This year marks the 24th season for the ARP/STREET RODDER Road Tour and the 14th year that we have invited folks to “come along for the ride” and join us for a week of fun with their cars. This year we have put together eight weeklong vacation tours as we travel to major automotive events around the country. Each year, folks have questions about the Road Tour and how to get involved. These are a few of those frequently asked questions, including what is involved in registering and what you can expect when you are a participant.

What does the registration fee include?
The $95 registration fee gets you officially registered for one of the eight weeklong Tours. It includes ID badges for the driver and passenger, and a window sticker for each vehicle. Each year’s goody bag is filled with catalogs and literature. Participants receive the entire week’s schedule and maps for each day’s travels. You also receive a commemorative hat and metal license plate. Most importantly, you get a behind-the-scenes look at some fantastic private automotive collections and private tours at some of the best street rod manufacturers and shops in our hobby.

How are hotel rooms along the way handled?
Each participant is responsible for booking their own rooms directly with the hotels. Reduced rates are negotiated at hotels along the Tour route. We try to use national chains, and rooms generally range from $85 to $130 per night. You need to make reservations at least 30 days prior to the Tour to get the reduced rate. You will receive the hotel list soon after you register for the Tour.

Does everyone stay together on the highway?
We get together at a drivers’ meeting each morning before we leave. Each day’s route is mapped out, and we encourage people to go at their own pace. Most participants quickly find others within the group who travel at a similar speed.

How far will we travel each day?
A typical Road Tour day is between 250 to 400 miles, depending on whether or not we have a specific lunch stop. Participants stop for gas and restroom breaks as needed.

What about the Tours that stay in one area for the whole week?

We have a number of Tours this season that will stay in one area for the entire week. On these Tours, we will do daytrips visiting museums, collections, and rod shops, returning to the same hotel each evening.

What about meals along the way?
We have enjoyed some great complimentary meals along our Tours. Evening shop tours typically include some food, but not every day includes a complimentary meal.

Who can register for the Tours?
We want you to drive a special-interest vehicle and not your daily late-model vehicle Be aware of the events that we are leaving from and going to and check for specific year limitations at those events. Trailered cars, motorhomes, and camping trailers are not permitted. Most Tours feature between 20 and 35 vehicles. Tours have included as many as 80 and as few as 10. About 80 percent of the participants are couples.

What about the events at the beginning and ending of each week’s Tours?
Tours cover the week between the events. You are responsible for registering for any beginning and ending events on your own. You sometimes may need to make room accommodations at the locations of the events. Refer to the hotel list that you receive for details.

How can I get more information about the Tours?
Log on to our website at streetrodder.com and check out the Road Tour section. Click on the Events section and you will be able to register online. Watch the pages of STREET RODDER or give us a call on the Road Tour hotline at (800) 664-1362 for further details and updates. I hope you can join us in 2019.

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1. Cool Work Pants
Professional and hobbyist builders have been wearing Dickies performance workwear for almost 100 years, and Dickies has never stopped improving their products. Several new work apparel items were introduced at last year’s SEMA Show, including the Temp-iQ Cooling Shop Pant. Designed to keep you cool in a hot shop, these durable pants are manufactured with thermoregulation technology to wick away moisture while providing a cooling sensation to manage body heat. Other practical features include six pockets (including a cell phone pocket and three-channel tool pocket), a rubberized non-scratch tack button, and stretch fabric for ease of movement.  •For more information, contact Dickies at (800) 342-5437 or www.dickies.com.

2. Valvebodies For TH400s
Have you been looking for a way to get quicker shifts, lighter weight, and better overall performance from your TH400 transmission? TCI Automotive now offers a new billet aluminum valvebody for TH400 applications. TCI designed this lightweight valvebody as a high-performance replacement for cast-iron OEM versions. It is engineered with simplified, shorter, and highly radiused passages for improved transmission fluid flow and shift speed. The TCI TH400 billet valvebody is optimized to allow for reverse manual, reverse transbrake, and reverse engine braking operation, eliminating the need for a transbrake button.  •For more information, contact TCI Automotive at  (888) 776-9824 or www.tciauto.com.

3. Hot Inside Cool Outside
Performance enthusiasts are well aware of the benefits of exhaust wrap for reducing underhood temperatures—but keeping heat in the headers also increases exhaust-gas velocity, leading to increased scavenging and increased efficiency. Lava Exhaust Wrap from Heatshield Products does all this and looks good while doing it. Engineered from volcanic rock-based fibers, the wrap is capable of withstanding continuous temperatures of 1,200 degrees F and intermittent temperatures up to 2,000 degrees F. Lava Exhaust Wrap is available in three widths and four roll lengths and is offered as a wrap only or in a kit with everything necessary for installation.  •For more information, contact Heatshield Products at  (844) 723-2665 or www.heatshieldproducts.com.

4. Wiring A 6R80 Automatic
Many enthusiasts are upgrading their classic truck to Ford Coyote engines and are considering the 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission. Ron Francis Wiring now offers a wiring solution for this application. The CY-80 gets data from the existing factory ECM transmission control and provides the circuitry necessary for neutral safety and backup light functions—factory ECM transmission control is still required. In addition, the CY-80 provides signaling for gear shift indication. The CY-80 is designed to be compatible with many aftermarket gear shift indicator gauges. Like all Ron Francis Wiring products, installation is simple.  •For more information, contact Ron Francis Wiring at  (610) 485-1981 or www.ronfrancis.com.

5. Get A Round In Style
If you like the look of a 15-inch billet steering wheel and want something different from the rest, consider one from Eddie Motorsports’ new product line. Five different series feature dozens of specific styles in either a raw machined or highly polished finish, or with one of Eddie Motorsports’ Fusioncoat colors—more than 300 different color grip/spoke configurations are available. Half-wrap grips are offered in are variety of colors as well as woodgrain—or wheels can be wrapped with your interior’s matching leather or vinyl. Adapters and horn buttons are available separately. These wheels are CNC machined in Southern California. •For more information, contact Eddie Motorsports at (888) 813-1293 or www.eddiemotorsports.com.

6. Hoist Away
A quality shop crane is one of the best tools you can buy for your shop or home garage. JEGS Performance Products offers 1- and 2-ton models, but the 1⁄2-ton Automotive Shop Crane is their most compact and affordable. With a boom operating range extending from 29 to 44 inches, and a lift range adjusting from 12 to 88 inches, this safe and easy-to-use crane features four adjustable positions, which makes it versatile as well. Swivel caster wheels allow you to maneuver the crane smoothly throughout your shop with ease, and without the danger of running into something you don’t want to run into. The chain includes a safety latch hook.  •For more information, contact JEGS Performance Products at  (800) 345-4545 or www.jegs.com.

The post New Parts From The Classic Truck Aftermarket appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

What do you do when you find the wheels on your ride are out of round? Worse yet, what if the company you got them from is no longer in business? As we found out when we needed some custom work done with our 8-lug wheels, we turned to Wheelsmith, the wheel experts in Corona, California.

The father and son team of Bob and Chris Sage have been in the wheel manufacturing business for decades, with the elder Sage having come from Western Wheel in Fresno back in the early ’70s (a company that is deeply rooted in hot rodding’s history). In 1992 they started Wheelsmith, and now their lineup of wheels has many diameters and styles, including a wide range of spoked-wheel configurations, which are becoming increasingly popular nowadays.

Our special case was a simple 8-lug, 16×8 steel wheel that had gone out of round. The original manufacturer was no longer in business and that particular wheel was no longer offered, so Wheelsmith took us up on our quest to have our old wheel centers added to a new hoop.

The process is simple but what makes Wheelsmith different than most wheel manufacturers out there is the hands-on quality control that happens day in and day out. No excuses, just exactly what you want the way you ordered it. We followed along as they made the swap, making quick work of the jam we were in, and now we’re back on the road again! CT

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Black Cap Dizzy
MSD announced it has expanded its already extensive line of crank-trigger distributors to include new models for Chevy applications. These distributors have been developed specifically for use with crank-trigger ignitions and MSD ignition control systems. Two of MSD’s most popular Chevy distributors now are no longer offered only with the traditional red cap, which means there’s no longer any need to throw away your perfectly good new red cap and unnecessarily buy a replacement in black to get that stealth look.

MSD Performance
915.855.7123
msdperformance.com

Brushless Fuel Pump
Aeromotive introduces its new Signature Body series brushless fuel pumps. Aeromotive now provides their latest brushless fuel pump technology in the classic Aeromotive finned pump housing with integral mounting tabs to better support builds where a lighter, lower profile pump assembly is desired. Brushless technology improves performance and efficiency by drawing less current, creating less heat, and eliminating the wear common to brush-style motors. The Brushless A1000 and Eliminator versions feature the same legendary roller-vane pumping mechanisms that have been trusted to perform for decades.

Aeromotive
913.647.7300
aeromotiveinc.com

Quick-Change Crimpers
As Summit Racing Equipment told us, “PerTronix Quick-Change crimping tools have unique features that will make wiring tasks go smoother. They feature five interchangeable, hardened chromoly steel die sets to handle the most common automotive terminals: insulated, non-insulated, open barrel, D-subs, and spark plug wire. But, unlike other crimpers where you need a tool to swap the die sets, PerTronix made theirs a quick-release design that will save you time and has an adjustable ratcheting action that makes precise, uniform crimps every time.”

Summit Racing Equipment
800.230.3030
summitracing.com

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This year marks the 48^th year of Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, and a main attraction will be an epic compilation of pristine Camaros from every generation, each with unique stories. As of now, most of the early cars appear to be Z/28s. The later models include a 334-mile IROC-Z from 1989, and fifth and sixth-gen COPOs.

“The Chevrolet Camaro is an iconic American muscle car,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Not only does it have a loyal base of performance enthusiasts, but it became a global icon when it became the face of ‘Bumblebee’ in the popular ‘Transformers’ film series. Scottsdale will be one of the best events of 2019 to revel in the Camaro’s long performance history and pop culture fame.”

There’s always the one ultimate gem among the others; the hardest to find, the most limited run, lowest mile, and most expensive to buy. It looks like a LeMans Blue 1969 COPO Camaro is that gem. At no reserve price, lot number 1298.1 was found in a barn in the mid-2000s and determined to be a COPO 9561 package car from Don Yenko. It underwent a no-holds-barred restoration with the L72 427 engine built to factory specs and dressed as such; even the A.I.R. pollution controls gear remains. Camaro Hi-Performance certified the car along with the National Corvette Restorers Society.

The Popular Hot Rodding cover car from July 1989 is also up for sale. It is one of only 602 1967 Camaro Z/28s. This particular car sports a date-coded 302ci engine and M21 gearbox. The date-coding didn’t stop there as the carb, started, distributor, and fan also get the number as close as possible. Only 8,950 miles are on the clock of lot #1067.1.

It can be hard to wrap one’s head around how special these cars really are, but it may help to think of them this way: These limited production performance model Camaros were built in response to Ford’s Mustang. What resulted was a horsepower war, the likes of which was only seen during the space-race. The late 60s and early 70s was a time considered to be the heyday of domestic car manufacturing, and the competition between the manufacturers drove innovation and automotive technology forward. It is in part because of these cars, and others like them, that that the auto industry is where it is today.  These aren’t just cars, they are tire-roasting and ground-pounding, pieces of history.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale is taking place at Westworld of Scottsdale from January 12-20. In addition to the auctions, there are symposiums, demonstrations and thrill rides being given throughout each day. The gates open every day at 8:00 a.m. but if you’re not there, you can catch exclusive live coverage by downloading the Motor Trend app or watch the TV broadcast from the 15^th– 20^th. Check your local listings for times.

The post Camaro Extravaganza Expected at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2019 appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Turbos and superchargers have been around practically forever, but we are entering the golden age of boost for the common man because engine control systems have finally advanced to the point that they don’t require a nuclear physicist to use.

As proof, we’ll just point to the fact that people are pulling 5.3-liter LS engines out of trucks in junkyards, slapping on a turbo, and making insane power right and left these days. Our own Richard Holdener has tested multiple variations on this theme right here in Car Craft, and every time we continued to be surprised by how easy it is and how much power he makes.

Of course, while adding a turbo is easier than ever, that doesn’t mean you can just bolt a big hairdryer to any old engine and enjoy complete success. That may work with small systems, but if you want to make big power (and who doesn’t?), you do need to take a few precautions.

Prestige Motorsports in Concord, NC, is no stranger to the boosted game with several big-power builds under their belt. Interestingly, they’ve seen a growing market for boost-ready engines that car builders can fabricate their own systems around.

Their latest creation is this big-inch 432ci Ford Windsor that will be going into a ’66 Mustang Fastback currently being built in California. On the dyno, the engine made a tick over 550 horsepower, and it’s designed to handle well over 1,500 horsepower and 28 pounds of boost. We’ll cover the details of the engine build in the accompanying photos, but the critical thing here is that it gives us the perfect opportunity to pass along important tips to make any engine boost friendly.

1. Mind the Gap
Practically the biggest mistake you can make when installing a turbo on any engine is to ignore the ring gaps. Piston rings are gapped within a thousandth of an inch so that when the engine is running and putting heat to the piston rings, the gaps close up as much as possible without touching. This can become an issue because adding a turbo on any engine generates extra heat in the combustion chambers.

For example, on this Ford with 4.125-inch diameter JE pistons, the ring gap is set at 0.034 inches with the expectation that this engine will eventually make well over 1,100 horsepower under boost. Prestige’s lead engine builder, the man known simply as “Senior,” says that if he were building the same engine naturally aspirated (NA), he’d bring the ring gaps down to 0.024 to 0.026 of an inch.

The problem with sticking a turbo on a naturally aspirated engine with small ring gaps is the extra heat generated in the combustion chambers will expand the rings until the ends butt together. When that happens, the ring scores the cylinder wall and likely will even break the piston—and a broken piston means a grenaded engine.

2. Cam Considerations
You often hear that a turbo likes the same cam profile as an NA engine, and for the most part, that’s true. But you can pick up power by opening up the lobe separation on the cam a bit to reduce the valve overlap. This helps because during overlap the extra pressure created by the turbo can pump the air/fuel charge into the combustion chamber and right out past the exhaust valve before it closes.

Fuel that gets into the exhaust port before it has a chance to be burned produces no power, so it’s essentially wasted. By opening up the lobe separation, it reduces the amount of time both the intake and exhaust valves are open together. Senior says for a turbo engine you generally want to open up the lobe separation from four to six degrees versus NA. For example, a lobe separation of 108 degrees is pretty common on a camshaft for a NA engine. When turbocharging the same engine, it will perform best with 114 degrees of lobe separation.

3. Ignition Issues
If you think about it right, turbocharging artificially creates a higher-compression engine. Because it is pumping additional air and fuel into the combustion chambers, at piston TDC all those molecules are packed together much more tightly than on a NA engine with the same compression ratio.

Having extra fuel in the chamber to burn makes more power, but it also makes life more difficult for the ignition system. It may seem a bit reversed, but packing too many fuel molecules into the combustion chamber can make it more difficult to light off the fuel and start the combustion process. To help this, make sure you have a quality ignition system that makes a strong, consistent spark. In addition, you can aid the process by closing up the spark plug gaps a bit to make sure the spark always makes the jump from the electrode to the strap every time it fires.

4. Oil Access
Roots-style superchargers are normally self-contained with their own supply of lubricant, but that’s not the case with turbos. They require a constant supply of pressurized oil from the engine not only to provide lubrication, but also to keep things cool.

Providing oil to the turbos isn’t usually a big deal. There are any number of places you can tap into oil feed lines to send oil to a turbo or two. But don’t forget that oil also has to make its way back to the engine. When building the engine, go ahead and install an AN fitting or two in the side of the oil pan to provide a good place for the oil to drain from the turbo back to the engine. The pan is always the best place to return the oil because it should be significantly lower than the turbo to help aid drain back. If you wait until after the engine is built you will need to either pull the oil pan or try to drill into the pan and install a fitting without leaving any metal shavings behind.

Just go ahead and do it right ahead of time.

5. Boost Isn’t Absolute
Too often we’ve seen people treat boost pressure like a concrete number. Unlike compression ratio, displacement, or other common measures on an engine, boost pressure is a relative number and really shouldn’t be compared between dissimilar engines.

The truth is, boost pressure is a measure of airflow restriction in your engine—not how much air your turbo is moving. For example, let’s imagine we have an engine making 750 horsepower under 20 pounds of boost with a single turbo. Now we pull and port the cylinder heads for that engine and reassemble it, changing nothing else. If quality port work has been done, that engine will make more horsepower with less boost because it can flow air and fuel into the combustion chambers more efficiently.

The point here is not to get too hung up on boost numbers. Boost can help hide some sins in the intake tract, but just like in NA engines, a more efficient intake and exhaust will always make more power.

On The Dyno

The post 5 Tips For Building The Ultimate Street Turbo V8! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

As of January 1, 2019, Bill 1824 in the State of California took effect as determined by Governor Jerry Brown when he signed it back in June 2018. This bill primarily contained items pertaining to updating voting systems, and how the state compensates crime victims and veterans. However, the final item that was slipped in is one pertaining to noise generated by car exhaust.

The Legislative Counsel’s Digest filed with the Secretary of State and approved by Governor Brown is as follows:

(4) Existing law provides that whenever any person is arrested for certain offenses, including, among other things, an infraction involving vehicle equipment, the arresting officer is required to permit the arrested person to execute a notice, prepared by the officer in triplicate, containing a promise to correct the violation and to deliver proof of correction to the issuing agency, unless the arresting officer finds that a disqualifying condition exists.

Existing law requires every motor vehicle subject to registration to be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise and prohibits a muffler or exhaust system from being equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device. Existing law further prohibits the modification of an exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner that will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of the vehicle so that the vehicle exceeds existing noise limits.

What does this mean? First of all, it’s not a new law. In fact, this exhaust noise law has been in effect for years albeit, loosely enforced. Essentially, if you are driving a vehicle that weighs less than 6,000 pounds and you have a modified exhaust, it must register less than 95- decibels as per the test procedure J1169 of the Soceity of Automotive Engineers (SAE). What bill 1824 amends is how the police can enforce that law.

According to the SEMA Action Network, “A.B. 1824 amended how excess exhaust noise violations are handled by law enforcement. Beginning this year, a vehicle cited for violating the current exhaust noise law will no longer receive what is known as a “fix-it” ticket. Instead, violations will result in an immediate fine.”

In conclusion, if you own a car that requires a smog certificate in order to register it (1976 and newer) and you have an exhaust that is loud enough to give law enforcement a reason to pull you over, you’re getting fined! For now, this amendment won’t have any effect on pre-smog era cars (1975 and older). There is a silver-lining though. If you were cited for an illegal exhaust and you believe you weren’t in violation, there is a SEMA-sponsored noise-testing program with the Bureau of Automotive Repair that can dismiss the citation by issuing a certificate of compliance. 

With the increased enforcement of this law in California, many people may have more encounters with the police. As enthusiasts, we love loud cars as much as the next person, however, if you get pulled over, please show respect to the officer conducting the traffic stop. Car enthusiasts are one giant community and if you show disrespect to law enforcement, it makes the rest of us look bad.

The post California’s “New” Exhaust Noise Bill appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Jack Hardgraves had had enough. A friend bought a Thunderbird “and proceeded to humiliate Jack in front of the crowd at the local dragstrip Sunday after Sunday. The gap wasn’t big, but it was there, so Jack decided to put a stick shift gearbox in place of the automatic unit and go gunning for his fine feathered friend.”

So began a story in the March 1956 issue of Hot Rod magazine about curing one of the common complaints about pre-1956 Corvettes: the mandatory Powerglide automatic transmission. To get a leg up on his T-Bird-owning buddy, Hardgraves went to Nicson Engineering, a longtime speed-parts manufacturer in Los Angeles. The team there determined “a floor shift model seemed logical, since it would eliminate the necessity of rigging up column-shift linkage.” Hardgraves’ Vette was new enough to have an open driveline, so the Nicson crew decided that a three-speed transmission out of a 1951 Ford truck would fit the bill. It worked with the open driveline, had a floor shifter, and shared a tailshaft and gear ratios with Ford passenger cars. Plus, if he so desired, Hardgraves could employ an old hot rodder’s trick and fill that gearbox with Zephyr cogs.

Cook Machine Company supplied a Cyclone bellhousing to join the Ford box to the Blue Flame Six, and the Chevy’s flywheel was drilled to accept a Ford clutch. A clutch pedal was made from a second brake pedal, hung from the same bracket as the brake but offset for room between the two. (Smaller pads on both pedals helped make more room, too.) Rather than using mechanical clutch linkage, Nicson adapted a hydraulic slave cylinder from a Triumph TR-2 and clutch master cylinder from a ’48 Ford.

To fit the new setup in the car, Nicson removed the Vette’s stock crossmember, as it sat too far back to support the transmission. A new crossmember was fabricated from 1×3-inch channel iron and located across the fame members just below a hole cut in the floor for the shift lever (and for access to the transmission’s removable top). Because the Ford transmission was shorter than the Powerglide, the driveshaft was lengthened 7 inches by grafting a section of the Ford’s shaft to the original Chevy shaft.

“After the job was finished, Jack issued the challenge to his friend and was once again accepted,” the story concluded. “This time, though, the tables were reversed. Jack ended up in front of the T-Bird just about the same length he used to be behind.”

Since Chevrolet had announced the availability of a manual transmission in 1956 Corvette models, this sort of swap “shouldn’t be as complicated as Jack’s was,” the magazine pointed out. “But if you happen to like the idea of a stick shift in your pre-’56 Corvette, you can do it yourself with a Ford transmission and a Cyclone adaptor ring.” Vette

The post Vintage Corvette Tech: Swapping the Powerglide for a Ford 3-Speed Manual Transmission appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Detroit has long been home to some of the most impressive, ground-pounding drag cars that the racing community has ever seen, and an insatiable desire for speed seems to course through the veins of those who live there. John Wilhelm spent his childhood riding his bike around a suburb of the Motor City that was full of people working on cars in their driveways and knew at a very young age he wanted a part of the action. So much so that he got into a bit of trouble for driving cars before he even had his license. He actually had to sell his first car, a 1969 Camaro he had bought at 15 years old, to pay for his sister’s car after one of those joyrides went sideways. Despite that relatively rocky start in the hobby, he got a job sweeping the floors at a body shop that allowed him to get his second car, a 1971 Camaro. From that entry-level position, he worked his way up to being a painter’s helper, a painter, and a manager before getting the job he’d always wanted: working as a territory manager for PPG Industries. Being a die-hard fan of the Chevrolet Camaro, Wilhelm has owned a slew of them over the years, but that first 1969 Camaro that he had to give up never left his mind.

Drag racing in his neighborhood was more than just a hobby, it was a way of life, and Wilhelm spent his early years learning from some of the local greats around him as well as watching legends like John Force on TV. This saturation led to countless experiences at both the official and unofficial dragstrips in the area, and after riding in a nitrous-equipped Chevelle at 16 years old, he knew he wanted a drag car of his own. Over the years, he raced a number of cars with his friend, George Bluga, as the ever-steady crew chief and builder, but in 2004, he sold his last race car after the untimely death of a close friend and legendary Mustang racer, Steve Grebeck, made him reevaluate his priorities. Even so, he regretted getting rid of it, and a persisting itch to get behind the wheel of another adrenaline-inducing, straight-line speed demon remained. That itch lasted for 12 long years until Wilhelm decided it was time to get back in the game. In November 2015, he traded his Harley and boat for a Glasstek fiberglass shell modeled after a 1969 Camaro with a few bars of the chassis in place. After a few calls to those same guys he grew up racing ,a plan to create the baddest grudge race car possible began to take shape.

To get things started, the car went over to his cousin’s shop, Jim-Powski Racecraft, for all of the heavy-duty fabrication. The team essentially started from scratch, crafting a custom double-framerail chassis out of chromoly tubing. Once a solid foundation had been formed to build off of, Jim Filipowski fitted the car with Strange Engineering struts connected by a Stilleto rack and pinion. Out back, they opted for a fabricated 9-inch rear end stuffed with a Strange Engineering Pro Series aluminum third member sporting a 4.10:1-ratio spool and coupled with their Hy-Tuf 40-spline, gun-drilled axles—all showing that they had a serious powerplant in mind for this machine. For the rear suspension, Filipowski set the car up with a custom four-link to drive the 17-inch-wide Hoosiers into the ground and Strange coilovers to control the immense forces the car was sure to exert. Once the car was transformed from just a shell into a roller, it was time to find a heart that could fully test the capabilities of the chassis, and Wilhelm found just the piece when an old Pro Stock racer’s Sonny Leonard Hemi-headed big-block Chevy came up for sale. This allowed the headers featuring 2-7/8-inch primaries and massive 5-inch collectors to be fabbed by Filipowski with the engine in the chassis before the car came home to the small shop Wilhelm had in his backyard.

Now, as a grudge racer who doesn’t want the competition in the lane beside him to know exactly what kind of power he’s got under the hood, Wilhelm likes to play things a little close to the chest and won’t actually say exactly what the engine is. With a slight smirk on his face, he’ll tell anyone who asks that it’s “632 cubic inches or bigger.” What we can tell you is that it is almost certainly much bigger and could make power easily edging into the 1,000hp range—if not twice that—naturally aspirated. Further hinting at the true potential of this engine combo is the fact that the block itself is billet rather than cast, and the fabricated intake manifold is topped with a set of split 1150 Holley Dominators from CFM Performance Carburetors that feed air into and out of the engine through giant titanium valves being controlled by a beefy Jesel valvetrain.

To couple all of that horsepower to the driveline, a Browell SFI-certified bellhousing, along with a 10-inch triple-disc, billet RAM clutch was utilized to mate the magnesium-cased Liberty Extreme five-speed manual transmission up to that impressive Sonny Leonard mill. Some may wonder why an automatic wasn’t used, but Wilhelm told us he likes the manual because, “It brings the driver back into it. You’ve got to hit the shift points and cut the light with your foot, not a button.” He admits the clutch is more work to properly dial in, but believes there is more tunability in sending the power to the rear tires with it than with a converter. To help lower the amount of time between shifts, the optional pneumatic shifter from Liberty was fitted to the unit, a massive improvement over the manual shifter when thousandths of a second could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

With the driveline sorted, the car went over to Sliwa Composites, where longtime friend Mike Sliwa went absolutely nuts with the carbon fiber in an impressive effort to save every ounce of weight that they could. The seat was formed out of carbon, the entirely carbon floor was painstakingly laid up and cut to shape before being Dzus-fastened into place, the hoodscoop was molded out of carbon and fit to the car, massive carbon wheel tubs were crafted and put in place, a custom Precision Shaft Technologies carbon driveshaft was ordered, a one-off carbon wing and carbon supporting strut rods were formed, and carbon window vents designed to pull vacuum from inside the car were created. A prototype set of Don Ness carbon-fiber wheelie bars using sailboat mast material sourced from Australia were finished using machined aluminum couplers to join all the bars together and attach them to the car. The assembly saves about 10 pounds when compared to a similarly designed titanium set. What really blew our minds: The motor plate and mid plate that hold the drivetrain to the chassis were built out of military-grade ¼-inch carbon-fiber plate, saving 16 pounds over the aluminum pieces they were modeled after.

Another thing that sets this car apart in our eyes is that it doesn’t have the goofy proportions of a typical Pro Mod. Wilhelm wanted the car to be as original-looking as possible, so the body he started with was a full-scale Glasstek recreation of a 1969 Camaro, complete with a factory wheelbase and factory-height front end. He admits the front-end aerodynamics give up a little bit of top-end speed, but thinks it’s worth it to maintain the look of a real Z/28. He also wanted people to look at his car and assume that it’s a steel car, even though it’s not, so he started the painstaking bodywork and panel fitting before Dave Bloomingberg and Shawn Sherril from Dave’s Collision in Livonia, Michigan, took over to help get it ready for its debut. Wilhelm opted to do the final sanding and prep just before paint to make sure everything was done to perfection, then a custom shade of PPG paint dubbed Sinister Blue mixed by Randy Borcherding of Paint House was sprayed by Wilhelm himself before Jeff Matauch airbrushed all the graphics on the car, including the front grille, emblems, and even the marker lights.

Once the body was painted and the chassis had been powdercoated by Bill Walker of QC Dun-Right Coatings, the final assembly began in Wilhelm’s backyard shop. Lexan windows were painstakingly fitted to the body, the Weld Delta-1 wheels and Hoosier racing tires were mounted up, the inside was completely filled with carbon-fiber components, and a seven-point Simpson harness and Firebottle Racing fire-suppression system were fitted to help keep the driver safe. The small amount of upholstery for padding on the race seat was stitched by Virginia Fraser, and Tom Coniam from Loose Ends Wiring neatly ran all the wires and hooked up a MSD Power Grid controller as well as a host of other MSD goodies that were being used to send a powerful spark to light off the VP Racing Q16 race gas that is pumped to the carbs from a 2-gallon fuel cell by a Magnafuel electric pump. It’s all business on the inside of the car, with only a steering wheel and a RacePak IQ3 digital dash in between the driver and the windshield; everything else is designed to be easily accessed for servicing in between rounds of racing. The shifter is even topped with a set of brass knuckles as an homage to Wilhelm’s father—a rather tough character—and they’re on a quick disconnect in case things get dicey after a he beats someone in a grudge race.

It was an all-out thrash to finish the car for the 2018 Detroit Autorama, and Wilhelm and his friends spent many late nights and weekends in the shop to get the car together. The countless hours they poured into this machine certainly paid off, and this is definitely one of the nicest Pro Mods we’ve ever seen. It was very amusing to watch a normally jovial Wilhelm immediately turn on the swagger and start talking smack when another grudge racer approached him at the Autorama, showing that he means business with this car. Wilhelm said, “This car seriously was a dream of mine, and I’m thankful every day for my friends and family that helped me be able to live that dream.” He then explained that fast is never fast enough, saying there will definitely be a power-adder on the car in the future, and with working headlights, taillights, and turn signals, it may even wind up with plates on it running Drag Week with us someday. No matter what happens, HOT ROD is certainly looking forward to seeing what this car is capable of, albeit with no times up on the board, keeping this sinister car’s true capabilities shrouded in mystery.

The post This Grudge Racing, Semi-Hemi-Powered 1969 Camaro was Built for War! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Let’s cut to the chase: The LA small-block racing engine we’ve been following, built by Michigan’s Valley Performance for the Race Engine Challenge, took home the gold.

Based on average horsepower per cubic inch, the 376-inch underdog surprised and overpowered more than a few LS builders in the event, punching out 1.963 hp for each genuine Mopar cube and claiming the class win.

“We were confident we had a competitive combination and would give the LS engines and other well-developed engines a run for their money,” says Jack Barna, Valley Performance’s owner. “But it was still somewhat of a surprise to see our engine come out on top. It had something to prove and really did.”

As we detailed in the first installment of this story, the engine was built for the inline-valve class in the competition, which had a displacement range of 370 to 490 ci. The other class was for canted valve/Hemi designs. And while those engines expectedly posted big peak numbers, Valley Performance’s output was right with them when it came to power-per-inch.

“Our number was within 1 hp of the top Hemi engine,” says Barna. “So when it came to overall output, our LA really brought it home.”

The engine posted an average horsepower rating of 737 hp, which was about 4.5 percent lower than Valley Performance’s test pulls on a different dyno. Barna attributed the difference to a variety of contributors: a different dyno, different atmospheric conditions, a different altitude correction factor and more, but the bottom line is the engine squeezed out more per cube than its rivals.

“We believed a smaller engine would be more efficient when it comes to making the most average power per displacement, with less friction and more airflow per cubic inch,” he says. “The results speak for themselves.”

In our first installment, we focused on the engine’s block enhancements and short-block assembly, outlining a number of unique and custom modifications designed to shore up the LA’s foundation. Valley Performance started with an early Magnum 360 block, largely for its overall strength and taller lifter bores.

The block mods and short-block details included:

The cylinder were overbored from 4.000 inches to 4.100, mostly to unshroud the valves.

The stroke was reduced slightly, from 3.580 inches to 3.556 inches, to achieve the desired displacement and use 2.100-inch rod journals.

The water jackets were partially filled with Hard Blok to promote optimal ring sealing.

Windows were cut into the main web area to alleviate windage.

Custom, splayed four-bolt main caps were made to provide greater main bearing support.

A lifter valley reinforcement plate was added to tie the valley to the block’s rear bulkhead for additional strength.

Extensive oil-control block modifications were made to reduce windage, including closing off the lifter valley from oil drain back and drilling an oil drain tunnel through the block to drain oil externally to the oil pan.

Bullet roller camshaft with 0.775/0.774-inch lift and 255/265 degrees duration.

An Eagle forged crankshaft with the counterweights refined to minimize windage.

Eagle 6.250-inch H-beam connecting rods with 0.927-inch pins (stock 360 rods are 6.123 inches long), to reduce piston height.

Custom Ross gas-ported pistons with thermal and friction coatings. The heads were custom made, per Valley Performance’s molds of the cylinder head combustion chambers

A compression ratio of 11.66:1.

That brings us to the rest of the buildup: airflow. In the Race Engine Challenge, the engine would be judged on its average power production between 4,000 and 7,500 rpm. That would take the basic, truck-based Magnum 360 out of its comfort zone, when it came to engine speed.

“That’s one of the reasons we took so many precautions with the block,” says John Lohone, the engine’s co-builder. “The flip side of that is we needed exceptional airflow to achieve the power numbers we were aiming for at that rpm level.”

With the rules stipulating carburetion and natural aspiration, that proved more than a small challenge, as aftermarket parts options aren’t as plentiful as they are for other engine families such as the RB family.

“Before we agreed to go with the LA-based small-block, we took a long, hard long at the available parts out there, knowing we’d need a killer set of heads,” says Barna. “When it came down to it, the recent Edelbrock Victor small-block head sealed the deal. Without them, I don’t think we could have achieved the airflow we needed.”

There was another problem: drawing enough air and fuel into the heads.

“A single-plane, single-carb intake just wasn’t going to get it done,” says Barna. “We opted to modify a 25-year-old, W2-style Holley Pro Dominator tunnel ram and make it fit the Edelbrock Victor heads.”

Besides adapting the manifold to the heads, extensive work was done to reshape the tunnel-ram’s passages in order to blend seamlessly with the heads’ intake ports.

“We believe line of sight is important for the intake path,” says Lohone. “The changes made with the manifold provided the air/fuel mixture an unobstructed path to the combustion chambers, with excellent velocity.”

Topped with a pair of 880-cfm Holley four-barrels, the engine spun to 7,500 rpm in testing and produced 771 hp and 601 lb-ft of torque. It was a result that bolstered Valley Performance’s confidence as they headed in to the Race Engine Challenge, even if the dyno results during the competition didn’t quite match.

“All the engines were competing on the same dyno and test conditions, so we were satisfied with the parity of the challenge,” said Barna. “When it was all said and done, our engine produced the greatest average power per displacement, which was the goal in the first place.”

The little LA engine that could slayed some bigger competitors and raised some eyebrows, all while earned some well-deserved respect for the Mopar small-block.

The post LA Small-Block Kicking Some LS Butt on the Dyno appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Southern eighth-mile grudge-match staging lanes are often filled with LX Mustangs, G-bodies, second–generation Novas, and fourth–generation Camaros. They’re inexpensive and feature tons of room for performance upgrades. Buried in those lanes, you may discover this gem: an original 1967 Mustang Fastback. It’s a steel-bodied car with immaculate paint and stellar craftsmanship designed to turn heads and blow the tires off the competition—and it doesn’t have a LS under the hood.

Powered by a 600ci big-block Ford, it made 1,800 hp at 7,900 rpm to the 275 tires, on what the owner calls the mild tune. It only took nine months to complete and has a best eighth-mile pass of 4.70 e.t. at 150 mph. Owned by Chris Cantrell of Anderson, South Carolina, it’s currently maintained by Stallion Autosports in Greenville, South Carolina.

To build a street-driven 1,800hp Mustang, you don’t need just money, you need a team. It’s important to have friends who share your dream and passion. For the large group of friends that make up All Business Racing, they had enough of the formula to make it happen.

It all began—as any good project does—with the group of friends bench-racing. Member Jeremy Pearson purchased a mint 1969 Camaro, and the guys talked about building an equally nice Ford. But the “body–shop jail,” as it was coined by the crew, usually slows down a project so much that it kills the fun. Fellow member and fabricator Craig Owens had the bright idea to buy a finished car and rebuild it. They decided to buy Jeremy’s brother’s beautiful pro-touring Fastback Mustang. The car featured a custom-built 408ci stroker, a five-speed, nine-inch rear axle, and a complete Total Control Product suspension package. But more importantly, it had finished paint.

“Within 24 hours, we had the car stripped down to nothing more than a roof and two quarter–panels,” said Jonathan Bridwell, friend and owner of Stallion Autosport. “Everyone thought we lost our minds when we told them we were cutting it up.”

Craig and Jeremy, of JP Automotive, built the double framerail chassis and SFI 25.5–certified rollcage. Allen Pittman of AP Race Cars in Greenville, South Carolina, did the custom carbon–fiber floorboards, and Got-U–Covered built the headliner and dashpad.

In order to keep this freshly–painted car in good condition, the team covered everything with 3M Welding and Spark Deflection Paper. “We built the entire chrome–moly chassis between the factory rockers and never put a scratch on the car,” said Jonathan. “It was a lot faster than we could have sent the body out for bodywork and paint.”

Chris owns a few different race cars, including a four-speed, straight–axle gasser, but this one was intended to be different. We were able to achieve it without manipulating the body,” he said. All the glass is factory, the bumpers original, and even the stainless–steel trim remains. “We emphasized on keeping the body as correct as possible.”

The jewel of the build is the monster big-block Ford built by C&R Machine Shop with a C&C Motorsports Boss 429/427 aluminum, six-bolt-main block that’s been punched out to 600 ci. It features Oliver Racing Parts rods and Diamond Racing pistons. Topping off the short–block are Kaase Boss 9 heads that were ported by C&R Machine Shop. A custom-built COMP solid–roller camshaft and T&D rocker arms round out the valvetrain.

The engine alone makes more than 1,100 hp, but that doubles when you add the nitrous. The system consists of two custom-built nitrous fogger systems. Hogan’s Racing Manifolds in Mooresville, North Carolina, built a custom aluminum intake, and the team assisted in developing the two foggers with Dave Basher of Nitrous Outlet. Dave then flow–tested the intake to calibrate a true 550 shot from each system. The magical 1,800hp dyno run featured two shots of nitrous pulled back to around a 300 shot each. 

A MagnaFuel 750 fuel pump supplies fuel to Holley injectors and an Accufab 105mm throttle–body. Despite the over-the-top nitrous system, there’s no separate nitrous controller—everything is run on a single Holley Dominator ECU. The big-block is backed by a TH400 two-speed custom–built by TCS Products. It features a transbrake and a B&M Pro Bandit shifter. 

Chris’s days of driving his four-speed gasser have spoiled him. What’s it like to drive the Mustang? “To be honest, it’s awfully boring to drive,” he said, with a laugh. “It’s such a smooth–driving and fun car, but once you get used to racing a low-5-second, four-speed, straight-axle gasser, you have to go really fast in an automatic car to get exciting.”

You may have already guessed the team’s biggest problem with the combination of big power and small tires on eighth-mile tracks: traction, or lack thereof. Blowing the tires off the car is common, but “if we can get the car to 200 feet, it’ll go straight every time,” said Chris. “We can show up at any track and can get consistent within a few hits, but getting it to go down every surface consistently—that’s the real challenge.” The huge amounts of nitrous allows the team plenty of room to dial in the car on any given run.

As the crew dials in the car for consistency, they’re still scheming about the future, making plans to attend HOT ROD Drag Week, competing in the Unlimited Class. The plan is to drop the compression and cubes to 10:1 and 500 ci and compensate with turbos. They’re also considering the construction of two separate injector systems: one for pump gas and the other methanol. Craig, the lead fabricator who had the idea for the build, lost his life in a severe drag-racing accident in 2016 and never saw the Mustang race. “Craig was extremely talented, and we miss him very much. Anytime we have the car out, we are always racing in his honor,” said Jonathan. We hope, they are able to attend Drag Week, honoring their friend on every pass.

This build started with a completely restored, show-quality Mustang that was then built into this monstrous drag racer. “We cut that car up,” said Chris. “From rocker to rocker, bumper to bumper. It was [a] tedious and nerve-racking process.”

FACTOIDS
Purchase Price: $32,000
Invested so Far: $180,000
Engine Size: 600 ci
Compression: 15.5:1
Nitrous Wheel Horsepower: 1,800-plus at 7,900 rpm
Engine-Only Wheel Horsepower: 1,100-plus
Best Eighth-Mile Pass: 4.70 at 156 mph
Best Quarter-Mile Pass: Ain’t Tellin’
Build Time: Nine Months

Mustang Vs. Sports Car
2016 McLaren 570S
Suggested MSRP: $184,900
Eighth-Mile Lap Times: Low-7s
Engine: Twin-Turbo 231ci V8
Seats: 2

1967 Mustang Fastback
Cost Invested: $180,000
Eighth-Mile Lap Times: Mid-4s
Engine: Nitrous-fed 600ci V8
Seats: 1

The post A 2000hp steel-body 1967 Mustang Fastback Built for Grudge Racing appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

At Summernats 32 in Canberra, Australia, the world record for car tire burnouts was officially broken. Yet again, the horsepower junkies from Down Under have proven that they are the burnout lords of the world. It took 126 cars to break the previous record of 119 set back in September, 2017 by the National Motor Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Talk about starting off the New Year on a high note! With 1320 Video on the ground, as well having drones in the sky, the event erupted with tire smoke of Fords, Holdens, cars, trucks, and utes. The visibility was next to zero and the rubbery aftermath was no joke. Cars and K-rails were caked in smoking, black soot with the crown going bananas. A representative from Guinness World Records was on site to make sure that all of the criteria were met and to validate the record. With their proverbial thumbs up, the record was made official.

The post The World’s Biggest Burnout appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Of all the updates that can be made to a street rod to make it more civilized the addition of a modern climate-control system has got to be at the top of the list. Heading out to a rod run on a hot day without A/C can feel like you’re traveling in a sauna on wheels or a refrigerator without a heater when the weather turns cold.

When it comes to installing an aftermarket climate-control system there are basically two types: those for universal applications and those designed for specific vehicles, such as Vintage Air’s Sure-Fit series. But regardless of the type of system being installed the same individual components are involved and they work the same way.

The A/C portion of the system consists of the evaporator with the expansion valve in the passenger compartment, usually located behind the dashboard. It absorbs heat/humidity and the expansion valve regulates the flow of refrigerant; the compressor is driven by the engine and pumps refrigerant through the system; the condenser mounts in front of the radiator and cools the refrigerant, changing it from a gas to liquid (essentially dissipating the heat removed from the interior); receiver/drier filters refrigerant, separates vapor from liquid refrigerant, and removes moisture; safety switches (either binary or trinary) to protect the system; thermostat adjusts compressor cycle time (indirect temperature control).

For those who live someplace other than Southern California and have to endure brass-monkey conditions on occasion, the heater/defroster portion of a climate-control system can be important, too. Basically it consists of a small radiator-like heater core inside the condenser case hoses carrying coolant to and from the core and a control valve.

Planning For and Selecting a System
Vintage Air’s Rick Love has this basic advice for those building a street rod and planning on installing A/C at some later date: Position the engine so there is enough room for the radiator, condenser, fan, and shroud. It’s much easier to plan ahead than make changes later.

When shopping for a system we’ve always found it best to buy a complete kit. This eliminates any possibility of mismatched components, such as incompatible condensers and evaporators, that will not perform as expected. In addition, when selecting a climate-control system, Rick recommends using the largest evaporator possible. Basically that means it’s better to have a big system that doesn’t have to work as hard to do its job as opposed to a small one that struggles to get it done.

Insulation
An A/C system makes the passenger compartment cold by removing heat, so it stands to reason more heat makes it that much more difficult for the A/C system to do its job. To prevent temperature gain in the passenger compartment the firewall, floor, doors, roof, and all the other external heat sources should be insulated. In addition, all door and window seals should be leak-free. Insulating and sealing an early car can be challenging. Take our 1941 Ford Woodie as an example. It’s a little like trying to make a barn airtight; we did our best

Installation Tips
Evaporator: When installing the evaporator never cap unused evaporator outlets as that can cause localized freezing of the condenser coil. Unused outlets should be left open. They can have short hoses or special ducts attached that allow them to discharge behind or below the dash. In addition, do not seal off underdash and restrict airflow to the blower.

Condenser: Mounting the condenser properly is critical. The refrigerant pumped from the compressor (the larger #8 fitting) must be on top and the liquid line (smaller #6 fitting) on the bottom. The condenser should be mounted in the airstream close to the radiator but not touching. A high-capacity fan and shroud should be used.

Receiver/Drier: These have an arrow indicating the direction of flow and must be mounted within 30 degrees of vertical to maintain the liquid seal.

Compressor: Sturdy brackets and pulley alignment are critical, Vintage Air advises that the drivebelt should wrap around no less than one-third of the pulley and it should contact and drive on the sides of pulley and not bottom out in the groove.

Refrigerant & Hoses: Vintage Air systems use R-134a refrigerant. Since its molecules are smaller it requires O-ring fittings and crimped barrier hose. There are three size of A/C hoses used: #6 liquid from the condenser to evaporator; #8 liquid from the compressor to condenser; #10 suction hose from the evaporator to compressor. Heater hoses are 5/8 inch.

Safety Switches: Excessive high side pressure can cause damage to the compressor or rupture a hose. If the refrigerant is lost and the pressure in the system is lost so is the compressor’s lubricant supply, which can cause it to be damaged or to seize. A binary safety switch protects the system from high pressure (406 psi) and low (30 psi) pressure protection. A trinary switch includes high/low protection plus it includes an electric fan engagement signal at 254 psi (on high pressure side).

Heater Control Valve: Most heater control valves are directional and must be correctly oriented in the high-pressure heater hose. As water pressure in the hose helps the valve seal, if they are installed backward or in the wrong hose, they will not shut off completely and some hot water will continue to flow.

Electrical System: Many contemporary A/C systems use sophisticated electronics that can malfunction without a stable power source and good grounds that eliminate the possibility of any electrical feedback that may cause erratic operation. Sophisticated, electronically controlled A/C units require a stable electrical source. In addition, the engine, chassis, body, and battery should have adequate ground cables and ensure the alternator is able to provide enough power to operate the A/C system and electric fans if added.

Evacuating & Charging: Evacuating the system with a vacuum pump for 45 to 60 minutes removes air from the system while the vacuum lowers the boiling point of water, so any moisture in the system boils away. To charge a standard Vintage Air system requires 1.8 pounds of refrigerant. To accurately determine if it’s charged properly gauges that show low and high side pressures are required. A general rule of thumb is high-side pressure is two times ambient temperature plus 15-20 percent and low side pressures of 18-20 at 1,500 rpm with a good shop fan blowing in to the condenser to simulate road conditions. An overcharged system (too much refrigerant or oil) results in higher system operating pressures and poor performance. An undercharged system will show lower operating pressures and poor performance as well. Be aware with the A/C evaporator and heater core in the same case, antifreeze must be used to keep the heater circuit from freezing.

Conclusion
Before you begin installation of any A/C system, read all the instructions, warnings, labels, and any other printed material included; they are all there for a reason. Then, familiarize yourself with all the components before you start. And if you still have questions, get them answered before proceeding. The tech guys would rather prevent a problem than cure one.

The post Tips on Installing an A/C System In Your Street Rod appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

When we last left off Scott Roth, co-owner of Rothspeed in South Burlington, Vermont, had just wrapped up on the installation of Classic Performance Products’ four-wheel disc brake conversion for our barn find 1946 Chevy truck. In bringing our resurrected hauler back to the streets we’re staying with a reasonable plan and budget to get the most out of the build, with the main focus on increased performance that will make it a dream to drive and enjoy.

Now that the frame, suspension, and brakes have been addressed, our plan led us to look at enhancing our braking capabilities to an even higher level. When it’s time to drop anchor, many times it requires you to stop even faster than you ever anticipated. Modern cars and trucks today are not only built to stop on a dime, they’re capable of making changes, too! With that in mind we looked at our options for adding additional stopping power to our already well-balanced CPP four-wheel disc brake upgrade we covered in the last tech update.

We contacted CPP to look into their offerings and found that they have a number of HydraStop hydraulic brake-assist systems available to suit an endless array of applications from classic trucks to muscle cars, hot rods, and customs. Their well-designed direct bolt-in systems are engineered to upgrade manual or vacuum-assisted brakes with a powerful and compact cutting-edge hydraulic assist unit. The systems come complete with everything you’ll need to take on the installation in your home garage in an afternoon with basic hand tools.

Depending on your personal need, the systems are available from CPP in either the Show Stopper or Street Beast configurations. The Show Stopper features a billet firewall mounting bracket with chrome master cylinder and matching adjustable proportioning valve distribution block, accumulator cover, and stainless pressure lines. The Street Beast is more hard core with a steel firewall mounting bracket, aluminum Corvette-style master cylinder, and rubber pressure and return lines. In either case the presentation is compact and perfectly engineered, bringing an outstanding 1,800 psi of braking pressure to the wheels.

In the case of our 1946 Chevy this is a custom installation to the inner boxed framerail under the driver side floor incorporating a Street Beast system combined with a CPP brake pedal bracket, which is a fullsize frame mount unit for a 1932 Ford that was adapted for our application. Since we do not yet have the engine or transmission in place to run the final lines to we will conclude this after the driveline is selected and installed at a later date. The completed installation will make a dramatic improvement in decreased brake pedal effort, which will be evident in all operating conditions. Let’s follow along as Roth gets busy installing the system.

The post Upgrading Your Barn Find with CPP HydraStop Hydraulic Brake Booster appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

It was the summer of 1967. Fourteen-year-old Larry Porteous and his twin brother, Lee, along with the rest of their family, were towing the family boat from their home in Berkeley to Lake Berryessa in Northern California. Then he saw it roar by them on the highway: a Tyrol Blue 1967 GTO. It was raised up gasser-style, looking mean and ready to rumble. He decided then and there that he had to have a GTO like that one.

Larry’s fascination with Pontiac GTOs did not go unnoticed by his dad. Larry and Lee were always talking about GTOs and constantly playing his 45-rpm record of Ronnie & the Daytonas’ “Little GTO.” One day their dad came home with a GTO’s Unlimited patch, which Larry sewed on the back of his Levi’s denim jacket. By now it was October 1969, just before his 16th birthday. He had the patch; now he and his twin brother resolved to get a real GTO.

“1967 GTO, 4-speed, 8-track stereo, 17,000 miles, and many extras” is what the ad read in the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle classified Hot Rods For Sale section. “It was November 9, 1969,” remembers Larry. “My brother, my father, and I decided to take a look at the car in the ad. When we got there we were blown away! It was loaded with speed equipment!” Incredibly, it was the exact same car they had seen two summers before on the way to Lake Berryessa.

Tom Masini, the man selling the car, purchased the GTO new, optioning it with a four-speed, a console, reverb speakers, and the Rally gauge package, but without power steering or brakes. A regular customer of Al Arata from Arata Pontiac in South San Francisco, he had first bought a new red 1965 GTO with Tri-power, then the blue 1967 GTO. Masini got the itch for another new GTO, ordering a 1970 Pepper Green Judge with Ram Air IV. Arata offered Masini $2,100 trade-in value on his blue GTO. While waiting for the new car to be built and delivered, he thought he would try to get a little more money for it through a newspaper ad. He said he would sell it to the brothers for $2,200, a hundred bucks more than Arata would pay for it.

The two brothers first had to figure out how to talk their father into buying it, and second, how to come up with some money. Larry and his brother prepared a detailed list of the speed equipment on the car, complete with the retail cost of each of those parts. They then pointed out to their father that the GTO had $1,200 worth of aftermarket speed equipment on it, making the sale price of $2,200 a really good deal.

As to paying for the GTO, Larry says, “My brother and I had been saving everything we could. We gathered up all our paper route money. Plus, I sold my trumpet and my bicycle. Together we came up with $600. Our mother took out a loan for $1,600 through her teacher’s credit union for the rest of the money. Dad thought it would be a fun car for the twins to share.”

The GTO’s gasser-style look had been done by Al’s Automotive across the bay in South San Francisco. Al’s lifted the rear and installed a set of massive traction bars, as well as a Panhard bar for stability. The front spindles were cut and reverse-welded to achieve the look of a straight-axle car, but with better drivability and giving it a level stance. Goodyear Blue Streak tires, thin in the front with super-wide cheater slicks in the back, were mounted on a set of 15-inch American Racing wheels.

Legendary Bay Area drag racing specialist Gotelli’s Speed Shop in South San Francisco warmed up the engine with a hot Isky cam, a Mallory dual-point ignition system, and an Edelbrock dual-quad intake topped with a pair of Carter AFB carbs. Other mods included a Hayes 3,200-pound three-finger clutch and an exhaust system with cutouts.

Upgraded interior items included a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, Stewart-Warner Motor Minder vacuum and temperature gauges, and an eight-track stereo tape player with Motorola Vibrasonic reverb and four speakers.

The brothers started having fun with the GTO as soon as they got it home, but the fun almost came to an abrupt end just a month later. Larry explains, “We were on our way to pick up my older brother at the San Francisco Airport. Just as we were merging onto Highway 80 near Berkeley, we hit a puddle. The 12-inch Goodyear cheater slicks hydroplaned, sending us into a violent spin in the middle of the four-lane highway. We finally came to a stop stalled perpendicular to traffic, pointing us towards the San Francisco Bay. I hit the key and it fired back up, and we continued to the airport. That was nearly the end of the car and me! I can’t believe we didn’t hit anyone, but the roads weren’t as crowded back then as they are now.”

Asked if he did much street racing, Larry replied, “I raced it just a few times, and I always won. I think most guys took one look at the car and how it was set up and didn’t even try to go up against it. It looked pretty intimidating! One guy threatened to steal the engine, so I got a chain and padlocked the hood. I also installed a hidden kill switch. That was the best thing I ever did. They tried to steal the car five times, but they could never find the kill switch.” The car never did get stolen, but Larry did lose three eight-track and two cassette stereos in the attempts.

A year later (and before the next California rainy season), all the race suspension and the huge Blue Streaks were removed and put into storage, returning the car to stock height. Although the GTO took on a slightly different personality with the stock suspension, the American Racing wheels were retained. Larry and his brother had some really good times with the GTO, driving it daily throughout high school and helping Larry get the prettiest girl at school. It also served as a tow vehicle from time to time for the family boat (a 1966 18-foot flat-bottom V-drive Hallet Hot Boat with a 392 Hemi that the family still owns). When the oil embargo hit in 1973, Larry’s brother began to worry about fuel costs and wanted to sell the car. Larry still loved the GTO and bought out his brother.

Now with full ownership, Larry used the car every day. He drove it while in college and through dental school. He drove it to Los Angeles and commuted in it to his hospital residency program. He continued to use it daily back in the San Francisco Bay Area after he started his own dental practice. From 1969 to 1992, Larry racked up around 200,000 miles on his beloved GTO.

In 1995, he decided to repaint the car after what he said was “much mental anguish over the pros and cons of disturbing the original patina.” Preservation of as much of the car as possible was the goal. Not happy with what PPG offered as Pontiac Tyrol Blue, he enlisted the services of master painter Bill Grey of Citrus Heights, California, to get the color right. Larry explains, “We were able to come up with a custom mixed Sikkens paint that was a fantastic match to the original. The underside of the trunk lid and the doorjambs still wear their original and non-faded paint that matches the new paint job.”

Larry debuted the freshly painted GTO in 1996 at the Goodguys car show in Pleasanton, California. His son Lance, then 7 years of age, helped polish the American Racing wheels. The Blue Streak cheater slicks were remounted once again after being in storage since 1970. The car was a crowd favorite that day, and the local newspaper featured the GTO with a photo of Lance with the car.

Lance, now 30 and inspired by vintage photos of his dad’s GTO, had been urging his dad to return the car to the gasser-style suspension it had in 1969. Since all the original performance suspension parts have been saved, and with the 50th anniversary of ownership approaching, it was refitted with the old suspension. In the spring of 2018 it was sitting high again, just as it was back in the late 1960s when Larry first saw it thundering down the highway as a kid.

At a Glance
1967 GTO
Owned by: Larry Porteous
Restored by: Owner; Bill Grey, Citrus Heights, CA (paint)
Engine: 400ci V-8
Transmission: Muncie M22 close-ratio 4-speed manual
Rearend: Chevrolet 12-bolt with 3.90 gears and Positraction
Interior: Black vinyl bucket seats with console
Wheels: 15-inch American Racing
Tires: P225/70R15 Goodyear front, 8.00/8.20-15 Goodyear Blue Steak cheater slicks rear
Special parts: Isky race camshaft, Edelbrock dual-quad aluminum intake manifold, twin Carter AFB carburetors, Mallory ignition, Hayes 3,200-pound three-finger clutch, Chevrolet 12-bolt rearend, rear traction bars with Panhard rod, cut and reverse welded front spindles

The post Gasser-Style 1967 Pontiac GTO Returns to its Day Two Attitude—and Altitude appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Over the years street rodders have used a variety of updated steering components in their cars, and one of the common complications when doing so was installing the steering shaft. Seldom was there a straight shot from the steering column to the steering gear as there always seemed to be something in the way—from the engine itself to the exhaust system, oil filter, starter, or some other immovable object.

Of course for every problem there is a solution, however, some steering shaft solutions in the ’70s were accidents waiting to happen. We once saw a U-joint from a 1/2-inch drive socket set being used in a steering shaft and industrial power takeoff U-joints that weren’t much better were tried by some. Anyone remember the military surplus U-joints with the rubber boots (said to be from helicopter tail rotor drives) that were occasionally seen? And then there were the Pinto flex shafts that looked like a giant speedometer cable. Thankfully things have changed.

The availability of quality U-joints and splined and double-D shafts from Flaming River have made installing a safe, effective steering system a simple matter. However, there are still instances when snaking a steering shaft through a cramped engine compartment can still be a challenge requiring multiple U-joints and support bearings. But like we said, for every problem there is a solution and when it comes to routing a steering shaft through a crowded engine compartments the solution may be Flaming River’s new problem solver: the VDOG.

Flaming River’s VDOG is a 90-degree gearbox that can used to route steering shafts around engine compartment components or provide increased room in the passenger compartment. It can be mounted in any position—at the steering gear, in the engine compartment, on the firewall, or behind the dashboard.

Rather than chains and sprockets inside the aluminum housing of the VDOG are a pair of bevel gears for instant and positive steering response. The output shaft is mounted in an articulating ball that allows 35 degrees of adjustment while the input shaft is fixed. Both shafts are 3/4 inch in diameter with 36 splines for simple coupler or U-joint connections.

As with all Flaming River Products, the VDOG is a problem solver built to the highest standards, which is why it scored a double win at the 2018 SEMA Convention: Best New Street Rod Product and the Best Engineered New Product. But the real winners will be all those street rodders who will be able to solve steering problems when stuffing big engines into little engine compartments, building T-buckets with very little room for anything, putting together a cab over truck, or any other challenging application.

The post Flaming River’s VDOG Takes A Bite Out Of Steering Problems appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

The true heart and soul of MalibuST (pronounced Mali-boost) is the wagon’s ability to set-up and dominate a corner like a Miata, but with a lot of extra leg room. Being able to muster a mid-sized GM wagon through a corner takes a lot more engineering than worn-out and rusty stamped-steel control arms with 30-year-old ball joints. This month we upgrade the Malibu’s front suspension and stopping power with a UMI G-body Stage 3.5 handling kit and Wilwood Superlite 6R brakes.

We concluded our last installment with the wagon missing its entire front clip. This gave us the room to paint the frame rails and firewall using our Summit Racing Paint Prep Combo and Eastwood 2k spray paint, leaving us a blank canvas for this month’s tasks.

UMI Performance offers a total of seven kits, including half-steps for the G-Body. Kits begin with the Stage 1 system ($1,149 retail) and work up to the more aggressive Stage 4 ($3,699.99) or Corner Max kit ($2,419.99). Stage 1 includes shocks and lowering springs and if you want the maximum performance, Stage 4 features double-adjustable Viking shocks and tubular control arms. “First, we ask the customer, ‘what are you doing with the car 80 percent of the time?” said Performance Engineer Ramey Womer.

For us, we plan to street drive the car to autocross and road racing events, making the Stage 3.5 kit with 2-inch lowering springs the right temperature porridge for our project. The kit includes tubular a-arms with upgraded Delrin bushings, 1 1/4-inch sway bar, rear control arms with roto-joints, adjustable rear upper arms, and all the necessary hardware. What makes the kit a 3.5 over a Stage 3 is the adjustable chassis-mounted rear sway bar and UMI rebound-adjustable monotube shocks.

Our G-body has a lot of suspension woes like improper geometry, 40 years of abuse, and soft and non-adjustable suspension settings. The UMI Performance kit solves all that. First, tubular a-arms reduce any a-arm flex you’d find in the stamped-steel factory arms. Second, the springs are much stiffer and the shocks are rebound adjustable. Finally, the new suspension layout corrects the terrible geometry with a new camber curve—which is the wheel’s camber angle throughout wheel travel in any given corner.

“Everything we do—loaded, unloaded, turning, not turning—we’re trying to manipulate the contact patch of the tire on the road,” said Ramey. “Consider a car with proper camber curve like a Corvette.” A Corvette’s outer wheel during a turn will tuck up into the wheel well, keeping the tire planted and the body from rolling over. The G-Body taking the same turn will begin by rolling up onto the sidewall of the tire as the camber curve starts off in the wrong direction. The suspension then tips over its center point and into the correct camber, with the wheel going up into the wheel well. It will get to a preferable camber angle eventually, “but by that point, the car is already out of whack,” said Ramey, and good camber after you blow your apex is pointless.

The Corvette attains this correct camber curve due to the angle of the upper a-arms, which are sloped upward as they point towards the wheel. The G-body’s original upper a-arms are angled downward as they point towards the wheel, meaning they have to travel outward and level off, before sucking the wheel up into the wheel well.

UMI’s new tubular a-arms and longer upper ball joints help achieve this new curve. This ball-joint length adds 1/2-inch to the stock spindle height but doesn’t change the ride height or travel (the length of the lower ball joint affects ride height). Instead, it points the a-arm in the right direction, before you even hit the first corner. The more aggressive Corner Max kit offers an even longer .9-inch ball joint for about $50 more. “You may not notice driving it every day, but if you autocross it every weekend you’ll likely feel more front-end grip [with the taller ball joint],” said Ramey. “The half-inch ball-joint is a moderate improvement, for a moderate cost”

We need to stop after slaying those corners, so we enlisted the help of Wilwood brakes. The Forged Narrow Superlite 6R big-brake kit features an intense braking package with 13-inch Spec-37 iron SRP rotors, to which we added the black Electro Coating and drilled and slotted rotors. With mostly street use planned for the car, we don’t expect excessive pad wear from the chosen rotors, which will cut down on pad glazing and keep the brakes cool during aggressive auto-crossing. This kit is ideal for non-ABS American cars doing double duty as street and track machines and perfect for stopping our heavy wagon.

In a future installment, we’ll finish building and plumbing our complete braking system and suspension when we build a quick and easy Ford 9-inch. Then we’ll be ready to hit the track.

The post Give Any G-Body Racecar Handling & Stopping on a Budget! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Turn-of-the-century department store holds collection of GM muscle.

A tip led us to this historic, two-story brick building that originally housed a department store many decades ago. The first floor was being used mostly for storage of several people’s cars, with the second floor mostly warehousing an eclectic cache of speed parts. A 1969 Camaro is still trapped up there because the freight elevator no longer works. This is just another example of gearheads buying old buildings in small towns, where your money can get much more.

The post We Found Muscle Cars Stashed in an Old Department Store appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

The saga of John McLeod’s 1985 Chevy pickup began simply enough. His company, Classic Instruments, not only needed a C10 to build a prototype 1973-1987 square-body instrument panel to add to their line of direct-fit kits, but realized a shop truck would be a handy thing to have as well.

The search for a square-body led to Danny Burroughs, a member of George Poteet’s staff, who, along with his other duties, has driven the boss’ Bonneville car, the Barracuda named “Blowfish.” Along with setting records (and going faster on the salt backward than most people have gone forward), Burroughs also has the distinction of owning what may be the world’s largest collection of square-body Chevrolets. Even after parting with the one shown here he still has over a hundred of them.

While the Classic Instruments team was perfecting their new instrument cluster it seemed like a good time to make some improvements to the tired truck. For reliability a new small-block 350 from Indmar Marine coupled to a 350 Turbo from Mark Bowler replaced the worn-out original engine and transmission. A shop truck has to look cool so suspension components from McGaughys were installed to drop the truck 4 inches in front and 6 in the rear. Kind of like a snowball rolling downhill, the “shop truck” was picking up momentum so the ratty interior had to go. Gil Speed and Design reupholstered the original seat and a Gen IV Vintage Air  unit was installed to keep everyone comfy. When the truck was turned over to Lewis Brothers Customs for a simple clearcoat to preserve the patina’d original paint, the crew at the body shop just couldn’t bring themselves to do it, so to McLeod’s surprise they took out all the dents and dings and did a respray in the factory colors. With the total transformation the truck had undergone there was one more thing to do, upgrade the factory brakes, so McLeod turned to Baer.

Baer Brakes has been described as an overnight success that was 20 years in the making. As a young man and bona-fide gearhead, Hal Baer begin modifying and fabricating parts for his cars and others, which ultimately led to his involvement in racing, including IMSA Firehawk, Escort Endurance Challenge, Corvette Challenge, and World Challenge series. Ultimately it was involvement in the SCCA’s World Challenge in 1992 that led to the formation of Baer Brakes.

The reputation for quality and performance Baer established in racing has carried over into all the products they manufacture for other non-competition applications. All of Baer’s products are made from materials sourced from the U.S. and machined and assembled in-house. Hubs come with bearings and races installed and packed with Redline synthetic grease. Two-piece hubs and rotors come assembled so all the customer has to do is bolt parts on.

Baer offers a variety of brake calipers, all are CNC machined out of forged or extruded aluminum and come in red, black, or silver powdercoat finish (custom colors available) with a hand-painted machined logo. For this application Baer’s 6S forged calipers were installed up front. These six-piston, radial mount, one-piece forged monoblock calipers use stainless steel pistons that are staggered in size to minimize uneven pad wear. These calipers also feature dual seals (dust/weather and pressure) to meet DOT specifications.

On the rear of the shop truck McLeod opted for Baer’s S4 four-piston calipers. They feature four cross bolts for stiffness and hard anodized pistons to resist wear. And like the front calipers they have dual seals to meet DOT specifications.

Baer offers rotors in various diameters, however, all of their brake systems feature rotors with directional or curved vanes. These vanes not only pull air into the rotor to help cooling but they add strength and rigidity. In addition, all Baer high-performance rotors are slotted, drilled, and zinc-plated. For this application 14-inch rotors were used up front and 13-inch rotors with integral drums to go with the Baer parking brake assemblies were used in the rear.

To complete the system the Classic Instruments shop truck was equipped with a Baer Remaster fully machined billet aluminum master cylinder. They are offered with a two-bolt mounting pattern for GM and Ford applications or Mopar’s four-bolt style. Bore sizes available are 15/16, 1, and 1 1/8 inch. In general Baer recommends 15/16 inch for power brakes, 1 inch with power brakes (based on good engine vacuum numbers), and 1 1/8 inches with hydroboost or drag race applications with dual rear calipers (check with Baer for specific applications).

The post Four-Wheel Disc Brakes For 1960-1987 C10s From Baer appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

QUESTION

I have a 355 small-block Chevy in my 1971 Nova and just swapped on a set of used aluminum heads. I was told the heads have 180cc intake runners, 64cc chambers, 65cc exhaust ports, and 2.02/1.60-inch valves. I also put a new 750-cfm Holley vacuum-secondary carb on it.

Prior to my changes, it had iron 76cc heads; an Erson cam with 0.496/0.521-inch valve lift with 1.6:1-ratio rockers and 0.224/0.234 degrees duration at 0.050-inch tappet lift; headers with 2.5-inch dual exhaust; and a Holley dual-plane intake with a 600-cfm Holley carb. With the old setup, I would pull 14 to 15 in-hg of vacuum at idle. It ran pretty well with 12 degrees base timing and no vacuum advance. The vacuum advance had caused a stumble off idle, which sounded weird to me until somebody suggested taking the vacuum advance hose off and plugging it, then it ran like a top.

But after I swapped the heads and carb on the thing, it now doesn’t want to run anywhere under 30 degrees base timing. I actually found that out because I got frustrated with it sputtering and running like crap at 15 and 20 degrees base timing, so I turned the distributor as far as it would go, and it runs well.

With mechanical advance, that would be about 55 to 58 degrees total at 3,000 rpm. I’ve never had timing that high before, and I don’t know if it’s OK/normal or not. I don’t have any weird symptoms or overheating issues or anything. It runs at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit at the cylinder head and doesn’t have any major driveability problems, other than I need to tune the carb, but I felt this was more important first. Any ideas on this? Am I crazy, or is there a serious problem?
Matt Vendouern
Via email

ANSWER

No, this certainly is not normal. Running that much timing will usually detonate your motor into oblivion. Depending on your cylinder heads, compression ratio, camshaft, and centrifugal advance curve in the distributor, “normal” base timing for a street high-perf small-block Chevy is somewhere in the 12- to 18-degree before top dead center (BTDC) range, with total timing at full centrifugal advance about 34 to 36 degrees BTDC, as read at the crank. But before you do anything (I know this sounds lame), it can’t hurt to get a second opinion—try a different timing light and see if the results agree.

All right, so it’s not the timing light. Consider what could have changed/gone south during your cylinder-head swap. If the cam and rocker ratio are the same as before, idle vacuum should remain about the same at the same base timing, or—due to a higher static compression ratio generated by the new heads’ smaller combustion chambers—be even slightly higher. This assumes the valves and the carb’s idle mixture and idle speed are properly adjusted. A misadjusted carburetor, excessively tight valve lash, and/or a vacuum leak could require way over-advancing the timing to crutch the underlying fault so the car seems to run a little smoother. Therefore, you need to get these items squared away at the normal base timing range.

A vacuum leak leans out the engine, which can cause detonation and also burn valves. At the most basic level, if you put your hand or a rag over the carb at idle and the car keeps running, you have a vacuum leak somewhere for sure. Use a vacuum gauge for more granular diagnostics.

The most likely place for vacuum leaks are at the intake manifold gaskets or under the carb baseplate. Spray a soap/water solution or parts cleaner at the “joints” and see if the idle speeds up; if it does, you’ve found the leak. Sometimes you’ll have an intake manifold gasket that leaks out the bottom into the engine valley—that’s really hard to spot with these quick tests. Usually, you can only find such a leak by pulling the intake and looking for blow-by signs on the intake gasket itself.

Are all the unused carburetor and intake vacuum ports on your new carb plugged off? Don’t overlook the large PCV hose nipple present on many “universal” Holley carbs at the rear of the baseplate under the secondary float bowl.

Are there any vacuum leaks in the automatic trans vacuum modulator or the power-brake vacuum booster check valve circuits (either the devices themselves or the hoses feeding them)? Temporarily plug the ports to those and any other external vacuum consumers including the PCV valve and see if vacuum improves. If vacuum does normalize, reconnect the hoses one at a time until vacuum decreases—at that point, you’ve found the bad hose or vacuum consumer.

If you adjusted the valves too tightly, they might not fully close or close late. Essentially, this is equivalent to an internal vacuum leak. Run the valve lash again if vacuum is still too low after the previous checks. The factory method is with the engine running at idle: With hydraulic lifters, back off the rocker-arm adjusting nut on the valve you’re checking until it starts clattering, retighten until the noise just disappears, then go 1/2 to 3/4 full turns tighter. The running method causes an oily mess, so you can also adjust the valves with the engine off using the EOIC (exhaust opening, intake closing) adjustment method, as explained in Pit Stop, Dec. 2017 print edition (and on the Web: Pit Stop, EOIC valve-adjustment method).

Don’t overlook the distributor installation. At the proper base timing, is the rotor properly aligned with the cap’s No. 1 terminal on that cylinder’s firing stroke? If not, you may have reinstalled the distributor slightly “off.”

Although it probably isn’t the cause of your immediate problem, at this point it sure can’t hurt to check the distributor rotor phasing under running conditions. Rotor Phasing is defined as the alignment between the rotor tip and the distributor cap terminal when the spark occurs. Incorrect alignment may cause the spark to jump to the next closest terminal or another ground resulting in a misfire and power loss. Street-style distributors with vacuum cans may have less-than-ideal rotor phasing (even with the vacuum advance plugged). MSD offers an adjustable rotor to correct this problem that fits MSD distributors as well as many other distributors that use similar caps and rotors.

Except for perhaps the rotor phasing under running conditions, the preceding things to look at are the most likely culprits because they fall into the “things you’ve changed or likely have disturbed” category. But if none of the above helps, you’ll have to dig deeper, looking at other things seemingly not directly related to your top-end swap.

Does the top dead center (TDC) mark on the harmonic balancer line up with the “0” mark on the timing tab at TDC? Over the years, there have been several different factory timing tab locations and even different “0” mark locations on the factory balancers. The timing tab for the small 6-inch-od balancer is also different than one for a large 8-inch balancer because the larger the balancer, the greater the distance between each timing mark. To verify proper TDC alignment, you need to find true TDC for the No. 1 cylinder. TDC stops that screw into the spark-plug hole are available from several outfits, including Summit Racing.

On a factory-style balancer where the outer inertia ring is insulated from the inner ring by a rubber strip, the outer ring sometimes “walks” in relation to the inner ring. One clue this may be happening is if the timing keeps wandering—it won’t stay put where you set it at. (If you still are using ignition points, the timing will vary slightly as the points wear.) A delaminating balancer must be immediately replaced. If using factory balancers in a hot rod, an old-school trick is painting a white or yellow vertical line down the side of the balancer aligned with the TDC mark on the balancer edge. If the white line starts to move so it no longer lines up with the TDC mark, the balancer is delaminating.

If the carb is correctly adjusted, there are no vacuum leaks, the distributor is correctly installed, and TDC alignment is correct, that leaves the camshaft and timing chain. Remove the front cover and inspect the timing set. Do the dots on the upper and lower sprockets line up at TDC No. 1 cylinder firing position (No. 1 piston at TDC and both intake and exhaust valves closed)? If it’s a multikeyway chain, is the lower sprocket on the proper keyway? Is the timing set worn or damaged (chain slack or broken sprocket teeth)? If all this checks out, that leaves the cam itself. You’ll have to check its opening and closing points with a degree wheel against the timing card supplied with the cam. Correct a slightly advanced or retarded cam with a multikey sprocket or offset cam bushing, but likely the cam would have to be ground way out of spec (very rare) to replicate your weird over-advanced scenario.

There’s no magic bullet here; just careful, step-by-step analysis. Good luck.

Ask Marlan A Tech Question: pitstop@HotRod.com

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