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PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES P-51 REPLICA

WITH SUPERCHARGED 540 BIG-BLOCK CHEVY PLUS: I THE HISTORY OF GM’S ELECTRO-MOTIVE TRAIN DIVISION I PENSKE L88 CORVETTE TRIBUTE THE LOST ART OF SHAVING TIRES

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Q ON THE COVER: It’s not often you get to shoot plane-to-plane when working for a car magazine! Rod Bower’s S-51 seen over Visalia, California. Photo by William Walker

1022

Contents 06

Starting Line with John McGann

HOT ROD Archives 20, 40, and 60 Years Ago

Track Attack Optima Ultimate Street Car Race: Charlotte

The Pinetree Jamboree Flathead-Only Racing at a New England Dragstrip

Land Speed Flathead Pulling Out All the Stops to Set Bonneville Records

Where It All Began Nostalgia at the 1979 NHRA U.S. Nationals

FrankenFord 300-Inch Six-Cylinder with LS Heads

Cross-Ram Powerhouse Big Power and Big Torque From an Old-School Hemi

The Last Tire Shaver Will the Lost Art of Tire Truing Make a Comeback

Electro-Motive Education GM’s Revolutionary Diesel-Electric Locomotives

106

Finish Line with Steve Magnante

Ten Things I Learned Kevin Tetz Shares 20 Years of Experience Painting Cars

Flying Hot Rod Rat-Powered Replica of WWII History

1962 Bel Air Restomod Good Looks And Modern Performance

Origin Story A Tribute to Roger Penske’s ’66 L88 Corvette Prototype

Stunning Proposition Harley Earl’s 1955 Corvette Styling Proposal Restored

80 4 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

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STARTING LINE

By John Above the Horizon McGann Editor-in-Chief @john.mcgann

❱Last month, I pondered the question if a Volvo could be a hot rod. This month, people are no doubt asking what an airplane is doing on the cover of HOT ROD. I think that is an easier case to make. It’s a home-built aircraft with a supercharged big-block Chevy crammed within the cowling. It’s pretty crazy. Lots of people asked me how I found out about Rod Bower’s Stewart S-51 replica, and the answer is simple: social media. One of my saved searches on Instagram is

#bigblockchevy, so I generally see most things with that hashtag. The plane piqued my curiosity immediately, and I couldn’t believe it was here in California, just a few hours north of me. It took some coordinating, but we were able to schedule a photoshoot with Rod’s son Jason, plus his ground crew Eric Ritter, Henry Charest, and pilot Elliot Seguin (follow his Instagram account @edseguin). Fortunately, MotorTrend’s William Walker was available to take the pictures, too. Little did either of us know, the guys had arranged a second plane to take William up for some aerial photography of the Mustang replica. From my perspective on the ground, the plane looked and sounded amazing. This was one of the most fun assignments I’ve had in years. I was stationed on the taxiway as the S-51 roared by, lifting off the tarmac a few dozen yards away. You can definitely hear the V8 rumble, rather than the rasp and fury of the Merlin V12, and I thought it was just as amazing. It sounded a lot like hearing a land speed car at Bonneville—that sustained, high-rpm blast through the mile markers. Jeff Smith was the obvious choice to write the feature, and I think you’ll love his mixture of technical info and his narration of the nearly two-decade build. Jeff is a military history buff, and he jumped at the chance to write something slightly different than what he’s penned most of his career. I need to cut this short, because I need to get on a plane myself—an Airbus A321, in fact. I only wish it were as cool as the S-51. Can an airplane be a hot rod? Without a doubt, and I hope you like this issue as much as I do.

EDITORIAL Network Director Michael Galimi Editor-in-Chief John McGann Managing Editor Rusty Kurtz Features Editor Timothy Bernsau Technical Editor Johnny Hunkins Technical Editor Steven Rupp Staff Editor Jordon Scott Social Media Editor Cyril Soliman Video Producer Kale Eickhof HOT ROD Garage Hosts Lucky Costa Alex Taylor Tech Center Manager Calin Head Contributors Wes Allison Steve Brulé Drew Hardin Jerry Heasley Jeff Huneycutt Steve Hutchison Kaleb Kelley Steve Magnante Rocky Rotella Evan Smith Jeff Smith Kevin Tetz Tony Thacker Walt Thurn Chuck Vranas

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SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Email hotrodmagazine@emailcustomerservice.com, call 800/800-4681 or write to: Hot Rod, P.O. Box 37199, Boone, IA 50037 Please include name, address, and phone number on any inquiries. For change of address, six weeks notice required. Send old as well as new address to HOT ROD; P.O. Box 37199; Boone, IA 50037. Occasionally our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services we believe would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to be excluded, please send your current address label and a note requesting to be excluded from these promotions to Motor Trend Group, LLC; 831 S. Douglas St.; El Segundo, CA 90245; Attn: Privacy Coordinator ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please call HOT ROD Advertising Department at 949.705.3191. Related publications: Four Wheeler and MotorTrend Back issues: To order back issues email us at: backissues@motortrend.com. In your email please include: publication name, month/year, and quantity along with your phone number. Do not include payment information in your email. Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed by MotorTrend Group, LLC User Content Submission Terms and Conditions, which are posted at http://www.motortrendgroup.com/submissions.

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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

THE HOTROD ARCHIVES 20 Years Ago October 2002: 116 pages, $4.99 HOT ROD Power Tour coverage dominated the October issue 20 years ago. By 2002, the Power Tour had grown into the huge, sponsored trip that it thankfully remains today. The trip went from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Pontiac, Michigan, with stops in Kansas City, St. Louis, Louisville, and Columbus in between. It was a trip of more than 1,600 miles and 535 Long Haulers made the entire journey, with thousands more joining the trip for a day or two. The trip was documented over 17 pages in this issue, as well as on Speed Channel on cable TV and online at hotrod.com—a true multi-media experience, even back then. Look for this year’s Power Tour coverage in next month’s issue. After the road trip coverage, Editor David Freiburger wrote about a 4.3-liter V6 that made 500 hp, thanks to help from a Vortech supercharger; and Steve Magnante compiled 25 time-saving tips from readers, ranging from how to insulate fuel lines to instructions on building cantilevered hood hinges. We have always had very clever readers.

2002

40 Years Ago

October 1982: 114 pages, $1.75 Well, that didn’t take long! Just a few months after the debut of GM’s third-generation F-cars (Camaro and Firebird) people were swapping real power into these cars in place of the anemic 5.0-liter engines they came with. That white Camaro on the cover belonged to Hooker Headers, and HOT ROD caught them in the act of swapping a 454 big-block with 11.0:1 compression and aluminum heads. Tech Editor Marlan Davis described the swap as 100 percent bolt-in using the existing small-block frame stands. Hooker developed a set of long-tube headers in the process with 30-inch primary tubes and 3.5-inch collectors. In contrast to the glorious excess of a big-block in a Third Gen, Marlan discussed the merits of Hooker’s other in-house project, a V6 powered Chevette, complete with 80s-era graphics. That swap kit was designed to accept a 3.8-liter Buick V6, but plans were in place to also facilitate Chevy’s 60- and 90-degree V6 engines, too. Later in the issue, they showcased Buick V6 swaps into a ’67 El Camino and (blasphemy!) a ’68 Camaro. Thankfully, that was a trend that didn’t continue into the current era. Other highlights were the traction bars buyer’s guide, and a retrospective on the Stone, Woods, & Cook Willys gasser by author Pat Ganahl.

1982

The big news in this issue was the announcement of the 1963 Corvette, a radical styling departure from the previous generation, and really a car that was unlike anything else made in America at the time. HRM’s Ray Brock got the enviable assignment of an in-depth look at the newest version of America’s sports car. He led the article with the statement, “Aerodynamic design, a fastback coupe, new passenger comfort, and new independent suspension front and rear. These are just a few of the exciting features found in Chevrolet’s 1963 Corvette.” Over the course of his seven-page article, Brock lavished praise on the new Sting Ray, summing it up thusly, “This car is sensational in every way.” That’s generous praise coming from a guy who had driven nearly every performance car from the Big Three at the time. Bob Hardee photographed Bob Urquhart’s Model T roadster with DeSoto Fire Dome Hemi power prominently displayed on the cover.

10 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

1962

HOT ROD Archives

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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

NOSTALGIA AT THE 1979 NHRA U.S. NATIONALS. ❱Think of this as a double dose of nostalgia. We’re looking back 43 years at an event that itself looked back to its earliest days. The 1979 NHRA U.S. Nationals marked 25 years since the association’s first national drag meet, held in Great Bend, Kansas, in 1955. Dubbed “The Big Go” by HRM staff in the day, the Nationals changed venues several times before landing in Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961, where it’s been ever since. “To drag racing people, NHRA’s Indy orgy is the ultimate annual indulgence, one solid week of Hot Rod Heaven on earth,” Feature Editor Dave Wallace wrote in his November 1979 coverage, “Silver Nationals.” “Well,” he added, “the 25th edition of same was something else again!” Along with the 1,000 or so Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Comp, Super Stock and other race cars, there was a number of historic cars, their drivers, and other guests from NHRA’s past invited to take part in the celebration.

BY DREW HARDIN PHOTOGRAPHY PETERSEN ARCHIVES QHurst Performance made its contribution to the Nats’ nostalgia when it brought back its giant trunk-mounted shift handle as a platform for Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, Linda Vaughn. “A fixture here since the 1967 Nationals,” Vaughn “brought the house down during Monday’s pre-race parade.”

QChrisman also brought his first slingshot-style dragster, the Chrisman Brothers and Cannon Hustler, which won the Best Engineered award at the 1958 Nationals. Just a few months later it was the first car to run more than 180 mph. Below: Don Garlits was busy at the ’79 Nats. Not only was he defending his Top Fuel championship, but he also brought his first Swamp Rat dragster for exhibition passes, running 9.95 at 165 mph.

12 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

■The very first car to make a pass at the 1955 Nationals was Art Chrisman’s Number 25 Chrisman Garage Special. The converted dry lakes modified had seen quite a bit of racing success before it took part in the Great Bend ceremony, including being the first to break through 140 mph in 1953. Chrisman brought the fully-restored dragster to Indy in 1979 “to make a 95-mph pass down memory lane,” Wallace wrote.

■Garlits “qualified respectably at 5.87” in his current car, Wallace said, but lost early in eliminations. Below: Wally Parks, then HRM’s editor, founded the NHRA in 1951. During the 1979 festivities he received a commemorative plaque from the current HOT ROD staff and took a parade lap down the IRP quarter-mile in a ’32 Ford that had been a class winner at the 1957 Big Go.

■“Canadian drag fans, echoing the sentiments of Fuel Altered fans everywhere, asked our editor and publisher to deliver this hand-painted message to NHRA prexy Parks.” This photo shows author Wallace grabbing a shot of Editor Lee Kelley (left) and Publisher Dick Van Cleve holding said plea.

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 13

The odd confluence where Chevrolet’s Rat motor meets a slice of WWII history.

14 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

“Flight leader to squadron . Bogies at Angels 8 coming down from 11 o’clock. Blue sectio n— stay with the bombers. Red section, climb and we’ll hit ’em hea d-on. All sections drop tanks— drop tanks. Break now!”

ou can picture the scene, climbing into a scale P-51 Mustang, hearing the cackle of the exhaust that is close to that distinct unmuffled cacophony of a Merlin V12. Once in the air, you can narrow your eyes just a touch and you’re there—in a flight of P-51s taking on the Hun in the sun. Not all hot rods have four wheels and a steering wheel. Some invest that yearning for the thrill of acceleration and squeeze that fantasy inside the fuselage of a P-51 Mustang warbird. That was Rod Bower’s dream—to feel what it must have been like to sweep the skies of the enemy behind the stick of the most famous fighter aircraft of World War II. But with the price tag of a real North American P-51 already escalating beyond what could be considered irrational, Rod had to find another way to live this dream.

JEFF SMITH

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HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 15

WINGS He found a company now called Stewart 51 Partner that offered a 30,000 rivet recreation based on a 70 percent scale of the P-51 renamed the S-51. Original company owners Jim and Peggy Stewart designed their original kit around an iron 454ci big-block Chevy as the powerplant while remaining as true as possible to the V12 Merlin Rolls Royce-powered warbird. To Bower, that seemed like a really good idea. The execution of this inspiration required not only a healthy budget and a willingness to do the job correctly

16 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

but also a serious dollop of patience. The goal to put this plan to wing demanded over 25 years and an entire crew from engine designer/builders, mechanics, and test pilots. But most of all it demanded willingness to never give up on the dream. Rod Bower is now in his 80s, but his inspiration is now a full-flight reality. Building an aircraft, even with the more forgiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules for experimental versions, is not nearly as easy as building a ground-pounding

hot rod. Physics applies its own limitations on what can be accomplished. But the fact is that this was a hot rod, so a mere 400hp cast-iron 454 just wasn’t going to cut it considering this airplane’s intended lineage. The plan quickly formed to build an all-aluminum 540 big-block because it was only going to spin about 4,500 rpm. When building any aircraft, pilot and passenger safety must be of utmost concern. As an example, when Mechanical Engineer and Designer Jim Czachorowski (his friends call him Zack) was working on the overall engine specs for the aircraft, he came up with a simple requirement: The plane had to continue to fly even if full electrical power was lost. This way, as Zack says, “Even if the battery

fell out of the plane, it would still fly.” We’ll get to that achievement in a moment, but more important is a simple aspect of power versus rpm when it comes to building an internal combustion engine for a prop-driven aircraft. The large, four-blade propeller, like the one used in Bower’s S-51, was originally designed for a Beechcraft King Air turbo-prop aircraft. This was selected because it best fit the requirement to look right with the 70 percent scale S-51. This propeller is designed for a maximum rotational speed of 2,200 rpm. At that speed, the prop tips approach the speed of sound, which degrades their efficiency. This immediately limits engine rpm to less than 4,650 rpm. That is why older piston-

“It’s a Walter Mitty experience where you get to feel what it must have been like to fly a real P-51.” Jim “Zack” Czachorowski, Rod Bower’s S-51 engine designer and builder, on what it feels like behind the stick of an S-51. ★★★★★

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 17

WINGS driven aircraft used such huge engines to make enough power at low engine speeds to achieve those desired 400 mph flight speeds. In today’s world, the scale S-51 requires the use of what is called a prop speed reduction unit (PSRU). Bowers has built over 12 different aircraft but asked his friend Zack for help with the design and construction of this S-51. Since Zack was in the process of this same work for his own S-51, he agreed to help his close friend of nearly 30 years. Zack describes their PSRU as a simple two spur gear reduction box that cuts propeller speed roughly in half—2.13:1 to be exact. This reduces an engine spinning at 4,400 rpm down to a prop shaft speed of 2,065 rpm.

18 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/ by Scorbione

This required the engine to be installed in the airframe backward with the flywheel facing forward. To spin the prop clockwise when viewing the propeller from the cockpit, and to keep the PSRU simple with just two spur gears, required a reverse-rotation engine. The Rat motor’s firing order was inverted to 1-2-7-5-6-3-4-8 from the normal 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 with the appropriate changes to a Crane hydraulic roller cam. Sonny Bryant bullet-nosed the billet crankshaft to accommodate its reverse rotation. The original Stewart S-51 took all of this into account in its original design, but for those with experience with automotive accessory drives, it’s common for these components to

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“Why build a scale replica of a P51? Because we can’t afford the one we really want!” ★★★★★ Jim “Zack” Czachorowski

WINGS work themselves loose, brackets to crack or fail, or at the very least to spit a belt. In a car, these are minor inconveniences. In the air, these problems can quickly spell catastrophe. Zack decided the best approach was to design the engine’s essential accessories so that in the event of a complete electrical failure the aircraft would continue to fly, and the pilot could maintain complete control. This meant items like the dry sump lubrication system, water pump, magneto, and even the fuel pump, had to be reliably engine-driven so that, as long as the engine was spinning, these systems would continue to function. This also meant the engine had to employ a mechanical fuel-injection system as opposed to a more sophisticated, yet vulnerable, electronic unit. The mechanical fuel-injection 20 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

system is designed by Airflow Performance to feed this 540ci big-block Chevy with eight mechanical fuel injector ports firing in batch configuration. This system allows in-flight air/ fuel ratio changes to tune for situations like maximum power at takeoff, climb, and high-altitude cruising. This also makes the system incredibly reliable and immune to spurious problems that are not uncommon with electronic systems. Easily the most challenging aspect of building this scale P-51 was creating a reliable accessory drive. Zack quickly determined the best way to accomplish this was to design and build his own using CNC-machined billet aluminum components. This system also accommodates the Vortech centrifugal supercharger and is belt driven since the loss of the belt would still allow the engine to operate.

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WINGS The accessory drive required 10 years of work to complete as he was also occupied with assembling the Bower aircraft at the same time. Zack built four additional units, including one for his own S-51 project. The water pump is directly driven off the crankshaft, while the oil and fuel pumps, magneto, and alternator are driven using large, 36mm-wide cogged-style belts inside the accessory drive. The key aspect of the system is that the aircraft would still fly even in the event of a total electrical system failure. To prove its worthiness, Zack told us that during the initial engine testing in the aircraft, he had pilot Elliot Seguin disconnect electrical power with the master switch while the engine idled on

22 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

the ground with the magneto selected. The engine continued to spin normally, which proved to Seguin that the engine would continue to run normally despite an electrical failure. Zack also wanted to fully test the engine and accessory drive on an engine dyno before it was fitted to the aircraft. He contacted Stewart Van Dyne’s shop in Huntington Beach, California, where this famous race shop configured the engine and PSRU so it could spin the dyno in the proper direction. While reducing the speed, the PSRU also multiplies torque, almost like a mechanical torque converter. The big Rat motor’s torque immediately pegged the dyno’s 1,650 lb-ft limit at under 4,000 rpm, with crankshaft

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WINGS horsepower reading an impressive 640 hp at barely 4,750 rpm on 10 psi of boost. This effort was also a packaging nightmare. Bonneville streamliner racers best understand the demands of having to fit everything inside the ridiculously tight constriction of the cowling and fuselage. Unlike hot rods, where hoodscoops for turbochargers or superchargers can be forgiven, no such opportunities exist when attempting to maintain the appearance of a P-51. The intake manifold is truncated, and the valve covers are TIG-sliced, because all those pieces must squeeze within the narrow body lines. The most obvious deviation from the strict form-follows-function

24 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

dictum are the six exhaust stacks on each side of the nose, of which only four are functional, that pay homage to the P-51’s original Merlin V12. Inside the cockpit, things are also significantly different from the original P-51. The instrument panel is dominated by a computer screen displaying all the basic requirements for flight, including compass heading, exhaust gas temperature, engine rpm, TAS or true airspeed as well as IAS or indicated airspeed, and fuel usage, plus a ton more with multiple screens. Surrounding this electronic display are several more traditional gauges you might have found in an original P-51, including airspeed, artificial

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WINGS horizon, coolant pressure, oil pressure, and a basic mechanical compass. Finally, there are modern radios for communicating with tower control. There is, of course, the traditional center stick that actuates a combination of the ailerons and elevators using mechanical controls. There’s no trigger for the P-51’s original 50-caliber machine guns; it was replaced, instead, with easy access switches for the radio and flight trim. Throttle and mixture control are on the pilot’s left just below the canopy opening. But as any experienced car builder knows, not everything follows the best of intentions. Early test flights revealed the S-51 was extremely stable and easy to fly but suffered from sev-

26 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

eral oil leaks emanating from a couple of locations. Those initial setbacks have been rectified, and with mechanic Eric Ritter’s four years of experience with the S-51 and a couple of engine changes now reveal that the engine swap ritual can be accomplished in roughly four hours or less. Not bad, considering this requires pulling the prop and attending to the jungle of safety wiring that is part of any aviation endeavor. The crew now has multiple hours on the airframe, including the short stint to offer HOT ROD its air-to-air images, and plenty more flight hours are planned in the future. This is one fantasy of flight that did come true for Rod Bower and his son Jason, along with a little help from many friends.

Flight Specs of the Stewart S-51 Airframe Fuselage and wings Wingspan Length Height Seats Max takeoff weight Controls Landing gear Fuel capacity Propeller Top speed Cruise speed Cruise range Fuel Engine Engine Displacement Power Compression Ratio Block Heads Valve Size Crankshaft Connecting Rods Pistons Camshaft Valvetrain Ignition Fuel Injection Supercharger Fuel Pump Fuel boost pump Water pump Lubrication Oil Additional Details PSRU Accessory Drive Owner Engine Builder Test Pilot Mechanic

Aluminum frame and skin 26 ft 9 in 22 ft 4 in 9 ft 4 in Two, tandem 3,300 lb Dual, fore-aft Retractable (electro-hydraulic) 64 gallons 4-blade, 91-inch diameter 330 mph indicated 230 mph 600-700 miles (est.) 100 octane aviation gasoline All aluminum big-block Chevy 540ci, 4.50 in bore, 4.25 in stroke 640 hp at crank at 4,650 rpm, 9 psi boost Reverse rotation, counterclockwise 9:1 Keith Black aluminum, MK IV Aluminum oval ports, dual spark plugs per cylinder (out of production) 2.25-inch intake stainless steel, 1.88-inch exhaust Inconel Sonny Bryant billet, 4150 steel Oliver 4340 steel, 6.385 in JE, flat-top forged alloy pistons Crane, hydraulic roller 226/230 at 0.050, 0.586/0.610 lift, 114 LSA Jesel shaft rocker system 1.7:1 Dual: Twin MSD CD boxes with MSD distributor, Separate belt-driven magneto Mechanical fuel injectors, Airflow Performance Vortec V-3 J-Trim Romac mechanical aircraft pump Walbro electric Custom designed, crankshaft-driven Barnes dry sump, camshaft driven, two scavenge ports, one pressure, 16 qt Penn Grade synthetic, 20w50 0.4694:1/2.13:1 shaft reduction, two spur gear design Designed and CNC built by Jim Czachorowski Rod Bower, Jason Bower Jim Czachorowski, Henry Charest Elliot Seguin Eric Ritter HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 27

28 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

This 1962 “Bubbletop” Bel Air restomod combines timeless good looks with modern performance and amenities. EVAN SMITH

WES ALLISON

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 29

LSX PUNCH

With slick features and a beautiful silhouette, the 1962 “bubbletop” Chevrolets are cars enthusiasts lust after—Impala, Biscayne, or Bel Air, the design is timeless. Add 409 power, and the desire to own one goes through the roof. In ’62, 409-powered cars were piloted by drag racing greats and were even the subject of a popular song you may have heard. Michigander Bob Phelps, now 83, had just left the Air Force in 1962 and was racing a new Corvette. Fast cars were everything to him, and his Chevrolet was a quick one; Bob won his class at the ’62 NHRA U.S. Nationals. But not long after, racing was put on hold for a while, as business came first. 30 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

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LSX PUNCH “I was a kid on the street. I had a ’49 Ford, and I drag raced whenever I could. When I got out of the Air Force, I bought a new 1962 Corvette that I ran for a bit, but I stopped drag racing because I needed to get involved in business,” he told us. Bob’s love of aviation steered him toward the air charter business, and he ultimately created Active Aero Charter and USA Jet, amassing 15 Falcon jets, 5 DC-9s (with 121 certificate), 6 Learjets, and 3 King Airs. “I raced that ’62 Vette and won the U.S. Nationals, and later, we won again with my AA/A Jerry Haas Corvette in 2001. I still have that car. It’s 100 percent a drag race car and it’s run 6.4 seconds in the quarter at 220 mph with an all-aluminum LS 443 with a Magnuson blower.” When asked what motivated him to build the Bel Air, Bob told us, “Well, you know how popular the bubbletop is, that’s sort of the reason,” he said. “It’s one of the most popular body styles for a Chevy. I built a great ’48 Caddy, and I couldn’t get anyone to peek at it. This car is just beautiful, and we had some cool ideas for the build. We spent months getting the body perfect, we smoothed the firewall, and I knew we’d use an LS because we’ve pushed about 30-35 LS installs out of our shop since 1998,” said Bob.

32 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

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LSX PUNCH Building the Dream Since moving much of his operation from Jackson, Michigan, to Naples, Florida, Bob teamed with Ron Caldwell, who is responsible for the Bel Air build. “We bought it 15 years ago from a guy in the Midwest, and Bob always had a plan to restomod it with LS power,” said Ron. “The Chevrolet looked original and had patina, but when we stripped it down, it had all kinds of patches, so we had to do quarters, floors and a fender,” he added. “First, we did the body and we fixed and painted it in-house. Bob was always talking about red-on-red, but we decided to go with black paint. We had to reshape the inner wheeltubs to fit the frame, and that was a big challenge. And the length of the ’62 quarters made it hard to get everything perfect,” Ron explained.

What’s not to love with 900 horsepower, pow

34 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

er windows, and the Vintage Air blowing cold?

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 35

LSX PUNCH With the 60-year-old body finally straight, Ron sprayed on ample coats of GM black, and swapped the window trim from a ’61 model. “It’s chrome on the 1961 vs. painted vehicle color on the ’62,” said Ron, “and it really enhanced the appearance of the car.” Bob and Ron wanted the Chevy to have modern handling, acceleration, and braking capabilities. They selected a Morrison GT Sport chassis from Art Morrison, which is a vast improvement over the original “X” frame. This new frame fits full-size ’59-’64 Chevrolet cars, provides a lowered ride height, and greatly improves handling. Features include 3x4-inch framerails and specially-designed crossmembers to provide ample exhaust system clearance. The steering and suspension setup includes tubular control arms, and owners can go with Strange adjustable coilover shocks or Morrison Air Spring Plus suspension. This ’62 rides on coilovers with Wilwood brakes, an adjustable antiroll bar, and power rack-and-pinion steering. The rear is comprised of a triangulated four-bar suspension with a 9-inch rearend. “When we got the car, it was supposed to have a 409,” said Ron, “but based on our research, although it was a V8, it was not a 409.” While it’s hard to beat the coveted

36 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

W-engine 409 for cool factor, Bob and Ron knew greater and more reliable power could be made using an LS. Motivating the early Chevy now is a 454-cube LSX that was upgraded with blower pistons and rods, and a Melling oil pump to move the lifeblood. “We built up the bottom end and installed a Comp Cams blower grind along with a 3.0-liter Whipple Supercharger,” added Ron. “It really runs good from tip-in at low rpm all the way to redline.”

Beast on the Street The ’62 exhales through long tube headers with a custom exhaust that fits the Art Morrison chassis. It uses oval-shaped pipes for clearance and round pipes over the axle and out the back. “I’ve built both stick shift and automatic cars,” said Bob. “Whatever I was in the mood for is how we built the next car, and this one has a Tremec Magnum six-speed with a McLeod dual-disc clutch.” As a winner of the A/Sports trophy at the aforementioned ’62 U.S. Nationals, Bob has a special place in his heart for vehicles produced that year. Perhaps that’s why so much effort was put into creating a machine with a perfect mix of old and new. According to Ron, “It has about 900 horsepower and it’s a beast on the street.”

LSX PUNCH The Chevrolet gives up nothing, with a world-class interior keeping things comfy. “We ended up doing a custom interior using 2005 GTO seats, but we had to section the seats, taking 4-5 inches out of the backrest, to fit the proportions of the interior,” said Ron. The interior also features a custom console, and the dash sports AutoMeter gauges. To harness the 900-hp LS, they installed 14-inch Wilwood brakes with hydroboost and Billet Specialties twin-five-spoke wheels with 19s on the back and 18s on the front. “For special touches, we also took the gasfiller door off the quarter-panel and put it in the driver-side rear taillight like the Tri-Five Chevy, and we went to the Impala trunk because Bob likes the look with three taillights—the Bel Air only has two.” “Bob drives it to cruise-ins and car shows and drives it home and back from the shop. He just enjoys driving them,” said Ron. And what’s not to love with 900 horsepower, power windows, and the Vintage Air blowing cold? 38 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

ORIGIN STORY Fabulous Restorations builds a big-block beast to honor Roger Penske’s original. WALT THURN

40 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 41

ORIGIN STORY abulous Restorations, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has built a solid reputation for completing stunning restorations. George Haddad and Fabulous recently completed a 1966 Penske L88 prototype tribute Corvette that pays homage to Roger Penske’s first race as a team owner at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona. Prior to his career transition to businessman, Penske was an accomplished racing driver from 1958 to 1964. During that time, he raced Corvette Grand Sports, winning the 1963 feature race at Nassau, driving Grand Sport No. 004. Two years later, he secured a breathtaking Nassau victory driving Grand Sport No. 005, defeating a 390ci Shelby Cobra driven by the late Ken Miles. It was after this victory that he retired from racing. After his retirement, he purchased George McKean Chevrolet near Philadelphia, and renamed it Roger Penske Chevrolet. This was the beginning of his successful business career. A short time later, Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Duntov asked Penske to form a race team and enter a 1966 Corvette into the 24 Hours of Daytona race to test the L88 Chevy big-block prototype engine that was slated to become a production option for the 1967 Corvette. Penske quickly formed a race team, signed Sunoco Oil Company as their team sponsor, and hired George Wintersteen, Dick Guldstrand, and Ben Moore to drive the car.

42 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

Duntov assigned Gib Hufstader, a design release engineer for chassis and racing brake packages, to watch over the 1966 Corvette at Daytona and arranged for Penske to purchase it through his dealership. Duntov used a factory service kit to avoid the corporate racing ban and installed the new aluminum-headed L88 427ci engine and a unique airbox hood that draws air from the base of the windshield. Penske arranged for driver Dick Guldstrand to pick up the Corvette at the St. Louis plant on January 14, 1966. The car was delivered to Wintersteen’s shop in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, where the team began its race preparation. This was completed by Bill “Murph” Mayberry, Bill Scott, George Wintersteen, and Dick Guldstrand. In addition to racing buckets and other safety equipment, the team added fender flares, similar to the Grand Sport, to mount larger tires for improved traction. When work was completed, the car was shipped to Daytona.

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 43

ORIGIN STORY At Daytona, the Corvette went through scrutineering where the fender flares were rejected and had to be removed. The team added small aluminum lips at the top of each fender to cover the tires and those changes were approved. The Corvette looked awkward with all the holes drilled into the bodywork, but there was no time to repair it. The team’s best qualifying lap was 2:10:60, which was good for a 21st-overall starting position and first in GT. The Corvette maintained a steady pace during the early part of the race and slowly moved up in the standings. Pit stops took place every two hours, and attrition began to take its toll. Despite a heavy crash at 3 a.m. that destroyed the car’s nose, the car continued after the team made hasty repairs. These included securing flashlights to the fenders, wiring the body to the frame, and borrowing a radiator from a spectator’s Corvette. They finished first in GT and 12th overall. After Daytona, the car received a new nose, and the factory Rally Red paint was covered with Sunoco Blue. When the repairs were completed, the team competed at the 12 Hours of Sebring race. They finished ninth overall and first in GT, and their performance cemented a 16-year partnership with Sunoco. After that race, Penske sold the Corvette to race a Lola. The Penske Corvette only raced twice: once in red at Daytona, and once in Sunoco Blue at Sebring. 44 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

George Haddad was motivated to build this red-livery 1966 Penske tribute after he became friends with Gib Hufstader. They met at Daytona when Hufstader was attending the reveal of Fabulous Restorations’ Owens Corning tribute L88 Corvette he had driven at Sebring in 1969. Hufstader was a passionate amateur racing driver and would frequently take vacations from GM to attend races and help Corvette race teams. When he told Haddad that his favorite was supporting Penske’s team at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the decision was made to build the Penske Tribute ’66. The completed car was unveiled at the Daytona HSR Historic Race Weekend with original team members Gib Hufstader, George Wintersteen, and Bill Preston, and was displayed at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance where it was parked next to the original Penske L88 owned by Corvette Repair.

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/ 45

STUNNING PROPOSITION Harley Earl’s styling proposal for the 1955 Corvette was found and has been restored to 1954 prototype spec.

tamped S.O. 2151, which stands for “Shop Order”, on a plate under the hood, this was the “proposal car” for the 1955 Corvette. In early 1954, Harley Earl’s famous Art & Colour Section saw the pale yellow body of Motorama show car EX-129 mounted to a 1954 chassis with engine and running gear. EX-129 was one of the one-piece, pre-production bodies, and it was common practice back then to use one body for multiple jobs. Their mission was to create the proposal car for management to view what the 1955 model should look like—the first Corvette with a V8.

JERRY HEASLEY 46 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

“This car was stripped, and I mea Billy Jay Espnicith was stripped, in the 19 How does any 50s,” said. b

ody do that to a

real Corvette prototype?

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 47

STUNNING PROPOSAL CONCEPT DESIGN Revisions started with new “Corvette” lettering, highlighted by a gold superscript “V” on the doors to denote the new V8 engine. Harley Earl’s shop also modified the grille of a Bel Air to fit the opening of the Corvette; added custom side vents to each front fender (one with polished stainless steel inserts and one painted, to choose from); a non-functional chrome-plated hood scoop; a larger, stylized rear deck lid; “bullet-style” dual exhausts exiting through the rear bumpers; and a dashboard painted sand beige. Chevrolet upgraded the engine to a 265 cubic-inch V8 for 1955, but management turned down the styling changes, probably due to slow sales. The bullet-style exhaust eventually did appear on the ’56 Corvette, and similar side vents were incorporated into the 1969 Stingray design.

IN PRIVATE HANDS How S.O. 2151 got into private hands remains a mystery. The car’s history from its GM exit through 1974 is unknown. In 1975, “2151” appeared, minus its styling upgrades, for sale in Hemmings Motor News. It was being handled through Empire Chevrolet in Novato, California. George Campbell purchased the car (not advertised as anything special) for around $3,000. According to Billy Jay Espich, “In 2012, a gentleman took it from [Campbell] to be restored.” 48 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

STUNNING PROPOSAL Oddly enough, 2151 appeared for display at Bloomington Gold in 2014. Steve Burns (corvetteblogger.com) snapped photos that show several of the Harley Earl styling mods that appear to have been fabricated later, perhaps as part of a restoration. Apparently, the hood was never opened, or else it would have revealed “S.O. 2151.” In 2015, the car landed at Billy Jay’s Custom Painting in Indiana. “He just said to restore it,” says Billy Jay. Being a Ford man, he had never heard of an S.O. tag. Luckily, 2151 is highly documented in books. One by Noland Adams, called Corvette American Legend Vol. 2: 1954-55 Production was especially helpful. Billy Jay is a master

50 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

craftsman, pinstriper, and painter. He used full-page photos in the book to accurately recreate the styling modifications found on the prototype.

RECREATING A LEGEND “As time went on, the car was abandoned, and I ended up with it,” Billy Jay says. When Billy Jay took the body off the frame, he discovered the 6,152 miles on the odometer might be accurate. The brake shoes still had 1⁄4-inch grooves that only the manufacturer puts on, an indication they had seen very little use. The engine bearings had little wear and the cylinder walls still showed honing marks.

He reused the original shocks, dated January 3, 1954, and many of the original bolts and parts, including six of the bodymounting pads. That Blue Flame Six wasn’t blue—it was red. When GM made an engineering change, red denoted a test or prototype engine. Those changes, adopted the last month or so of 1954 production, included a new cam and 5-10 more horsepower. In the interest of preservation, Billy Jay left the trunk and steering column unpainted, as well as the area beneath the seats and beneath the top deck. Patches of yellow paint are remnants of EX-129, the Bermuda Green paint traces back to

STUNNING PROPOSAL S.O. 2151. The exposed trunk and damaged front fender (which was replaced) reveal original, hand-laid fiberglass that is unique to the pre-production, one-piece bodies used for test vehicles and show cars, such as those that appeared at the GM Motorama. People who look at this car can see and feel the history, thanks to what could be described as a forensic restoration by Billy Jay. Maybe one day we’ll find out how S.O. 2151 escaped General Motors. Maybe those parts that Harley Earl’s shop made will also turn up. The good news is we have found S.O. 2151 and the body of EX-129, and the Corvette hobby is all the richer for that. Thanks to George Campbell for buying and saving the car in 1975, and to Billy Jay Espich, a Ford man from Indiana, who devoted almost five years and 1,800 shop hours to resurrect an early piece of Corvette history.

52 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

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TRACK ATTACK Modern muscle and classic Pro Touring hot rods battle on the track at Optima’s 2022 Ultimate Street Car race in Charlotte. his year marks the ninth season of Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car presented by Advance Auto Parts, and the season opener at the high banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway offered a first look at some new changes for the series. For the first time ever, the series will run alongside SpeedTour, which is highlighted at many stops by the Trans Am series and SVRA vintage races, but also includes International GT and Formula Regional Americas championship racing, among other events. That means when you come to see the ultimate street cars compete in 2022, you may also be treated to exciting wheel-towheel racing action from other professional series, as well as incredible vintage cars, and a rather sizable car show put on by the folks from Hagerty. Alignment with this new series required some changes in the format of the Ultimate Street Car series, most nota-

bly in regard to time on the big track in the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial, which is now run over three days, with the novice run group leading out on Friday. The other run groups then have a qualifying session, followed by two more timed sessions. The best times from those two sessions are added together to determine the score in that segment, so consistency over multiple sessions is a key point of emphasis.

STEVEN RUPP 54 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

The QA1 Autocross and Peak Performance Challenge formats remain unchanged, as does the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge and the Lucas Oil Road Rally that rounds out the five segments of competition. A new class was also added for the 2022 season—the Downforce Motorsports GTR Class for reproduction and replica cars. These vehicles must be a replica of a vehicle that was produced by a major automaker,

KALEB KELLEY & STEVEN RUPP

and they must be officially licensed by that OE manufacturer, so homebuilt Lamborghini tribute cars on Fiero chassis are not allowed. However, Superformance GT40 replicas are allowed, and two showed up at Charlotte, drawing crowds all weekend long. Since GTR is a new class for the 2022 season and no one really knows how those cars will perform in this series, that class, like the Speedtech Lucky 7 Outlaw Class, will compete for their own class championship and class cup in Las Vegas later this year. Speaking of the Outlaw Class, its format has changed as well. While still a “competition within a competition,” seven competitors

will receive invitations to Las Vegas based on their best two finishes at qualifying events this season. For other classes they will continue to award Vegas invitations to class winners at each event, but entries that had been based on points accumulated throughout the season will now be based on their best two finishes. The series has really spread out, running six times from Portland International Raceway to Charlotte Motor Speedway, so even making two events plus the SEMA Show and Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) at the end of the year will require a lot of driving, no matter where someone lives. The response so far seems to be overwhelmingly positive, as every event except Portland sold out for competitors before the season even started. There’s always room for spectators, so be sure to check this series out if it visits a track near you. If this is the first time you’re hearing about this series, you can also catch up on past seasons by adding the Optima Network for free on Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire. You can get up to speed on the rules for competing in the series and other pertinent information by visiting www.driveoptima.com.

TRACK ATTACK

56 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 57

TRACK ATTACK

2022 Optima Race Results for Charlotte: GT Class (post-1989, 3,200+ lbs, two-wheeldrive sedans, four-seater coupes, trucks, etc.) 1. Jonathan Blevins, 2008 Ford Mustang 2. James Thomas, 2016 Ford Mustang 3. Tim Schoch, 2016 Ford Mustang

GT CLASS WINNER

Classic Car Liquidators GTV Class (pre-1990, 3,200+ lbs) 1. Joe Gregory, 1964 Chevrolet Corvette 2. Jason Bottenfield, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 3. David Schardt, 1970 Chevrolet Camaro GTS Class (post-1989, 3,200+ lbs, two-seaters & AWD vehicles) 1. Bob Sobey, 2013 Nissan GT-R 2. Mike Gallagher, 2016 Ford Focus RS 3. Richard Forsythe, 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Downforce Motorsports GTR Class (OE-licensed replicas, minimum weight: 2,350 lbs) 1. Dan Long, 1966 Superformance GT40 2. Dennis Olthoff, 1966 Superformance GT40 Holley EFI GTL Class (non-compacts under 3,200 lbs) 1. Garry Walsh, 2004 Chevrolet Corvette 2. Rob Edmonds, 2001 Chevrolet Corvette 3. Stephen Watkins, 2002 Porsche Boxster No Limit Engineering GTT Class (trucks & SUVs over 3,200 lbs) 1. Jesse Vaughn, 1978 Chevrolet C10 2. Brian Finch, 1970 Chevrolet C10 3. Stephen Dorrick, 2005 Nissan Frontier Geaux Moto GTC Class (two-wheel-drive compacts, 107-inch wheelbase or less) 1. John Laughlin, 2007 Honda S2000 2. Douglas Wind, 2004 Dodge SRT-4 3. Dayton de la Houssaye, 2006 Mazda MX-5 Speedtech Lucky 7 Outlaw Class (relaxed aero rules, pro drivers allowed) 1. Anthony Palladino, 1969 Datsun Roadster 2. Angela Payne, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette 3. Bob McKeever, 1995 BMW M3 Summit Racing Spirit of the Event Award JB Granger, 1967 Chevrolet C10 2022 Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car schedule •Virginia International Raceway, October 7-9 •Utah Motorsports Campus, October 14-16 •OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational Las Vegas Motor Speedway, November 2-7

GT V CLASS WINNER

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FLATHEADS

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The Pinetree Jamboree resurrects nostalgic heads-up flathead racing at one of New England’s oldest surviving historic dragstrips. TIM BERNSAU & CHUCK VRANAS

CHUCK VRANAS

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FLATHEADS ONLY

here’s a dragstrip in Maine, just a few miles south of Bangor, called Winterport Dragway. It has the flavor of the hundreds of regional strips that once covered the country, and it’s doing its best to keep grassroots drag racing alive in New England. On August 19-21, 2022, the second running of the Pinetree Jamboree is coming back to Winterport Dragway for three days of old-time drag racing. Last year, more than 50 traditional roadsters, coupes, sedans, and pickups showed up at the first Pinetree Jamboree for three full days of heads-up drag racing exclusively for flatheadpowered hot rods. Presented by the Tornados Car Club of New England, the event brings back the vibe of drag racing’s earliest days with a unique event for period-built four-, six-, eight-, and 12-cylinder rods, rail jobs, stock cars, and customs. The Pinetree Jamboree is the brainchild of Tornados members Eli English and Pete Flaven. “We wanted to do something more than a parking lot show,” Flaven said. “We wanted a grassroots event with a relaxed, chill vibe—a family event, but also appealing to the hard-core hot rod guys who are into drag racing.”

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“We wanted to do something more than a parking lot show. We wanted a grassroots event with a relaxed, chill vibe—a family event, but also appealing to the hard-core hot rod guys who are into drag racing. ”

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FLATHEADS ONLY The first day of the Pinetree Jamboree was dedicated to tech inspections and test-and-tune passes down Winterport’s 1⁄8-mile strip. Competition commenced on Saturday, drawing approximately 50 racers from several well-known East Coast clubs, and from as far as North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Ohio. Saturday evening ended with live entertainment and, because it’s Maine, an authentic lobster bake. The flatheads fired up again on Sunday for a final full day of racing. New England has a strong drag racing history. Regional tracks, many located at municipal airports, were testbeds for performance as well as places where local clubs could compete against each other while celebrating the camaraderie of hot rodding. It’s this history that the Tornados brought back with the Pinetree Jamboree. Winterport Dragway was established in 1967 on a former airfield that dates to the early ’40s. Today, the weathered bleachers, classic timing tower, and old-time signage maintain the track’s heritage— and the sound of vintage engines warming up as they wait to battle it out on the dragstrip completes the experience of a trip back in time. It was English’s idea to make the event exclusively for flatheads. He and Flaven found that many tracks don’t welcome traditional cars due to strict tech requirements created for faster cars. Winterport Dragway is an unsanctioned independent track, “literally in the

32 Ford coupe

Pat Gauntt’s 19

Award Winners!

Jeff Breault’s 19

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ARP Fasteners Are Part Of Rodding’s Top Builds The AMBR (America’s Most Beautiful Roadster) and Al Slonaker Memorial (Best non-roadster) awards at the Grand National Roadster Show are much sought-after symbols of excellence. ARP, which sponsors the awards, salutes Jeff Breault and his 1934 Chevrolet roadster built by Devlin Rod & Custom (AMBR) and Pat Gauntt’s stunning 1932 Ford coupe out of Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods on their achievements.

Both cars, like many other award-winners, rely on ARP’s internal engine and driveline fasteners for performance and reliability. What’s more, ARP’s polished stainless steel and black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly bolts and studs provide the finishing touch to engine compartments, undercarriage and suspension —and they’re 20% stronger than Grade 8 hardware. Equip your ride with premium grade ARP fasteners.

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FLATHEADS ONLY middle-of-nowhere Maine,” as Flaven told us. The rules there promote safety but accommodate early rods. English calls Winterport a sacred place. “This is a part of drag racing that has been forgotten, the cars you would have seen running back at the beginning,” he said. “At other vintage races, a flathead car might run against a big-block Camaro. It’s no contest. We wanted to have a level field for flathead cars, where people could compete against each other with the same kind of car, on the same playing field, and just have a good time. It can be competitive, but it’s not about winning or losing—it’s about just being able to do this like it would have been done back in 1955.” We asked why racing “like it was done in 1955” still appeals to hot rodders.“It’s simplicity,” Flaven said. “There is a huge part of the population that just wants to have a weekend of no technology. No phones. No laptops. That’s the appeal of flatheads. As the world of technology propels people forward, this event transports people back in time.” Another big appeal is the camaraderie. English told us about racers breaking parts and getting help from other racers or from swap meet vendors at the event, then working all night to get their cars together so they could be back in the lanes the next day.

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FLATHEADS ONLY Rodders are already wrenching on their flathead-powered hot rods in preparation for the 2022 Pinetree Jamboree. This summer’s program will feature an eliminations runoff ladder, but racers can opt out and make noncompetitive passes all weekend just for fun or to dial-in their cars. “Racers who want to compete in the runoff can, and those who don’t can just get back in line and run as much as they want,” English explained. “We’ll have a way to mark the cars to let the tower know who is in eliminations and who is racing as a noncompetitor.” Even the competitive eliminations races will be more relaxed than many racers are used to. “We don’t want this to be a ‘you lose, and you’re done’ event. Racers will get three tries before they’re eliminated.” Whether you’re a racer or a spectator, plan on heading to Winterport, Maine, for a weekend of good-old-days, grassroots flathead drag racing. Just set your GPS for 1955 and follow the directions to the 2022 Pinetree Jamboree.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

LAND SPEED FLATHEAD Automotive Specialists pulls out all the stops on this flathead build to set records at Bonneville. JEFF HUNEYCUTT ❱One of the many great aspects of land speed racing is the multitude of classes makes for a huge variety of vehicles and powerplants. There’s also plenty of opportunity for innovation thanks to a relatively thin rulebook. OK, that’s two things—two of the many things we love about land speed racing. We couldn’t help it. After all, where else is a 1939 Ford powered by a flathead something to get excited about when it comes to racing? Hang with us here, though, because this flathead build is incredibly cool and quite unique. In the last few years, Keith and Jeff Dorton of Automotive Specialists have built engines for land speed race teams that have broken multiple records on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Mostly, they’ve been Chevy SB2 NASCAR race engines reconfigured with turbos, blowers or even lopping off two cylinders to make a V6 to fit into the different classes, but this time around the car owner, Ron Cooper, wanted to go for a flathead record. The class, as created by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), is called “XF/VGC.” That basically means vintage Ford or Mercury flatheads from 1932-1953 with an OEM block and no more than 325 cubic inches. And the “VGC” portion stands for “Vintage Gas Coupe.” For this build, there are just a few main considerations dictated by the rules. First, it must burn gasoline as fuel. That affects the design decision because gas burns hotter than methanol, so we must retain a robust cooling system and can’t use Hard Blok in the water jackets. Second, the block must be OEM and the deck height must remain stock. Third, the

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Sources ARP; 805.339.2200; arp-bolts.com

ATI Performance Products; 877.298.5039; atiracing.com

Automotive Specialists Racing Engines; 704.786.0187; automotivespecialists.com

Comp Cams; 800.999.0853; compcams.com

Holley; 877.712.0002; holley.com Jesel; 732.901.1800; jesel.com MSD Performance Products; 866.464.6553; holley.com

01 The block must be OEM per the rules. This is the newer ’49-’53 flathead block that doesn’t have the integrated bellhousing. As you can see, new copper beryllium valve seats have already been installed and the intake and exhaust ports have been worked by hand. The head studs are from ARP.

02 Automotive Specialists, Jesel, and Comp Cams all worked together to develop this tool steel solid roller cam, and it’s almost certainly the only one in existence for a flathead. It is ground with 270/280 degrees of duration at 0.050 tappet lift on 110 degrees of lobe separation. The lobe lift is 0.470 inch. Notice the aluminum race that houses a roller cam bearing. This is a clamshell that secures the roller bearing around the cam before it is installed into the block. It allows the cam lobes to be as tall as the outside of the bearing race because it all inserts into the block as a single unit. This is a popular trick in Pro Mod and other forms of top-level drag racing, but it’s almost certainly the first time it’s ever been tried in a flathead. 03 The cam bearings are secured in the block with set screws so that they cannot spin. 04 The original flathead came with old-school rope seals. That’s definitely a no-go in this engine, which will have dry-sump oiling pulling a vacuum in the crankcase. Automotive Specialists cut away a large section in the rear of the block and fabricated new aluminum pieces that will allow a modern, twopiece rear main seal for a Chevy smallblock to be installed. The aluminum adaptor locks in place so it cannot slide out once both halves are installed, and the oil pan is bolted down.

engine must keep the factory flathead valve-inblock arrangement, so no Ardun overhead valve cylinder heads are allowed here. That may seem quite limiting at first blush, but Keith and Jeff saw those rules as an opportunity to try some outside-the-box tricks. The current record is right at 135 miles per hour in a full-bodied, full-fendered car—which is impressive. To beat that, Keith, Jeff, and car builder Marshall Woolery of Thunfield Rod & Custom, put their heads together and decided they needed 250 horsepower to be certain they could top that mark. Considering the best the Ford flathead was ever rated from the factory was 95 horsepower, that’s a pretty significant jump. One of the first problems Keith and Jeff ran into was the block—specifically, finding a good one. On their first try, they chose a flathead block with a bad cylinder. The plan was to put new sleeves in all eight holes anyway. Removing the material to install the eight new sleeves weakened the block enough that after a few heat cycles on the dyno, coolant started finding its way into the oil. So, the search was on for an original block with eight good cylinders—a tough task considering these castings are over 75 years old now. Finally, Keith found a trove of old flathead engines in an estate sale,

bought them all up, and the build was back on. Once a good block was found, Automotive Specialists worked with Jesel to bring several modern race engine innovations to the flathead. For example, one of the problems with the original flathead design is there is no rocker arm to aid valve lift. The valve can only be raised the same as the height of the cam lobe. To maximize this, Keith sketched out a design for an oversized cam with Pro-Mod-style clamshell bearings. The idea here is simple physics dictates that the cam lobes can be no bigger than the cam bores in the block. Otherwise, you can’t slide it into place. The diameter of those bores gets even smaller once you drive in the cam bearings. Instead, the clamshell design wraps the bearings around the cam and the entire assembly is then inserted into the block and locked down. That way the cam lobes can be as large as the od of the bearings. Of course, finding a way to increase the airflow into the engine by upping the max lift on the valves also came with its own issues. On standard overhead valve engines, valve lift doesn’t affect compression ratio. As long as you aren’t crashing valves into the pistons, you’re good. However, in a flathead the valves open into valve pockets that are part of the combustion chamber in the head. It’s already hard

to get much compression in a flathead because of those valve pockets, and adding more valve lift means even larger valve pockets are required, further reducing the compression ratio. It is a battle trying to balance airflow into the engine, which is already difficult given the flathead’s convoluted airflow path, and optimizing the compression ratio attempting to find the right mix to make the most power. After lots of testing and changes—they even burned through a couple different sets of aluminum cylinder heads searching for the best combo—Keith and Jeff were finally able to make it work. Peak power came in at 249.4 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 257.5 ft/lbs of torque at 4,700 rpm. Compared to modern engines, that’s not a lot of horsepower. Even so, it required a ton of work and innovation to get the flathead to this point, but that’s racing. As this was written, the car hasn’t yet been to Bonneville. However, car owner Ron Cooper has taken his beautiful 1939 Ford to the El Mirage dry lake bed for a shakedown test. Even though they weren’t trying to achieve maximum speed, they did hit 125 mph on the one-mile course, and the team is confident they can establish a new XF/ VGC class record once they get to the Salt Flats. Next stop, Bonneville!

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

06 One of the tricks Henry Ford used to help make his flathead V8 affordable was to only run three main bearings. This may have saved on machining and other costs, but it does reduce the support for the crankshaft. Some manufacturers sell main girdles that basically add two more main saddles, but Keith says he’s tried them and after a few heat cycles they always wind up out of alignment. When trying to compete with so few horsepower, any parasitic losses can be a big deal, so instead, he’s fabricated these 1-inch steel bars that bolt to the block with nine fasteners each and help anchor the center main. Additional spacers will be added to the corners to create a flat surface for the oil pan to seal against.

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05 CNC machined steel main caps replace the originals. These are aftermarket and seat the heads of the 1⁄2-inch head bolts into pockets. A socket won’t fit in there, so main studs won’t work in this application. Keith and Jeff Dorton are making plans to fabricate their own main caps on future builds so that they can further strengthen the block with main studs. The crank is a billet unit from Scat with a 4.375-inch stroke.

07 For the flathead’s rotating assembly, these flat-top Mahle pistons are mated up to 7-inch Scat

connecting rods. The rods aren’t exactly beefy, but with the flathead’s limitations, they don’t have to be able to withstand too much power. 08 Like the camshaft, Jesel helped Automotive Specialists come up with this front plate and belt drive system for the flathead. The timing belt is more efficient than the original geared timing system and better able to hold up to stronger valvesprings. If you look back to the photo of the bare block earlier in this story, you will notice that the large aluminum plate bolted up to the front of the block totally blocks off the two holes for the dual water pumps normally used to move water through the engine. This will be important later. 09 The dry-sump oil pan is a custom-fabricated piece. The pickups were purchased from Stef’s Fabrication Specialties, but everything else, including the billet end plates, was fabricated at Automotive Specialists. If you have a sharp eye, you will likely notice that we are only using two of the pickups on the engine dyno. That’s because the exhaust headers interfered with the fourstage external oil pump Keith originally planned to use. To get everything to work, he had to switch to a smaller, three-stage Barnes pump, so the center pickup was plugged off.

10 Here, you can see the valve guides that have been machined to fit in the block. These aren’t part of the original flathead design where the valve, spring, and guide are all installed as a unit. Also, you can see the first of the flattop pistons in the cylinder. At TDC, it extends above the deck of the block a few thousandths of an inch to maximize compression. 11 On the right is one of the original solid flat tappet lifters for the flathead. To the left is the new solid roller designed by Dorton and made by Jesel. The bolt at the top is the lash adjuster. Also notice the two small buttons on the body of the lifter. These will slot into grooves cut into the lifter bores to keep the lifters from spinning.

12 Pictured is a stock-style valve/spring/guide setup for comparison. It all goes into the block as a unit and then secured with a clip that keeps it from pulling back out.

13 Now, compare that with the new valvetrain. The springs are pressed into place in the valley, then the valves are slid down from the deck. Next, Keith uses a custom-made spring compressor on the valvesprings until the locks can be placed under the retainers. A custom tool is used to hold the lifter still while lash is adjusted with a wrench. Keith kept the spring specs to himself, but he did admit they are essentially the same used in restrictorplate engines in NASCAR Cup Series racing. 14 From this angle, you can see how the valvetrain all works together on one of the intake ports. You can also see why the flathead has trouble flowing air and fuel at the upper rpm ranges. From the point the air enters the carburetor, it must change direction 180 degrees before it can enter the combustion chamber.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

15 The valvetrain is complete. The valves are sized at 1.625 inches for both the intake and exhaust. Max lift is 0.470 inch, same as the lobe lift. The cylinder bores are 3.375 inches. Combined with the 4.375-inch stroke, total displacement comes out to 313 cubic inches. 16 This is a stock cast-iron head. The race engine uses aftermarket cast aluminum heads, but the basic design is the same. At the top are the valve pockets, which are bisected by the hole for the spark plug. You can also see the much shallower circle that’s directly above the piston. Keith and Jeff significantly modified the valve pocket/combustion chamber in the heads they are using. For competitive reasons, they want to keep the design they developed to themselves, so we won’t be showing it. 17 The heads are secured with 24 studs torqued to

74 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

60 ft/lbs each. It’s kind of overkill considering the compression ratio is just 9.2:1, but that was the most they could get with the tall valve lift. 18 An ATI balancer for a Chevy small-block has been modified to fit the snout of the flathead’s crank. Attached to that is a smalldiameter MSD crank trigger wheel to track crankshaft position. The Jesel frontplate design also integrates a drag-racing-style, beltdriven distributor to route the spark to the proper cylinder. 19 Once the engine is on the dyno, Keith installs the tall intake manifold. The custom design is made to maximize the plenum volume underneath dual four-barrel carbs. 20 The carbs used are a pair of 4150-sized Holley XP double pumpers sized at 750 cfm each.

21 A great weakness of the flathead design is the two center exhaust valves dump into a single port that exits out the block. This puts a lot of heat into one small area in the block, and even stock-output flathead blocks are prone to cracking. Remember earlier when we pointed out that the aluminum front plate covered the cooling inlet holes where the water pumps mount? This engine will be cooled by an electric water pump mounted remotely in the car. You can see the -12 AN line that mounts to the block directly underneath the center exhaust pipe on the header. This is the new water inlet, and it will do a much better job of keeping this critical area cool enough to withstand three-mile, wide-open-throttle blasts on the Salt Flats.

22 We’ll be honest, this is not an easy engine to tune. Keith and Jeff spent lots of time on the dyno working out the best carb settings— they wound up with 78 jets all around with small #31 squirters. Timing worked best at 30 degrees. The target was 250 horsepower, and it was a lot of work, but they finally wound up with 249.4 at just 5,300 rpm. The flathead’s twisted path for

the incoming air/fuel charge just couldn’t keep up with the rpm’s after that. 23 The car is a beautiful 1939 Ford built by Marshall Woolery of Thunfield Rod & Custom. This shot was taken during a shakedown run at the El Mirage dry lake bed. Car owner and driver Ron Cooper wasn’t shooting for a record on the one-mile course, but he still managed a speed of 125 miles per hour—just 10 shy of the record. Needless to say, confidence is high that this combo will easily be able to break a record at Bonneville. Photo: Jeff Dorton 24 The reconfigured flathead fits quite snugly within the engine compartment. El Mirage is a dusty environment, so to protect the engine a quick and dirty air filter cover was thrown together. There isn’t much room between the top of the two carburetors and the hood, so this shallow setup definitely chokes some power. The salt bed of Bonneville doesn’t carry dust in the air like El Mirage, so it will be removed for the three-mile salt course when they go for the 135 mph XF/ VGC class record. Photo: Jeff Dorton

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

CROSS-RAM POWERHOUSE! If you want big power, and especially big torque, then it’s hard to beat an old-school, big-inch Hemi. ❱We may see a ton of big-block Chevys around here, but nothing gets our attention faster than when a real-deal Hemi rolls into the dyno room. And no, we’re not talking about one of them newfangled Hemi mills found in modern rides—this here is the legendary Hemi that people think about when they hear those four letters pronounced together. Engine Masters co-host and top-dog at Westech Performance, Steve Brulé, knows what’s cool, so when this 511-inch Hemi rolled through the dyno cell he made sure to get us the big-displacement details.

STEVEN RUPP

STEVE BRULE

QFinding a vintage Hemi core is a challenge these days, but thanks to a partnership between Energy Manufacturing and Callies Performance Products, shiny new 426 Hemi blocks are just a phone call away. These new blocks carry authentic Mopar part numbers and are produced from original Mopar molds, cores, and engineering data. After the block was finish-honed, it was filled with a forged Molnar stroker crank, Molnar rods, and CP Pistons for a final displacement of 511 glorious cubes. The front cover is from AR Engineering, and the balancer is by BHJ Dynamics.

Sources AR Engineering; arengineering.com

CP Carrillo; 949.567.9000; cp-carrillo.com

Stage V Engineering; 909.594.8383; stagev.com

BHJ Dynamics; 510.797.6780; harmonicdampers.com

Holley; 877.712.0002; holley.com

SuperFlow; 262.252.4301; superflow.com

Milodon; 805.577.5950; milodon.com

Westech Performance Group; 951.685.4767; westechperformance.com

Callies; 419.435.2711; callies.com Comp Cams; 800.999.0853; compcams.com

Molnar Technologies; 616.940.4640; molnartechnologies.com

76 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

01 The short-block was topped with a pair of ported Stage V heads. These heads are made from C355-T6 aluminum (21 percent stronger than the 356 alloy commonly used by other manufacturers), and even though they have the latest technology, they could still be mistaken for factory heads. 02 Running the show is a solid-roller Comp cam (along with their lifters) measuring out at 260/269 duration, with lift of 0.673/0.639 on a 109 lobe separation angle. Rounding out the Stage V heads, and completing the valvetrain, is a full set of roller-tipped, and beautiful, Stage V rocker arms. Made from 17-4 stainless steel (190,000 psi tensile strength, which is better than billet steel), these roller-tipped rockers are designed to reduce side-loading forces on the valves. From street to Top Fuel, Stage V has never had roller or pin failure, so that says quite a bit about the quality.

03 04

03 If you think finding a Hemi block core is hard, try finding a factory cross-ram intake manifold. Well, thanks to ANA, you can get an aluminum reproduction version with a few mouse clicks. ANA has been making magnesium versions of this intake since 1965, but with Hemi clones becoming so popular, an aluminum version was a no-brainer. Sure, the aluminum intake weighs 12 pounds more than the 25-pound magnesium version, but it’s a lot easier on the wallet. 04 The ANA cross-ram was fitted with a pair of Holley four-barrel carburetors and the necessary linkage to make it all function smoothly.

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Above: Once mated to the Superflow 902 dyno, the 511ci Hemi was given a set of Hooker chassis headers and the Milodon oil pan was filled with five quarts of Lucas oil. The CP pistons and the voluminous chambers of the Stage V heads gave this Hemi a compression ratio of 10.5:1, fine for high-octane pump gas. Below: After some break-in pulls, Brulé was able to dial in the jetting for the carbs (72/68) and lock in the timing at 40 degrees. With that, the 511-inch Hemi belted out a best pull of 671 hp at 6,100 rpm and a whopping 649 lb-ft of twist at 4,800 rpm! Even more impressive is that the Hemi was making 611 lb-ft way down at 3,600 rpm, where the pull started, and even when topped out at 6,500 rpm, it was still churning out 530 lb-ft of torque! That’s a lot of torque everywhere across the pull, and one reason why Hemi mills are the choice of so many racers on the street and the track.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

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(and maybe the world) Will the lost art of tire truing make a comeback? ❱Tire shaving, or truing, is something that you don’t hear much about these days, and it’s increasingly difficult to find any tire shops that even know what it is, let alone how to do it. Yet, with many hot rodders opting for bias-ply tires, and just as many people going racing, it’s more essential than ever. Few bias-ply tires are perfectly round or wellbalanced, and if you want your traditional hot rod or racecar to perform as well as it can and should, it pays to shave and balance them. The same is true for truck tires fitted to dualies and recreational vehicles.

TONY THACKER Sources Nate Jones Tires; 562-597-3369 Mackey’s Hot Rods; 714.847.0111; mackeyshotrods.shop Tire Service International; 800.223.4540; buytsi.com Vintage Hot Rod Design and Fabrication; 530.343.9228 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 81

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

QEngine builder and land speed racer John Beck of Vintage Hot Rod Design and Fabrication in Chico, California, knows the importance of tire shaving and balancing, as evidenced by his blown 140 mph A Tudor with bias-ply Firestones.

QThis portable tire shaver was developed by Tire Services International in Phoenix, from the old Amermac line. Made in the USA, they cost about $9,000. Below: One of two different one-person models, this fixed tire truer is also made in the USA by Tire Services International. Prices start at around $10,000.

QThis set of wheels and tires were fitted to the mid-60s Bell X-322 Tudor sedan being resurrected by Brian Mackey’s Hot Rods in Huntington Beach, California. They were at Nate Jones Tires for shaving and balancing.

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QWhen I arrived, the Firestone 5x16 fronts had already been shaved and balanced. You can see here where the shaving has taken place. Right: The chrome steel slot rims of the Bell X-322 are hubcentric which means that they are located directly off the flange of the brake drum, therefore Nate used a special adapter for the tire shaver.

When I worked at So-Cal Speed Shop, we used to take our roadsters to Caldwell Tire on the famed Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, where they had a mobile shaver that could cut the tires right on the car, saving the hassle of removing the wheels and tires. Sadly, Caldwell is long gone. The only place I could find in Los Angeles that still performs this function is Nate Jones Tires in Signal Hill. However, I did discover that John Beck at Vintage Hot Rod Design and Fabrication in Chico, California, also offers this service, and I’m sure there are a few others across the country. The reason Beck does it is because he and Dave Davidson are land speed racers, and they know the importance of round and well-balanced tires—Dave drives the 300+ mph 911 ’34 Roadster and John builds the engines. “Typical land speed tires don’t have enough meat to shave, but we have shaved a lot of the Dunlop tires that racers use. Meanwhile, I fitted new bias-ply Firestone tires to my hot rod, and it just bounced down the highway until I shaved and balanced them. Then it was good for 140 mph,” John says.

QNate Jr. installed the hub onto a shaft that was inserted into the wheel. The wheel will rotate on that shaft.

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

04 Once installed and brought up to speed, Nate Jr. wound bring in the cutting tool. The blade needs sharpening every so often. 05 The blade moves across the tire by hand, and the smoother the hand, the closer the shave.

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06 The light areas are the high spots and have been cut but the flat areas are low and have not yet been touched by the blade. It can take quite a lot of work to make them round.

07 Most racing tires will have these tread depth holes that are a quick reference for tread depth. A new tire should have about 4⁄32-inch tread depth. 08 Here is Nate Jr. on the tire shaver. You can see how out of

round the tire is by comparing the uncut section on the left to the cut section of the right. 09 A close-up of the cut surface shows the tiny hills and valleys left by the cutting tool.

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

10 With the wheel and tire assembly installed on the balancing machine, Nate Jr. checked the balance. Typically, these old wheels and tires need plenty of weight. 11 Because the owners wanted to retain the clean look of an unweighted wheel, all the weights were applied out of sight to the inside of the rim. 12 Other adhesive weights were taped to the inside of the rim. The red tape is just temporary. 13 Wheel weights used to be primarily made of lead, but due to environmental concerns, they are mostly

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made of zinc these days. In this case, they are the stick-on variety. 14 Once the weights were positioned correctly and stuck firmly, Nate Jr. secured them with thin, shiny aluminum foil tape that is used mainly for duct work. It also helps disguise the weights when viewed through the windows in the wheels. 15 It may not be necessary for all types of racing, but land speed racers such as Geoff Stilwell check the “roll-out” of their tires, especially the driven tires, to make sure that they are of the same circumference.

QThis is the only view many racers have seen of the X-322. The car was originally built in 1954 by Gene and Kenny Berglund of Littlerock, California, and raced extensively at local tracks from Bakersfield to Santa Maria.

QThe X-322 has had a string of owners over the years but is currently in the hands of Brian Mackey of Mackey’s Hot Rods in Huntington Beach, California, seen here at the RPM Barona Drags.

Vintage Hot Rod uses vintage equipment made by Amermac, a company that is no longer in business. However, I did find that Tire Service International has taken on the US manufacturing of what they call “tire truing” equipment, along with other specialty tire shop equipment. A portable truer costs about $9,000, whereas fixed truers start at $10,000. Down at Nate’s, Nate Jr. was about to shave and balance the rear slicks for the mid-50s Bell X-322 Tudor sedan now owned by Brian Mackey’s Hot Rods, Huntington Beach, California. Built in 1954 by Gene and Kenny Berglund and raced for decades, it was perfect for my story as the rear “pie-crust” slicks are recapped snow & mud tires, and being re-caps, they were far from round. “If you’re serious about racing,” said Nate Jr., “it’s important that your tires perform at the optimum. Therefore, making them round, making sure they have matched circumferences (roll-out), and are well balanced is paramount. If you want to win, that is.”

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

TEN THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT PAINTING CARS AFTER 20 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS

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❱Painting is easier than ever before. That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s true. Even with so many more sophisticated colors, different degrees of gloss, the multiple different and new materials that cars and trucks are made from, and the high standards that the OE’s apply to their finishes, it’s true that there are much better tools and more accessible training than has ever been available. I started out as a professional repair and refinish technician in the early ’90s, and technology was simply not as good as it is today. Despite some people harkening back to the “good ol’ days”, we had to contend with things like lead in the paint, minimal training opportunities, and very little protective equipment. I wanted to share some of these details with you, just as a reminder that if you ever wanted to attempt your own paintjob, now is a great time to start learning with all the amazing resources at your disposal!

KEVIN TETZ

Sources Accudraft Paint Booths; 800.524.0340; www.accudraftpaintbooths.com Axalta; 855.629.2582; www.axalta.com Griot’s Garage; 800.345.5789; www.griotsgarage.com Paintucation; 931.388.3531; www.paintucation.com Sata; 800.533.8016; www.sata.com Static Solutions; 321.417.5515; www.stat-gun.com HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 89

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM 1. Easy to use: It takes some practice, but with a little instruction, good equipment, and a safe, well-lit spray environment, a novice can get excellent results spraying paint, even on their first time. Practice panels are a must! You’ve gotta put in the reps, but mastering paint application has a fairly short learning curve with modern tools and supplies.

2. Better PPE: Paint chemistry today is more concentrated, longer lasting, stronger, and more UV resistant. With that comes a higher concentration of toxic chemicals that we need to protect ourselves from during application. Paint is only dangerous when it’s wet (unless you eat paint chips), so we need to use the proper PPE while spraying. A fresh air system can be very affordable, as little as $500 from some vendors for a complete setup. If you plan on spraying a lot, it’s good to invest in a professional supplied air system.

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3. Better color matching: Color cameras have been around for a long time. The technology is not new, but the availability is much better these days. Any paint-supply store or field rep from a paint company will have a color camera system (spectrophotometer) that can read the color of your project and provide a very accurate match, even on today’s three- and four-stage colors.

4. Family business: Stay within a family of chemistry. Choose a complete system and don’t “mix-n-match” your components. I’ve seen a lot of guys advocate using a different reducer or clearcoat hardener because it’s less expensive, but that can create problems, even if the chemicals are compatible enough to mix. Various solvents can affect your pigments differently; literally changing some pigment colors and causing color-match problems. Even if it’s a “budget” kit, stick with a system within the same brand.

5. Static control: Static electricity is not your friend in the spray booth! It draws airborne dust and contamination into your wet paint. Tools like a Stat-Pro gun eliminate the static charge on any surface, which makes for a very clean paintjob. This technology saves hours of polishing out defects and having a much cleaner painted project!

6. Better spray equipment: Spray guns have evolved big-time over the years. On the left is my first professional gun (Binks Model 7) and on the right, my new favorite, the SATA 5500X RP gravity-fed gun. The best equipment is the most compatible with modern paint materials. The Binks gun was top of the line back in the day, but it’s horrible for spraying today’s paint materials! The SATA gun has a very small (1.20mm) fluid tip and lays out today’s high-tech paint beautifully.

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7. Save the environment: A better spray environment is easier and more affordable than ever. Accudraft has been a leader in the push for body shop efficiency over the last 10 years, leading the industry with energy-efficient and longer lasting LED lighting, more efficient and cost-saving air management, and “smart-Booths” with cloud-based monitoring and control systems that help shops and technicians maximize the efficiency of their spray environment.

8. High tech polishing systems: Griots Garage is an American family-owned company that manufactures their products in the USA. The introduction of dual-action polishers into the professional paint and body world has been a game changer! Swirl marks are a thing of the past, and with high-tech abrasives and compound technology used by companies like Griot’s, we’re able to take a different and more advanced approach to surface correction, detailing, and paint repair.

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9. Water: Waterborne technology in automotive paint has migrated to North America from Europe over the past 15 years. It has become the standard in collision repair, and it is moving steadily into the custom painting world. Waterborne paint is simply automotive latex technology, but it has very sophisticated chemistry and blends perfectly with solvent undercoats and topcoats. The good news here is that waterborne is super easy to spray, has much better coverage than solvent paint, and is simply safer to use for the painter and for the environment. There are slightly different rules for application and drying, but it’s pretty much the same to spray as solvent paint. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot! You may be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is.

10. Better available training: Paintucation University is the newest Paintucation training system. There are trade-school-styled courses that can even offer certifications upon completion. It’s always a great idea to find a buddy or mentor that can help you learn, but if you don’t have a neighborhood “paint guy”, Paintucation can give you a leg up, and get you up to speed in today’s technology, no matter what your painting goals are.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

FrankenFord If you want something a bit different, this LS-headed Ford 300 six-cylinder may be just what you’re looking for. STEVEN RUPP ❱Yes, the LS swap has been done to death, but here’s an interesting question: Is it still an LS swap if you’re only using part of the LS engine? Well, we’re here to find out with an engine build that is so far out in left field that it occupies another ZIP code. Enter Ken Hutchison and his out-of-the-box 300-inch Ford inlinesix engine build. As Hutchison told us, “My interest in classic inline six-cylinder engines was sparked in 2017 when my dad pulled his 1985 Chevrolet S10 pickup from storage. He had stuffed a Chevy 292 straight-six into it, even though the S10 was only a few years old at the time. He wanted to get it running, and I got that, but the engine swap led me to the question that every gearhead at the time would ask: ‘Dad, why aren’t we LS-swapping it?’” Hutchison continued, “My dad has always been stubborn, but being a gearhead, I decided to investigate what the engine was capable of. In the modern hot rod world, the norm is big displacement, big V8s, and big horsepower. Being forced into using an inline-six led me down a rabbit hole on the internet. Eventually the road became clear: cut and weld these higherflowing V8 cylinder heads together and build something inspired by my father, a great drag racer and professional 94 HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER/

KEN HUTCHINSON

Sources eBay Motors; ebay.com Holley; 877.712.0002; holley.com

engine builder. I would then stuff it into my Ford Fox-body Mustang project!” Hutchison started researching exactly what a 300 Ford straight-six could do and that led him to Brazilian drag racer Jevan Dalla Valle and his seven second Chevrolet Opala. Valle competes in one of Brazil’s more popular heads-up drag racing classes, which is designed for domestic production cars. Because none were built with V8s, all the cars compete with four- and six-cylinder engines. The two were able to connect on Facebook, and Hutchison was hooked on the max-effort Ford straight-six project idea. Hutchison picked up this Ford 300 mill for the paltry sum of just 150 bucks. Another $90 got him six 317-casting aluminum LS heads. Why LS heads? “This led

me to Ellison’s Machine Shop on YouTube, and my world was set on fire with his video series on restoring a vintage Ford 300 race engine belting out 600 hp, naturally aspirated. Not only was I hooked on that much naturally-aspirated horsepower from an inline engine, but I also wondered what I could do by adding a little boost. Letting that 300 breathe was a head made from segments of Boss 302 heads. My imagination went wild with possibilities, and I soon found everything I could about Ford’s workhorse inline-six engine. While Boss 302 heads were expensive, LS heads were cheap and readily available. But would I have the same hurdles as the Chevy 292? It turns out the answer was no!” explained Hutchison.

Q After doing a bunch of research, Hutchison found out the bolt holes on the 300 were only 0.050 inch or so from allowing an LS head to directly bolt on. A friend filled all the factory holes and then redrilled them to the correct pattern. It was more work than expected, but Hutchison wasn’t stopping at this point. HOTROD.COM/2022/OCTOBER 95

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

QAbove: Did someone order the bifurcated LS head? As you can imagine, this is the poster child for “measure thrice, cut once.” QBelow left: Thanks to relocating the head-bolt holes, the 317 LS truck heads (eventually to be a single head once welded) lined up perfectly. For now, the LS-head-topped Ford straight-six will run a stock cam, but once it’s all working, the plan is to have a custom cam built and convert it to a roller setup. QBelow right: Pushrod geometry will work out great after 12 notches are made in the lip of the Ford block, but he will need custom-length 3⁄8-inch pushrods once everything is together.

QSplit personality? Yep. Well, at least until the two head sections are welded together. The head gasket is a stocker from a Ford 300 six-cylinder, and it will be clearanced when Hutchison clearances the block deck.

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QIf you squint, it almost looks done, but there’s still a fair number of things on the to-do list. As you can see, he’ll also need to fabricate some sort of pushrod cover for the side of the block.

QThis may shock you, but nobody makes an off-the-shelf header for this six-cylinder LS head. The header you see is a cheapy S10 header from eBay that was left over from another project. Hutchison will buy another set and play whack-and-stitch with the tubes for when it runs naturally aspirated. When he gets around to adding a turbo to the mix, he’ll weld together two iron factory LS exhaust manifolds. Always trust a man with a plan.

QHere is Ken’s progress as we go to press. “I used a cheapo fabricated intake from eBay and my plan is to cut it up, add length, and use the runners from the other side to fill the gap,” he explained. The engine will be EFI and controlled by a Holley Terminator X Max kit, and he will be using an adapter to mate the mill to a GM 4L80 transmission. We hope to see this Franken-mill fired up and on a dyno soon!

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

ELECTROMOTIVE EDUCATION General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division modernized the railroad industry with its revolutionary diesel engines and diesel-electric locomotives.

Before the advent of the automobile and our vast highway and interstate network, railroads were the medium that connected towns and cities, and the routes they traveled helped shape our county. As the railway system evolved, it played a vital role in transporting passengers and freight to new destinations. The Transcontinental Railroad’s completion in 1869 connected the East and West making cross-country rail travel possible. You may notice when driving today’s highways that towns and cities are generally spaced 50 to 100 miles apart. That spacing isn’t coincidental—it was the distance that steam locomotives could travel before needing to refill its tender with water. Railroads set up “water stops” along their track route and settlements often emerged as locomotive replenishment afforded time for onloading and offloading passengers and freight. As highways were built, they often paralleled railways, and many of the once-trackside towns and cities remain today. Some even evolved into major metropolitan areas. Early steam locomotives evolved into massive engineering marvels, but the operating principle remained largely the same as the steam engine developed by James Watt in 1776. While steam power was quite effective, steam locomotives were costly to

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operate and maintain. They consumed large volumes of water and fuel and the frequent replenishment stops lengthened passenger travel time. As highly mechanical machines, strict maintenance schedules had to be followed to maximize locomotive service life. Roundhouses and engine shops were strategically placed along the route where regular maintenance and repairs were carried out by an army of trained workers 24 hours a day. Automakers found gasoline internal combustion engines the most flexible and successful forms of propulsion for the automobile industry. Railroads began considering internal combustion engines as an economic solution to steam power when hauling passengers over shorter routes. McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, Nebraska, built the first rail motor car with a gasoline engine producing 100 hp in 1905. Several others followed and, while reasonably successful for branch line work, the mechanical geartrain couldn’t haul heavy payloads. Harold Hamilton was a steam locomotive fireman and engineer before managing a motor truck company. He understood the challenges of operating and maintaining steam locomotives as well as the advantages that internal combustion engines

possess. During World War I, the government approached Hamilton about equipping his motor trucks with flanged wheels for rail use. The effort proved reasonably successful. Once the war ended, he established Electro-Motive Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in August 1922 to develop a rail motor car with an internal combustion engine capable of rivaling steam power. Electro-Motive produced its first rail motor car in 1924. Winton Engine Company, also of Cleveland, supplied the gasoline engine—a six cylinder that produced 175 hp—as the prime mover. It powered General Electric’s propulsion system, which consisted of a generator that provided current to electric traction motors connected to the wheels. While the gasolineelectric rail motor cars were successful, railroads asked Electro-Motive for even greater hauling capacity and top speed. Winton ultimately produced a 400 hp eight-cylinder engine, but it wasn’t enough. Larger displacement was required to attain greater output, but the sheer size and weight of such an engine was unreasonable for a standard-size rail motor car body. In addition to the gasoline engines that Winton Engine Company sold Electro-Motive during the 1920s, it produced its own diesel engines

ROCKY ROTELLA & COURTESY OF GENERAL MOTORS

Photo courtesy of General Motors

❱General Motors is an automaker. However, GM also has a storied past in various industries that many might not consider. In the 1930s, GM’s Electro-Motive Division began producing many popular diesel-electric locomotives and the diesel engines that powered them for America’s railroads. In fact, General Motors largely championed the dieselization revolution that forever changed the railroad industry. Here’s how.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM for stationary and marine applications. Winton launched a program to develop a compact fourstroke diesel engine for rail motor car applications. Vice-president of General Motors Research Laboratory Charles Kettering also believed that then-current diesel engine design could be greatly improved. He conferred with Winton, and in 1928 tasked his research group with developing a twostroke diesel engine. Despite Electro-Motive being Winton’s largest customer, general demand for its internal combustion engines was so great that it taxed Winton’s production capacity. The company couldn’t financially incur the expense of operation expansion while continuing development of its fourstroke diesel engine. Winton Engine Company was offered for purchase, and General Motors acquired it in June 1930 renaming it Winton Engine Division.

Then, in December 1930, the corporation acquired Electro-Motive Company, ultimately renaming it Electro-Motive Division in 1942. General Motors tested several new diesel engine designs during the early 1930s. One successful result was the Winton 201 series—a two-stroke eight cylinder that produced 600 hp at 720 rpm. The Burlington Railroad selected a modified Winton 201A for its stainless steel streamlined passenger train built to showcase the advantages of lightweight construction and diesel-electric propulsion. On May 26, 1934, the Zephyr made a dusk-to-dawn run from Denver to Chicago, completing the 1,000-mile trek in just over 13 hours at an average speed of nearly 78 mph with top speed exceeding 112 mph! The record-setting run—which otherwise took 26 hours with steam power—firmly solidified the future of the

diesel-electric locomotive in the railroad industry. With the dawn of the diesel-electric age upon the railroad industry, General Motors developed its own line of locomotives. Construction of an all-new Electro-Motive locomotive assembly plant in LaGrange, Illinois, began in 1935. The first locomotive produced was a 100-ton yard switcher powered by the Winton 201A for the Santa Fe Railroad on May 20, 1936. Other locomotive manufacturers such as American Locomotive Company (or ALCO), Baldwin Locomotive Works, and eventually General Electric began developing and/or production of their own diesel-electric locomotives about this time. As running hours accumulated, operational challenges with the Winton 201A became apparent. Taking the knowledge gained from the 201 program, General Motors began developing an entirely new

Above: For years, steam locomotives powered America’s railways. The trend toward dieselization began in the 1930s, but many railroads stayed with steam locomotives for several more years. The Union Pacific’s last new steam locomotive was its 844, delivered in 1944. Designed for high-speed passenger service, with a top speed in excess of 100 mph, the 844 has never been removed from that railroad’s active engine roster. Today, it’s part of Union Pacific’s Heritage Fleet and travels the country for special excursions. Above right: Union Pacific’s Big Boy was among the largest and most powerful steam locomotives ever produced. Measuring 132 feet long, weighing 1.2 million pounds, and delivering 7,000 hp, a single Big Boy had enough tractive effort to pull a five-mile-long freight train from a stop! Retired in the early ’60s, Union Pacific performed a complete restoration and returned the 4014 to the rails in 2019. Many other locomotives have been preserved by various organizations across the country. Seeing and hearing one in person is awe-inspiring.

Above: The M300 was Electro-Motive’s first rail motor car produced in 1924. Upon its presentation, railroads were interested but needed to be assured of its reliability as maintenance downtime and schedule delays impacted profitability. Its success paved the way for the diesel-electric locomotives that followed. Above middle: Based on success of its inline eight-cylinder Winton 201A diesel engine, General Motors developed an all-new 567-series diesel engine as a prime mover for railroad use in the late ’30s. The 567 was available in a variety of configurations, and its V16 offering produced 1,350 hp at 800 rpm. It was a highly successful design that evolved over the years. Above right: In 1935, General Motors began construction of a new assembly plant in LaGrange, Illinois, where its Electro-Motive Division produced diesel-electric locomotives and their propulsion systems. The complex eventually became Electro-Motive’s headquarters. Right: General Motors developed the first mass-produced diesel-electric locomotive capable of performing high-speed passenger and heavy-duty freight service. The attractive F-series unit was highly successful for Electro-Motive and the railroads that purchased them. The F7 depicted in this 1950 GM promotional photograph featured the 16-567 diesel engine, whose output had increased to 1,500 hp by then. The three-unit lash up delivered 4,500 hp and could be operated by a single crew.

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WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM two-stroke diesel engine. The 567 series—aptly named for each cylinder displacing 567 ci—featured a vee design with a cylinder-bank angle of 45 degrees for more compact packaging than the inline Winton 201A. Its modular design allowed for V6, V8, V12, and V16 variants with output that ranged from 600 hp to 1,350 hp, respectively, increasing versatility for a wide range of applications. The new 567-series engine and the electric generators and traction motors designed to complement it were produced at LaGrange. Having a state-of-the-art diesel-electric propulsion system, Electro-Motive set out to produce a single diesel-electric locomotive capable of both heavy-duty freight and high-speed passenger service. The new F-unit, powered by a single V16 567-series diesel engine (the “F” signifying 1,400 hp, rounded up from 1,350 hp), debuted in 1938. It was sleek, attractive, and functional. As a promotional

campaign to showcase its abilities, Electro-Motive loaned a lash up of F-units to several railroads for trial testing in various conditions accumulating 84,000 miles in the process. When compared to steam locomotives, the diesel-electric locomotive reduced operating and maintenance costs up to 50 percent each, operated uniformly and dependably in all weather conditions, reduced travel time, operated cleaner and quieter, and could be lashed together to increase total power while requiring a single operating crew. Dieselization was in full swing and Electro-Motive Division was the catalyst for change. Railroads began ordering Electro-Motive’s F-unit locomotives. By 1940, the LaGrange assembly plant was producing about one new locomotive per day. Electro-Motive went on to develop diesel-electric locomotives for a variety of capacities including yard/

terminal switchers, road switchers, and even larger heavy-duty freight and passenger locomotives. The 567-series diesel engine evolved into larger and more powerful versions. In the modern era, Electro-Motive was producing diesel engines displacing as much as 710 ci per cylinder, as large as V20, and generating more than 6,000 hp. General Motors and its Electro-Motive Division remained a railroad industry leader until April 2005. Facing fierce competition from other locomotive manufacturers, along with tough economic times, GM sold Electro-Motive to an investment group. In the 75 years that General Motors produced dieselelectric locomotives, it left a legacy of revolutionizing the diesel engine and railroad industries. Its products were the face of railroading to generations of Americans and will likely remain so for generations to come.

Above: A variety of diesel-electric locomotives were designed and produced by Electro-Motive in La Grange. Yard switchers were among its first offerings. Notice the Union Pacific streamlined passenger train (the M-10000) under construction when this photo was taken. Above middle: Diesel-electric locomotives possessed many advantages over steam locomotives. Low maintenance and reliability were the attributes that railroads found most appealing. General Motors boasted the popularity of its diesel-electric locomotives calling out total cumulative miles traveled annually. Above right: Much like vehicle assembly plants, diesel-electric locomotives were built in subassemblies. The body drop was one of the final stages at the Electro-Motive plant. Here, the car body is lowered onto the power truck assemblies, which were fitted with electric traction motors.

Above: General Motors approached train styling in the same manner as vehicle styling. Designers constructed clay bucks to visually compare exterior cues for the final design. This clay mockup is of the experimental Aerotrain that Electro-Motive produced in 1955. Above right: As passenger travel moved from trains to airplanes, Electro-Motive focused its developmental efforts on locomotives designed specifically for freight service. As such, the SD (or Special Duty) series, and those that followed, gained a more rugged and industrial appearance.

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Steve Magnante Email us at hotrod@motortrend.com Follow us @ hotrodmagazine

The HOT ROD Hemi Ram ❱Does anyone remember Dodge’s “Mayor of Truckville” Ram pickup truck magazine, TV, and radio advertising campaign of the early 2000s? It was the dawn of the 21st century; the “big rig” styled 1994-up Ram pickup trucks were giving Ford and GM a good fight, and I was a tech editor right here at HOT ROD magazine. My tenure at HRM ran from Tuesday, August 19, 1997, to Tuesday, January 20, 2004, and happily, during my direct involvement in 77 issues of HRM, I was there to witness the dawn of the Gen III Hemi dynasty. This is the story of the Hot Rod Hemi Ram project of 2001 and 2002. To help prime the pump for the 2003 launch of the so-called 5.7 Liter Hemi Magnum V8 aboard 2500 and 3500 series Dodge Ram trucks (and 1500’s in 2004), an idea was hatched for us guys at HRM to stuff a Mopar Performance Gen II 528 Hemi crate engine into a brand new Dodge pickup truck as a fun way of preparing HRM readers for the upcoming 5.7 Hemi Magnum powered Dodge Ram trucks that were still a year away from showrooms. It was the early fall of 2001 when Dodge shipped a shiny black pre-production Ram 1500 short bed pickup to the Petersen Building’s Wilshire Boulevard address. I noted its 4.7 liter Power Tech V8 (an AMC design, not a Hemi) and how there were inventory barcode stickers applied to the framerails that were oddly upside down. Unfortunately, I neglected to record the VIN—it was probably a pilot-build 2002 “time warp” machine. About a week later, the Petersen

Building mail room staff placed a frantic call to HRM’s 11th floor offices that a 700-pound plastic crate had arrived—and to please get it out of their way. The Mopar Performance Gen II 528 Hemi crate engine was the second major piece of the HOT ROD Hemi Ram puzzle. I remember spending Wednesday, October 24, 2001, with David Freiburger at the HOT ROD workshop pulling the Ram’s stock 4.7 aluminum V8 and five-speed automatic transmission in preparation for the Mopar Performance 528 rate Hemi engine swap. The goal was to have the truck ready for display at the 2001 SEMA show in Las Vegas—mere weeks away. We made fast work of the removal, chopping wrist-thick wiring harnesses, and using the Sawzall on fresh stainless steel exhaust tubing. It all seemed so wrong—and so right. But it was soon realized we’d never get it running in time for SEMA. In fact, we didn’t. The HOT ROD Hemi Ram made its debut all right, but with a set of aluminum Chrysler Performance Parts Association (CPPA) “elephant ears” supporting the 528 Hemi under the Ram’s broad hood. Most SEMA attendees failed to notice the massive Gen II Hemi swap, but things soon got better. After SEMA, a budget was funded and the actual construction of a running, tire smoking HOT ROD Hemi Ram was farmed out to the capable folks at So-Cal Speed Shop, who completed the build by early March 2002. Though a carbureted 528 Hemi aboard a brandnew 2002 Ram pickup would be strictly illegal from an emissions standpoint,

a handy set of loaned Michigan state “manufacturer” license plates from Dodge allowed worry-free, and technically legal, street driving…even in smogconscious Los Angeles. As the resident staff Mopar lover, Editor Freiburger had me handle certain tasks, and I had free use of the HOT ROD Hemi Ram for a week in March 2002. On Friday, March 15, I drove it to Joe Jill’s Superior Automotive (R.I.P. Joe Jill, he passed in 2022) where it was fine-tuned and delivered 454 hp and 481 lb-ft on a Dynojet chassis dyno. I recall popping the hood at random gas stations just to gauge reaction when folks spotted the huge 528 Hemi. Many minds were blown, and those Michigan manufacturer plates were my God pass for many miles of street use. Then, on Sunday March 17, I made a total of 19 tire-smoking 8.4-second at 85 mph passes at the Irwindale 1 ⁄8-mile dragstrip. Akin to 12.80’s in the full quarter-mile, it wasn’t bad for a 4,910 pound truck on rock hard 20-inch custom tires. Then disaster struck. The next day, I was driving it to the Petersen Building when I heard a loud clunk and the B&M-supplied 727 Torqueflite seemed to go into Neutral. I was southbound on the busy 605 Freeway at the time. After coasting to a stop in the breakdown lane, a getout-get-under revealed a hole in the inspection cover of the stock 9-1⁄4 rear axle! The differential cross shaft had failed, dumping the spider gears into the case, and immobilizing the truck. Long story short, Mopar Performance honcho David Hakim air

freighted a brand new 9-1⁄4 rear axle to my home where I effected repairs. Within a week, the HOT ROD Hemi Ram was running again, and I returned it to the Petersen Building where it was enjoyed by other staffers, the publisher, and several advertising guys. It even went on the 2002 HOT ROD Power Tour, maybe you saw it there? By 2003, the team at Sport Truck magazine used it as a project vehicle for a few issues, but eventually its completely non-legal emissions status came into play. Dodge needed its manufacturer license plates back, and suddenly the HOT ROD Hemi Ram became an albatross with no future. Reinstalling the original 4.7 V8 was out of the question, because the factory wiring harness had been sliced, diced, and hacked beyond repair, so the HOT ROD Hemi Ram was unceremoniously disassembled. I’m pretty sure David Freiburger put the Mopar Performance 528 crate Hemi to good use elsewhere, and the custom 20-inch hoops were also scavenged. I did snap a few pictures of the empty shell of the truck in early 2004 but can’t find them right now. Fear not. Because I was fully aware of the HOT ROD Hemi Ram’s unique status as a future magazine project legend, I documented my time with it deeply with pages of hand-written notes and numerous pictures. The amazing upshot is that it’s been nearly 20 years that Ram trucks have been Hemi powered—right from the factory. And they’re totally smog legal. The good old days are right now!

Hot Rod (ISSN 0018-6031), October 2022 Vol. 75, No. 10. Copyright 2022 by Motor Trend Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Published monthly by Motor Trend Group, LLC, 831 South Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates for 1 year (12 issues): U.S., APO, FPO and U.S. Possessions $20.00. Canada $32.00. All other countries $44.00 (for surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. *Trademark registered. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to HOT ROD, P.O. Box 37199. Boone, IA 50037.

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