 rpm. It also has a looser converter than the stock Cutlass, and has a 3.73 axle. In the same issue, we said something about Bob Chandler’s Bigfoot breaking axles. He’s never broken a Henry’s axle; he switched to them after the incident described in the article. Pony Preservation Just watched another mid-’60s pony car bite the dust! I am tired of seeing fine-looking super cars destroyed. Somebody tell Hollywood to please stop destroying these works of art. To name a few, here is a list of the cars I’ve seen recently destroyed: a ’65 GT 350, a…

Another Drive-In Gone Tiny Naylor’s was one of those classic drive-ins designed like an ascending B-l bomber, under whose protective wings you’d park your kemp and flash the lights for the bubble gum popping waitresses to bring you double burgers and cherry Cokes. Back in the space-age ’50s, Tiny’s was just like dozens of other flying saucer-shaped restaurants which catered to the mobile teen-age crowd—except that this drivein was strategically located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and La Brea in Hollywood. For all of us who have cruised “The Strip” in the past 25 years, Tiny’s was the landmark where you turned north from Sunset on La Brea to cruise back east down Hollywood Boulevard, before making the circuit again. But these days Cokes and burgers don’t pay for…

I’ve got this glowing orange, chrome-glistening ’57 Chevy parked in the middle of a vast dry lake somewhere in the California desert. I’ve been cleaning it for an hour, photographing it for another, and the sun is just starting to go down. Next thing I know, out of nowhere a beat-up ’37 Chevy pickup is driving across the lake bed toward me. The driver, in his late 20s, gets out leaving his wife behind, and says, “Hey, this is nice! I’ve got three of these at home. A Bel Air hardtop is my driver. Is it yours?” I explain no, it belongs to HOT ROD Magazine and we’re going to give it away this summer at our Super Nats in Indy—at the same time I’m continuing to move the tripod,…

For some odd reason, I always think of NASCAR-type vehicles as the roundy-round versions of the honeybee. On paper nature’s buzzing blimps aren’t supposed to be able to fly. And, on paper, NASCAR’s Grand National stockers aren’t supposed to run over 200 mph. But both the bee and the bellowing billboards defy the experts—and do it frequently. The secret, I’ve been told, to the continuing success of Grand National racing is the preservation of the stock look… where no outsized spoilers, wings, air dams, fender flares, or obvious body modifications are allowed, or where one type of vehicle is demonstrably better than the others. The reasoning behind the secret is simple: get and keep spectator involvement, let them see cars that they can identify with, and perhaps buy, and run…

Any car with a louvered glovebox has got’ to be good! Dick Burnham’s candy flamed Forty from Perrysburg, Ohio, also has plenty of vents in the hood, deck, and polished stainless firewall. This comp-flavored street cruiser was a $100 beater before Dick and family started putting some sweat into it. Dick also put in Mustang II front suspension, a Nova rear on ’65 Dodge truck springs, and a four-bolt Chevy 350 sprouting a Weiand 6-71 supercharger and twin 600 Holleys. Burgundy upholstery over Datsun and Corvair seats, Sanyo air conditioning, and Zenith wire wheels add a dash of class to this multi-purpose machine which, believe it or not, started out to be the wife’s grocery-getter.…

1 Carb Stand Carburetor spacers make dandy support stands for rebuilding or modifying carburetors. Simply add a set of carburetor studs, fasten your freshly cleaned carburetor base in place, and begin your assembly or modification procedures. Spacers are more stable than commercially available stands or long bolts, and they protect delicate throttle plates and linkage while you’re working on the carburetor. They’re not exactly cheap, but you can often find them for bargain basement prices at local swap meets. 2 Lifter Pre-load Hydraulic lifter adjustment is still one of the most prevalent problems facing new and in experienced hot rodders. On engines with non-adjustable valvetrains, torquing the adjustment nut to proper specs establishes the correct lifter pre-load. If you have adjustable rocker arms, like on a Chevy, you can adjust…

We first met Chris Dixon when he was the proud owner of a blown highboy roadster. Then he kind of went restorer on us. As I understand it, the white highboy went down the road in favor of a ’36 Chevrolet window sedan delivery. Huh? That’s what we said until Chris gently reminded us that “There were only 12 of these models built by Chevrolet in 1936, and they all went to the TV A (Tennessee Valley Authority) to be used as supervisors’ cars … and as far as I can determine the one you see here is the lone survivor.” So, on paper, it seems Chris has sold out to the “by-the-book” people, except when you contemplate the rare three-door’s glittering exterior—which includes three NOS (neat ol’ stuff) fenders,…

Preventing Blown Holley Power Valves Holley power valves have long been criticized for their alleged tendency to “blow out” when the engine backfires. Cynics would say that if the engine was properly tuned and maintained in the first place, it wouldn’t backfire, and the power valves wouldn’t blow out. Nevertheless, some of us are occasionally plagued by this problem, and there is a “field fix” developed by Mike Jones Carburetion (7602 Talbert Ave., Hunington Beach, CA 92647, 714/848-5500). First, Mike reports that there is the possibility of a manufacturing defect. The power valve’s rubber diaphragm is retained in the aluminum power valve body by means of a crimped brass ring. If the machining tolerances were to slip slightly, the crimp could penetrate and crack the rubber, leading to a “leaker”…

Green Light When installing light kits in aftermarket gauges, you can easily give the lights the same green tint as the OEM dash lights in your MoPar. Just go to the parts department of Dodge, Chrysler, or Plymouth dealer and purchase a light bulb tinting rubber. Slip it over the bulb before you install it in the gauge and you’ll have that nice green glow. Jon MillerCopley, Ohio Valve Job I drive my street/strip ’71 Firebird all the time, and it constantly calls for timing changes depending on whether I’m racing or cruising. My simple solution for cutting off the vacuum to the distributor’s vacuum advance unit while setting the timing costs all of 63 cents. Just stop by the nearest variety store and pick up a cut-off valve for…

Kontrolle Automotive Products is offering their new catalog along with the Rob McFarlin TransAm series racing poster (shown). The catalog lists shocks, struts, sway bars, and suspension devices, and includes application and pricing information. Send $5 for both catalog and poster to Kontrolle Automotive Products, Inc., Dept. HR-06, 4445 Enterprise St., Fremont, CA 94538. SK Hand Tool Corp. has released their new 36-page SK Professional Tools catalog. It features high-quality ratchets, cold-extruded sockets, flat wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. To obtain your free copy, write to Arlen Issette, SK Hand Tool Corp., Literature Dept. HR-06, 3535 W. 47th St., Chicago, IL 60632. Montgomery Ward’s Auto Express catalog contains 292 pages of more than 90,000 items for your car, van, truck, or cycle. It lists top name brands at bottom-line prices—all just…

If you’re attending the HOT ROD Super Nationals in Indianapolis and have a turtle entered in this year’s competition, we thought we’d give you a break and show you a glimpse of the HOT ROD staff turtle. Last year’s entry, Little Leonard, was merely a token effort for publicity. This year we’re going for the gold with a Cosworth-powered, ground effects tortoise that’s gonna put all your box turtles in the lettuce… er, weeds. You’ll know it’s our entry when you smell the methanol. This photo was snapped before we got serious with the graphics. See you at the Indiana State Fairgrounds arena, suckers!…

Yes, fellow rod-natics, It's that fun time of the year again when the staff at HOT ROD Magazine's funny farm gets down in the weeds and selects the year's harvest of heart-throbbing hot rods. Picking an overall “runner” and nine runner-ups id as difficult as getting Leonard Emanuelson, John Baechtel, Marlan Davis, Kevin Boales, Pat Ganahl, and your ol' “B-case” to agree on anything as subjective as what constitutes a top 10 winner. So without belaboring the point any further, here they are, my friends … our collective choices, selected from last year's pages of HOT ROD and the Super Nationals. The trouble with this year's winner, Bob Reed's incredible '34 coupe, is that mere photos and prose don't do this piece of automotive art justice. It's one of those…

In the 73 years the Indy 500 has been run, history shows there are four major ingredients to winning the most prestigious race in the world: the ability to last out the race, technical superiority, unsurpassed courage, and fate on your side. Cosworth and March have supplied the first two, Al Unser Jr. is supplying the third, and whoever is in charge of fate is taking care of that department. What you see here is the culmination of decades of trial and error. Indy Cars are the fastest race cars of their type, and they’ve come to that standing honestly, through the efforts of countless designers, engineers, mechanics, and fabricators. The March 84C shown is a product of race car constructors and Europe’s aircraft industry; materials and technologies have been…

The Daytona experience is more than a 500-mile Grand National-it’s a horsepower happening. Every day during the week of the 500, something is happening either haulin on the high banks or doin’ it in the dirt. And while the 200-plus-mph billboards receive the lion’s share of the ink, much of the grassroots action is really where it’s at. 1. SPORTSMAN Doug Hoffman’s Sportsman (Hoffman was the ’83 champ for the New York/Pennsylvania-based D.I.R.T. series) epitomizes the various “native” shapes being taken in today’s oval track-type racing Doug’s ground-pounder is powered by a gas-burning, 320-inch small-block running a single 4-barrel carburetor. 2. SPORTSMAN In the old days, the Sportsman were hybrids, like ’37 Chevy coupes armed with ’57 Olds V8s. Today, the Sportsman class cars are practically identical to the Grand…

Ask any drag racer what the epitome of drag racing is and he’ll most likely respond “NHRA class racing.” It is really the measure of the man and machine in this sport, with exacting rules that force the race mechanic and driver to perfection if they’re to have any advantage at all. And at the heart of NHRA class racing is Super Stock. It is the essence of hot rodding because it takes a factory stocker and hot rods it basically with bolt-on parts. You have a race car that looks very similar to what the fans drive on the street, yet it is capable of outstanding performance, even 9-sec-ond e.t.’s in some cases. Naturally, this high product identity with the fans makes Super Stock a sensible place for factory…

If there was ever a “bad” Gatornationals, it simply escapes memory. For years the tacky and very smooth Gainesville Raceway surface has made NHRA’s premiere Southern event a happening of extraordinary proportions. Record-shattering performances have become so commonplace that one has come to expect ever quicker e.t.’s and faster speeds each year. But this year’s Gatornationals was not a race where elapsed times meant as much as speeds. Good air, excellent driving, and the mechanical expertise of Tim Richards and Dale Armstrong resulted in another supposedly unbreakable barrier being shattered as Joe Amato became the first man to pilot a wheel-driven vehicle to a quarter-mile speed in excess of 260 miles per hour. And make no mistake about it, this was no fluke, onetime performance. Amato topped 260 twice, with…

“Hey, Dale,” said the Editor, “let’s go to Indian Dunes and ride some 3 Wheelers. A staff? outing. We’ll take 7 the girls, race around the sand, and everyone will write their impressions. Let’s cater lunch and bring a few brews for afterward—put it all on the old expense account.” “Sounds like heaven to me,” replied Motorcycle Editor Dale Boiler, who began arranging a fleet of 3-Wheelers, 4-Wheelers, helmets, and boots. Most staffers loved the idea. Others suggested a proper car book should go drag racing and drink carburetor cleaner for lunch. Why 3-Wheelers? “Because they’re high-performance internal combustion vehicles,” said Editor Emanuelson. “Because they’re fun and fast. They race, and they’re selling like mad to hot rodders everywhere. Besides, I want to go riding.” Thus spoketh the Editor, with…

WANTED—The complete set of blueprints (ex-Mid Engineering) for building a rear engine T-bucket. Will accept any condition and will pay your $$ price. Write urgently to: Gold Coast Chrysler, P.O. Box 142, Mermaid Beach, Qld 4218, Australia. SELL—1934 Ford Phaeton, Gibbon body, almond lacquer, McFall interior, Pete & Jake’s, Super Bell, Rootlieb, tilt wheel, disc brakes, stereo, Tru-Classic with Michelins, V6 Chevy. $21,000. William Clark, 202 E. 28, Kearney, NE 68847. (308) 236-6507. SELL—1971 Charger R/T. 440 Magnum, 4-speed Six-Pak, Stage IV heads and cam, Gold Box ignition, Dana rearend. All Direct Connection parts. Mint condition. $9000. D. Norwood, 11827 Oak Meadow Lane, Stafford, TX 77477. (713) 530-9294. WANTED—1970 Chevelle SS. Looking for original car, no restorations. Will travel. Send photo, description, and price. Pete Schneider, P.O. Box 476, Milledgeville,…