Innehållsförteckning för July 2017 från Hot Rod

We had somehow cornered the man with all the answers the world wanted. What was the new coupe from Dodge? Another Hellcat? An all-wheel-drive Lamborghini slayer? A VIN-less stripper designed for COPO and Cobra Jet shootouts? As we sat across from Tim Kuniskis, president of Dodge, in a conference room atop the Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center in Detroit, he spooled it out. Dodge’s new production monster is intended to create Americanmuscle believers. It’s a supercharged Challenger variant that will launch with the wheels in the air, will knock down a 1.36 sixty-foot time, holds a Guinness World Record for wheelies, was banned by the NHRA, and will be the quickest production car from any factory—ever. And you can buy it in America as a 2018 only and, in fact,…

> If there’s one thing that goes together better than peas and carrots, it’s boost and Coyote engines; the power-per-cubic-inch gains under pressure are not matched by any other modern OEM V8. At 12:1 compression, the big question on every Blue Oval fan’s mind: Will the 5.2L Voodoo handle boost, or will the sheer force of boost turn the flat-plane crank into a cross-plane crank? Yes, the GT350 has a smaller wristpin within its strutted piston design, but it’s a factory-forged piston that’s an evolved version of what’s found in the previous-generation BOSS 302. It’s also an improved version of Ford Performance’s Sportsman block that adds more material between the bores and water jackets. Lastly, the plasma wire transfer bore liners have proved themselves in the 5.8L Trinity GT500 engines.…

> The 2014-up LT-series engines have significant differences from the Gen III/IV LS-series. While direct injection is the biggest change, there is another that can create more issues for the average swap: no power steering (PS). Nearly every new GM car and truck uses electric power-assist for steering; there is simply no need for a PS pump. The exceptions are the 2014-up 2500 and 3500 trucks, which use a hydroboost braking system. Instead of adding a PS pump to LT engines, GM chose to reuse the 6.0L LS-series engine in these larger trucks. Eventually, a factory PS pump system may find its way onto an LT, but until then, any power-steering LT swap project needs an aftermarket solution. There are currently two distinct accessory setups: car and truck. Like the…

I loved Ed Roth, especially as a child. If Roth had been a traveling circus, I would have left home to join. As it was, I got a chance to work with him in the 1980s and 1990s on some cars and art. I came up with this contemporary- for-the-times Mysterion II design cribbed from his original Mysterion of 1963. I swooped up his original, and thinking it might actually get built, I wanted it powered by something equally as mind-blowing as the twin-Ford FE power of the original, but less literal and more driveable, so I drew an LT5 Corvette engine. I showed it to him at the 1991 SEMA Show, where we had dinner one night at the huge Circus Circus buffet—Ed loved those big, cheap, Vegas-y, all-you-can-eat…

Msgt. Mike Yates, USAF (Ret.), AsksÉ Why Won’t a 454 Big-Block Properly Fit in Place of My 1974 GMC Sprint’s Original Small-Block? ASK MARLAN A TECH QUESTION: PITSTOP@HotRod.com Q:I’ve got a 1974 GMC Sprint project car. It was originally a 350 small-block Chevy with a TH350 trans, but I sold the engine and trans and installed a 454 [big-block] and TH400 trans in it. Unfortunately, I let the engine mounts go with the 350 when I sold it, not realizing I could use them for the 454. This began a months-long effort to locate the proper engine mounts, a search that proved unsuccessful. I made slight modifications to a pair of 1974 Camaro mounts and used them. Along the way, I also replaced the frame side of the mounts. Several…

An icon born in the early '50s from the fertile minds of the Chevrolet Design Studio team, under direction of the legendary Harley Earl. This incredibly talented team consisted of: Clare MacKichan, Chief Designer; Joe Schemansky, Assistant Chief Designer; Hans Hertia, Studio Engineer; Jack Parks, Chief Modeler; Bob Caderet, Designer; and Bill Tochman, Blackboard Man. From the '55's Ferrari-inspired egg-crate grille, modern wrap-around windshield and revolutionary "small-block" V8 engine, to Earl's injection of a "little bit of Cadillac in this Chevrolet" for the '57 model year, the Tri-Five generation of Chevrolet has become an American institution. It's no wonder these automotive landmarks have such a strong and loyal following among restorers, collectors, racers and enthusiasts to this day. We at Speedway Motors are working right by your side by adding…

1965 Nova Features: • Speedway G- Comp Unser Edition front suspension with 4-way adjustable AFCO coil-overs • Speedway G -Comp Unser Edition rear suspension with 4 way adjustable AFCO coil-overs and Watt's link • 410ci aluminum small-block Chevy V8 with Barnes dry sump oiling system • Tremec 5-speed transmission converted by Dederichs Motorsports to dogbox-style internals for no-clutch shifting; Ram single-disc clutch with QuickTime bellhousing • Speedway Motors 9" Ford rearend housing and center section with floating axles and locking differential • AFCO disc brakes with rear floating calipers • AFCO shocks and springs "Speedway Motors designed this suspension [the Unser Edition] strictly for the higher-performance and competition crowd. This car is very "point and shoot" with excellent positioning for corner entry and mid-corner response. The Nova was very fun…

FAST SHIPPING EASY RETURNS Same Day Shipping / 60-Day Money Back Guarantee RETURNS We want you to be satisfied with your purchase. If you are not satisfied, you may return your new, unused item within 60 days for refund or exchange. All exchanged or returned merchandise must be in original factory condition with no modifications or alterations. Returned merchandise must include original packaging materials, warranty cards, manuals, instructions, etc. If the returned item requires repackaging, your refund / exchange will be subject to a repackaging charge. Return/Exchange transactions less than $99 are excluded from the free shipping offer. HOW TO RETURN AN ITEM Please re-pack the item in a sturdy box, include a copy of your invoice and completed return form. Returns must be shipped prepaid. CODs are not accepted.…

You hardly ever get an opportunity to see the origins of a hot rod trend or whole category of hot rod, but in this image from April 1957 you can see the two cars that started the T-bucket craze. In the foreground is Norm Grabowski in the first T-bucket, which had evolved from its original genesis to this later version used for the TV series 77 Sunset Strip. In the far lane is the Tommy Ivo T-bucket—Ivo’s take on Grabowski’s T. This would become the archetype for most T-buckets to come, and there were many a comin’. Around this time, Grabowski built a T-touring that would be used in movies, becoming a star unto itself in the mid-1960s TV show My Mother the Car, while Ivo plucked the nailhead Buick…

It was subtle, but keen-eyed SEMA-goers would’ve found Holley’s Easter egg on its newest project car, “Corner Horse.” This 1966 Ford Mustang fastback is more than just a Coyote-swapped Pro Touring machine with a nostalgic kick—it’s Holley’s test mule for the company’s new Ti-VCT control for Dominator and HP systems. Tom Tomlinson, Holley’s “Chief Gearhead,” worked extensively with Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE) in Mooresville, North Carolina, to bring this eBay find to the 2016 SEMA Show to introduce the new variable cam timing controller. The Corner Horse moniker comes from the Kentucky Quarter Horse, something of an everyman’s hot rod in its own right. Bred to work during the weekdays and race during the weekends, the breed was favored by ranchers for its prize-winning speed and good manners, which…

“ I wanted to build this car since I was 16. I’m 78 now. I just fell in love with it.” — Bruce Leven > The notion that ordinary cars can become extraordinary is the basis for HOT ROD magazine and its readers. The model of the manufacturer as the creator went straight on its ear. The consumers— like you and me—are the ones calling the shots. Cars and their parts merely become our building blocks, spawning a feeding frenzy of would-be enthusiasts with a mantra: “One day I’m gonna.” Bruce Leven can identify. “I wanted to build this car since I was 16,” he says. “I’m 78 now. I just fell in love with it.” The car Bruce fell in love with 60 years ago is Ron Dunn’s 1950…

Not necessarily. The big flow numbers must occur at a lift that’s commensurate with camshaft lift. For example, if the flow gains occur primarily over 0.450-inch lift but the cam has only 0.447-inch lift (like the old Chevy 327/350hp L79 flat-tappet hydraulic cams), they won’t do you much good. Overall top-end power might increase slightly, but the car will be a dog under part-throttle, daily-driving conditions. Consider the engine as a total combination. How much air and fuel the intake side of the heads suck in determine’s the engine’s peak horsepower rpm point. Decide what rpm you want to achieve peak power at and have your porter optimize intake flow accordingly. With the cylinder-head flow established, it’s a relatively simple matter to select a complimentary cam, intake manifold, and carb.…

EZ-EFI 2.0 Eight-Stack Induction Systems for Big-Block Chevy Inglese // 877.334.8355 // FuelAirSpark.com For some projects, a modern, front-throttle-body intake just isn’t the right look; in others, it might not be ideal for packaging, either. EZ-EFI has a new induction system that looks like the fuelie-like days of old with eight 50mm throttles tied together with a custom manifold for rectangle- and oval-port heads and can come loaded with or without FAST’s EZ-EFI 2.0 stand-alone ECU, injectors, sensors, and wiring. Price: $4,899.95 (without electronics); $6,699.95 (complete kit) EV2 Series Torque Converter ProTorque // 631.218.8700 ProTorque.com ProTorque’s EV series has been a popular choice in radial racing, and the company’s new EV2 is tailored for the small-tire X275, Ultra Street, and Outlaw 8.5 classes where racers are packing 1,200 to 2,200…

From the last of the Harley Earl-overseen designs in 1958, to the big block-powered kings of the road of the early '70s, GM's full-size cars continue to capture the heart and imagination of thousands of enthusiasts. Their versatility can be seen the world over in the diversity of styles in which they are built. We're big fans of your full-size GM and we’re here to help. Whether your goal is to re-create the scalloped '58 Impala that made everyone fall in love with chrome reverse wheels, building an early Bellflower custom, a fire-breathing big block powerhouse or a sleek and smooth modern lowrider, we're here for you, with new restoration and upgrade parts being added daily.…

The 1967-69 Camaro is arguably the most popular muscle car ever, with countless examples built, raced and cruised through the decades. Speedway's radical new '67 Camaro pushes the boundaries of the platform, both in performance and appearance. The G-Comp front suspension has been engineered with geometry that deviates from previous G-Comp designs, and these changes will get thorough on-track testing and refinement to ensure optimum performance and reliability before production versions are released. This '67 is also equipped with a fully adjustable independent rear suspension that will give our engineering team real-world insight into the IRS performance potential for these cars. The goal: develop an affordable, easy-to-install IRS system that can handle 900hp.…

What goes 0-140 mph in less than a second? Jeff Lutz’s Camaro? How about Antron Brown’s Top Fuel dragster? What if we told you neither—but in 55 feet—a 1:24-scale quarter-mile—some of the quickest and fastest slot drag cars in the world will reach triple-digit speeds in less than half a second. Using scale 55- and 27.5-foot tracks for quarter- and eighth-mile racing, everything happens about like you’d expect in real life—there’s a class structure based on weight, body construction, motor type, tire width, and more. Some of the fastest slot cars we could find were in the AA/FC class, which run the 55-foot scale quarter in about four-tenths at more than 130 mph, with the class record belonging to Michigan’s Dave Nap with a stout 0.391 at 140 mph. To…

More than a decade ago, I discovered a place that would change things forever: TJ’s place. It wasn’t just a barn find—his property was a scattered smorgasbord of Mopars. I will never forget him saying, “Do you want to see the Superbird in the barn?” I thought he meant Superbee. I was wrong. In one of his storage barns was a 1970 Plymouth Superbird! Every few years, I head back to TJ’s to catch up. He cleaned the place up, moved more cars inside and bought the remainder of Ramo Stott’s NASCAR shop. Cool NASCAR artifacts are scattered everywhere: old gas jugs, Hemi NASCAR air filters and exhaust systems, and even Ramo’s 1971 NASCAR Hemi Road Runner shell. After its NASCAR days, that car was rebodied into an Aspen dirt-track…

> In its short history, SpeedKore Performance Group has made a name for itself by building high-end, high-power muscle, with an emphasis on classic Mopars. The company’s latest build, this 1970 ’Cuda, belongs to SpeedKore co-owner Jim Kacmarcik, so of course it follows the trend of bringing top-notch build quality and design with handling and driveability. It debuted at the 2016 SEMA Show, and its aggressive presence makes it deserving of its nickname: “Menace.” When designing Menace, first, the project had to return a practical driver. It had to be timeless. After all, when you’re starting with one of Mopar’s most iconic models, there’s no point in scrapping the whole thing. Finally, it had to be innovative, incorporating unique design elements under the hood, in the cabin, and wherever appropriate.…

> If you’re longing for the glory days of Pro Stock when it represented Chevy, Chrysler, and Ford, with mountain motor majesty and gear banging action, you are in luck. A touring group of Pro Stock stalwarts with strict rules governing the cars’ specs, tied to the eras they represent, could soon blow into a dragstrip near you. Mike Ruth, who races a Bob Glidden tribute Ford Fairmont, started the Midwest Nostalgia Pro Stock Association (MWNPSA) to race like-minded drivers with similar tribute cars, “paying tribute to the legends,” as he says. Attending many of the nostalgia drag races throughout the Midwest and East Coast, this gang of 10 or so cars representing slammers from the late-1960s to 1980s run times ranging from 9 to 7 seconds in the quarter-mile.…

Lower your expectations. That’s my public service announcement to offset my guilt in contributing to a trend I’m seeing in the gearhead world that’s akin to the body-image thing in mainstream media. See, 500 hp is the new 300, 1,000 is the new 750, and so on. The average guy with a 300hp small-block can start feeling like the 13-year-old who’s self conscious about her beach body. The problem—and it’s freaky I’m calling it such—is that it’s just so easy to make horsepower these days, and it’s even easier to have that impression force-fed to your skull via social media. With speed manufacturers sponsoring a gaggle of so-called influencers, meaning regular folks with big followings, it makes it seem like every shade-tree hack has a casual…

Unser Edition G-Comp suspension is designed with additional stiffness and race car like adjustability to make the most out of a caged car in autocross competition and high performance driving. The front end is built to accommodate wider wheels and tires while reducing scrub radius and maintaining an optimum turning angle for super tight cornering. A greater range of ride height adjustments allows for more shock length options, and the camber and caster are also fully adjustable. The Unser Edition Rear Suspension uses a Grand National 9" Ford floater rearend for durability, with an adjustable Watt's link and an anti-sway bar. Adjustable shock mounts give you more shock and ride height options. Simply put, the Unser Edition rear suspension will hook your power to the ground and test your drivetrain,…

1970 Camaro Features: • Speedway G-Comp Unser Edition front suspension with 4-way adjustable AFCO coil-overs • Speedway G-Comp Unser Edition rear suspension with 4-way adjustable AFCO coil-overs and Watt's link • 720hp 427ci LS7 V8 with an RHS aluminum block and heads, FAST engine management and components • Tremec 5-speed transmission converted by Dederichs Motorsports to dogbox-style internals for no-clutch shifting; three-disc Quartermaster V-drive clutch and QuickTime bellhousing • Speedway Motors 9" Ford rearend housing and center section with floating axles and locking differential • AFCO disc brakes with rear floating calipers • AFCO shocks and springs 10 Head to Head Shootout wins in SCCA and Goodguys Autocross "My 1970 Camaro fitted with Speedway Motors G-Comp suspension was fast right away. We were able to make quick adjustments to the…