Innehållsförteckning för March 1973 från Hot Rod

If you were to examine a readership population map of Hot Rod Magazine, you would find that a substantial percentage of HRM's customers live in the Northeastern quadrant of the United States. Attempting to provide this section of the country with proportionate editorial representation has always presented a problem, since our principal offices are located in Los Angeles. We have always recognized the value of Eastern coverage, since most of the staff members are not California natives. But keeping track of the happenings on the 3000-mile-distant East Coast is not an easy task. In an attempt to improve this situation and provide increased Eastern editorial coverage, we are about to institute a plan which we have been discussing the feasibility of for several years. Right about now Ro McGonegal is…

It's tough to get ahead when you start without a skill or experience. When the only job you can get offers you nothing more to look forward to than more of the same. You can change all that right now. Today's Army has over 300 jobs that demand skill and experience. And, if you qualify, we'll give you the skill and experience to perform them. Training in construction, computers, and many other fields is yours for the asking. Unlike most job-training courses, you are paid for attending ours. $307.20 a month to start. Plus free meals, free housing, free medical and dental care, and 30 days paid vacation each year. Promotions will come as fast as you earn them. In the Army, or later in a civilian job. And after…

Dee Wescott, of Wescott's Auto Restyling, in Damascus. Oregon, has combined his man) talents to come up with this most unusual Volks-powered Model A coupe. Wescott has been building plastic body panels for more than ten years. He put the coupe together to see just how good an all-'glass A would look. The results demonstrate better than words just how well the panels fit together. The drivetrain and chassis consist of a '67 VW engine and transmission mounted to a homemade 2x4 rectangular tubing frame. The front suspension is also VW. The green metalflake paint is by Wescott, while the black vinyl interior is by Knightens.…

The team of William Noble and Chris Norstedt, from Santa Ana, California, weren't jiving around when they built this incredibly detailed '55 Chevy Gasser. They borrowed heavily on their ten years' experience in SCTA racing and came up with this drag strip screamer. Chris does the engine work with machining help from Hank the Crank. The 331-inch '70 Chevy small-block motor runs with TRW pistonsand double-moly Ramco rings. The valvetrain is a combination of Sig Erson and Chevy I parts. Dual 660-cfm Holleys feed through an Edelbrock manifold. | Power runs through an 11-inch Long-type McLeod clutch, past a modified T-10 gearbox and into a '57 Pontiac rearend equipped with j Henry's axles and Zoom gears. The painting chores were handled by Joe Andersen, with lettering by Denny Jones. And…

Speed impresario Mickey Thompson has been racing Funny Cars for many years, but each year he still manages to come up with a different machine. This year will be unique as usual, as M/T's colorful entry for 1973 is this Pontiac Grand-Am, powered by a 540-inch elephant motor. The unique body, painted by Kirby and striped by Nat, was designed by Mick and built by Pellegrini Fiberglass. The Buttera chassis has a 118-inch wheelbase and torsion bar front end, with aluminum paneling fashioned by Tom Hanna. The engine, built by M/T, features special spacer plates to accommodate the 34-inch Moldex stroker crank and uses M/T pistons and rods, Engle cam and springs, Donovan valves, Danekas blower, Enderle injectors, AC plugs and oil filter, Valvoline oil, Keith Black oil pump, Cragar…

How does Coupe de Grace lay claim to this title? First of all, it’s a Caddilac. And if that’s not enough, we’ve just added another jewel to our crown by outclassing all Challengers in the prestigious Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Not only that, we also won. Indulgences like Automatic Level Control, variable-ratio power steering, Dual Comfort Front Seat, Track Master Skid Control, Wart-Handed Basp and 8.2-liter engine combined to provide the finest in 126-mph motoring. Caddilac owners themselves give many reasons. Riding comfort. Resale value. A condescending attitude toward other motorists. Finally, quality oozes from the Coupe de Grace. Only American engineering excellence could enable three gentlemen to traverse the U.S.A., from the gleaming Red Ball Garage, nestled comfortably in fashionable Manhattan, to the majestic Portofino Inn, in…

A truck is a truck is a truck, right? You know, the traditional hard ride, uncomfortable seating, annoying noises, and the like. Well, maybe. Those were our initial expectations upon receipt of this year's “Hot Dog Magazine” pickup, a '73 Chevy stepside. Despite our early predictions, though, the stepside rides fairly smooth, seats two people comfortably in vinyl-upholstered bucket seats and is devoid of the noises usually associated with a truck. In case you're not familiar with pickup truck nomenclature, stepside refers to the old-style rear fenders, while fleetside relates to the newer smooth-sided pickup bed exterior, as was the case with our GMC pickup tested last year. While the hippie contingent down the hall at Car Craft can't “get behind” our stepside, we old-timers at Hot Rod remember the…

There has been a tremendous amount of interest over the past few years concerning turbocharging. It has taken the hot rodder a long time to accept or understand the value available through turbos, but now you can find them on everything from 2000cc Pintos up to dual-turbo installations for V8 street engines. Although a number of street rods have been set up with 4-71 and 6-71 GMC blowers, the Roots-type pumps have never been very popular, due to size and practicality. Times are changing, as Deano Dyno Soars is marketing several small new "Roots-type blowers that have been designed specifically for optimum street performance. Actually, the new Magnuson Products Development Magna Charger is a miniature-size blower that resembles a 6-71 Jimmy. It's currently available in three sizes, to fit everything…

America's auto insurance system is an abomination. It's outrageously expensive, it's discriminatory, it's arbitrary and it's about as efficient as an umbrella in a hurricane. That's just in general; on a state to state basis it's even worse. The young, the poor and members of minorities—those usually least able to pay—generally have the highest premiums. It often takes years to get compensation for losses. Policy cancellations occur on the lamest of excuses, and rate structures defy logic. Until now, reform has been virtually nonexistent. But sweeping changes can be brought about by adopting no-fault insurance. Under no-fault every vehicle owner would be required to carry insurance. Rates.would be based on driver records and claims would be paid immediately by the insured's own company. Litigation would be eliminated except in the…

MORE ON OMS CLOSING Because things surrounding the closing of Ontario Motor Speedway are likely to happen rather quickly, and the events could make major differences, our lead time permits us merely to point out some points leading up to the closing and those which may or may not make it possible to hold a NASCAR race there in early March. John Cooper, president of the operating company at the time of closure, cleared up some oftentimes mistaken statements about the tax payment situation. There had been talk following the California 500 in September that the operating company had failed to pay a property tax bill. The truth is that the operating company does not pay the taxes. Taxes are the responsibility of the owners, meaning the stockholders. A payment…

Luther U. Runciman Jr. sips gin and Coke from the simulated pewter mug emblazoned with his family coat of arms, flicks an ash from the King Sano in his hand, and stares pensively out past the giant artificial rubber plant through the picture window, his gaze focusing on the lifelike plastic chickadee wired to the equally lifelike tree branch poking out of the realistic aluminum clapboard siding on one wall of the barbecue pit, where gas flame gives the diecast metal logpile an eerily authentic glow. “How did I get to be the Flamingo King?” he finally replies to a reporter's question. “I can put her in one word-taste.” The success saga of America's emperor of lawn ornaments needs no embellishment here. Suffice it to say that in the space…

Dick Simon got a late start in auto racing. He was over 30 years old and had already established himself as both a successful family man (the father of seven children) and a successful insurance executive when he entered into a racing career. He got started by racing Super Modifieds around his home grounds of Utah, moved up to SCCA a few years later, and in 1970 entered the big time-USAC Championship racing. He placed tenth in the final standings that year and spent 1970 and 1971 behind the wheel of a well-used '68 Lola. But this year Simon's got it all together. His new car, sponsored by Travelodge, represents the epitome of' Champ car engineering. It's the very first Foyt-powered Eagle ever built? And when you combine the driving…

In drag racing, stopping has always played second fiddle to going. You've got a quarter-mile to win and a half-mile to stop. In H/Stock Automatic, that looks like a lot, but in Pro Stock it's just about right. The factory disc brakes will stop your car, but they weigh a ton. Also, the stock disc pads don't retract well, causing drag. Running with the brakes partly on is no way to win races. The topnotchers, like Nicholson, Jenkins, Dick Landy and Butch Leal, have come up with answers of their own. Instead of 56 pounds per wheel, their Hurst/Airheart Pro/Stopper brakes weigh a mere 22 pounds. They also have a more sophisticated self-adjusting and retracting mechanism to locate the pads for minimum drag and quick stops. Before you rush out…

If you are into Super Stock and Modified Production racing, then you have undoubtedly heard of Truppi-Kling Competition in Greenbrook, New Jersey. They've built more record-holding Super Stock engines than any single shop, and have also engineered some mighty impressive Modified engines. Scott Shafiroff's outstanding 10.40 e.t.s from his single-four-barrel 327 Camaro is clear evidence of T-K's enginebuilding capabilities. Ray Allen's Pro Stock Indy win is additional proof that Truppi-Kling has the right mix of engine components for the small Chevys. Even though T-K builds engines for a large percentage of the Eastern Super Stockers, they have expanded their engine-building business. In addition to building Modified engines, they own a speed shop and have recently introduced a new corporation called T-K Industries, which is primarily involved in camshaft and valvetrain…

PRO STREET Alvin Dash of New Kensington. Pennsylvania, is the proud! owner of this black ’70 Duster. A functional Pro Stock-type hood scoop feeds air to the 340 engine, which features | Hooker headers, a 780-cfm Holley carburetor and custom I distributor advance curve. Cragar wheels augment the car’s I appearance, while Lakewood traction bars and M/T L-60s I help traction. 6-PACK PANEL Tired of Ins gas-guzzhng super car. Bob Rush of Los Angeles. California, decided to build this ’41 Chevy panel, using a 261-cubic-inch six. The truck is allChevy and uses a ’60 powerglide, a ’55 rearend and ’53 Corvette exhaust manifold. Bob says it runs hard and starts every time. SWEENEY’S SWEETY This ’65 Mustang, owned by-Vince Sweeney of West Covina. California, is finished in steel blue with…

It's been whispered around the trials crowd for some time that the Japanese are working on a machine to challenge the dominance of Bultaco, Montesa and Ossa in this specialized sport. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki all have development prototypes, but Honda has beaten them to the punch with a 195-pound trials machine powered by a version of their tried and proven overhead-cam single. We had an opportunity to spend a couple of days riding the production prototype, the only one in the U.S. at the time, and formed many favorable impressions. While a Honda trials machine in itself is new, the major components are based on the existing 125cc model. It is not, however, a slightly modified version of that 125. The machine has a new frame, swing arm and…

At the General Motors Research Laboratories near Detroit, a number of projects extend beyond the automobile. Many of the people who work there are pursuing research in areas they hadn't dreamed of when they joined GM. Bert Prisk is one of these people. His background is Electrical Engineering, and maybe you'd expect him to be designing new ignition systems. But Bert's project is entirely different. For several years now, Bert has been developing an inexpensive disposable heart pump. Using fairly common materials and an uncommon imagination, Bert has devised a simple and ingenious solution to a serious medical problem. Bert's heart pump had been tested at veterinary hospitals and may soon be working to help save human lives in hospitals around the country. Whether he's furthering medical technology at work,…

About two years ago “Big Daddy” Don Garlits introduced his rear-engined Fueler to drag racing and turned the sport around on its ear. But that was just the beginning, not the end, of a revolution in Top Fuel engineering. The rear-engined cars regenerated interest in streamliners. The new breed of streamliners are very sophisticated beasts, on a par with machinery in any form of auto racing. Harry Lehman's American Way Top Fueler, pictured here, is no exception. Lehman is an aerospace engineer by trade, working for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command in Arlington, Virginia. When it came time to build his fuel dragster, he drew heavily upon his engineering background to come up with some of the trick stuff featured on his car. The Byron Racing Products-chassised machine is…

There always seem to be phases in auto racing when one particular engine or chassis is the “hot setup.” Usually these phases don't last long enough to virtually eliminate all other competitors, but this is what has happened with the Chrysler hemi in Top Fuel and Funny Car competition. Unfortunately, such stagnation tends to hurt the sport, detracting from the excitement of competition and stifling the inventiveness of the racers. And the price of the “hot setup” just keeps going up. Happily, some people aren't willing to let the Chrysler hemi enjoy unchallenged supremacy. One such person is Nick Arias of Arias Forged Racing Pistons in Gardena, California. Some time ago Nick realized that the price of an exotic fully prepared Chrysler was becoming prohibitive for many racers, and yet…

Suspension systems in automobiles are a series of mechanical compromises that derive from horsedrawn carriages and carts, compromises that have evolved in principle and materials to suit the requirements of asphalt roads and 70-mph speeds. The proper operation of these systems requires that they be maintained in good condition and. when modified, modified with understanding. To simplify description and visualization of wheel behavior under road conditions, automotive engineers use certain static (stationary) relationships between the wheel and the road to approximate the dynamic (moving) relationships. These relationships are called steering axis inclination (kingpin inclination). caster, camber and toe-in. We'll take each of these in turn, define and illustrate it. and then describe its effect on handling. STEERING AXIS INCLINATION Every front suspension system currently in use on autos is steered…

As the station attendant shot the Ethyl to my Charger, I made my usual sweep of the pump aprons for signs of bike activity. Sure enough, there was a well-used Suzuki twin of ancient heritage alongside a new 350 Yamaha street machine. “I see the ol' Suzy's hangin' in there,” I ventured in the prospect of striking up the always rewarding conversation. “Yeah, it gets the job done with a little wrenching now and then. Used to have a new BMW but they ripped-off parts as fast as I could replace them. Same with my buddy here; he lost two new Sportsters before he finally gave up and got the little dude. Now they leave us alone, and we get along all right. But we do miss the powerful big…

JUST BLOW IN ITS EAR What's the best way to get my “Bug” to run the way it's supposed to without spending a lot of money and time? It's an early-model Beetle. Tony Valente Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tickle its tummy and don't point it toward the wall when it gets up on its feet. HIGH PERF, LOW STINK Since I do not live in California, I am not sure what sort of emission testing is required of cars that are already on the road. Back here, there is talk that vehicle inspection stations are going to require some sort of exhaust gas analysis of cars after they are sold as new cars. Since I think most of Hot Rod's readers are concerned with performance along with low exhaust emission, what can…