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RUST IN PEACE: CLASSIC CAR JUNKYARDS POWERADDERS COMPARED

THIS BIG-BLOCK CAMARO WAS BUILT FOR STREET AND TRACK

JULY 2021

EXHAUST BUILDER’S GUIDE SLEEPER ’93 MUSTANG MAKES 507 HP

RARE PARTS FOUND IN FLATHEAD GULCH

1971 CAMARO PULLED FROM A BARN

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 3

EDITORIAL Performance Group Director Douglas R. Glad 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 Megan Neal Video Producer Kale Eickhof HOT ROD Garage Hosts Tony Angelo Lucky Costa Tech Center Manager Calin Head Contributors Richard Holdener Harris Lue John Machaquiero Connell R. Miller

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In the Blink of an Eye f something like this had to happen, this was the best place for it. Otherwise, my car would have burned to the ground.” That was the sobering message 2019 HOT ROD Drag Week winner Tom Bailey relayed to us while describing the engine fire that nearly destroyed his car at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals. Tom was there making exhibition passes in his Sick Seconds 2.0 Camaro, when a damaged fuel injector O-ring caused a massive fire on the top end of the track after his second pass. Tom credits the quick response from NHRA’s Safety Safari, the on-track fire and medical personal, for saving his car.

“

How does a broken fuel injector O-ring nearly destroy a car? Easily, and often it’s the simplest of parts that can cause the most destruction. On his first pass of the weekend, tire shake caused some damage to the car, bending the wheelie bars and cracking an exhaust tube leading to one of the wastegates. It also may have caused the O-ring to push out of place in the intake manifold. Engine builder Steve Morris explains that he designed the intake manifold to interface with the fuel rail in a way that captures the injectors to prevent them from being ejected in the event of a backfire, but the injectors can still move around, since they are retained top and bottom with O-rings. Steve believes that one of the O-rings split and pushed out of place, which both created an external fuel leak and caused a lean misfire in its respective cylinder. The lean condition caused a backfire through the intake, which leaked past the split O-ring and triggered the conflagration of fuel that had been collecting inside the engine compartment. Tom recently started a YouTube channel, and he just uploaded a video of the fire that includes in-car footage. During his second pass at the Gatornationals, you can see the car lose traction, then lose power, then the hood bulges quickly as the fire starts. When methanol burns, you don’t see a visible flame, you just see the heat bloom indicating that the whole front of the car was on fire. Knowing this, Tom had the wherewithal to note the location of the NHRA Safety Safari personnel and

get his car stopped as close to their position as possible. They arrived within seconds and began dousing the car with fire extinguishers. Flames can be seen flaring up around the windshield and driver-side door as Tom makes a hasty exit from the car. Those flames are from components under the hood burning because of the methanol fire. Tom already has the car back in Michigan and has begun repairs. “It wasn’t a crash, so the car is ok, but everything in front of the firewall needs to be inspected and repaired or replaced. All the hoses and wiring harnesses melted. The fire traveled underneath the car and melted the hoses leading to the shock absorbers’ remote reservoirs and damaged both parachutes. Tom estimates the car will be mostly back together in about a month’s time, citing that the carbon body panels may cause most of the delay. He will document the process in future videos on his YouTube channel, plus discuss his safety equipment and why he chose those particular products. Catastrophe can strike any of us at any time. How prepared are any of us? With the recent announcement that we are proceeding with plans for the HOT ROD Power Tour and Drag Week for 2021, I look forward to seeing Tom and the rest of the Drag Weekers later this year. We are expecting a big crowd for Power Tour, too, as much of us around the country emerge from the effects of the virus eager to get back to some semblance of normal. We hope to see you there.

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FIND IT AT

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

The HOT ROD Archives

1981

20 Years Ago July 2001: 148 pages, $3.99 Cheaper, Faster! That was certainly a compelling headline to get people to pick this issue off the newsstand. If that wasn’t enough, the cool driving shot of the red ’72 Chevelle SS454 is added incentive. Staffer Jeff Koch snapped that image, and the car itself was powered by a 502 crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. A TH700-R4 transmission and 12-bolt axle rounded out the drivetrain. The “cheap and fast” of this issue refer to a feature of a ’79 Ford Fairmont with a 302 engine in place of the stock 3.3L six that the staff spotted on Power Tour. Repurposing used NASCAR parts is always a hot theme, and staffer Will Handzel went deep into the race car parts bin. A big-block ’81 Malibu was also featured, and Terry McGean documented the engine build of the School of Automotive Machinists’ 10-second LS1-powered Camaro.

40 Years Ago July 1981: 120 pages, $1.50 An iconic slice of the SoCal car scene was on full display here in 1981. The Cruisin’ headline done up in the California blue and gold license plate treatment was a nice touch as was the setting for the picture. Scenes like this played out on summer nights all across the country: guys and gals bonding over a love of cars. Staffer Dave Wallace penned the six-page feature inside, which was a fascinating documentation of the LA car scene at the time. Cruising on Van Nuys Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley had gotten so popular that the LAPD decided to shut down a two mile stretch of Van Nuys on cruise nights to disperse the 10,000 to 15,000 people who would show up. That’s a practice that continued periodically since then, and these days, it’s rare to see the kind of loosely organized cruise nights in the area anymore. In another sign of the times, Jim McFarland’s piece on using various blends of alcohol for fuel begins, “Our

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1961 ‘friends’ in OPEC have set the stage. Gasoline, particularly racing blends, is not only increasingly expensive, it’s increasingly scarce.” In the years since, E85 has become a viable fuel readily available at filling stations, especially in the Midwest. Gray Baskerville deftly crafted the words for the feature on Vern Luce’s ’33 Coupe on the cover. The car was built at Hot Rods by Boyd based on illustrations from Thom Taylor. John Buttera, Steve Davis, Dan Fink, and Art Chrisman also contributed to the build that helped launch a look and style that continues today with no sign of letting up.

60 Years Ago July 1961: 124 pages, 50¢ Blurbed in black and yellow across the top of the issue, a comprehensive road test of the 1961 Corvette with the 315 hp fuel-injected 283 engine was the first big article readers saw inside. The car was delivered to author Ray Brock with just 250 miles on the odometer, and a sticker price of $5,078.25. In addition to the fuelie engine, a $484.20 option, the ‘Vette was equipped with Positraction ($43.05), a radio ($137.75), and a heater ($102.25). Ray loved the Corvette, especially it’s 11:1 compression 283 and new four-speed manual transmission. He described the experience by saying, “A short session running up and down through the gears of a Corvette four-speed gives anybody a new outlook on life.” Eric Rickman’s article on repairing an engine block with a broken bellhousing flange will make you thank all machinists everywhere for the skills needed to do this kind of work. More machining can be found in Ray Brock’s article on modifying an axle housing to accept floating axles, and the piece on running Mag wheels on the street was especially interesting as well. Though not blurbed at all, the cover car was Clarence Catallo’s ’32 Ford Coupe. The Alexander Brothers Custom Shop made the unique grille, and the engine was a supercharged Olds displacing 344 cubic inches.

HOT ROD Archives

2001

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

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VINTAGE SUPERCHARGED AND INJECTED 1956 CHEVY SLEEPER he man posing next to the plain-Jane ’56 Chevy Bel Air is John Bandimere. That would be the same John Bandimere who, about a year after these photos were taken in April 1956, chose a parcel of land on the west side of Denver that he would transform into a place where local hot shots—including his own son, John Jr.—could race safely off the streets. “Thunder Mountain” still bears the name of its founder, and Bandimere Speedway is still running strong six decades later. John Bandimere, Sr. was an avid racer with a history of hot cars that reached back to the 1930s. To help make power in the Rockies’ thin air, he became an expert on supercharging and even put his name on a few blower systems, which are now highly collectible rarities. Bandimere’s story about his Bel Air, “Mile-High Windmill,” ran in the February 1957 issue of HOT ROD. “Recognizing the performance and roadability of the ’56 Chevrolet, I decided that mine was well worth the trouble of an all-out supercharger installation, especially in consideration of the high altitude and resulting rare atmosphere of the Denver area.” What would make this project even more interesting, in his eyes, was the fact that “the engine itself was to retain stock Chevy brands from the blower down.” “Redomed” Chevy truck cylinder heads lowered the compression to 6.5:1, and he used a Corvette cam, lifters and valvesprings, and exhaust manifolds, the latter fitted to exhaust pipes that ended at Buick mufflers. Bandimere fabricated an aluminum adapter plate to fit the 3-71 GMC supercharger on top of the engine, while two Carter side-draft carburetors were installed on a “special manifold on the intake side of the super-

Steven Rupp & Drew Hardin

charger, using the present foot throttle for operation.” This is where things get interesting. Bandimere made a point of calling out the “present foot throttle” because the Chevy mill would have two. “A left foot throttle was installed to operate the fuelinjection system, consisting of a Hilborn metering valve and my own arrangement of eight fuel-injection nozzles in the intake manifold, and one nozzle in the intake blower manifold. The methanol fuel pump is set to put out a maximum pressure of 28 pounds, which has to overcome a manifold pressure of 14 pounds to deliver the proper amount of fuel through the injection nozzles.” Bandimere constructed a separate tank in the Chevy’s trunk to hold the methanol, and a switch in the cabin operated a solenoid that controlled the gas supply. “As a result, this combination carburetor and injection system can be quickly changed to one or the other from the dash.” Bandimere admitted that “no clocked acceleration runs have been recorded as yet,” but “comparison tests with other high-performance cars lead me to believe that I’ve a hundred in hand through the quarter mile.”

Colin Creitz, Petersen Publishing Archives

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY 11

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TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER This 1969 Camaro Is a Race Car Built for the Street Steven Rupp

John Machaqueiro

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 13

TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER ony Rock is like most gearheads in his age group. While growing up, he took a particular liking to muscle cars as a result of the influence from a family member. He notes, “I’m sure it was something that I got from my father, Rich.” Not only did he get that from his dad, but both parents were complicit in feeding that burn when they dropped some cash on a 1968 Chevelle for him as his first ride at the age of 16. That act of kindness was repaid in a matter of weeks when Tony decided to take the engine completely apart because he wanted to “make it faster.” He eventually did put the car back together, and drove it for a while until selling it to a friend. At that point, Tony also began making frequent trips to the local dragstrip and became enamored with the look and power of a purpose-build door-slammer. In particular, he 14 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

became fixated on 1969 Camaros—to the point that finding one became a goal. That desire set off an intense search at local car shows, newspapers, and countless trips chasing down leads on possible candidates. As is often the case with most intense things, it all came down to something as simple as a phone call from a friend that made the difference. “A buddy called me and said he had just seen one of the nicest 1969 Camaros and thought it was for sale,” Tony recalls. A little detective work was involved in tracking the owner down, but Tony eventually found him and showed up at his doorstep to ask if it was for sale. The guy told him that he hadn’t thought about it, but if the price was right, everything was for sale. The negotiations went back and forth for a few days until he showed him a decent pile of cash. He notes, “I told him I’m serious about buying the car, and this is what I am willing to pay for it without the engine.”

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TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER What Tony had purchased was a legit 396 1969 Camaro RS/SS; however, it was already back-halved with big tires, and the original drivetrain was a distant memory. He does claim that, “If it was in original condition I would never cut it up.” All bets were off with this one since it was past the point of no return. It was, however, exactly what he had been looking for as the starting point for the build.The big empty hole between the fenders was something that he quickly filled with a 468-cubic-inch big-block. It was a problematic combination that suffered a few mechanical mishaps, which led to an even bigger 540-cubic-inch mill. That one was a little over the top, so it limited his ability to drive the car regularly. Tony also continued to take regular trips to the track to help out his buddy, Gill Mobley, run his car. That involvement would fuel his decision to build an all-out race car, but for that he knew a change under the hood was in order,

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TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER so he ordered a 615-cubic-inch all-aluminum mill from Fulton Competition Race Engines. Everything was going according to the plan at that point, so he shipped the Camaro to a shop in Tennessee to have a new Pro Mod chassis built, and this is where things took a wrong turn. For the next 10 years, the car sat. With numerous trips taken to check on the progress, and every excuse imaginable given by the shop’s owner as to why it wasn’t any closer to completion, things finally came to a boil. “I asked my buddy, Jimmy ‘Dino’ Dawes, if he would go with me to get it,” he states. “We drove 12 hours to find out that the car was still not done. I told him that I wasn’t leaving without my car, and the excuse given was that he didn’t have all the parts, and it would take him a week even if he did.” Tony ended up spending eight days there and having parts sent next-day delivery to get the car to the point that it would roll onto his trailer. On the way home, he realized he needed to have a shop closer to him to continue the work.

“I wouldn’t do anything differently if I had the opportunity

18 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

to build this car again. I like it just the way it is.

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 19

TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER Yet another chapter began when Tony took the unfinished car to Steve Boone at East Coast Chassis to repair and continue the build. Steve went over the work already done and gave Tony the bad news. Upon inspection, he saw more and more things that needed to be repaired than had initially been planned. From there, work started once again. It required quite a bit of fabrication to hang the front clip, which also forced a complete revision of the chassis. This was also yet another turning point for the car. Tony explains, “Once Steve started on my car and told me his ideas on how he wanted to fabricate a lot of things, I realized that I was not going to race the car but was instead going to drive it on the street.”

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TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER Since the double-frame chromoly chassis was race inspired, the front suspension consists of Strange 1.5-inch drop spindles, springs, adjustable shocks, 11.25-inch slotted rotors, and double-piston calipers. Out back, the Strange housing is fitted with 35-spline axles, 4.11 gears, and a spool, all attached to Strange springs, adjustable shocks, 11-inch slotted rotors, and double-piston calipers. Change was also on order under the hood. Tony’s buddy Gill asked if he would be interested in buying one of his 632-cubic-inch allaluminum engines from Fulton Competition Race Engines, and that made perfect sense to him. Since street use was the new flavor, the 632 was taken to Brian Roche Racing to dial it down for civility on pump gas. Overall, it is a stout package that consists of a Bryant forged crank and Diamond 12.5:1 aluminum pistons on the bottom end. The top end wears a set of CFE 18-degree aluminum cylinder heads, a custom-ground Crower cam, all topped off by a Braswell Dominator 1250-cfm carburetor mounted on a custom billet aluminum intake by Bruce Wolford. Not only did he buy the engine from Gill, but also a Lencodrive three-speed transmission with a Neal Chance 4,000-rpm stall converter.

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TUBE CHASSIS GROCERY GETTER That combination was dropped into the car so that Steve could fabricate a set of custom stainless steel headers that exit through the fenders. Once the drivetrain was wrapped up, the body was removed and sent to Travis Soper for a fresh layer of basecoat/clearcoat PPG black paint, while the frame was sent out for powdercoating. After they were once again reunited and the drivetrain reinstalled, the focus shifted to the interior. A set of Quarter-Max seats were installed, along with a Mark Williams steering wheel and AutoMeter gauges. Chuck Buckler of Chuck B Design did the airbrush work to the dash to simulate the HVAC controls, radio, emblems, and vents. The last item was the rolling stock. Wheel choice was Weld Racing AlumaStar wheels, measuring 15x3.5 inches in the front and 16x16 inches in the rear. The tires are Mickey Thompson Front ET 28.0/4.5-15 and Hoosier Quick Time 33x22.50. Once it was all wrapped up, Tony reached a threshold that some never achieve with a car—a sense of completion. He notes, “I wouldn’t do anything differently if I had the opportunity to build this car again. I like it just the way it is. It rides really well, and it sounds good.” We heard it running, and his assessment may be the understatement of the year. One question remains: Is it a race car built for the street or a street car disguised as a race car? We’ll let you decide.

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Flathead Gulch We Visit a Rare Parts Treasure Trove and Spot a Caddy-Powered ’32 Ford Stashed in Arkansas

uring a visit several years ago to Frank Pratt, an ex-West Coast refugee living in the Ozark Mountain community of Bella Vista, Arkansas, I asked about a rumor I’d heard about a ’32 Ford three-window that was built as a hot rod in the early 1950s and was still in the owner’s possession. Adding to that mystery, the garage in which the car was parked supposedly contained a large collection of Ford flathead parts. He laughed, grabbed his cell phone, and 20 minutes later we pulled up in front of a large home on a cul-de-sac that overlooked Loch Lomond, the largest of the town’s lakes. Through each of the four open garage doors, I could see a roadster peeking out. Greeting us at the door was a tall, gray-haired septuagenarian by the name of Robert “Bob” Whitehead. After our introduction and some small talk, our genial host first took us through what was only the home’s upper-level front garage. The roadsters were beautiful: a Brookville steel-bodied black ’32 sporting an Eaton supercharged flathead, and a red, slightly stretched ’glass Deuce, also with blown flatty power. Next was the red, Magoo-built Model A with 327-inch Stovebolt power, and in the last stall squatted a bright yellow ’29 A that harbored a four-cylinder Datsun powerplant under the hood (more on that

later). We followed Bob down his drive to the lower rear of the house, where there were four stalls and an oversized two-car space. In what felt like an otherworldly moment, I spied 350 or more flathead manifolds lining the entire back and one side wall of the garage. I saw manifolds from Tattersfield, Thickstun, Roof, Alexander, Edmunds, Harrell, Meyer, and Evans. There was even an extremely rare Sullivan (with its backward-mounted dual carbs) from a ’30s Ford front-wheel-drive Indy car. It didn’t take long to realize this was surely one of the largest and most exotic collections in existence. There were shelves with aluminum and cast-iron heads;

Connell R. Miller 26 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 27

FLATHEAD GULCH flywheels; cams; fuel and water pumps; distributors for twin-plug heads; Vertex magnetos; and W&H, Lucas/Allard, and Spalding “Flamethrower” ignitions. Flatheads were mounted on each of the 18 engine stands and featured a diverse combination of hop-up goodies, from stock and aluminum heads to a rare reproduction Sparks OHV setup and both an authentic and a repop of Zora Arkus-Duntov’s original creation, the Ardun head. Bob’s love of supercharging also showed, with a wide diversity of types, ranging from the S.Co.T., GMC, and Eaton, to one that once huffed into an early ’30s Bentley. Several Paxtons and McCullochs, mounted on manifolds, were lined up side by side on a long bench by one wall. We finally reached the doorway that separated the oversized twocar garage from the rest. Stepping into the large, air-conditioned space, I was finally rewarded with my first look at Bob’s pride and joy: his full-fendered, three-window ’32 Ford coupe, the car that spawned the rumor I had initially inquired about. Even though it certainly had an old-school look, one would be hard-pressed not to believe it was anything but a glass-bodied, fairly 28 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

recent build. As I stared, trying to absorb it all, Bob laughed and told me he bought the car from the original owner in 1953 while still in high school. He remembers it had only 30,000 miles on the odometer. No flathead sat in this one, however. A ’49 Cadillac V8, pulled from a local salvage yard, was installed by the young, mechanically inclined Bob shortly after he bought the car. First, though, the engine was bored 0.060 and fitted with Jahns pistons while the heads were being ported. Bell supplied the GMC 4-71 blower and Cragar manifold with two Carter AFBs pirated from a wrecked Buick. (Edelbrock 600s now sit on top.) Bell also supplied the Joe Hunt–prepped Vertex mag that Bob states has never been worked on or serviced since it was new, and that the blower belts are the original ones from Bell. An early Chet Herbert roller cam has a lot to do with the healthy loping idle. In California, Bob lived close to Chet’s shop, and during a teardown one time he took the cam by to have it checked. After inspecting the numbers engraved on it, Chet told him it was one of the very first cams he’d ground. When his friend Tom McMullen changed engines and needed

FLATHEAD GULCH to replace the firewall in his famous ’32 roadster, Bob bought the chromed piece for a paltry $25, a nice addition that sets off the brightwork in front of it. Blair’s Speed Shop’s ace welder (and custom banjo maker) Okie Adams built the dropped axle, giving the car a nice, subtle forward rake. Lincoln ’40s-era hydraulic brakes provide the stopping power, while an early ’60s Chevy rearend with coilovers, ’60s American TorqThrust wheels, a four-speed Muncie transmission mated to an aluminum flywheel, Ford F-150 steering box, and an interior by an Orange County shop that reproduced the original are among very few changes or modifications made since Bob bought the car 65 years ago. The original ’32 radiator, albeit aided by an electric fan, never lets the big-inch Cad mill overheat—even on a hot and humid summer afternoon drive. When I mentioned the beautiful, dark blue paint, I was shocked to hear that Bob had sprayed the gorgeous lacquer in 1955, a flawless job attesting to another of his many talents. The tasty pinstriping was also added in the 1950s at a cost of only $25. Bob was also emphatic about the fact that the car has all its original body parts and has never had any bodywork. No dents ever!

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FLATHEAD GULCH Noticing the USC sticker on the rear window and the “Obsoletes Limited” of Orange County on the front windshield led me to a conversation with Bob about his background. This turned out to be as interesting—and eclectic—as his cars and parts. His life revolved around four-wheeled machinery while working for or with some of the most interesting personalities in the genre, such as customizer Gene Winfield, designer Larry Shinoda, Pete Brock, Paul Newman, and Bob Sharp. It sounded like quite a ride. Bob had just started high school in Irvington, New York, when he was given a ’40 Ford convertible by his brother, who was leaving for the Navy. By 13, he had already learned how to weld, and the ’40 was soon chopped with a Carson-style top in place and a hot flathead under the hood. After an accident claimed the car, Bob got his chance when he bought the ’32 coupe. Bob and his Deuce coupe set off for California after high school. While in college in Fresno studying engineering, the young rodder made friends with Gene Winfield and eventually went to work for him. In 1961, Gene sent him on the road, driving the famous Jade Idol custom to Indianapolis for the car show that was a co-event with the NHRA Nationals drag race. During downtime in Indy, Bob spent hours playing basketball at a nearby court with entrants George Barris, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Carl Casper, and others, leading to longtime friendships.

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FLATHEAD GULCH With undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees under his belt, he went to work with Chrysler Corporation, where he was involved in everything from its ill-fated turbine car program to “having to” put miles on the lightweight, Hemi-powered Dodge cars to satisfy “used” racing association rules. He later left to work for the up-and-coming Datsun, eventually becoming that company’s national technical engineering manager as well as working closely in its (enormously budgeted) racing program with drivers Pete Brock, Paul Newman, and Bob Sharp. Bonneville was a yearly testbed for Datsun, and each year Bob took several cars, along with a crew of engineers and designers, to race at the Salt Flats. In 1976, Bob and his old friend Frank Oddo teamed up to create a roadster that became a 10-issue build project for Street Rodder magazine, with the completed car featured on the cover of the June 1977 publication. With gas prices spiking at the time, big-inch V8s were suffering, so the pair decided to see if a foreign fourcylinder engine noted primarily for economy could be souped-up decently and still be easy at the gas pump. A high-compression, Isky-cammed, 200-hp dyno-tested Datsun was mated to a Model A chassis (fitted with one of Pete & Jake’s first four-bar front ends) and a Cal Automotive ’29 A ’glass body. After completion, a rollcage was temporarily added along with fenders to make the car legal for the popular G/Street Roadster class at Bonneville. With Bob at the wheel, it set a record of 115.786 mph, one that stood for five years. Eventually, he powered the roadster to a high of 125 mph. More than 40 years later, except for the paint, wheels, grille shell, and the addition of a hood, this is the same bright yellow roadster that sits in Bob’s garage today. It’s his wife Leah’s favorite car to cruise around their location in the Ozarks. In the late ’70s, Bob left Nissan to work with Subaru, where, as senior vice president of engineering, he continued racing, taking that brand’s cars to Bonneville and setting F.I.A. records at a track in Arizona. By 1990, however, he and his wife decided to slow down. During visits to Leah’s former home near Rogers, Arkansas, they found the perfect building site in Bella Vista. When their house was completed in 1991, the move was made, along with the many boxes of parts and eight cars. 34 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

POINT YOUR CAMERA HERE TO SEE A SUPERCHARGED FLATHEAD BUILD.

At an age when most retirees find their La-Z-Boy and TV remote more desirable, Bob can often be found in the garage polishing or changing the oil on his ’32, building a new blower drive for a customer’s flatty, or attending a swap meet. During non–swap meet weekends, you might find him firing up the Deuce coupe or one of his other cars and cruising to a local cafe, where every Sunday morning there’s a mini-car show of hot rods and customs in the parking lot, their owners inside drinking coffee and spinning tales of past racing or car-building experiences. While driving home the day I met Bob and had the opportunity to salivate over his way-cool full-fendered three-window and wall of manifolds, I remember silently thanking my buddy Frank for confirming that “rumor” I had asked him about earlier that morning. Now, years later, it’s always a pleasure to take the short trip up to Bob’s home and see what cool, new treasures have shown up at “Flathead Gulch.” Maybe we’ll even go for a spin in that wonderful old ’32 or his ’40 coupe with the Gene Winfield engine.

WOLF

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IN FOX

X CLOTHING This 1993 Mustang LX Was Reborn From the Wreckage of an Eighth-Mile Mistake Harris Lue

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 37

WOLF IN FOX CLOTHING P.J. Pasierb’s Fox-body story starts like many we’ve heard before. It’s a story of a dream fulfilled; a low mileage car that was preserved and improved with cylinder heads, a cam, and an intake. However, this story had one crushing blow that led to an amazing transformation. P.J.’s family has a long history of Ford ownership. His grandfather is a 30-year Ford Motor Company veteran, his father’s first car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, and P.J.’s first car was his family’s hand-me-down 1984 Mercury Marquis. He’s always had an affinity for the Ford brand, but it was his parents’ purchase of a 1990 Mustang LX 2.3 that got P.J. hooked on Fox-body cars. Although P.J. lusted for a Fox throughout his formative years, he steadfastly piloted the trusty, Griswold-style station wagon through high school instead. The Grand Marquis provided plenty of space and comfort along the way and gave him many years of service, but that service came to an abrupt end when he was rear-ended a week before graduation. 38 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

With 507 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque,the drivetrain and suspension needed to be beefed up to handle the load.

With his trusty station wagon totaled, his eye on a diploma, and his heart set on the University of Central Florida, P.J. was entering his final summer before college completely carless. However, his hard work in school not only landed him a scholarship to UCF, but his father also rewarded him with a little help buying a new car. That car turned out to be the Vermillion Red 1993 LX 5.0 shown here. Originally purchased in 1999 from a local Florida car dealer, it had around 10,000 miles on it and was the perfect candidate for a fresh daily driver. Over the next 10 years, it accompanied P.J. to college and continued to serve him when he joined the United States Air Force. Due to the typical college kid budget and the lack of free time provided during his service, it stayed mostly stock. This also meant that the miles stayed low, and the car remained pristine, accumulating only about 2,000 miles per year. After 10 years of service, P.J. left the Air Force and had a little more free time, including a budget healthy

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WOLF IN FOX CLOTHING enough to have some Fox-body fun. He took his car to LaMotta Performance in Longwood, Florida, to install your typical entry-level modifications. On went AFR 165cc heads, a new cam from Comp, MAC exhaust, Maximum Motorsports Road & Track suspension, and an LMR five-lug disc brake conversion. Those respectable modifications served to beef up the smallblock 302 for extra power and provide a solid base for handling for the following nine years. In 2018, P.J. followed his buddies to the local eighthmile dragstrip for a little fun. The cold conditions that day weren’t optimal for high-performance runs, but he was there to see what kind of times he could put down. On his second pass, he lost traction and hit the wall on the big end. Nineteen years of preservation and maintenance all disappeared in the blink of an eye. P.J. was crushed, much like his Fox, but he wasn’t going to let those years of love and labor go down the drain that quickly. Over the next six months, P.J. left no stone unturned seeking a place that could return his Fox to its former glory. It wasn’t until he found Manir, Matt, Norman, and the folks at Our Dream Auto Restorations in Mooresville, North Carolina, that he knew the car

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would be in good hands. After consulting with Manir, they figured transforming the accident into a dream build was the route to go. He wanted something slick, something nasty, and something completely unsuspecting. That something turned out to be a full exterior restoration, frame repair, and a fresh Ford Performance BOSS 363ci crate engine. Starting with replacing the damaged metal and smoothing the fender aprons, they returned the engine bay to a form worthy of its 37,000-mile odometer reading. As that was finished, it became home to the new Boss 363 crate engine; a big leap from the lightlymodified 302. Once it was nestled between the shock towers, they added a Trick Flow Specialties R intake, a Pro-M Mass Air Port EFI system, and an 80mm MAF, 80mm BBK throttle-body, and Ford Performance 47 lb/hr injectors. This potent combo exhales through a set of MAC ceramic-coated long-tube headers, a custom 3-inch stainless steel X-pipe, and a pair of Flowmaster 50 Series Delta Flow mufflers. With 507 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, the drivetrain and suspension needed to be beefed up to handle the load. First up was a G-Force T-5 transmission, supported by a Stifflers tubular crossmember

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WOLF IN FOX CLOTHING and finished off with a McLeod RST twin-disc clutch and a Quick Time SFI bellhousing. The T-5 was mated up to a Ford Performance aluminum driveshaft with an added Stifflers safety loop that all serves to put the power to the ground through an 8.8 axle with a Ford Performance Torsen differential, 3.55 gears, and Moser 31-spline axles. Maximum Motorsports remained the suspension provider of choice from the initial build and added their K-member, tubular control arms, coilovers, front sway bar, bushings, rear torque arm, and Panhard bar. To stop this impressive combination, they upgraded to a set of 13-inch StopTech rotors and four-piston calipers up front with 11.65-inch StopTech rotors and single-piston calipers out back. To finish, they went back with the Mavromont Pony R Parts’ 17-inch wheels wrapped in Firestone Firehawk tires. On the outside, the car is relatively unsuspecting with the HO Fibertrends stock-style hood. Aside from the fresh repaint, the reflective molding accent strip that came standard on the car completes the exterior work. The inside is no different, with the only real change being the addition of a leather-wrapped 1987-1990-style steering wheel and the adjustable tilt column to go with it. On the surface, the final product looks just like it did the moment before its encounter with the wall, but that familiarity only goes skin deep. Over a 10-month period, the car went from mild to wild, but at first glance, no one would be much the wiser. From a life of mild modifications and cruising miles to a future of high-performance hijinks, this dream car’s journey is far from over, and P.J. couldn’t be happier with the lemonade Our Dream Auto made from his trackwall-encounter lemons. He plans on enjoying it in its new state for a while, but like any Fox owner, he knows it’s only a matter of time before the modification itch will return, and as always, we’ve got to scratch it! 42 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

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From Hog House to Hog Heaven This Is a Real 1971 Camaro Z28, and It Was Pulled from a Barn Douglas Glad or the record, this 1971 Camaro was never lost or forgotten. It sat in plain view of Andrew Erichsen on the family farm in a building called the hog house, a barn that had evolved from a pigpen into a place to store vehicles. The car is a real Z28 with a 350 engine and TH400 transmission that was purchased in Long Beach, California, in 1992 by his car-hauling uncle who was savvy enough to collect several similar cars before the prices exploded a short time later. As a young man, Andrew liked Camaros and purchased a 1991 model to drive and do Camaro things. When the opportunity to buy the ’71 presented itself, the ’91 was sold and the ’71 Camaro was dragged from the hog house for a good cleaning and assessment. The

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HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 45

HOG HEAVEN original color was Sunflower Yellow with black stripes but it had been repainted sometime in the ’80s with a color “that was close but not right.” Camaro savants will know that hot small-blocks of the day had solid-lifter camshafts, meaning there was no cushion of oil between the violence of the pushrod and the lifter face. The LT1 was that kind of time bomb, and Andrew wanted to drive the car without detonating a real-deal Z28 engine. We will defend his choice to grab an LS and preserve the small-block right here. The rest of the story is from the holy Camaro instruction manual. Saving the expensive repaint for later, Andrew stripped the subframe, added a re-manned LQ4 6.0L and 4L80-E transmission, swiped the credit card for a Strange 9-inch, and pulled it all back together to collect 2016, 2017, and 2019 HOT ROD Power Tour windshield banners. 46 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

❱The car is going to need a five-speed and a repaint someday. There is rust. There are deep places in the structure that the field mice have violated. It will cost some cash and time to get right. For now, look for the car at or near the Painless Performance booth on the 2021 HOT ROD Power Tour and say hello to Andrew for us.

Barn Find 1971 Camaro Z28 Tech Notes Engine: GM Remanufactured LQ4, Comp XR275HR Cam, Comp 918 Springs, LS6 intake manifold, Painless LS wiring harness Mounts: Musclerods LS swap mount and header kit Fuel System: Tanks Inc. EFI fuel tank, Russell Fittings/ Lines, Aeromotive Fuel Rails, 42 lb/hr. injectors Transmission: Mild build 4L80-E, Circle D 3,200 Stall Converter Rear end: Strange 9-inch housing, 3.70:1 gears Brakes: Baer 6P calipers, 13-inch rotors, front and back

Wheels/Tires: US Mags PT4, 17x8 front, 17x9 rear, Nitto NT555 G2 tires Interior: TMI Products Sport R seat foams and covers, Sport R door panels and center console, Vintage Air SureFit A/C, Dakota Digital Retrotech Gauges, Painless chassis wiring harness, Ididit steering column Suspension: UMI Performance control arms, Viking double adjustable coilovers and rear shocks, Custom Works Performance rear lowering leaf springs

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On the Hunt Five Insanely Cool Muscle Car Junkyards

very hot rodder loves a good junkyard, but as we’ve reported time after time, junkyards just aren’t what they used to be. Today’s junkyards are largely a source of cheap steel for offshore foundries, not old parts and project cars for local repair shops and home DIY guys. Environmental laws have also put the squeeze on salvage yards, which catch a lot of grief for soil and water contamination, meaning most cars can’t afford to languish in yards that are the most convenient for car crafting city dwellers and suburbanites.

Johnny Hunkins

Point your camera here to see a 1970 Charger in a SoCal Pick Your Part.

HOT ROD Archives

Point your camera here to see rare muscle cars hidden in a private junkyard.

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 49

ON THE HUNT

VMOPAR GRAVEYARD HIDDEN IN THE CAROLINA HILLS For good reason, barn find experts like Ryan Brutt, the Automotive Archaeologist, often keep the source of their finds a secret. Since many old car junkyards are on private property and not considered commercial ventures, their owners like to remain anonymous and their whereabouts unknown. All Ryan tells us about this Mopar dream world’s location is that it’s in the hills of North Carolina (the locals call it the Piedmont area), fortunately for you, I grew up there, just a few miles from Richard Petty and a few miles the other direction from Herb McCandless—both Mopar standard bearers. Ryan says a significant number of cars, parts, and memorabilia are from Petty, including the ill-fated 1965 Barracuda, 43 Jr. that’s the unrestored twin to the one at Petty’s museum in Randleman, North Carolina.

naturally turned to hunting old junkyards for muscle cars. This private yard north of Detroit held some spectacular finds, and most unusually, they were not limited to primarily one brand. You can just about hear Ryan’s heartbreak when he describes finding a ’69 Mach 1 Mustang sitting on top of a bus with a tree growing through it. While most of the cars were beyond restoring, the trip to see them was well worth it for the stroll down memory lane.

VCOLORADO JUNKYARD SELLING OFF COLLECTION VMICHIGAN JUNKYARD WITH BURIED MUSCLE CAR TREASURE Detroit is the center of the automotive world, and when Ryan traveled to the area a few years ago on business, his compass 50 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

Not all junkyards are off-limits to the public—some even want you to know about them, such as Colorado Auto and Parts, an average pick-a-part, with a twist! Some time ago owners Gary and Alice Corns had segregated the older, more interesting cars from the late-models and put restrictions on their use to ensure that they weren’t destroyed. For instance, a customer isn’t allowed to destroy a whole door just to snag a door handle.

ON THE HUNT Why so many older classics? The yard has been in the family since 1959 and some of the classics have been around since the beginning. Mustang lovers take notice: There looks to be an abundance of Mustangs from the muscle car era, so after checking out Elana Scherr’s original story with 134 photos on HOTROD.com, you can go to the yard’s website at www.coloradoautoparts.com.

VSTEPHEN’S PERFORMANCE IN ANDERSON, ALABAMA When staffer Jordon Scott got ahold of a batch of photos from Roadkill’s Junkyard Gold hosted by Steve Magnante, he leapt into action with a neat Dodge Charger historical overview. The Junkyard Gold team found themselves at Stephen’s Performance in Anderson, Alabama, looking at 58 acres and more than 3,000 cars—a good portion of them B-Body Mopars. If you’re a Charger guy or gal, you likely already know about Stephen’s Performance and the treasure trove located within.

BROWNE AUTO SALVAGE IN SUNSET, TEXAS

About 85 miles northwest of Dallas is the village of Sunset, Texas, and 38 acres of magical machinery at Browne Auto Salvage. Once again, Steve Magnante and the production crew of Roadkill’s Junkyard Gold were on hand to document an amazing assortment of Studebakers. Well preserved in the dry West Texas steppe, one can only marvel at their pristine condition. Far away from prying eyes, 52 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

it takes some real effort to see Browne Auto Salvage, but considering the desirability of antique Studebakers and other vintage machines, this yard is bound to be around for a long time!

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Two Atmospheres How Much Boost Will a 6.0L Engine Take? We Blow One Apart to Find Out Steven Rupp

Richard Holdener

❱Even with the proliferation of GM’s newer LT engine family, the aftermarket and gearheads everywhere are still in love with the LS platform. Part of this is because of the engine’s huge aftermarket support, but a lot has to do with how many are sitting in junkyards just waiting to be scooped up for relatively cheap. One of the more desirable finds would be the 6.0L LQ4 engines found in numerous Chevy trucks and SUVs. Of course, that begs the question of how much power will boost add to a 6.0L, and how much boost can you get away with adding? To answer this burning question, Richard Holdener decided to lightly modify a 6.0L and run it on Westech’s dyno to find its breaking point. Hey, we hate to blow up a perfectly good engine, but in the name of science, sacrifices have to be made.

54 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

Sources ARP; 800.826.3045; arp-bolts.com Brian Tooley Racing; 888.959.8865; briantooleyracing.com Comp Cams; 901.795.2400; compcams.com DNA Motoring; 626.965.8898;dnamotoring.com Holley/Hooker; 270.782.2900; holley.com Kenne Bell; 909.941.6646; kennebell.net Lil John’s Motorsport Solutions; 888.583.4408; liljohnsmotorsports.com Total Engine Airflow; 330.634.2155; totalengineairflow.com Turbo Smart; 909.476.2570; turbosmartusa.com

HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/ 55

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

01 This engine was mostly stock, but we did a few things to help it live longer during the torture we had planned. We used a Gen III iron block from a Suburban. To begin, Richard Holdener made sure the block was given a light brush hone and resurfaced to help the head gaskets seal.

02 Internally, the connecting rods and pistons were reused. Heck, they had only logged 247,000 miles, so they were nearly new. Even though the old rings were reused, Holdener opened the ring gap from 0.022inch to 0.032-inch. Yep, the stock rod bolts were retained.

03 We also slid in a Stage III turbo cam from Brian Tooley Racing. Designed for turbos, the stick is ground with 230/235 degrees of duration, 0.609/0.610-inch lift and a 114+4 LSA.

03 56 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

04 04 A pair of GM LS9 head gaskets and a set of ARP head studs were added to the mix to help everything stay together longer. 05 We went with Total Engine Airflow’s Stage 2, CNC-ported 317 cylinder heads. Their larger combustion chambers help drop the static compression number. To complement the cam, the dual valvesprings were added.

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM

06 Rounding out our engine was a Holley Hi Ram intake along with their 105-mm throttle body. Feeding the LQ4 were eight 120-pound Holley injectors supplied by an Aeromotive fuel pump and a 17-volt Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump. Without any boost, this combination made 529 hp at 6,800 rpm and 457 lb-ft at 5,100 rpm. All the tests were run with a Holley ECU.

07 After the naturallyaspirated dyno pulls, we ditched the long tube headers and added the turbo parts. Turbo headers into a pair of 90-degree turns with T4 turbo and wastegate flanges gave us the right plumbing. We also added 118-octane Rockett Brand race fuel to the mix.

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08 The boost came from a pair of Borg Warner S475 turbos from John Bewley at Lil John’s Motorsports. They are capable of supporting almost 1,000 hp each, plenty for what we had in mind.

08 09

09 To control the boost, Holdener used a pair of 45-mm Hyper-Gate45 wastegates from Turbo Smart. He also relied on one of their manual wastegate controllers and a selection of springs to dial up the boost.

11 Boost makes heat, and lots of boost makes lots of heat. To keep it in check, Holdener installed an air-to-water intercooler, and at higher boost levels, ice water was employed using a 10-gallon cell.

10 The system was plumbed so we could track both temperature and pressure measurements. This made it possible to compare the boost pressure to the back pressure and the pressure before and after the intercooler.

WRENCHIN’ @ RANDOM 12

12 Let there be boost. The 6L LQ4 made 914 hp at 10.8 psi, 974 hp at 12.9 psi, and 1,054 hp at 14.6 psi. This was just running the intercooler, with no ice yet. At this point, the engine was chugging along without a care in the world, even at north of 1,000 hp.

13 Well, the correct answer to any power question is always “more boost!” With that in mind, the dyno testing started to get spicy. Dialing in 20 psi from the twin-turbos got us 1,277 hp while 22.0 psi upped power to 1,343 hp! Holdener then added another 3.3 psi to the mix (25.3 psi), and the twin-turbo stock-guts 6L belched out 1,435 hp and an astonishing 1,240 lb-ft of twist. For the final run, he cranked the boost up to 28.5 psi, which netted 1,482.7 hp and 1,330 lb-ft of torque. It also brought an end to our test in the form of a connecting rod failure. But keep in mind that was a bone stock Gen III con rod!

60 HOTROD.COM/2021/JULY/

14 When the 6.0L finally failed under 28.5 pounds of boost, it wasn’t as dramatic as you would expect. A cracked oil pan and a whiff of smoke only hinted at the destruction inside the block. Once it was pulled apart, Holdener could see the rod failed and caused quite a bit of damage in the ensuing flurry. But the fact that it took over 28 psi to kill what was essentially a mildly worked-over 247,000 mile 6.0L with stock internals was impressive. But we have to ask, if a Gen III could make 1,435 hp before calling it quits, what could a stronger Gen IV handle?

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Battle of the Boost Turbo vs. Blower: Which One Is Best? Johnny Hunkins

HOT ROD Archives

❱If it’s time to add more horsepower to your hot rod, and you’ve decided that boost is the best option, you might have pondered whether mechanical supercharging is the right move, or if a turbocharger that runs off of exhaust heat energy is best. You’ve come to the right place, because in our decades of building project cars, talking to engine builders, and documenting thousands of amazing cars up close, we’ve seen and heard it all. The answer, however, isn’t a straightforward one, because your own mechanical and fabrication skills and how you intend to use your car will matter in some significant ways. Before we break down the turbo versus blower debate, let’s first examine the options we’re leaving on the table, namely more cubic inches, more rpm, and chemical supercharging, aka nitrous oxide.

QOther Power-Adder Options Although adding boost to an existing engine is a time-honored way to add power, it can also be done without an external compressor. The first method here is to add more combustion events within a given time through an increase in engine rpm. An engine at full throttle can put out more power at 7,000 rpm than it can at 6,000 rpm, and if we do the math, we arrive at roughly a 16 percent increase.

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QWhat is a Turbocharger? By contrast, a turbocharger uses the heat and pressure from an engine’s exhaust to drive a centrifugal-style compressor that pressurizes the intake charge above atmospheric pressure. The advantage here is that turbos benefit from having a flexible mounting location under the hood or even some other place on the car. Whenever space is tight, the exhaust and intake plumbing can be routed

can be controlled with any number of devices, from a simple mechanical dial to increase or decrease the max boost pressure, to a sophisticated electronic boost controller that can be programmed to ramp up boost. Moreover, the new crop of electronic boost controllers are not only very sophisticated—allowing you to set max boost, boost per gear, and time on boost—but are often integrated into many EFI controllers, bringing the total cost down. Choosing to go with a turbo can be a wise choice when building a drag or grudge-race car because you can literally tune the boost curve to stay just barely on the edge of traction for the entire run down the track. If this sounds like it’s very similar to how nitrous racers use a nitrous controller, you’re correct.

QCost Analysis Speccing out the cost of a turbo or a blower can be tricky because it involves not only the cost of the unit, but also the fuel system, ignition system, and quite often, driveline upgrades to handle the extra power. In addition, there are some expenses that will be common to both that are often not anticipated or that end up costing more than you budgeted. At the entry level, a supercharger kit

in virtually any configuration, providing a viable power-adder alternative where hood clearance or engine bay room is at a premium. In recent years, the popularity of turbos for domestic muscle cars and late-model pony cars has been on the rise due to improvements in turbo design and supporting technology, namely boost controllers and EFI systems.

QDrag vs. Street Car Before deciding on a power-adder, it’s a good idea to consider the environment in which you’ll be using that power. Will the car be used mostly or strictly on the street? Is the primary goal to win races? Are you going for crowd favorite in the burnout contest or car show? All that matters if you want to get the max value out of your power-adder. If you drive your car mostly on the street, chances are good you’ll appreciate the instant-on nature of a blower, especially a positivedisplacement type. OE manufacturers take advantage of this all the time with

for a stock vehicle often includes everything you need. Companies like Vortech, Procharger, Edelbrock, and TorqStorm have created complete kits that include the compressor, intake ductwork, fuel system upgrade components, ignition boxes, mounting brackets, air filters, blow-off valves, and ECM programming for pump gas. You can literally order a kit on a Thursday, bolt it on over the weekend, and be at the track or car show with it on Sunday. A typical 50-state smog-legal blower kit will cost anywhere between $5,000 and $7,000, but there are outliers on either side of this range, so do your homework. These days, turbo kits are increasingly rare—at least those that are designed for a specific stock vehicle. More common are the individual components, which must be selected individually and contemplated for the intended application. The sizing of turbos and intercoolers is the first issue that affects price, and that can range anywhere from almost free (many consider the junkyard a bonanza for used turbos and heat exchangers), to state-of-the-art expensive. If you’re looking for the same reliability and power that a blower kit has, then plan on budgeting the same amount, but plan on spending a lot more time researching your components. If you can do a good job of that, you should be able to come out ahead on cost relative to a blower kit, but that outcome relies on the quality of advice you get as well as the hardware you buy.

QTuning Needs cars like the Dodge Hellcat, Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, and Corvette ZR1. These vehicles all have superchargers designed to turn the boost on like a light switch, which is great fun on the street, but can cause problems at the track where the power often overwhelms the tires. Racers often choose a turbo for this reason, because unlike a blower, a turbo

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Once again, the blower kit wins on the tuning front because as a kit, the manufacturer has spent a lot of effort in the background to nail it down. The exception would be for what manufacturers call a “tuner kit,” which is essentially a generic blower kit without the ECM tune, PROM, or reflash. Unless you’ve tuned a boosted, high-output V8 using tuning software, you’ll be in for a steep learning curve. For blower kits that typically max out at 150 hp or even 200 hp over the stock power

NO-DRILL level, there isn’t too much threat of that happening, but with a turbo kit where another 100 hp (on top of that initial 150 hp) is just the twist of a knob away, you could be writing a check that your engine just can’t cash. With a turbo, tuning will involve the cost of software, an engine or chassis dyno, and some track time (in addition to the EFI system hardware). An online or in-person tuning school like EFI University might sound like an unnecessary expense, but if it saves you from melting a piston or lifting a head gasket, it will have been worth it. Both superchargers and turbos will need tuning, but with engineered application-specific blower kits, the only tuning you’ll have to do is installing the tune that’s already been created by the kit manufacturer, vastly simplifying the process.

MUDFLAPS

QFabrication Chops From a philosophical standpoint, some hot rodders embrace the fabrication involved with a turbo kit. Others, however, just want to cut to the chase and start doing burnouts. What kind of rodder are you? Do you have a garage with a MIG welder, chop saw, lots of spare tubing bends, and other metalworking tools, or is your mancave filled with vintage neon signs, a beer tap, leather couches, and memorabilia on the walls? Hey, there’s no wrong answer, but your personality will impact what is the best choice for you. The point is that if you like the challenge that fabbing your own turbo system brings, then go for it. You’ll find a huge number of shops and sellers who can guide you through the process. This includes buying the right parts and materials and choosing the best tools for the DIY job.

QLegality For decades, hot rodders have had to negotiate a labyrinth of state and local laws regarding emissions and safety. The winds of change have blown through the industry with gale-force strength, and individual enthusiasts everywhere have been fortunate that SEMA—the trade organization for speed parts—has taken a proactive role in assessing the applicable laws and responding to enthusiasts with the most up-to-date legislative initiatives. For these reasons, we recommend that every enthusiast join the SEMA Action Network (SAN) for updates on the legality of different vehicle modifications in your state. For the most part, manufacturers who design and build supercharger kits try to make them comply with the emissions laws in all 50 states. This compliance is a hefty expense that can climb to $50k or more for the necessary testing and certification. That high cost means kit manufacturers must pass it on to you, but at the same time they are very good at making that fact very prominent wherever kits are sold. Not all supercharger kits are street legal, however, so you want to check the manufacturer’s website or call them before making a purchase. Because most turbos are a custom installation, they wouldn’t be street legal in California without a rigorous state inspection and CARB certification, which is out of reach cost-wise for the typical enthusiast. Because many states have opted to copy California in this regard, you need to check before embarking on a DIY turbo system. Hopefully this guide helps you in the decision-making process. Boost is almost always a good thing. Just make sure you’re doing it correctly.

SAHLEN’S SIX HOURS OF THE GLEN June 24–27

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Point your camera here to see how to run 10s in a Mustang with a supercharger upgrade. ❱Point your camera here for a guide on how to turbocharge any engine.

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Route It Right Muscle Car Exhaust Selection and Install Tips Steven Rupp ❱A performance exhaust system is one of the first modifications many people make to a car, and there are a ton of systems to choose from. Companies like JBA, Doug’s, Holley, Hooker, Flowmaster, and the like offer easy, no-weld kits for most popular cars. In addition, many companies offer complete exhaust systems for heavily modified vehicles with engine swaps and aftermarket suspension kits that wouldn’t accommodate the stock exhaust routing. With many options to fit so many varieties, it can be easy to get the wrong parts. Here’s a guide to help navigate some of the options to make you a more informed customer.

QThis stainless steel system from Hooker Headers is for a 1968 Camaro. Keep in mind that these kits are built for a very specific application. If you change up parts, especially the rear suspension, then all bets are off, and you’ll most likely have to fabricate and change the routing. Starting with a kit for your car can at least get you on the right track, though.

Sources Deeds Performance; 818.224.7719; deedsperformance.com Flowmaster; 866.464.6553; holley.com/brands/flowmaster Hooker Headers; 866.464.6553; holley.com/brands/hooker JBA Performance Exhaust Products; 909.599.5955; pertronixbrands.com OC Muffler Man; 714.524.7818; ocmufflerman.com

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QWhen building your car, always keep exhaust routing in mind. For example, we knew it would be tight routing the stainless 3-inch exhaust out the back of our 1968 Track Rat Camaro at JBA Performance. So, when building the car, we used a gas tank made by Tanks Inc. It was designed with two corners removed to make exhaust routing much easier, which is especially helpful with mini-tubbed cars. Because this decreases tank volume, the tank is a bit deeper to make up for it. Fitting exhaust is a game of inches, so adding even a little more room will make routing easier.

\ X-Pipe or H-Pipe?

All performance V8 exhaust systems will have some sort of crossover pipe to equalize flow from the two sides. The best flowing of these would be an X-pipe, this one from JBA. “The name ‘balance pipe’ should be a clue as to why X- and H-pipes work so well,” Don Lindfors, director of exhaust R&D at PerTronix Performance Products (JBA) explains. “Just like the name suggests, they help to balance the flow between all the cylinders. Beyond that, they can even help with scavenging by having cylinders from the opposite bank of the engine create a negative wave to increase the overall flow of the exhaust.” They also tend to affect the sound of the exhaust with an X-pipe giving a higher-pitched, slightly raspier sound. X-pipes also tend to make better power. This custom X-pipe was fabricated by the guys over at Muffler Man in Placentia, California. They feel their design provides a smoother path for the two banks to come together.

What is a Balance Pipe?

QHere’s another view of our cornerless tank routing. Also keep in mind that different rear suspensions will present different challenges on routing, especially if your engine power level and how you drive the car dictates whether or not you need a full 3-inch exhaust. The Chassisworks 4-link didn’t leave enough room to go over the axle, so we ran under, and it actually looked great. Another option would have been to modify the floor to make room for the exhaust, but that has to be done early in the build process. QRight: Routing is the biggest challenge to installing an exhaust. This is especially true from the mufflers back, where pipes have to negotiate a path through the rear suspension. This is made more difficult because the rear suspension is dynamic and moves as you drive. While there may look to be enough room when the car is on the lift, there’s actually less when you account for suspension travel. In some cars, this makes going over the axles extremely difficult. Space was tight on our 1971 Wagon project with the Roadster Shop Fast Track Chassis, so the Muffler Man routed under the rear, where there was plenty of room for the stainless 3-inch exhaust.

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Exhaust might seem like a continuous stream of gases, but it’s really a series of pulses. Consequently, reducing the detrimental effects of these pulses can positively impact horsepower and torque. “A balance pipe serves two distinct functions. First off, it takes the left and right banks of an engine’s exhaust and provides a crossover point to equalize flow from side to side,” Blane Burnett of Hooker Headers explains. “Secondly, balance pipes smooth out uneven exhaust pulses. Any given engine generates low- and high-pressure exhaust pulses due to the effects of the firing order. As these low and high pulses move downstream through the exhaust piping, they travel at different speeds. Having an exhaust crossover helps draw these pulses out into a more balanced pattern, which will improve engine output. A nice side benefit is that crossovers also decrease exhaust drone.” H-pipes generally make for a lower pitch, deeper growl sound, and while they make less horsepower compared to an X-pipe, H-pipes typically have better torque. It’s all about trade-offs that you need to take into consideration.

QAnother problem area is getting past the transmission crossmember. Routing the tubes under it may make the exhaust the lowest part of the car. That is a real problem on a lowered ride. This Chassisworks crossmember on our 1968 Track Rat Camaro was made to provide pipe clearance, but the guys at JBA were able to modify it even further to gain additional room for the 3-inch stainless exhaust.

QThere are many different methods for joining the tubing. The guaranteed leak-free way would be to weld everything together. Of course, you’re going to hate that idea when it comes time to work on the car. To have bolt-together, leak-free solutions, manufacturers have come up with different ideas. One is this three-bolt triangular flange from the header to the exhaust pipe. This is a classic design, but one that has clearance issues to the floor, or the asphalt, depending on orientation. It’s also fairly leak prone.

QThis two-bolt ball flange from JBA solves the ground/floor clearance issues and provides an excellent seal. There are quite a few choices out there, all with their pluses and minuses, so do your research on what might be best for your application.

QAftermarket chassis like this one from Roadster Shop try to make exhaust routing easier. Check out the nice paths they left us to get past the trans crossmember on our 1971 Chevelle station wagon project. This made running our 3-inch exhaust simple. We’ve seen the same forethought from most chassis companies such as Art Morrison, Speedtech, Schwartz, and others. But, even on a factory frame you can fabricate using the same concept.

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QAlso, don’t be afraid to hack off what came on your system to go another route. Our original headers had the triangular three-bolt flange, so we cut it off and welded on a V-band clamp from Deeds Engineering. We really like V-bands for their sealing properties, ground clearance, and looks. This is not the cheapest or easiest route, but the upside is worth it.

QV-bands consist of two flanges that typically index together as shown here, with one end welded to our header and the other sitting in place prior to being welded to the exhaust pipe. These two halves are bound and squeezed together by the V-band clamp, which, as the name implies, has a V-shaped channel to secure the two flanges tightly together.

\ Is a 3-Inch Exhaust Better Than a 2.5-Inch Exhaust? So, what’s better, a 3-inch or a 2.5-inch exhaust? Well, the long answer would be its own story because it’s very complicated. In short, a 2.5-inch will make more torque while a 3-inch will make more top-end horsepower. And while everyone wants a 3-inch system, the truth is, many times it’s not needed and the wrong choice. This is true of header sizing as well. Just like you don’t want your primary pipes (headers) to be too small, too big isn’t a good thing either. As Don Lindfors at JBA explained, “At 200–325 horsepower, look for 1 1⁄2-inch primaries, 275–425 horsepower uses 1 ¾ inches, 400–600 horsepower opt for 1 ¾ to 2 inches, and 600+ horsepower look for 2 inches or greater. Keep in mind, smaller pipes mean more low- to mid-range torque.” So if torque is your thing, don’t worry about 1 ¾-inch headers on your 650hp engine.

QJust like there are options for coupling your header to your exhaust, there’s also a lot of ways to join the exhaust pieces together. This two-bolt flange on a Flowmaster kit is easy and seals well, but it requires welding. A slip fit won’t require welding but is harder to get completely sealed up.

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QHere is another place we prefer band clamps. They seal up great and make the system easy to remove from the car in sections if needed. Although billet clamps from places like Deeds Engineering and Stainless Works are nice, JBA also makes some affordable steel versions at half the cost.

QIf space is really tight don’t be afraid to look at smaller, more space-friendly, options. Shorty headers (or even mid-length) can support a good amount of power and are easy to package into any car. Factory 650hp Camaros and Corvettes use headers like this, and in many cases, you can too. Size the exhaust for your car and not your ego.

Q Header selection is critical and should be considered in the planning phase of the build. For our LS install in our Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis, nobody made a header, so we contacted Ultimate Header, who helped us figure out a solution. Don’t wait until the car is nearly on the road to start figuring out the exhaust system, especially if you want to run the system over the rear axle.

Q Muffler choice is hard, because they all sound vastly different. Our advice would be to attend car events and have a listen to determine what you like. Be aware that the same muffler may sound different on a small-block Chevy than on an LS or Ford engine. Mufflers all look the same on the outside, but they vary greatly on the inside. Behold the complicated baffle design inside this Flowmaster.

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QWe’ve had great luck with Hooker’s new line of mufflers. They sound great, and the TIG-welded stainless is beautiful. The same can be said of the stainless mufflers from JBA that we used on our Track Rat Camaro.

QOur two cars sound vastly different, though. What sound will you like? You’re the only one that can answer that. As you can see, the Hooker has a straight-though design that’s known for making good horsepower. But there’s also additional baffling inside to tame and tune the sound.

QOur friends at Muffler Man made stainless mufflers for our 1971 Wagon project. There’s not a lot of baffling going on here, which gave our wagon a badass sound signature.

QLike everything else, there are a variety of ways to attach the exhaust system to the car. Simple rubber-isolated hangers have been around forever because they are inexpensive and get the job done.

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QIf you want something nicer, check out some of the beautiful offerings from Deeds Engineering. They look amazing and require no welding. Think of these as eye candy for anyone who takes the time to look under your ride.

QJust like you have to hang the pipes, you need to hang the mufflers as well. A bent stainless bar welded to the muffler gave us a place to put a rubber isolator to the body of our Chevy. It was cheap, easy, and not bad looking.

QPro tip: The rear seat belt mounting hole can make for a great place to hang the back of your muffler. Being creative means less welding or fewer holes in your floor. Planning ahead when building the car would have had us put a mounting stud here.

QMIG or TIG? How much is in your wallet? TIG-welded joints will always look better and have the added benefit of not creating splatter like a MIG. It’s more time consuming so expect your labor bill to go up at least 50 percent if you opt for TIG.

QMIG can be a bit messy, but with some talent, it can still look nice and at the end of the day, it seals things up just as well as the prettier TIG welding. Like everything, it’s a balance of wants, needs, and what you can afford.

Point your camera here to see how much power headers can add to an engine.

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Sources AEM Performance Electronics; 310.484.2322; aemelectronics.com

Easy Tank Clean

BluePrint Engines; 800.483.4263; blueprintengines.com Classic Industries; 800.854.1280; classicindustries.com KBS Coatings; 888.531.4527; kbs-coatings.com RockAuto; rockauto.com

How to Fix Your Rusty Gas Tank ❱Rust and corrosion in the fuel tank are issues that all enthusiasts will face at some point with a project car, whether you’re fixing neglect from a previous owner or dealing with your own car that has been inoperative as you are working on it. That’s the case with our 1967 C10 pickup. We’ve had the truck disassembled for a while as we installed a complete coilover suspension conversion from Total Cost Involved. Along with that work, we needed to refresh some of the drivetrain components and completely change the brake and fuel plumbing, and those extensive changes have taken time. QAbout three years ago, we went from a carbureted small-block in Project Truck Norris to a fuelinjected big-block, installing a 540 from Blueprint Engines and adding AEM’s Infinity sequential port fuelinjection system.

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John McGann

Total Cost Involved; 800.984.6259; totalcostinvolved.com

01 Part of that work included building a high-pressure fuel system, using Fuel Safe’s Race Safe 20-gallon fuel cell and AEM pumps in a surge tank from Radium Engineering. At that point, the stock gas tank in the cab went unused.

02 03

02 After the switch to a big-block and Tremec’s T56 Magnum six-speed transmission from American Powertrain, we put several thousand miles on the truck, using it almost exclusively as a daily driver until we decided to upgrade to coilovers. 03 The stock gas tank has remained this entire time. Although it was mostly drained of fuel, there was a small amount left at the bottom that we weren’t able to siphon out. It had turned to varnish, and the inside of the tank was scaly with a small amount of surface rust starting to form. We decided to repair the tank to either sell or possibly use as an auxiliary tank to supplement the capacity of the fuel cell.

04 05

04 Upon removing the tank, we drained the remaining varnish—there was only about a pint remaining— and removed the fuel line and sending unit assembly. Note the condition of the fuel sock strainer at the end of the pickup tube. 05 To the best of our knowledge, that fuel strainer was more than 50 years old and had mostly disintegrated years ago. It turned to dust in our hands as we removed it from the fuel line. It’s important to consider all the components of your fuel system when diagnosing a problem. Pieces of the strainer can clog a fuel filter to the point of choking it off. Bits that get past the filter can clog carburetor jets and passages or fuel injectors, causing all sorts of drivability problems.

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06 07 06 After rinsing out the remaining bits of fuel strainer, the tank itself didn’t look too bad in the inside, but you can see a slight coppercolored haze from surface rust that had started to form. 07 To bust the rust and seal the tank, we turned to KBS Coatings and its Gold Standard Tank Sealer kit. It’s a three-step system that cleans, preps, and seals the tank. With a retail price of $69.95, the kit is affordable and easy to use, and it treated our 20-gallon tank with plenty of sealer to spare. 08 The first step was to wash the tank with the KBS Klean cleaner/ degreaser solution. Mix the cleaner with water at a 1:1 ratio, then pour it into the tank.

08 09 10

09 Agitate the tank by tipping and rotating it for several minutes, then pour it out and rinse with water. Repeat the process until the rinse water is clear. Heavy varnish and deposits might require soaking overnight. 10 RustBlast is the next step. This is a metal etch and surface prep solution that is added to the tank in undiluted form, neutralizing rust prior to adding the sealer. Keep the product in the tank for 30 minutes to an hour’s time, agitating the tank every five minutes. You’ll need to seal the openings with tape, cork, or a plug of some kind to prevent it from spilling out.

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Point your phone camera at this code to see the install of TCI’s suspension on this 1967 C10.

14 16

15 11 After the recommended time, the RustBlast can be poured out and rinsed with water. The tank needs to dry completely before proceeding. Ours was still wet inside, even after sitting overnight. 12 KBS recommends drying the tank with compressed air or even a hair dryer. We found a length of HVAC ducting and routed it to a room heater. After about an hour the tank was completely dry.

13 The Tank Sealer is applied similarly by pouring the entire quart in the tank, taping off the filler neck and sending unit openings, and tipping and rotating the tank at regular intervals for a period of 30 minutes. This will ensure the entire inside of the tank is coated with the sealer. Pour out any remaining sealer after the allotted time. We had slightly less than half a quart left, so the quart-size container could treat much larger tanks than ours. 14 Finally, the sealer needs at least 96 hours to cure. KBS warns against using heaters or placing the tank in the sun. The sealer needs to air dry uniformly to adhere properly to the tank. As it cures, the sealer forms a strong but flexible bond to the tank. KBS says it’s impervious to all gasoline and alcohol fuels.

15 Once it cured, we refurbished the fuel pickup tube with a new strainer sock and O-ring to seal its lock ring to the tank. We purchased the strainer from RockAuto.com and the O-ring and new filler neck grommet from Classic Industries. 16 Although the process took several days, mostly due to the sealer’s cure time, this was a simple job. The tank is back in our C10 and ready for many more years of service. Be sure to look at all of the KBS Coatings product line if you have rust to be busted elsewhere on your project car. The company also makes chassis paint, high-temperature coatings, bedliners, and even automotive topcoats 17 Here’s a look at Truck Norris as it currently sits. We’ve finalized the steering linkage with components from Borgeson and are moving on to running new brake lines. Our big-block is out for some performance work, so a BluePrint 350 is in place for now. We’ll get it running with the small-block and may put the big-block in later this year. Stay tuned!

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FINISH LINE

More Mayhem, Please! ❱I bought back the General Mayhem ’68 Dodge Charger! If you’ve watched my Roadkill show (on MotorTrend cable TV or on the MotorTrend app), then you know why this is a big deal to me. Not only did I get my hands back on one of today’s most unaffordable body styles, but also on a car that meant a lot to my career and that provided some of the best days ever on the show. Here’s the story.

By David Freiburger Roadkill @davidfreiburger

weird. Ironically, Discovery is now in a joint venture In the beginning, circa 2007, I traded a set of Mopar with MotorTrend, the company that’s owned Roadkill Performance aluminum big-block heads for a rolling, from the start, but that’s another whole story. The gutted hulk of a ’68 Charger that didn’t have a passenger Gas Monkey Dart was auctioned off for $74,800 a few fender or any of the grille and bumper parts. I got it months after the race, and I ended up selling General from a guy who goes by Jonny Mopar online, and who Mayhem to the company for $10,000, so I lost there continues to help me with parts for the car today. The too—but Fast n’ Loud is no longer produced though Charger was originally destined for a web show called Roadkill is approaching season 11, so maybe we won in CarJunkieTV that represented about a yearlong hiatus the long run. from my editorship of HOT ROD. When CarJunkie The Hellcat-powered General Mayhem continued folded, I returned to HOT ROD and simultaneously to take repeated beatings in Roadkill episodes 47, 74, began hosting the Roadkill show not long afterward. The and 101, as well as being shipped all over the country Charger ended up in what would become my favorite to participate in events and do endless burnouts. Its Roadkill episode of all time and the one that took the best quarter-mile time was 10.66 at 126 mph in Tulsa, longest to complete—it’s also one of the few that remain though we never had a timed pass while using the on YouTube. It’s episode 23, first posted in December NOS Fogger system that was added. 2013, and as of this writing, 15 million people have Through the Charger’s two on-screen lives, General watched Mike Finnegan and I cobble together the CharMayhem became iconic. I have seen several dozen ger with swap-meet parts and a 440 big-block that we other cars painted rattle-can black with Mayhem’s tugged from a fullsize motorhome. The car was dubbed patchwork red and blue along with the gold scoop— the General Mayhem. If you’re on the MotorTrend app, and I mean all kinds of you can also see the original cars, not just Chargers, General Mayhem in though I do know of two episode 25 (a multi-car Mayhem-clone Chargers. I shootout) and again in know of seven people with episode 32 where we General Mayhem tattoos. hopped it up a bit and had T-shirts featuring the car the greatest fun you can are best sellers. And there’s imagine blasting around even an extremely limited the track at DirtFish rally Hot Wheels coming out. school. It was like living in Despite all that, I always Hazzard County for real. felt hollow after selling the By August 2015, the car, and I never thought schtick changed for my QHere’s the final pic of General Mayhem in drag-race it was a good fit as a drag’68 Charger. At the time, trim. As of this writing, the Hellcat and the rollcage are race car, even if the Hellcat Roadkill was sponsored already gone. Coming soon, a fresh 440 and more of a version is one of the greatby Dodge, and so was level stock-car stance. est burnout machines of Gas Monkey Garage and all time. A few months ago I had the chance to buy Richard Rawlings from the Fast n’ Loud cable show. the car back, so I did. It makes no sense to remove 707 Dodge coordinated a showdown of us against the TV reliable horsepower to reinstall a motorhome 440, but guys, and this wound up creating the Roadkill Nights that’s exactly what I’m doing. Love trumps logic, and event in Pontiac, Michigan, where we hold legal races my best days with this car were on the dirt, flinging it right on Woodward Ave., though that first year was around at the DirtFish school. My initial plans were to at the Silverdome parking lot. Dodge wanted a race “restore” the car to exactly how it was on that day, but between two muscle cars powered by the then-new there’s been some mission creep and it’s being set up supercharged Hellcat 6.2L Hemi engines. Diversified more like how I assume it would have evolved with Creations in Brighton, Michigan, turned the General the 440 had the Hellcat swap never happened—that Mayhem Charger into the very first functional Hellcatmeans a freshen-up on the motorhome 440, perhaps swapped car on Earth. Meanwhile, Aaron Kaufman an overdrive, and maybe a little bit better suspension. and the Gas Monkey crew built a beater-looking but Bottom line, though, is that it’s going to be everything very nicely fabbed lightweight, back-halved ’67 Dart, I ever dreamed a Charger could be as I was watching and Diablo Sport helped them figure out how to run the Hellcat with a stand-alone controller. They spanked Dukes of Hazzard and Dirty Mary Crazy Larry as a kid. You’ll be able to see the entire transformation on us badly in the race. You can watch it in two episodes one of my other shows, as it will be in the second half of Fast n’ Loud—then you can tell me what happened, of the 2021 season of Roadkill Garage with Steve because I’ve never seen them. It’s also covered in Dulcich and me. Subscribe to the MotorTrend app episode 43 of Roadkill, but Discovery TV would not and join me in the fun. allow their stars to appear in our episode so it’s a little Hot Rod (ISSN 0018-6031), July 2021 Vol. 74, No. 7. Copyright 2021 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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