Innehållsförteckning för February 1967 från Hot Rod

The Dodge R/T is a running machine — quick in the quarter, gluelike around the curves, long-legged on the open road — America has seen few its peer. Last year we’d have been talking about the hemi-powered Coronet; this year they’ve gone and built another one, not a King Kong, mind you, yet nothing to monkey around with either. The hemi did fine. In a single season it owned every Stock and “street eliminator“ title in the world; it is the king the way Don Garlits is the king. It is also a prime specimen of the overkill — shooting fish in a barrel — and aloof enough from Pontiac to let that 100-thou GTO’s get sold. People said the hemi package wasn’t distinctive enough, lacked uniqueness, needed a hood…

One of the basic rules in the magazine business is try to give the readers what they want. If you ignore this rule, you don’t stay in business very long. One of the ways we have to keep up with trends and give you what you want is the simple expedient of reading our mail — and we get a lot of it. As time goes by, and the economy changes, so do the tastes and desires of youth. Obviously, economic changes are reflected in the affluence of today’s young people. With more money to spend, they are now buying, rebuilding and hopping up the later model cars. We, having followed the hot rod game from its beginning, find that model changes are almost like style changes. It began with…

owner: Angelo Mazzei Fresno, California car: ’34 Ford Pickup The finer points of this rod could keep a feller readin’ all day. From the ground up we find reversed and chromed Lincoln wheels. Front suspension is dual radius rod setup. Around back, longitudinal leaves were substituted for the transverse stock unit. Power comes from a 283 Chevy warmed over with fuel injection heads, Tri-Plex pistons, Edelbrock intake manifold mounting two four-barrels. Power goes to Borg Warner four-speed box, then into third member with Jj.27 gear. Mazzei sprayed the Firemist Green acrylic, modified the dash, molded the radiator shell and cowl, and frenched the six taillights below the cherry bed. It took three beds to make one perfect unit. Truck took $1^000 and three years to complete. First and second places…

THE MOTOR INDUSTRY sent in its top team to assist the United States Air Force recently when the USAF Directorate of the Aerospace Safety at Norton AFB set up a Two Wheel Vehicle Safety Seminar to lay the groundwork for a safety code for all motorcycling airmen. The industry men were part of an advisory team of 100 safety leaders, scientists, government and law enforcement agencies, trade and press representatives who discussed the topic of motorcycle safety during the two-day seminar. Left to right are: Jim Jingo, Director of Public Relations for Yamaha; Matt Matsuoka, Director of Public Relations for American Honda; Bill Berry, Executive Director of the American Motorcycle Association; Walter Davidson, Vice President of Harley-Davidson and Chairman of Governmental Relations Committee of the Motorcycle, Scooter and Allied Trades…

WATERMAN BROS JAMES TALMADGE JAMES TALMADGE AL ROGERS…

It is usually very little trouble to install a different engine in a car, or drop the power plant into a brand-new rod chassis. It’s quite another matter, entirely, to make all the component parts fit the appointed area. The most perplexing problem of all seems to be the generator or alternator. What to do with this necessary engine appendage has been the concern of hot rodders since the sport began. Through the years, solutions have been numerous and ingenious, as can be seen by the accompanying photographs, but there are several factors that must be considered anytime a generator or alternator is being relocated. The first consideration is that of belt alignment; both fore and aft and in plane. Because the V-belt is highly flexible, a slight amount of…

Tears, Falling, streaming, dropping, welling from the crowd that closed in around Floyd Lippencott, Jr. (driver) and Don Johnson (owner) — winners of the second M/T 200 MPH Club meet. Tears, not for the sheer drama of the event, although there was an element of that, all right, but because somewhere near the starting line “Dyno“ Don Nicholson, probably the most famous match racer there ever was, was walking that frantic 427 SOHC Comet of his up and down the rpm scale and the shiny “cammer“ was belching out a gas attack’s worth of nitro fumes at the remnants of the troops who had stuck around since the first round of Top Fuel. It was all kind of senseless, anyway. Don’s opponent, “Farmer“ Arnie Beswick, had expired long ago, and…

If this one won’t make the heads turn at the drive-in, nothing will. Dave Specht and his dad spent six years and $5000 on this clean roadster. This is the fifth Ford rod the 29-year-old welder and painter has put together - the third ’T’. Specht’s uncle, the late Bill Vukovich, started the fire burning 15 years ago when he introduced young Bob to the sport. This six-year project shows originality and workmanship that should be inspiration to many rodders. Frame is 11/2“ x 2“ square tubing. Front suspension is ’A’ Ford running ’49 Merc brakes. Rear end is stock Chevrolet. No, this is not a twin-engine job — just a reflection in the polished firewall of 283 Chevy running fuel injection pistons and two four-barrels. Powerplant bolts to Turbo…

It seems that the principle of shock damping we’re now showing you has been around for quite some time. In fact, Yamaha has used the method for many years on the rear hubs of their motorcycles to relieve road shock on chain, transmission and engine components. Frank Airheart, of disc brake fame, has come up with a method of applying this system to the automobile drive line, a method now being viewed with a great deal of enthusiasm by several auto makers in Detroit. Frank’s unit is just over 5 inches in diameter and inches thick. It replaces the front half of the front universal yoke and retains the splined transmission shaft slip joint. One-half of the unit is cupped, containing internal vanes, while the other half (which fits into…

Due possibly to happy visions of adventure associated with the term “trail bike,“ the title has become a little overworked of late, too often being given to any lightweight motorcycle with an unswept pipe and a rack on the back. Not so Hodaka! This 90cc two-stroke, built exclusively for the American market, and a stranger in its own homeland, personifies the backwoods configuration with a highly specialized trail theme that has captured the rugged set to the tune of 10,000 units since 1964. For, although fitted with approved lights and spark arrester, Hodaka lights aren’t the brightest and Hodaka exhaust isn’t the quietest; this is a burly little fellow bred for the simple life. Handling and ride have made Hodaka stand out in a sea of strong competition, and these…

My brother Charlie and I grew up in the shadow of racing — circle track racing. When we were in our early teens, there was the old dusty Niagara County Fairgrounds in Western New York, Akron Speedway and paved Civic Stadium where the AFL Champion Buffalo Bills now grind up the turf over an arena that was once choked with ’39 Ford Sportsman coupes all straining for the checkered flag. And in Southern Ontario, Canada, just across the border, lay Merritville’s dirt oval, jammed to the rafters on any soft summer Saturday night you could think of. Even if you didn’t want to drive to these speed derbies, starter Ross Kennedy unleashed three or four heats at the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) grounds every Friday night that were beamed out…

It seems that at least one more of the big three is becoming cognizant of the influence racing has on the product image. Chrysler has never been too shy about their competition in stock car events, and with the expansion of their marine activities, they are now getting into the marine competition field in a big way. For openers, they have the “Miss Chrysler Crew,“ a twin-engine “hemi“-powered gold cup hydroplane as queen of the fleet. Undoubtedly, many of you aren’t aware of just how deeply Chrysler is involved in the marine area. I know I was rather amazed to find out that they are now producing 23 models of boats ranging in length from 12 to 24 feet, 27 models of outboard engines in 9 horsepower categories, 11 models…

Peering inside the driver’s compartment while you work on that running engine isn’t always the most convenient task at hand. However, mounting an oil pressure gauge somewhere on or near the engine will enable you to adjust those valves (or whatever), knowing the lube is flowing. One spot that’ll readily accept a gauge is the pressure-side of the oil filter housing. Simply drill and tap a hole that will accomodate the threads of the gauge you select and enjoy the added benefits of knowing the pump is doing something other than filling a cavity in the oil pan. BATTERY BOX Milkman’s galvanized carton box makes a handy rig for moving the “can of worms“ that comes with a booster battery. There’s plenty of room left over for rags and tools.…

A lot of guys running fuel shut-off valves have been incurring sealing problems, and though they may blame the seals or O-rings, more likely than not the blame belongs to them. Whether you’re running a surplus valve featuring a sealing ring and ball, or a custom unit like this Milodon Engineering valve with O-rings, you should be aware of the type of material used for these seals. In the case of a surplus seal, you may not be able to find out readily, but experience has proven that in many cases these seals work fine with gasoline or alky/nitro mixes. On the other hand, Milodon furnishes twin sealing rings; one for gas and one for fuel. The valve comes assembled with a “Butyl’’ O-ring which is designed for use with…

OLD JEEPS NEVER DIE Dear Sirs: I particularly liked your August issue with the great article on dune buggies. With luck these ’’sand slingers“ may catch on over here. I am the proud possessor of a ’55 hardtop CJ5 Jeep which I obtained in Mexico City a few years ago. My wife and I drove down to Panama via Costa Rica in the rainy season (mud, mud, glorious mud! — and rivers aplenty — off with the fanbelt, on with the plug shields). We drove on down over the Andes and were first across the Paraguayan Chaco, a truly rugged terrain and a great place for the “rough riding“ set. For additional kicks we had the unpredictable company of wild Moro Indians, plus occasional prowling jaguars. Apart from a few…

“How fast do you figure you could make a stock-bodied Mustang go if you put a Ford Indy engine in it? An Indy engine? How big are those rigs? … 255 cubes. Well, if you leave the Mustang body stock, you’ve got a lot of frontal area to push along, but that Indy engine puts out the punch. Don’t the indy cars hit about two hundred in the straights? I don’t know how fast you could get one to move a Mustang. Well, let’s find out.“ And, as is often the case, a bench-racing session turns’into a project. This project consumed 34 days, ended with two records, a blown piston, and generated a lot of enthusiasm for another crack at two hundred miles per hour on the salt. The story…

Don Nicholson is one of the very few personalities in drag racing who might be called a legend in his own time. This farm boy is consistently so fast that more than once racers have refused to run against him. Quietly, methodically, he builds engines that win and live, and this skill has earned him the respect of rodders all over the country. Nicholson was born in Springfield, Missouri, in 1927, the sixth child in a family of seven children. The Nicholsons lived on a farm which the boys made a little more exciting by cutting down cars to make tractors. Another love affair between a boy and the motor car began here. In 1940, the family moved to Pasadena, California. Two years later Don had a job in a…

Hang around a fuel-burning car long enough at the drags, and you’ll soon observe the crew “mixing up a batch of brew.“ The standard procedure is to pour the nitro and methanol, with perhaps a shot of benzol, into either the fuel tank or a mixing can, give the combination a quick stir with an end-wrench, then drain a little into a hydrometer beaker to check the ratio of methanol to nitromethane. If it’s not the percentage desired, in goes a little more of one fuel or the other. This is followed by another hydrometer test, reportedly to discover what the exact fuel ratio is. Don’t forget the guys who pour fuels directly into a car’s tank, mix the brew with a violent rocking of the whole machine, and then…

Moritz and McClintock are both airline employees; both are familiar with fast, well-built machinery. Their respect for quality machinery is evident in their A A/Gasser. For their third quarter-mile rail the boys chose a frame by Beahman made of 4130 chrome moly which hangs the wheels 150 inches apart. Tread is 54 inches front; 22 inches rear. Front suspension is modified VW torsion bar. P&S front spindles hold Honda wheels mounting Avon tires. Around back, Halibrand mags carry M&H slicks. Final gear is 3.64. Stopping comes from Sterling spots in the rear, aided by a Simpson Crossform chute. Push for the rail comes from a 392 Chrysler, bored .030 and stroked % to provide 462 inches of fire-breathin’, asphalt-scorchin’ dragster. Mickey Thompson rods hold Forgedtrue pistons. Pushrods, lifters and cam…

It was a week the streamliners should have “stood in bed.“ They didn’t. Three of the sleek machines attempting to put a noose around some records ran — or tried to run — and wound up with a ton or more of broken parts for their efforts. Some of the trouble started early. The Herda/Knapp/Milodon streamliner tow truck dropped a Hydra Matic in the middle of nowhere enroute to the salt. Dog tired after spending a full day getting and then installing a hydro, the crew arrived on the salt on a Monday afternoon. There was just time left to make a good warm-up run. The car promptly lunched an engine (the big one). The story is worth repeating. The car (featured in Dec. ’66, HRM) was running new wheel…

There was a time when wheelies were “in.“ Except in special cases, this doesn’t hold true anymore. Trick now is to get a maximum amount of weight transfer (for high traction values) while still maintaining a sufficient amount of vehicle control. To this end, a number of “wheelie bars“ have begun to show up on various cars. First, the highly-potent factory funny cars sported the bars, but now a variety of other machinery is benefiting from the control these units can provide. Experimentation is probably the best method in determining what combination is best for a given car. However, you’ll note that the bars are actually springs, capable of absorbing loads without lifting the rear wheels and permitting wheelies on the wheelie bars. Mounting the casters so that they’ll swivel…

There probably aren’t too many of you who suffer-from fuel sloshing out of a Holley carburetor vent on turns but for what it’s worth, the rubber sparkplug insulator covers that are so common today make the keenest vent tube extensions going. It should go without saying that outlets be turned away from the direction of centrifugal force. HOT-AIR SPOILER Even with the fresh-air scoops that adorn performance-type hoods, it’s more than just a possibility that air laden with engine heat can find its way into the induction system. Here you see the hot-air foiler of Jere Stahl (NHRA’s Bristol, Indy and Tulsa Top Stock winner). Notice that the large opening in the center of the sheeting is located to fit the air cleaner base. In theory (and, according to Jere,…