Indholdsfortegnelse for September 1996 i Hot Rod

COOL FIND Larry Winship from Great Falls, Montana, traded a car stereo for this 70 Challenger back when it was a hulk. He has replaced everything on the car, down to the nuts and bolts, adding tasty morsels like a stroked 440 engine that now displaces 505ci with Keith Black pistons, BRC rods, a Mopar cam, Stage 5 heads, Hedman headers, an Edelbrock Torker II intake, a Carb Shop 926-cfm carb, a 250hp nitrous kit, and more. The Dodge is painted Chrysler Concord Radiant Red and sports a fully custom interior and a 200-watt Alpine stereo. SHORT & SWEET How cool is this for a corner burner? Imagine more than 80 cubic inches making 80 horses in a car that weighs 1300 pounds! Don and Debbie Fransen of Paso Robles,…

It is impossible to know the history of hot rodding and not be familiar with the name Iskenderian. Ed “The Camfather” Iskenderian’s Isky Racing Cams has been grinding cams since World War II. One of Ed’s more spectacular achievements is his ‘24 Model T roadster built in 1940 that appeared on the cover of HOT ROD in June 1948. It’s powered by a ‘32 Ford flathead V8 that Ed converted to Maxi type “F” heads with overhead exhaust valves, a custom intake manifold sporting three Stromberg 97 single-barrel carburetors, a stout 13:1 compression, and of course, an Iskenderian camshaft. Ed was 19 years old at the time. Today, the car is identical to the way Ed built it more than 50 years ago. By special invitation to the HOT ROD…

Of all the hot rods we saw on the Power Tour and at the Fest, probably the most amazing thing we saw was the wheels on Frank Faliano’s ‘62 bub-bletop Impala. We saw the car at Gunther Toodys in Denver and immediately were attracted to the arrow-straight black sheetmetal, the cool tri-power big block, and the overall detail. But then artist Darrell May abb told us that Frank himself made the bitchin’ wheels that we were wondering about. Made them?! Frank wanted a 16-inch wheel that looked sort of like an American Torq-Thrust, but with some subtle customizing. Nobody makes such an animal, so Frank made his own, including the centers. He made a mold and had the centers cast, then machined them himself. Just goes to show that if…

Well officer, I’m cruising cross-country on HOT ROD magazine’s Power Tour with 80 other cars.” “Sure you are. License and registration please.” A light desert breeze whistled past the BDS blower scoop as Dave Rentsman ‘sat in his ‘40 Willys on the side of the highway. Suddenly, the highway exploded with the full-blown V8 exhaust blast of 50 blazing-hued hot rods. The incredulous Nevada highway patrolman struggled to take it all in. As the last car in the two-mile-long horsepower train pounded by, the officer stared after it in a moment of silence, then handed Dave back his license. “Just try to keep it down.” With that, Rentsman cracked a smile, dropped the blown Rat in gear, and leaned on it to catch up to the roar escaping into the…

I remember last year when I paraded my ‘32 down Norwalk’s quarter-mile and felt an incredible rush of accomplishment. There I was, 2900 miles from my home in Pasadena, California, driving an old hot rod that our readers knew existed but few had ever seen in person. One year later, I was standing in the timing tower, rather than sitting in my roadster, watching 300-plus paraders doing and feeling the same thing, which is what our Power Fest is all about: sharing with our readers the cars we drove across the country in an environment that combines power with a festival atmosphere. Although the thrust of HOT ROD’s third annual Power Festival remains the culmination of our multirod, multistate, multimile, and multismile tour, the event itself included 1000-plus rods, customs,…

Stance is everything when contemplating hot rod aesthetics—so much so that nothing is too low. That’s why the terms “in the weeds,” “tubbed and slammed,” and “beaned out” are an important part of our vernacular. Because of weather-related road conditions, the rest of the country had trouble following California’s addiction to low-flying hotties. That’s all changed now, thanks to hydraulics, trailers, and a low-with-it attitude. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Des Moines, Iowa, inhabitant Steve Gantz’s brilliant red “Pro Low” ‘65 Corvette wowed the troops at HOT ROD’s Power Festival with a California-style, street-scraping stance. In fact Steve’s plastic fantastic arrived with such a total attention-to-detail vengeance that it won the Best of Show award. In an era of pro-built trophy queens, Steve’s “best of low” is…

We’ve often talked about suspension alignment, specifically negative camber, and its benefits on handling. What is negative camber and why is it good? The science of suspension geometry is complicated, and many books have been written on the subject. Suffice to say that, up to a point, when a car goes into a corner, the springs allow the body to roll over on the front outside tire. This body roll deflects the suspension. Typical factory suspensions allow the top of the tire and wheel to roll outward—creating positive camber. This makes the car understeer, or push, through a turn. More desirable is a front suspension that rolls negative, or inward, in a turn. The question is: How can we make a suspension roll negative? There are several ways. One is…

Lunati proudly introduces “Street Heat”, one bad 70 Chevelle built to burn up the asphalt a quarter mile at a time in Super Street class form. “Street Heat” is totally street legal and right at home cruising the boulevards or burning up the track. Read all about it in this month’s Hot Rod Magazine! Lunati Valve Springs Lunati has valve springs for most all performance applications. Part #73943 fits stock small block Chevy heads and provides the spring pressure necessary to assure smooth action and improved performance when used with our Bracket Master and other hydraulic cam shafts. Prices start at $55 & up for a set of 16 springs. Camshaft & Lifter Kits Lunati has a cam & kit for you. Hot street performers will want a Bracket…

In this era of credit cards, fax machines, and 24-hour world-wide delivery, it’s hard to imagine what the first generation of hot rod enthusiasts faced some 50 years ago. Back then, the term “aftermarket” didn’t exist and a “parts ware-house” was where you brought your own tools, got grease on your fingers, and didn’t expect a guarantee. Today, the automotive aftermarket is one of America’s largest industries. With so many parts available and so many companies willing to provide them, the toughest part about going postal is figuring out which supplier to patronize. The following guide should help you in hacking your way through the after-market jungle. We’ve focused on engine kits, but most of these companies stock a wide range of automotive parts and accessories, and some even offer…

Dan Jacobs—who happens to own a couple of hardware stores in and around the megalopolis of Manteno, Illinois—finally contracted “ape streetus,” the most virulent form of the hot rod bug. Seventeen years ago he bought a former-drag-racing ‘39 Chevy. And last year he commis sioned Troy Trepanier to simply clean it up. “My original intent,” dazedly recalls Ace Jake, “was to do a nice Streeter.” So he took the 57-year-old five-window to Manteno’s sultan of Pro Street. That’s when the ape streetus part kicked in. “Troy said we could make this the baddest-looking street rod to hit the streets,” remembers Dan. “And I said, ‘There is no way you could make a ‘39 Chevy look that good.’ So a small project grew into a sizable one—you know the drill.” One…

Prior to the Power Tour, Dodge donated Viper No. 6 (literally the sixth Viper off the assembly line) for display in the Petersen Automotive Museum. But before it became housed in a diorama inside the building, the museum’s benefactor and our boss Robert E. Petersen used it to lead the Tour out of the museum’s parking lot. Shown presenting the car to Mr. and Mrs. Petersen (second and third from the left, respectively), is Dodge Zone Manager Nick Verna, Leslie Kendall (acting curator of the museum), and HOT ROD’s Vice President and Executive Publisher John Dianna. A car-lover’s trip to Southern California just isn’t complete without a trip to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.…

The most enduring engine in automotive history is about to change. The small-block Chevy is and will continue to be the most popular powerplant in the history of racing and high performance, but its legendary interchangeability will end within the next few years. Change is inevitable. Were it not for engineering, we might still be hot rodding flathead fours or mastodonic steam engines. So it is inescapable that the small-block should improve. But rather than a eulogy for the original small-block, consider this a celebration for the heir to the throne. The new third-generation small-block, or Gen III, will be called the LSI, yet that one letter shift from the LT1 signals that this new engine is more evolution than revolution compared to the original 265. Squint your eyes and…

Horsepower is what it’s all about. For the Lunati Super Street-style Chevelle, the company decided to go with a thumpin’ nitrous-free, 540ci Rat motor to see how far this very streetable A-body could be pushed into the nine-second-e.t. zone. In this second installment of the Street Heat Chevelle buildup, we’ll take an upclose look at the pieces that go into an 840hp, 540ci Rat motor. Not so long ago, building a normally aspirated big-block with this much power would have been a major effort requiring substantial fabrication and Pro Stock-engine-builder expertise. While serious horsepower has always been an expensive art, today most of the parts required are standard catalog pieces that make building an engine like Lunati’s 540 relatively easy. This off-the-shelf theory was the whole idea behind the Lunati…

Hot rodders have never been interested in the status quo. Stock is just plain boring. So it is that horsepower is not the sole driving goal of Project G-Force. The concept of the G-car involves more than just improving the positive g-force of the ‘87 Monte Carlo. The guys at Performance Automotive Warehouse wanted to improve the lateral g’s (handling) and the negative g’s (braking) as well. Last month we delivered part one of this series, which was the buildup of PAW’s 426ci small-block Chevy that made some monstrous torque while still maintaining its emissions-compatible status by retaining the catalytic converter and using emissions-legal components. Those are the rules that late-model hot rodders have to live with. On a brighter note, Big Brother has yet to move into the suspension…

Right alongside our Power Tour (covered in depth elsewhere in this issue), Chrysler engineers were conducting a tour of their own. The “Prowler Tour” put two examples of Plymouth’s hot rod ragtop on the road for what was really the car’s public debut. Yes, the car “officially” premiered in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But standing in a convention center and watching a car slowly rotate on a turntable under fluorescent lights is nothing compared to seeing (and hearing) it blast by you on the interstate—or better still, blasting down the interstate inside the Prowler. This was truly a unique opportunity for both HOT ROD and Chrysler. We not only got to spend time with a neat new car, but the Power Tour benefitted from…

Harley-Davidson’s Sportster is a fun and less expensive alternative to the big Hogs. Its light weight and decent power give it much sportier (how appropriate) manners, but that light weight comes at the cost of size. Normally, reducing size is good. But motorcycle size is often directly related to comfort, and the Sportster’s smaller, shorter stature makes some riders dream of more legroom, especially on long rides. The answer to more legroom is installing a set of forward controls that allows the rider to stretch out on the long haul, like those from Jay Brake Enterprises. The Jay Brake forward-controls kit allows you to retain the stock pegs, but for the install shown here, the stockers were removed. That’s cool, but removing the stock pegs means you have to also…

THE FORGOTTEN MOUSE Q I recently purchased a Chevy 305 that came from an ‘84 Z28, and I’d like to build it to make approximately 350 horsepower. My budget is around $1,500, and it will have to run on pump gas. Any suggestions? John E. BeanMilton, Massachusetts A The biggest problem with a 305 is the cylinder heads—the ports are tiny. The fix is a set of budget aftermarket heads. Joe Sherman (HR09, 20222 Colonial Cir., Huntington Beach, CA 92646, 714/434-9110) recently built a 305 that made 353 horsepower on pump gas. He used a set of World Products 305 Torquer heads with a very mild port job (basically just a clean-up), Keith Black hypereutectic pistons, an Isky 268 Mega camshaft (224-degree duration at .050, .450-inch lift), a 650 Holley…

POWER TOUR REPORT Just dropping a note to thank you and everyone involved in making the Power Tour and the Power Fest happen. My friend, Chris Berngen, and I had a blast in his Monte Carlo SS, even though it self-destructed on us. Mount Clemens was epic. Thanks to Summit and the Hayloft for a killer party (What? Free beer? These red wristbands are better than Frutopia caps!). The cruise to Norwalk looked to be awesome too, but we lost our starter at the last gas stop before Norwalk. If you heard Chris’ car start, you knew of our impending doom. The Power Fest was awesome. The caliber of cars there was very impressive. The drag racing was an added bonus. Nick Scavo is a god. The bikini contest (love…

Power Tour ‘96 was also a test of sorts for the Mighty Mouse small-block Chevy 302 covered in the June and July issues of HOT ROD. The plan was to assemble an engine that could crank out 550 horsepower on pump gas and then drive the entire Power Tour while also squeezing 25-mpg highway mileage out of my ‘65 Chevelle. As reported in the July engine test, the Mighty Mouse in fact made 549 horsepower, and on its maiden mileage test, it pulled down 23-plus miles per gallon. For the 2914.6 miles of Power Tour, the Chevelle ran the gamut of mileage from a disappointing 18 miles per gallon from L.A. to Vegas to an amazing 25.4 miles per gallon during a 309-mile jaunt through the Utah/Colorado section of the…

Some of the best times we had at the Power Fest were spent behind the wheel of Guy Stone’s (Sycamore, Illinois) mini-Deuce roadster. Gary Coan pulled this li’l leaver behind his ‘61 Chevy truck on Power Tour, and then (foolishly?) turned the keys over to us for some event terrorizing. We couldn’t get enough. This one-of-a-kind Deuce roadster was built in 1959 by Guy’s father and grandfather, and Guy drove it in the Fourth of July parade in ‘61. After seeing many fun laps by family members over the years, Guy pulled the well-used, pint-sized hair blower out of the garage, discarded the used-up chassis, and started over. He built the frame, front axle, and four-link suspension supported by a snowmobile spring. The rear suspension consists of a narrowed Cushman…

We recently attended a meeting at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, on the current state of smog regulations, specifically OBD II and the proposed OBD III, and quite frankly, we’re scared “feces-less.” At the risk of sounding like Chicken Little we’d like to make you aware of what OBD II and III are and what effects they now have anc mav have on our way of life. OBD II (which stands for On-Board Diagnostics, step II) is a done deal; every ‘96-and-later car is controlled by OBD II regulations. The vehicle computer monitors pretty much everything on the car that relates to emissions, which is to say everything. If you change wheel or tire size, theoretically, the OBD II computer knows it and may…

With the current crop of ignition systems designed for hot rod enthusiasts, it’s easy to get confused over which one is best for you. They all promise increased performance over stock systems, and most offer additional features like rev-limiters or antitheft circuitry. For this article we tested the latest Jacobs Electronics control unit to see what advantages it offered over a stock points setup. The unit in question is the Jacobs “Pro Street” Energy Pak, which utilizes a built-in microprossesor for maximum efficiency. The Energy Pak is supposed to be capable of sensing incomplete combustion and restriking to maintain 100 percent burn in each cylinder. Additional features include a rev-limiter, a throttle sensor, an antitheft system, and an onboard diagnostics system. Although the control unit may be purchased separately, it…

The man who owns this bike has created the graphics for many magazine cars, including the last three Troy Trepanier cars (the ‘50 Buick, the ‘60 Rambler, and the ‘39 Chevy) and many of Scott Sullivan’s latest cars, but you might not have heard of him. In case you haven’t, Bob Thrash is his name, and subtle, mind-twisting paint graphics are his game. To give him a chance to hot rod around after being disgustingly creative with his paint brushes, Thrash and some of his buddies whipped this new-old Harley together. The idea was to build a bike that had the classic appearance of a ‘50s motorcycle but stretch it and slam it for that ‘toony look. To make it all work for minimal bucks, Thrash started with a wrecked…

IN STITCHES LEATHER CARE A complete care system from The Stitcher Corporation can effectively clean, condition, and restore leather surfaces. The kit includes a special cleaning brush, an application rag, and three bottles of product designed to perform specific tasks. Unlike the one-step, oilbased products, this system works on all finished leather products and is fully biodegradable. Information: The Stitcher Corporation, HR09, 2624 NW Boca Raton Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431,800/551-0061. PERFORMER RPM Q-JET CARBURETOR Designed for high-performance, none-missions small- and big-block Chevrolet V8s, the Edelbrock Performer RPM Carburetor for Q-Jet Applications is an all-new, enhanced-performance version of the GM Quadrajet. The large 0.149-inch-diameter needle and seat provides sufficient fuel flow to support 500-plus horsepower. Information: Edelbrock Corporation, HR09, 2700 California St., Torrance, CA 90503,310/782-2900. TWO IN ONE BOOST YOUR…

Braided-steel line has become a standard among all types of hot rods, but like everything else, there is an art to its proper assembly. The job is extremely easy if you know some of the tricks. There are actually two different styles of AN fittings, the cutter style used by Earl’s and the tapered, compression style of fitting popularized by Aeroquip and Russell. While the designs differ, the installation procedure is virtually the same. We’ll outline the procedure here using the Aeroquip tapered-hose-end design with assistance from Godman High Performance Specialties, who supplied all the braided-steel hardware for the Lunati Super Street Chevelle. HOT ROD (ISSN 0018-6031) Vol. 49 No. 9. Copyright 1996 by Petersen Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. Published monthly by Petersen Publishing Company, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los…