Indholdsfortegnelse for June 1988 i Hot Rod

Superchargers, turbochargers, nitrous oxide injection—they all do the same thing, one way or another: They make your engine act bigger, which makes your car run faster. The internal combustion engine runs on air, not fuel. Realizing this is crucial to any discussion of blowers, turbos, or nitrous. Actually, a piston engine could run on any compressible, expandable gas; but air is free, plentiful, and contains oxygen necessary for combustion. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saw: “An internal combustion engine is basically an air pump.” Not exactly. In fact, that statement is backward. A pump uses power to compress air; an internal combustion engine is powered by expanding air. The more air inside the engine and the more it expands, per cycle, the more power the engine will have. It’s…

Danny Brent has a philosophy about building hot rods. He bolts them together during the Southern California winter (?) months using kit parts available on the market, paints them a fun color, and enjoys them during the summer before taking on a new project in the fall. Danny builds mechanically simple cars (read trouble free) that his unique touch always turns into deliciously distinctive daily drivers. This Santee, California-based tireman’s other trademark concerns his crush on Henry’s ’37 models. So far he has built a slant-back, a coupe, two cabriolets, this humpback, and he’s finishing a turquoise-colored club cabriolet while helping his son assemble his own ’37 coupe! A woodie and a sedan delivery are the only body styles he hasn’t tackled—yet. Faithful to his “simpler is better” motto, he…

Pro Street Camaros and presto restos are commonly recognized players in the hot rod story, but rarely do you come face to face with a slice of Camaro folklore as formidable as the Penske/Donohue Z/28 that won 10 out of 13 Trans-Am races in 1968. A one-of-a-kind original, the Sunoco blue racer was the most successful of the Penske Camaros that dispensed Chevy thunder with frightening regularity in SCCA’s budding late-’60s Trans-Am series. Roger Penske and the late Mark Donohue had also contested the ’67 Trans-Am series with Z/28 Camaros, but the cars were hastily constructed and unsophisticated. By Donohue’s own admission they were crude pieces that managed to win three races, but ultimately served a higher function by accelerating the team’s learning curve to the point where they were…

There may have been 8 million stories in the Naked City, but from our vantage point there were only four major, hold-the-presses, four-star extras at the NHRA Motorcraft Gatornationals. One concerned the truly mind-bending performances notched by an entire eliminator category, two concerned individual accomplishments, and the final chapter concerned the new World Championship payout announced by series-sponsor Winston (see sidebar). Undeniably, Pro Stock was the eliminator to watch in Gainesville. The largest field ever assembled (55 cars) battled it out for 16 starting spots, with record-setting performances and personal bests commonplace. Thursday’s one Pro session produced 17 sub-7.50 elapsed times—merely a harbinger of things to come. No sweat that Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson, and Butch Leal didn’t make it that day, as there’d be four more chances, right? Wrong.…

It used to be that only motorcycles with 1000cc or more under the spark plugs were considered able to challenge the 10-second, quartermile barrier. Those days are gone. The all-new Suzuki GSXR750 is a genuine 10-second machine—and the darn thing isn’t even designed to be much of a standing-start performer. From its absurdly low clip-on handlebars to its swooping extruded aluminum frame, the ’88 GSXR is all road racer; it’s not far at all from the endurance racers Suzuki was fielding just a year or so ago. The chassis is biased away from comfort and practicality; the only previous motorcycles available with this kind of no-compromise handling manners were either racers or handmade European machines with prices right around the average American’s annual income. The original GSRR750, introduced in 1985,…

DUAL TURBO FUELER Now that you’ve become a turbocharging expert, thanks to our pal John Baechtel’s masterpiece (see “Turbocharging,” p.44), you will undoubtedly pick up on Ron Hogdson’s twin-turbo Fueler in less time than it takes for 35 pounds of boost to build up in the 484-cubic-inch KB Hemi. Installed in a Swindahl chassis, the whistling monster sports dual fuel pumps and mags, Hilborn injection, and two Roto Master turbines. The combination makes horse-power aplenty, but the power doesn’t always come out in an orderly fashion. A pair of waste-gates are supposed to gradually pass the excess boost into the atmosphere, and therefore direct tractable power to the five-disc, lock-up clutch. In reality, the beast has thus far acted wild-mannered. Former Hawaiian Punch Funny Car driver Rick Johnson made his…

Most engine designers will agree that turbocharging is the answer if you’re looking for absolute maximum horsepower from a given engine. While supercharging and nitrous oxide still hold more charm with hot rodders, neither can approach a turbocharger for maximum power production in unlimited applications. One only has to look to Formula 1 racing engines to observe the superiority of the exhaust-driven centrifugal supercharger. With power-to-cubic-inch ratios approaching 10:1, they are some of the most powerful (for their size) internal combustion engines ever built. They’re also incredibly sophisticated if you consider the high-tech electronic engine management systems that make it possible to run them at these elevated power levels without destructive consequences. Buddy Ingersoll’s turbocharged V6 Buick was the fastest turbocharged car in drag racing; and not surprising, it was…

Although Mercury is usually thought of as a manufacturer of plush, family-oriented iron, the FoMoCo associate did produce a pair of muscular asphalt-pounders in the late ’60s. It was an era when no automaker could afford not being represented in the NASCAR Stocker and NHRA Super Stock wars. Mercury therefore outfitted its sportier models—the big, fastback Cyclone and the diminutive Cougar—with various powerplants and equipment packages designed to satisfy the straight-line buffs and NASCAR’S minimum-production run requirements. The cyclone is most remembered because of its achievements on the banked ovals ath the hands of Cale Yarborough, while the Cougar never really stood out as a major threat in any of the period’s competitive series. One special version was nevertheless worthy of any hot rodder’s attention for its serious list of…

Dayton, Ohio’s Bob Wellbaum builds a street rod the way a Swiss watchmaker would craft a grandfather clock. Just one example: Every bolt on his ’33 Ford coupe is stainless steel, and every one has had the head machined smooth and polished. Bob, as you might guess, is a professional machinist. He must love his work. Starting with an original frame, Bob added a Super Bell front axle with a Posie spring, polished TCI four-link, and four-piston Wilwood disc brakes. At back is a 3.55 posi 8-inch Ford rear on coil-overs. In between is a balanced and blueprinted 350 Chevy and 350 Turbo, extensively detailed, milled, and polished by Bob. On top sits a 3-inch chopped Gibbon body with Wescott fenders. Smoothie features include a filled top and cowl, hidden…

CAMSHAFTS In order to make any kind of decision, you have to have the right information. The more you know about a subject, the more intelligent your decision will become. Since a camshaft is certainly one of the most confusing components in an internal combustion engine, we’ve put together a camshaft user’s guide to help you compare different brands and types of cams. Look over the ads on this page and the following pages to get an idea of what’s available. Then check out our comprehensive cam timing and valvetrain component listing to compare the specifications of the different manufacturers’ offerings. Based on this information, you should be able to choose the camshaft that’s just right for your application. CRANE CAMS MAX VELOCITY™ CAM AND LIFTER KITS Crane Max Velocity™…

Illustrations: Lawrence D. Rodgers Designs During my time here at HOT ROD Magazine, I’ve had the opportunity to drive or ride in a number of “force inducted” (i.e., supercharged and turbocharged) cars … and lived to write about it. But not nitrous—not until NOS’ Mike Thermos took me for a partial “demonstration ride.” I survived that experience, too. So now, for the first time ever, it’s my turn to write about nitrous oxide—hot rodding’s blower in a bottle. By definition and use, nitrous oxide (N20) is a colorless, nonflammable gas that was originally formulated as a surgical or dental anesthetic. Lucky for us, though, nitrous oxide can do more than kill pain or cause a case of the giggles when it’s mixed with fuel (be it gas, alky, or nitro)…

I have mixed feelings on this subject. As a strong proponent of, and active participant in, the recently popular nostalgia drag racing movement, I have stated that I’d much rather see, hear, and smell old drag cars cackling, burning rubber, and watering my eyes with nitro fumes than having them salted away in some museum. Museums are great for inert art like paintings and vases. Machines are made to run. However, museums not only chronicle the significant achievements of man but also legitimize them—even sanctify them. Until Don Garlits took it upon himself to build his Museum of Drag Racing, there was not a single museum, anywhere, dedicated to our hobby/sport/culture of hot rodding. But there certainly should be. When I first heard, years ago, that Garlits was going to…

It just looks mean. Sitting there, hunched down like some black-as-night carnivore, this Thunderbird exudes power. Slide inside, and with the soft clunk of the closing door, you could be inside any production T-Bird. But you’re not. Hit the ignition and your first clue is the exhaust note. This ’Bird looks like a massaged Turbo Coupe, but it doesn’t sound like one. The exhaust isn’t overpowering, but that distinctive small-block rumble says there is far more raw power under the hood than just 150 ponies. The clutch feels slightly stiffer than even the Mustang unit, and the shifter is pleasingly precise. A glance toward the passenger’s side of the interior reveals a boost gauge hung innocently under the dash—another subtle cue. Pulling out onto the street, the motor feels responsive,…

1. Cams to fit 4.3L (262-cid) engine available on special-order basis. 2. For heads with pushrod guideplates. 3. Standard-type chain. 4. Full-roller-type chain. 5. For screw-in stud cylinder heads. 6. For press-in stud cylinder heads. 7. Magnum roller design—also available in 1.6:1 ratio, part No. RP1416-16. 8. Requires cylinder head machining. 9. Full-roller rocker arm. 10. For nonguideplate heads. Use 70311 with guideplate heads. 11. Turbocharged applications. 12. Supercharged applications. 13, Optimized for 302/327. 14. Optimized for 350/400. 15. If engine will be run consistently over 7400 rpm, use kit 84505; consistently over 7800 rpm, use kit 84506. Rev kit 82000A also available. 16. 1962-’71: use part No. 3220. 17. Fits only certain models—inquire. 18. Magnum roller design rocker arm. 19. 1955-’56 265: requires ’57-up cam bearings. 20. 1908-66: Groove…

When the general consensus in today’s hot rodding seems to revolve around wrapping standard recipes in different packages (red ’32s and P/S Camaros), Stephen Pierce of Guilford, New Hampshire, sneaks in with his “subtly tricky”‘55 Ford F100. In the course of six years—and with the help of East Coast Welding, Pete Harris of Automahn, and Dan Carpenter Enterprises—Stephen totally redesigned and reconstructed the truck to his liking. He started by grafting ’76 Corvette front and rear independent clips to the boxed Ford center frame section, lowering the truck eight inches in the process, and moving the front suspension nine inches forward to reduce the (unsightly) frontal overhang and to allow the Chris Martin-built ’67 Lincoln 462 V8 and B&M-kitted C6 automatic to be mounted low and set back five inches.…