CONTENTS
July 2021 Volume 32, No. 7
EVENT COVERAGE
DEPARTMENTS
26
Goodguys 11th FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals
6
Up Front
144
Good Rides
8
Rodders Respond
146
Holley LS Fest – West
10 Focal Point
Ron Covell’s Metalworking Tips
148
Paint Tips with Zane
150
Flashing Back
– Scottsdale, Arizona
96
14 Retro Rumblings
SPECIAL FEATURES 103 The Long Road 138 Next-Gen Rodder Update 158 5 Minutes With – Ron Capps
TECH GUIDE 114 Goodguys C10 Build-up – Part 3 118 Building Custom Inner Fenders 122 Installing Slosh Tubz 132 Tips for Choosing a Welder
PRODUCT GUIDE 126 Metal Cutting and Welding Tools
52 Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick? Fred DeFalco would, and his ’54 Century is a stunning example of the marque’s mid-’50s style. It became a Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist in Scottsdale, where photographer John Jackson captured this perfect profile image.
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16 Legends of Hot Rodding 18 Product Spotlight 22 Up To Speed
26
152 Classifieds 155
Ad Index
160
Parting Shot
On The Cover Photographer John Jackson lined up Richard and Penny Hammer’s ’65 Acadian and Barry Blomquist’s ’65 Pontiac 2+2 in Arizona for a late-evening cover scene right after the 11th FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals in Scottsdale. Steven Bunker grabbed the shot at the top of the colorful muscle car lineup at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
132
138
UP FRONT BY DAMON LEE • EDITOR
EDITOR Damon Lee/402-614-4874 damonl@good-guys.com
HEAVY METAL A recent project on one of my cars reinforced the reality that I’m still no metal fabricator. After several failed attempts at building custom brackets to secure the base of a rear seat, I ultimately determined that a better option – in terms of strength, appearance, and installation – was to modify reproduction brackets from another car instead. The solution solved my problem but didn’t make me feel any better about my metalworking skills. I could blame my equipment (or lack thereof) for my shortcoming – and that was indeed part of the problem. With prop-
I HOPE MANY OF YOU ARE OUT THERE SHAPING, FABRICATING, AND WELDING METAL IN YOUR GARAGES; THIS HOBBY WILL CEASE TO THRIVE WITHOUT DIY ENTHUSIASTS. er tools, fabricating what I needed might have been easier. Like many of us, though, I’ve tended to weigh the cost of new tools against how frequently I think I’ll use them; the result is that I have not invested in many dedicated metalworking tools. The simple truth is that I also haven’t invested the time to truly hone any formal metalworking skills. I’ve always admired those who have – I think that being able to shape, weld, and maneuver metal is one sure way to becoming a more self-reliant car crafter. When you have the ability to build a custom engine mount or shape a patch panel with complex contours, you give yourself the ability to tackle some of the more expensive
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GAZETTE & E-MEDIA
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steven Bunker stevenb@good-guys.com
tasks in building a hot rod. There was a bit of a debate among the Goodguys media team when we were deciding on the metalworking and welding theme for this month’s product guide, which grew into a small section focusing on the topic. The recurring question was, how many enthusiasts really do this in their home garage? Don’t most people hire shops to do this sort of work? My simple answer is that I hope many of you are out there shaping, fabricating, and welding metal in your garages. This hobby will cease to thrive without DIY enthusiasts, and I sure hope some of your garagebased projects are more ambitious than gauge swaps and cold air intake installations. If building a hot rod or rebuilding a vintage classic is something that is only being done at pro shops, the hobby will only be accessible to an elite few. Maybe this is naive or nostalgic thinking, but it seems like many rodders in the past were well-versed in a variety of carcrafting skills. They were “jack-of-all-trade” hobbyists who could tackle mechanical tasks like rebuilding a carb or changing rearend gears, and could also weld a shock bracket into place and maybe even lay down a decent paint job. Maybe this derived from childhoods where we had to repair our own bikes, troubleshoot lawn mowers, and learn to make other repairs around the home or garage. Those DIY skills seem to be fading, whether it’s with hot rods or home repairs. I get that in many cases, it’s a time-versus-money tradeoff. How much time will it take to fix or rebuild
a part compared to buying a new one or paying someone else to do it? Time is a precious commodity – we have to budget it wisely. That said, an investment in the right tools and equipment – and investing the time to learn to use them well – can pay big dividends in the number of tasks you’ll be able to tackle yourself. Pride is a motivating factor when tackling some of the projects on my cars – I want to be able to say I did it myself. Other projects are done out of necessity – I simply can’t justify the cost to pay someone to do it, or maybe can’t even find someone to do it. After all, many specialty hot rod shops are booked up for months (or longer) these days. Others tend to focus primarily on complete builds, not piecemeal projects. (It seems to me there’s a good market in many areas for shops specializing in small projects and specialty vehicle repair, but that’s a topic for another day.) One positive outcome of my seat bracket endeavor is that I was forced to pull my inexpensive 110-volt wire feed welder out of storage, invest in a tank of welding gas, and reacquaint myself with the MIG welding process. My welds aren’t particularly pretty yet, but they are strong. And while the job took longer than expected (don’t they all?), there’s some satisfaction in solving the problem and checking it off the list. Yes, I still need to work on my metalworking skills. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for more things to weld. Maybe refining my welding skills will finally start me on the path to learning the fabrication fundamentals I’ve always wanted to master. Story ending symbol
ART DIRECTOR Kevin Reynolds / 925-218-9120 kevinr@good-guys.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Gaea McLaughlin / 925-218-9132 gaeam@good-guys.com SALES MANAGER Sadie Vail / 925-218-9152 sadiev@good-guys.com SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER Jamie Sa / 925-218-9151 jamies@good-guys.com TECH & PRODUCT EDITOR Todd Ryden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Doucette, Albert Drake, Terry Lysak John Drummond, Ron Covell, Todd Ryden, Gary Medley, Zane Cullen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Marc Gewertz, John Jackson, Terry Lysak, Todd Ryden CUSTOMER & MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Main 925-838-9876 Ashley Landon, Calindra Jarvis
Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette Replacement Policy
All claims to missing issues must be made within 45 days of the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette magazine publication date (45 days begins on the 1st day of the month of shipment). To claim a missing issue, please contact the Goodguys Membership Services Department at (925) 838-9876 or e-mail membership@good-guys.com. You must have been a member/subscriber during the month of the desired replacement copy. Once your account information has been verified and it is determined that you are entitled to that issue, you can choose to either extend your existing subscription by one month, or, if you prefer, we will ship you a complimentary copy of the missed issue. Goodguys Rod & Custom Association can only extend membership two times for any one member or subscriber in the same calendar year. Goodguys Rod & Custom Association cannot take responsibility for the reliability of any country’s postal system. Any missing issue which does not fall under the guidelines above may be purchased as a “Back Issue” from our merchandise Department for $8.00 plus shipping and handling. Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette (ISSN 1543 - 2629) is published monthly by Whitewall Publishing, 1071 Serpentine Lane, Pleasanton, CA 94566-4759. Periodical postage paid at Pleasanton, CA and additional mailing offices. To subscribe and receive the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette membership is required in the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. Annual membership dues are: $40.00 per year (in the U.S.) includes $35.00 for a 1-year subscription to the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette; $90.00 per year (Canada & Mexico) includes $85.00 for a 1-year subscription to the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette; $125.00 per year (Overseas) includes a $120.00 for a 1-year subscription to the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette. To join, mail a membership application and the appropriate dues to Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, P.O. Box 9132, Pleasanton, CA 94566-4759 or call (925) 838-9876; fax (925) 820-8241. Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette. Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission. The information presented in this magazine is from many sources for which the Publisher as to accuracy or completeness can give no warranty or responsibility. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material but will be happy to receive stories, photographs, artwork, and cartoons regarding hot rodding. Send to Editor at above address.
Postmaster, send address changes to Goodguys
Goodtimes Gazette, P.O. Box 9132, Pleasanton, CA 94566-4759. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 1051, Fort Erie, ON L2A 6C7
Custom Built for Ross Miller 1956 Ford F100 ExtReme Chassis Torque Arm Rear 525 HP LS3
1953-1956 F 100
435.628.4300 SPEEDTECHPERFORMANCE.COM
RODDERS RESPOND www.good-guys.com
Board of Directors Marilyn Meadors, Marc Meadors Andrew Ebel
MAYFLOWER REUNION
President & C.E.O.
Dear Goodguys, Wanted to send you a few pics of the Plymouth being reunited with my uncle Bob Burke and his wife Carol (my mom’s brother, 92 years old now), who sold the car to my dad, Aaron, 42 years ago! There is also a pic of my uncle Tom Burke (90 years old, seated in the car) who hand carved the shifter knob for me! They all live in the Phoenix area and we visited them when we attended the Spring Nationals in Scottsdale. Hope you enjoy the pics!
Marc Meadors
C.O.O. Andrew Ebel Vice President, Event Operations Harry Daviess Vice President, Sales & Partnerships Jason Snyder
Controller
Brian Baker Bellefontaine, OH
Jessica Socias
Sales Operations Manager Jamie Sa
Brian – These photos are so cool! It’s great to see your Plymouth reunited with your uncle. Thanks so much for bringing the car to Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina this spring! – Editor
Sales Operations Assistant Kelli Jurasky
Sales Account Executive Sadie Vail Mads Buck
Marketing Manager Stephanie Schoennagel
GAZETTE PRAISE Dear Goodguys, I just wanted to let you know that I (and I’m sure most of us) think you are doing a great job with Goodguys Gazette. No doubt it’s been a challenge putting the book together without the normal schedule of shows, but your content has consistently been great. Looking forward to the Grundy Great American Nationals in York this year! Russ Gillespie Via email
Russ – Thank you! It’s always good to get positive feedback from readers. It’s great to have event coverage back in this issue and we’re looking forward to a better event season this year! – Editor
BIG BUCKS Dear Goodguys, I enjoy reading the editorials of the Goodguys staff. In the May issue, Mr. Lee’s editorial speaks to what I personally feel is important
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to our hobby, which is to enjoy what you have, especially if you have your own sweat and time in your project. When I read the editorial by Mr. Drummond [Retro Rumblings], I find it to be somewhat at odds with the first editorial. I too am in awe of the trendsetters that have captured the attention of us car guys due to their skills and creativity. However, I must differ with the statement that “they have shaped the future of our industry.” Boy, I hope that is not the future for us mortals. There seems to be a basic recipe for this class of car building: 1. Lots of money to start with; 2. Enough status to achieve a place on the list of the elite builders; 3. Fully restored car as a donor; 4. Professional concept drawing; 5. Custom frame with all the trick stuff; 6. Custom engine with insane amount of horsepower; 6. Unique custom paint color formula; 7. Custom gauge package designed by an artist; 8. Unique custom wheels; 9. Interior trim by the best guys in that field; 10. PERFECTION to the max. I am kind of scared that big money may be “the future of our
industry.” To sum it up, I find the last paragraph of the interview with Jimmy Smith may be accurate in his assessment of the status of the hobby. One more thing, at your events I have been able to do ride-a-longs with some AutoCross guys and it was great. I think it would be interesting to have ride-a-long drives with other show car owners. I know I will never own a ’32 Ford hot rod or a ’40 Willys Gasser but would love to feel what they are like. I know that when someone else drives one of my cars, it is fun for me to see them enjoy the experience. Just an idea to consider to freshen-up the show experience.
Merchandise Business Operations Manager Bre Ann Houston
Graphic Designer Melanie Wilkins
Event Operations Manager Zach Blumenfeld
Ticketing & Registration Director Vincent Silay
Ticketing & Registration Manager Jacob Ebel
Bookkeeper Wendy Ley
Customer & Membership Services Ashley Landon, Calindra Jarvis
Walt Nowak Via email
Walt – It’s understandable to be concerned about the escalating scope and cost of elite pro builds, but I have faith that innovative DIY rodders will continue to borrow ideas from those high-dollar builds and find clever, creative ways to achieve similar results on a more realistic budget. That’s the nature of hot rodding. – Editor Story ending symbol
Founder: Gary Meadors (1939 – 2015)
Goodguys Rod & Custom Association P.O. BOx 9132 • Pleasanton, CA 94566 (925) 838-9876 • Fax (925) 820-8241 www.good-guys.com info@good-guys.com Office Hours: Monday through Friday: 7:30am to 4:00pm Pacific Time
FOCAL POINT
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VAN-TASTIC! Joe Yezzi put on an epic smoke show when he rolled into the Burnout Competition at the 11th FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals in Scottsdale! The founder of Squarebody Syndicate lit up the tires on his ’72 Chevy van, dubbed the “smoke box,” which was soon completely engulfed in incinerated rubber, much to the approval of the gathered crowd. Photo by Terry Lysak
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 11
855.313.9173 SpeedwayMotors.com/goodguys
RETRO RUMBLINGS BY JOHN DRUMMOND
TALES FROM THE ROAD Goodguys has been at this event promotion thing a long, long time. If you do the same events for over three decades in the same cities, you see things. Funny things, tragic things, odd things. Road life isn’t for everyone. The hours are long, the flights are packed, the hotel towels are thin, but the relationships with people endure for a lifetime. So do the memories and good times. Here are some random stories that came to mind the other day while thinking back. Alan Beim Alan was the rarest of the rare birds but incredibly gifted in terms of marketing and advertising. He was a former radio ad salesman and he was the perfect media buyer for Goodguys during our formative years. He placed the airtime for our TV and radio ads for 20 years straight. He named his agency Herbert, Holden, Slater and Beim. Funny thing is, those were all deceased relatives he used to make his agency sound fancy. You might have run into him at the front gates. He was the one with a Neil Young leather hat on, one red shoe and one black shoe asking patrons, “How did you hear about today’s event?” A l a n’ s m a r k e t i n g m i n d would never stop. He had many tricks of the trade. When we did shows at certain fairgrounds, he never ceased with ways to get us on air over and above what we paid for. One Saturday morning, he had us call the traffic desk at the region’s biggest talk radio station. They did traffic reports every 10 minutes. He told a few of us to say, “Man, there is a huge backup on the
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Interstate. Cars are stacked up for miles trying to get into the Goodguys show.” We kept having different people call. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, the radio man started talking about the traffic jam at the Goodguys show. The man mentioned it on every traffic report for the next two hours to hundreds of thousands of listeners. That right there is called free advertising. Where’s the Starting Line? Ty Norton was a central valley Vintage Top Fuel racer who’d never competed with Goodguys before. We invited him to the Jim Davis Memorial race at Sears Point in the mid’90s, and he came with his red Bennie Osborn fueler. Neat car. Back in those days we pushstarted the dragsters down the return road then they made a sweeping left-hand U-turn behind the water box to get lined up to do their burnouts down the strip. Having never been there before, Ty cackled his car, came down the return road but made the left turn BEHIND the entire timing tower. His crew was standing around puzzled. No one could see him, but we could definitely hear his fueler pounding away at idle about 200 yards from the starting line headed up the road course
away from the dragstrip! The crowd, the announcers and his fellow racers were in hysterics. His team ran to get him, shut him off, brought him back to the starting line where he eventually got refueled, lined up and made a run. A few years later, he won the race. Big Daddy Ed “Big Daddy ” Roth was around our Goodguys family when we launched the national event series in 1988. Having known him since the 1970s, Gary Goodguy always had an “in” with Roth and it paid dividends to be allies with the biggest Daddy of ’em all. Every time we asked him for an endorsement, he obliged. At the 1992 Pacific Northwest Nationals, I was in my sophomore year with Goodguys. We brought Roth to be an ambassador of the show and do some pre-event promotions in the Seattle market. It was just a hop, skip and a jump for Roth as he resided in Manti, Utah – not too far away. My job that weekend was to get him whatever he needed. When it came time for hotel accommodations, I gave him his room assignments and directions to the hotel. “Oh, I won’t be needing those,” he said. ‘What?” I asked. “No John, I don’t sleep in hotels, I sleep in my truck.” Roth’s truck was a small single cab import pickup. We’re talking no extra cab – just a small bench seat. There wasn’t room in
the truck bed to sleep, as it was packed with his props and art supplies. He wasn’t a tiny guy, either. But that was his preference – to sleep in his pickup. He wouldn’t accept a meal allowance, either. He preferred to eat bologna sandwiches on white bread with mustard. A man with his worldwide fame, fortune, and connections was as modest and as polite they come. Roth joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in 1974 and his religious beliefs taught him humility and service to others – that much was obvious. This Roth quote from 1999 resonated when looking back on that weekend: “You don’t need fancy tools or a fancy garage; and if you fulfill your duty Heavenly Father will bless you in everything you do.” Roth was blessed. And so were we for having him in our industry. Juice is Loose On June 17, 1994, The Goodguys Friday Night Vintage Drags (normally a raucous evening of quarter-mile excitement)
HEINZMAN Street Rod Shop •PARTS•CHASSIS •TURN-KEY CARS •FABRICATION got underway at 4pm at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. We had Nitro Funny Cars booked, and the entire place was full of hot rod and sportsman racers. The event always drew a huge crowd and we were all set for a huge evening. After a few hours, it became painfully obvious something was up. It was a dead zone out there. We couldn’t figure it out! The culprit? O.J. freaking Simpson. The
'28-70 Fords, '34-81 Chevys, Mustangs, Camaros, Muscle Cars and Classic Trucks
Juice got loose in his white Bronco on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles right as the event gates opened. America sat glued to their TV sets as O.J. and his buddy Al Cowlings took the LAPD on history ’s most infamous joyride, all but extinguishing our great event. A side note about O.J. At our Pomona Spring Nationals one year around 1990 or 1991, our Gary Goodguy got a radio call from Fairplex security Saturday afternoon. Seemed there was an obscure unguarded entrance gate behind one of the buildings people were sneaking through. Gary went to investigate and sure enough caught a group of four guys sneaking in. Guess who? It was O.J. and his posse! Seems the Juice couldn’t fathom paying $12 to see a car show.
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LEGENDS OF HOT RODDING BY GARY MEDLEY • www.strokerbymedley.com
AK MILLER – HOT RODDER’S HOT RODDER Imagine if there was a movement to construct a hot rod version of Mt. Rushmore. A hot debate would surely follow on who is worthy of having their countenance chiseled in stone, say, in the hills overlooking the Bonneville Salt Flats. Wally Parks would be one sure-fire candidate. Maybe Robert E. Petersen. Hard to ignore Ed Iskenderian or Vic Edelbrock Sr. But there would be universal agreement on one candidate – A k M i l l e r, w h o s e r a c i n g accomplishments span success from the dry lakes to Baja, from Sicily to Bonneville. No wonder Hot Rod magazine once tagged Ak as the “The Best Hot Rodder in the World.” Miller was born Akton Moeller, in Denmark, in 1919. His family migrated to Whittier, California when he was a toddler. His childhood included a brief spell working at the Nixon family store – yes, that Nixon – where one of his tasks was fetching candy bars for the future president (more on this later). Ak’s first taste of hot rodding was served up by his brothers, Zeke and Larry, who campaigned a four-cylinder Chevy drop top at the lakes in the mid’30s. Miller spent considerable time behind the wheel of that roadster – but not roaring down Muroc. No, it came at the end of a tow chain. “We were headed out to Muroc Dry Lake,” Miller told the American Hot Rod Foundation. “No trailer, no nothing. Just a chain. You know who was going to drive it? Me. I remember 100-and-some miles across a frozen desert. It was colder than hell.” Ye t o p p o r t u n i t y s o o n knocked. When Zeke demurred
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driving, 14-year-old Ak jumped behind the wheel. No problem. He blew through the timing trap at 94mph. The year was 1934. Miller’s love for speed was set. A few years later he befriended one Wally Parks and together they helped form the Road Runners car club, one of the original seven clubs that formed the Southern California Timing Association. Miller would later serve as SCTA president. As with many of our hot rod legends, World War II interrupted Miller’s racing career. He participated in the Battle of Bulge in 1944, but frostbite sent him back to a British hospital and the states. After the war, the Miller-Parks collaboration continued apace. As part of an effort to clean up hot rodding’s “outlaw” image, Parks, with a PR push from Hot Rod magazine, established the National Hot Rod Association in 1951, with Miller one of the original founding members and NHRA VP. In another historic milestone, Miller, again with Parks and Petersen, spearheaded the first meet at Bonneville in 1949. The trio sweet-talked the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce into allowing racing on the salt flats. While all that politicking was important, at heart Miller was a racer. And few racers were as multi-dimensional and successful as Ak. At that first Bonneville meet he ran a ’27 T roadster b u i l t b y Pa r k s , w h o h a d improved its aerodynamics by grafting on a P-51 drop tank’s bullet-shaped nose and a belly pan that smoothed airflow under the car. It remains one of salt racing’s most iconic cars. Miller also competed in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Baja
Photo courtesy of NHRA Museum
1000 off-road races, and events in Italy (the Mille Miglia) and Mexico. With Hot Rod magazine’s Ray Brock as his crewman, Miller won his class at Pikes Peak nine times and won his class in the Baja 1000 three consecutive years, 1967-1969, in a Ford Ranchero. Pe r h a p s M i l l e r ’ s m o s t significant racing accomplishment – and unique car – came in 1953 in the La Carrera Panamericana. The route spanned the length of Mexico and was held to celebrate the completion of the Pan-American Highway in 1950. Miller built a specific machine – the Ak Miller Special, a.k.a. “El Caballo de Hierro” (“The Iron Horse”), an amalgamation of ’27 Model T Ford body, ’50 Ford chassis, and Olds engine. Los Angeles Times motorsports reporter Shav Glick reported that Ak’s fusion of components was dubbed the “Ensalada” – a salad of parts. Glick also reported that Miller (again) had no trailer and no sponsor save for Hot Rod magazine. Miller drove the car from his home in Whittier to the start
line in Juarez, Mexico (across from El Paso), raced over the 2,000-mile course for six days and drove back home. In addition to his racing exploits, Ak also worked for Ford as a performance consultant for a decade, touring the country with hot car displays and working closely with FoMoCo engineers. Years later, Miller was invited to the Nixon White House with a group of racing personalities. His fellow racers were kidding Ak about the legitimacy of the candy bar story. When Nixon strolled into the room, he grasped Miller’s hand and said, “Ak, did you bring me a candy bar?” Let’s have Wally Parks have the final word: “Ak was fascinating at producing combinations of his own, including his repowered vehicles, for street use, dry lakes, and Salt Flat speed trials. His innovative skills were an inspiration to all young hot rodders of that era.” Ak Miller passed away in 2004 at age 84. That hillside in Utah awaits his sculpture. Story ending symbol
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Proform Catalog The foundation of hot rodding is based on making engines perform better and also look better. Proform has been helping rodders and enthusiasts do both for years and has a new catalog for 2021 that’s chock full of parts to carry on that tradition. The 2021 Proform Catalog is 116 pages of engine performance, dress-up, and specialty engine building tools that will take your ride to the next level! Keep cool with the company’s SlimFit Radiator Systems, or get a professionally installed look at a DIY price with the 1-2-3 Series Radiator Systems. Look cool with hot looks for Chevrolet, Ford, and MOPAR engine dress-up! Proform I ProformParts.com
Billet Specialties I (800) 245-5382 BilletSpecialties.com
Meguiar’s now offers an all-new Hybrid Paint Coating Kit, an easy-to-use, spray-on coating for the DIYer that uses sophisticated chemistry to deliver Meguiar’s easiest, most chemically resistant, durable, and slickest paint protection solution to date. It uses TrueCure™ cross-linking technology to allow the product to bond to itself and to paint for extreme durability against environmental and chemical contaminants, while the hybrid polysiloxane chemistry helps provide over a year of durable paint protection. Paint is left with hydrophobic water-beading protection that makes washing and drying easier and helps to keep paint looking clean. The Hybrid Paint Coating Kit includes a 6oz. Surface Prep spray, 6 oz. Hybrid Paint Coating, two Supreme Shine microfiber towels, and a premium microfiber applicator pad. Meguiar’s I (800) 347-5700 Meguiars.com
Multi-Color Exhaust Coatings Give exhaust components some color with one of 10 XTC Xtreme Temperature Coating hues from KBS Coatings. The company’s XTC Silicone Zinc Primer and XTC Xtreme Temperature Coating provide durable finishes on exhaust manifolds, headers, and exhaust systems. XTC Silicone Zinc Primer can withstand temperatures over 1200-degrees and functions like galvanization, locking itself to bare metal surfaces and leaving a matte gray finish that can be used as the final coal or topped with XTC, a high-temperature, heat-resistant coating. With proper preparation, XTC provides outstanding adhesion and will not peel, flake, or chalk and is resistant to scratching or marring. It’s available in 10 colors and can be applied directly to metal without primer if rust protection is not needed. KBS Coatings I (888) 531-4527 kbs-coatings.com
18 y JULY.2021
Powerful Pumps Aeromotive has developed direct drop-in fuel pump modules for 1982-92 and 1993-97 Camaros that deliver the proper amount of fuel for high-performance applications and are designed for factory tanks. The modules are available in two configurations: 200 liters-per-hour (LPH) and 340 LPH. Both feature a factory-sized outlet cap to fit in the OEM fuel tank and pre-installed fuel/electrical bulkheads. Outlet and return ports along with electrical terminals are positioned in the OEM location for easy installation, requiring no modifications to the tank; -06 AN fuel outlet and return lines need to be plumbed in lieu of OEM fuel lines in addition to upgraded wiring to power the larger fuel pump. They are compatible with both EFI and carbureted applications. Aeromotive I (913) 647-7300 AeromotiveInc.com
1958 Impala Convertible Roof Rail Weatherstrips Good news, convertible fans! Steele Rubber Products now offers Convertible Roof Rail Weatherstrips for 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertibles. These weatherstrips add to the list of 80-plus parts that Steele makes for this car. The weatherstrip set is designed from original parts for superior fitment and seal. The six-piece set fits on the folding roof of the vehicle to seal the side windows when raised. The weatherstrips are made from high-quality EPDM rubber which has higher ozone and UV resistance and better overall performance than original rubber. It’s fully molded over steel core inserts to ensure durability and proper sealing. Steele can also print vehicle-specific catalogs for customers, showcasing the company’s product offerings for certain cars and trucks. Steele Rubber Products I (800) 230-8101 SteeleRubber.com
Salt Flats Shirt Tom Medley photographed this iconic image of the early days of American hot rodding at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1951. It shows Ak Miller’s famous racing roadster surrounded by onlookers, as a brilliant sunrise splashes over the Salt Flats behind them. You can proudly wear this era-defining image on your chest courtesy of a high-quality T-shirt available from Stroker by Medley. The short-sleeve T-shirts are available in White, Black, or Gray, and in sizes ranging from Small to XXL. The shirt is one of many items available to celebrate early hot rodding and Tom Medley’s enduring Stroker McGurk cartoon character. Stroker by Medley I StrokerbyMedley.com
Pro-Flo 4 Plus EFI If you want simplified EFI for a late-model V8, check out Edelbrock’s Pro-Flo 4 Plus EFI. The platform supports Gen III and IV Chevy LS, Gen I and II Ford Coyote, and Dodge Hemi Gen III engines implementing driveby-wire throttle and variable camshaft timing in hot rod and vintage vehicle transplant applications. Pro Flo 4 Plus EFI systems include an ECU, wiring harnesses, and 7-inch wireless touchscreen tablet for programing, calibration, diagnostics and performance monitoring. The plug-and-play systems are supported by a stand-alone, dedicated Edelbrock Pro Flo 4 Plus android app. Keeping with the Edelbrock EFI tradition of “EFI Simplified,” no laptop tuning is required. All systems are self-learning and a setup wizard and base calibrations are provided. Edelbrock I (800) 416-8628 Edelbrock.com
Billet OBS Hood Hinges Hey, all you OBS Chevy truck guys and gals, All American Billet now has some cool hinges to check out for your ride. These OBS Billet Hood Hinges for 1988-98 Chevy and GMC trucks are a great way to make your engine compartment pop. The hinges are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and engineered to operate smoothly. Manufactured to last, they come with large bearings, stainless steel gas struts, and stainless steel hardware. They fit the 1988-98 C/K Chevy and GMC trucks, as well as the 1992-99 Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban/Tahoe Yukon SUVs. All American Billet offers three finishes for the hinges – machined, polished and black anodized – which are sold in pairs and made in the U.S.A. All American Billet I (844) 245-5381 AllAmericanBillet.com
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 19
UP TO SPEED Goodguys Welcomes Karl Kustoms, SpeedTech Peformance, and E-ZUp to New Sponsorship Roles Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has built its reputation on working with top names in the hot rod aftermarket and is excited to officially welcome Karl Kustoms, Speedtech Performance, and E-Z Up to its growing list of sponsors for the 2021 event season. Karl Kustoms is being recognized as the Goodguys Preferred Chevrolet Performance Crate Engine Supplier. The Des Moines, Iowa-based performance retailer has long been known as a reliable resource for performance parts and custom builds and carries the full line of GM crate engines and transmissions. They even have an in-house custom race engine shop to complement their engine offerings. Goodguys appreciates the company ’s support and is proud to have them as a sponsor. Performance chassis manufacturer and custom vehicle builder Speedtech Performance has stepped up to sponsor the Goodguys Mighty Muscle Special Parking Area. This is one of our popular Saturday Special Parking areas and regularly draws a great variety of muscle cars ranging from restored stockers to modified pro-touring street machines. It’s great to
Vintage Air Names Rick Love President Vintage Air has announced promotions for multiple members of its senior management team, including the promotion of Rick Love to serve as the company’s president. The new senior management roles will place founder and former president Jack Chisenhall as the CEO, where he will continue to oversee the organization. Love, Vintage Air’s longtime executive vice president, will become the company president, where he will oversee day-to-day operations at the facility and continue working closely with all teams. In other new roles, Allison Chisenhall-Harding will become chief operating officer. She will be responsible for overseeing manufacturing and production and working closely with engineers and production supervisors to enhance production flow and managerial techniques. Longtime employee Ryan Zwicker will become chief innovation officer, where he will oversee product and manufacturing engineering as part of the product development process. He was formerly vice president of engineering and technology. “The entire team at Vintage Air has shown to be passionate and driven to succeed during this unpredictable time, and I couldn’t be more confident in the decision to promote our upper management team,” said Chisenhall. “With decades of experience combined between Rick, Ryan, and Allison, I know Vintage Air is positioned to continue being the leader in designing and manufacturing performance air conditioning systems.”
Crate Corrections
have a strong and reputable company like Speedtech Performance supporting that portion of our events. Most rodders are familiar with E-Z Up, the company that pioneered the Instant Shelters that have become ubiquitous at car shows, races, campgrounds, and other gatherings and events. Goodguys is happy to welcome E-Z Up as the Official Instant Shelter of the Top 12 Of The Year Awards. You’ll see an E-Z Up shelter adorned with Top 12 sponsor logos at events throughout the season. We welcome the support – and the shade – from this California-based company. 22 y JULY.2021
It seems we made a couple of mistakes in our big crate engine guide in the May Gazette. Goodguys regrets these errors and wanted to correct the record for Blueprint Engines and Gandrud Parts Center. The first one is regarding Blueprint Engines, which sells Chevy, Ford, and Mopar crate engines, in addition to Builder Series packages that combine a crate engine, accessory drive system, and transmission all in one package. We mistakenly said that the Blueprint line includes Ford Coyote engines, which is does not. The company does, however, offer a wide range of conventional Ford small-block crate engines ranging from standard 302c.i. configurations, to strokers coming in at 347, 408, or even 427c.i. You can check out the full line at BluePrintEngines.com. We also unfortunately misspelled the name of Gandrud Parts Center in that company’s crate guide listing. This Wisconsin-based company is a Chevrolet Performance dealer and carries the full line of crate engine and performance parts offerings, from conventional ZZ-series small blocks to Connect & Cruise LS and LT packages. You can learn more about their products and service at GandrudPartsCenter.com.
John McLeod Joins Starbird Hall of Fame Classic Instruments is happy to share that its company owner, John McLeod, was inducted into the Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom Hall of Fame during the 57th Annual Darryl Starbird National Rod and Custom Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 30-May 2. John humbly received the award for the impact that Classic Instruments has had on the hot rod industry; continuously being the go-to company for top builders seeking one-off custom dashes. “To join the ranks of industry icons such as Boyd Coddington, Troy Trepanier, George Barris, and Posie, just to name a few, is certainly an honor that I never would have expected,” McLeod said. The team at Classic Instruments congratulates McLeod and this year’s other inductees into the Hall of Fame: Dan Woods, Chris Ryan, Ron Covell, Eric Geisert, and Penny Pichette.
Custom Painting The winner of this year’s Goodguys Grand Prize Giveaway ’67 Nova will not only have an incredible muscle machine to park in their garage. They will also get a nice addition for their shop or home – a custom painting by automotive artist Dan McCrary. This original watercolor painting shows multiple angles of the Designer Street Rods-built Nova and detailed depictions of the engine and interior. It’s a fantastic example of Dan’s artistic style, which is incredibly realistic and draws on a lifelong appreciation for and experience with hot rods and vintage cars. We caught up with McCrary at the North Carolina Nationals in April, where he had his art on display in the indoor vendor area. We’re happy to report that he will also have a booth at the 23rd Summit Racing Nationals presented by PPG, July 9-11 in Columbus, Ohio. We encourage you to look for him there, and to check out the Nova painting in the Choice Products Booth at Goodguys events until then. You can see more of Dan’s art at DMcCraryArt.com.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 23
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finalist spot, Charley Lillard’s ’70 Mercury Cyclone added to the Billet Specialties Muscle Car running, and Fred DeFalco’s ’54 Buick mixed things up for the Vintage Air Custom Rod category. The Goodguys media team, meanwhile, had a thing for Pontiacs, selecting Barry Blomquist’s ’65 Catalina 2+2 for the Goodguys Feature Pick and Penny and Richard Hammer’s ’65 Acadian for the Fuel Curve Pick. AutoCross racers heated up the asphalt all weekend on the CPP AutoCross track with over 70 drivers packing the pits. Claiming class wins were Robby Unser driving the Speedway Motors ’70 Camaro in the PRO-X class, Ryan Mathews behind the wheel of Bob Gawlik’s ’87 Corvette in PRO, Scot Spiewak’s ’87 Corvette in Forgeline Street Machine, Pat Sheely’s ’59 Apache in LMC Truck, and Tom Hull’s ’36 Pontiac in FiTech Challenger. The Autometer Spring Shootout action mixed things up with some new drivers finding some winner’s hardware. Robby Unser doubled up in the PRO-X class, but from there it was all fresh faces including Eric Sheely in a ’72 Corvette winning the PRO class shootout, Tim Molzen’s ’63 Dart in Street Machine, and Mark Allen’s ’87 GMC Syclone pickup in the combined Truck/Challenger shootout. The Wilwood Disc Brakes All American Sunday class was captured by familiar AutoCross racer Brian Peters driving a 2019 Tesla Model 3 – the first EV vehicle to win in Goodguys AutoCross. The springtime bloom of cool cars and color at the FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals has us looking forward to returning to WestWorld of Scottsdale in November for the 24th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals presented by Barrett-Jackson on November 19-21. Between now and then, though, we’ve got a full season of Goodguys Good Times to bring to venues all across the country. We hope to see you at one of them. Story ending symbol
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E8787 Steinberg Ln, New London WI 54961 GOOD-GUYS.COM y 29
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
HOT ROD CRUISE It’s an Arizona tradition to kick off our Scottsdale events with a Thursday cruise around the Phoenix area to visit local shops and hot rod businesses. The region is rich with specialty restoration and custom shops, not to mention support businesses like parts retailers, consignment sellers, and service facilities. There’s never a shortage of places to go! Longtime Goodguys Rodders Rep Ernie Oakes has organized this cruise for many years and put together another great route and series of stops for the Spring Nationals. We first ventured to Vintage Iron, a great all-
around hot rod shop, and then cruised over to the Gateway Classic Cars warehouse to drool over some of the choice consignment vehicles ready for purchase. Next up was RamJet’s Speed Shop, an old-school performance parts shop, and we finished off the afternoon at Baer Brakes, one of the oldest and best-known names in the performance braking game. It’s hard to beat a day of cruising with fellow rodders and checking out the local hot rod stops and shops. We can’t think of a better way to kick off a weekend of Goodguys Good Times!
32 y JULY.2021
STOP 1
Vintage Iron & Restoration VintageIronandRestoration.com
STOP 2
Gateway Classic Cars
STOP 3
RamJet’s Speed Shop
STOP 4
Baer Brakes
GatewayClassicCars.com
RamjetsSpeedShop.com
Baer.com
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 33
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
BUILDER’S CHOICE TOP 10 AWARDS CHOSEN BY
MIKE & RANDY WAY
OF
Mike and Randy Way have been consistently crafting highquality rides at their All Ways Hot Rods shop for years; they’ve also been consistently selecting great Chevrolet Performance Builder’s Choice Top 10 lineups at the Spring Nationals for years and we were happy to have them back again to lend their expertise. These guys know how to spot winners because they’re familiar with what it takes to build them! Mike and Randy’s selections this year included everything from traditional-style ’30s hot rods to slick and contemporary ’60s and ’70s trucks. One consistent theme seemed to be an emphasis on clean style – cars and trucks that defy trends and will look good for years to come. Let’s take a look at what caught their attention.
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Bathed in bright Torch Red Axalta paint, Ron Evans’ ’63 Corvette is sure to capture your attention. This beauty was built by Weaver Customs and benefits from a modern Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis, Wilwood disc brakes, 18- and 20-inch Budnik wheels, and a 525hp LS3 engine backed by a 4L70E transmission. Peek through the flushmount glass and you’ll find beautiful tan Hyde’s Leather upholstery, plus Dakota Digital gauges and Restomod A/C.
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Jim Carr’s Deuce is a great example of how cool Fordors can be. A custom-built frame with a dropped and drilled front axle gets it sitting right, and those knock-off wheels by Pat McDonald are spectacular. They get rolling with power from an LT4 Corvette engine backed by a 4L70 transmission. Alan Swedberg gets credit for the fantastic metalwork under the gray paint, while Armando’s stitched the red leather upholstery inside.
3
Before coming to Scottsdale, Brian Baker was able to show his custom ’50 Plymouth business coupe to his 92-yearold uncle Bob, who owned the car in the ’60s and ’70s. It’s a much-improved machine now, with a 5.7-liter Hemi, independent rear suspension, one-off wheels, and a host of subtle body mods done by Brian in his garage. Finished with beautiful maroon paint and leather upholstery, it’s easy to see how this Mopar earned a Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist nod in Texas a month earlier.
36 y JULY.2021
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After first showing it off in Texas, Bill Raper brought his ’67 Ford Galaxie to Scottsdale and nabbed a Builder’s Choice pick. It’s powered by a modern 5.0-loter Coyote V8 and sits nice and low over Budnik wheels thanks to a chassis modified by Travis Customs. Beautiful PPG paint covers the smoothed body with tucked bumpers. A ’60 Chevy dash leads the way in the custom cabin, with beautiful butterscotch leather stitched by Armando’s Upholstery.
5
Andy Carlson’s ’69 Chevy C10 was an LMC Truck of the Year Late finalist in 2018 and still looks fantastic. Built by Barry’s Speed Shop, the clean cruiser is lowered over one-off 20-inch wheels and sports subtle body mods like sectioned bumpers and a handbuilt grille. An LS3 V8 provides power and is backed by a 4L70E transmission. The beautiful maroon finish is complemented by equally exquisite leather upholstery inside stitched by Elegance Auto Detailing.
6
It’s hard to beat a clean and traditional Deuce five-window coupe like Dan and Susan Wachtel’s Denim Blue beauty. Split wishbones locate the dropped axle on the ’32 Ford frame, with a Halibrand quick-change rearend out back and steel wheels all around topped with Mercury caps. Under the louvered hood you’ll find a ’49 Cadillac V8 backed by a LaSalle transmission and the interior is tastefully stitched in classic rolls and pleats.
7
Ed Carlson’s stunning ’60 Impala is an owner-built beauty that looks right at home among pro-built rides. A modified stock chassis and air springs getting it sitting nicely over big-inch Intro wheels backed by Wilwood disc brakes, while an LS2 gives this full-size cruiser plenty of power and sounds great through MagnaFlow mufflers. The hot Viper Red paint on the body is complemented by custom red leather upholstery inside.
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Willie and Cathie Fowler have owned this ’67 Barracuda for 41 years, but it’s safe to say it has never looked (or run) as good as it does now. A Schwartz Performance chassis gives it plenty of handling prowess and lowers it nicely over Forgeline wheels, but the real eye-opener is the Hellcat engine under the blistered hood delivering a potent level of horsepower. This fast fish is just as nice inside, with custom leather upholstery, AutoMeter gauges, and air conditioning among its many comforts.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 37
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
TGIF PARTY There were plenty of reasons to celebrate on the Friday of Spring Nationals weekend. Whether you were cheering on the end of the week or the start of the event, American Legends Hot Rods and Muscle Cars was the place to be for the official event TGIF Party. The shop was celebrating its new, larger location and already had the facility packed with cool projects. People enjoyed checking out the in-progress rides and talking to the team, while the Habaneros Street Tacos food truck made hungry tummies happy.
40 y JULY.2021
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
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GOOD-GUYS.COM y 43
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
A little Southwest patina, American wheels, and a lowered stance all work well together on Mike Spray’s ’78 Chevy pickup.
Wow! Doug Jerger and the team at Squeeg’s Kustoms just finished this mouth-watering candy apple ’32 Ford roadster for shop founder (and Doug’s dad) Squeeg. It’s got all the right touches – white scallops, rolls ’n pleats, and a highly polished six-carb 327.
44 y JULY.2021
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Terry Kjenstad dared to be different by building a ’52 Studebaker Commander convertible, and did it up right with a Heidts front suspension, RideTech air springs, LT1 power, and a beautiful blue finish over a shaved and smoothed body.
Silver paint, red accents, and Rev wheels enhance the appearance of Gary Paolucci’s ’69 Camaro convertible, while LS3 power enhances the performance.
48 y JULY.2021
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA The bright red finish isn’t the only hot thing on Tom Eckholdt’s ’57 Chevy twodoor wagon – the LS7 engine, T56 six-speed, and Roadster Shop chassis are pretty blistering, too.
Remember the GMC Syclone pickup with turbocharged V6 power? Mark Allen had his on display on and tearing up the AutoCross track.
MODEL BEHAVIOR The Model Car Show in Scottsdale is always one of our best and showcases many amazing small-scale builds. Kids can use the inspiration of these custom models when building their own kits from the Take ’n Make sponsored by Auto World.
At Affordable Street Rods, we strive to offer "Quality Products at an Affordable Price." For many, the process of rebuilding, restoring, or building a new street rod is stressful enough as it is, there’s no reason to waste your time on inferior products. We are extremely selective in the brands that we carry. We only offer proven brands that lead their pricing category for quality and value. In addition to stocking and selling parts to members of the street rodding, hot rodding, and custom car communities, we install what we sell on our own cars. Our hands-on understanding of the challenges that you face in building a hot rod, make us a trusted resource.
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50 y JULY.2021
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
FINALIST
GOODGUYS 2021 VINTAGE AIR
CUSTOM ROD OF THE YEAR FRED DeFALCO • ANAHEIM, CA
1954 BUICK CENTURY WORDS: DAID DOUCETTE PHOTOS: JOHN JACKSON
Anyone who is a fan of a particular car – ’55 Chevys, for example – can look at a heavily modified example and pick out the changes. But if you’re looking at something different, like Fred DeFalco’s ’54 Buick Century, you may need to spend hours to discover all the modifications. Fred had always wanted a Buick and once he found an original example after lengthy internet searches, he reached out to the crew at Church Rods and Relics in St. Charles, Michigan, to produce the custom touches that would challenge the staunchest Buick enthusiast for hours. Let’s start with the body, where modifications abound beneath the two-tone green Glasurit paint. Rocker panels were lowered. The top fins were extended. The rear bumper was lowered and the front bumper was pushed forward. Both were smoothed and tucked. The Buick rides on a custom-built chassis with a Mustang II front suspension riding on RideTech air springs. In back, a Ford 9-inch rear houses 3.73 gears. Wilwood disc brakes front and rear handle the stopping demands, while EVOD 19x7- and 20x8-inch wheels complete the package. Under the hood, a 383c.i. stroker small-block Chevy cranks out 525 horsepower, thanks in part to Inglese eight-stack injectors feeding fuel to the 52 y JULY.2021
engine. Custom billet valve covers highlight the heavily customized engine compartment. Exhaust gases pass through Sanderson headers to Magnaflow exhaust pipes. A 700R4 automatic transmission, topped by a Gennie shifter, handles the gear-changing tasks. The full custom interior bears little resemblance to the stock configuration. Gone are the full-width factory bench seats that could handle your grandparents and four friends. Now a plush four-passenger interior features a custom designed dashboard, full-length one-of-a-kind console, and luxurious leather seating. The front seats were rescued from a Lexus 300. Everything was carefully stitched in green leather by Don’s Upholstery. The custom dash houses Classic Instruments gauges as well as the Vintage Air controls. A custom Jesse Greening steering wheel tops a Flaming River steering column. Door handles and pedals are the work of Eddie Motorsports, and there are plenty of other custom-machined trim pieces by both Greening and Church Rods and Relics.
Like many customs, the Buick has a name: Jaded. A close look at the right side of the dashboard shows the name displayed in custom script. But don’t be misled, the name is inspired by the colors, not Fred’s attitude. “Building cars is exciting and creates a lot of personal satisfaction,” Fred says. “But the people and friends I have made are the real deal.” Story ending symbol
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
SPRING SPEED
SPONSORS
Racing into Scottsdale for the Goodguys CPP AutoCross Series and AutoMeter Spring Shootout Nearly 100 drivers packed the pits of the Goodguys CPP AutoCross Racing Series course during the Spring Nationals weekend with goals of vying for overall class wins with the fastest time, AutoMeter Spring Shootout victories, and end-of-weekend bragging rights. Many of those goals were shared as there were a handful of different winners from each class. We frequently see class winners double up at an event with shootout victories, but that was less common here. After a day and a half of racing all day Friday and Saturday morning, Robby Unser in the Team Speedway ’70 Camaro stood atop the PRO-X field with a best time of 40.883, while Ryan Mathews took home the PRO class win with a 40.165 behind the wheel of Bob Gawlik’s ’87 Corvette. Scot Spiewak also wheeled an ’87 Corvette to the Forgeline Street Machine class win with a 41.885, Pat Sheely conquered the LMC Truck field in a ’59 Apache with a best time of 43.894, and Tom Hull’s ’36 Pontiac claimed the FiTech Challenger class win with a 45.468. We saw a new group of names join the winners circle Saturday afternoon when we ran the AutoMeter Spring Shootouts. Robby Unser was able to double up with a PRO-X class shootout victory after advancing past Mike Ahlstrom’s ’65 VW dune buggy and Casey Cronin’s ’72 Corvette, but several second-place class finishers stepped to prove that the shootouts are 56 y JULY.2021
not always claimed by the fastest class driver when the pressure is on. Consistency was the key on the PRO ladder and Eric Sheely had it. Sheely trailed Ryan Mathews during class racing by about half second but Mathews slowed in the shootout, setting up a close final round when these two drivers went head-to-head. Sheely was first to run in the final and laid down a 41.047; Mathews ran a competitive 41.181, but it wasn’t enough to top Sheely. It was similar in the Forgeline Street Machine class. Scot Spiewak claimed the overall class win with a 41.885, but Tim Molzen’s ’63 Dart was right on his heels with a 42.077. Spiewak beat Lance Hamilton’s ’85 Monte Carlo in the opening round and Molzen advanced over Keith Corrigan’s ’55 T-bird. In the final round, Molzen’s 42.877 was just enough to clip
®
(Above) We always enjoy seeing Bob Gawlik’s ’68 AMX run in the PRO class. He ran a best time of 43.106 for the weekend.
PRO-X CLASS AND AUTO METER SPRING SHOOTOUT WINNER
Mike Ahlstrom is always quick in his VW dune buggy and finished fourth in the PRO-X class with a best time of 42.956.
Robby Unser had a winning weekend in the Team Speedway ’70 Camaro, claiming the PRO-X class win with a best time of 40.883, and then running a 41.007 in the final round of the AutoMeter Spring Shootout to top the 42.947 run by Casey Cronin in his ’72 Corvette.
Keith Corrigan qualified third in his ’55 T-bird for the Forgeline Street Machine portion of the AutoMeter Spring Shootout but was unable to hold off Tim Molzen’s Dart in the first round.
FiTECH CHALLENGER WINNER
Tom Hull’s Corvette-suspended, LM7-powered ’36 Pontiac sedan claimed the FiTech Challenger class win with a 45.468 and made it to the final round of the Challenger/Truck shootout, where he was topped by Mark Allen’s GMC Syclone.
FORGELINE STREET MACHINE CLASS WINNER Mark Allen’s GMC Syclone pickup has factory turbocharged V6 power and he put it to good use on track, running strong in the LMC Truck class and overcoming class winner Pat Sheely (and Challenger class winner Tom Hull) to claim the AutoMeter Spring Shootout win with a 46.119 run.
LMC TRUCK SPRING SHOOTOUT WINNER
Spiewak’s 42.965 and get Molzen into the winner’s circle – a margin of victory of just .08-seconds that shows how tight shootout action can be. Rounding things out Saturday was the combined LMC Truck and FiTech Challenger class shootout. Pat Sheely’s ’59 Apache and Mark Allen’s GMC Syclone represented the truck side of the ladder with Tom Hull’s ’36 Pontiac and Gavin Hall’s ’59 Austin Healy on the Challenger side. After trailing Sheely all weekend in the Truck class, Allen got redemption and advanced to the final round over Sheely with a 45.441 to a 45.838. Hull’s Pontiac advanced on the other side of the ladder. Hull shaved nearly an entire second off his time in the final round but his 47.076 wasn’t enough
Scot Spiewak wheeled an ’87 Corvette to the Forgeline Street Machine class win with a 41.885 but was unable to hold off Tim Molzen’s Dart in the final round of the AutoMeter Spring Shootout.
for Allen’s 46.119. The biggest surprise of the weekend came during Meguiar’s All American Sunday when Brian Peters showed up with a 2019 Tesla Model 3 and laid the hammer down with the only sub-40-second pass of the entire event with a 39.996! Peters claimed the Wilwood All American Sunday class victory and dispatched new C8 Corvettes and other late-model muscle in the Sunday Shootout to meet up with Eric Sheely’s bad fast 2017 Ford Focus RS in the final round. Sheely stepped up and matched his best time with a 42.545-second pass, but the electric torque of Peters’ Tesla propelled him to a double up victory with a 40.442. GOOD-GUYS.COM y 57
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
PRO CLASS WINNER
Rob Crosswhite’s ’70 Corvette was looking great as it ran to a best time of 43.891 in the Forgeline Street Machine Class. Ryan Mathews took home the PRO class win with a best time of 40.165 in Bob Gawlik’s ’87 Corvette, but was unable to double up, losing the final round of the PRO AutoMeter Spring Shootout to Eric Sheely.
WILWOOD ALL AMERICAN CLASS & SHOOTOUT WINNER
Shocker! Brian Peters showed up on Sunday with a 2019 Tesla Model 3 and laid the hammer down with the only sub-40-second pass of the entire event – a 39.996! He doubled up and claimed the Wilwood All American Sunday class victory as well as the All American Sunday Shootout win.
LMC TRUCK TRUCK CLASS WINNER
Pat Sheely’s always-fast ’59 Apache topped the LMC Truck class field with a best time of 43.894 but lost to Mark Allen’s ’87 GMC Syclone in Saturday’s AutoMeter Spring Shootout.
Eric Sheely is always a threat in the Wilwood All American Sunday class behind the wheel of his 2017 Ford Focus RS. He qualified second for the Sunday shootout and made it to the final round, where he ran his best time of 42.545 – which was not enough to top the electric torque of Brian Peters’ Tesla and its 40.442 lap.
58 y JULY.2021
Jake Wright brought his LS-powered ’63 Nova over from New Mexico to put it to the test on the track, racing in the Forgeline Street Machine class and running a best time of 46.441.
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
FINALIST
GOODGUYS 2021 BILLET SPECIALTIES
MUSCLE CAR OF THE YEAR CHARLEY LILLARD • SCOTTSDALE, AZ
1970 MERCURY CYCLONE SPOILER WORDS: DAMON LEE PHOTOS: JOHN JACKSON
Charley Lillard wasn’t looking for another restoration project when he bought this 1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler. “It wasn’t even on my radar,” Charley says, “and then somebody pointed it out. It looked like a great survivor.” Charley recognized the Super Cobra Jet-powered machine as an exceptionally rare and complete example of Mercury’s stylish muscle car when his friend brought the online ad to his attention. Charley figured it might be a good candidate for a simple paint job refresh before enjoying on the road. “It appeared to be a really good survivor,” Charley says. “It wasn’t, but all the good parts were there. I ended up doing a full-blown restoration.” Charley turned to Randy Archer at Randy’s Specialties in Phoenix for the restoration work – the same guy who had restored Charley’s ’66 Pontiac Bonneville, which was a Muscle Car of the Year finalist in 2018. “I just wanted to paint it and clean it up a little,” Charley says. “And then things got carried away and Randy did what Randy does – because he’s never satisfied.” The restoration did include new Competition Blue paint – a rare color for a Cyclone Spoiler – plus a fresh white vinyl top and striping. Charley says that with an unusual car like this, it’s the little 60 y JULY.2021
things that can hang you up – like damaged wheel opening moldings, which are not available in reproduction form. “I managed to find a set and restore them,” Charley says. The rare 429c.i. Super Cobra Jet engine was in good shape – clean enough that Charley and Randy believe the 53,000 miles on the car’s odometer are original. Fresh gaskets, paint, and detailing were all that was needed to get the engine back to showroom condition. It’s fed by a Ram Air hood and four-barrel carb, breathes through dual exhaust, and is backed by a Toploader four-speed transmission sending power to a 3.91-geared Traction-Lok rearend. Charley located NOS hubcaps and trim rings and correct sport wheels, wrapping them in reproduction Firestone Wide Oval G7014 tires. The original spare tire in the trunk has never been used. The white vinyl upholstery on the high-back bucket seats is a nice contrast to the bright blue body. A console, Hurst shifter, and woodgrain
wheel add to the sporty appearance, with a dashmounted tach and other gauges keeping Charley informed on what’s happening under the hood. Though it was an unintentional restoration journey, Charley is understandably happy with the outcome. “It’s probably the nicest one on the planet,” he quips. Not bad for a car that was only supposed to get a quick paint job. Story ending symbol
NITRO THUNDERFEST George Donaldson is the original owner of this bright yellow ’75 Corvette, which has a four-speedbacked 350c.i. small block breathing through those chrome side pipes.
Fire ’em up! It’s always a joyful noise when we can line up some vintage dragsters and let them cackle and crack the throttle. Beyond the incredible sound these vintage machines produce, the sights and smells offer something to trigger multiple senses. These cars never fail to draw a crowd!
Simple custom mods like frenched headlights, Packard taillights, and a ’54 Chevy grille enhance the lines of the ’55 Buick Century belonging to Ed Gonzales.
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FOR LS1, LS2, LS3, • Exhaust Manifolds-available LS6 & VORTEC in 5 Finishes ENGINES • Head Pipe Adapters
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1955-59 CHEVY FULLSIZE KIT Shown with optional upgrades
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1947-53 & 1955-59 & 1963-72 CHEVY TRUCK ALSO FOR 1963-72 CHEVY SUBURBAN & 1953-56 FORD TRUCK
1937-48 & 1949-54 CHEVY FULLSIZE CAR
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STOCK-TYPE CONTROL ARMS
UPPER ARMS starting at 199/pr LOWER ARMS starting at $269/pr
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SPINDLES ALSO AVAILABLE $ SEPARATELY starting at 249/pr
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
PICK
HAMMER DOWN
RICHARD AND PENNY HAMMER GO ALL-IN WITH THEIR ’65 ACADIAN CANSO SPORT DELUXE WORDS: STEVEN BUNKER PHOTOS: JOHN JACKSON
Richard and Penny Hammer’s ’65 Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe is a car that deserves the rebuild and preservation it received by Dean Livermore and his team at Hot Rods by Dean. When you break it down by the numbers, only 365 Sport Deluxe Acadians were made in 1965 and most of them didn’t survive the snow, sand, and salt that covers the Canadian roads every winter. If you’re not familiar with the Acadian name, it’s was Canada’s version of a Chevy II, or Nova. Similar to the Chevy II and sold through Canadian Pontiac dealers, the Acadian body styles didn’t alter much from 1962-65 aside from trim options. But in 1965, the higher-level Acadians were branded with the Canso Sport Deluxe badging – similar to Chevrolet’s Super Sport designation. This particular ’65 Canso Sport Deluxe was originally sold by Trapp Motors in New Westminster British Columbia, Canada where it lived most of its life as a well-kept regular commuter. In 2002 it was bought by a GM dealership in the far eastern province of Nova Scotia, where it was restored for use as a showroom vehicle. It traded hands one more time in 2006 and was shipped back west to Alberta, which is where Richard and Penny found the car and struck a deal in 2013 to become its fourth owners. Richard restored a ’66 Acadian wagon that he still owns and drives, but he had bigger plans for this ’65 hardtop. In the fall of 2016, he shipped it to Hot Rods by Dean in Arizona, where they spent the next two and a half years rebuilding and refining it into a modern street machine. The first step was updating the ride quality, so a full Roadster Shop chassis was ordered which came with IFS, power rack and pinion steering, a Ford 9-inch rearend hung with a four-link rear suspension, and Wilwood disc brakes front and rear. The floor needs to be completely removed when you place a full chassis under these cars, so all new floor pans were fabricated once the chassis was in place and a set of Detroit Speed mini tubs was stitched in the rear. The Hot Rods by Dean crew worked more metal by grafting
IF YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ACADIAN NAME, IT’S WAS CANADA’S VERSION OF A CHEVY II, OR NOVA.
64 y JULY.2021
in a GTO hood scoop for a more aggressive look. Then they smoothed the body seams, tightened and straightened all body panel gaps, and shortened the wheel well openings. Highlighting the exterior is a custom mix of deep metallic burgundy PPG paint applied in-house, a black vinyl top, the original Canso Sport Deluxe badging that underwent meticulous restoration, and custom 18-inch wheels. One of the biggest gripes Richard had about his Acadian (and all Acadians, for that matter) was the lack of a Pontiac engine from the factory. When these cars were sold new, they had GM Chevrolet engines under the hood, whether it was a straight six or a V8. That was remedied with a built 400c.i. Pontiac V8 now residing between the frame rails, and it keeps a vintage vibe with an AutoTrend EFI Tri-Power induction setup. Hot Rods by Dean fabricated custom headers and exhaust, then backed it with a 700R4 transmission and converter from Hughes Performance. Hot Rod Interiors by Glenn carried that refined original theme to the inside of the car by modifying the stock seats before re-covering them in black Naugahyde material and laying the black square weave carpet on the floor. The stock dash was painted with the same custom-mixed PPG exterior paint in a matte finish and fitted with Classic Instrument gauges and Vintage Air A/C. A custom steering wheel by Hot Rods by Dean tops an IDIDIT column, power window controls and a Lokar shifter are fitted in a Nova center console, and an American Autowire harness ties everything together. Richard and Penny Hammer’s ’65 Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe was a victim of the year 2020 after being finished in late-2019 – it only made one appearance at the 2020 Grand National Roadster Show before being tucked away. We’re excited to see more of these builds that have been sitting idle for over a year make their way into the limelight – and sunlight – at Goodguys events as the 2021 season progresses. Story ending symbol
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 65
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Early Broncos remain popular, especially in places like Arizona where there are plenty of places to explore off the paved roads. Austin Hooper’s ’71 with small-block power looks ready for some adventure.
This back-to-basics ’23 T has been a father-and-son project for Matt and Dillon Silk. We dig the low-slung stance, chrome wheels, white upholstery, and 283c.i. small-block power.
66 y JULY.2021
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 67
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
FINALIST
GOODGUYS 2021 GRIOT’S GARAGE
MUSCLE MACHINE OF THE YEAR STEVE AGUILAR • FULLERTON, CA
1971 CHEVY CAMARO
WORDS: DAIVD DOUCETTE PHOTOS: JOHN JACKSON
An early second-generation Camaro offers an automotive artist a wide array of options: restored stock, ground-pounding Trans Am replica, Pro Street cruiser, autocross demon, and more. To make this if-you-can-dream-it you-can-built-it project a reality, the aftermarket provides just about everything you need to complement the metal-fabrication work. Steve Aguilar’s ’71 Camaro combines all the elements to produce a stunning example of what can accomplished. To see what he and his team built, start at the front that began life an as RS model. The original turn signals located between the headlights and grille were removed. Below the painted and recessed split bumpers, combo turn signals and air intakes were fabricated and located where the signals would be in a full-width bumper model. And, the grille is a one-off billet creation. Other modifications continue the creative approach: rocker panels extended 2-inches; body lines heightened and sharpened; stock rear spoiler sharpened and extended to flow better with the body lines; rear bumper cut, sectioned and tucked into the body; exhaust exiting through the rear valance. For a project that was supposed to be a simple suspension upgrade, the Camaro turned into a major build with the help of Sean Smith 68 y JULY.2021
Designs, Stone’s Metal Shop, Showtime Paint, Gabe’s Custom Interiors and an all-star list of suppliers. Front and rear suspension is courtesy of Detroit Speed: hydroformed subframe, steering, and a mini-tubbed rear suspension that includes a GM 12-bolt rearend with 4.11:1 gears. Baer 14-inch brakes reside on all four corners. HRE wheels – 19x9 in the front, 20x12 in the rear – are wrapped in Michelin tires. Resting under the hood is a 454c.i. LSx engine from L&R Engines that puts 600 horsepower to the rear wheels through a Bowler-prepped Tremec transmission. Exhaust gases are handled by 3-inch pipes with Borla mufflers. The interior was designed by Sean Smith Designs and executed by Gabe’s Custom Interiors. The leather-covered seats are from an Audi TT. The Sparc Industries-supplied dash is filled with Classic Instruments gauges. A Sparc steering wheel and column, as well as Lokar pedals and shifter, complete the interior package. What began as a suspension upgrade to a good
survivor Camaro gave birth to a car that can dominate on the show floor or an autocross course. But it’s also a great highway cruiser. “The most memorable experience was taking my son on the maiden drive,” Steve says. “We took a chance and drove it from Fullerton to Costa Mesa for the 2019 Labor Day Cruise. It made it there and got us home without incident.” Story ending symbol
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
OLD CREWS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
There’s modern Coyote power motivating Robert Phillips’ ’74 F250, sending power through a six-speed transmission to get the big billet wheels rolling.
Andrew Chavez – Rio Rancho, NM – 1975 Ford F250
Goodguys set aside a special area in Scottsdale for the Old Ford Crew Cabs group to showcase their “more-door” pre-1979 Ford trucks. We can’t imagine this many old-school crew-cab Ford trucks have been together in one place before. Robert Phillips, administrator of the Old Ford Crew Cabs social media group, organized the gathering and brought together a great lineup of extended-cab rides. Phillips has a deep-seated love for four-door Ford trucks and owns four of them himself. The four-door trucks were made by third-party coachbuilders through the early-’60s, sometimes by welding two regular cabs together. Most were ordered by the military or utility companies. In 1965, Ford began producing crew cabs at its new factory in Ontario, Canada, and the rest is history.
Royce Duke says his father built this ’65 Ford back in 1993. It’s still looking great and running strong with a 429c.i. V8 backed by a four speed.
Rob Powers had his ’87 Saleen Mustang convertible shined up and looking good with polished billet wheels that get turning courtesy of a 5.0-liter five-speed combo. 70 y JULY.2021
The Sweet brothers of Wyoming have updated their ’66 Ford with a modern 5.4-liter engine and six-speed transmission, in addition to beautiful burgundy paint, chrome wheels, and more contemporary seating.
Mike King has his ’60 Chevy pickup looking sharp lowered over biginch wheels painted to match the white grille.
We were really diggin’ Glenn Kramer’s channeled Deuce pickup with gold and white accents offsetting the flawless black paint and triple carbs topping the small-block Chevy engine.
We love the way all the body and fender lines converge when viewing Dave Anderson’s ’47 Cadillac from this angle. The long and low cruiser has a 350/2004R combo for power.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 71
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Miles Metcalf has lowered the suspension on his ’57 Continental Mark II to make it look better, and has a 700R4 overdrive automatic behind the original 364c.i. V8 to make it more freeway friendly.
Congrats to Daniel Lander for becoming a qualifier to win the ’67 Nova Grand Prize Giveaway vehicle built by Designer Street Rods. Daniel will be traveling to Columbus in July to see if he can choose the lucky key that starts this stunning street machine!
Custom caps, wide whites, and just the right amount of lowering is all Carlos Nieto’s black ’52 Chevy needs to look extra sharp.
74 y JULY.2021
We were tempted by this super-clean ’96 GMC that showed up in the swap meet and looked ready to cruise.
Since1980 1980 Since
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GOOD-GUYS.COM y 75
DRIVING BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS!
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
BURNOUT CONTEST
WISE GUYS SEATS BRING STYLE, PERFORMANCE, AND COMFORT TO YOUR CARS INTERIOR High and Low Back Seat Designs Joe Yezzi calls the Squarbody Syndicate ’72 Chevy van the “Smoke Box,” and it lived up to the moniker during the Burnout Competition in Scottsdale! With power from a 6.2-liter LS engine from Texas Speed equipped with power parts fromHolley Performance, the van has little problem breaking the rear tires loose and making some smoke. In fact, Joe quickly had the van fully engulfed – and was happily puffing on a cigar the whole time! It was an impressive show and had the gathered crowd cheering and clapping to confirm the van’s first-place finish.
– Direct Bolt-in Mounting – Ergonomic Design – Unlimited Material & Color Options Available
Tom Hamilton’s ’50 Pontiac caught our eye many times during the weekend with its justright stance, frenched headlights, shaved emblems, and whiteand-blue upholstery complementing the blue paint.
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We didn’t get owner info on this simple and clean Chevy II, but sure liked the stance and goldspoke wheels.
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SKAT BLAST Cabinets
Event sponsor FiTech Fuel Injection was set up with displays and representatives who could help provide the details and information for converting to fuel injection. They even helped adjust and inspect a few systems on cars that participants brought by the booth.
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1-800-321-9260 • tptools.com/go 82 y JULY.2021
With more styles than ever to showcase – and a custom shop that can create just about any gauge imaginable – the Classic Instruments booth stayed busy all weekend.
Special vehicles deserve specialty insurance and representatives from Grundy Insurance were busy all weekend answering questions about their policies and programs for classics.
Whether it’s racing, off roading, car shows or other motorsport endeavors, you can always find Lucas Oil actively supporting our industry. The Lucas representatives in Scottsdale were happy to answer questions about all of the company’s lubricants and additives.
We’re accustomed to seeing accessory drive brackets and other parts from All American Billet, but we were excited to see the company’s new classic truck chassis on display in Scottsdale. This will open up a whole new market for the company!
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
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capspowdercoating.com 84 y JULY.2021
Goodguys President Marc Meadors got the Goolsby-built ’79 Mustang out for a little exercise – which is pretty fun considering the Coyote engine, six speed, and Roadster Shop chassis.
11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
AWARD WINNERS There’s a turbocharged LMM Duramax diesel engine under the hood of Chris Karges’ ’57 Chevy, and it churns out more than 1400 ft.-lbs. of torque! Good thing there’s a stout Roadster Shop chassis supporting all the power of this beauty built by American Legends.
Meguiar’s Magnificent Masterpiece
One Fine Deuce (Sponsored by Lokar)
Ford Truck Pick
Kathy Garner’s husband Gary bought her this Dearborn Deuce roadster, fulfilling a lifelong dream for a topless hot rod. The DuPont copper and beige paint is complemented by Budnik wheels, and there’s a 347c.i. stroker small-block Ford under the hood.
(Sponsored by LMC Truck)
Corbin Sweet of Sweet Brothers Resto Mods says this ’79 Ford is “a 2011 Ford Raptor wrapped in a ’79 Bronco with Ford crew cab fabricated in.” With a supercharged 6.2-liter engine, bright red paint, and a ton of great detail work, this is one of the more impressive mash-ups we’ve seen.
Best LS Engine
(Sponsored by Lokar)
Mighty Mustang
(Sponsored by Golden Star Classic Auto Parts) Bronze paint and Schott wheels really set off Jim Hatch’s ’69 Mustang Mach 1. A TCI suspension brings the handling up to date, a Coyote Aluminator engine has it running strong, and beautiful butterscotch Ultraleather upholstery keeps driver and passengers comfy. 86 y JULY.2021
Ted Olson recently finished his sharp ’56 Nomad, which features Corvette front and rear suspensions, an LS3 backed by a 4L70E transmission, Billet Specialties wheels, and bright Viper Red paint paired with a black two-tone.
Chevy Muscle Pick Mighty Muscle
(Sponsored by Bowler Transmission) (Sponsored by Speedtech Performance)
Stan Harvell’s ’70 Hemi ’Cuda might look resto stock but packs a fuel-injected 528c.i. Hemi under the shaker hood, backed by a Tremec five-speed. A Griffin radiator and Vintage Air are among the other stealthy upgrades.
Homebuilt Heaven
Jim Kerr brought his “Super Duper Blue” ’69 Corvette all the way from Nebraska to shine in the Arizona sun. With a 700hp Nelson Racing Engines big block, Tremec five-speed, RideTech suspension, and Schott wheels, it’s a definite head-turner.
(Sponsored by Speedway Motors)
Bitchin’ Buick
(Sponsored by Golden Star Classic Auto Parts) Pat Lewis has his ’56 Buick Century looking sharp with two-tone paint, an air suspension, wide whites, and steel wheels with spider caps, and running strong with a big 455c.i. Buick V8 under the hood.
How cool would it be to get bread, ice cream, or hot rod parts delivered by David Littig’s custom ’61 Divco! It’s built on a modified C10 frame with RideTech suspension, Coddington wheels, and a triplecarb small-block Chevy.
Where do we start on Ric Bravo’s ’72 Blazer? With the tucked bumpers, brilliant blue paint, and 20-inch wheels? Or maybe the awesome interior with a ’59 Impala dash and leather seats with plaid inserts? With LS power and comforts like Vintage Air, it’s one bitchin’ Blazer.
Chevy Truck Pick
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
AWARD WINNERS Harold Backus had his Coast-toCoast ’37 Ford looking sharp with silver and black paint and American Racing wheels, and running strong with LS1 power.
Cool Custom
All American Sunday Award
Cool Convert
Larry Weigel likes to go fast, so he added a Whipple supercharger to the LS engine in his Crystal Red 2012 Camaro. Asanti 22-inch wheels and Lambo-style doors give it a little more flair.
Suede & Chrome Dean Jensen has owned his Deuce coupe for 12 years and has traded work with friends to make it this nice. It’s got a 331c.i. Hemi for power, Wheel Smith wire wheels, and black tuck ’n roll upholstery to match the beautiful black paint. 88 y JULY.2021
Alex Matkovich was 74 years old when he began the rebuild of his ’61 Corvette, and he was 77 when he finished it. It still has a 283c.i. small block and a four speed, but now rolls on chrome Billet Specialties wheels.
Way Cool Wagon A 5-inch top chop makes for a dramatic effect on Tony Sonia’s ’54 Ford Ranch Wagon, which also has a custom grille and PPG Sea Haze Green paint to set it apart. A 351 Windsor V8 and AOD transmission get the Halibrand wheels rolling.
Trick Truck Corral Pick
Hot Hauler Terry Downing found his ’33 Dodge pickup in Victorville, California and collected parts for 22 years before treating the stylish hauler to a full restoration that included brilliant red PPG paint with black fenders.
Chopped & Dropped With an 850hp Hemi, “Thumper” is an appropriate name for Kerry White’s ’41 Willys coupe. The Gasser-style stance is enhanced with ET wheels, fenderwell headers, and radiused rear fenders.
Blake Grandil’s ’70 C10 is an owner-built beauty with LS3 power, Porterbuilt suspension, 18- and 20-inch U.S. Mags wheels, and TMI seats. The beautiful burgundy paint was done by Arizona Auto Finish.
Cool Camaro What makes Chuck Immormino’s ’67 Camaro cool? A Heidts subframe and Foose wheels are a good start, along with the LS2 engine backed by a 4L60E transmission. It’s the DuPont Honda Fiji Blue paint that really helps it stand out, though.
Alex Matkovich was 74 years old when he began the rebuild of his ’61 Corvette, and he was 77 when he finished it. It still has a 283c.i. small block and a four speed, but now rolls on chrome Billet Specialties wheels.
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Jim Levante says the Spring Nationals weekend was the first time out for his slammed ’60 Cadillac, which he bought last year. It rides low on a ’96 Cadillac limo chassis and ’57 Cadillac hubcaps wrapped in wide whites.
Sooo Low Pick
Square Body Truck Pick
All American Sunday Pick Bright blue flames over yellow paint help Ty Horne’s 2003 Corvette stand out, as do the Lambo-style doors and custom wheels.
Period Perfect Claude Buley’s ’40 Ford sedan remained in a Ford dealership until 1973 – that was its first time sold! That’s one reason the original black paint looks so good. It’s got a blown Flathead with Fenton headers under the hood. 90 y JULY.2021
Jim and Kim Allen’s ’80 K5 Blazer is a Silverado Edition and packs the power of a 502c.i. big-block Chevy under the hood. A RideTech suspension gets it low over 20-inch U.S. Mags wheels.
Restored Award Bill Nauroth treated his Matador Red ’69 GTO to a four-year frame-off restoration. It retains its original 400c.i. V8, four-speed transmission, and all the other factory elements that make it cool.
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
GOODGUYS FEATURE PICK
ADVANCED EQUATION BARRY BLOMQUIST’S PONTIAC 2+2 GOES WELL BEYOND THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
WORDS: DAMON LEE
PHOTOS: JOHN JACKSON
It’s well known that the Pontiac GTO helped kick off the muscle car wars in the mid-1960s, but few people recall that Pontiac had more than one flavor – and size – of powerful vehicle in its showrooms. The division had gained a reputation for performance and packaged it in upscale fullsize platforms, too, with cars like the Grand Prix and the lesser known 2+2. Launched in 1964 as a trim package for the Catalina, the 2+2 became its own model in 1965 and was an attractive take on the redesigned Pontiac coupe body for that year. In addition to special trim, sporty bucket seats, console, and other appearance features, the 2+2 came standard with a 338hp, four-barrel-equipped 421c.i. V8 with dual exhaust and could also be
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had with Tri-Power carburetion or the HO engine package delivering even more power. It was a stylish balance of grace and vigor. Barry Blomquist can attest to the appeal of the 2+2 – he bought one new in 1965 at the tender age of 19. Even though he only owned it for little more than a year, it’s a car he recalls fondly. “It was a real neat car,” Barry says, “The mid-’60s Pontiacs were beautifully designed and great performance cars. One of my favorite cars ever.” Barry has been fortunate to own many cool hot rods and custom cars in recent years, including an incredible ’62 Corvette built by Roadster Shop that was Goodguys Street Machine of the Year in 2009. He had never got-
ten around to revisiting that mid-’60s Pontiac, though. “It was always too big of a car to do,” he says. That changed a few years ago when he mentioned the 2+2 to Roadster Shop’s Jeremy Gerber, who quickly looked up the model online and was intrigued by the chiseled, linear design. “Within three hours of talking to him, Chris Gray [Roadster Shop’s in-house designer] sent me a rendering,” Barry says. The illustration planted the seed, but Barry still didn’t have the car! Not to worry. Before long Jeremy had tracked down a 2+2 via Craigslist in Las Vegas – just a few hours’ drive from where Barry and his wife have a
home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Barry drove there the next day and found a clean, complete example with no detectible rust – the perfect candidate for the project that was gaining steam in his mind. The goal was simple in concept: “If this car was introduced today,” Barry says, “how would it be refined, powered, and reimagined with today’s engineering and quality?” Jeremy and the Roadster Shop team were on the same wavelength and did what they do best as soon as Barry shipped the big Pontiac to Illinois: they stripped the car down to a bare shell and scanned the underside so they could design a custom Fast Track chassis. The all-new frame gave the big Pontiac the benefit of an independent rear suspension, not to mention
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11TH FiTECH FUEL INJECTION SPRING NATIONALS
GOODGUYS FEATURE PICK
a performance-bred front suspension, coil-over shocks, and 14-inch Baer brakes with six-piston calipers. The team outdid itself on the wheels – one of the most-admired aspects of the build. Pontiac’s eight-lug sport wheels were perhaps the most distinctive factory wheels to come out of the ’60s. Designed and built by Kelsey Hayes with a goal of improving brake cooling, the finned wheels were both attractive and functional. Barry found an original 14-inch version, which was digitally scanned at Roadster Shop and scaled up to 19x10- and 20x12-inch sizes. Greening Auto Company machined the new three-piece versions, which use the eight outer lugs to secure the outside ring, inside rim, and centers, which then attach to the hubs using a conventional five-bolt pattern. Redline tires help complete the ’60s effect. The engine was actually a key factor to setting this project in motion. Roadster Shop made headlines when it began selling the Mercury Racing SB4 engine – a 427c.i. screamer based on a GM LS7 block with proprietary four-valve aluminum heads with overhead cams. It makes 750hp and revs to 8,000rpm, but it’s also substantial in size. Barry thought it would be the perfect engine to fill the expansive 2+2 engine bay. Painted Pontiac turquoise, surrounded by custom engine panels, and backed by a Tremec six-speed, it’s got the brutish attitude befitting this big brute. “Everybody looks when you start it up,” Barry says. “It’s a killer sound.” Very few modifications have been made to the made to the big body – the emphasis instead was on perfecting the lines and gaps before applying the BASF Glasurit finish, a rich, dark blue borrowed from a 2018 Aston Martin. Study the car closely, though, and you’ll find custom badges and other distinguishing details, plus beautiful chrome by Advanced Plating. Those well-thought details are even more abundant on the interior.
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“That’s where the car really shines,” Barry says. Beyond the beautiful red leather upholstery by Avant Garde Design, there are a host of custom-built and machined details like the shifter bezel, console trim, and emblems. The custom-built acrylic steering wheel has a great OEM feel, as do the one-off Dakota Digital gauges. Vintage Air keeps things cool, and the well-integrated stereo even manages to look at home in the console. The completed car is both incredibly cool and difficult to categorize. It’s significantly modified, but everything is so well designed and integrated that it doesn’t really look “custom.” And it goes well beyond the conventional restomod recipe. Thankfully, Barry does a good job of summing up this well-conceived 2+2. “Reimagining is the correct word,” he says. “It’s supposed to be understated and elegant – a true gentleman’s hot rod.” Story ending symbol
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The Hooker Blackheart/LS1Tech.com Show-N-Shine had more than a dozen different classes for LS-powered rides and there were plenty of cool cars and trucks showing their stuff in the Nevada sun. The Best of Show winner – which went to the Weaver Customs-built ’65 GMC pickup – went home with $500, and there were plenty of other awards to go around.
Prove it! The Dyno Challenge gave participants a chance to see just how much power their LS engine was sending to the rear wheels. Beyond bragging rights, there were prizes (compete with Holley gift certificats) for different classes of competition.
Event promoter Holley had an expansive display showcasing several LS-powered rides, including this wild tubeframed off-road beast.
Got smoke? Between the Drift Challenge and Burnout Contest, there was plenty of tire rubber getting turned into tire smoke throughout the weekend.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 97
EVENT
COVERAGE
Holley LS Fest West in Las Vegas
Send it! The off-road world has embraced the LS platform just like drag racers and street-bound hot rodders. Las Vegas Motor Speedway had a great area for these pre-runners and off-roaders to let loose in the dirt, complete with a large jump for catching air.
Between the AutoCross and Track X portions of the event, participants had a chance to prove the performance and handling prowess of their machines, not to mention their driving skills. The Track X used a portion of the LVMS road course to create a faster, less technical competition than AutoCross.
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There was plenty of straight-line action at LS Fest West, too, with a full roster of drag racing classes competing on the quarter-mile strip.
Congrats to the Grand Champions – the drivers who turned in the best all-around performance in multiple events! Josh Leisinger was the Grand Champion in the Vintage class with his ’64 Corvette, and David Carroll nabbed the Grand Champion title in the Truck class in a ’74 GMC (Nick Relampagos stepped in for him for the trophy photo). Duke Langley captured the Late-Model Grand Champion win in a 2002 Corvette. GOOD-GUYS.COM y 99
In Motion Wayne & Kelly Potter’s ‘66 Nova SS Wheel Hub Photo
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PSYCHEDELIC ’VETTE KEEPING THE ’70s SPIRIT ALIVE IN A CANDY-COATED CUSTOM CORVETTE WORDS: DAMON LEE
PHOTOS: KEVIN LIVERING
There’s an old quote somewhere about how some people have great memories of the 1970s, and others never left. Kevin Livering can relate – his custom ’69 Corvette is a survivor of that decade’s wild and flamboyant street machine scene. This real-deal custom ’Vette is little changed since its candy green paint was laid down back in 1972. “I have owned the car since 1980, when I was a junior in high school,” Kevin says. “I traded my ’73 Monte Carlo ‘even up’ for the car! Although the car is showing signs of age, I have done my best to preserve this survivor from the crazy ’70s psychedelic era.” The Corvette started out as a Fathom Green coupe with a 350c.i. small block and a four“I HAVE FOUND speed. The first owner blew the original engine, THAT MOST so a replacement 350 from a ’72 Impala was PEOPLE EITHER installed. The customization was done in 1972 LOVE IT OR THEY by “Stoney” Galbach, from Manheim, PennsylHATE IT,” KEVIN vania. “‘Stoney’ was well known among the SAYS OF THE racing circuit and for his custom paintwork on PSYCHEDELIC local midget race cars,” Kevin says. ’VETTE. “I had the good fortune to meet ‘Stoney’ before he passed away several years ago,” Kevin continues. “He shared with me that when he customized the ’Vette in 1972, the overall cost was $12,000! ‘Stoney’ installed flared fenders, an L88 hood, and 1973-style front fender vents. Air shocks raised the car up for the deepdish Cragar mags with fat 60-series tires (later upgraded to radials). The 104 y JULY.2021
custom paint started with a silver base coat topped with multiple coats of heavy metalflake and candy green paint. The ‘ribbons’ are painted on with candy colors and the paint was finished with 25 coats of clear lacquer. You also gotta love the crushed velvet, button-tucked interior, and shag carpeting!” Limited use in recent decades has helped with the car’s preservation, but it was a regular driver in the ’70s. “Sometime in the ’70s the front passenger side suffered some minor damage that is barely noticeable,” Kevin says. “While driving the car in 2001, I hit a drain grate that partially tore off the driver’s side rear fender flare. A very talented friend and painter, Gary
McGarvey, repaired the flared fender and was able to match the old paint.” Kevin says he treated the small-block engine to a rebuild 20 years ago, which included 10.2:1 pistons, a gear drive, aluminum heads, an Edelbrock intake with a 650 Holley double-pumper carb, Hooker side pipes, and a
rebuild of the Muncie four-speed. The brakes and suspension were refreshed, and the original rear gears replaced with 4.11s. Kevin met the Corvette’s original owner during Corvettes at Carlisle back in 1990. Nearly 30 years later, shortly after the original owner passed away, one of his friends gave Kevin a stack of old photos of the car – both before and after it was customized, plus some of it competing in World of Wheels shows in the 1970s. He even passed along some old trophies. “Although the paint’s clear coat is cracking and showing signs of age, it still looks relatively good,” Kevin says. The car has received increased attention in recent years as ’70s nostalgia grows, with showcases on a number of websites and in several magazines. It earned a spot in the Hershey
Antique Auto Museum in the Age of Aquarius show last year and was featured at Corvettes at Carlisle in 2019. It’s also the August feature car in the 2021 Snap-on calendar. “I have found that most people either love it or they hate it,” Kevin says of the psychedelic ’Vette. “People share their opinions with me either way! I never allowed the pressure or criticism to influence my love for the craftsmanship and work that was put into this car. “No matter where I go, there is someone that has a story about the car or remembers the car from years gone by,” he continues. “I love hearing the stories and all the nostalgia. It makes me happy when I can bring a smile to people’s faces.” Story ending symbol
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BLOWING THROUGH THE YEARS FIVE DECADES AND 360,000 MILES IN A BLOWN DROP-TOP ’65 CHEVELLE WORDS: DAVID DOUCETTE
PHOTOS: ROBERT McCARTER
When Bill Keller dropped $700 for a five-year-old Chevelle convertible in 1970, he probably wasn’t thinking about keeping the car for 50 years. But that’s what happened. Today the much-traveled ’65 has accumulated more than 360,000 miles, some in quarter-mile bursts but most in much more routine street driving. Bill bought the 327-powered, four-speed car with about 50,000 miles on the odometer. In its early years in upstate New York, the Chevelle was a daily driver except for the worst winter months. One early incident hinted at the car’s durability. Bill married in 1973 and he and his new bride drove the ’65 from New York to Virginia Beach, where they ran into high water on the roadway. “PEOPLE ARE “It was probably up to the headlights,” Bill SURPRISED TO says. “I kept it running and got up on dry land. I SEE A had to keep it buzzed up enough because of the CONVERTIBLE water. Eventually it cleared out and ran fine.” In 1975, Bill decided to convert the car for PRO-STREETED,” drag racing. As often happens, he went through BILL SAYS. several engines during the Chevelle’s racing life. When the local track closed in 1981, he put the car back to the street, first building blown small-block and eventually assembling the 468c.i. big-block Chevy topped with a BDS blower and electronic fuel injection that’s in the car today. A Doug Nash five-speed was installed in 1989 for one key reason: “I kept breaking the Muncies,” Bill says. 106 y JULY.2021
The pro-street convertible runs 29x18.50 Hoosier tires in the rear along with a 3.08:1 rearend. Power disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear handle the stopping. “People are surprised to see a convertible pro-streeted,” Bill says. “No roll cage. I had one in the car when I drag raced it. When I put the car on the street with the top down it looked terrible.” Bill has made a couple of passes since officially retiring the car from racing, though its last quarter-mile shot had a not necessarily happy ending. “The last time I was at the track I made a pass and as I came down the
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1986
return road, they told me to park it,” he says. The Chevelle had turned a 10.55/133mph run – fast enough to require more safety equipment like a roll cage to be legal. Bill didn’t want to go back to that version. Racking up 300,000-plus miles over 50 years has resulted in making a few repairs on the road. Driving to a show one time the car developed a miss. The analysis indicated that cylinder six wasn’t firing. Pulling the valve cover revealed a broken rocker arm. That’s not a spare part that most anyone carries on road trips, so a bit of scavenging produced a fix. “Every garage everywhere has a small block Chevy behind it,” Bill says. “My buddy went to the nearest garage, found one, asked if he could have a rocker. He came back with a rocker, push rod and rocker ball. We got it going again.”
A bad vibration developed going to another show; the car just wouldn’t run. A friend helped tow the Chevelle to the campground where they were staying. “We straddled a ditch with the car and got underneath,” Bill says. The problem: The whole center section clutch disc let go. A trip to the nearest auto parts store produced a replacement that solved the problem. Bill’s advice on putting so many miles on a 55-year-old car that can cruise the highways and turn 10-second quarter-mile times? “Drive it and if something breaks, fix it,” he says. “These cars are meant to go down the road.” Bill has done all the work on the Chevelle except for bodywork, so he knows the car inside and out. What’s next? Bill says that after 36 years the paint is finally showing its age, so a fresh finish is hopefully in the future. Story ending symbol
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 107
IT’S A KEEPER LARRY FULSOME HAS NOT ONLY KEPT HIS FIRST CAR SINCE 1962, HE’S ALSO LOGGED MORE THAN 400,000 MILES ON IT WORDS AND PHOTOS: MARK C. BACH
Larry Fulsome loves the look and style of a ’57 Chevy. He looked at several to purchase as his first car in the early 1960s, but his dad rejected them as being too much of a “hot rod.” Finally, he found one at a Chevy dealership in Mesa, Arizona, and began a great journey that has lasted nearly 60 years and over 408,000 miles. Larry’s dad worked at the GM Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, and perhaps this led to his admiration for all things Chevrolet. The two found this ’57 Bel Air sport coupe on the used lot of a Chevrolet dealership and bought it for $1,000 on the week of Thanksgiving AT THE TIME OF 1962. At that time, it had 46,658 miles on the THIS WRITING, odometer. Larry dated his future wife, Lu, in this car and THE CAR’S it was the family car after they married. Once ODOMETER Larry moved out on his own, he began making READING WAS custom touches to the Chevy, starting by remov408,747 AND ing the bumper guards, which his dad wouldn’t STILL RISING. allow while he was living at home. The Bel Air treated the family well and served as the family transporter and Larry’s daily driver for years. He rationalized that while the car might be old, it was paid for and reliable, with a known maintenance history. So, rather than trading it in on a vehicle with 108 y JULY.2021
unknown issues, he kept the Chevy. The car originally came with a 283c.i. V8 and four-barrel carburetor, producing 220 horsepower. It was matched to a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. Larry gave it a new paint job and interior refresh in 1966 since the Arizona sun can be harsh. The car’s first complete rebuild began in 1989 and was completed in 1992. Over the years he has gone through four engines; it currently has 350c.i. crate engine. The car has been involved in four collisions through the decades. The last one was in 2000 – Larry was in the middle of a four-car wreck, where two of the other cars fled the scene. After that, Lu convinced him that if he was going to get the car repaired, he might as well allow for some additional custom work he’d always wanted. So, a local body shop took custody of the family keeper and installed a ’57 Buick grille – a proven modification from the late-’50s and early-’60s. The car was re-painted India Ivory over the Colonial Cream yellow. As you might expect, when a car has been in the hands of a true car guy for almost 60 years, there have been other changes, too. Larry lowered the front end 4½-inches, shaved the hood, and capped the hood blisters. He also shaved the deck and installed a wagon rear bumper to move the license plate off the trunk lid. Chrome reverse wheels with spider caps and narrow whitewalls help complete the early-’60s look, as do the white-painted front
inner fenders. At the time of this writing, the car’s odometer reading was 408,747 and still rising. Larry is meticulous about keeping track of the car’s repairs and gas mileage, so his record keeping goes back to when he bought the Chevy. And despite the car show looks, he still uses the car as a regular driver and frequently chooses it for trips around town. He won’t pass up a chance to enter a car show and still gets admiring glances wherever he goes. Road trips are part of the equation, too, as Larry has ventured to California for
events like the Grand National Roadster Show and L.A. Roadster Show. He’s made a ton of friends because of the car and has attended all of the Goodguys events in Scottsdale, Arizona, except for one. Now, we’re sure there are lots of keeper cars that have been with one owner for ages. But approaching 59 years and over 400,000 miles might be a high bar for anybody to exceed. Plus, Fulsome is still going strong. Who knows what the odometer will read in five more years? Story ending symbol
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 109
DEFERRED DREAM AFTER NEARLY 60 YEARS, RAY McDONALD’S ‘53 CHEVY HAS FULFILLED ITS CUSTOM CALLING WORDS: DAMON LEE PHOTOS: DON YAWORSKI
How long would you wait to fulfill a dream? Five years? Ten? Ray McDonald postponed his custom Chevy dream for more than 50 years but was fortunate enough to hold onto both the vision and the car long enough to see it through to fruition. Growing up in a small town in central Illinois, Ray had few options when searching for his first car in 1962. He found this ’53 Chevy for $245 on a local car lot. “It was on the only used car lot in town,” Ray says. “I’m the second owner.” Ray tore into the Chevy with enthusiasm. “I no more than got it home and my buddy came up and we started taking chrome off,” Ray says. “We started changing it immediately.” In addition to removing trim (and filling the holes with Bondo), Ray tried to improve the performance of the 235c.i. six cylinder and threespeed transmission. “I hopped it up a little bit,” he says. “I had headers on it. I put a Hurst shifter in it. I had a three one-barrel setup I bought used – I could never, ever get it running right. “It at least sounded like it had more power,” Ray says with a chuckle. Ray drove the car for a couple of years, using it daily and making more modifications as he could. A local upholstery shop redid the interior for $140. A bodyman in a nearby town painted it a beautiful metallic red, which almost immediately started to sun fade. Ray eventually fitted it with 110 y JULY.2021
a set of Mickey Thompson mag wheels. The car stayed home when Ray went off to college but remained an occasional driver through the ’60s. His dad had the Chevy repainted while Ray was serving in Vietnam. Ray kept the car through the ’70s and ’80s as he started his family and moved several times, eventually settling in the Kansas City area. He would drive the Chevy occasionally and dream of “someday” plans from time to time. A pivotal moment came in 1993, when Ray’s son Scott was driving the Chevy to high school and got in a crash, wrecking the front end. Ray could have sold or salvaged the Chevy then, but opted to store it and wait for the opportunity to rebuild it properly. It would take more than two decades for that to happen. In 2016, Ray bit the bullet and enlisted professional help at Chris Carlson Hot Rods in Mulvane, Kansas. It was a comprehensive rebuild, with a TCI front suspension, coil-over rear suspension, and Ford 8.8-inch rearend getting installed. The Rocket Racing wheels are a modern take on the Halibrands that Ray wanted back in the ’60s, while things are fully modern under the hood with a GM Connect-and-Cruise 525hp LS3 engine and overdrive automatic transmission. “It’s hard to argue against that LS engine,” Ray says. “It’s pretty well bulletproof and foolproof.” The rebuild incorporated many body modifications Ray always wanted,
too. Topping the list was a chopped top, which looks surprisingly subtle thanks to a stock-height ’51 Chevy rear window. A shaved hood, trunk, and door handles were part of the mix, too. The bright red PPG finish has recently been accented with a little pinstriping. “That’s something I always wanted back in the day,” Ray says. The inside got a similar makeover, with gray leather upholstery over ’60s T-bird seats, a custom console, Dakota Digital gauges, Vintage Air, a Garmin navigation system, and a CON2R steering wheel atop the tilt column. Ray has worked with another local shop, Tallant’s Hot Rod Shop, on a few of the Chevy’s ongoing refinements and has been happy driving and
enjoying the custom Chevy over the past couple of years, even picking up the Way Cool Award at the 2019 Goodguys Colorado Nationals. He’s happy the blend of traditional custom touches and modern refinement have been well-received by others. “I’m amazed at the comments I hear,” he says. “So many people get it. They totally get it.” Asked if he ever considered selling the Chevy, Ray is quick to answer: “Oh, gosh – no, never. It’s my car. The dream was always to someday build this thing the way I wanted it.” Did he succeed? “Definitely – beyond my dreams,” Ray says. “I never thought it would be the quality like this.” Story ending symbol
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Inside the cab, the Goolsby team built a custom transmission and driveshaft tunnel to accommodate the truck’s low stance and larger 4L80E Gearstar transmission.
The custom metalwork started on the cab, with subtle modifications like this custom firewall filler panel that matches the custom inner fenders.
Welding the seam on the top of the cab helped to start smoothing things off.
The stock door handle holes were also welded shut in preparation of new custom handles from BBT Fabrications. The new handles use modern GM electric door latch assemblies, so the jambs and strikers had to be modified to accommodate those.
bed assembly. Most enthusiasts realize that even seemingly simple procedures like replacing a hood require a certain level of skill, especially when the goal is to have precise, show-quality gaps and fitment. In other words, the Goolsby team still invested a lot of time and care when assembling and fitting both the stock and replacement parts onto the body. The custom fun came
Assembling the new bed sides, floor, and front panel from LMC was pretty straightforward. Then the new floor was cut apart into three pieces so a step could be built over the kickup in the frame.
in the form of small touches like a filled fuel filler door, custom firewall panel, filled top seam, custom transmission tunnel, narrowed bumpers, and custom inner fenders – construction of which is covered in more detail on page 118. Some of the more substantial body modifications were to the bed floor and wheel tubs. With the large step on the rear of the chassis tucking the GOOD-GUYS.COM y 115
SPECIAL
FEATURE
A support brace was built from rectangular tubing to sit atop the frame kickup and support the floor. The middle floor section was then cut into three pieces and skillfully aligned and welded back together to create the new shape. The low stance also required modifying the inner wheel tubs. The team started with wider-than-factory tubs from LMC and actually narrowed them several inches. They were extended vertically since they will now sit higher in the bed. The mounting flange on the inner bed side panel had to be cut out and raised to accommodate the new position of the tubs.
One other bed floor modification was installing this recessed filler assembly for the Tanks, Inc. fuel tank.
With the modified pieces assembled, everything looks like it belongs. As usual, the talented Goolsby Customs team makes all this work look easy and clean.
Tucking the bumpers tighter to the body meant slicing them in half, removing little material from the middle, and welding it all back together. The ends were also modified to better fit the body contour. 116 y JULY.2021
PARTS SUPPLIERS
As portions of the metalwork and panel alignment processes were completed, the different body sections could be rolled into the paint booth for the next round of primer. Black BASF epoxy primer was used to cover the bare metal after the metalwork was done, and then a gray high-build primer was applied. This primer allows for the hours of block sanding required for a flat, smooth finish. Check out those tight, precise door gaps!
It can make you cringe to cut and drill into freshly straightened and primed metal, but that’s just what Ben did to install the new billet aluminum Pro Edge door handles from BBT Fabrications. These handles have a modern, high-quality feel and an appearance that’s just a little more custom and distinctive than stock.
It’s a little out of sequence, but we couldn’t resist showing the assembled body in primer, sitting nice and low on the Roadster Shop chassis and B-Forged wheels. It’s getting close to having some color on it!
rear axle up high, the bed floor needed to be either raised completely or stepped to match. The Goolsby team opted for a step. This involved cutting a large section out of the middle of the floor, splitting that section into thirds (two inclines and a flat top) and welding it all back together in precise alignment. The wheel tubs then had to be raised, extended, and modified to fit. It was a lot of work, but the Goolsby crew made it look easy. Additional body mods included filling the original door handle holes to prepare for the billet aluminum Pro Edge door handles from BBT Fabrications, which included upgrading to new late-model electric
door latches, too. While the different body modifications were being completed, the team also got busy with panel alignment and the hours of fine tuning required to get everything fitting as it should. As different portions of the metalwork and prep processes were completed, the various body panels and sections could be rolled into the paint booth so high-build primer could be applied, setting the stage for the hours of block sanding required for a flat, smooth finish. We’ll dig into that more next month. For now, let’s see some highlights of how the Goolsby team built a better body. Story ending symbol
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The custom inner fenders built by Goolsbuy Customs for the Goodguys Grand Prize Giveaway Squarebody pickup allow for ample clearance for the 20x10-inch wheels on the lowered truck, and also look great thanks to well-executed design and construction. Read on for a closer look at how they were built.
CUSTOM COVERS WORDS: GOODGUYS
PHOTOS: GOOLSBY CUSTOMS
Some custom modifications on our vintage cars and trucks are born out of necessity, some stem from desire, and many are a little of both. Take the custom inner fender panels on the Goodguys Grand Prize Giveaway Squarebody ’86 Chevy pickup, for example. The low stance of the RoadTHE CUSTOM INNER ster Shop Slammed SPEC chassis required FENDERS CRAFTED AT a custom inner fender solution so we GOOLSBY CUSTOMS could run 20x10-inch B-Forged wheels NOT ONLY SOLVE A PROBLEM, THEY LOOK and 265/35/20 tires without rubbing or interference. Deleting the inner fenders GREAT DOING SO. was not the solution we wanted. And while there are off-the-shelf inner fenders are available, the Goolsby team decided this was one area where they could put their custom fabrication skills on display. The custom inner fenders crafted at Goolsby Customs not only solve a 118 y JULY.2021
A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT BUILDING CUSTOM INNER FENDERS
problem, they look great doing so. Like any good custom modification, these pieces appear to belong – they fit the space well and almost have an OEM feel thanks to the clean shape and well-placed beads and raised panels lending some design and distinction. The result is a better-than-OEM appearance – something that actually looks much cleaner than most massproduced factory parts. The Goolsby team did a great job of chronicling how these inner fenders were built, so we thought it would be cool to show you the behind-thescenes process as part of our metalworking section. Not only will this help you appreciate the fabrication skill that goes into custom parts like these, it might also give you some ideas on how you might approach making similar parts for your own ride. And if that seems overwhelming, you can look for bolt-on solutions like the Slosh Tubz install shown on page 122. For now, though, let’s look at how seasoned metal craftsmen approach building custom panels like these. Story ending symbol
To start, the Goolsby team determined how much additional clearance was needed on the back side of the fenders. The inner structure of the fender was then trimmed accordingly, and filler panels built and welded in to finish off the back side of the fender.
From there, main arch and vertical filler panel of the new inner fender assembly were initially mocked into place. The team started with cardboard templates, then those shapes were transferred to metal, with the main arch matching the height and shape of filler panels built in the first step. The vertical filler panel and main arch were then tack welded together and held onto the fender using metal clamps. Note also the temporary flange tack welded to the main arch, which will help as the next panel is built and attached.
The next panel was the large, angled piece that leads from the main arch down toward the frame. Look closely and you’ll see a slight lip on its top edge, which will allow it to eventually be butt-welded to the main arch panel.
Here’s a look at the initial three-piece assembly off the truck and on the bench. Note the line at the bottom marking where the angled panel needs to be trimmed.
A short vertical piece was needed to finish the assembly and connect the angled section to the frame, Again, a cardboard template helped determine the initial shape before it was cut out in metal. Then it was temporarily clamped to the frame. A temporary flange on the upper portion of the panel will aid in mating it up to the main assembly.
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This photo of the inner fender assembly shows how the three main pieces came together. At this point, the pieces were still tack welded together, as they needed to come apart again so that beads and stepped sections could be rolled into them. The outlines of those bead lines have been marked on these panels. With the pieces cut apart again, a planishing hammer was used to stretch the metal along the lines where the beads and raised panels would be rolled. This prevents distortion when using the bead roller to create the beads and raised panel sections. These beads and raised panels not only look good and create a more finished appearance, but also strengthen the metal and prevent it from easy denting and annoying oil-can flexing.
After tack welding the inner fender pieces back together, the assembly was test fit in the truck again so any final trimming and adjustments could be made.
After final welding and dressing the welds, the result was a pair of greatlooking inner fenders that will provide additional clearance, plenty of strength, and a custom finishing touch. We’re almost disappointed that all of this cool custom metalwork will be covered up with paint! 120 y JULY.2021
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BOLT-IN CLEARANCE INSTALLING SLOSH TUBZ “MILD TUBZ” IN A SQUAREBODY TRUCK WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVEN BUNKER
We just showed you how the Goolsby Customs team fabricated a set of bitchin’ custom sheet metal inner fenders on our 2021-22 Grand Prize Giveaway Squarebody Chevy truck. But there’s another option for solving the issue of front tire clearance on trucks like these – one that still looks good and can be installed with basic tools at home and a days’ worth of work. Over the past two years I’ve slowly been upgrading, fixing, and adjusting my ’87 GMC Suburban in search of that “just right” static stance. Once I got the suspension to a position I liked, I ran into front wheel and tire clearance issues with the stock front inner fenders and 20-inch wheels. This is a common problem when lowering these trucks – common enough that enthusiast Mike Losh at Slosh Tubz has developed a line of custom fiberglass inner fenders (for Squarebodies and a wide range of other trucks) to solve the issue. At the Goodguys LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals event in March, I decided to take advantage of Slosh Tubz’s show special pricing and bought a set of “Mild Tubz.” These inner fenders have an OEM-style look and the company offers a version designed to work around my factory A/C system. (Wider Slosh Tubz are available for trucks with air springs and even wider wheel-and-tire combos.) I also bought the Slosh Tubz battery relocation bracket (a must have), as well as the sheet metal inner fender filler panels to clean up my engine bay a little bit. Once everything arrived home from Texas to California (shout out to Goodguys member Deane Wilson for bringing it all
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home for me in the back of his ’61 Ford Wagon), I went to my dad’s shop and commandeered his two-post lift for a day and got to work. I break down the step-by-step installation process below, along with some tips I learned along the way.
As you can see, my clearance issue was on the inner side of the tire on both the driver and passenger sides. Slosh Tubz are made from fiberglass and only the top side is gel coated. I chose to hit the inside with some black spray paint, but you can also work the inside to a smooth finish for a cleaner look.
You will also have to remove the stock battery mount, radiator overflow, windshield washer fluid canister, and anything else mounted to the factory inner fenders. Once everything was removed the stock inner fenders will easily drop out the bottom through the wheel opening. The first step is to remove the old inner fenders. After 30-plus years of road grime, some of the bolt heads were hard to find, and all of them needed to be cleaned with a hand chisel to get a socket firmly in place. The factory J-nuts along the lip of the fender will be used for the Slosh Tubz final install. Take your time on this step to get accurate measurements to locate the holes on the Slosh Tubz. I pulled a tape measure from the outer fender lip in a level line to the center of the J-nut and marked each measurement on a piece of paper. You will need this measurement reference at a later step.
Slosh Tubz provides a cardstock paper template to remove a section of the inner front fender to accommodate the new tubs. You’ll need to prop your hood open and remove the lower hinge bolts. The template uses the hinge bolt location as a starting reference. GOOD-GUYS.COM y 123
TECH GUIDE
Once your cut line is traced, take a cutoff wheel and carefully make your cuts. I erred on the side of caution and made the lower cut long. I went back and used a flap disc on a grinder and removed more material on the lower cut to where the it was a straight line along the edge of the J-nuts.
With the new tubs in place, as well as the sheet metal inner fender fill panels I had powdercoated black, I started re-mounting items such as the windshield washer canister, radiator overflow, etc.
Once the tubs were able to slide into place, I referenced my measurements (photo 10) and drilled 1/8-inch pilot holes. Once all pilot holes were confirmed to be drilled in the correct location, I opened each hole for the 5/16 bolts.
You will need to purchase longer 5/16 bolts (I went with 1½-inch) and washers for the new install as the Slosh Tubz are thicker than the stock ones. I needed new bolts for all mounting locations except for the two larger bolts in the middle of the tub seen here.
As referenced in the opening paragraphs, the Battery Relocation kit Slosh Tubz sells is a must if you are currently using the factory battery mount location. The new mount will use the two factory battery mount hole locations, but it turns the battery 90 degrees and adds another mounting point to the bottom of the core support.
All done – it’s not a “pretty” engine bay, but the Slosh Tubz cleaned it up a lot and provide ample clearance for my front wheels now.
These old trucks weren’t engineered to be low…but they sure look good when they are!
I had the luxury of having a two-post lift available to me, but this entire process can be done with a set of stable jack stands.
SOURCE
sloshtubz.net
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TECH GUIDE
CUT, SHAPE, WELD A GUIDE TO
Metalworking Tools and Welders WORDS: TODD RYDEN
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
T
here is just no denying the fact that metalworking is a form of art, and we’re not talking about giant sculptures and pieces in museums. We’re talking about invisible welded seams, custom firewalls and engine surrounds, chopped tops, frenched headlamps, and other custom metal crafting that you see (and don’t see) on hot rods of all shapes and sizes. Building or even restoring a classic car or truck is going to require some sort of metalwork at some point, from replacing rusted panels to making custom touches. Whatever sort of metalwork is needed, it is going to take special skills and tools to finish the job right. The skills are one thing that are developed through experience, trial and error, but the machines and tools available to help you along the way are just as important. Building or even There is no shortage of metalworking tools available and the cool thing is that restoring a classic there are options to fit every budget. car or truck is going From useful metal forming hammers, to to require some sort cutting dies and bead rollers, English wheels, welders, and more. As the craft of metalwork at has grown in recent years, manufacturers some point. have also developed more tools that fit the home workshop budget, so it’s really up to you as to what you want to be able to accomplish. We talked with a number of companies that specialize in machinery, 126 y JULY.2021
tools, and the craft of working metal to see what’s new and what tools they recommend for a home shop. Judging by the specialty equipment available these days, we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of handmade parts, panels, and custom touches on the cars and trucks at our events in the next few years!
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M A N U F A C T U R E R S
Summit Racing Equipment
Door Hems
Replacing a door skin with smooth, clean sheet metal is a common practice and Summit Racing can help you get the job done like a pro with the Malco Turbo-X Tools Door Hemming Tool. This pneumatic tool features an offset design for easy one-hand operation and accepts any quick-connect hose adapter equipped with a male ¼-inch NPT thread. The anvil of the tool is made of an ABS polymer so it will not scratch or mar the replacement door skin. A narrow seaming wheel fits flush against the anvil fence to produce a tight, clean hemmed door edge. It is solventresistant and can be easily cleaned if an adhesive is being used between the door skin and panel.
Snap-on
Plasma Pro
If you’re doing a lot of metal work from repairs to customizing, a Plasma Cutter will make your life a lot easier by saving time while producing accurate cuts. Snap-on’s PLASMA30i is a compact yet powerful tool that is ideal for cutting a variety of metals up to 3/8-inch and severing materials up to ½-inch thick. The PLASMA30i accepts 115- or 230-volt power supplies and features inverter technology that makes it flexible for all sorts of different jobs. It has an adjustable amperage range to minimize distortion on thinner materials as well as a depth-of-cut adjustment which is ideal for panel removal around spot welds. An air filter and regulator are built-into the cutter, allowing for use with compressed air or nitrogen and there is an LED warning system to alert you to low pressure, high temps or system blockages. Snap-on supplies a power supply, ground cable, torch assembly, and spare torch consumables to get you started cutting!
Covell Creative Metalworking
Harbor Freight
Getting Started
If you’re looking to tackle some welding projects in your shop, Harbor Freight can get you dialed-in with everything you need to make some sparks! Their Chicago Electric Flux 125 is a versatile flux-core arc welder (FCAW) specifically designed to use self-shielding flux-cored welding wire. This eliminates the need for gas and regulators that standard MIG welders require. The Flux 25 can weld mild steel from 18-gauge up to 3/16-inch thick and has a variable speed wire control and thermal overload protection. Once you have a welder selected, Harbor Freight offers a number of accessories to get your shop set up including welding carts, a welding table, auto-darkening welding helmets, and a wide selection of welding gloves, aprons, rod holders, and other accessories.
Woodward Fab
Pro Cuts
If you’re doing any sort of sheet metal fabrication in your garage or shop, it’s time to step up to a professional cutting shear. The nice thing is that Woodward Fab offers a number of ‘throatless’ cutting tools that will help you do the job right without breaking your budget. The scissor-like action is smooth and produces precision cuts while an offset-designed frame allows it to be used with nearly any size work piece. As you pull on the handle and advance the material it will automatically self-center, making laser straight and dimple free cuts on up to 3/16-inch thick steel. Woodward offers blade lengths from 5- to 12-inches to fit the needs of beginners to professional fab shops.
Round-Over Lines
Speedway Motors
Looking to finish your new sheet metal panel with a rounded or radiused edge? Covell Creative Metalworking offers a set of trick Round-Over Dies that are designed to uniformly curl the edge panels to any angle up to 45-degrees. This added detail is perfect where a rounded edge is needed such as wheel tubs, engine compartment panels, tanks with rounded corners, and many other applications. The Round-Over Dies fit most beading machines and are available in four sizes: 5/16-inch, ½-inch, 1-inch, and 1½-inch radius. The dies are precision machined from high-quality, heat-treated steel so they’re up to rigorous everyday use on aluminum up to .090-inch and steel up to 16-gauge. For more details and other Covell tools, check out Trick-Tools.com
A tubing bender is a great tool to have if you’re planning to work on a custom chassis, crossmember, or rollbar. Speedway Motors offers an easy-to-use hydraulic bender that you’ll find extremely useful in the shop. The versatile bending machine handles up to .110-inch wall thickness mild steel or .096-inch wall thickness chromoly round tubing. Its powerful hydraulics will bend round tubing up to 90-degrees and there are incremental marks cast into the aluminum die to make reproducing precision bends easy. The bender includes one aluminum die of your choice, from 1- to 1-3/4-inch and Speedway offers additional 7-inch bend dies separately. The tool weighs in at under 50-pounds so it’s easy to move or store when not in use.
Tube Time
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HammerFab LEARNING FROM THE PROS Working metal is just not something you can learn from a textbook. Sure, there is plenty of information one can glean about the makeup of different metals, their best use, drill speeds, and joining metal pieces, but the best way to learn the craft is by getting your hands dirty in the shop and by using the right tools. Better yet is to find a class at a local community college or continuing education course. If you really want to learn hot-rod-specific lessons from the pros, however, there are several custom builders that offer workshops and classes. Tin Man’s Garage and Hammer Fab, both of which have produced award-winning hot rods, offer innovative, hands-on seminars to improve your metal working skills whether you’re a hobbyist or professional. Ron Covell is another metalworking guru who has long offered workshops and seminars about the art of working metal. Most of these workshops are based on very small groups, so it is a very personal training exercise with a lot of one-on-one guidance. Seminars typically include the theory behind the project, best practices, and the usage of machines along with tools of the trade. You’ll be in the shop, measuring, planning, selecting the materials, and working the machines that help produce cool, custom pieces of metal. There’s just no better way to learn by doing – especially with a professional sharing their experience and guidance. Learn more about these seminars by visiting their websites in the Sources box.
JEGS
No Gas Welding
If you’re looking to get started with some welding work in your home garage, JEGS offers a number of affordable MIG and TIG welders. A case in point is their MIG 100, which is powered by a standard 110-volt household outlet and provides you the ability to cover a number of different welding projects. The MIG 100 is a no-gas welder and is supplied with a 0.035-inch fluxcore wire so it is ready to get busy right out of the box! The simple controls make it ideal for beginners or pro use and weighs in at just over 30-pounds, making it easy to move from one project to the next. JEGS also includes a handheld mask and wire brush and backs up the welder’s quality with a 1-year warranty. Be sure to check out jegs.com for more welders and accessories. 128 y JULY.2021
Got Your Back
The team at Hammer Fab knows what it takes to create rolling metal sculptures and they also understand the tools required to do the job right. That’s why they offer quite a number of specialty tools including dimple die sets, tipping dies, hammers, and other useful fabrication tools such as their high-quality backer pads. Hammer Fab’s backer pads are designed for precision metal work by keeping the disk flat where inferior pads flex and bend. By keeping the abrasive disk flat, the user can focus on a consistent technique and feel for the abrasive to achieve the best finish. Plus, you’ll find that the abrasives last longer when they’re not rolled over or distorted. HammerFab offers 1-, 2- and 3-inch backer pads for angle grinders working with Roloc-style abrasives. They also have 3-inch gappers, flex backers, and radii backs (to create a perfect radius).
Baileigh Industrial
Stretch and Shrink
When it comes to crafting curved corners such as fender lips, window channels, and more, the tool of choice is a shrinker-stretcher. This useful piece of shop equipment does exactly what its name implies – it stretches metal and/or shrinks it, which helps you create perfectly contoured curves. Baileigh Industrial offers a wide range of shrinker-stretcher tools, from garage-friendly models to a heavy-duty hydraulic model. Their most popular is the MSS-16F which handles up to 16-gauge mild steel, has a generous 6-inch throat, and offers foot pedal control leaving your hands free to work the panel. Baileigh includes two sets of quick-change rounded jaws to keep marring to a minimum (optional jaws for aluminum are also available). The tool is secured to a cast iron stand finished with rolling casters to easily move the machine when not in use.
Mittler Bros.
Sheer Accuracy
You can easily fill your dream garage with all the cool metal working tools available from Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool, so we asked them to recommend a useful entrylevel tool for a home shop. Without hesitation, they brought up the usefulness of a Beverly Shear all-purpose metal cutting tool. Mittler acquired the well-known Beverly Shear company last year and now manufactures the proven, durable cutting tool. Their B2 throatless sheer can handle mild steel up to 10-gauge, stainless up to 14-gauge, and has a blade length of 4.375-inch. These blades are positioned to provide a clean, knurl-free cut to help save you time and get the job done correctly and consistently.
TMG Metal Shaping Tool Company
Lincoln Electric
Shape with Speed The process of smoothing, straightening, and shaping a body panel can take hours with a hammer and dolly. With the number of hand-fabricated projects coming out of Tin Man’s Garage, they wanted a better option so they developed their own pneumatic Planishing Hammer. The TMG183 Planishing Hammer allows you to bring the hammer onto the vehicle to help speed up the metal finishing process to straighten out damage as well as stretch weld seams and remove distortion to obtain professional results. The TMG-183 features a quick-release rachet head allowing for fast die changes during the operation. It is also versatile to easily change from a hand-held tool to a pedestal-mount planishing hammer, allowing you to shape and straighten panels off of the vehicle as well. The TMG Metal Shaping Tool Company offers eight different kits to help fit your goals and budget with multiple hoop configurations as well as upper and lower die sets, which are the key to obtaining beautifully finished metal surfaces.
Miller
Multi-Welds
When it comes to working on hot rods, who knows what challenges you’re going to face when it comes to metalwork and fabrication. That’s why Miller offers a series of multi-process welders such as their Multimatic 220 AC/DC welder which is capable of MIG, flux-cored stick, DC TIG, and AC TIG capabilities for steel and aluminum. Miller’s QuickTech technology makes the Multimatic incredibly easy to use as it automatically determines the polarity and switches to the right process so a MIG gun and TIG torch can be connected at the same time. Their Auto-Set Elite provides predefined settings for all processes and multiple materials, eliminating the guesswork when setting the many weld parameters for AC TIG and stick in the manual mode. The Multimatic 220 AC/DC unit operates with 120- or 240-volt power and weighs in at just 56-pounds.
SOURCES BAILEIGH INDUSTRIAL baileigh.com COVELL CREATIVE METALWORKING covell.biz
Dare to Weld
It cannot be stressed enough to protect your eyes when working with metal, especially when it comes to welding. Lincoln Electric understands the importance of safety and offers a number of different welding helmets including their top-of-the-line Viking 3350 series for the ultimate blend of optics, comfort and safety – and in this case, supercool daredevil looks! The 3550 series features Lincoln’s 4C lens technology to create the clearest view of the base material, arc, and puddle while working. The helmet features a large 12.5-square-inch viewing area and is designed with an even weight balance to reduce pressure, improve balance and add comfort. And of course, Lincoln backs up its quality with a 3-year hasslefree warranty.
Trick-Tools
Multi-Tasking
Multi-tasking is a common thing that we all share these days from communicating during our workdays with email, Zoom meetings, and more. Some people are capable of successfully multi-tasking while others might drop the ball here and there, but when it comes to shop tools, such as Trick-Tools’ Multitool Belt Grinder, multi-tasking is a piece of cake! The Multitool Belt Grinder provides four different grinding surfaces to cover almost any need. The most used surface is the front contact wheel which has a serrated surface to make grinding and deburring very controllable and smooth. The top can be used for straightening or profiling longer edges, and the underside of the Multitool has a slack belt area for blending and finishing. Finally, the 7-inch disc on the side can be used with or without the optional miter table for beveling and profiling or final finishing. The belts can be changed in seconds depending on the job at hand and Trick-Tools offers a number of belts to match your needs.
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TECH GUIDE
THE BASICS OF CHOOSING A WELDER FOR YOUR HOME SHOP WORDS AND PHOTOS: RON COVELL
W
elding is a fundamental part of most hot rod and restoration projects. Whether installing new floor pans or patch panels, making custom body modifications, or installing new shock brackets or suspension setups, you’re likely to find many uses for a welder during any vintage car or truck build. Many DIY car builders are perplexed by the wide range of welders on the market. That’s why we felt it would be worth taking a closer look at common welders used by automotive hobbyists and professionals alike. Our goal with this article is to look at several options which can get you started in welding without breaking the bank. GAS WELDING I always encourage people to consider an oxy-acetylene outfit. These are very reasonably priced, and even if you upgrade to electric welding at 132 y JULY.2021
some point, a gas welding outfit can still be very useful for car building projects. It’s pretty straightforward to weld steel sheetmetal, and the softness and ductility of a gas weld is unmatched, making it easy to work out any distortion. Oxy-acetylene outfits are great for cutting steel sheet, plate, and bar, and even the smallest versions can usually cut steel up to 1/2-inch thick. Many can cut stock 1-inch thick or more, which is probably more than most car builders will need. A gas outfit can also be used to heat metal. Tempered and work-hardened metals can often be softened by ‘annealing’ – which means heating the metal to its transformation temperature with a flame. Heat can make it easier to bend heavy metal sections, too. You can bend 1-inch square steel stock with arm force alone, if you heat it until it glows red. A gas outfit can do soldering and brazing, too, which are often useful for
GAS WELDING
MIG WELDING
Gas welding outfits come in a wide range of sizes. Even the smallest can usually cut steel up to ½-inch thick, and heat material even thicker. The portability of small outfits is appealing, but larger cylinders are better if you do more than occasional welding.
Gas welding works very well for steel sheetmetal. With some practice, you can make a clean, strong weld. The bead will be soft, making it easy to hammer before grinding or filing smooth. Oxy-acetylene outfits are excellent for cutting steel plate.
Heating is another use for a gas torch. You can easily bend heavy stock by hand while softening it with a flame.
Brazing is another process oxy-acetylene torches are ideal for.
MIG welding is the most popular choice for vintage car builders. It’s fast, easy to learn, and it can make strong welds. Some machines have simplified settings, so you just dial in the wire diameter and the metal thickness, and you’re ready to weld.
Vintage vehicles frequently have rust damage and MIG welding can work great for installing patch panels. With some care and experience, a MIG welded joint can be finished very nicely.
MIG welding is also well-suited for chassis work – just make sure you invest in a machine capable of welding heavier gauge metals.
general fabrication processes. As great as gas welding is, though, if chassis work is on your agenda, you might be better served with an electric welder. GOING ELECTRIC MIG welding is far and away the most popular process for hobbyists. It’s easy to learn – and it’s fast and strong. Once you’ve learned the basics – like setting the machine to get that ‘frying bacon’ sound, holding the gun at the right angle, and moving the gun with a uniform flow – you’re well on the way to being a decent welder. There are many machines on the market at a reasonable cost. TIG welding is the ‘high-end’ option. The equipment can be more expensive, but it gives you unsurpassed control over every aspect of the welding process. A skilled operator can consistently make welds with the prized ‘stack of dimes’ profile, and you can TIG weld nearly any metal. TIG welding takes some persistence to master, but many communities
Some MIG machines can weld aluminum by using a spool gun attachment. Here’s a spool gun being used to join a cast aluminum end cap to a tube.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 133
TECH GUIDE
THE BASICS OF CHOOSING A WELDER FOR YOUR HOME SHOP
TIG WELDING
Many newer TIG machines like this Miller unit have a simplified control panel.
One of the benefits of TIG welding is the ability to make high-quality, visually attractive welds.
The TIG process is ideal for welding a cluster of tubes. The highly focused arc can reach into the tight crevasses at the tube intersections.
A recent innovation for TIG welding is clear cups for the torch. These light up the working area, and in some cases it helps when you can see the joint and the weld through the cup.
Nearly any metal can be TIG welded. Here a crack is being repaired on a rare magnesium quick-change case.
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These ¼-inch thick bronze plates have been TIG welded together. There aren’t many metal parts on vintage vehicles that can’t be TIG welded.
have adult-education classes that teach welding – in fact, this is how I learned to weld. There are some great online tutorials too, so you can learn in the comfort of your home. When shopping for welding equipment, give some thought to how you will manage repairs should they be needed. There are many import machines on the market, but you may want to consider buying equipment that has nationwide support from the manufacturer. The accompanying photos on these pages show several examples of the basic welding processes. I hope this article will encourage you to ‘dive in’ and learn new skills - or if you’re already welding, to step your game up a notch! Story ending symbol
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Here’s a TIG weld on an aluminum gas tank. The weld is so uniform that no finish work is required.
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FEATURE
A RECAP OF THE GOOLSBY CUSTOMS NEXT GENERATION AWARD WINNERS (SO FAR) FOR THE 2021 SEASON
WORDS AND PHOTOS: GOODGUYS
The foundation of hot rodding was built by young and inventive enthusiasts in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s with a desire to make their cars faster and more stylish. Through the decades, each generation of new young gearheads has put its stamp on hot rodding, establishing new trends, styles, techniques, and creative standards along the way. The hobby always thrives when there’s a strong contingent of young rodders coming into the fold. Goodguys has long encouraged and celebrated young rodders in a wide variety of ways. For the past several years, Goolsby Customs has teamed up with us to put a stronger spotlight on young rodders with what was originally known as the YoungGuys award. For 2021, we’ve rechristened the name as the Next Generation Award presented by Goolsby Customs, recognizing the fact that many young women are wrenching on cool cars and trucks, too. The Next Generation Award recognizes enthusiasts 25 and younger who have been integrally involved in building their car or truck. At each Good138 y JULY.2021
guys National event, two Next Generation finalists are selected from a special parking area on Saturday and photos of both vehicles are posted online for a social media vote-off to help determine an event winner. At the end of the season, these Next Generation Award winners are evaluated to determine a National Champion, who is invited to display their ride with Goodguys at the 2021 SEMA Show. As we reach the midpoint of the 2021 season, we thought we’d put the spotlight on the Next Generation event winners to date. Since the National Champion is selected in early September – and since there were only three event winners in 2020 – the pool of eligible candidates for this year’s champion dates back to the 2019 Colorado Nationals. The rides showcased on the following pages represent the great diversity of what young rodders are building these days, and we’ll follow up in a later Gazette to showcase the second half of this season’s Next Generation candidates when we announce the National Champion. Story ending symbol
Grant Kroft grew up around hot rods and street rods, so he had plenty of inspiration and knowledge in his mind while building his bitchin’ ’29 Model A coupe. He also had the skills he needed to build the custom chassis, smooth the body, and drop in a rowdy blown 383c.i. stroker engine. The interior is done in white tuck ’n roll, which complements the copper paint and wide-whitewrapped five-spoke wheels.
Jack Krawiecki tells us he was just 12 when he first got this ’67 Chevy pickup! He was 17 when he won the YoungGuys award at the 2020 RaceDeck Salt Lake Nationals, where the bright blue 4x4 captured a lot of attention. It’s lifted 8-inches and powered by a 383c.i. stroker engine, with beautiful PPG Lemans Blue paint covering the body. There’s Vintage Air keeping the cabin comfortable and Moto Metal wheels keeping the appearance on point.
Nate Cryer nailed the stance on his ’51 Chevy pickup, using a custom chassis to get it nice and low over ET wheels. That helped the weathered hauler earn the YoungGuys award at the 2019 Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals. An LS1 engine gives the Texas truck plenty of power.
Logan Adkins had his great-looking ’54 F100 at the Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals in Des Moines last year, where he went home with the Goodguys YoungGuys award. The truck sports beautiful paint over a smoothed body with a tilt front end and widened fenders, and a killer stance over Boyds wheels. Under the hood is a tried-and-true small-block Chevy backed by a TH350 transmision.
Hunter Detrich has been working on his ’45 Dodge pickup for a number of years and continues to update, improve, and refine it. The truck had a great stance when we saw it at the 2019 Kentucky Nationals, thanks in part to an S-10 chassis and American Racing five-spoke wheels. A small-block Chevy engine provides power and is now backed by a T5 five-speed, while custom touches like suicide doors, a custom tailgate, and louvered rear pan will set this already-different Dodge apart from the crowd.
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SPECIAL
FEATURE
GOOLSBY CUSTOMS NEXT GENERATION SPOTLIGHT
We’re sure that 18-year-old Sasha Luich gets plenty of attention from the boys in her school when she’s cruising in her bright red ’79 Corvette. Sasha won the Next Generation Award at the 2021 Spring Lone Star Nationals – the same event where she bought the Corvette in 2019. She has worked to maintain and improve the car over the past two years, drives it daily, and even learned to drive a manual transmission in the four-speed-equipped ’Vette.
Trucks are popular with the Next Gen crowd, but among those trucks it’s still pretty unusual to see a Dodge like this ’79 Power Wagon belonging to Reeves Stretch. Reeves was just 18 when he won the YounGuys award at the 2019 Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale. He worked on this Dodge over a two-year period and has it running good with a 318c.i. small block backed by a fourspeed, plus black-spoke wheels. The KC lights on the roll bar are a perfect touch for this desert 4x4.
Beautiful deep purple paint helped Mathew Burton’s ’55 F100 stand out at this year’s Griot’s Garage North Carolina Nationals. The low-down Ford has been a father-and-son project and has a 347c.i. stroker small-block Ford and Tremec five speed under the reverse-opening hood. The smooth body is complemented by American Racing wheels and there’s highback seats and other custom elements keeping the interior comfortable.
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There’s plenty of sunbaked desert patina on Garrett Roberts’ ’51 Chevy pickup. Garrett is from Benson, Arizona, and earned his Next Generation Award at this year’s FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals in Scottsdale. Don’t let the crusty appearance fool you, though – the vintage pickup now rides on an ’85 S10 chassis and is powered by a 2.8-liter Cummins diesel engine backed by a 700R4 transmission.
How cool would it be to drive a ’67 Chevelle like this to high school! Jacob Van Camp II was just 17 when he had his Chevelle at the Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals in November 2020. He got the car as a 16th birthday present – it’s his first car and daily driver. The Gunmetal Gray Chevelle runs strong thanks to a 5.3-liter LS engine, with QA1 shocks upgrading the suspension and Boss wheels adding a bit of style.
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GOOD RIDES
GOOD RIDE
OF THE
MONTH
1951 STUDEBAKER CHAMPION Larry Rollow – Dallas, TX I grew up in California’s San Fernando Valley, coming of age during the high times of car culture there. In 1965, I purchased a ’51 Studebaker Champion Regal Starlight Coupe. Soon the flathead six was replaced by a Dodge engine and Torqueflite transmission. I raced the Stude at various Southern California drag strips such as Lions, San Fernando, and Orange County; I didn’t win a lot, but I sure had fun trying. By 1970 I
was on active duty in the Navy, so the car was sold. Fast forward to 1993 and, by a mere fluke, the car came back into my life. I was living in Dallas, Texas, and a friend sent me an Auto Trader clipping of a Studebaker for sale. The second I saw it I knew it was my old car. I called, confirmed it was my old car, flew out to California and purchased it again. The second rebuild took far too long due to raising my daughter and rebuilding a ’57 Chevy. I opted to have a Camaro subframe installed, which was upgraded with Global West control arms and RideTech shocks. I got a swap meet 12-bolt rearend that I had narrowed and installed 3.55 gears and Moser
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axles. There are four-wheel disc brakes and it rolls on Weld Rodlite wheels. I already had a 350c.i. small-block Chevy engine, which was built with Dart heads, a Crane cam, forged pistons, and a Weiand 177 blower. I installed a Holley HP throttle body EFI on top and had Brice Thomas build me an aluminum radiator. I used Hooker headers and 3-inch pipes with Dynomax mufflers. Inside I installed an Old Air A/C unit and Mercedes Sprinter van front seats with adjustable armrests and inflatable lumbar supports. I built a new dash insert and console, which I filled with Auto Meter gauges.
Nu Relic power windows were added, along with a Hurst V-Matic shifter. ASM Upholstery did the upholstery. The body and frame restoration was handled by Steve Crowley Services, who updated my old radiused rear fenders with openings that now match the front fenders, including the lip. Steve also applied the ’96 Camaro Medium Quasar Blue paint. I built this car to drive and incorporated many pro-touring improvements. In fact, I am planning to take it on some road tours this summer. I am very pleased with the way the car turned out, pretty much all I had hoped for. Story ending symbol
1937 FORD TUDOR Glen Husted – Henderson, NV “I am the second actual owner of this 1937 Ford Humpback,” Glen Husted says. “I purchased it two years ago from the original owner in Chicago. All steel, zero rust.” Since his purchase, Glen has completely updated the Ford with a small-block Chevy V8 fed by a Holley Sniper EFI and backed by a TH350, and modernized the chassis with a Mustang II IFS, Currie 9-inch rearend, coil-over shocks, and custom wheels. Naturally, the whole car was rewired, while the woodgrain dash was filled with AutoMeter gauges, a Kenwood stereo, and a tilt column topped with a billet banjo-style wheel, which matches the banjo-style door handles and window cranks.
1936 FORD CABRIOLET Larry Parks – Napa, CA Larry Parks sent this artistic shot of his ’36 Ford in front of a Northern California mansion. He bought the car in pieces nine years ago from the son of a friend who had passed away. “His dad wanted me to have first choice at it,” Larry says. Custom modifications include a onepiece hood, ’37 LaSalle grille, lowered headlights, and frenched ’39 Ford taillights. The stock frame has been updated with an ’88 Corvette front suspension, 9-inch rearend on leaf springs, and a 5.0-liter Ford small block backed by a C4 transmission. “All the work was done in home garages,” Larry says. “It’s a true hot rod, not a bought rod!”
1933 PLYMOUTH John Cailey – Payson, AZ
Talk about something different! John Cailey started with a fiberglass ’33 Plymouth coupe and then chopped, channeled, and sectioned it to create this custom cruiser. It’s powered by a warmed-up 360c.i. Mopar small block V8 backed by a 727 Torqueflite transmission sending power to a 9-inch rearend. A square-tube frame employs a custom tubular IFS with rack-and-pinion steering and a canted four-link setup out back, all supported with Carrera adjustable coil-overs. Wilwood disc brakes can be found behind all four whitewall-wrapped steel wheels. The paint is called Western Brown and is complemented with a custom interior that includes A/C, a tilt steering column, and power windows.
1957 CHEVY NOMAD John Copley – Wellington, OH There’s nothing quite like a red Nomad to make us want to go wandering down some cool two-lane roads! John Copely says the rebuild on his ’57 was started in 1998 in Connecticut and the car was sold to an owner in New York in 2012 before John bought it in 2017 in Pennsylvania. John says he completed the exterior bodywork and a repaint of the car this winter, along with a rebuild of the 300hp 350c.i. small block backed by a 2004R overdrive automatic. Boyds wheels and disc brakes help it down the road, while amenities like air conditioning and a tilt column make cruising more enjoyable.
Are you a Goodguys member with a Good Ride? Send us an email with a few photos of your car – we especially like those that show you enjoying it out in America somewhere (with bonus points if you include yourself in the photo)! And don’t forget to tell us vitals like your location, the year and make of your car, any cool details or mods, plus stories or anecdotes you’ve picked up building or cruising in your ride. Send your submissions to editor@good-guys.com.
GOOD-GUYS.COM y 145
RON COVELL’S METALWORKING TIPS BY RON COVELL • covell@cruzio.com
CUTTING A CLEAN HOLE IN SHEETMETAL Q. How would you make the hole for the steering column (and the attached column shifter linkage) through the floor of my sedan delivery without creating a giant mess? The floors are all new, and I really want to do a nice, clean job. Gary Thatcher Via the Internet 1
A. Well, I have seen a lot of sheetmetal ‘butchered’ by amateurish attempts to make holes. While metal snips are great for a lot of cutting, they can distort the metal a lot when used for small diameter holes. While plasma cutters can do some intricate work, they would not be my first choice for this job, since the heat could distort the
metal, and they don’t leave a very crisp edge. Metal cutting hole saws are probably the best bet for what you need. You drill a 1/4-inch pilot hole first, and the hole saw will center itself on this hole, cutting a very clean opening in the floor. After cutting the large hole, you would cut another hole with
2
a smaller hole saw, and then use a die grinder with an abrasive cutoff wheel to make the keyhole-shaped cutout needed for the shifter linkage. After the cutting is finished, you can deburr the edges with some small files, followed by a light sanding. It’s important to keep the hole saws perpendicular to your floor, and a little cutting oil will help a lot. This is a tried-and-true technique, and with just a little care, it should give you a very clean opening – and of course this can be used for many other applications where you need to make clean holes in sheetmetal! Story ending symbol
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To create a clean keyhole-shaped opening for a steering column with shifter linkage, Ron suggests creating two initial holes using metal cutting hole saws, and then opening up the space between with an abrasive cutoff wheel. Finished up with light sanding, the result is clean and professional.
You can email your questions to Ron Covell, covell@cruzio.com, or mail a letter to: Covell Creative Metalworking, 106 Airport Blvd. Suite 105, Freedom, CA 95019. You will receive a personal reply. Ron has many videos on YouTube, and full-length instructional videos can be streamed or downloaded from his website, covell.biz, along with a schedule of his nationwide workshops.
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PAINT TIPS WITH ZANE BY ZANE CULLEN • www.cotatispeedshop.com
PREPPING CARBON FIBER FOR PAINT You might have noticed that carbon fiber parts are becoming much more prevalent in the hot rodding world, especially on pro-touring rides and sport trucks. The strong, lightweight material is being used to make everything from side-view mirrors to hoods and other body parts and is sought after for its versatility, extremely light weight, and yes, its cool appearance. Some enthusiasts like to show off their carbon fiber parts by applying a clearcoat that allows you to see the material’s distinctive woven pattern. In some situations, though, a car owner might prefer to paint the part to match the rest of the body, or do a partial-paint, partial-carbon look. In any of those scenarios, you’ll need to do a little prep work before painting. Carbon fiber parts typically come with a polyester resin finish coat – sort of like the gelcoat that tops fiberglass parts. Most paints and primers will adhere well to this resin, but first you’ll want to remove the orange peel texture to get a flat, smooth surface. The process is similar to prepping other parts for paint – using a combination of progressively finer-grit sandpapers on soft blocks, and ensuring the parts are thoroughly cleaned before applying sealer, primer, or paint. You want to avoid sanding all the way through the resin top layer and exposing the carbon fibers, though, and there are a few other nuances to keep in mind, too. We’ll cover some of the basics in the accompanying photos and captions.
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Carbon fiber parts typically have a resin finish coat, similar to a fiberglass gelcoat, to provide a smooth surface and seal the fiber material. Look close, though, and you’ll notice the resin has a slight texture, similar to the orange peel surface you can get on painted parts.
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To flatten and smooth the surface, I started with 220-grit sandpaper on a soft sanding block. The resin is very hard, so it can take some time and patience to see results. Just be careful not to sand through to the fiber. 4
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Once we got the part in the paint booth, it was wiped down yet again, and we used compressed air to blow off any remaining dust and ensure the cleaning solvent evaporated. 6
Story ending symbol
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I followed up with a 500-grit sanding pad and a Scotchbrite pad to smooth the surface and reduce the depth of the sanding scratches. If this part was getting a clearcoat, I might continue to 800- or 1000grit materials.
After sanding, a cleaning solvent was used to remove any sanding residue or other surface contaminants.
And with that, we were able to begin the paint process, starting with a sealer coat and then color application.
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FLASHING BACK BY ALBERT DRAKE
A HARMLESS DIVERSION For six months during 197071 I worked with teachers at an urban high school on a federal program administered through the university where I was a tenured faculty. The purpose of my participation was to make me aware of the needs of my students who would go on to teach at the high school level. It was an interesting experience, and I learned some things beyond the curriculum. Clothing, for example. When I had been in high school some 20 years earlier, clothes were terribly important; a person was judged on his or her wardrobe. But on a visit to the high school in 1970 I noticed a large number of boys and girls favored painter ’s pants – those white bibbed overalls; it was as if they were showing contempt for the usual back-to-school clothing. I worked with teachers on advanced, general and fundamental levels and did some interesting things. For example,
HER THESIS WAS THE OPPOSITE OF MINE; SHE FELT THAT READING SUCH MAGAZINES WAS HARMFUL. for an English class I designed a project built around a Captain America comic book. I went to a magazine distributor and got 40 copies of the next month’s issue, which we treated as a serious piece of literature and investigated fairly high-level questions (example: can Captain America cry?). Students enjoyed the project and came up with interesting ideas. Things were more difficult
150 y JULY.2021
with some of the fundamentallevel students. I learned that if a student didn’t do the work there wasn’t a darn thing I could do. Berating the student had no effect. Corporal punishment was out. Threatening the student with a failing grade didn’t matter; threats had been made before by the regular teacher. They recognized that they were at the bottom of the pile, helpless, and their only overt act of rebellion was to insist they be given paperback books, rather than hardback books which would identify them as students in the fundamental class. In those days I seemed to have a great deal of energy. That summer session at the university I taught two classes that met five days a week; one was a large class, which meant I had to prepare a lecture every day. When those classes ended I had a month before fall term began. I spent that time preparing and painting my ’48 Ford; I used black acrylic lacquer, the job was done in the driveway and the result was good. That experience had bearing on the fundamental class I worked with. I stressed the importance of reading, whether for entertainment or information. I told them that I had spent two days reading about how to paint a car before I attempted the job. They could do something similar, regardless of their interest. I had each student write down their area of interest; they ranged from hiking to riding horses to sports. Then I went to that same magazine distributor and got advance copies of magazines that aimed at their interests. I worked out a series of assignments, beginning with a one-page review of an article in a magazine. It worked, more
or less. I got them to read, to think, then write. I like to think my personal paint job experience had something to do with the success rate. Then I came upon an article in The English Journal, a learned publication, written by Miss Eleanor Robinson, who taught English at an East Coast high school. It was titled “Hot Rod Magazines: A Harmless Diversion?” Her thesis was the
opposite of mine; she felt that reading such magazines was harmful. She wrote, “Much of the reading time of high school boys is devoted to a relativelynew type of periodical, the hot rod magazine...” (her italics). She felt it was important to examine such magazines, which she lumped with love story and movie magazines, “A careful analysis of one issue each of Hot Rod, Speed and Custom,
Eleanor Robinson’s article titled “Hot Rod Magazines: A Harmless Diversion?” in the January 1965 issue of The English Journal (Vol. 54, No. 1) raised concerns about young men reading hot rod magazines.
yes... it does! Rod & Custom and Car Life reveals a style deliberately aimed at teenagers who are seeking a sense of identity, and the fact that hot rod magazine editors seem unaware of the rules of English syntax, grammar, punctuation and spelling.” She goes on to criticize the magazines’ “Informal, breezy style”, the use of slang and a specialized vocabulary. She finds what she considers faults, such as “misplaced phrases, improper subordination, mixed tenses, sentence fragments,” etc., all of which have an adverse effect on the student. She concludes, “More than fiftysix percent of the male high school students seem to be reading hot rod magazines regularly. How does hot rod style affect students psychologically? What effect does the hot rod language usage have on their ability to write clear, correct, concise, coherent English?” Although I object to her thesis, I can see some of the errors she pointed out. But she overlooks audience, which is something every writer has to consider: at whom is the writing aimed? I’d say that the writers and the editors she references – Wally Parks? Spence Murray? – had found exactly the right style for the subject and the audience. Slang? Of course! Sentence fragments? Yes, when needed. What Miss Robinson overlooks is the technical content of the subject – how does one write about gear ratios and cam timing? Tire sizes and RPMS, CFM, ETs? Not mentioned, but essential. I don’t want to quibble with her points of style and grammar, but I do want to emphasize the importance of reading. I grew up in the age before tele-
vision, when reading was a major activity. As a wee kid I read the backs of cereal boxes, later breezed through school books, read novels, withdrew all kinds of books from the local library, many beyond my reading level. Reading was a pleasure, an adventure: I recall a day when I was 10 or 11, and I rode the bus downtown to my dentist’s office; I could hardly wait to get back home, climb into the yard hammock, and continue reading Treasure Island. I read all kinds of things that Miss Robinson would not approve of, including comic books, science fiction and fantasy pulp magazines, adventure magazines, western and adventure novels. After age 14 I began reading the rod and custom magazines, every one I could get my hands on. Not great literature, but I enjoyed them and learned from them, and, most important, I was reading. I like to think that through osmosis something rubbed off that made me a better writer. There was one boy in the fundamental class who had a motorcycle, so I got him an advanced copy of Cycle. He refused to do the longer paper I had assigned. He said if his cycle broke he’d take it apart and fix it, and if it happened again he’d do the same thing. He believed in himself over the written word. The class ended, and since I didn’t have to give grades I went home for Christma s bre a k . I re turne d i n January and found that he had written three pages. It was okay, and I was pleased. The writing had some of the breezy style that concerned Miss Robinson, but at least he was reading. Story ending symbol
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For Sale - 1932 Ford Tudor Sedan,
ZZ4 350/400 trans, Currie 9” polished aluminum rear, Pete & Jake’s chrome chassis components, 4-wheel disc brakes, Walker radiator, Vintage Air, Tea’s bucket seats, custom interior with Mercedes vinyl, Glassurit 3-stage paint, call for pictures/questions. $47,000. Paul (916) 300-7459, CA.
Convertible, documented numbers matching, powered by its original 8-cyl 400cid/350hp 4bbl motor mated to the original M20 Muncie 4-speed manual transmission, original build sheet included, dressed in its original color verdoro green over the original brown interior, more @ goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14759. $38,500. Jared (339) 216-0856, MA.
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For Sale - 1996 Dodge Viper GTS, this is a beautiful, fun to drive car that has always been well taken care of, it has had routine maintenance and frequent oil changes, it has always been stored in a garage and on jacks when not in use, it has very low miles and no body defects, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14656. $84,500. Karl (435) 6697004 or kyleej.trimble@gmail.com, UT.
152 y JULY.2021
For Sale - 1956 Chevrolet 2 Door, patina queen crocus yellow and black original paint and dents, this ‘56 runs and stops perfectly, shifts like the day it was born, pans on passenger side replaced with correct stampings, blocks in rear cut coils 18x7 front 20x8 rear Coys rims, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14709. $26,500. Dennis (831) 6373313 or dennisspeedshop@ sbcglobal.net, CA.
For Sale - 1935-1940 Ford Custom
Frame, 1986 Corvette coil-over front suspension by Flat Out Engineering, 1986 Corvette rear suspension, font/rear sway bars, Corvette power brakes, stainless brake lines/power rack and pinion, also fits 1935-1941 pickup, more @ goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14622. $13,500. Jerry (315) 632-2723 or raezollo@gmail.com, NC.
For Sale - 1929 Ford Sedan, all steel
body and fenders, 350 Corvette engine, air conditioning, undercarriage same color as car, Dakota Digital gauges, GM TH 350 transmission with shift kit, over $140,000 invested. $41,500. Dave (513) 4321404, OH.
For Sale - 1923 Ford Model T, Total Performance car, fresh SBF, Lunati cam, Holley, Edelbrock, roller rockers, Sanderson, C-4, 8 inch Ford rear, TCI coilovers, Watts linkage, brakes by Curt Hamilton, Dan Miller upholstery, PPG maroon, Flaming River steering, Grant wheel, Dolphin gauges, smog exempt. $17,500. George (805) 3387713, CA.
For Sale - 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible, numbers matching, powered by its original 390cid/300hp V8 motor mated to the original Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission, Wimbledon white over red interior, equipped with factory power steering and power convertible top, 77,000 original miles, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14760. $23,500. Jared (339) 216-0856, MA. For Sale - Chevy 377 C.I, 4 bolt
main short block, gear drive, balanced rotating assembly, with cam and oil pan, less than 500 miles on it. $1,000 obo. Mike (618) 2354612, IL.
CLASSIFIEDS
For Sale - 1972 Chevrolet C10,
frame off restoration done over several years, the LY6 engine is out of a 2007 Chevrolet 2500 with 70,000 miles on it, the engine was gone thru and freshened up with cam, lifters and springs, gas filler is done behind left taillight, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14779. $62,500. Tom (253) 606-2017 or twnilles@gmail.com, AZ.
For Sale - 1932 Ford 3W Hi-Boy
C o u p e , “ g l a s s ” , o r a n g e / g r a y, BP355/350/9”-2:79 gear/410+ HP, quality components: Lokar, P&J, Vintage, MSD, VDO, Rootlieb, Walker, SK Speed, garaged, 40K on clock, 5K drivetrain, looks like a show car, health forces sale. $38,900. Jeffrey (404) 431-8739 or jeffreygresch@yahoo.com, GA.
SO
LD
For Sale - 1927 Ford Roadster Highboy, North Carolina title in my name, ‘32 rails - Speedway glass body with doors, sit on a style ‘32 frame, ‘32 dash, ‘32 cut-down stainless grill, well sorted with just 10K miles video: https://photos.app.goo. gl/5Pxg5FC1vhFyZwR68, more @ goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14768. $20,500. Mark (419) 261-1474, NC.
For Sale - 1932 Ford Tudor, viper red Ford in a Ford: 302, FMX, 9” steel body, running boards, louvered hood, fiberglass fenders, not chopped, dropped or filled, gray tweed interior, HRBB Columbus rims, Nitto tires, vintage rack w/ luggage, Vintage air, custom dash, banjo steering wheel, extras: dash, Cragar 30 spoke w/ BFG tires, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14777. $52,000. Brian (210) 3945837 or minimcpeak@yahoo.com, TX.
For Sale - 1955 Chevrolet Belair, I
have owned this car for 22 years, only 200 miles since we rebuilt it, the motor loves the 700R4, all metal body, rear tire wells raised, never tubed, custom radiator, runs cool all the time, American custom 14x6 and 15x10 wheels, on cover of Chevy High Performance 1997, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14783. $119,000. David (702) 5254322 or david@marosi.com, WA.
For Sale - 7-UP soda box, ideal model A-300 serial # 5D-3243 converted to luggage trailer, has several other 7-UP items that can go with the trailer, have small 7-UP cooler that mounts on front of trailer, tows well at any speed, can send other pictures if needed. $900. Butch (505) 221-4637 or bbryarly@ hotmail.com, NM.
For Sale - 1934 Chevy Standard Sedan, all steel, 350, 3x2’s, 5 speed, Mustang II front, Corvette rear, power steering & brakes, Vintage a/c & heat, leather & cloth interior, Walker radiator, Corvette tilt & tele column, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14787. $27,000. James (518) 384-5431 or hotstove35@nycap.rr.com, NY.
For Sale - 1955 Chevrolet Belair, 900 miles driven since a full frame off nut & bolt restoration, all leather interior & trunk, 330hp 350 crate w/400 Turbo, Ford 9, polished SS exhaust, 18” new wheels & tires, p/s, p/b, Vintage Air, tilt, power windows, new sound system alarm, beautiful underneath too, more @ goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14633. $89,500. Perry (402) 689-7323, NE.
For Sale - 1966 Chevrolet Nova SS,
700R4, automatic, too much to list, see the online ad for all the details, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14280. $68,000. Dennis (360) 9366223, AZ.
For Sale - Chevy 388 C.I, 4-bolt
main Scat lightweight crank, Scat 4340 6” rods, Keith Black pistons, moly rings, balanced rotating assembly, new alum heads, chrome alum intake, complete motor many new parts, needs put together. $3,200 obo. Mike (618) 235-4612, IL.
154 y JULY.2021
For Sale - 1998 Chevrolet C1500 For Sale - 1932 Ford Roadster, all
steel Brookville (black), all aluminum 427 SBC, 6 spd Tremec, 9” Ford 4.33, SoCal knock off’s, green leather interior and trunk by Gabe, stainless exhaust and more, super dependable and very fast, more @ goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14741. $67,500. Joe (713) 248-5303, TX.
ram air hood, DJ lowering kit suspension professionally done, low miles 72,300, 5.0LV8 automatic, sb in great shape, original interior in perfect condition, p/w, p/l, p/s, p/b, ac, cruise new American Racing wheels 18’s and 20’s, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14707. $18,500. Reggie (406) 591-3301, MT.
For Sale - 1937 Ford Street Rod,
Minotti Body, 350 small block, 5,000 miles on engine, 700 R4 automatic, a/c, power windows, power disc brakes, Coddington rims, excellent condition, award winner, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14784. $41,000. Vernon (831) 5955000 or vernhorton@comcast.net, CA.
AD INDEX
For Sale - 1934 Ford Coupe, w/
track nose, this is a rare 1934 Ford Coupe is a resto-mod, ol’ school customized by the legendary Gene Winfield built in LA, chopped, custom track nose/grill, 350 alum heads, dual quads, 700r4, TCI, Speedway polished quick-change, Connolly leather, cream & maroon paint by George Gray, p/w, p/doors, a/c, email for more photos. $60,000 or trade. Brad (626) 633-2012 or brad.ott@worley.com, UT.
For Sale - 1967 Pontiac Wagon
GTO Trim, 428 cu in, 3 tows, p/s, p/disc brakes, auto ex parts, may trade. $18,500 obo. Bill (703) 3003286, NC.
For Sale - 1955 Ford Crown Victoria, glass top, 51 Desoto grill, 60 Chrysler taillights, smooth bumpers, tuck and roll interior, trunk, motor and wheel wells, 351 Cleveland, C6 auto trans, air conditioner, air ride, please call for rest of story. $25,000. Kent (702) 346-2817, NV.
For Sale - 1948 Austin Panel A40
Truck Sedan Delivery, panel van is 100% original steel bodywork, the detailing is simply beautiful, from the grille to the flying A hood ornament to the ‘Austin of England’ script on sides of the hood, new mechanicals & suspension, 350ci crate engine, like new, more @goodguysclassifieds.com Ad #14529. $49,000. Doug (702) 497-7447 or dynamicdoug1957@gmail.com, NV.
For Sale - 1970 Cadillac DeVille
Convertible, kept in garage, no rust, full power equipped, custom upholstery, paint, air bags, shaved hood, trunk and doors, new top. $38,000. Bob (404) 783-6202, GA.
Advanced Plating ................................ 141
ididit Inc. .............................................. 41
Advantage Lifts ..................................... 48
JC Taylor Companies ............................ 54
Affordable Street Rods........................... 50
Juliano’s Hot Rod Parts ......................... 34
Alan Grove Components....................... 95
Koolmat ............................................... 33
All American Billet................................... 5
Lambert Enterprises............................... 58
American Racing ............................. 20,21
LMC Truck ............................................ 24
Anti-Gravity Battery ............................... 53
Lokar Performance Products .................... 2
ARP - Automotive Racing Products ......... 35
LS Classics ........................................... 43
Art Morrison ......................................... 39
Lucas Oil ................................................ 9
Auto Meter ........................................... 25
M/E Wagner Performance ................... 134
Auto World Store ................................ 149
March Performance............................... 55
Barrett-Jackson ..................................... 51
No Limit Engineering ............................ 85
BASF Inc. .............................................. 30
Old Air Products ................................... 25
Big Al’s Carponents ............................ 147
Old Dog Street Rods ........................... 112
Billet Specialties ............................... 72,73
Painless Performance ............................ 66
Blower Drive Services ............................ 99
Performance Coatings ........................... 44
Borgeson............................................ 101
Performance Plus Global Logistics........ 131
Bowler Transmissions .......................... 161
Phoenix Machine .................................. 29
Bruce Horkey Wood & Parts................... 75
Pinstripes Fine Jewelry Collection ........... 43
Caps Brite Hot Coatings........................ 84
Powermaster Performance ................... 102
Classic Instruments ............................... 71
PPG Industries ...................................... 38
Classic Motorsports ............................. 161
RideTech ............................................. 151
Classic Performance Products 62,63,69,125
Rim Brim .............................................. 43
Classic Tube ......................................... 41
Rocket Racing Wheels ........................... 83
Concept One Pulleys........................... 143
Rodding USA ...................................... 121
Control Cables ................................... 142
Ron Francis Wiring................................ 23
Curtis Speed Equipment ...................... 125
Roseville Rod and Custom ..................... 69
Dakota Digital ............................... 42,163
Rowand Speedometer Company............ 58
Danchuk .............................................. 49
Sanderson Headers .............................. 59
Darton Sleeves ................................... 141
Schott Wheels ..................................... 149
Deco Rides ........................................... 33
Schwartz Performance ......................... 113
Design Engineering............................. 153
Scott’s Hot Rods N’ Customs ................. 77
Designer Street Rods ............................. 81
Second Skin.......................................... 75
DSR/Notchead Fasteners ..................... 141
SpeedHut ........................................... 102
Dutchman Axles.................................. 143
Speedtech Performance USA LLC ............. 7
Eaton Detroit Springs .......................... 161
Speedway Motors ............................ 12,13
Fatman Fabrications ............................. 79
Spraker Racing ..................................... 44
FiTech Fuel Injection .............................. 31
Steve’s Auto Restoration Inc. .................. 67
Flaming River ..................................... 164
Street Rods By Michael ........................ 147
Flat Out Engineering ............................. 75
Summit Racing Equipment ..................... 17
Forgeline Motorsports ........................... 67
Tanks ................................................... 91
Glide Engineering ................................. 40
The Wheelsmith .................................... 29
Golden Star Classic Auto Parts .............. 80
Thermo Tec Automotive Products ......... 141
Goodguys 125, 130, 136, 142, 152-157,
Total Cost Involved................................ 15
162
TP Tools & Equipment ........................... 82
Goolsby Customs ............................... 135
Trick-Tools ........................................... 120
Grundy Worldwide Insurance .................. 3
Tuff Stuff Performance Accessories ......... 75
H&H Classic Parts ............................... 147
US Mags ............................................ 137
Hagan Street Rod Necessities ................ 61
Vintage Air ......................................... 100
Heidts Automotive Group .................... 143
Watson’s StreetWorks ............................ 69
Heinzman Street Rods ........................... 15
Wilwood .......................................... 46,47
Howell Engine Development ................ 121
Wise Guys Seats and Accessories .......... 76
Hughes Performance ........................... 142
Yogi’s ................................................... 91
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5 MINUTES WITH
RON CAPPS BY DAMON LEE
Ron Capps was practically destined to become a drag racer. He grew up in central California, tagging along to drag strips with his father, who raced and wrenched on race cars, and his mother, who was also entrenched in the sport. “My mom and dad turned me onto drag racing at a young age,” Capps says. “I’m blessed they got me into the sport.” Capps learned to work on race cars in the family garage and at the track. “I worked on race cars because I wanted to be ready if I got a chance to drive one,” Capps says. That chance came in 1995, when Capps first raced a Top Fuel drag-
ster for Don Primm. That led to an offer to drive a Funny Car for legendary racer Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, with whom he won 13 event titles. Capps moved to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 and has piloted a Funny Car for that team since. He’s had NAPA as a sponsor since 2008. Capps ranks second in all-time Funny Car wins and is one of just 17 drivers in NHRA history to have claimed wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. We caught up with Capps to talk racing, hot rods, sports, and music.
GG: What are your earliest memories of the drag strip? Ron Capps: We spent almost every weekend at a drag strip. Most of the time it was Famoso. My dad had an old Fuel Altered he ran on gas. He was a guy a lot of people went to when they wanted to go faster or get something on their race car done. I would tag along to help other people on dragsters or Funny Cars.
to make up for it with just hard work. I definitely believe the hand/ eye coordination, the reactions from playing racquetball and the wrestling, helped my learning curve. When I was coming up through the ranks in Funny Car, I was one of the first guys talking about the athleticism of it. It was hard when you had guys winning races and championships who weren’t exactly athletic specimens.
I’m having a bad day, or even a good day, my day gets better because I get in that car and put on my favorite music.
GG: You competed in several sports in high school and beyond. Did your athleticism help you as a driver? Ron Capps: I was always a little smaller in size, but I loved trying
GG: What can you tell us about your Brizio-built ’31 Ford coupe? Ron Capps: It’s one of my favorite things. Being a car that my dad and I started as a father/son project [in high school] is really the coolest part about it. We never finished that car through high school. Fast forward to my rookie year in Top Fuel and I got to be friends with Roy Brizio. He said, ‘let’s build that car.’ We trailered it up to Roy’s and my wife would take money from my paycheck and send to Roy. The best thing about Roy is he builds them to drive. That Whipple-charged ZZ4 motor was dyno’d at like 580 horsepower, so it’s got plenty of oomph. If
GG: If you hadn’t gotten into drag racing, what career path do you think you’d have taken? Ron Capps: A musician. I couldn’t think of anything better, besides being a race car driver, than being on stage playing drums or guitar, just doing something you love.
158 y JULY.2021
GG: What’s your go-to road trip song? Ron Capps: Van Halen’s always great. Pennywise is one of my favorite bands. Those are probably the two I’ll put in and just buzz down the road.
GG: Do you have a pre-race ritual? Ron Capps: There definitely are rituals. I always put a certain glove on a certain way, and left shoe on first. If I don’t get in the car the way I always do, I have to back up sometimes. It only takes one time when the car blows up and you say, ‘huh – did I do something different? I don’t want to do that again!’ GG: You’ve done some racing outside the NHRA, including vintage drag racing and even dirt circle track. What do you say to circletrack racers who dismiss drag racing for only going straight? Ron Capps: Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream dirt race had
everybody from different types of racing. The drag racer is always the butt of the jokes when it starts, but the first race I finished ninth and the second race I finished sixth. I finished ahead of a lot of drivers that should have been better than me on that track. I felt like I represented drag racers well. GG: You’ve had NAPA as a sponsor for many years. What’s the secret to such longevity? Ron Capps: As we talk, I’m sitting in the parking lot of my NAPA store about five miles from my house, where I go to shoot things my sponsors want. They all know me here. Most NAPA stores are owned by people in your neighborhood. I’ve hit it off well with the people that matter – the store owners across the country. I treat it like I work for them – like that guy driving around delivering parts with the big yellow NAPA hat on the truck. That’s the way I’ve approached every sponsor. GG: Who do you turn to for advice at this stage of your career? Ron Capps: I talk to Don Prudhomme a lot still, even though I don’t drive for him anymore. My boss, Don Schumacher, I can always talk to. I’ve had legendary crew chiefs – old school guys, which has been really cool. I talk to Roy [Brizio] a lot. He’s very honest with me about things he sees. He’s become a really good friend. Story ending symbol
RODDERS REP DIRECTORY VP EVENT OPERATIONS HARRY DAVIESS Pleasanton, CA 925-218-9124 harryd@good-guys.com
NORTHEAST DIVISION CHUCK HENNINGER - DIVISION REP New Freedom, PA H: 717-235-7952 C: 717-434-3783 chhsah@comcast.net RONALD BARNES Hanover, PA • 717-634-0454 hotrod_19472002@yahoo.com R.T. BELL Canonsburg, PA • 724-746-3879 DARRIN E BOECKEL Thomasville, PA • 717-225-1910 db153@comcast.net RAYMOND BRENNEMAN Embro, Ontario, Canada 519-281-5317 Raym51@sympatico.ca ROBERT CROSS Mt. Laurel, NJ • 856-235-6303 A32deuce@verizon.net DOUG GARRISON Womelsdorf, PA • 610-781-5217 Yuk5664@comcast.net GARY LAGOE Central Square, NY • 315-420-1384 Glagoe57@yahoo.com MIKE MENTZER York, PA • 717-309-0540 Willyscool1@aol.com PETE REIGHARD Elizabethtown, PA • 717-869-2318 donald_reighard@comcast.net CHUCK RITZMANN Shrewsbury, PA • 717-324-4571 Iceman17a@comcast.net
SOUTHEAST DIVISION MIKE SMITH - DIVISION REP Kingsport, TN • 423-676-4343 carsmith101@hotmail.com DARIN ALLEN Catlettsburg, KY • 606-923-8696 killerdesignsbydarin@gmail.com MIKE AYRES Bedford, VA H: 540-586-9421 C: 540-425-4359 mikeayres52@aol.com RAY BADER Apex, NC • 919-418-0977 raybader@earthlink.com PAUL BUCHKOVICH Ocala, FL • 352-581-9100 goodguys@centurylink.net DON FITZGERALD Roanoke, VA • 540-580-7002 dfitzgerald@berglundcars.com ROD HACKNEY Bear Creek, NC • 336-953-2983 jrhackney@embarqmail.com RICK HUFFMAN Harlem, GA • 706-339-8357 DUSTIN JOHNSON Taylors, SC • 540-400-1407 djohnson1320@gmail.com ANTHONY LOCKLEAR Pembroke, NC • 910-740-0682 preacheranthony@yahoo.com STU LORD York, SC • 803-684-6687 relichunting@gmail.com RAY MOURNING Loris, SC • 843-756-7013 mourning@sccoast.net NEAL MUNN Piedmont, SC • 864-313-5986 neal@redbarnrodz.com DENNIS NIEDERHOFER Augusta, GA • 706-831-6882 JIMMY OUSLEY Harlem, GA • 706-556-3682 ousljam@aol.com JOHN PENNINGTON Leland, NC • 910-383-6824 penningtonjohndo@bellsouth.net JAMES SHEPHERD Concord, NC • 704-784-5335 Old48f1@ctc.net
DAVID SMITH Raleigh, NC • 919-518-3779 dmsmith@nc.rr.com PATRICIA SMITH Raleigh, NC • 919-961-6233 psmith036@nc.rr.com TERRY STREETMAN Clemmons, NC • 336-655-2866 1961409ts@gmail.com
GREAT LAKES DIVISION PAT LENNEN - DIVISION REP Chesterfield, IN H: 765-378-6531 C: 765-621-0273 my3t7@aol.com JOHN HEIDENREICH Avon, OH • 440-937-5580 jeh273@gmail.com LEE HOEFT Montgomery, IL H: 630-801-4235 C: 630-336-8821 Mz37chevysedan@aol.com RICHARD HUTCHINSON Superior, WI • 218-391-1759 41494u2chutch@gmail.com ROGER JOHNSON Greenwood, IN • 317-446-1308 rdjmerc@comcast.net GEORGE KEPNICK Naperville, IL • 630-202-1111 Oldrnme40B@aol.com RON MAKI Conneaut, OH • 440-265-1202 Themac@suite224.net ROBERT MARKER Wintersville, OH • 740-632-9628 Rob32freak@gmail.com GIL RUSSELL London, KY H: 606-330-0862 C: 606-271-7939 CHUCK SMITH Hillard, OH • 614-361-7830 Cesmith64@att.net JEFF STEWART Grafton, WV • 304-265-5753 goodguysjeff@aol.com
HEARTLAND DIVISION MARK LITTLE - DIVISIONAL REP Wichita, KS 316-516-1119 mo32duce@gmail.com DARRIN ADAMY David City, NE • 402-367-7730 ymada92@live.com HARLEY ALCOX Nevada, IA • 515-290-5227 hlalcox@yahoo.com BILL BOSCH Houston, MN H: 507-896-2147 C: 507-459-4690 bjbosch@acegroup.cc KEITH BRIGHT Hutchinson, KS • 316-239-8593 k.bright1933@gmail.com GENE CROSS Runnells, IA • 515-966-2014 goodguyshousing@msn.com MARK DINKEL 785-625-8449 gmclassics@hotmail.com DANA ELROD Sunrise Beach, MO • 573-374-6503 etcloto@yahoo.com SCOTT FORTUNE Cresco, IA • 515-571-8999 goodguy1937@hotmail.com FRED GRENIER Lansing, KS • 913-680-5464 fredgrenier@me.com FROSTY HARRINGTON Knoxville, IA • 641-891-7121 harringtonfo@mediacombb.net TOM HUBER Bismark, ND • 701-258-4805 JERROD LAKE Glenwood, MO • 573-338-0444 roadsterpilot@att.net CAL SCHREYER New Ulm, MN • 507-276-7689 cbschreyer@newulmtel.net RICK STAUFFER Mount Pleasant, IA • 319-863-3268 Nomader57@hotmail.com
DIANA SCHUMACHER Center Point, IA H: 319-849-3825 C: 319-721-4484 CupcakeDoc@msn.com LARRY WAGNER Branson, MO • 580-450-5938 wagnerstreetrods@hotmail.com RON WEGERLE Wichita, KS • 316-765-3170 ronwegerle9@gmail.com LARRY ZIMMERMAN Grand Island, NE • 308-395-8352 lzimmer@computer-concepts.com
SOUTHWEST DIVISION TOM ANDERSON - DIVISIONAL REP Crosby, TX 806-223-7978 tomandersongoodguys@gmail.com RON CLAPPER El Paso, TX • 602-319-0034 rrspeed27@yahoo.com TARA EAKINS Stephenville, TX • 817-219-6635 TERRY EAKINS Stephenville, TX • 817-219-6635 DENNIS EDWARDS Duncan, OK • 580-656-0044 v65magna42@hotmail.com
MIKE EGLET Kent, WA • 206-793-0591 mikeeglet@gmail.com
LARRY BESORE Phoenix, AZ • 602-548-1587 Lbesore1@cox.net
TIM ELLIOTT McMinville, OR • 503-434-5102 goodguytim@aol.com
STEVE BESORE Glendale, AZ steveandterri@quest.net
KEN GANEY Puyallup, WA • 206-313-9683 kganey@pioneerseattle.com
MICHAEL BURKE Phoenix, AZ • 602-826-8305 mike.burke60@yahoo.com
STAN GOODWIN Casper, WY • 307-265-7314 stang1@besnan.net
ROB BURKHART Mesa, AZ • 615-238-1723 captainkaos@everythingkaos.com
TOM HOGAN Soda Springs, ID • 208-221-5567 reedilene@gmail.com
PAUL CLEVE New River, AZ • 623-432-4123 paul.cleve@outlook.com
RANDY JORGENSEN Kent, WA • 253-347-5151 r_djeeps@msn.com
TOM COSTELLO Kingman, AZ • 928-681-4453
RICHARD KREPS Spokane Valley, WA H: 509-924-3623 C: 509-998-9758 richkreps@hotmail.com SAM KRISTOFFERSON Kent, WA H: 253-854-5564 C: 253-486-5232 goodguysam@comcast.net PAUL LEMOINE Kelowna B.C. Canada • 250-861-5290 pslemoine@shaw.ca
JIM ERICKSON Las Cruces, NM • 575-521-4339 seric1998@yahoo.com
MIKE LITHGOW Kila, MT H: 406-752-8075 C: 406-250-6698 mdjkl@montanaport.net
CHRIS GOETZ Ft. Worth, TX • 817-336-3366 csgoetz@att.net
BILL LOVE Spokane, WA • 509-484-1746
GREG HODGE Amarillo, TX • 806-640-2800 camaro_ss@sbcglobal.net TERESA HODGE Amarillo, TX • 806-640-3225 camaro_ss@sbcglobal.net RON JUNGER Thornton, CO H: 303-255-9766 C: 720-280-1421 peak7tiger@msn.com ROBBIE KITCHENS Hico, TX • 254-485-0636 rob_kitchens@yahoo.com SIM KOLLINER Fort Worth, TX • 817-240-1563 sim.kolliner@usa.net MAURICE LAND Mansfield, TX • 817-478-0496 MICHAEL MCKINNEY Estes Park, CO • 319-290-6559 Badbowtie1952@gmail.com DEREK SNYDER Midlothian, TX • 817-874-2848 dereksnyder7@aol.com GARY VEACH Colleyville, TX H: 817-267-5095 C: 817-821-1581 LEIGH VIDAKOVICH Peyton, CO • 719-494-7720 plmarketinvestments@gmail.com
MICHAEL LOVELL Black Diamond, WA H: 360-886-2033 C: 253-312-4668 J79eep@aol.com ROBERT MAY Auburn, WA H: 253-632-0156 C: 253-632-0156 Robertmay61@yahoo.com DAVID MCCOURY Spokane, WA • 509-290-7531 Dbm01@comcast.net JOHN MOORE Billings, MT H: 406-252-4739 C: 406-850-8290 hotrodfire@bresnan.net TOM ROEPKE Edgewood, WA H: 253.9271358 C: 253.330.4060 tomroepke@comcast.net WINK SMITH Auburn, WA H: 253-833-6012 C: 253-880-4549 bigkahunasurf@msn.com
TOM ECKHOLDT Gilbert, AZ H: 480-988-1312 C: 602-790-3532 threewindaguy@cox.net BOB ELGERSMA Vail, AZ H: 520-762-5456 C: 520-909-5688 relgersma@ymail.com DENNIS FISHER Mesa, AZ • 406-396-0480 dfishaz2@gmail.com DON GRANT Pomona, CA • 909-622-0248 dgrant248@aol.com JAMES HAGUE Pleasanton, CA • 925-518-4738 jimhague1948@hotmail.com ERIC HIBBS St. George, UT H: 435-668-9733 C: 435-668-1401 daddio211@gmail.com KIRBY HORRELL Alpine, CA H: 619-722-1464 C: 619-929-6914 RON LEE Fullerton, CA • 714-423-5838 Calsun10@yahoo.com GARY LEVERING Danville, CA • 925-838-2459 levgj@hotmail.com
TIM WILLIAMS Calgary, AB • 403-680-5425 williamt@ucalgary.ca
WALLY MYERS La Mesa, CA • 619-898-2765 wallys32@sbcglobal.net
WESTERN DIVISION
GEORGE NESS Temecula, CA H: 951-693-5318 C: 951-764-0853 rodranch@verizon.net
NORTHWEST DIVISION
MARLYS ADAMS Pleasanton, CA • 925-519-5047 mja94566@yahoo.com
RAY BRANDT Clagary, AB Canada H: 403-238-2786 C: 403-630-6605 brandtinspectionservices@shaw.ca
TOM DOROW Hesperia, CA • 760-217-3959 dorowt@aol.com
BILL MAYFIELD Temecula, CA H: 951-308-9177 C: 951-634-5808 A47hemi@msn.com
DAVID PATTERSON - DIVISIONAL REP Lake Havasu City, AZ 760-954-5664 dpatter44@yahoo.com
TOM BOOTH Missoula, MT • 406-549-7777 gtbooth@gmail.com
DAVE DESURE Encinitas, CA • 619-813-1922
MIKE TOLMAN Pocatello, ID • 208-241-5475 tolman_69@msn.com
HARTMUT “JAKE” ZAISER Thornton, CO • 303-881-6775 69chevelle@q.com
TIM ARNESON Polson, MT H: 406.883.5218 C: 406.253.7897 arney@centurytel.net
DAGO D’AGOSTA San Diego, CA H: 858-279-0991 C: 619-384-0666 Dago1@san.rr.com
ARMANDO BARRAGAN San Leandro, CA • 510-872-2399 armbarr85@gmail.com MIGUEL BARRAGAN Hayward, CA • 510-690-5335 1988foxgt@gmail.com
RODNEY NG Aiea, HI • 808-455-3941 rodng@aol.com ERNIE OAKES Phoenix, AZ • 303-883-4041 ernie51woody@gmail.com BRAD OTT Park City, UT • 435-645-9238 brad.ott@worleyparsons.com CARLOS RAMIREZ Menifee, CA • 951-312-4040 34tudor@mchsi.com PAUL STEVENSON Nipomo, CA • 805-931-0943
BLAYNE BROKENS Pocatello, ID • 208-244-1212 bbrokens@msn.com DAN CLAUDON Seattle, WA H: 206-772-7457 C: 206-427-3031 declaudon@gmail.com GARY COOPER Steptoe, WA • 509-553-6617 steptoehotrodder@gmail.com KEN DICKSON Medical Lake, WA • 509-951-2553 kdickenson1936@gmail.com
REPRESENTING GOODGUYS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH A PASSION FOR COOL CARS AND GOOD TIMES! INTERESTED IN BECOMING A GOODGUYS REP? VISIT WWW.GOOD-GUYS.COM/INFO/BECOME-A-RODDER-S-REP
Goodguys founder Gary Meadors and his wife Marilyn could regularly be found out on the road somewhere in one of their hot rods or customs, enjoying many of the great sights and spaces the U.S. has to offer. We’re not sure where they found this vintage gas station while road tripping in Gary’s Model A roadster – or even what year this was exactly – but it sure made a great backdrop for a cool snapshot. These locations are still out there, folks – you should hop in a hot rod and go find ’em!
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PARTING SHOT
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