World of Wheels Magazine - April/May 2013 Edition

issue 31 volume 2

cam mcqueen Top Monster Truck Driver

Chevrolet Nova SS

sean hyland Making Horsepower

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contents May 2013 • Volume 31 • Issue 2

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

COLUMNS

16

7

13

Cam McQueen Charismatic and competitive, the right combination for a monster truck success story

Feature Wheels Father and son project 1969 Chevy Nova SS

25

First Gear

The Bigger Picture with Jackson Hayes

Industry information and news

28 14

Parts Counter

Guy’s Garage with Scot Cameron

New and innovative auto accessories

Driver’s Seat We road test the new 2013 Ford F-150

29

Grinding Gears with April Chadwick

24 8

20

Lugg Nutz Humorous images from around the web

38

Last Call Learn the lineage of the Challenger marque

Sean Hyland This Canadian wrote the book on performance, literally

Standouts in a Crowded Show

1969 Chevrolet ev Nova SS

A gear head’s look at the Canadian International Auto Show

Digital Subscriptions: worldofwheelsmagazine.com

04_WOW_MAY13.indd 3

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Appearance is Everything Visit www.autoglym.com to find out.

CLASSIC CAR SHOWS & EVENTS BRITISH COLUMBIA

MANITOBA

June 22-23 PNE Fairgrounds Vancouver BC

April 26 East End Arena, Winnipeg

Rodarama August 23 Morden

Morden Corn and Apple Festival

Vancouver Collector Car Show , Sale and Auction

www.vancouvercollectorcars.com July 1st

SaltSpring Island BC

12th Annual Salt Spring Canada Day Show & Shine

www.saltspringcarclub.com August 18 Port Coquitlam

The Sounds of Summer Ford Must ang Show & Shine

www.venommustangs.com

September 8 Langley Langley Good Times Cruise-In

www.langleycruise-in.com

ALBERTA Wild Wednesdays

May 3

Westerner Park, Red Deer

Grey Eagle Casino - Every Wednesday Calgary’s Premier Weekly Free Auto Show

Central Alberta Vintage Auto Club Swap Meet

www.westernerpark.ca/events/info/574/

June 8 Reynolds-Alberta History Road: The ultimate Car Show

www.history.alberta.ca/reynolds/ specialevents/historyroad.aspx 15 Lloydminster Just Kruzin Car Show

www.justkruzin.com/ July 27 Edmonton

Fun Ford Weekend

Fun for the whole family August 6 St. Albert, Edmonton

Rockin August www.rockinaugust.com

Show and Shine

www.cornandapple.com/show_shine

May 10

Rockton Ontario

Waterdown Car Show and Swap Meet

waterdowncarshow.ca/ 18 Frankford

Frankford Riverfest Car Show 11 Newmarket

Hwy11 Cruisers Home of the How Ones

www.hwy11cruisers 26 Barrie

Formula North 2013 Engineering and

Design Competition

www.formulanorth.com./ 24 Waterloo

Cruizn on the Public Square www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/ CruzinontheSquare.asp 26 Mississauga

Mopar Spring Fling Annual Car Show www.performancemopar.ca/main/ June 2 Brampton

Gateway to Corvettes Show 2 Paris

Unfinished Nationals Car Show and

Swap Meet

www.unfinishednationals.com/ 2 Gananoque

1,000 Island Cruize-in

www.1000islandscruisein.com 6 Aylmer

Vanfest - Canada’s Largest Custom Van and Truck Show

www.vannin.com/vanfest/ 7 London

Fleetwood Country Cruize-in www.fleetwoodcountrycruizein.com/

Choose our best finishes

AutoglymCalendar.indd 40

Wasaga Beach Fun Run

www.wasagabeachcruisers.com/ 16 Port Credit Mississauga

Mississauga Waterfront Festival

ONTARIO

May 1

2 Paris

VanFest - Canadas largest Van Show www.vannin/vanfest 9 Owen Sound

Wings and Wheels www.os-wingsandwheels.com/ 15 Wasaga Beach

Classic Car Show

www.yellowribbonclassiccar.com/ July 1 Waterdown

Canada Day Classic Car Cruise-in 1 Bolton

Canada Day Cruise www.caledoncruisers.com 8 Bayfield

Bayfield Vettefest www.bayfieldvettefest.com/ 21 Cobden

Step Back in Time Antiques, Classics

and Performance

NEW BRUNSWICK July 11

Moncton

13th Annual Atlantic Nationals Auto Extravaganza

CRUIZE NIGHTS

Check for a location near you.

Cruizin’ the Dub

From May to September, dozens of classic

car owners (“Cruisers”) come out to

restaurants all over the country to enjoy

great burgers and to show off their cars. www.aw.ca/cruisin-the-dub.nsf/HOME

If you have an event listing you’d like to have listed here, please keep the information limited as you see above.

All listing must include show date, city or town show is located in, name of show and web address. Events received are first come first served. Listing by order of date space permitting.

Email to smacdonald@metroland.com

for your best finish.

13-04-17 2:35 PM

If you you’d your i Public All ev can ch

06

COMMENTARY

Last May, my wife and I took a road trip to the Florida Keys. It took two full driving days to travel the roughly 2,400 km. We crossed at the Queenston-Lewiston border from southern Ontario into western New York State and connected up with 190 West to Erie, Pennsylvania.

It had been nearly fourteen years since I last travelled by car anywhere in the United States.

In the first few hours of driving, I noticed something of interest traffic that morning seemed to be a bit heavier than I would have expected given the time of day and direction we were headed.

Despite the volume, it was obvious that drivers south of our border tended to drive by the rule of keeping right unless to overtake.

The incredible thing is that traffic still moved briskly with most of us travelling in one lane.

As we approached Pittsburgh, the two lanes gradually opened up to four and traffic volume seemed to quadruple as we closed in on the city limits. I glanced to the clock on my dash and realized we were approaching Pittsburgh just in time to experience its morning rush hour.

Visions of endless lines of cars sitting idling for miles raced through my mind. My wife looked at me, reclined her seat back and decided to take a nap. Thanks.

The closer we got to the city, the heavier traffic grew. Imagine four lanes filled with local cars and transports, winding through the foothills of the Appalachians, driving up steep hills with exits on both the left and the right – were vehicles changing lanes to make exits or just overtaking each other?

Does that scene sound familiar?

It looked like any typical rush hour heading into any major city until I 6 | World of wheels | MAY 2013

04_WOW_MAR13.indd 2

volume 31, number 2

pick a lane looked into my rearview mirror and saw the city trailing off behind me in the distance.

Now that was unusual. Rush hour on a four-lane highway and the needle on my speedo didn’t dip below 100km/h the whole way through.

When was the last time you could blow past Toronto or Montreal at a buck ten without slowing down or coming to a complete stop somewhere along the Queen Elizabeth Way or Highway 401 even when rush hour was technically over – and 3 a.m. doesn’t count.

As we travelled further south, the highways changed from two to four lanes and back to two about a dozen times, city after city, we breezed right through never stopping unless we wanted to.

What’s going on? Is there something us Canadians haven’t been taught? Are our highways and byways really that different?

Are American drivers really that much better? The answers are no, no, and yes.

As soon as you cross into Canada after travelling the U.S you realize what is going on. For the first ten kilometres heading from Niagara on the QEW as an example, drivers will tend to stay right only using the left to overtake. And then you reach the Welland Canal bridge and the road widens to three lanes, then it’s like a running start on some NASCAR speedway – down the backside of the bridge and it’s every driver for themselves. All that is missing is the green flag to signal the start.

The closer drivers get to Hamilton the worse it gets. Cars in the right lane are doing 130 km/h while some jittery driver is in the hammer-lane scared to break 90.

You’ll see brake lights on the left and on the right with cars nearly connecting in the centre lane as they both try to pass someone only doing the speed limit.

As you head west, the lanes increase to four wide and anyone who assumes the additional room would help matters is wrong. It remains insane all the way into Toronto.

The location doesn’t seem to matter, either. It is the same in Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and even Edmonton.

If you time it just right, you can see four lanes of traffic come to a grinding halt for no reason at all. Once you clear the Greater Toronto Area either eastbound or westbound on any of the major highways, drivers more or less mysteriously return to the keep right rule.

What is it with the GTA and the roads that surround it? Is there some strange force like the Bermuda Triangle at work that sucks the common sense right out of drivers’ heads?

Are the good drivers just too frustrated with the number of bad drivers on the road that they say to hell with society and make up their own rules as they go?

I wish I had the answer. It takes me over an hour to travel to and from work each day and I only live 15 minutes away.

Stay safe, Scott

worldofwheelsmagazine.com

Regional General manager DAVID HARVEY General manager VICKI DILLANE Automotive Publications Editor Jackson Hayes Publication manager Scott MacDonald Production manager Rhonda Ridgway Senior graphic designer Brian Roberts Graphic designer Linda Clegg Advertising manager Matt Nicholson Account managers Dave Kraisosky, Ralph Ventriglia Special projects manager Jock McCleary Assistant office manager Donna Allen Distribution manager Alexandria Anchor Available by subscription and on newsstands from coast to coast.

World of Wheels is published six times a year (January, March, May, July, September, November) by Metroland West Media Group — a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Also publishers of Carguide, Canadian Autoworld,

Boatguide, Boating Business, PORTS Cruising Guides, West of the City, Taste, Shopaholic, Ideal Home, City Parent and Forever Young Information.

Metroland Media Group Ltd. Group Publisher Neil Oliver Director of Production Mark Dills Business manager Sandy Pare Editorial & Sales 447 Speers Rd., Suite 4, Oakville, ON L6K 3S7.

Phone: 905-842-6591 Toll Free: 1-800-693-7986 Fax: 905-842-4432 Editorial: smacdonald@metroland.com Letters are welcome. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope and will be handled with reasonable care. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for the return or safety of material including artwork, transparencies, and manuscripts.

Circulation & Subscriptions E-mail: aanchor@metrolandwest.com Phone: 905-842-6591 Fax: 905-842-4432 Mail: World of Wheels Circulation Department 4-447 Speers Rd., Oakville ON L6K 3S7 www.worldofwheelsmagazine.com From time to time World of Wheels makes its Subscription list available to reputable companies and organizations whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed.

For delivery in Canada GST incl.• 1 year (6 issues) $17.99 2 years (12 issues) $28.99 • 3 years (18 issues) $35.99 USA add $10 year • Foreign add $30 year Make cheque or money order payable to World of Wheels GST Registration #R137752424 Publications Mail Agreement #40069635 Mail Registration #5304083 PAP Registration #09772 General enquiries: smacdonald@metroland.com Advertising: mnicholson@formulamediagroup.com Production: production@formulamediagroup.com No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program and the Canada Magazine Fund, toward our mailing and editorial costs.

Return all undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Premier Publications and Shows 4-447 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S7 E-mail: aanchor@metrolandwest.com

Visit www.worldofwheelsmagazine.com to subscribe today. Digital editions available for trial at no cost.

www.worldofwheelsmagazine.com

13-04-17 2:37 PM

G G U L UTZ

N

“Overheard at city council’s road naming meeting” . ..Ok, so, we have Montreal Ave., two more streets to name. Jim: Montreal Way? OK, good, it’s original, anyone have a name for the last street? Ted: What about Montreal Circle?

Good name Ted! Ok, on to new business, transit routing...

A collection of humourous automotive related images discovered on the wonderful World-Wide Web. If you have a funny automotive related image and would like to see it posted here, please send your image to: smacdonald@metroland.com.

I think I parked

my truck here la st

night!

Don’t you hate when this happens to your Ferrari?

MAY 2013 | World of wheels | 7

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ƒirst Gear Campagna launches 16STM

More power.

More options.

More performance.

Campagna Motors is launching a new version of its famous T-REX. The 16STM trike will be powered by a BMW in-line six cylinder engine from the automaker’s Motorrad division.

“It took several years to find a reputable engine manufacturer that would fulfill our requirements. This announcement will propel our capacity to supply an accrued demand with a high quality offering," explained Michel Paquette, sales and marketing director at Campagna.

"The BMW1600cc engine is the most compact and efficient in-line six cylinder on the market. Moreover the collaboration with BMW's engineers helped our

engineering group with the integration of the new engine and transmission, new electronic systems and a multitude of other components and accessories.”

The new T-REX 16STM includes electronic driving mode selection to offer better control and a safer drive under adverse weather conditions and road surfaces along with a complete Alpine audio system including Sirius, iPod/ iPhone/USB connectivity and Bluetooth connectivity.

All units are hand-built at Campagna's headquarters in Boucherville, Quebec.

Sales will start in June.

8 | World of wheels | MAY 2013

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Ferrari LaFerrari bit of everyROUSH Performance has a little The 2014 Mustang offering from stang. From Mu SH ROU in owning a specialized thing for anyone interested 4 vehicle 201 the g, stan arged ROUSH Stage 3 Mu the stylish V6 to the superch . fans e anc form range of Mustang per lineup is sure to please a broad sleek ROUSH ality meets performance in the ctic pra For the 2014 model year, 31 MPG gets ted ma esti 305HP powertrain and an RS V6 Mustang. The standard rior upgrade inte and eels aero body kit, stylish wh paired with a dashing ROUSH options. ote V8’s 5.0L r and performance of the Coy Want the additional horsepowe ROUSH aero sic clas its SH Stage 1 Mustang with engine? Check out the ROU build upon also can ers interior upgrades. Driv body kit, wheel options and racetrack g’s stan Mu 2 e ing to the ROUSH Stag the Stage 1 package by upgrad HP base 420 the for e tud vides corner-carving atti inspired suspension that pro Coyote engine. nes Jack’s vision SH Stage 3 (RS3) Mustang defi The classic supercharged ROU r (575HP, 505 owe sep hor A car that combines raw of a true American muscle car. abilities of cap king bra ive handling, and respons lb/ft of torque), performance g OEM inin inta ma e tim e cars, while at the sam his championship winning race reliability and comfort. ain warranty. e-year/36,000 mile full powertr ROUSH Performance offers a thre formance Per SH ROU the Jack Roush started Legendary motorsports icon s in 1995. division of ROUSH Enterprise d engineering sion is to showcase race-inspire mis g The company’s ongoin iasts around hus ent g stan kage available to Mu performance on a vehicle pac

.

Been kicking yourself ever since you missed out on the chance to own a brand new Ferrari Enzo? Here's your chance to make up for it.

The awkwardly named Ferrari LaFerrari is the company's new limited-series flagship offering F1-level technology in a stunning road-legal package.

Apart from the unique, instant-classic looks, it features a new HY-KERS drivetrain system that pairs a 789hp, 6.3L V12 to a 160hp electric motor and a 7-speed DCT gearbox for a total of 949 horsepower. This hybrid (kinda) has a top speed of 205 mph.

Helping things along is what Ferrari boasts is the highest degree of aerodynamic efficiency ever achieved with any road car and a chassis made from no less than four different types of hand-laminated carbon fiber to achieve an ideal 41/59 weight distribution.

Let's hope you were already on the waiting list at your local dealer as only 499 are being built.

the world.

MAY 2013 | World of wheels | 9

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ƒirst Gear

An appetite for

Apple Does Apple want to be in your car? A job posted on the tech giant’s website suggests it may be looking to join the in-car technology market.

“Apple is looking for a software quality assurance manager to drive iPod/iPhone/iPad integration testing with car stereos,” said the posting, discovered by AppleInsider.

“In this role you will be a hands-on manager, guiding the team to test car stereo compatibility with iOS products.”

Earlier this year, the company posted two other jobs in Apple’s iOS Communication Applications Group that would have perspective employees focusing on “iOS car services.”

It’s not surprising that Apple has an eye on a future full of automotive Apple products.

Most automakers offer technology that will sync with iPods and iPhones anyway so why not become a leader in the space and sell the technology back to the car companies?

Last June, Apple released Siri Eyes Free.

The new iOS 6 feature turns the iPhone screen off and allows users to operate the device using only their voice. A patent filing discovered recently described a “magnetic stand device” that could hold an iPad upside down from a windshield.

What would you as a driver think about Apple bringing iOS inside our cars?

Many vehicles now have voice activated systems that control communication devices. Think of how Apple’s Siri technology could change how we control all the functions in our car. No more fiddling with the heat or adjusting the seat while traveling at high speeds on the highway.

signs as Infiniti’s director of performance Infiniti officially has the coolest director of performance on the planet.

Sebastian Vettel, Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver and three-time Formula One World Champion, was named director of performance for Infiniti extending his relationship with the automaker.

In this capacity, Vettel already has played a crucial role in developing Infiniti’s vehicle line-up, starting with the exclusive Infiniti FX Vettel Edition and most recently with the all-new Infiniti Q50.

He spent time with Infiniti engineers in Japan, providing them with his world-class chassis dynamics, performance and handling feedback. He was then involved in testing early models alongside Infiniti Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve driver Sebastien Buemi in Japan, around the famed Nürburgring in Germany, and at the Formula One pre-season test at the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya in early March.

Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen said Vettel’s role in developing Infiniti vehicles has already proven “invaluable.”

“How many premium automotive brands can honestly say its vehicles have been developed alongside a triple World Champion?” de Nysschen said.

“As our technical collaboration with Infiniti Red Bull Racing continues to deepen, so does our relationship with Sebastian who will be crucial to the development of our future vehicle line-up, ensuring Infiniti stands for passion and performance in a brand that challenges the status quo.”

For his part, Vettel said he was excited to extend his relationship with the brand.

“Helping to develop the Infiniti Q50 was a very different type of driving duty for me but I approached it in exactly the same way as I do my Formula One car. I am looking forward to working closely with Infiniti in developing more of their road cars into the future.”

Mercedes-Benz

G63 AMG 6x6 Fresh from the office of the completely unnecessary but totally amazing vehicles comes production details on MercedesBenz’ G63 AMG 6x6.

10 | WORLD OF WHEELS | MAY 2013

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Urban transportation with identity issues

By Brent Wakeford The Lit Motors C-1 has a small identity disorder.

Despite being a first in safety innovation on a twowheeled platform, this new class of vehicle is a head scratcher in terms of segment classification.

The vehicle, pegged by some as the next big thing in urban mobility is not quite a car, but not quite a motorcycle, either. Built by California start-up Lit Motors, the C-1 is described by the company as a “rolling helmet” offering the best features of a car (safety) in a motorcycle package.

It can use motorcycle parking, split lanes (in California), drive in the HOV lane, but no helmet or other safety gear is needed. The C-1 has seating for two adults or one adult and about as much cargo as you can carry on a plane. Its preliminary specs indicate its top speed is over 120 km/h with a range of up to 320 km per charge.

A charge time of six hours on a standard 120V connection or four hours on a 220V connection will get you moving down the road.

No need to fret about the rain clouds either as the C-1 is fully enclosed.

For drivers not content with the current overpowering dimensions of the already storied Mercedes-Benz G line, the automaker has gone one (or six) better with this six-wheel offering for the world’s uber-wealthy soccer moms.

Powering the G63 AMG 6x6 is a twin-turbocharged 5.5-L V8 capable of 536 horsepower.

Torque is an impressive 560 lb-ft and necessary when considering the vehicle’s 8,322-lb curb

What if you are not into motorcycles or don’t know how to handle one? The C-1 is self-balancing thanks to two gyroscopes with a combined output of 1,300 ft-lb of torque. This not only keeps it upright when stopped at a red light but also actively resists outside forces and will keep the vehicle upright even in a collision. The C-1 will even lean itself into and out of turns maintaining the same robust stability throughout.

Stability power from both gyroscopes are so impressive, the company said it would take a “baby elephant” to knock it over.

An initial production run will be ready for 2014 with prices pegged at around USD$24,000. Subsequent larger-scale production runs should retail for less once up and running at capacity.

Canadian distribution timing and pricing should follow the U.S. closely.

The C-1 has a steel unibody chassis, seatbelts, airbags, and most importantly, the gyro stability system.

All critical systems are double and triple-redundant, with mechanical backups to allow the driver to steer and stop the car even in a catastrophic failure of all systems.

weight. Early performance reports indicate the massive engine can hustle this beast from 0 to 100 km/h in roughly six seconds.

The six wheels are functional with torque split 30/40/30 between the axles from front to rear. The 37-inch wheels offer over 18 inches of ground clearance.

Inside the SUV there is room for four with all the luxurious accoutrements one would expect

This includes the same landing gear that keeps the C-1 upright when parked. It sports an aerodynamic design with a coefficient drag of 0.17.

The C-1 comes equipped with a small, eight kWh battery pack with a virtual extra kWh provided by their patented KERS regen braking system. This uses the flywheels in the gyros as kinetic capacitors, with an 86 per cent efficiency (about three times more efficient than conventional regen braking).

The direct-drive in-hub motors in both wheels provide lots of torque and stability/traction control while allowing for a much smaller body form.

Interior options include climate control, fully operable windows, a convertible or moonroof option and sound system.

It even has full smartphone and cloud integration.

from AMG including white leather seats and a bamboo-lined cargo area.

The automaker said it plans to build between 20 and 30 units annually with production starting in October. Official pricing has not been announced but estimates suggest the base price would hover around $460,000. Ownership of a gas station is not included.

MAY 2013 | WORLD OF WHEELS | 11

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ƒirst Gear

New Series LAST CAR STANDING Shakes, Rattles, and Rolls onto Discovery Channel Clunkers, old buckets of bolts and other wrecks on wheels are the unlikely stars of Last Car Standing, a new high-stakes, high-impact Discovery Channel series that pits the proud owners of lousy cars against each other in a series of escalating driving challenges.

At stake is a chance to restore their ride to its original glory.

The eight-part series premieres April 22 on Discovery and is hosted

by Christian Potenza.

Each episode will feature five diverse and fun-loving drivers each trapped in a love-hate relationship with an embarrassing clunker. Participants will have to put it all on the line through four rounds of competition until only one last car is standing. Viewers can get in on the bumper-busting action through an exclusive online contest and a whole trunk-load of cool web extras, the broadcaster says.

One by one, each eliminated driver must watch as their beloved beast endures the ultimate humiliation of being impaled on the massive Spike of Shame.

The driver and the car that withstands the grind of competition at the end of each episode gets a $10,000 automotive upgrade and bestcar bragging rights. Winners also get the chance to return for the grand finale to compete for a $50,000 vehicle restoration and the title of the ultimate Last Car Standing.

The grand finale winner won't be the only lucky one as the Discovery Channel says one viewer will also have the chance to fix up their own wheels – or anything else in desperate need – with $10,000 in Canadian Tire money.

Check out LastCarStandingContest.ca for more information.

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G R I N D I N G 27 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BEST

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G E A R S

Max Wolff and the Rebranding of Lincoln Wolff has already expressed his I was privileged to attend the Ford desire to follow a design philosophy centenary in Dearborn in 2004. A that eschews a reliance on past gloparticular highlight was an embarries. goed press review in the fabled design “My viewpoint is that the time rotunda. for recreating the past is gone,” he J. Mays, Ford’s V-P of design would has said. “I think we need to look be showing us a first look of Ford’s forward, not back.” new lineup for the next few years. All The Fusion-based MKZ displays eyes were on the retro fifth generation April Chadwick Mustang. Off to one side, Lincoln had G U EST CO LU M N IST much of this philosophy, sporting a sleeker version of the retro Zephyr a conservatively styled sedan and a crossover, destined to be the first MKZ (originally split grill pioneered by former Lincoln designer Peter Horbury on the facelifted 2010 model. Ford, christened Zephyr) and the MKX. I was distinctly underwhelmed. Unlike the however likes to compare the new grill to an eagle Mustang there was no buzz surrounding the pair, in flight.

Unfortunately Lincoln is putting marketing which looked like they had just come off some ahead of product, attempting to re-establish the used-car lot.

When I could get a word in edgewise I asked brand on service and image instead of new sheetMays if we would ever see a Mark IX or anything metal (at the L.A. Auto Show, the newest car on its resembling a flagship car from Lincoln. The press stand was a 1961 Continental).

Paradoxically Lincoln seems to be embarrassed scrum went quiet for a second; clearly I had asked by its most commercially successful cars like the an unwelcome question. The answer was no.

Since then, Ford has been true to its word. Mark III, IV and V of the late 1960s and ‘70s The last eight years have seen diminishing sales which literally made billions for Ford If Lincoln has any brand heritage left amongst for Lincoln with the brand’s line up consisting of slightly more luxurious badge and engineered the car buying public it is of the Parthenon grilled luxo barges of the seventies. versions of Ford’s admittedly great cars.

The Mark III of 1968 through to Mark V of And with the Blue Oval shedding its foreign luxury brands, Lincoln has been left to wither on 1979 bestowed just the right mix of classic styling the vine. Amongst luxury car buyers the Lincoln cues, heritage and Vegas glitz that luxury car buyers found irresistible. nameplate has become almost meaningless.

Despite pollution controls and federal impact In an attempt to revive the brand Ford is spending over a billion dollars to reinvent its for- bumper requirements, the Marks were cars withmer shining star. The first glimpse of this new out compromise that wore their styling and size strategy is the launch of the second generation with pride.

As good as the new MKZ is, Lincoln has a real MKZ and the re-imaging of Lincoln as a boutique need for a halo car, a new Mark that will cement luxury brand.

In an attempt to gain a new generation of pro- its image as a true luxury car in the minds of congressive luxury buyers Lincoln will revert to its sumers.

Lincoln has everything it needs in the corpooriginal name, The Lincoln Motor Company with its own design studio, product development and rate parts bin with the Coyote V8 and Mustang sales teams. Lincoln will also retrain sales and platform. Ford even has two stunning RWD proservice staff and establish a 24/7 online concierge- totypes coupes it could dust off and freshen up – the Mark X and the Continental sedan both still style research and sales website.

Corporate Lincoln specialists will fan out featured on company’s media website.

Such a comeback is not without precedent; Caacross the country bringing dealers up to speed dillac had to battle its own demons over 20 years on Lincoln’s rebranding initiative.

Ford’s attempt to resurrect the brand began to re-establish itself as a contender in the luxury earlier in 2010 with the hiring of Max Wolff away market.

Now that the brand has its own design studio from Cadillac as Lincoln’s director of design.

Wolff began his career with GM’s Holden divi- again, perhaps Lincoln can do it too. Max would sion in his native Australia, later relocating to the be well advised to look to Lincoln’s greatest sales success for the brand’s marketplace redemption.

U.S. to lead Cadillac’s exterior design team.

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PARTSCOUNTER

Garmin nuvi 3500 series The nuvi 3500 features an ultra-thin form with a larger 5-inch display, and includes more or less every feature Garmin has to offer: Guidance 3.0 navigation engine, lane assist, the ability to automatically remember frequent favourite route destinations and predict the destination without the user needing to activate a route. It include free lifetime map updates, Bluetooth, digital 3D traffic, voice-activated navigation as well as compatibility with Garmin’s new Smartphone Link - an Android app thatt provides live services to the PND. MSRP: $399.

Swift Hitch Portable Back-Up Camera amera Make one-person trailer hook up easy with a portable backup camera. Magnetically affix the cameraa to your tailgate and view the action from the driver’s seat on the handheld 2.5-inch colour screen. It even has night vision. ails.

MSRP: $239. Visit www.swifthitch.com for details.

American Racing Wheels American Racing says each wheel represents the company’s heritage and acts as an extension of Romeo Palamides’ original vision of innovation and cuttingedge. Visit www.americanracing.com to see the selection of custom wheels to fit most applications. Visit your local American Racing dealer for pricing and availability.

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Park Smart Make pulling into your garage a breeze with the Park Smart Parking Mat. Bumps umps our and bruises from stopping at the wrong spot can leave your vehicle and your ght and garage permanently marred. The Park Smart Parking Mat is available in bright easy-to-see colours so you know exactly where to guide your wheels and when to ow its stop. Just wait until you feel the first bump under your wheels and you know time to apply the brakes. Made from durable polyethylene, the Park Smartt Parking Mat stands up to oil and gasoline. At 27.5" x 12" x 1.5", its perfect for any sizee of tire king Mat and won’t take up too much room in your garage. Plus, the Park Smart Parking etails. is backed by a Lifetime Warranty. MSRP: $21.76. Visit www.shoptoit.ca for details.

BendPak Scissor Lift The BendPak MD-6XP is a mighty 6,000-lb. capable mid-rise scissor lift that’s designed to fit nicely into your garage and won’t take up your precious floor space. This state-of-theart scissor car lift comes well-equipped with adjustable arm assemblies and an all-important multi-position safety lock bar to easily and reliably adjust your lift to any secure position. MSRP: $1,949. Visit www.bendpak.com for details.

GoLink iPod Cable Just plug the BT1 into your vehicle and use your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to remove the risks and surprises from driving. It will measure the efficiency of your vehicle revealing when fuel economy is running low relative to your driving habits. The BT1 will speak with your vehicle to interrupt the dreaded check engine light. Is your vehicle safe to drive? Will it cost a small fortune to repair? Find out using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. MSRP: $99. Visit www.gopointtech.com for details.

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Photography by Scot Cameron

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BY PETER BAILEY

There is one event in Cam McQueen’s driving career that changed his life forever.

February 27, 2010. Jacksonville, Florida. Things would never be the same.

Up until that point, McQueen, 34, had been keeping his head down, learning the ropes and doing whatever job needed to be done so he could drive his beloved monster trucks.

Prior to his date with destiny in that Jacksonville arena, the Kelowna, B.C., resident had spent years racing motorcycles and doing stunt driving. He had also worked on the side with a small excavation company and done odd jobs from sweeping floors in a motorcycle shop at age 14 to doing his own mechanical work on the big trucks.

When his first break came and he got his start in loud, growing and admittedly over-the-top world of monster trucks, it was a dream fullfilled.

“In the 11th grade I had a career planning course,” McQueen recalls. “When I turned in my paper, my career path was a stunt man. My teacher said the next day, ‘this isn’t a joke. Fill it out again.’”

Cam McQueen of Kelowna, B.C., has quickly risen to the top in the rough and tumble world of Monster Trucks “I did it again and said, ‘I want to be a Monster Truck driver.’ He thought I was clowning around, and he failed me on the paper.

“I ran into that teacher 10 years later at a gas station. He said ‘How’re you doing?’ I said I’ve been doing stunt work and I’ve just started driving a monster truck.’ He didn’t say much after that, he just drove away.”

McQueen’s persistence in following his >>

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cammcqueen

McQueen, like most champions, realizes no one achieves success alone, and admits he is grateful to those who helped him and influenced him along the way. “My mom and dad are very supportive,” he says.

“Mom hated the fact that I might get hurt, but they supported it.” dream led him to that big day in February, when he was competing in the Monster Jam World Finals in Jacksonville. He had successfully completed his circuit of events and then brought his truck around to run head-on into the sidewall of a ramp.

“I had walked around the field before the event and I thought I could do it,” he says. “I’d been planning it for two years. My crew chief and another driver knew what I was going to do, but no one else did.”

McQueen was confident he could pull it off, though. And he was wearing his trademark good-luck charm mismatched socks and Monkey Butt powder to control the sweat.

McQueen gunned his engine and roared straight at the mound. His front wheels raced up the side and the truck leaped into the air,

flipped over and came back down on its wheels.

The crowd of 70,000 jumped to its feet and cheered. Cam McQueen, the Canadian newcomer, had performed the first successful backflip of a truck during a competition. His accomplishment landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records and won him the 2010 Monster Jam Wow Factor Award. It also won him the admiration of fans and the respect of his more experienced colleagues.

“It was my third season of Monster Jam,” he says. “I was the underdog, the Canadian kid trying to make good. Up until then, I was taking baby steps, minding my manners, trying not to be the superstar.

“From that day forward, I started gathering fans. Now, three years later, I’ve done two more backflips. The fans refer to me as Mr. Backflip.”

McQueen performed his feat in the Nitro Circus truck, but now he drives the Northern Nightmare, a 1,500-hp, 540-CI two-speed monster. He is one of about 300 drivers on the Monster Truck circuit. It’s a small group and the other drivers treat each other as family, he says.

Since Jacksonville, he was named the Freestyle Champion at the Las Vegas competition in 2012. Nowadays, he gets to stretch out on the porch with the big dogs and life is good. The only drawback, he says, is leaving behind his wife Amber and his son Clayton when he goes

on tour.

McQueen perpetuates a stereotypically Canadian modesty about his achievements.

“When I won the championship, I didn’t gloat. I was very grateful to all those who helped me. I relate it to the Olympics. I was in a sports bar with 200 people watching the Canadian team playing the Americans. When Canada scored a goal we’d just keep quiet. We were pretty proud when we won, but the Americans just walked quietly away.”

He doesn’t make a big deal of winning, but admits, “It’s still very cool to go into American arenas and they announce my truck as the reigning Freestyle Champion.”

McQueen, like most champions, realizes no one achieves success alone, and admits he is grateful to those who helped him and influenced him along the way. “My mom and dad are very supportive,” he says. “Mom hated the fact that I might get hurt, but they supported it.

The first time I went to stunt driving school in Seattle, Wash., my dad drove me down. He was always a motor head, as well. And I look up to my older brother for his driving skills.”

“I had an old Sunday school teacher who, instead of Bible study, he’d take us driving in Kelowna and we’d go cliff jumping into the lake. Years later, when I was helping out youth groups in the Okanagan, my leader would take

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us out in a Jeep to the back woods and go fishing, teaching us driving and four-wheeling. To this day, all that stuff has transpired into who I am.”

“I have friends working in jobs they hate. It drives me crazy. That’s why I had so many jobs in my career. If I didn’t enjoy it, I’d quit. It’s frustrating to see people in a job they hate, wasting their talent. God gives us all certain talents. If you’re using those, you’re not ‘working,’ you’re loving what you do. So if you have a talent, go do it. The rest will come.”

That’s a message McQueen repeatedly conveys to the many fans who come to see him before the show.

“Our show is not a typical motorsport,” he explains.

“We’re there for the fans. For example, we’ll have a two and a half hour show in Hamilton in April, and we’ll have a two-hour pit party that afternoon. We put all the trucks on the course on display and the drivers will stand by their trucks for two hours to meet the fans and take photos.

“It’s amazing how much time we spend outside the trucks as opposed to inside. We spend two or three hours with the fans; we may only drive three minutes in an event. Freestyle events are 90 seconds long; wheelies may only take 20 seconds, and racing is only about 20 seconds.

“This is our way to give back to the fans. And when kids come up and say they want to drive monster trucks, I think that was me when I was a kid and I tell them to not let anyone stop you.”

“I’m living the dream,” McQueen says, in a way that suggests even he can’t believe his luck. “This sport is a great way for us to say just do it; live your dream.”

r his fans. has time fo s y a lw a n McQuee

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k c i l S

d cDonal a M t t o y Sc raphy b g o t o h P MAY 2013 | World of wheels | 21

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Nova restoration brings father and son closer while doing a long-forgotten U.S. serviceman proud

BY BRENT WAKEFORD This 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS and its purchase and restoration has a classic story that meanders from a long forgotten garage in North Carolina to a car lover in Hamilton, Ontario.

Originally owned by a young North Carolina native, the Nova SS had been mothballed in a residential garage for nearly 30 years. The owner, whose name is lost to history, had enlisted in the United States military and left his car safely holed up in his mother’s garage.

Sadly, the young man never made it back home and, with his mom not willing to part with her son’s car, the Nova and the memory of her son sat silent in her garage for 27 years.

Following a move to a retirement home, the original owner’s mother sold the car to another young fellow who brought it up to Hamilton.

Already a Nova owner, this ’69 SS was to be his next project. He had sold his previous vehicle and was ready to start fresh. But after stripping was complete, the new owner ended up buying his original Nova back and put the North Carolina special up for sale.

It is at this point that the car’s convoluted narrative lands with Syd Middleton and his then high school-aged son Brian.

The father and son team were looking for just this type of project to spend quality time together.

With only 61,588 miles, the Nova has called the Middleton’s garage home for the past eight years.

The car was already stripped to the metal and came with all removed parts in a box, Brian said.

“The body and floor pans were rust free and in excellent condition for the age, needing only minor body work.”

As with many projects, the easy part was finding the car, it was the planning – including what to keep, what to change, what to add and what to eliminate that took the most time.

They started without a budget. What they needed, they’d ordered and what they couldn’t find, Fred (FJ) Smith of Smith Performance in Cayuga, researched and found for them.

Fred Smith even installed the roll cage and did some suspension and engine work. Brian and Syd wrapped up the rest of the work completing the full frame up restoration in just 11 months.

“As a project is never officially done there will always be things to change or replace,” Brian noted.

“As for battles wounds, there were a few but

none worse than when dad was grinding the exhaust and cut his finger requiring a drive to the local hospital for stitches.”

And there was the time, he chuckled, that a spark from a grinder nearly set the freshly painted rear end on fire.

They admitted the best part of the build came after squeezing in the engine, which required some customizations to get it to fit with such big headers, followed by the first fire-up.

One can only imagine the thrill when the 496 Stroker engine screamed to life for the first time, exhausting through open headers and pouring pure fury inside a residential garage on a quiet cul-de-sac.

“The car instantly became filled with dust from the walls and ceiling shaking. As the neighbours emerged from their homes, thinking a jet was landing on the street, we slid the front seat in and without even bolting it down, we cranked out of the driveway and blasted around the survey for the initial test drive, open headers and all.”

After a small burnout and a minor setback of a snapped doorpost, it was decided a roll cage connected through the frame was needed.

Brian said his usual day consisted of waking up at 6 a.m. for school, working at his job after school, then homework and then into the garage to work on the Nova. Many a night he lost track of time, realizing it was way past midnight when he put his wrench down and got a few hours sleep before school.

Syd had always been into cars. Attending indoor car shows like SpeedoRama and Performance World, Syd remembers a young Brian vowing one day to have his own custom car in one of those shows. Good to his promise, the pair showed their Nova in a SpeedoRama and Performance World in the main hall and took home multiple awards at both shows.

Since its debut in the car show circuit this rod has entered countless shows capturing over 100 awards to date. Taking home trophies in categories like best engine, best paint, best body, street machine, best Chevy and best in show, Brian said is a tribute to the energy, devotion and attention to details.

Heading into their seventh season of showing, this father and son team will continue to drive to and enter shows, do burn-out competitions and of course, cruise.

When asked if there are more additions still to come with this sweet ’69 Nova, Brian already has future plans of a new engine, twin turbos and new paint. And in his spare time he is currently working on a 1970 Chevy Camaro Z 28. The game plan with the Camaro, he conceded, calls for a similar mind set, approach and attention to detail as the Nova – just maybe more custom.

If all goes well, father and son may be cruising in side-by-side Chevys soon.

Engine/Performance: Originally a 427 stroked to a 496ci, bored 80 over creating 650 plus horsepower on pump gas with over 780 ft-lb of torque.

Merlin three alum heads, scat crank, radical race cam, comp lifters, H beam rods, custom chrome 830 holly carb, Keith Black pistons, polish march pulley system, custom Grifton radiator cooled by twin race fans, custom oil and transmission cooler, Mallory fuel pump, custom made polished motor plate, high rise intake, numerous polished alum accessories, ceramic coated three-inch headers with four-inch collectors and 3.5 inch cross over exhaust

Wheels & Tires: 15-inch American racing rims. Rears 29 by 10.5 inch Mickey Thompsons with 29 by 7.5 inch Mickey Thompsons up front

Suspension Info: Slide-a-link traction bars, chrome molly round tube frame connectors, nine inch Pearl Orange Ford rear end with strange axles / 373 daily gears and 456 gear spool and pot for the drag strip. Four piston Wilwood light weight braking system, polished drilled rotors and master cylinder.

Undercarriage and fuel tank are powder coated metallic silver.

Exterior Info: Custom paint job pearl orange with lots of metallic, chrome bumpers, two inch cowl hood

Interior Info: Leather bench seats, pistol grip line locker shifter, race tachometer and gauges, painless wiring box, track certified chrome molly roll cage, tilt steering column with original factory wheel

Audio/Multimedia: No audio as with these headers, who’d hear it anyways

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House: $25,600 Average income: $5,894/yr New car (average): $3,270 Colour TV: $598 Gas: .35¢ /gal Jar of Spaghetti Sauce: .58¢ Butter: .77¢ /lb.

Jar of Baby Food: .09¢ First Human Eye Transplant Seiko sells first Quartz watch Boeing 747 debuts Films: Funny Girl, True Grit, Easy Rider, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

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FEBRUARY MAY2012 2013| World | Worldof ofwheels wheels| 23 | 23

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T H E

B I G G E R

P I C T U R E

The Fickle Fate of Automotive Retail Brands come and go with the economic tides The cases of Suzuki and Fisker My apologies to Pontiac devotees, (there are four dealerships in Canbut we are about to revisit some old ada) illustrate a point that is only wounds. made a few times a generation and Following the wrap on the first one sometimes lost on eager enthuquarter of 2013, we have seen siasts: the automotive business is one automotive brand pull up its tough and sometimes companies fail. retail operation’s tent in Canada Since the global recession enveland another, admittedly smaller oped world markets in the latter half operation, is hanging on by its Jackson Hayes of the last decade, drivers have bid front bumper.

C O N T R I B U TO R farewell to five brands. The shake up Suzuki Canada told consumers at General Motors directly led to the in late March that it was no longer “economically feasible” to continue automotive loss of four: Saab was sliced, diced and sold to a operations. Marine and motorcycle business will foreign entity that couldn’t seem to find profits, remain but the brand’s three automotive offer- either. A deal for Hummer fell apart at the last ings (Kizashi, Grand Vitara and SX4) will be done minute while Pontiac and Saturn were simply shuttered. as of next year.

Suzuki is five and Fisker would be the sixth Industry watchers knew the clock had been ticking for Suzuki Canada the instant its sister brand in recent years to pull the plug (pun deficompany American Suzuki announced it was nitely intended) on business – and we don’t have pulling out of the automotive market and enter- to look too far into the rearview mirror to see the exhaust fumes from Daewoo, Mercury and Plyming Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November.

A four-month feasibility study carried out by outh either.

As automotive enthusiasts, you may ask how a Suzuki Motor Corp. (SMC) on the viability of remaining in the Canadian automotive market told car company can fail?

The answer is that for all the complexity – supthem what most of us already knew.

Canadian annual new car sales volume usually pliers, designers, vehicle testing, assembly, shiphovers at around 10 per cent of the U.S. market. ment, retail networks, captive finance lenders, It was hardly shocking that SMC thought design- etc. – it is still a business subject to laws of supply ing, producing and shipping a fleet of new cars and demand.

Suzuki did make reliable vehicles. But with that meet North American emissions and safety requirements to Canada for a return of 5,000 an- roughly 5,400 new units retailed last year compared to Ford’s 275,953, Toyota’s 192,068 and nual sales was not worth it.

I don’t fault SCM one bit. It is a publicly traded Honda’s 148,712 units sold, to name a few, the multinational company that reports to share- writing was on the wall – especially once the U.S. holders. If the business case can’t be supported, unit failed.

The numbers are plain, yet attributing the loss tough decisions need to be made.

The second brand in trouble is Fisker Auto- of an automotive brand to market whims feels a motive and its luxury plug-in offering, Karma. little empty for those who love it.

Unlike a coffee shop, tavern or other local As of press time, the struggling company had laid off 75 per cent of its staff as a “final effort” to business that might close, I would argue that no conserve cash and delay a potential bankruptcy other purchase, save your house, is as personal as buying a car. We are more emotionally invested filing.

Fisker had secured more than $528 million in in the propagation of a vehicle brand than any loans from the U.S. federal government in 2009. other consumer item.

I remember watching scores of Saab supportMissed production targets led to a freeze on that money and, with a massive loan payment loom- ers converge in a few major cities years ago trying to rally support for the fledgling Swedish brand. ing the automaker hit the panic button.

As an industry watcher, I thought it was riI would be remised at not taking the easy bait noting the makers of the Karma had endured a diculous that a small contingent of passionate lot of bad karma lately including a 2,000-unit drivers thought it could sway opinions and force recall notice and the destruction of 320 Karmas financial support for an independent company in awaiting delivery at a New Jersey port during a free-market economy.

At the same time, I had to respect the passion.

Hurricane Sandy.

APP T H E R E ’ S

F O R

A N

T H A T ?

It’s Dynolicious This one is just fun. Dynolicious makes use of the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer to measure all the stats you’d want: lateral Gs, 0 to 100 km acceleration, quarter-mile elapsed time, horsepower…essentially, all the numbers you would get from being timed at a drag strip.

It’s a bit pricey at US$12.99, but it performed just as accurately as a standalone unit costing 15 times as much. Not bad for a smartphone app.

A history feature allows you to track results based on modifications made to your car.

So for example, one set might include results based on 17-inch wheels and a stock exhaust, while results from a week later would reflect the installation of 15-inch wheels and an aftermarket exhaust.

And what would be the point of knowing how fast your car goes if there wasn’t some way to brag? Built-in functions allow you to post directly to Facebook and Twitter.

Dynolicious supports both imperial and metric units of measurement so users on the forums you frequent can all speak the same language. The app can even export graphs for offline review.

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DRIVER'S SEAT

25

The 2013 Ford F-150 is still tough as nails and selling like hotcakes

BY SCOTT MACDONALD For 2013, Ford's F-150 lineup gets a minor update in styling with the automaker choosing to discontinue the Harley-Davidson trim option in favour of its new Limited trim. The Blue Oval’s SYNC voice-activated media system is now available on a wider range of trim levels as well the MyFord Touch infotainment interface.

First Impressions Walk around the newest F-150 Lariat Supercab and the

dominating size certainly makes its presence known. The overall body style has seen little change from the recent past as Ford’s stylists continue with an angular exterior look.

For now, the grilles will help identify new from old. The no frills XL and slightly better equipped STX and the new FX4 will sport a new two bar grille, while the rest of the line dresses up with a three bar version. The most notable appearance update is the headlights as the xenon intensity will be hard to miss.

The F-150 offers nine separate trim levels starting with the XL priced just under $19,000. This base model offers a basic vinyl MAY 2013 | WORLD OF WHEELS | 25

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2O13 Ford F-15O

bench seat and an air conditioning equipped short box powered by a 3.7L V6 FFV (flex-fuel vehicle) engine mated to an auto 6-speed transmission.

If you want to include more creature comforts in your daily commute, you can trim out your F-150 with the Lariat package plush with its own variety of extras and accessories from which to choose. You could also select Ford’s FX4 with flat black accents, special body graphics, sport leather six-way power seats, tow package and a list of bells and whistle too long to list here.

Be prepared to spend just under $50,000 for the FX4 with a 6.2L 2V EFI V8 engine, and slightly more than $40,000 for the Lariat 4x2 Supercab with the tried and true 5.0L V8 FFV engine.

Somewhere in the myriad of trim levels and packages, Ford has something to satisfy everyone’s needs.

The F-150 has had a long reputation for being a tough work truck and 2013 is no exception.

Rugged rear leaf springs that soak up potholes and uneven road surfaces have been the norm for the F-150 for decades. Along with little details like tailgate steps, trailer sway control and box side steps, whether used for work or not, access to the box is just easier for Ford owners.

From the driver’s seat, the lineup features easy-to-use primary controls. Gauges are easy to read and the centre console features a pistol grip styled shifter that fits nicely in the palm of your hand. It’s a small thing, but it is a nice touch.

On models equipped with the eight-inch MyFord Touchscreen, dashboard controls can be

a bit finicky to work sometimes. For those who prefer the old-school knobs and switches, Ford has included a set of redundant manual controls just for you – an addition particularly handy during winter months when drivers tend to wear gloves or for the guys on the job site.

The front seats provide loads of legroom and a huge helping of comfort for passenger and driver.

In the rear, depending on the cab configuration, room for passengers can be questionable. In the SuperCrew, the rear seating provides sufficient legroom and with its flat floor and seatback angle, most adults will enjoy longer drives in the F-150.

The SuperCab is slightly smaller with noticeably less legroom. Both cab models offer foldup rear seating for additional cargo space.

On The Road Ride quality in the new F-150 provides drivers with confidence on and off the road. The interior cabin is quiet even when traveling at highway speeds.

Rough roads were no challenge either as the bumps and potholes strategically scattered throughout Hamilton, Ontario provided the ideal condition to test this F-150’s suspension.

The large rear leafs didn’t kick-out like the older trucks I remember and the front coils worked with the rear to absorb most of the minor rough stuff.

That said, every system has its limitations and Steeltown’s notoriously bumpy byways had a few jaw-rattling gems that made me happy I wasn’t holding a hot coffee.

Some rural back road twisties did provide

some challenging moments, though the F-150 stayed steady through the tightest of turns with little more than a little tire noise. The rear stayed planted even when taken onto loose gravel.

Ford’s AdvanceTrac system performed as advertised; nothing like the old days before traction control when the rear of any truck would almost guarantee fishtailing under questionable conditions.

I would like to have put the truck through its paces when hauling a load, but time was against me. The automaker said the 5.0L V8 FFV and its 360 horses packed into the 5.0L would get you up and running.

There are six powerplants offered but each will depend on the package choosen. Some models, like the Raptor, only have one choice.

No matter what you choose, each engine in the lineup has more than enough torque and reliability to accomplish what most of you expect from it.

The 2013 F-150 is tough, strong and in your face on a lot of levels. Buyers of these vehicles know that owing a truck is more about getting something done, not how much it costs to run.

Having noted that, the 2013 F-150 is a miser at the pump fuel, delivering almost 10L/100km.

Final Thoughts It had been quite a while since I had driven the F-150 and it was nice to test a truck that delivers on all its promises. I would give Ford a big thumbs up for making life a little sweeter for the working man.

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The F-150 has had a long reputation for being a tough work truck. Rugged rear leaf springs soak up potholes and uneven road surfaces.

Little details like tailgate steps, trailer sway control and box side steps, whether used for work or not, access to the box is just easier for Ford owners.

50 -1 F D R O F 3 1 O 2 glance ...at a

ss* lbs - Best in-cla towing 11,300 TOWING: Max. xed frame ), FRAME: Fully bo 20 lb-ft torque Boost engine (4 , hp 60 (3 ENGINES: EcoTi-VCT V8 (302 hp), 5.0L ue) rq to -ft lb 3.7L Ti-VCT V6 4 (411hp, 43 V8 2L 6. ), ue rq eps, SYNC with 380 lb-ft. to and tailgate st e sid x Bo : CE e.

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Bo lbs with 3.5L Eco GVWR vs. towing of 11,300 s under 8,500 lbs equipped. Max. Full-Size Pickup is ss Cla * When properly es. gin 4x2 en V8 ve val 2 L 4x4 and 6.2 petitors.

2012/2013 com

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G U Y ’ S

G A R A G E

Practical Thoughts on an Emotional Decision: A mechanic’s view on car buying ships are an obvious choice as they When it is time to buy a vehicle, evhave all the tools and technology eryone thinks it would be a dream to to fix their brand’s nameplates. Many have unlimited access to a mechanic. independent shops specialize in eiBelieve me, it’s not all it’s cracked up ther North American, Asian or Euto be – just ask my wife. ropean vehicles and usually provide As an auto mechanic, it is implied everything you would get at a dealthat I will service my own car. Since I er’s service department. It is imporcan’t really complain to anyone about Scot Cameron tant to note that some aftermarket what it costs to fix it when I do the C O N T R I B U TO R repair shops might not have the type work myself, I want to keep the work of specialized diagnostic equipment as simple as possible.

Vehicle repairs, however, can often appear for all makes as this technology is very costly.

Once you have decided what to buy, you have simple before quickly spinning into complicated issues requiring more money, time and a good a few more things to consider. If you are buying session of curse words strung together with verve a used vehicle, take it to a trusted shop and have it inspected to see if there are any concerns. Get and intensity.

Take for example, changing a headlight bulb. them to tell you about any items that may require Most of us assume this is a five minute undertak- service soon.

Provincial safety inspections only tell you it sating, and often it is. Unfortunately, more and more vehicle designs are requiring a hoist and removal isfies minimum standards, and believe me, some of parts of the body, even going as far as removing standards are very minimal. You need an overall the bumper cover (I’m talking about entry level indication of the mechanical health of the vehicle.

During your ownership of the vehicle there vehicles here, not just the high-priced cars that may be critical maintenance items that will be respring to mind), to get at the headlight housing.

So, you may ask that, as a mechanic, what fac- quired: timing belt, clutch, tires, brakes, etc. Don’t tors do I consider when it’s time to purchase a underestimate what these things can cost; find vehicle? My advice all hovers around one point: out what the cost of those repairs are and also the cost of basic maintenance items. reliability.

One of the first things I do is to look at the laI always advise people to talk to their automotive service provider first about the models you bour times and part costs for things I would exhave in mind. The people that fix cars tend to pect to service. You don’t want to be surprised by know more about their reliability long term than that $100 oil change.

If your vehicle comes with a service plan, be the people who sell them. We see service bulletins related to specific models and are more likely to clear about what it covers as wear items often know what potential problems your shopping list aren’t (those 20-inch rims and tires look good until a pothole takes a $300 bite out of the tire). could contain.

Buying a vehicle is one of the few purchases Service technicians should know the vehicles to avoid and the weak points of the vehicles you that is both emotional and practical. Nothing causes a person to lose their enthusiasm are considering.

Now is a good time to point out that all makes faster than unexpected, frequent and expensive and models have issues. Even the luxury cars repairs.

As long as you have done your research and have recalls.

If you want to maintain your relationship with a buy something that excites you, you will never be particular shop, I would ask them if they have the disappointed. Just be happy you aren’t married to capabilities to repair your vehicle. New car dealer- a car snob like me.

S H I N E . FOR LONGER .

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By APRIL CHADWICK

If you are a fan of modern high performance Fords, you will most likely be familiar with Sean Hyland’s handiwork.

Hyland literally wrote the book on going fast. His work How To Build Max-Performance 4.6-Litre Ford Engines was the first handbook on building and tuning the new modular V8. Originally published in 2004, the book is still in print nearly a decade later and still ranks among CarTech’s best sellers.

Sean Hyland Motorsports (SHM) is located in the town of Woodstock roughly halfway between Hamilton and London in Southern Ontario. The shop is known worldwide as the source for modular crate engines and supercharged Mustangs and F-150s. SHM is also the official Canadian builder for all Shelby automobiles.

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SeanHyland

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Sean Hyland wrote the book on going fast.

Like most young car fans, Hyland wanted to go fast. Unlike most though, he actually did something about it. He graduated from parking lot autocross to professional rallying in 1979.

Unlike in Europe, where rallying is one of the more popular forms of motorsport, Hyland was forced to build and run his own cars privately without any factory support. He began with the perennial favorite Datsun 510, moving on to a Plymouth Arrow and later an ex-factory works Triumph TR8.

The British Leyland TR8 was originally campaigned by famous American rally driver Jon Woodner before he switched to Peugeot The Triumph had been previously rolled at Pikes Peak, though Hyland rebuilt it to where it was “surprisingly competitive” for the 1981 Canadian championship season.

Financial realities loomed large for him in the early ’80s as racing without OEM support eventually forced Hyland to work in the wholesale auto parts industry. In 1988 he started his own business supplying replacement parts to the used car warranty companies. That success afforded him the chance to get back behind the wheel moving from rally to road racing and campaigning a 1990 5.0L Mustang in the Firestone Firehawk series along with his codriver Neil Lang. The Mustang was rebuilt from a wreck and the only Fox body to run in the top five consistently against rival Porsches and GM F-body Camaros and Firebirds.

Hyland and Jay Malone raced two, Eagle Talon all-wheel drive cars in 1991, pioneering a number of performance upgrades on the infamous future street racer. The cars were successful, never finishing off the podium in the Firehawk series.

The brief dalliance with non-Blue Oval Talons lead to work performing performance upgrades

on those cars for customers for years afterwards.

He eventually raced the Taurus SHO, the high point was a second place finish despite being hampered by fragile front hubs. The following year Hyland was out of road racing and focusing on his business. His time in the Firehawk series had put him into contact with friends Tom Hnatiw and Al Ayre. It was Ayre who purchased his old TR8, who with a little help from Hyland turned it into fierce competitor on the tarmac. (Not surprising given its 285-horsepower aluminum Rover V8 and 2,100-lb weight.)

Hnatiw went on to create the Dream Car Garage television series on the SPEED Channel, which Hyland would later contribute some of the most memorable project cars.

Sean Hyland Motorsports began in 1995 when he got his hands on a 1996 Mustang Cobra. Within four months he said he had rebuilt the engine and installed a supercharger. The development of the modular 4.6 became all consuming and Hyland saw his racing career limited to just a couple of selected events.

The Ford 4.6 overhead camshaft V8 was introduced in 1991 on the Lincoln Town Car and the following year in the Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis cousins – though it did not replace the venerable 302 in the Mustang until 1996. The modular name refers to manufacturing protocol that allows quick tooling changeover to build different versions of the engine at the Romeo, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario plants.

The first Mustang 4.6 engines produced just 215 horsepower and few aftermarket manufacturers were willing to invest the time and money necessary to develop performance parts.

The 5.0 had been so popular in hot rodding and racing that many were convinced the modular engine would not be around for long. Hyland took a more historic view, noting that most Ford

engines have long production runs. The small block Windsor engine lasted over 40 years in regular production from 1962 growing from 260 cubic inches to 289 then into the ubiquitous 302.

He began developing a series of new technologies and parts for the 4.6 V8. He said it was a struggle at first to get manufacturers to produce camshafts, pistons, connecting rods and other internals Hyland and his team developed for the new engine.

His foresight began to pay off as his engines gaining notoriety in road racing, drag racing and on the street. The Mustang performance magazines spawned by the Fox body craze began to spread the word and soon even OEM’s were beating a path to his headquarters in Woodstock. SHM supplied technical know-how and crate engines to some of the world’s coolest bespoke sports cars. In England, the 4.6 could be found in Marcos (Mantara, Mantis and Manturay), Jensen (a revived Interceptor) and the Rover Groups’ MG ZT and MG XPower SV. In the U.S., SHM engines powered various versions of Dan Panoz euphemistically named sports cars; Qvale Mangusta in Italy also used his engines.

Despite the booming success, Hyland proved you could take the man from the racing but couldn’t take the racing from the man. He ran Pikes Peak in a Mustang Cobra the last year it was on gravel in 1997. In 2003, he competed in the Targa Newfoundland in a Mustang GT with a Cobra engine.

The specially prepared SMH Mustang, formerly a SEMA show car and engineering test mule battled over five days against the factory Subaru WRX. Following Targa, the car was road raced successfully, including a three-hour epic where it finished second overall beaten only by a Dodge Viper ACR. Hyland has also raced an MGZT at the historic MAY 2013 | World of wheels | 31

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SeanHyland

Sean Hyland

Silverstone track in England and completed the Las Vegas to Reno off-road desert race in 2008 driving a Dodge truck.

SHM’s core business remains focused on modifying Mustangs and other Ford products for race and high performance street use. A full range of internal engine parts, blowers and suspension components are available for all modular powered cars up to the new 5.0 Coyote power plant. One of the most popular upgrade is the addition of an Eaton TVS based supercharger kit for both F-150 5.0L and Mustang 5.0L. The SHM kit ups stock Mustang GT horsepower from 420 to 605 hp at 7 PSI on 91 octane.

The Ford Mustang, he said, is still the biggest bang for the buck on the market.

“They [Ford] do an amazing job of building in value, offering supercar performance at an affordable price. Nothing can touch it. The 2013

Mustang GT has over 400 hp stock and engine packages are available up to 662 hp from Shelby GT500 with its 5.8L supercharged V8 and 850 from the Super Snake package,” he noted excitedly. “All on pump fuel.”

“Plus, we have electronic engine management to thank for allowing us to enjoy this sort power without hurting the engine. In addition, traction control makes these kinds of horsepower numbers manageable allowing you to get that power down to the ground.”

SHM became the first authorized Shelby mod shop outside of the United States in 2008. It is now the official provider and installer of Shelby post title packages, such as the Super Snake and GT500 SE for Canadian customers. In addition to Shelby vehicles, SHM offers a line of Shelby crate engines, from 550 hp to 800 hp along with Shelby branded front and rear suspension components

and accessories.

He offers his own SHM Signature Edition of the Mustang GT featuring a 605-hp supercharged 5.0L, lowered suspension, performance exhaust and rear spoiler, side window scoops and quarter panel scoops. A companion SHM Signature Edition supercharged F-150 making 500 hp is also available.

Looking forward Hyland said he sees a long life for the Ford V8.

“It’s still the most affordable way to make big power and it will only get more efficient as engine management improves.”

And if he could tear himself away from his own development projects he would like to do more writing and television work: “Like building cars, its the same total engagement with the creative process, with the goal of creating something cool to share with other people.”

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By SCOT CAMERON

Standouts in a Crowded Show

2 O 1 3 There is always a lot to see and hear at the Canadian International Auto Show. This year, as in recent years, much of the ballyhoo surrounded fuel efficiency ratings, technological innovations, car of the year this and SUV of the year that.

It seems that more and more, the high volume units gain all the glory while the concept cars are relegated to second class status. Nice if we could, but we can’t so we don’t car.

When I tour an auto show, I want a healthy but proportionate mix of sensible sedans and outrageous power. I want to see the cars of tomorrow along with the cars of today.

Of course, I wasn’t totally disappointed as there were a few knockouts at CIAS this year. One of the first cars to make an impression was the new SRT Viper. It looked good even under its silk cover.

When it started up and drove onto stage I was sold. A well tuned exhaust will never get old.

The Viper is unapologetically mean. They use brute force in the form of 640 horsepower to make it the fastest Viper yet. Its body is muscular like the original GTS and has rear tires that look like they would be at home on a steamroller.

SRT didn’t waste time finding some fancy way to have the exhaust exit out the back sticking to what it termed its “in your face design” with side pipes.

There was fear that the addition of stability

control could hamper long drifts through corners.

Good news for Viper aficionados who like flirting with disaster as the new unit’s system has a track mode which leaves it all to the driver.

Chevrolet went in a different direction with the 2014 Stingray by choosing sculpted lines as aerodynamically efficient as they are refined. The new ‘Vette was the darling of Detroit during the 2013 show and served as a headturner in Toronto, too.

Though its 450 horsepower sounds meek next to the Viper, Chevrolet has focused on using technology to maximize performance and fuel economy. They also use four very intricate exhaust pipes exiting from the bottom center of the rear panel so you are certain about what kind of car just passed you.

The new Stingray has an interior that would make you feel right at home on a daily drive or

a long trip, and you can option for a clear roof so that you can enjoy the view as you wind through the countryside.

The new Stingray is more like a Ferrari with a discounted price tag (I’m assuming as MSRP has not been released). I realize I likely offended both diehard Corvette and Ferrari fans, but, believe me, this is a compliment to both.

Speaking of the prancing pony, Ferrari has produced a car that has combined the philosophies of the new Stingray and Viper in the form of the 2013 F12 Berlinetta. It has the beautiful lines that can only come from Italy.

Horsepower is stratospheric at 740. How does 200km\h in 8.5 seconds grab you? Imagine the sound of a Ferrari V12 at 8,200 rpm!

All this, and yet it is one of the greenest and most fuel efficient Ferraris to date.

This car may be the ultimate marriage of art

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and technology, making it one of the greatest grand touring cars ever built. The downside of course is the price, which is also stratospheric, clearly launching it out of range for most of us.

Take an AC Cobra, shaken not stirred, with the elegance one expects from Jaguar and you get the new Jaguar F Type. I can’t remember the last time I was really excited about a Jag. In its top form it boasts a 495-hp supercharged V8 in a car the size of a Miata. This car is all show and all go, and is one of the sexiest cats they have ever produced.

If a two door, two seat convertible doesn’t fit your lifestyle, then Jaguar also has the four door XFR-S. With a 550-hp engine and looks that would

be right at home on the race track, this may be the ultimate Sunday car. You will have to be faster than its top speed if you want one, as Jaguar is only releasing 20 for sale in Canada.

Surprisingly, one of the coolest things wasn’t a new car but the new Hot Wheels trim package on the Camaro.

Full disclosure: I’m not a Camaro guy. Still, every warm blooded car fan could only dream of driving a real Hot Wheels. It comes with a custom blue metallic paint scheme with ghosted in flames along the rear quarter panels reminiscent of classic Hot Wheels and a set of redline wheels to complete the look.

The other features include a custom interior with black leather and red stitching, with Hot Wheels logos on the seatbacks. Custom Hot Wheels doorsill plates and badges in numerous interior and exterior locations to remind everyone that you will always play with cars.

My favourite thing about this car is anyone can have one, pick a V6, V8, hardtop or convertible and check the box for the Hot Wheels package and don’t forget to pick up a 1:64 scale for your kids (or you) to play with when you can’t drive the real thing.

It’s true most of the cars we dream about are out of reach for a lot of us, but they serve the purpose of exciting us and future generations of car lovers. It is only fitting to leave the last word to a future enthusiast, so I asked my three year old son what his favourite car was. With little hesitation he pointed Kia Soul and said: “I like that one!” Who knew?

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13-04-17 3:21 PM

T S U JTRUCKS

Toyota has redesigned its full-sized Tundra for 2014. With updated technology, new safety features and tweaked styling, it appears Toyota is not giving up on the North American truck market any time soon.

The new Tundra comes with a taller chrome grille and the front and rear bumpers now feature three-piece designs.

Inside features include upgraded materials and more focus on ease of use. The automaker has moved the audio and climate controls 2.6-inches closer to the driver for easier access.

Toyota Unveils Redesigned Tundra Pickup for 2014 The knobs are larger making it easier to use when wearing gloves and the front seats have additional travel.

Rear seats in the CrewMax model can now be folded up.

Under the hood, Tundra buyers continue to have three engine options. – the base model 4.0-L V-6, a 4.6-L V-8 and the powerful 5.7-L V-8 .

A new manual headlight leveling system with daytime LED running lights will also make it easier to see when towing large loads.

In terms of safety Toyota says it has stepped up its game with eight standard airbags. Tundra also features a backup camera and Bluetooth on all models. A new blind-spot monitoring system with cross traffic alert is available on the Platinum and 1794 Editions.

There’s also a new 3.5-inch display in the gauge cluster for trip-computer functions.

Jeep and Mopar Reveals Six New Concept Vehicles for 47th Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari

Jeep and Mopar showed off a range of extremes at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, with six new concept vehicles.

The annual gathering of die-hard off-road enthusiasts was the perfect place, explains Jeep brand chief Mike Manley, to showcase some ned ideas.

Jeep and Mopar sprinkled production and prototype Jeep Performance Parts on this year’s collection of concept vehicles.

“We created our new Jeep Performance Parts portfolio for extreme off-road Jeep fanatics,” said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar.

The models included the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept, Wrangler Mopar Recon, Wrangler Stitch, Jeep Sand Trooper II, Wrangler Flattop and the Jeep Wrangler Slim.

Since 2002, Jeep and Mopar have teamed to create nearly 40 unique concept vehicles for enthusiasts who attend the popular Easter Jeep Safari.

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38

LASTCALL

1959

By SCOTT MACDONALD

Dodge Silver Challenger

When you utter the word Challenger these days, most gear heads conger up images of a lime-green two-door hard top ’70s pony car. Fact is the 1970’s version, although considered the first generation of the Challenger, was preceded by a very different car offered by Chrysler back in late 1959. It was a mid-year limited edition introduction highly optioned version of the Coronet carrying the Challenger badging and available in any colour you like as long as it was silver.

The ’59 Challenger was available as a sixcylinder or V8 model and only on a twodoor body. It came with extra features at no cost, including premium white wall tires, full wheel covers, electric windshield wipers, as well as an upgraded interior with luxury fabrics and wall-to-wall deep pile carpeting.

1970

1978

2008 Challenger is also the name of three different more recognizable generations of automobiles marketed by Dodge beginning with the 1970’s iconic muscle car, followed by an unlikely second generation import version in 1978 originally built by Mitsubishi.

The most recent third generation debuted in 2008. This generation of Challenger took design cues from the early 1970s Challengers. Despite the similarities in body style, the rest of the car is clearly of this century. Modern suspension, fuel injection and all the latest technologies have been used not only in this generation, but also to build it too.

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LEADERS AREN’T MADE BY CHANCE. THEY’RE BUILT BY CHALLENGE.

For 47 years,* F-Series has been leading the industry with a commitment to build the most capable and powerful† trucks in the market. Our mission for continuous improvement is the reason that an unprecedented 106,000+* Canadians put their trust in us this past year alone. And with their condence, we know we can go even further in the future. Find out more at Ford.ca Vehicle may be shown with optional equipment. †F-150: When properly equipped. Max. towing of 11,300 lbs with 3.5L EcoBoost 4x2 and 4x4 and 6.2L 2 valve V8 4x2 engines. Max. payloads of 3,120 lbs/3,100 lbs with 5.0L Ti-VCT V8/3.5L V6 EcoBoost 4x2 engines.

Max. horsepower of 411 and max. torque of 434 on F-150 6.2L V8 engine. Super Duty: Max. gas horsepower of 385 and diesel horsepower of 400 on F-250/F-350. Max. gas torque of 405 ft.-lbs. on F-250/F-350. Unsurpassed diesel torque of 800 ft.-lbs on F-250/F-350.

Maximum conventional towing capability of 18,500 lbs. on F-350/450 and maximum 5th Wheel towing capability of 24,700 lbs. on F-450 when properly equipped. Maximum payload capability of 7,260 lbs. on F-350 when properly equipped. *F-Series is the bestselling line-up of pickup trucks in Canada for 47 years in a row and grossed over 106,000 units in sales for 2012, based on Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association statistical sales report, December 2012.

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