Indholdsfortegnelse for October 1988 i Hot Rod

It all started very innocently. It was 1979, we had just moved to California, and my wife needed a car. Just as in the procedures we’ve outlined this month in our “Sweet Street Deals” section, we scoured the want-ads for a selection of righteous rides. The problem was that Suzy wanted a little red Mustang, but I had her heart set on a Camaro. After looking at a couple of anemic 6-cylinder Mustangs that I had chosen knowing full well they would be junkyard dogs, I talked her into looking at an inexpensive little Camaro that I had spied in the paper. The ad read “V8 Camaro, auto trans, new paint and interior, $1500.” When we arrived, it was obvious that the “new paint and interior” were actually a $100…

’88 Pro Street Cars Debut As expected, this year’s crop of outrageous Pro Street cars made its auspicious debut at the Street Machine Nationals in Du Quoin, Illinois. As you probably noted in last month’s Roddin’ at Random, Rick Dobbertin took time off from building show-winning street machines and whipped out a quick but effective alternative in the form of an ’87 Pro Street Grand Am with stock front-wheel-drive power and obligatory fat rubber at the rear. Meanwhile, Scott Sullivan, Rocky Robertson, Mark Grimes, and Matt and Debbie Hay were hard at work turning out their latest iterations of Pro Street madness, and they are something to behold. Rocky Robertson: Pro Street ’87 Buick Scott Sullivan labored more than a year to create his stunning orange ’55 Chevy. The Lingenfelter-built,…

At a recent Chevrolet media presentation for ’89 new cars, current and former members of Petersen’s HOT ROD and Car Craft staff competed in and won the pit stop competition, which required a crew of four to change two tires on Terry LaBonte’s Winston Cup Monte Carlo SS in a simulated pit stop environment. Former Car Craft Editor Rick Voegelin was the tire man, while new Car Craftstaff member Jim Losee handled the jack and HOT ROD Editors Jeff Smith and John Baechtel changed the tires. Major controversy erupted when all the teams accused each other of cheating. But it was all in the spirit of fun, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely—except for Editor Smith, who was the victim of a great prank perpetrated by Chris Kauffmann of Advanced Engineering…

Once there was a gangly kid of 15 whose pants were never quite as long as his legs. He loved cars. He wanted one so badly that he’d take most anything he could get. What he really wanted was a ’55 Chevy or a ’32 Ford. What he got was his grandfather’s old, beat-up, abandoned ’48 Chevy four-door sedan. It was free, and that was exactly his price range. But it was no bargain. Of course that kid was me. I’ve still got that four-door Chevy, and I still wish it were a ’55 Chevy or ’32 Ford instead. I’ve done lots of work on it. I’ve spent money on it. It’s a nice car. It has even come into vogue, after all these years, fat fenders and all. But…

Let’s play a GM word association game, shall we? If I say the word “performance,” how would you respond? Chevrolet? Good. But if you said Pontiac, you win the hot rodder’s Astute Observer’s Award for 1989. While it’s true that Chevy is concentrating on its impressive, but expensive, LT5 DOHC 32-valve Corvette engine, Pontiac is still thinking about the little guy—and has rebounded with the famous turboed and intercooled Buick Grand National V6 engine gracefully dropped into its 20th Anniversary Firebird. Bravo! What do the other two GM siblings have to offer the true hot rodder? In a scant two words: not much. While the emphasis on styling is impressive with the midsize GM 10 cars, most of these cars leave the performance quotient out of the formula. But let…

Introduced in the spring of 1983, the all-new Thunderbird was a complete and welcome departure from the slab-sided, rolling monsters that preceded it—and it soon established it-self as one of the major automotive success stories of the ’80s. A softer, more rounded aero look signaled Ford’s departure from the monotonous, cookie-cutter school of automotive design that typified late-’70s automotive styling. The new Thunderbird spear-headed Ford’s assault on traditional automotive values and lofted the nation’s oldest automaker back to an almost unchallenged position of leadership in domestic automobile manufacturing. In terms of the automotive styling revolution it fostered, the new Thunderbird may well have been the most significant American car of the decade. And now the natural extension of its lineage has arrived with a world class attitude and everything it…

Let’s cut right to the heart of our story and forget the trick introductions and flowery metaphors. What we have here is nothing less than the next great breakthrough in the world of street performance. Sound like tall words? Possibly, but we believe that electronic fuel-injection (EFI), similar to the systems used on current production performance cars, has so many performance advantages over carburetion that it’s only a matter of time before EFI will become the choice for enthusiasts demanding ultimate performance. Before we get started, you should keep in mind that there are a great many ways to build a performance EFI system for the street. There’s throttle body injection (TBI), which injects fuel at the throttle body, and then there’s multipoint fuel injection, which has a fuel injector…

We have this long, tall drink of water on our staff who reminds me of Troy Trepanier, the owner of this incredibly detailed ’66 Chevelle. As I recall, “Too Tall” Ganahl’s first car once belonged to his granddaddy and was free. Like-wise, Troy’s ’73 Porsche Raspberry Pink Chevelle “had been in the family since day one. My 85-year-old grandpa owned it for 17 years but blew it up and then gave it to me… and that’s how it all started.” How it ended, after going through two previous tries, is what you see here. Troy’s not-so-old smoothy, which rolls around on a set of Center Line rims shod with M/T skins, has been shorn of door handles and emblems before being covered with its dis-"pink"-tive color by Jeff “Sandman” Saint…

Sooner or later, it had to happen. It’s been nearly two years since Total Performance introduced its small block Ford V8 Ranger swap package (see “V8 in the Pocket Trucks/Ford Ranger,” HRM December ’86), and since then hundreds of kits have sold. But some hot rodders are never satisfied—and that includes Total’s owner John Vermeersch, a hard-core gearhead who drives a 427 SOHC Galaxie to the shop every day, weather permitting. John and his followers come from the “there’s no substitute for cubic inches” school. Once they saw how well a 302 worked in a Ranger, they dropped in 351s, and it was only a matter of time before their fevered minds began dreaming up the ultimate two-wheel-drive, shortbed V8 Ranger: Not only would it be powered by the big…

Inhale, exhale—breathing is as important for your engine as it is for the human body. But while we’re stuck with the lungs nature gave us, mechanical things can be improved with the right selection of aftermarket intake and exhaust components. The ads on the following pages offer exhaustive examples of the many new inductees now available from aftermarket sources, from exotic Weber carburetor and intake setups to completely integrated, smog-legal intake/exhaust systems for late-model computer cars. PERFORMER MANIFOLD & TUBULAR EXHAUST SYSTEM Edelbrock’s Performer EGR manifold No.3701 is a direct replacement for 262- to 400 cid small-block Chevy V8 emissions engines. It offers improved driveability, swifter acceleration, more power and increased mileage in vehicles operating from off-idle to 5500 rpm and comes complete with all EGR system hook-ups. To enhance…

A LYTLE MORE I hadn’t had such a big laugh in years until I read Tim Woods’ letter about his competitors “sandbagging and redlighting.” Why don’t you ask him about the Saturday night at Lions in July 1964 when I challenged him to a match race with Big Al? The reply was, “Show up with two grand, kid, and we’ll think about it.” I was making $125 a week and had two grand in my whole car. To this day I wish I had a rich relative—or a sponsor. If I had not been so young and naive, I would have had C.J. Hart challenge him over the loudspeaker. That night I did race a D/Dragster. He turned a 9.89 and I beat him by four car lengths; the race…

Chevrolet has finally taken the wraps off the long-awaited King of the Hill ZR1 Corvette. Powered by a Lotus-inspired, Chevrolet-refined, 32-valve V8 known as the LT5, the optional version of the Corvette still has no firm price tag or release date, but its performance was amply demonstrated to the press at the annual GM media preview when a prototype lapped Riverside raceway a full two seconds quicker than the fastest qualifying speed for the Corvette Challenge race held only days earlier. Journalists were not yet permitted to drive one of these nasty are still floating between 370 and 385, with 370 Ibs.-ft. of torque, and Chevrolet promised that we’ll be getting our hands on one shortly so we can wring it out and fill you in properly. These cutaway views…

Popping the hood on a suspicious-looking Trans Am at Pontiac’s ’89 preview revealed this twin-turbocharged, 5.7L small-block research tool and a little card indicating a 180-plus-mph top speed. Equipped with modified TPI electronic fuel-injection and four additional fuel-enrichment injectors, the V8-powered turbo Trans Am is being used to study turbocharged small-block applications. And while it is unlikely to see production, it is indicative of the broad range of performance investigations currently being conducted by GM engineers.…

Then there was this innocent-looking Beretta sitting there with the hood up, and we spied a twin-turbocharged, 3.4L V6 with 5-speed manual transmission, full-time, all-wheel drive, and a 60-40 torque split, front to rear. The engine delivers 383 hp and 440 Ibs.-ft. of torque, and a little sign on the seat admonishes you not to perform any “snap clutch releases.” It was built to explore driveline limitations with the high-powered engine and all-wheel drive. We keep seeing these cars at press previews and we’ve come to the conclusion that: Yes, it does get better than this—but when?…

Once you discover a potential candidate for your super street machine, it’s time for a little detective work. A thorough inspection of the car you intend to buy will help you determine whether it has problems that might seriously complicate your project and add unnecessary expense. No matter what type of car you intend to build, you will want the body to be in good shape—but the suitability of any given vehicle for your project can vary greatly according to your specific plans. If you’re planning to construct a full-on Pro Street machine, you’ll have less concern for the car’s suspension and running gear since you’re going to replace all or most of it anyway. If a super street machine with good straightline performance and strong handling qualities is on…

I grew up(?) in the early ’50s—when no self-respectinq hot rodder would drive anything but a Deuce roadster or a ’40 DeLuxe coupe. The ’32 roadsters still rule, but not ’40s. However, this curious state of affairs may change radically once today’s street/hot rodders get a chance to smoke over and digest restaurateur Mario Ol-giati’s turquoise turn on. Now, let’s be realistic: Mario’s mover represents the envelope pushed to its extreme. Unlike an all-steel “dooce” ragtop, which has always commanded “topless” dollar, ’40s—from a cost and availability standpoint—are still plentiful and relatively inexpensive to buy. So what car-builder Gary Case did was to take this somewhat plentiful and inexpensive Ford, add a pinch of imagination, a potful of work, and voila… a fat-a-tech Forty. But Mario wanted more than a…

Chrysler remains America’s front-wheel-drive, turbo 4-cylinder performance king. From the economy Colt import to the high-line luxury TC by Maserati, there’s a performance option available for everyone. In ’89, the sporty options’ styling is enhanced with aero ground effects and monochromatic paint. Starting at the bottom, the Dodge/Plymouth Colt GT receives an optional turbo 1.6L, multipoint fuel-injected, dual overhead cam (DOHC), 16-valve engine that produces 135 hp at 6000 rpm, 30 more horsepower than the standard, single overhead cam (SOHC) motor. At the high end, the TC’s optional “wimp” engine is merely the intercooled SOHC 2.2L Turbo II, backed by a 3-speed auto transaxle. Standard is a 5-speed Getrag manual coupled to the special, intercooled turbo 2.2L engine topped by a 16-valve DOHC cross-flow Maserati head that develops 200 hp…

In the past, custom clutch installations have been the bane of a hot rodder’s existence. If you couldn’t find the linkage in a junkyard, converting from stick to automatic required forking over heavy bucks at the dealership-assuming that the pieces were still available. Nonstock engine/chassis swaps into older street machines, street rods, and kit cars using manual transmissions were such a hassle for the average enthusiast that the common advice was to “stick with an automatic.’’ Hydraulic clutches were one possible option, but that still required adapting a hydraulic slave cylinder, often with fork, linkage, and clearance pains. Well, it’s time for re-education: Clutch linkage problems have now been relegated to the trash bin of hot rodding history. McLeod Industries has developed a revolutionary integral hydraulic throwout bearing assembly that…

Like most of us American rodders, Mike Rinaldi has never attended the famed Le Mans 24 Hours of Endurance, so resources probably prevailed over mystique in his decision to buy this ’67 Pontiac Le Mans for a mere $150. After all, who’d pay more for a winter beater? After assaulting the salted streets of his South Holland, Illinois, hometown for a couple of snowy seasons, the 22-year-old mechanic discovered the old Pontiac’s potential and decided to breathe new life into it—while treating it to an innovative facelift that would turn the immense Le Mans winter beater into a slick and trick summer cruiser. Mike kicked off the project with a powerplant swap. In went a fully balanced,.030-over Chevy 454, with 12:1 pistons, polished heads, and an Edelbrock-mounted Holley 1150. Mike…

CARS & TRUCKS ’69 CAMARO PRO STREET. 350-cid, tunnel ram, Turbo 400, narrowed 12-bolt 4.88, eight-point cage, narrowed frame, aluminum engine compartment, custom paint, Hurst Lightning Rods, custom interior. Show winner. Too much to list! $14,000 o.b.o. Chuck Vahldick, 1022 E. Newgrove St., Lancaster, CA 93535, (805) 945-3400, evenings. ’68 CAMARO. 350, 4-speed, 12-bolt Posi, factory tach and console gauges, show condition, $9800. Michael Kling, 375 11th St., Lakeport, CA 95453, (707) 263-1176. ’66 CHEVELLE SS. Street or show, old-style drag look, high-quality street machine. Drive anywhere, too much to list, $11,000 negotiable. Jeffery Walker, 8036 N. Watterson Tri., Louisville, KY 40291, (502) 491-4862. ’75 COSWORTH VEGA. All-original, mint condition. Videos available. $6000. Robert Felker, 1002 E. Commercial, Charleston, MO 63834, (314) 683-6998. ’79 DODGE LIL’ RED EXPRESS. All original…

A new Yamaha-based, 24-valve, Super High Output (SHO) 3.0L V6 designed exclusively for Ford will make its debut in the ’89 SHO Taurus. Taurus’. strong market position was marred only by its lack of power and performance; thus the new SHO engine was designed to put some muscle in the Taurus platform. HOT ROD’S preliminary testing found the new ’89 SHO Taurus capable of 6.0-second zero-to-60 times and 15 flat at 94.5 mph in the quarter-mile, which is right in there with some of the quickest contemporary musclecars available. In addition to its strong 220-hp rating, the SHO Taurus engine is also a work of art that would add immeasurably to any street rod engine compartment. Look for a complete rundown on this new performance engine in the near future.…

Chevrolet engineers have recently been experimenting with this bigblock-powered IROC Camaro. Primarily a testbed for the fuel-injection system and the exploration of driveline strength limits, the car is one of many fun vehicles floating around the Bow-Tie engineering center. It is powered by a 509-cid big-block equipped with the aluminum Pro Stock cylinder heads and a prototype electronic fuelinjection system. We think this should be the new RS Camaro, as in “Really Stout.”…

The Ford and Lincoln Mercury divisions are pursuing a steady course that includes an exciting mix of hot new cars and the comfortable familiarity of current models with strong positions in the market. Their performance cars continue to maintain a solid reputation, and the ’89 versions still deliver the kind of performance and quality that domestic competitors envy. The big news, of course, is the introduction of the all-new Thunderbird Super Coupe and its sistership, the Mercury Cougar XR7. As detailed in this month’s separate story (see “Sinister Super Coupes”), the new Super Coupe is equipped with a supercharged/inter-cooled 3.8L V6 that churns out 210 hp at 4000 rpm and 315 Ibs.-ft. of torque at 2600 rpm. The all-new platform features the next new dimension in Ford’s advanced styling program…

Only when the planets align in perfect harmony does a car builder get paid handsomely to do something he was planning to do anyway. Such was the case five years ago when Little John Buttera found himself caught between Indy-car projects with nothing(?) to do. “I have always wanted to build a ’33 Willys for myself, so I called around and finally got in touch with Joe Hrudka. Hrudka [of Mr. Gasket fame] has quite a collection of Willyses and I asked him if he had a ’33 for sale. He said, ’No, but as long as you’re building one for yourself, build another for me while you’re at it.’ I really didn’t want to take on two of them, so I ended up doing his like I had planned…

In this era of high-cost hot rodding, Rich Clifton’s all-repop ragtop proves that you can stick a family phaeton together for less than $2500 a year and produce a winner. “I started building the Deuce in ’83, during which time Joanne, my wife, and I had two children. The kids kind of slowed things down, so you can understand why it took me five years to finish it; I only worked on the car when time and money allowed me to do so.” But Clifton, an auto mechanic from Cincinnati, Ohio, isn’t what one would call a rod-building rookie. In fact, he worked his way up to his high tub by building a T-bucket, Deuce three-window, and ’40 coupe. But for now, his five-year phaeton is his almost-daily driver. For…

The 66th running of the Checker Auto Parts Pike’s Peak Hill Climb held last July on the famed 12.42mile, 156-turn dirt road up to the 14,110-foot Colorado summit featured severs? novelties: Six-time-winner Audi stayed home, leaving the road open to the million-dollar, two-car Peugeot effort; the usual few and slow vintage racers were favorably replaced this year by trucks; and Robby and Bobby Unser, Jr. entered a Wells Coyote in the Open Wheel category. Despite the horrendous conditions (rain, sleet, hail, wind), Flying Finn Ari Vatanen and the works four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steer Peugeot 405 turbo 16 set a new Open Rallye and overall record of 10:47.22 at 69.52 mph, bettering Walter Rohrl’s 1987 time by.63 second. Ari was happy and wants to return next year to try and break into the…

Well, folks, this is it. By the time you read this, the world-famous Riverside Raceway will have finally fallen into the hands of greedy California land raiders. A sad ending for the 31-year-old road course, which first opened its gates on September 26, 1957, and locked them up after the August 12-14 SCORE Off-Road Championships. After a series of events advertised as the “Last Ever’’ for the last couple of years, the 2.62-mile road course finally hosted its last-ever NASCAR Budweiser 400 Winston Cup Race of June 12. Launching from the pole position, Ricky Rudd led the 95-lap race early on, but lost his lead three times to Rusty Wallace and the Kodiak Pontiac, who eventually led a total of 44 laps. Rudd was overtaken by Terry LaBonte with two…

Those of you who watched CBS’ and ESPN’s live coverage of the June 11-12, 24 Hours Of Le Mans, or savored Dan Rather’s July 14 “48 Hours” Le Mans special on CBS—which captured so well the magical atmosphere of the world’s most famous auto race—already know that the 56th edition of the 24 Hours gathered all the ingredients of a memorable event. No less than 10 American drivers were engaged in the battle. The Andretti family—Mario, Michael, and John—drove factory Porsche 962C No. 19 (third qualifier) and faced the rival No. 21 Jaguar V12 of Danny Sullivan, Davy Jones, and Price Cobb (10th qualifier). CART series regular Kevin Cogan (qualified 12th) co-drove the No. 22 Jaguar, while Danny Ongais came out of retirement to pilot a March Nissan, which he…