Gearheads4Life Fall/Winter 2015 by Xceleration Media

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Here Today. Here Tomorrow. Transmission companies come and go, and rarely manufacture their own parts. With almost 50 years under our belt we’re not going anywhere. We’ll be here tomorrow to stand behind our products and we’ll even refurbish transmissions and torque converters that we didn’t build. We manufacture most of our own components and staff our toll-free Trans Help™ line five days a week. Over the years TCI® has built and developed more high performance torque converters and transmissions than any local shop ever could. Each and every one goes through our legendary Triple Testing process and we continue to invest in technology to provide cutting-edge products that will last. Our success is not only based on dyno numbers, but repeated customer loyalty built through years of personal one-on-one contact. We think big, and act small.

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INSIDE... Gearheads4Life.com Vol. 1, No. 2

DEPARTMENTS 03 GRINDING GEARS 05 BENCH RACING 06 GEARHEAD NEWS 08 GEARHEAD GUIDE 09 SOCIAL SHOUTOUTS 10 GEARHEAD GIRL 13 COOL VIDZ 20 TORQUE VALUES 22 THE CAR GEEK STRIKES BACK 24 FOOD 4 THOUGHT 58 NEWEST GEAR 86 BOOK REVIEW 95 PUT IT TO THE TEST Gearheads are everywhere

CAR FEATURES 14 PROUD PENTASTAR 36 POWER WITH STYLE 46 FORCED AIR

Tony Netzel’s ’61 Plymouth Belvedere Darnell Settles’ 2011 Cadillac CTS-V

Connect to all things gearhead

62 LIFE IN THE FAIRLANE 72 KILLER CHRYSLER

Justin DeMar’s 65 Ford Fairlane Brian Kohlman’s ’31 Chrysler

Tony Russell’s ’62 Chevrolet BelAir

Even more features, videos, & event coverage

@ Gearheads4Life.com

News guys like us can use

Apps, sites, or forums for gearheads Stay connected through social media Cassandra Hicks of QuickChick Designs Cool videos we found online Your wheels set the tone

Road trips can be learning experiences The rewards of finding new spots to eat Hot products just for gearheads Physics for Gearheads Carb Defender

Staff

SPECIAL FEATURES 26 KILLIN’ THE CONES 66 THE KING OF CARBS HAD 32 MORE GIGAWATTS 70 COULDA A V8 (RESTO) Going to your first autocross

Take a tour of the Holley plant

Nick Roedl LS swaps DeLorean with JEGS help

MOTOR MOUTH

Dennis Pittsenbarger is jack of all trades

Visit V8 Speed and Resto

LIFESTYLE 30 LET THE SPIRITS BE YOUR GUIDE 40 ROUTE 66 IN VINTAGE STYLE 52 A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL 76 SPORTSMAN’S WONDERLAND 80 CARS & SCARS

SPOT ON ST. PAUL

On the Bourbon Trail

Lisa Mora takes us down the Mother Road Going down to the crossroads

Bass Pro’s new store is a destination

Jeff Smith takes on the Pony Express

SMN was a blast

YEARS 88 OF40AWESOME

Walk down memory lane with COMP

92 AMERICA’S SPORTCAR

Inside the Corvette Museum

Group Publisher Shawn Brereton Editorial Director Shawn Brereton Tech Editors Jeff Smith Richard Holdener Contributors Brandon Flannery Dan Hodgdon Todd Ryden Lisa Mora Dennis Pittsenbarger Alistair Clark Derric Curran Advertising Brett Underwood 704.896.1959 Dave Ferrato 504.237.5072 For advertising inquiries call 901.260.5910. Production / Circulation Hailey Douglas Art Jason Wommack Zach Tibbett Gearheads4Life is published bi-annually to promote the growth of the car culture as well as recognize the parts and services from participating manufacturers. The magazine consists of dedicated information from partner companies with the mission of disseminating unfiltered editorial on companies, products and services directly to car enthusiasts and fans. Editorial content and advertisements for each issue can originate from partner companies participating in the magazine. Gearheads4Life is a hybrid of content that was originally published at Gearheads4Life.com and original content that was created for this bi-annually print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through direct distribution from parent company Xceleration Media, its partner companies, and marquee events throughout the year. Gearheads4Life is a property of Xceleration Media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from Xceleration Media. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

GEARHEADS4LI GRINDING GEARS

Finding gearheads on a different continent

I had a whole different column that I was trying to write before I went on vacation, but I just couldn’t get my thoughts together before I left. Just like in my old college days, inspiration to write finally hit in the final hours. My wife Jenn and I took some friends on an epic ten-day journey around the country of Iceland. As I sit here on the plane reliving some of the lifetime memories we encountered, I started thinking of all of the vehicles I saw around the beautiful island. Iceland is a rugged country with very few paved roads, especially if you get into the interior of the island. There is the Ring Road (Route 1), which is a two-lane road that will get you to most places, but the epic stuff requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle, as most secondary roads are gravel. This helped solidify the saying that “you can hot rod anything.” Sure, I didn’t see too many soupedup hot rods (although there were a few), but I did see some of the most incredible 4x4’s I’ve ever seen. I’m talking as close to a monster truck as you can get and still ride down the road. After renting a Jeep Grand Cherokee and journeying into the bowels of the island, we quickly found out why. For the most part the gravel roads are actually pretty smooth, but you can get to some hairy places that would rattle a normal passenger vehicle to pieces. To combat this, the Icelanders have taken to modifying their 4x4’s with large tires. For the various river crossings, they have adapted snorkels, lights, and winches. Some of these monsters would make the best southern country boys salivate at the sight of them, and I’m not just talking about pickups — they will modify any 4x4. We saw anything from the Suzuki Samurai to a Unimog. Tour companies even outfit 15-passenger vans to be able to go where only sheep dare to tread. Though I never rode in one, I wondered what that experience was like! We did ride in a slightly modified Nissan Patrol with big tires on a Game of Thrones tour, and I have to say it handled the potholes a lot better than our Jeep sporting BFGoodrich Rugged T/A’s.The people of Iceland have become hot rodders in their own way, by modifying their vehicles to do what they were never really intended to do. While I was there I came across a car museum. Luckily I caught my group in a good mood and we actually had some time built into the itinerary that day, so I got check it out.

Search “Iceland” @Gearheads4Life.com

The Museum of Transportation is the oldest auto museum in Iceland in the town of Ystafell. Sverrir Ingolfson is the curator and son of the owner, Ingolfur Kristjansson, who was a mechanic by trade. Like any good hot rodder, Ingolfur lived by the adage “never throw anything away, you’ll need it the very next day.” Ingolfur collected spare-parts, farming equipment, and cars of every kind for half a century and the fruits of his labor can be found in the museum. I wish I had more time there; he had some really neat cars from the U.S. and abroad, but most of all he had parts — parts that I had never seen, rare parts that I may never see again. I could’ve spent a whole day in the garage portion where Sverrir still works on regular cars and restores old ones. The cars in the museum were all used on the island and all served a purpose at one time or another. Everything was game for these two gearheads, but my favorite was a 1955 Chevy 3100 pickup that had been modified into a hearse!! (Search “Iceland” on Gearheads4Life.com to see some of my photos). Iceland was a dramatically beautiful trip that will leave a lasting impression on each of us for the beauty and ruggedness. But thanks to Ingolfur, Sverrir, and the people of Iceland, it also helps me remember that as long as there is a need to get somewhere, there will always be a need for a gearhead! GH4L Shawn Brereton sbrereton@xcelerationmedia.com

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THIS GEARHEAD GIRL’S LOVE OF CARS RUNS DEEP

GH4L EDITOR’S CHOICE Congratulations to Todd Wilson of Springfield, Missouri, for being chosen for the GH4L Editor’s Choice Award. Wilson’s 1965 Ford Mustang stood out in a crowd of terrifically high quality cars. In the end, I chose Todd’s car for the amazing attention to detail on the car. It took Todd eight long years to build the car in his two-car garage. The PPG blue/green paint is a shade that probably wouldn’t work on any other car, but it does on this little ’stang. It features a highly detailed 289 with a TKO 5-speed. The interior is white, matching the stripes that run from front to back even on the underside (attention to detail). There really are too many little things to list here, but this is no trailer queen — Todd doesn’t own a trailer.

GEARING UP FOR 2016

Gearheads4Life will be back at the Street Machine Nationals in 2016! Xceleration Media has committed to be the official media partner of the Street Machine Nationals once again. After a successful first year, we are excited to return. That’s great news for you as we will be at each of the Summer Series events looking for outstanding cars to feature on our website and in the print magazine. It also means that the Gearhead Powerpack Giveaway will be happening again. Twelve people were chosen in 2015 and you could be next. Keep an eye on our Facebook page to enter for a chance to win our awesome online contest where you can win free entry to a Street Machine Nationals event, a bunch of gift certificates from COMP Performance Group, and be highlighted in the print magazine.

SHOW US WHAT YOU CAN DO

Do you have a cool car-related talent you would like us to highlight in our next issue? We’ve met all sorts of folks on our travels who make amazing creations. Whether it is furniture made out of truck tailgates, pieces of art from car parts, or just generally cool car-related stuff. We want to see it, learn about it, and show it off to everyone else. We may not be able to display them all, but we’ll take a look! Email me at sbrereton@xcelerationmedia.com. Gotta work on the nut behind the wheel before you start fixing bolts on the car. — Unknown

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1 Millionth Corvette restoration completed After more than four months and 1,200 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship, restoration of the milestone 1 millionth Corvette — a white 1992 convertible — is complete. It was recently unveiled at the National Corvette Museum, where it returns as part of the permanent exhibit. The car was damaged on Feb. 12, 2014, when it and seven other rare Corvettes tumbled into a sinkhole that opened beneath the museum’s Skydome area. After recovery from the sinkhole, the 1 millionth Corvette was moved from the museum to the Design Center on GM’s Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan, for restoration. Approximately 30 craftspeople and technicians from GM Design’s Mechanical Assembly group, along with GM Service Operations, took on the project. Mechanical Assembly and the Fabrication Shops at GM Design build concept vehicles and maintain GM’s historic vehicle collection. Despite extensive damage, the team, represented by UAW locals 160 and 1869, vowed to preserve and repair as many original components as possible — a decision that involved posterity as much as history. That’s because under the skin, the 1 millionth Corvette carried all those signatures from the Bowling Green Assembly workers who built the car. Only two signed components couldn’t be saved, so the team had the autographs scanned, reproduced as transfers and placed on the replacement parts.

Photo: General Motors

Among the parts replaced were the hood, front fascia and the lower panels between the front wheels and doors, as well as a number of ancillary supporting components under the hood. The replacements came from a vehicle of the same vintage and color, ensuring authenticity of the parts and materials involved with the restoration. A few other components, such as the rear fascia and front exhaust system, would have probably been replaced in almost any other restoration project, but the team repaired them because they were also covered in signatures.

Surprisingly, the one component the team didn’t have to replace was the crushed windshield header. When the car first rolled into the shop, an overhead crane was used to raise it enough to make the car drivable, but the frame pulled up surprisingly close to the original position, encouraging the team to save it. The final touch was replacing the unique “1,000,000th” windshield banner it wore when it rolled off the assembly line 23 years ago. The computer graphic file used for the original was still available, allowing creation of an identical banner.

Stakeholders discuss fate of Bonneville Salt Flats The Utah Alliance and Save the Salt Coalition met with a variety of stakeholder groups at the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) in Utah to discuss potential solutions for restoring the historic racing venue. The BSF has been in the spotlight following cancellation this year of five major racing events due to weather and deteriorating salt conditions. In response, the Utah Alliance organized

a tour of the area with government officials who oversee the BSF, mine operators, geologists, engineers, and other stakeholder groups. The tour allowed the parties to then engage in follow-up discussions and begin identifying tangible restoration actions. The Utah Alliance and Save the Salt Coalition will next present a position statement to the stakeholders identifying a number of short- and long-term

actions to be considered. Priority will be given to determine how to expand brine pumping and mitigate mud contamination. The groups indicated that no quick fixes existed to resolve issues related to the condition of the salt. However, they believe that given the high level of cooperation, the historic, internationally famous speedway will eventually be restored to safe racing conditions. Gearheads4Life.com

2015 SMN Gearhead Powerpack Giveaway winners Congratulations to all the Gearhead Powerpack Giveaway winners! It was never easy picking out a winner from all the solid entrants but we found a way to pick the vehicle that best represents the Gearhead name.

Springfield 1950 Ford COE hot rod hauler Ron Pojar

St. Paul ’63 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Ryan Buck

Holley expands by adding MSD Group You can pretty much build any sort of driveline by calling one company these days! Holley Performance Products just announced the acquisition of MSD Performance! Actually, Holley has bought the El Paso, Texas-based MSD Group, which includes such iconic brands as MSD, Mr. Gasket, Accel, Superchips, Edge, Racepak, Mallory, Hays, QuickTime and Lakewood. That’s a lot of high performance brands under one umbrella! “We are excited to have the opportunity to combine the awesome legacies of these companies. The combination of these brands will provide our customers with the most complete offering of performance products in the industry,” says Holley President & CEO, Tom Tomlinson. “We are aggressively developing innovative new products at Holley and we’re going to continue to build upon the fine job the MSD Group is already doing with new products.” In our brief review of those lines you have fuel, EFI, spark control, programming for late model vehicles, nitrous, headers and mufflers, blowers, manifolds, traction and clutch components, performance plumbing components and advanced data acquisition products. Wow, that is a huge assortment of well known brands and products. It will be very exciting to see what the group develops with that kind of a braintrust.

See More Online!

For even more gearhead news, videos, and new products head over to Gearheads4Life.com. Du Quoin ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air Louis Jackson Are you a gearhead?

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Be Social! Find us on Instagram, and hashtag #Gearheads4Life on all your favorite car show photos, racing shots, and just plain ol’ cool stuff that we all dig… or even give us a shoutout @Gearheads4Life to share something and we might even repost it.

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WHAT’S APP, DOC?

Apps

Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app. You can join the drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info to save time, gas money, and improve daily commuting for all. Just by driving with the Waze app open, you're already contributing tons of real-time traffic information to your local community. You can also actively report accidents, police traps and other

hazards you see on the road. Get road alerts along your route and find the cheapest gas prices around you shared by the community. Plus, you can add friends, send locations or keep others posted on your arrival time. We tested this app on our journey to the Street Machine Nationals event in

Du Quoin and St. Paul. After using this app for over 2000+ miles, we can highly recommend this app for roadtrips. The app alerted us numerous times about roadside hazards and potential police traps. The app is available for free in the Apple iTunes Store and the Google Play Store.

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This year I attended the NHRA Holley Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. When the Gassers came to the staging lanes, I saw beautiful ladies running out to back up the cars like it was done in the ’60s, but there was one girl who stood out. On Friday, she was dressed in go-go boots, a short ’60s-style Hurst-gold-colored dress, and her hair pulled back in a bouffant. On Sunday, she came out with a completely new look that was fitting for the final rounds. The go-go boots had given way to platform sandals covered with bell-bottoms that matched her long-sleeve, mid-rift showing shirt and headband. She had obviously put a lot of thought into her outfits and was someone who wasn’t just going through the motions — she cared about what she was doing. Her name is Cassandra Hicks from Greer, South Carolina, and both of her outfits were homemade. Sunday’s outfit was actually made from a set of sheets that had a nostalgic NHRA racing theme she found at a fabric store. For that alone, I thought she would be a great candidate to be our latest Gearhead Girl, but once I started talking to her, I found there was more to this Southern belle than meets the eye.

Where did you grow up? How did you get involved with cars? I grew up in Greer, South Carolina, and that is where I am living now. I have been involved with cars since I was a child. My mom and dad met at a cruise in and they used to drag race together. Both sets of grandparents still tinker with old cars. So I guess you could say the car bug is in my DNA. Older vehicles have always been around my sister and I. Dad always came home from work and worked on drag cars. My sister and I would frequently go down to the garage and hang out with him.

What was your first car? What car(s) do you have now?

My first car is my 1971 Buick GSX. I had the option when I was about 14 to pick a 1967 Buick, painted and ready to be assembled, or buying the 1971 Skylark to build as a GSX clone. I opted for the more difficult project, but it has been worth it. Technically my first drivable car was a 1989 Ford Tempo I drove in high school to occupy my wait on the GSX — terrible car but fun to drive, and a piece of junk to torture in high school. I currently own a 2002 Extreme Blazer, a 1959 Pontiac Catalina, and a 1971 Buick GSX. The Blazer is lowered on 20inch Boss wheels. The Pontiac is getting an engine swap and floors. The Buick is getting the headliner installed so we can complete her.

What do you do for a living? We know you can’t just backup drag cars?

I currently work full time at a local hot rod shop, Southern Rods & Parts. They sell aftermarket air conditioning units, front-end kits, 1928–1948 Ford street rod parts, Tri-five Chevrolet parts, and miscellaneous hot rod accessories. I also work as a waitress at a local steakhouse after work, as well as running my own graphic design business on the side. I typically draw drag cars and show cars through commissions. My work can consist of stickers, logos, hand drawing, T-shirts, and other miscellaneous print needs.

You have a fine arts and graphic design degree. Why aren’t you out there in the corporate environment running the normal rat race?

When I completed college, I managed to pay for everything and had no debt. I had my side business growing and knew I could manage myself. There is also the danger of becoming burnt out under the pressure of a big company, and my art is something I have always enjoyed. I did not see a need to get into the cut-throat corporate world. I’m always learning however, and if I’m led to bigger and better things that will better my art, I may eventually end up in a corporate setting.

Looking at your website, you do some fantastic work. What inspired you to start drawing the old cars instead of flowers or whatever a fine arts major is supposed to be drawing?

Well I grew up around all these fantastic curved bodies of mid-’50s to late-’60s hot rods. Flowers didn’t excite me too much and people are pretty difficult for me to draw. I love that a vehicle can have form and function. It can be something beautiful, powerful, and exhilarating. Cars will always be a part of my life and I love everything about them. I see no reason to not draw them when I have them readily available to me. Are you a gearhead?

Connect with Cassandra my1971buick my1971buick

You used to back up your dad when you were younger and we obviously met you at the Hot Rod Reunion. How did you get involved in backing up the Nostalgia cars now? I did back up my dad a few times at the track. I’ll admit he didn’t really need me, and at first I was terrible at it, but he wanted his girls to be a part of what he loved. Drag racing was a family event for us. I now have been backing up some of my friends in the Southeast Gasser Association. They are a group of nostalgia Gassers really trying to give the ’60s-era presence when racing. I took it upon myself to dress vintage. I not only like drag racing, but car show events as well as traditional rods and customs. Anything pre-’73 is typically what shows I attend, but I do enjoy current drag cars and street cars as well.

Your outfits were obviously a hit at HRR. You seem to really care about getting the look right. Do you know much about the history of drag racing? Why is it important to you to keep that history alive . . . or is it? Yes, I am glad my outfits were well received from the fans at the Hot Rod Reunion. Like I said earlier, I am surrounded by hot rods, racers, and friends that enjoy the early car models. So I have information about early hot rodding and racing readily available. I dress up to pay homage to greats like Linda Vaughn. Really neat to see the old photo albums from “back in the day,” and the 1960s were a progressive time in the automotive industry. Dressing up true to era with the drag cars just looks right. It is feminine and tasteful as well. I learn from the older drivers and car guys around me about early drag racing and have gotten lucky enough to meet some of the big names in early drag racing. After traveling around with the SEG and going to events like the Hot Rod Reunion, I wanted to be a part of keeping drag racing history alive. We wouldn’t have learned so much about drag racing without the guys that were experimenting with fuels, or engine components, or wheelbases. It’s amazing to look at all the things these guys tried, just to go faster and faster to get that next record. It was their passion. It is important to keep that history alive, because we wouldn’t be where we are now without their passion for drag racing.

Photos courtesy of Chadly Johnson

a Cassandr

Quick Chick Designs is a side business for you, but do you see an opportunity there to one day strike out on your own, or are you just happy to do what you are doing now?

I hope my business grows and is something I can live off of and retire on. I am happy with where my business has come from, and am so thankful to the people that helped me get where I am at now. I am always looking to challenge myself so maybe one day I can partner with a larger company. GH4L

quickchickdesigns.com

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BENCHRACING COOL VIDZ

GOT TIME TO BURN?

A touching Gearhead Story

From GH4L’s online series, Gearhead Stories, hear the tale of Brenda McMillan’s 1931 Ford Model-A. Her story is one of love, loss, and finding love once again. Watch as she tells how fellow gearheads and hot rod enthusiasts helped her through tough times.

Scan QR Code to see episode 11 of Gearhead Stories

bit.ly/GH4LStory11

The Impala obsession

With a love for the iconic Chevrolet Impala, Rogers’ garage is filled with two, both ’64 models. One is a hardtop, the other a convertible. Rogers, like most enthusiasts, does all of the work on his cars himself.

youtu.be/Z-dN0AJQa-E

LS Fest burnouts

Here is a burnout compilation from the 2014 Holley LS Fest. Be sure to crank up the volume to 11 to enjoy the sounds of engines roaring and tires burning.

youtu.be/xtiapc7HCVE

SEE MORE VIDEOS @ GEARHEADS4LIFE.COM

Drag bikes on sand

Watch these crazy riders hang on for the ride of their lives down this 500 foot sand track on these Top Fuel Motorcycle Dirt Drag Bikes at Slades Dragway Park in Surry, Virginia.

youtu.be/jETVqD1PCbs

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WAWAZAT! Tony Netzel’s rare 1961 Belvedere is a one-of-a-kind twin-turbo monster

SHAWN BRERETON

61 Belvedere

Gearheads4Life.com

t a really big show like the Du Quoin Street Machine Nationals, it can be difficult to stand out in the sea of cars, and even harder to get noticed in the unbelievable excess of the ProStreet class. Spectators can get jaded by what they are seeing with all the twin-blowers, twin-turbos, huge meats out back, laser-straight body panels, and sheer cubic dollars on display. Sometimes though, you just have to slap them in the face. Tony Netzel wasn’t originally looking to do that when the Duluth, Minnesota, native bought this 1961 Plymouth Belvedere — he just wanted something different — but that is exactly what he ended up doing. In 1994, Netzel went to a junkyard in North Dakota looking for a big-bodied wagon. When he got there though, the car wasn’t up to his standards, but he didn’t want to leave empty-handed. “I wasn’t going to listen to the tow-dolly rattle behind us all the way back home to Minnesota,” Netzel says. “So, the guy says ‘Well, pick something else out,’ so I went through his lot. $300, I bought it!” In 1995, Netzel back-halved the car putting an Art Morrison rear chassis under it with a blown 440. He says it got a little bit of recognition, so he decided it was time to go bigger. But where has it been for the past twenty years? “I decided to ramp it up a little more, and uh, life happens… unrealistic goals, and budgets, and time and it just sits, but you plug away a little more, and it turned out to what it is now.”

61 Belvedere

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What it is now, is stunning. A ’61 Plymouth Belvedere already has some of the craziest lines in American auto history, definitely outside the norm of your usual ProStreet Camaro or Mustang, but that is exactly what Netzel wanted — something different. After he finally got serious about the build, he sold off a few other projects and dove into it full tilt. He completed the chassis adding a 2x4 square tube chassis and front clip from Art Morrison. Jason Rygg tied it all together with a 10-point roll cage inside the passenger compartment. Suspension consists of QA1 single adjustable shocks out back and Firestone airbags up front to put it in the weeds. When it came to the powerplant, there was talk of a Hemi, but the budget wouldn’t allow it, and that is when friend Matt Johnson suggested running a 440 with twin turbos. That’s also when Netzel thought it would be a killer look to mate them with the old Mopar long ram intake manifolds. With that thought, they had just blow “different” right out of the water. According to Netzel, the 440 is actually now a “real tame” 496 spinning Ross pistons with 9:1 compression. COMP Cams supplies the bumpstick, and an MSD distributor receives the spark controlled by a 6AL2 box. Accessories in-

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clude a Milodon oil pan, Meziere water pump, PowerMaster alternator, and an Aeromotive A1000 pump and regulator supplies the fuel. But it is the top that draws the eye. The vintage long ram intake manifolds hang over the top of the valve covers. Holley 4160 450 blow-through carburetors wearing CSU carb hats are fed nine pounds of boost from the 64mm Borg Warner S400 turbos. The custom-made cold-side induction makes a unique “X” across the top of the engine, while Johnson fabricated stainless steel 2-inch headers blowing through wrapped 4-inch exhaust and Spintech mufflers that exit through the rocker panels. It makes for some stunning plumbing. The whole setup is good for around 700 horsepower. What kind of world do we live in when 700 horsepower is tame? The rest of the drivetrain consists of a 727 Torqueflite built by Dave’s Automatic transferring the power through a Ford 9-inch with Are you a gearhead?

4.10 gears and 35-spline Strange axles fabricated by Rygg. Those axles are connected to 14-inch wide Weld Wheels wrapped in 33x22.5x15 Hoosiers. The front wheels are 15x4-inch Budnik Diamond Light billet wheels with Nexen tires. Brakes are Wilwood Dynalites in front and Strange S-Series in back. With the chassis in place, Netzel turned his attention to the vintage tin by doing a few changes like the rocker exhaust exits, shaved door handles, and the wee-little hood that still allows the viewer to see the whole engine bay in all its shining glory. Mark Detoffol prepped the body, then laid down what could have been a seemingly subtle combination of green and yellow, until you see that the green is PPG Viper Snakeskin Green, and the PT Cruiser yellow on the roof has a lot of flake in it that just pops in the sun. The interior is not an over-the-top $20,000 super-slick Corinthian leather showpiece, and it doesn’t have to

Want to see more? Scan the QR for a video on Tony Netzel’s ’61 Belvedere

be, because it would take away from the jet-age styling of the vintage Plymouth. Netzel found a NOS steering wheel that really keeps the nostalgia feel of the car, nothing else would have looked right. It contrasts well with the Auto Meter Phantom gauges that fill the Jetson-style futuristic dash panel. Tea’s Design Pro 93 seats, covered in vinyl by Bill Ion, look at home in the passenger compartment, while the console holds a Hurst Quarter Stick with a custom-made Pentastar shift knob that adds to futuristic feel. The door panels are modeled after the original Belvedere panels. Sound comes by way of Kicker speakers driven through a Pioneer head unit and Alpine amps. The car is the perfect blend of retro-styling with technological advancements. The Du Quoin Street Machine Nationals was Netzel’s first major show with the car in the current configuration. His effort didn’t go unnoticed as Xceleration Media gave him the Power and Performance News Editor’s Choice pick, but that wasn’t all. Netzel was called up to the stage two more times, taking home the Best Turbocharged Pro Street car, as well as the cherished Legend’s Choice Award chosen by his peers in the class. Netzel has one of those cars where everything just works perfectly for that particular ride. If someone tried the same thing with another body style, it

would probably come off as trying too hard, but on this car, everything just fits. It’s not the fastest; it’s not the most expensive. Instead it’s the one that slaps you in the face. Once you get past the initial shock however, you see the little subtle attention to details and thought that went into the end product. And that is truly what makes this car stand out in a crowd.

Tony would like to thank the following for their efforts and support during the build process: Jason Rygg, Matt Johnson, Ryan McCafferty, Mark Detoffol, Ryan Underthun, Pat Peterson, Nathan Angell, Ryan Merritt, Bill Ion, and lastly the four other people in his life that put up with his car passion, his wife Tracy, and three daughters, Rachel, Brooke, and Taylor. GH4L

To see more search “61 Belvedere” @Gearheads4Life.com Gearheads4Life.com

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TORQUE VALUES

BY: CRAIG MEEK | Smoker of meats and tires.

Your wheels are more important than you think Your car is your set of wheels and your set of wheels is your car. No other part defines a car the way its wheels do, not even the engine. The phrase “your wheels” doesn’t just refer to the round chunks of metal your tires are mounted to. It is literally a synonym for the car itself. Wheels make the car. Perfect wheels and stance on a rusted, old barn find can instantly create a thing of pure beauty. Bad wheels and stance can completely ruin a car no matter how amazing the paint, interior, drivetrain, and suspension. When you decide to build a car the first step is to determine the year, make, and model of the ride you want. My current project is a rebuild of the ’55 Ford Tudor sedan I’ve had since I was a teenager. The second step is to determine the wheels, because that decision should inform every other part of the project. On a classic car, you can run anything from trim rings and hubcaps on painted steel rims to CNC-machined billet one-offs. Hell, you can run either of those extremes on a modern V8-conversion S10 too. But every other part of your build better reflect the theme you chose with those wheels. When you build a car, you are creating a work of art. The wheels, and the stance you build around them with tires and suspension, are where you declare your aesthetic. From my teens through my early 30s, my Ford wore moon discs on big- and little-steel wheels. I always stuck to a ’50s vibe. Even when I upgraded to a 351 Windsor under the louvered hood, I painted it the old Ford Engine Red and dressed it up with polished, finned-aluminum like an old Y-Block. For the next go-round I’ve made plans to hide a modern 5.0 Coyote motor under the hood. But I want the exterior to be pure ’60s. I’m thinking about grafting in a Thunderbolt hood scoop. I’m even playing with the idea of a psychedelic multi-color paint job. And when I saw the perfect set of wheels while searching the Internet one night, I instantly knew they were exactly what I was looking for. They are a reproduction of the 7011 rims Halibrand made for Studebaker in 1963–64, produced by Real Rodder Wheels out of California. And when I say “out of California,” I don’t just mean that is where its office is located. These wheels are entirely made in the U.S. That means a lot to me. I know we are all on a budget when we build our vehicles, but when we try to save a few bucks by not supporting American jobs with our parts we enter a race to the bottom with

other countries. There are companies like Edelbrock that have its designs copied by competitors who try to undercut them by casting cheap copies in China and slapping a different name on them. But at least its competition wears a different name. There are companies like MSD and AutoMeter that get ripped off so frequently by Chinese fakes that I won’t buy one of their products, unless I get it from a big-name distributor like Jegs or Summit. There are so many rip-off copies with the same name sporting cloned exteriors and inferior internals floating around swap meets and eBay. Engineers cost money, and lowbuck copies aren’t supporting the R&D that drives the innovation and customer support our hobby needs. Especially with sensitive electronics where a catastrophic failure can cost way more than the few bucks you thought you saved with that cheap “bargain.” Real Rodder Wheels, and other American-made competitors, are more expensive for a reason. Meeting American regulatory standards while paying American worker wages costs money. But that money goes to support American jobs, so I’m happy to pay the difference. When I called Real Rodders Wheels and left a voicemail, I was called back a few hours later by the owner, Pat O’Brien. I never pressed a bunch of numbers or sat on hold while a computer talked to me. When Pat called me back, I talked to him about the car I was building, and ordered his standard wheels for the front and custom-widened ones for the back. They came in exactly the way we discussed: Two 15x6s for the front and two 15x9s for the back. I’d studied cars at shows and in magazines to determine exactly what would look and perform best for the car I’m building. Now I’m preparing to mini-tub the back of my car to accommodate those rear wheels. The biggest I could fit with the stock frame and wheel wells were seven-inches wide, which meant launching at 2,500 rpm and shifting my Tremec to second gear at 4,000 rpm to avoid sideways burnouts. I’m not trying to build a race car, but no one wants to be going stoplight to stoplight granny-style with a V8 while a Honda Civic leaves you behind. I’ve got my wheels and I’m literally building the car around them, because you’re only as good as your foundation. GH4L Gearheads4Life.com

- TELEVISION FOR WHAT MOVES YOU -

THE CAR GEEK STRIKES BACK

BY: ZACH TIBBETT | Snarky designer. Unabashed geek.

Rambling Man When you’re a people person like I am (I’m not, by the way) and you want to get away, you know what you do? You go to Panama City Beach (PCB) in September. No one’s there then and that makes it about perfect in my book. Regardless of when you go, there’s tons of stuff to do: putt-putt golf, shopping, several go-kart tracks, tattoos, …drinking — OR just sitting on the beach and letting the surf wash out your soul. This was not the first trip to the Florida panhandle for my wife and me. We’re pretty familiar with the area between Destin and PCB — particularly the 30-mile corridor known as 30A that runs along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Every time we venture down there we find more and more to like about it — this time was no different. Natural Bridge. About two and a half hours into our journey my wife pointed out signs for Natural Bridge along the highway. Instantly curious, she looked it up on her phone and found that we were mere minutes away from the longest natural bridge east of the Rocky Mountains. We quickly dove for the exit ramp and made the quick trip to Natural Bridge Park, in Natural Bridge, Alabama, to see the Natural Bridge. (They get very literal with names in Alabama.) We wandered the trails for about an hour and Instagrammed the hell out of it. If you’re in the area or passing through like we were, I’d definitely recommend the stop. Look around, check out 27 different types of fern, and stretch your legs.

St. Andrews State Park. We like to check out St. Andrews every time we’re down there. For $8, you and a carload of folks can spend the entire day at St. Andrews State Park — 1,200 acres of hiking/camping/ beach-y goodness. If that type of thing interests you, 22

look it up — I’m not your tour guide. We spent a few hours there, saw some wildlife, crashed a family portrait photo shoot, and saw a pretty bitchin’ sunset.

These little guys were up to no good. Before we discovered them, we’d heard a mom yelling at a kid for losing his goggles – He didn’t lose them, these furry little bandits stole them. Their stash of purloined goodies were hidden among the rocks.

Scenic Highway 30A. To single out any one community of 30A would be incredibly unfair. Each one has its own vibe and atmosphere so no matter what your speed is, there’s something to like. We always like to set aside time to hit Seaside (check out Pickles’ Beachside Grill & Center Square Records), The Hub, and Rosemary Beach. Regardless of where you stop, there’s great local food, great local beer (don’t worry Wommack, I think they had Coors), shops, and the general feeling that you could cast your cares to the gulf winds and truly relax. They say it’s the journey, not the destination that matters. Well, sometimes, it’s a little bit of both. The destination is part of the journey, it’s just the halfway point to returning to the drudgery of reality. You learn things about yourself on road trips — for instance, I learned that I love Twinkies. (My wife was throughly amazed that in 34 years I'd never had a Twinkie, true story.) The point is, get out and take some road trips — to anywhere, to nowhere — and check out some cool places and have some fun. To find out more about this road trip search “Car Geek” at Gearheads4Life.com. GH4L Gearheads4Life.com

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FOOD 4 THOUGHT

BY: JASON WOMMACK | The hungry curmudgeon.

Finding new places to eat has been rewarding Today a coworker brought me lunch that his wife packed for me. I have only met her one time, but from that single encounter she knew how much I love food. As I’m sitting here eating the lunch she made — country fried pork cutlet with gravy, rice, purple hull peas, and cornbread — another coworker texted me a picture to let me know he is eating lunch at one of my favorite places. I’d probably be jealous of him if I didn’t have all of this amazing country cooking sitting in front of me. When it comes to food it’s never too early for me to talk about where and what I’ll be eating, which is something some people here don’t understand. You won’t find me talking about what kind of engine is in a car, how much horsepower it makes, or the size of the wheels. Most of my discussions fall more into the where’s the best pizza, burger, soul food, or fried chicken realm. So when I was assigned to write about places eat at some of the summer’s biggest car shows, I took my job seriously… very seriously. Sometimes it was difficult to write about places in cities that I had never visited, but that made me focus even more to find local spots that were worthy of your time. Usually I’d start by seeing if Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives had been to the city. I even went so far as to create an Excel spreadsheet that lists the episode (number and title), original airdate, as well as the cities and restaurants visited. I’d also check to see if any other food shows had been to the city. Just because a restaurant had been featured on DDD, didn’t guarantee it as a must-eat spot. If I didn’t feel like the type of food fit the car show crowd then it wouldn’t be included. I’d spend hours researching various food sites, blogs, and reviews trying to find spots as unique as some of your cars. My goal wasn’t just to feed you, but to suggest places where you could eat region-specific foods that would give you a true taste of the town. The most challenging posts for me were during the 2015 Hot Rod Power Tour, where I wrote about where to eat in seven different cities in seven consecutive days. I tried to include some history about each city because that, as much as the food, is part of what makes each Power Tour stop unique. There were so many great places in each of the cities that I often found myself struggling to pick enough choices without being overwhelming. I can’t count the number of times my stomach growled while I was writing, or how I often went home craving a good burger, pizza, or seafood. Power Tour might have been the most challenging,

but it was also the most rewarding. Hot Rod magazine retweeted my suggestions, which meant more people were reached. There also were times when people on Power Tour sent Gearheads4Life thank you tweets after eating at a suggested spot . But my favorite was when someone contacted us because they were craving crawfish in Gulfport, Mississippi. Even though our recommendation was closed, they found our second choice and were very thankful for our efforts. It made me feel good to know that people were not just reading my posts, but actually eating at some of the locations as well. All of that time spent researching was worth every second. Unfortunately I’m the one stuck in the office while GH4L Editor Shawn and Jonathan, our web and social media extraordinaire, hit some of the bigger events this summer. When they hit the Street Machine Nationals in DuQuion, Illinois, they made sure to rub it while at the St. Nicholas Brewing Company by sending me a picture of the pint of bacon they were enjoying. They weren’t daring enough to try a Juicy Lucy while in St. Paul, but they did eat at Mickey’s Diner. They were even thoughtful enough to bring me back a coffee mug. I love that Lisa Mora included some of the places she ate at during her Route 66 road trip (see page 40). I think I’d be more excited about all of the food possibilities on an adventure like that than anything else. If you dare to head out to the “Devil’s Crossroads” (see page 52) in Clarksdale, Mississippi, then you have to check out Abe’s Barbecue that’s been around since 1924. If you go, let owner Pat Davis know you heard about Abe’s from Gearheads4Life. My wife and I are heading to Nashville in a few weeks and she’s leaving where we eat up to me — all she wants to do is shop. My problem is there so many places in Nashville I want to go and not enough time. I guess it just means we’ll have to go back again. I’m already looking forward to finding new places to recommend for 2016. If you have places you’d like for me to write about send me an email at jwommack@xcelerationmedia.com Just remember, you don’t have to go on a road trip to try new things. GH4L Gearheads4Life.com

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AUTOCROSS What are you waiting for?

SHAWN BRERETON Gearheads4Life.com

y now you’ve probably at least heard about autocross. Visit any major car event across the country and most likely autocross will be one of its offerings. It is a fun way to get out of your lawn chair and have some fun. So why haven’t you tried it yet? Based on the Gymkhana-type events that have been popular in other parts of the world — where a single driver goes through obstacles on a timed course — autocross allows enthusiasts a relatively safe place to test out their car in a controlled environment, usually a parking lot or old airstrip. Autocross has gained popularity because it doesn’t cost much to get started and doesn’t matter what kind of car you are in. Whether you are in a ’75 Ford Pinto or a 2015 Ferrari, you will be guaranteed a good time. Sure the Ferrari will probably finish faster, but both drivers will be just as busy in the seat, both cars will most likely be at the limit of their abilities, and both drivers will have a blast. The other important factor, for those who don’t have a sacrificial car, is that the risk to you and your car is considerably low. Speeds rarely go above highway speeds even in the fastest parts of any autocross course. Immovable obstacles are usually a good distance away, so there is enough time to get the car back under control or locked down should you get out of shape. It’s not to say that something bad couldn’t happen, but chances are if you stay within your limits, your only worry might be an orange scuff from a cone on your paint (and most of those can be waxed off). Now that your interest is piqued and you have a car (any car), you might be asking “how do I get involved and what do I need to know?”

There are now several ways to get your autocross fix (in differing levels of competition), however, you should do some research before choosing your first competition. There are several organizations that have events, but you want to choose one that has your safety (and that of your car) in mind. There are two great national organizations that hold dedicated AutoX events that are perfect for beginners. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was started in 1944 as an enthusiast group, but now is a club sanctioning body that supports, road racing, rallying, and autocross for both amateur and professional racers. The SCCA calls its autocross Solo II and has chapters all across the country. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is newer than the SCCA, founded in 1991, and offers many of the same programs that the SCCA offers. NASA is a grass-roots organization and can have a bit more relaxed, entry-lev-

el feeling. You’re likely to see less trackprepped, full-on race cars. Instructors are very open to helping out at events and can do ride-alongs to help you get the most out of your experience. The first piece of advice before you get on the track is to hit the websites for these particular organizations and soak in all of the information offered to beginners. The second piece of advice is to go to an event (most are free to spectators and the pits are open) and ask as many questions as you can. Most AutoX events are much more laid back than say a track day, where participants are likely to be doing a lot of prep on their car, so autocrossers are often very open to helping out a newbie. Almost every event will also allow you to ride-along with as many participants as you can ask. You’ll just need to sign a waiver and have a helmet (loaners are usually available). Try to get into as many cars as possible of differing lev-

What to bring There are a few things to bring along with you to the track that will make your experience easier: Driver’s license Money for the entry fee, food, or fun runs Helmet if you have one Suitable shoes – no flip flops or big bulky boots! Windex/paper towels Sunscreen Sunglasses Hat Folding chair Tire-pressure gauge Pen and paper Shoe polish or tape for numbers Water (you will be surprised how parched concentration makes you). els and note how the differing aspects of each car and driver affect the handling. Ok, so you’ve done the research and are ready for your first event. What should you do? At least the day before, check your car over. Top off the fluids, check the brake pads, check the tire tread wear, and make sure the battery is secured. Lastly, clean out your car of any unneeded stuff. The tech inspectors will make you take it out, they don’t want junk flying around inside the car distracting you, or worse getting stuck under the pedals. On the day of the event, give yourself plenty of time. Arrive earlier than you think you’ll need. You don’t want to be scrambling around before your run and miss important information. Check in at the registration booth and receive your number. Go back to your car and unload everything that isn’t needed, especially the floor mats, you don’t want them getting wrapped up in the pedals. Next, take your car to tech to be safety inspected. The tech inspector will help direct you how to fix anything that needs to be addressed. If your car is mainly stock there shouldn’t be much to worry about. Notify them that you are a novice and inquire about a “course walk.” Walk the course with an instructor or an experienced driver and have them show you the best way to get around the course. Soak up as much information as possible and take as much time as allowed to learn the course. Ask if an

instructor can ride along with you on your first runs — this can be very valuable in your early development. Make sure to attend the mandatory driver’s meeting and receive any work assignments. Most events require drivers who are not competing at the time to set up knocked-over cones or help in other ways. The director will instruct you about what is required, but usually it is very light work. Ask to work the course early, so you can view some of the runs by other drivers and get a feel for how things work. After the driver’s meeting you will want to get to your assignment or car as quickly as possible. If you are in the first run group, get back to your car, get your helmet on, and get situated in the seat. You will probably find that you want to be “up on the wheel — move your nor-

mal driving position forward a notch or two and adjust your seat to be straighter than usual. Make sure your seatbelts are secured, turn the radio off, turn the key, and head out with your group. When it is your turn to go, the starter will wave you into the box and give you the green light. Take your time on the first run. Concentrate on following the lines you learned in the course walk, hitting the marks, not missing any gates, or hitting any cones. Just make sure you get a time, this will give you a baseline to improve on throughout the day. Once you’ve completed your first run, take a minute or two if you can to let your nerves calm down. Your adrenaline will certainly be pumping and your mouth will be dry. Once you’ve regrouped, all that is left to do is keep getting faster and have fun. GH4L

Gearheads4Life.com

Scan QR Code to see Shawn’s autocross experience in Nashville with Al Unser Jr.!

, T I , T Y I A Y S ’ A T S ’ N D ON T DO

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ROAD TRIP

JASON WOMMACK

A good road trip combines the elements of a scenic drive, good music, and unique destinations. Driving in a cool ride and at a pace that allows you to truly enjoy everything the area has to offer makes them even more memorable. Being able to merge a road trip with something you love makes for one amazing time. For those who love bourbon, there is no better road trip than the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Not only will it take you through some beautiful Bluegrass scenery, but it also stops at nine bourbon distilleries along the way. The Bourbon Trail was established in 1999 by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association to give visitors a look at the art and science behind bourbon, while also educating them on the rich history and proud tradition of the state’s spirit. Part of the beauty of the Bourbon Trail is that it has no set starting or ending point, so you can jump on wherever is most convenient. That allows you to control whether you want to start in a bigger city, like Louisville or Lexington, or in some of the smaller country towns. With the longest drive between distilleries being only 81 miles, hitting multiple spots per day can be done easily. Giving yourself three to four days to complete the tour will allow you to enjoy other attractions in each location. If you are thinking about checking out all nine of the distilleries, then ask for the Bourbon Trail passport at your first stop. Collect stamps from all nine locations and you’ll receive a free Kentucky Bourbon Trail T-shirt, which can’t be purchased in any of the gift shops. Admission fees for each tour range from $5–$12 with specialty tours costing extra. GH4L

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Why is it called bourbon?

Your answers may vary depending on where you are when you ask this question. People in Kentucky say the name comes from one of the state’s oldest counties, Bourbon County. Farmers shipped their whiskey in oak barrels — stamped from Bourbon County — down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. The long trip aged the whiskey, with the oak wood giving it the distinct mellow flavor and amber color. Pretty soon, whiskey from Bourbon County grew in popularity and became known as Bourbon whiskey. Others say the name evolved in New Orleans after two men began shipping local whiskey down the Ohio River to the port city. Since the whiskey was shipped in charred barrels it was a hit in New Orleans because it tasted more like cognac or French brandy. That lead people there to ask for “the whiskey they sell on Bourbon Street.”

What makes it bourbon?

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For a spirit to be considered bourbon it must adhere to six standard rules set forth by the Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits. It must be made in the United States It must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels It must be at least 51 percent corn It also must be distilled at less than 160 proof (80 percent alcohol by volume) and entered into a barrel at below 125 proof It must be bottled at no less than 80 proof It must not contain any artificial coloring or flavor

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Did you know... Bourbon can be made anywhere in the U.S. Many people assume that if it’s bourbon then it must be from Kentucky but that’s not necessarily the case. Bourbon can be made in any other state, as long as it follows the six rules. However, 95 percent

of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky. Bourbon distillers can only use their barrels once When bourbon distillers are done with the barrels used to age the bourbon, they are reused to age other non-bourbon whiskies.

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What about that wax seal?

The originator of Marker’s Mark, Bill Samuels Sr., collaborated with his wife, Margie, to create a new kind of bourbon, one that used wheat as the secondary grain instead of rye. While Bill tinkered with the bourbon formula, Marge came up with the name and created the unique red wax that drips down the neck of each bottle, which she also designed.

Rad LS1 retrofit into ’80s icon with the help of JEGS

JOSH QUELLHORST NICHOLAS ROEDL

ohn DeLorean is mostly credited with ushering in the muscle car era during the 1960s by stuffing a large high-horsepower engine into a small car (he helped create the 389 CID Pontiac option of the 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO). When he set out to build his own sports car over a decade later, the DeLorean DMC-12, the engine/car combination was far from that original concept. Enter Nicholas Roedl and his mostly stock 1981 DeLorean with an automatic transmission. When the Ohio native finished restoring the sleek machine, his only complaint was lack of power. “It dynoed at 99 horsepower to the wheels on the original engine,” Roedl says. “Several times I considered dif-

ferent methods of increasing the power – cam, turbo kits, etc., but the more I thought of it, the more I realized how much of a dead end the original PRV 2.85-liter V6 engine was. The only way that the car would get the power it needed would be with an engine swap — not necessarily a small task.” With a senior design project due at the University of Cincinnati and the prospect of using his DeLorean to complete it, Roedl decided to make the engine swap a reality. After researching possible powerplants, the GM LS1 was chosen for its versatility. The donor engine came from a C5 Corvette. Roedl wanted to swap the original auto slush box with a manual transmis-

sion. He sourced a rebuilt Renault UN1 from another DeLorean, but had to figure out how to mate it to the LS engine. He also had to modify the frame where the shifter bolted in, replace the pedal box, and add a hydraulic system to convert to a stick. The best way to accomplish this was to remove the car’s body from the frame. The frame, secured by only 12 bolts, was simply rolled out from under the body with the help of Nicholas’s father, Larry. The frame’s shifter box was converted to use an original DeLorean manual shifter and linkage was retrofitted. The transmission was moved forward just over 2 inches with custom mounts to create more room for the LS1. Gearheads4Life.com

DeLorean body and frame separated.

Flywheel and bellhousing adapters designed and machined by Nicholas Roedl. The rear frame end was cut off to simplify installation, plus make it a “bolt-on” for easy removal should the engine ever need to be pulled. Engine mount adapters were designed and fabricated using existing frame holes. The LS1 rear sump oil pan wouldn’t clear the DeLorean frame crossmember, nor would a mid-sump Corvette pan. The remedy was a slightly modified 2004–06 Pontiac GTO front sump pan. With the LS1 engine mocked into place, there were more hurdles to overcome. Unfortunately, there are no bellAre you a gearhead?

housing adapters or flywheels available for this type of swap. After much research, Roedl designed the bellhousing adapter and with Larry’s help, utilized a waterjet to form it from 1/2inch 6061-T6 aluminum plate. A block-mounted starter wouldn’t work with this setup, so a Powermaster Ford bellhousing-mounted starter from JEGS was the solution. The DeLorean used a 12-inch flywheel, while the LS1’s flywheel is closer to 14 inches. With no options but his design skills, Roedl made the flywheel.

“The material is hot rolled A36 structural steel,” he says. “I chose this because it’s much stronger than the original cast iron and very machine-able. Also it was cheap, really cheap. The 70-pound plate I bought was $25 from a local scrap yard.” The DeLorean clutch slave cylinder had to be clearanced to fit with the bellhousing adapter and uses the original Delorean clutch fork. A pilot bearing “carrier” had to then be designed to adapt to the LS1. A JEGS crankshaft spacer was employed, as well as shimming to line everything up. The LS1 pilot bearing is

much smaller than the DeLorean’s and sits too far into the crankshaft. “The pilot bearing carrier is a piece I designed to solve this problem,” Roedl says. “It presses into the location of the original LS1 bearing, then flares out to fit the DeLorean bearing, and holds it in the proper location.” It also currently uses a modified Renault Kevlar clutch disc and a Valeo pressure plate. One of the Renault-built transmission’s weak points is the input shaft. Roedl designed and machined a much stronger input shaft to handle the LS1’s horsepower and improve transmission sealing before installation. You might think parts for a DeLorean are difficult to acquire, yet the Internet makes it relatively easy. Plus, when putting an LS engine in any vehicle, parts are extremely easy to find. After a quick trip up to JEGS, Roedl was able to piece together the fuel system, exhaust, and drivetrain. Roedl recalls his order freebies: “I’ve also started a pretty good JEGS hat collection!” No surprise, the fuel system had to be entirely redesigned.

“I sleeved an inline high-flow MSD fuel pump to make it fit in the original DeLorean electric fuel pump fuel tank boot and ran two stainless braided lines from the tank to the engine bay. In the

engine bay, there is one fuel pressure regulator with a built-in filter, sending excess fuel back to the tank, and properly pressurized fuel to the fuel rail. The system uses all high-quality AN fittings Gearheads4Life.com

(Earl’s Performance and Russell) and works great.” Another challenge was the throttle body location. In the default position, it’s just about hitting the license plate. With an LS engine however, the intake is reversible, which provides flexibility. Still not escaping space limitations, a high-flow adapter was made to mount the throttle body above the intake. A MAF sensor was attached. Then dual-inlet ducting was added to the air filters, in the body tub, on each side. The original LS1 PCV system vents from the valve covers, so Roedl decided on the LS7 PCV system which vents from the valley instead. To convert the system, he replaced the valley cover and head bypass tube and also removed the boss. Because the engine computer was still calibrated to a C5 Corvette, it had to be professionally reprogrammed. Lots of trial & error determined where the LS1 harness would be connected to adapt to the existing DeLorean engine and chassis wiring. The exhaust incorporates Hooker Block Hugger Headers, fabricated pipes, and JEGS High-Flow Mufflers. “These are just about one step

JEGS provided many LS parts to complete the swap Roedl’s DeLorean. down from straight pipes. It’s not too loud if you drive normally, but when you crack the throttle, it will light up pretty quickly.” The results: “As my car was originally an automatic before the swap, I went

from 2870 to 2970 pounds. Not too bad in my opinion…100 pounds and 260 more horsepower than stock!” We couldn’t agree more. For further info, visit Nicholas Roedl’s blog at ls1delorean.blogspot.com. GH4L

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KING KONG With 829 horsepower at the rear wheels Darnell Settles’ 2011 CTS-V earns its name

BRANDON FLANNERY

or many years, the epitome of a luxury car was one of comfort. Cadillac set the “Standard of the World” over 100 years ago with uncompromising innovation and quality and rose to become America’s ultimate statement of luxury. As time and technology have progressed, that element of luxury also includes superior performance. Like the sleek, long-nosed roadsters of the 1920s that were built to outrun less expensive models, today’s luxury cars have shelved the over-stuffed “couch barge” notions and returned to their roots. To compete with the likes of Eu-

rope’s finest, the folks at Cadillac added some very special cars to their lineup. While the CTS coupes and sedans were nice cars, the CTS-V versions take it to the next level. The first generation ran from 2004 to 2007, and the second from 2009 to 2014. These cars feature a revolutionary new suspension utilizing BWI Group’s MagneRide Technology, where the dampeners of the coil spring suspension contain a magnetorheological fluid, or a “smart fluid” of particles suspended in another. This fluid is surrounded by sensors and is magnetically adjusted once every millisecond by a computer. Aiding this seemingly magi-

cal suspension are heavy-duty sway bars, special 19-inch wheels, and 6-piston Brembo brakes with 15- and 14-inch rotors front and rear, respectively. Fresh from the showroom floor these supercharged rockets cranked out 0-60 times in four seconds and 11-second quarter-miles thanks to a 556-horsepower LSA (a slightly detuned version of the LS9 found in Corvettes). With a production run of only 3,224 coupes for 2011, this one is a bit of a rare sight. Owner Darnell Settles grew up in a car-oriented family. Throughout his childhood his mother owned Corvettes and a Monte Carlo SS. One day his faGearheads4Life.com

Are you a gearhead?

ther returned home with a Porsche 928 that really opened his eyes to owning something special. Darnell says his first “really fast” car was actually a truck, a Ford Lightning pickup that fostered his appreciation of owning something supercharged that people didn’t expect to be fast. Ironically, Darnell says he didn’t like the CTS when he first saw one in traffic. “Initially I was behind one, and I actually thought it was kind of ugly,” he says. “But then I began to notice them more, and after my friend Josh let me take his for a spin I knew that was my next car.” He began making the rounds at the dealerships and, in February of 2012, he purchased this all-black 2011 coupe. He really liked it. It was quick and agile, yet refined enough to take dates out to dinner in and comfortable enough for long road trips. After driving it around, he felt that it was faster than he’d ever need. That is until he raced against a friend’s Mustang. “It was a modified 5.0, and he just

Gearheads4Life.com

kept steadily pulling away from me,” he says. “I was blown away… speechless. I was on the phone with Dynospeed Racing before I made it home.” Like all things fast, “too much” is “almost enough,” and the quest for more power began innocently enough with a Stage 1 upgrade of a pulley, a new tune, and some bigger injectors. This was soon followed with a shot of nitrous and a camshaft upgrade, which eventually progressed up to Dynospeed’s Stage 5 package and 829 horsepower at the wheels . . . in a Cadillac! Let that sink in. Of course, that level of horsepower didn’t come easily. Oil starvation damaged the first engine block, and a failed intercooler brick caused its share of problems. Texas Speed Racing prepped a new LSA block with a Are you a gearhead?

forged steel crank, fresh pistons, and Trick Flow Gen V heads. A Stage 2.5 camshaft from GP Tuning was ground by COMP Cams and added. Dynospeed worked their magic on the intake side of things, adding their own 4.5 intake and heat exchanger. They ported the stock 1.9L supercharger and added a 2.5 / 8.6 upper and lower pulley combo, Injector Dynamics 850cc injectors, and a 102mm throttle body from Nick Williams. To keep the intake charge cool a Norcal SS Icebox reservoir was added, along with a trick Alkycontrol Methanol Injection setup. The 125-shot of nitrous is handled with a Nitrous Express S.A.F.E. fuel cell located in the trunk, and spray bars installed in the modified supercharger lid make for a tidy presentation. Alan Lindgren crafted a custom nitrous

switch panel for the console that looks like a factory part. With things like a heavy-duty suspension and factory 14-way adjustable Recaro seats, the only other modifications to the car have been a set of headers from American Racing. Darnell says he really enjoys high speed “roll racing” events like the Texas Invitational and Runway Rivalry, both of which he has competed in, and if he has any other plans it might be to get it to also run on E-85 for just a little more power. Again, it’s never enough, is it? As for the name King Kong? Darnell says that they call the Nissan GTR cars Godzilla, so he thought it would be awesome to take a swing at them with his mighty 1000-horsepower Cadillac both on and off the track. We think it’s perfect. GH4L

The

ROAD TRIP

LISA MORA

Route 66

« V i n ta g e , C l a s s i c , R e t r o S t y l e & N o s ta l g i a« w w w .v i n t a g e c a r a v a n m a g a z i n e . c o m

Editors Note: Lisa Mora is the editor of Vintage Caravan Magazine — the first magazine in the world dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and admiration of vintage caravans, travel trailers, and those that love them. Established in 2011, Vintage Caravan Magazine now has subscribers all around the world and is available to order from vintagecaravanmagazine.com 40

LISA MORA

fter months and months of preparation, the time had eventually come for our epic American road trip to begin. My awesome hot rod mechanic Dave Jobe had installed brand new disc brakes, a new radiator, and exhaust system and given the Hudson a full going over to make sure it was ready for the trip. I was sent off with gallons of fluids and strict instructions to check the oil, coolant, and automatic transmission fluid every day. Retroluxe Vintage Trailers had done a sensational job on the Mercury’s restoration and I had plenty of room to stash clothes and supplies to last me for two months on the road. All that was left for me to do was to pack up, hook up, and hit the road. On May 3, I drove up to Portland to meet up with Linda Hutt and we drove together to Chicago via Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Minnesota checking out some amazing sights along the way. As we headed east into the central states, the weather warnings started flooding in. We were getting emails and phone calls from concerned family and friends as well as other Sisters on the Fly, [outdoor adventure club for women] who were making their way across to Chicago for the start of the Gearheads4Life.com

Route 66, trip advising us of severe rain and snowstorms causing havoc in many of the central states. By the time we got to Deadwood in South Dakota, we were advised by the KOA campground staff to move on as quickly as possible as they were expecting eight inches of snow the next day. After checking out the presidents carved into the rocks of Mount Rushmore, we hightailed it on to the Badlands, keeping one step ahead of the storms, or so we thought… The next morning we woke up to snow. Resembling an arid moonscape, the Badlands under snow was quite a sight to behold. When a motorhome pulled in piled high with snow that had just made a hasty retreat from the blizzard on the highway, we knew it was time to move on. We took off again in the driving snow and the Hudson wipers struggled to keep it off the windshield. At one point I had to pull over to scrape the snow off so I could see where I was going. We finally managed to get ahead of the storm and by the time we reached Sioux Falls, the snow had subsided to heavy rain with wind, lightning, and thunder. The next day we planned to continue east to La Crosse, Wisconsin. A chance encoun-

ter at one of my many gas stops (the Hudson only has a 15-gallon tank and towing was running at about 10 miles to the gallon, so my petrol stops were frequent) saw us make a change of route. The Hudson always drew plenty of admirers wherever we went, and at one stop in a small place called Albert Lea in Minnesota we met a lovely hot rodder named Brian. He recommended we take a shortcut through Iowa to Joliet, Illinois, to avoid the traffic and tolls around Chicago. Brian also told us that if we continued on this way we would drive right past the American Pickers Iowa store, so we stopped by on the way to Joliet. The Le Claire-based store was closed for filming, but Rob Wolfe (Mike’s brother) and Danielle Colby saw the Hudson and the caravan and came out for a chat and a photo. American Pickers is my favorite TV show, so this was a definite highlight for me. On May 12, after one week on the road, we crossed over the Mississippi river and cruised into Joliet for the “Sisters Get their kicks on Route 66” kickoff party with the rest of our Sisters on the Fly. On Wednesday we went into downtown Chi-

cago for our group photo with the official starting point of Route 66 before hitting the road with our caravans in tow and heading towards Springfield, Illinois. We stopped at the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, a quaint old Standard gas station in Odell with its blue and white Winnebago parked out front, and in Pontiac I got a cool photo of the Hudson and the caravan with a Route 66 mural that is painted on the back of the museum wall. About 30 miles before Springfield, on some remote stretch of Route 66 in a place called Broadwell I heard a bang, smelled burning, and the car seemed to be stuck in first gear. Not good. I pulled over outside a rather scary-looking abandoned old mo-

tel to check the transmission fluid when a couple of my caravanning Sisters stopped to see if I was OK. I topped up the fluid, added some trans conditioner, and managed to follow them to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, where I camped the night with the two Connies (yes, they were both called Connie) who had stopped to help me. The next afternoon we set off to catch up with the rest of the Sisters, but as soon as I pulled out I knew that I had a serious problem: The car would not budge out of first. I pulled over and asked some locals if they knew of any nearby transmission shops. By some miracle, Steve’s Auto Transmission was just around the corner, but since it was 3 p.m. on a Friday, Steve said he wouldn’t be able to work on it until Monday. So, much to my dismay, the Connies went on without me and I ended up back at the fairgrounds on my own. I called my mechanic back in Oregon, who then called Steve and told him of my mission and the importantance of this trip, and Steve agreed to work on it over the weekend for me. In the meantime, I had a new camping neighbor, Dorian Santia-

go, who was resting his weary feet having begun his walking tour of Route 66 a week prior and that made me feel a lot less sorry for myself. By midday on Monday the burnt-out 700R transmission had been replaced with a reconditioned Turbo 350 and I was back on the road again and racing like Doc Hudson from the Disney movie Cars to catch up with the rest of the group. I drove straight through St Louis and managed to catch up with them all in Springfield, Missouri, just in time for dinner. Phew, crisis averted. After two nights in Springfield, we hit Route 66 again taking in the thirteen miles that go through Kansas, and Doc got to lead the parade of caravans as we came into town. I stopped in to see Melba and Dean at the Cars on the Route store, where I got a photo of Doc with the tow truck that was the inspiration for “Tow Mater” in the movie Cars before heading west to Claremore, Oklahoma. That night we all camped up in the rodeo grounds and had an awesome catered dinner at the Will Rogers Museum. The next day, my new neighbor, Kim, and I hit the road together. We stopped at the Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma, then for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, and marveled at the roof of the Round

Barn in Arcadia before making it into Oklahoma City. By this stage it had been pretty much raining non-stop since I had left Oregon and we were all getting a bit fed up with it. In Oklahoma City we were camped in the fairgrounds where we were invited to participate in the OGRA rodeo with our petticoats and stick ponies. The next day the rain got heavier until the campground was awash with puddles. Then all of our phones started honking with warnings about flash flooding and tornados. I had no idea what to do but figured sitting in a caravan probably wasn’t the best place to be during a tornado. Then there was a bang, bang, banging on my door. “Get out, NOW! Come on We’ve go to get out of here, there’s a tornado coming!” I jumped in the car with some other sisters and we were directed by security to the main auditorium of the fairgrounds. We were told to take shelter under the covered concrete stairs with a film crew from the New York who had been covering the rodeo. The large roller doors were closed

and we were warned to listen out for the sound of a freight train that would indicate the tornado had struck. We watched live streaming weather reports on phones and iPads as the tornado hit ground just 30 miles from us but thankfully it skirted around us. After a few hours — and a few shots of whisky — we were free to go back to camp. The next morning the rain had subsided so we all packed up and hit the road as quickly as possible, keen to head towards Amarillo, Texas, and promises of sunshine. On the way there, we stopped in at the redneck capitol of the world in Erick, Oklahoma, and were entertained by the hilarious Harley at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop before crossing into Texas where I got a photo of the Hudson at the U Drop Inn in Shamrock. Both of these iconic Route 66 stops were also featured in the Cars movie, so you can see why it was that I chose Doc Hudson to make this trip with me. That day, we took parts of Route 66 that had been closed due to floods the day before. We drove over washedout bridges and across huge potholes on the original stretch of road with hills that rolled up and down like a roller coaster through some lovely countryside — but gave us, the cars, and the caravans some serious shaking. Doc started sounding a bit like a Mack truck and it became clear I had knocked a hole in my exhaust somewhere.

The next day I was lucky enough to find local hot rodders in Amarillo, Skeeter and his buddy Andrew, who took Doc back to their workshop and fixed up the hole in the exhaust for me and gave the car a bit of a tune up. I finally pulled into Amarillo around sunset (yes, there was sun and it was good) and stopped at the Cadillac Ranch that was just around the corner from our RV Park. I quickly parked up the van and jumped into the awaiting long-horn adorned free limo to the Big Texan steakhouse for another massive catered meal, as well as music and dancing, with my fellow Route 66 Sisters who by this stage had increased in numbers so much that we had taken over two RV parks. It was an awesome night and four of us earned our “Naked Nymph” badges by sneaking into the RV park pool after 10 p.m. for a skinny dip and lots of laughs. Boy those Texas gals sure know how to put on a party. From Amarillo, we headed to the Midpoint Café and crossed the line that meant we were halfway across Route 66, before crossing the border into New Mexico. I stopped to check out the awesome car and memorabilia museum at Russell’s Truck Stop and really enjoyed driving through the town of Tucum-

cari with its old neon motel signs like the Blue Swallow and the Palomino Hotel — Classic Route 66 at its finest. From there I went to the Blue Hole at Santa Rosa and took a refreshing dip in the vivid, clear-blue natural spring that is icy cold all year round. In Santa Fe we were joined by the founders of Sisters on the Fly, Maurrie and Becky, who cruised with us as far as Winslow, Arizona, before they had to head back to Wyoming for the Cowgirl College. After a couple of days in Santa Fe, I stopped in to see Vicki and her Hudson at Enchanted Trails, and cruised solo along old 66 taking lots of photos of the abandoned old motels and service stations along the way that I find so intriguing. I felt so right at home there on the Mother Road in my old car, and really enjoyed the freedom and exhilaration of plotting my own course, so I took my time to appreciate as much of it as I could. By the time I pulled into the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico, some of the sisters had already set up camp and were there enjoying a drink, so I parked out front and joined them. The next day we set off for Arizona taking in Holbrook, the Wigwam Motel, and the Jack Rabbit Trading Post with its “Here it is” sign before congregating with the rest of the sisters outside Winslow for our police-escorted cruise into town and a group photo of us all standing on the corner. By this stage there were around 150 of us. Some sisters chose to do only parts of the trip but there were 27 of us who did the whole route. The more west we headed, the more our numbers grew. By

the time we got to California there were 225 of us. That night we cruised on through Flagstaff and stayed in Williams, Arizona, where we were treated to a great night out at the Wild West Saloon the first night and at Twisters Soda Fountain the next. Most of the girls agreed that Williams was their favorite stop of the whole trip. We were made to feel very welcome there and had lots of fun. After Williams I drove solo through Ash Fork and Seligman and opted to stay at the Kingman KOA campground rather than dry camp at the Fairgrounds, a choice that would prove to be rather fortuitous. As soon as I rolled into the KOA, the Hudson died in the driveway and I couldn’t get it started. The KOA manager towed me into my site and called a mobile mechanic who agreed to come and check it out the next morning. So, once again, the sisters moved on to the next town while I stayed behind getting a new starter motor put in by the very reasonably priced Greg from Simplified Automotive. I was back on the road by 2 p.m. and decided to do what we had been advised not to do, and tow the caravan over the steep and winding “make or break” hill of Sitgreaves Pass that had been the end of so many early Route 66’ers “California or bust” journeys. This part of the road was the most important to me, and the sense of achievement and satisfaction I felt when Doc, the Mercury, and

I made it to the top was indescribable. I was on top of the world and I felt it! In the distance lay the deserts of California and Nevada and below me the old mining town of Oatman, where descendants of the donkeys used in the mining days now roam free in the main street. I had made it and the end of the journey of a lifetime was nearly over. I continued on old Route 66 for as much of it as I could (some parts were closed due to flood damage), across the dips and rises and bumpy, bumpy roads that shook my bones. I managed to make it across the border to California and to the Bagdad Café just in time to watch the sunset over the wrecked old Airstreams made famous in the movie Bagdad Café, starring Jack Palance, before getting into camp at Barstow at around 8 p.m. The next day I was 38 miles from our final destination of Ventura, California, when I realized I had no power and was just coasting down a big hill on the highway. I pulled over but could not

get the car to start at all. Of all the incidents that I’d dealt with and taken in my stride, this one got me. I’d come this far and was determined to make it right to the end. Despite having taken out maximum AAA coverage before I left, this was the first time I actually had to call in for a tow. Willy, the very funny and sweet tow truck driver, thought it was my fuel pump, but I wasn’t so sure. Being 350 Chevy-powered, the Hudson was always easy and cheap to get parts for, so I knew it would be an easy fix. Problem was it was now 4 p.m. and they closed in an hour. If it wasn’t the fuel filter, what had stopped the Hudson in its tracks? It turned out to be some dodgy old wiring that had shorted out the ignition when it had broken loose and touched the engine, probably from the bumpy roads I had been on the day before. A few new wires, $210, some handy welding, and about 30 minutes later and I was back on the road and feeling victorious. I drove straight to the beach, took off my shoes, walked across the sand, and dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean. We had made it. I pulled into camp to a cheering and clapping guard of honor made up of my amazingly encouraging sisters and we all celebrated hard that night. Over the next day or so, a sense of real sadness swept over me. I had spent so long dreaming of doing this trip in an old car and caravan, and this was the end of the my journey on the Mother Road. I was exhausted beyond belief but feeling very proud of myself and totally in love with the car and caravan that had made my dreams come true. Including my journey back to Oregon, I had driven almost 6,000 miles (9,600 kilometers) from one side of America to Are you a gearhead?

the other, then back again, and was on the road for two months. I made so many new friends and saw so many amazing sights — things that photos or words will never be able to fully recreate. It felt magical and surreal and I didn’t want it to be over yet. When I spoke to some of the other sisters over the four days we spent in Ventura, I discovered that a lot of us were feeling the same way. I’ve ticked a pretty major achievement off my bucket list now, and it’s going to take some time to recover, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. GH4L

To see more search “Route 66” @Gearheads4Life.com

shoes to fill

or a kid coming of age in the late 90s with a car crazy dad and grandad, living just 20 minutes from one of the biggest car shows in the nation, Troy Russell was destined to be a gearhead. The Cartersville, Illinois, native would attend the Street Machine Nationals with his dad at the state fairgrounds in Du Quoin. He got to help his dad build a ’69 Camaro convertible, with all of the underpinnings from a wrecked ’87 IROCZ Camaro, which went on to win Grand National Champion in 1990. Troy himself built a ’68 GMC pickup that won Best Truck/SUV at the 1999 SEMA show. After high school, Troy took a job managing a Sears Auto Center before a family friend offered what sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime to be a crew member on a Top-Fuel team. Russell packed his stuff and moved to their team’s base in Texas. After a few years, despite some success with drivers Hot Rod Fuller and Antron Brown, the owner decided T/F was a little too expensive and closed the doors on the operation, leaving Russell back in Southern Illinois looking for the next opportunity. There aren’t too many T/F teams around there, so he sent his resume to Midwest Four Wheel Drive, the home of Bigfoot, in St. Louis and received a call back from Jim Kramer (the first hired driver of Bigfoot, now VP of Operations). Russell

thought he was going to be offered a job in the shop, but to his surprise, Kramer told him they were looking for a fresh face to drive. Who wouldn’t take that job? For two years he traveled all over the U.S. and Canada showing off to packed houses on the Monster Energy tour. On a trip back home in July 2010, he overheard a guy at an auto parts store talking about a one-owner 1962 Belair sedan with 41,000 miles. Russell was already working on a hardtop, but really wanted a sedan, so he interjected himself into the conversation. The very next day, he drove to the house just a mile from the Du Quoin fairgrounds, bought the car, and immediately went to work on it. Russell put together a custom hand-built 2x4 chassis, connected to C4 Corvette control arms up front, and a Chris Alston Chassisworks triangulated 4-link out back. Stopping power is provided by Z06 calipers on Baer 12.5-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors up front with 12-inch rotors in the rear. The engine is an LS6 that came out of an ex-girlfriend’s wrecked ’04 Z06. Her then-boyfriend took it for a little joyride that didn’t end up too well. Russell bought the engine, upgraded the rod bolts and head bolts to ARP, and added an Edelbrock intake to accept the turbos. Otherwise, it is stock. The turbos are On3 Performance 72mm with 44mm wastegates. Troy did the plumbing with exhaust exiting through Gearheads4Life.com

Troy Russell’s twin-turbo ’62 Belair proves cars can be therapeutic

SHAWN BRERETON

Stainless Works headers with Borla ProXS mufflers. The Ron Davis 3-core aluminum radiator with two 10-inch electric fans keep everything cool. Fuel makes its way from the ’55 Chevy tank from Tanks, Inc. to the LS6 by way of an Aeromotive A1000 pump and regulator. The transmission is a 4L60E transferring power back to a Fab9 rear end with an aluminum Strange third-member turning 40-spline axles. Those axles hold massive 14-inch Boze wheels wrapped in 345/30/20 Michelin Pilot tires (fronts are 245/40/18). Are you a gearhead?

See more online @Gearheads4Life.com Troy and friend Chuck Crabtree, shot the Dupont GM Speedway white base in a homemade paint booth setup in Chuck’s garage. The brightwork was powder-coated in Superchrome. He was two years into completing his vision for the car when it was announced that the Street Machine Nationals would be returning to the mecca of ProStreet after a 15-year hiatus. Russell had a new carrot to get him to the finish line. It was almost done — the chassis, engine, bodywork, and paint were all complete — all that was left to do was put it back together. That is when things got interesting! On July 21, 2012, Russell was in Canada performing the last show of a three-night exhibition for Firestone before returning home, when a freak accident caused by a broken shock resulted in a severely hard landing and three broken vertebrae in his back. He was 2mm away from being paralyzed, so he was

lucky in that regard, but he still had to have surgery. One thing was certain, his days of jumping monster trucks were over. To add insult to injury, he knew there was no way he would be getting the car back together in time for the Nats. But you hear it all the time – car people are the greatest. Russell’s good friend, Andy Meadows, knew how much the return of the Nats meant to Troy, so Andy dedicated himself to making sure the Belair made its debut. For nearly a year, Andy would close his shop, Andy’s Hot Rod Shop, at the end of each day — sometimes he didn’t even open — and drive to Troy’s house. While Troy supervised from the sofa in the garage, Andy, along with Troy’s nephew Jeremy Reichert, turned wrenches until they couldn’t turn them anymore. Did the hometown boys get the job done? You bet they did! Just two days before the Nats, the Belair made its maidGearheads4Life.com

en voyage. Two days later it was sitting within the hallowed grounds of the Illinois State Fairgrounds. It still needed an interior, but it was there and that is all that mattered. Car people are truly the greatest. Speaking of interior, Troy went with a bold 2008 Porsche-orange leather and suede. Ace Customs of Fairfield, Illinois, robbed a 2002 Trans Am of its buckets and designed the center console wrapping it all in orange. Josh, from Two Boyz, did the powder coating as well as the hydrographic carbon fiber accents in the interior. A Speedway chrome tilt column and an Eclipse stereo feeding through Kicker speakers complete the interior. The vibrancy of the interior is a perfect contrast against the subtleness of the exterior. On paper, one wouldn’t think it would work very well, but it really provides the necessary pop Are you a gearhead?

for a car wearing white, yet sporting twin turbos. It is now two years later and Troy is still recovering, but he has driven the wheels off of the Belair. He obviously would like to thank Andy Meadow of Andy’s Hot Rod Shop; Jeremy Reichert, without which the car would probably still be in its pre-surgery state; Chuck Crabtree for the paintjob; Josh from Two Boyz for the hydrographics; and last but not least, his girlfriend Ronee Reichert and his mom for all their support through the whole ordeal. Troy said the only upgrades planned for the future are air-conditioning and a repaint — the driving miles are starting to show with a few rock chips. We have no problem overlooking that for a street-driven beast. That is why we gave Troy Russell our Gearheads4Life Editor’s Choice Award at the Du Quoin Street Machine Nationals. GH4L

GEARHEADS GET TO KNOW

Dennis Pittsenbarger is a towering “guy'sguy” and is a walking encyclopedia of automotive history and fuel- powered folklore. He's a racer, automotive industry expert, and classic car restorer always hunting for his next great set of wheels. Dennis recently wrapped up a long-running stint as the voice of the nationally syndicated Hot Rod magazine Live radio program and the Highway to Sell TV show on Discovery Network. On top of his duties as the test editor of Cars Illustrated magazine, he is the host of SEMA Central and SEMA Ignited, and will be a presenter at the SEMA banquet.

How did you get into the industry/1st job? After rolling a 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air into the backyard at the ripe age of 12, I did everything from take off the Quadra-toilet to see how it worked, to shooting arrows at the fenders just to see if they would stick. I found myself wondering how to make cars straight and shiny, so I started

DENNIS PITTSENBARGER

hanging out by a local auto body shop and bugging the owner to give me a job. He finally did. There I stood with my push broom and dustpan and so started my automotive career. Lucky for me they were a cool group of guys and they little by little showed me the process of refinishing everything from custom to collision cars.

Worst automotive job? The worst job was in some ways the best job. I was working at a local pump station back in high school that was owned and operated by the tire shop next door. What made it so bad was the owner’s son — the typical know-itall type and you know how that goes. When the Dad is away, son gets to play owner. Well, being good at avoiding this guy was a talent. As good as I was at steering clear of this guy, one day he came walking into the shop attached to the pump station at the worse possible moment. There was yours truly taking the liberty of changing the oil in my El Camino…oops. I took a verbal beat down for not watching the pumps, working on my personal car, and taking the liberty of using the Kendal Oil in the lube and oil filter rack. I was sort of this guys whipping post…until one day I realized just how much of a nitwit this guy really was. I’m standing outside of the tire shop, BSing with some of the techs and checking out their rides when this guy starts talking about tire sizes. About halfway through his ver-

bal diarrhea, it hits me, he has NO idea what he is talking about. This was my time to stop being tied to the whipping post. As he is professing his expertise in tire sizing, he makes sure to explain to me that the series (50/60/70 whatever) is the WIDTH of the tire. Now wait a second, I’m not the world leader in automotive knowledge, but what did he say? Needless to say, after I called him out on his severe lack of tire-sizing knowledge to not only the couple of friends I had standing there, but also the techs who worked where he was the General Manager. He was so hot! He steamed off in a cloud of smoke that left us all standing there laughing. Needless to say, they had to “assess their personnel list” the next week and I was out of a job, but it was worth it.

What’s in your garage now? This one is always funny to answer, but here it goes. I’m never one of the lucky guys who have 10 various cars to play with at any time, mostly because I chose a career that is based on passion vs. income. People just assume that because I’ve done this or that there is a room in my house similar to Scrooge McDuck and we swim in our gold coins everyday. So with that being said, it’s just a couple of Ford SUVs, my wife’s Eddie Bauer Explorer and my Eddie Bauer Bronco, but they do match. What can I say…I love my wife and we’re dorks that wanted matching rides.

Coolest personality you’ve met? I’ve been lucky to have met and interviewed so many great personalities in my career, so it’s hard to say just one. Better said would be the two best interviews I’ve been a part of, one being Mario Andretti and the other Carroll Shelby. Both gentlemen have been asked the same questions about the same races and the same cars, so what I did seemed to be the best choice. I asked Mario about bottling wine and Carroll about

Photo courtesy of discovery.com

spotted cows. Ever since then, both men remembered me each time we ran into each other at events or interviews. What it comes down to is there is so many great people in this business who want to be asked questions that are NOT the same ones every time.

Who do you look up to? Every single guy out there who is “the regular guy.” Not that I have ANYTHING against people who are successful in life with business and it translates to big dollars spent at the track. But as of late, I’ve grown to want to be the champion of the regular guy. The guy who does not have a giant shop, the guy who does not have the checkbook with no bottom, but the regular guy who lays it on the line with only what he has access to and still makes it to the track no matter what. Those are the guys who I look up to because it’s pure passion that keeps them coming back for more — no matter the struggle.

Favorite project thing you’ve done or are doing now?

It’s hard to say what is the single best thing I’ve done in the automotive industry. It keeps getting better the longer I’m in this industry. I’ve been lucky enough to sit under the wing of some amazing painters when I was younger. I’ve been lucky enough to take part in several cool builds (even a COPO Camaro), meet spectacular personalities working for either Chevrolet or SEMA, and even be “that guy from that TV show” with Highway to Sell on Discovery/Velocity. But to narrow it down is tough. I will say that the latest chapter is one of the most exciting. Being a part of Cars Illustrated, and more importantly the 12.99/$1,299 Challenge. For those in the dark, back when print ruled the media world, a small upstart magazine called Cars Illustrated was started in what some called the down turn of performance. It persevered to highlight the muscle of the day and show that the spirit of hot rodding was alive and well — even though it was gagging on L69 and 5.0 slugs. Fast-forward 30 years and the same formula stands out: cheap performance to all who dare to get their hands dirty and make the most of what they have. This is the way it works, you take the total investment budget of $1,299 (yes, that includes the car) and see if you can Are you a gearhead?

make a 12.99 pass. Think it’s easy right? Just grab the nearest car you can find, strap on the NOS bottle, and away you go… but it’s not. I searched for a month to find the right car. After a few calls, and several unsuccessful negotiations on everything from a ’86 C4 to a Fox body, I shook hands on a ’91 Z28. I wanted it to be a cool car, not just a shitbox that had a bottle mounted in the trunk and a used set of slicks for a good 60-foot time. I also wanted to show the world in 2015 you could have a fast, fun car for under $1,300, and have some swagger while you do it. With such a small budget, you have to get really focused. We’ll be doing a lot of free tricks, like cheap mods to maximize suspension travel and getting as much weight out of the car as we can without making it look hacked. With 12.99 the goal, and a 3,300-pound Z28, I’m going to need to put about 280 horsepower on the ground, hit a 1.7/8 60-foot time, find some 4:10 gears for a 7.5-inch 10 bolt, hopefully a 2500–3000-rpm stall converter and then make it hook. We will just have to see how this works out.

Car carnage story Being a big fan and driver of dirt cars, my personal carnage story comes from a space of struggle from start to finish. I convinced my wife to pack up our frisky 4-year-old daughter, three dogs, and enough clothes to keep warm in sub-zero weather, and drove a C-Class motorhome 60 miles in solid ice — at a average speed of 20 mph and puckered

the whole way — to the indoor arena in Salem, Oregon. Just to take out the ol’ #51 car, my Fox-body, tube-chassis dirt car, fresh from the once over and with an all-new suspension set up. After unloading the car, and chipping the foot of snow off the top, we got the motorhome heater fired up and the car ready for some runs. Well, when you get the suspension set “just right” and are turning faster laps that you EVER have in a stock bottom-end 2300 Ford, you realize real quick that little blue oval four bangers don’t like 9,000 rpm. We popped the single largest hole I’ve ever seen in the side of the block — could have easily been plugged with a kids soccer ball to give some reference. My day was over, but boy did the track love me for dumping every drop of oil all over turns three and four. NOT!

Something personal no one knows or is aware of

I guess the best thing I could say about being lucky enough to make a living in this crazy industry, and being who I am, is when people meet me after they have seen one of the video projects, hear the radio, or watch the TV show…I’m the same guy you know/see/hear just walking down the street. The best compliment I can get is “you’re the same guy on” TV, radio etc. And it’s true…I do NOT know it all, I do NOT have all the answers, and I’m NOT the authority on everything. However, I do know how to have some fun while we all play our part to make sure this industry never dies. GH4L

ere is live music at

y and economy, th

ippi’s identit Clarksdale, Mississ ek. of rt pa al gr te in Music remains an uesberry Café several times a we Bl locations like the

DAN HODGDON ALISTAIR CLARK 52

Gearheads4Life.com

People don’t understand, in order to be a bluesman, you’ve got to live for something and damn near die for it...

he road is full of stories and ghosts. The blues highways in the Mississippi Delta have plenty of both. On these stretches of dirt and blacktop lie the intersection of truth and mysticism, where history meets storytelling, where ghosts of blues music’s past meet present-day wanderers. Today’s gypsies and tourists visit the region in search of something intangible, but yet a very real feeling of connection to the past, to something spiritual. That’s what roads and music can do, and why they are forever intertwined. In the Delta the spirituality takes on a dark side, bordering on the macabre. The legend may not even be true. But it’s one hell of a story. The popular version is that sometime in the mid-1930s Robert Johnson went to a rural crossroads at midnight, possibly in the town of Clarksdale, which has embraced the tale as its own. There he traded his soul to the devil in exchange for his otherworldly guitar-playing ability. Fellow bluesman Son House swore that the story had to be true, citing Johnson’s overnight virtuoso talent. But the devil came to collect in 1938, when Johnson may have been poisoned in the town of Greenwood by the jealous boyfriend of a lover. His death certificate, however, says he died of syphilis. Johnson allegedly howled and convulsed for three days before his death, certainly the signs of the devil at work. Little is known about Johnson’s life (he died at age 27 after recording 29 songs, and there are only two known photographs of him in existence), which has given him mythical status. In fact, it’s even a matter of debate where he is actually buried. The lack of explanation for his songs like “Cross Road Blues,” “Me and the Devil Blues,” and “Hellhound on my Trail” only fuel the speculation.

Rural crossroads are fou nd throughout the Mississip pi Delta. Blues musicians have tra vel roads like this one for clo ed se to 100 years.

Josh “Razorblade” Stewart Mississisippi bluesman.

is a true

Roger Stolle runs Cat Head Delta Blues & Fol k Art, a funky Clarksdale store that sells records, books, paintings, and mo re.

Another story says that the true crossroads are at Highways 1 and 8 in Rosedale, 40 minutes south of Clarksdale. Geographically this makes more sense, as the devil is said to have hung out by the river, and Rosedale is closer to the Mississippi than Clarksdale. While the tale of Robert Johnson’s deal has nearly countless versions, another bluesman by the name of Tommy Johnson repeatedly claimed to have done the deed. But there is the possibility that Tommy simply made up the story. All great musicians have a story to tell. However, by now, the truth of the matter is somewhat beside the point. The mystery is the allure. And the sleepy

town of Clarksdale (pop. 17,962) is the place to go to try to unravel it. “The crossroads has its roots back with African traditions, so it’s not made up in that it’s historic,” explains Delta Blues Museum Executive Director, Shelley Ritter. “But in terms of what America has made it up to be, it probably is more of what we wanted to happen than what actually happened.” Tourists visit Clarksdale every year to check out the Delta Blues Museum, Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club, the authentic Red’s Juke Joint, the Rock and Blues Museum, and the Riverside Hotel where Bessie Smith died. Of course they also visit the town’s

version of the crossroads, where today three blue guitars on a sign in the median mark the intersection of Highways 49 and 61 just west of downtown. It is surrounded by Abe’s Barbecue (a Delta institution since 1924), the Beer & Bud Mart, Crossroads Furniture, H-Town Custom Wheels, and Church’s Chicken, among other businesses. Is this the true crossroads? It’s unlikely, but nevertheless it’s where blues and history aficionados take pictures, and try to visualize what this area looked like close to a hundred years ago. One such aficionado is Roger Stolle, a native Ohioan and blues fan who moved to Clarksdale by way of St. Louis. Today Gearheads4Life.com

Red’s is a Mississippi Delta institution and one of the few authentic juke joints left in the country.

Today the Crossroa ds and 49 in Clarksdale at Highways 61 tourist attraction. has become a

Listen closely and you can hear the ghosts of the blues. he owns the funky Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art store, which sells everything from records to paintings. He also works as a music promoter, and has produced the critically acclaimed documentaries We Juke Up in Here and M for Mississippi, among other endeavors. He says that in talking with older bluesmen, none believed there was only one place where the devil would show up at midnight; any rural crossroads would do. “It was really the scarier the crossroads the better,” he explains. “By some accounts you trim your nails back to where they’re almost bleeding. And basically you’re sitting there playing guitar Are you a gearhead?

waiting for this figure to come up from behind and re-tune it, and you can play whatever you want. It would be sort of the unspoken deal that you’ve traded your soul for that.” He adds that David “Honeyboy” Edwards was there when Robert Johnson was poisoned, and claimed that Johnson told him he really did make a pact. When pressed, Edwards even admitted to Stolle that he had tried to make a deal himself on a couple of occasions. “I think every town in the Delta sort of claims a crossroads at this point, and all of them are as relevant as the one before them,” Stolle says. According to 68-year-old Clarksdale

bluesman, Josh “Razorblade” Stewart, the crossroads doesn’t even have to be tangible at all. Stewart, a Vietnam veteran and former policeman, is a professionally trained musician who today teaches up-and-coming blues players. He got his nickname by dressing sharp. “The crossroads is not necessarily at 49 and 61, it’s anywhere the Devil come at you and ask for your soul,” he explains from his front porch. “Your problem is you’ve got to be able to recognize it ‘cause he’s very good at disguising himself.” Razorblade talks of a wolf-insheep’s clothing tale regarding a friend who was nearly swindled by a shady

To put together this article and accompanying video we made the 75mile trek from Memphis to Clarksdale in mid-September, just before the cotton harvest. In Clarksdale we came across Australian tourists in search of a liquor store at 10:30 a.m., spoke with a business owner who had worked with Jimi Hendrix and just happened to have driven an Alcohol Funny Car, and asked a farmer working in a field on 61 to point us in the direction of a good example of a rural crossroads. (And he knew!) Unfortunately, none made the final cut, but these are just a few illustrations of the interesting folks you might come across in the Mississippi Delta. Film crews, writers, photographers, and tourists are so prevalent in Clarksdale, and throughout the Delta, that residents have become used to outsiders in their hometown. Yet many strike up conversations to ask where these visitors are from and what they are doing. It’s not out of suspicion, but genuine, good-hearted interest. This video provides a snapshot of the sights and sounds that make up life in one of the most fascinating parts of the world, woven into the intriguing crossroads tale.

Scan the QR Code to watch a video and explore the crossroads with us.

...[it’s] probably more of what we wanted to happen than what actually happened. contract (the devil at work?), and often tells the tale of a vision he had while playing at Ground Zero. He draws a dollar sign intersected with two vertical lines, each one representing a crossroads at ages 20, 40, and 60. If you veer off track at an early age (the bottom of the dollar sign) you end up in the snake’s tail, if it happens at an advanced age you find yourself in the snake’s head (where the venom is). Yet, walk the straight and narrow, making the right choice at each crossroads, and ultimately you find contentment. It’s an interesting theory, made even more poignant by the fact that a neighbor warns that she has seen a large snake in the grass while Razorblade sits on the porch of his modest home, across the railroad tracks from downtown. “People don’t understand, in order to be a bluesman, you’ve got to live for something and damn near die for it,” he says, adding, “Blues is not the devil’s music, it’s God’s music.” Shelley Ritter from the Delta Blues Museum is skeptical about the crossroads. However, she acknowledges that the story has a number of elements that make it intriguing, and that visitors like to take a photograph with the sign in Clarksdale. The crossroads tale is not the

sole reason to visit the Delta, but it certainly adds to the appeal. “Most of our visitors are pretty serious blues fans who are coming here on a pilgrimage to learn about these men and women that really changed the way that we hear music,” she says. It’s a fascinating idea of historical symmetry, as folks visit the Delta traveling many of the same roads that the blues ghosts sang about and where spirits may have been summoned. Stolle believes that the theme of traveling in blues — especially Delta blues — took on a more fantastic vibe in the 1930s than it does today. Musicians traveled from town to rural town for gigs, which was not an easy endeavor in its own right. He believes that is why the road songs from that era seem bigger than life. “You know, you think about it, it would’ve been pretty scary at the time,” he says. “You believed a little more in mythological things, it was very dark at night to go out and be on these country roads. There were no stripes that were going to glow from headlights, and there were no streetlights, so it was a whole different time and place. I think anything seemed possible.” Even a deal with the devil. GH4L Gearheads4Life.com

The author David Cohn once wrote that the Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It’s an apt geographical statement for the region that is shaped by the Mississippi River to the west and the Yazoo River to the east. It is one of the most rural and poverty-stricken parts of the United States, yet one that has had a profound impact on music and culture the world over. The Rolling Stones, Cream, and Led Zeppelin all drew a great deal of influence from the blues music first created here in the 1930s. Tourists from around the globe also flock to this region, which sometimes itself can feel like a different planet. The Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, and the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola (King’s hometown) all provide scholarly viewpoints on history and culture. Festivals also take place year-round and complement the Delta’s many distinct restaurants, shops and juke joints.

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Insane FAIRLANE

Justin De Mars ’65 Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe was built from the engine up 62

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SHAWN BRERETON

Are you a gearhead?

here are car guys, and there are car families. Take that one step further and there are the DeMars from Andover, Minnesota, who prove that gearheads are often a product of their environment. It was at the St. Paul Street Machine Nationals where we found Justin’s impressive 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe parked directly in front of his dad’s equally impressive 1961 Chevy Nomad. Researching his past, we find that Justin was brought up in an auto rich environment that contributed to his fanaticism. “As far back as I can remember, my dad has always been into cars and worked on them religiously at home, so I was brought up with it,” Justin says. “My mom always reflects on a specific story of me as a baby. We made a trip from Minnesota to Phoenix for a car show in my dad’s blown ’62 Corvette. My dad drove, while my mom held my 3-year-old sister in her arms, and I was 6 months old riding in a baby bassinet on the floor of the passenger seat between my mom’s legs. That car had no air either!” Justin’s first vehicle was a ’78 Ford F150, “just because it had a 460 in it.” The Minnesota winters pretty much killed the body on the truck, but he hung onto the drivetrain with the dreams of dropping it into a ’60s Falcon. The engine lay dormant for a few years until his dad, Roy, threatened selling the engine if Justin didn’t find something to put it in, so the search was on. At 21 years old, there was no decent Falcon that Justin could afford. So when a coworker of Roy’s offered up a ’65 Fairlane, the two went to have a look. “The car was parked in this guy’s garage and he had a little loft built over the hood to store his personal stuff,” Justin remembers. “The problem was that his kids used the Fairlane as their stairs to get their bikes down, and the whole deck lid and roof were caved in from all the abuse. Every fender on the car was pushed in and the bumpers were mangled. But, aside from the dings and dents, the car was rust free, mostly complete, and the price was right. My dad wasn’t sold on the look of the car, but I had visions of it being awesome, so we bought it and brought it home.” Maybe Roy had a premonition of how much work was going to be involved. Justin quickly found that there were few reproduction parts available

for the car, and NOS was very expensive. Justin had confidence in his father’s self-taught mechanical abilities, but this one would test them all along the way. Ingenuity would be required in spades. Wanting the car to sit low, while still fitting in the 460, would prove troublesome. The width of the engine required losing the shock towers, which gave way to a Mustang II setup with Air Ride air bags. Lowering the car meant fabrication of a custom tunnel to fit the C6 transmission along with an Air Ride 4-Link with Shockwave air bags attached to a narrowed rear with 3.05

gears. Disc brakes were added all the way around to provide the stopping power, but the huge engine also caused problems getting power brakes. The two found a booster from a Geo Metro and modified its internals to make it work with the stock pedal location. The Fairlane was now so low that the hood wouldn’t clear the engine, so a cowl hood was fabricated out of sheet metal. There were no headers made for their application, so they made their own connecting through Flowmaster mufflers. The behemoth also meant there could be no mechanical fan, so a

custom shroud was made with electrical fans out of a Nissan. A custom, homebuilt gas tank supplies fuel to the Holley 750 sitting atop an Edelbrock Performer intake, while an MSD ignition supplies the spark. Inside, the dash was so far gone that a custom billet aluminum insert was made to fit the Nordskog ’32 Ford digital gauges that Justin’s uncle had laying around. An ’80s GM station wagon donated its tilt column for the project topped by a Grant steering wheel. The new tunnel caused the need for new bucket seats, which Justin found in an Gearheads4Life.com

’80s Thunderbird. The StitchBitch built a custom console and covered the interior in fawn-colored ultraleather, while an Alpine stereo provides the sound. Justin didn’t have the money to pay for a shop to do the exterior work, so both he and Roy spent countless hours learning how to shrink and stretch metal then block sand it completely smooth before laying down the milesdeep candy black cherry PPG paint. The candy paint makes it difficult to fully do it justice in a photo, it truly has to be seen to be appreciated, but the work paid off as it still stands up Are you a gearhead?

14 years later. Justin is proud of the work that he and his dad did. “Everything on that car other than the upholstery was done at home and that’s what makes this MY CAR when people ask,” Justin says. “I didn’t have the money to pay someone to build it, but I had my dad’s garage to work in, and his knowledge. Neither of us work in this industry, so what we didn’t know how to do, we read up, and learned by trial and error. “It was a fantastic father-son project. I couldn’t have accomplished it without the help of my dad and the willingness of

my wife to let me be gone working on it so much. From start to finish, the whole project took about 10 months to complete. I drive this car a lot and I love it, even when it acts badly. I hope to someday pass this same passion on to my two boys.” For all of the hard work that the DeMars put into the car, we awarded Justin with the Gearheads4Life Editor’s Choice award. We’re sure that those two boys will have no problems growing up to be just like their dad. They are sure to grow up in that same auto-rich environment. GH4L

KING OF CARBS

A look at how Holley keeps things humming SHAWN BRERETON SHAWN BRERETON, BRANDON FLANNERY, BLANE BURNETT 66

Gearheads4Life.com

manage to make it up to Bowling Green, Kentucky, quite a bit. With all the events going on at Beech Bend Raceway, I’m thinking about just building a car and leaving it there. Truth be told, I’m only about four hours away in Memphis, but I’m usually making last-minute runs up north after work to cover an event for the weekend, then turning around to get back home after a long weekend in the sun. There are two places I’ve always wanted to visit in Bowling Green, and of course both are car related: the National Corvette Museum and Holley Performance Products. I finally got the chance to see both on a recent trip and neither disappointed. Most know the general history of the Corvette, but I didn’t know what to expect at Holley. I’ve always had Holley carburetors on my hot rods, but outside of that, I didn’t know much about the company or its origins. I called ahead to Blane Burnett, the Marketing and P.R. Coordinator, and asked for a tour of Holley’s headquarters and the manufacturing facility. When I pulled up, I was surprised at the size of the building, which I learned later was 250,000 square feet. Blane met me in the lobby with safety glasses for our tour. Before we started, Blane gave me a history lesson on Holley. In the late 1800s, two brothers from Bradford, Pennsylvania, George and Earl Holley, learned to make patterns and castings to build a one-cylinder engine for a three-wheeled vehicle that could reach 30 mph (fast for back then, which lead to the birth of Holley Motor Company.) From that they progressed into building an automobile called the Holley Motorette. There were approximately 600 Moterettes made and the only one known left in existence sits at headquarters. But in 1903, the Holley Brothers business model would change at the urging of Henry Ford, who convinced the brothers to concentrate on carburetors for the Model A, and they have been an industry leader ever since. Another thing I didn’t know were all of the brands under the Holley banner. Holley went on a buying spree in the late 90s acquiring other brands that complimented its already robust line including Weiand superchargers, Flowtech exhaust, Hooker Headers, Earl’s Plumbing, and NOS nitrous oxide systems. Most of the parts are made right here in the USA, in either the Bowling Green or in Aberdeen, Mississippi plants. Are you a gearhead?

The plant was built in 1952, but you couldn’t tell by walking the floor. For such a large facility, the floors are remarkably clean and the different areas are really well organized. There are over 300 employees at Holley — many who have worked there for 30 or 40 years

— which says a lot about the company. Blane noted that there are even a few machines that are still chugging along in the factory after decades. That is not to say that the factory is locked in the industrial revolution, it is actually a stateof-the-art facility utilizing CNC ma

chines, robotics, waterjets, 4- and 5-axis machines, and even 3-D printing. Blane and I continued to where the Earl’s fittings are expertly assembled, then on to where the NOS systems are assembled. The carburetor assembly section and flow test benches (every one of them are tested) were next. Around the corner was the Hooker Header assembly area, which I’m sure can get loud and hot when all the bending and welding is going on. The last section of the tour was the engineering area, which would make any gearhead jealous. Quality control and engineering is at the forefront of every major process within the plant. Holley employs a team of highly experienced engineers and technicians who use solid modeling software, AutoCad, and 3D proto-

typing in 14,000-square feet of the facility. The engineering lab is actually an engineer’s playground with a vehicle lab, engine dynos, the largest wet-flow bench in the United States, a mechanical fuel lab, an electronics lab complete with a Thermotron environmental chamber to test from -40- to 400-degrees fahrenheit, and a modeling shop housing all the best lathes, milling machines, drill presses, etc. As we circled back to the front office, Blane showed me the Holley Motorette that has been lovingly restored. Standing there looking at this piece of art that was made over 100 years ago, I wondered what might have been had the brothers continued to evolve this meager little vehicle. I’m sure it would have been just as successful as the car-

buretor empire they built. They seemed to be guys who were always looking forward and that culture has been instilled in the company from the beginning. They certainly don’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. George and Earl would be proud of Holley’s focus on the future with the advancements it has made with Electronic Fuel Injection. Holley’s prowess in the performance aftermarket was recently given a big boost with the announcement that NHRA has chosen Holley EFI as its exclusive supplier to the Pro Stock ranks starting in 2016. With a new acquisition of another fine organization, MSD, Holley seems poised for whatever the next challenge is, whether it is on the racetrack or in the boardroom. GH4L Gearheads4Life.com

HOLLEY TIDBITS

It has produced over 250,000,000 carburetors. Half of all the carburetors during WWI and WWII had a Holley nameplate. In 2003, Ford recognized Holley as one of only four original suppliers still selling to Ford today. The four-barrel 4150 carb was introduced on the 1957 Ford Thunderbird. The ’60’s were a boom time for Holley. Almost every major muscle car came equipped with the 4150 or a Tri-power (six-pack) package. The Double Pumper was introduced in the 60s . 1968 saw the introduction of the Dominator, developed specifically for NASCAR. During the ’80s, Holley developed some OE EFI components and the analog Pro-Jection retrofit system. The ’90s saw massive growth, Holley acquired top brands such as Weiand superchargers, Flowtech exhaust, Hooker Headers, Earl’s Plumbing, and NOS nitrous oxide systems. The new millennium has seen an expansion in all lines, especially EFI, with NASCAR using their EFI on all cars. NHRA just chose Holley to power the EFI on all cars in the Pro Stock class for 2016.

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SHOP TOUR

n our trip up to Du Quoin, Illinois, to cover the Street Machine Nationals, we had just enough time to make a little detour over to the small town of Red Bud, Illinois, to tour the shop of V8 Speed & Resto. It may be a small town and a relatively small shop, but owners Kevin and Kelle Oeste, like it that way. When they met, Kevin was living in California and the host of Hot Rod TV, while Kelle lived in Waterloo, Illinois. They were both living faster lifestyles than they are now, and actually met on Power Tour when Kevin broke down along the route. Kelle was one of the people who stopped to help. The two struck up a conversation that blossomed into a relationship and the rest is history. As things got more serious they knew they couldn’t live in two different states, so they had a decision to make. There are a few different reasons why they chose a little town in middle America to call home: Kelle’s hometown and family are nearby, the small town allows them to concentrate on building cars without the big town distractions; and though the talent pool may be smaller, the good workers are loyal because it is the only shop of their caliber around.

V8 Speed & Resto began in California in 2005 as a small garage on private property that served as the shop and production studio for the V8TV television show which aired nationally on various cable/satellite TV systems. At that time, the small crew built one car at a time as content for the TV show. Soon, people watching V8TV began to call and ask how the V8 crew could build their dream car, and things took off from there.

Today, the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in Red Bud is fully staffed with 12 talented people ranging from technicians, fabricators, body and paint techs, plus the administrative, and video production crew. Most of the work is done in-house, while some things like engine building and interiors are farmed out. V8TV airs on the TUFF-TV and REV’N TV networks, and the video crew is continuously producing V8TV web episodes Gearheads4Life.com

To see more search “V8 Speed & Resto” @Gearheads4Life.com along with their latest show, Muscle Car of the Week. The shop routinely performs everything from basic maintenance on classics and muscle cars to complete frameoff rotisserie restorations. Cars built in their shop have been featured at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, the Trans Am Nationals, the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, on various magazine covers, and have won numerous awards all around the country. V8’s customers come from around the world — they were building an LS9 ’69 Camaro bound for the Middle East while we were there. Thanks to their talented crew and quality work, along with their extensive documentation of each restoration with thousands of photographs, their customers are reassured that the work is beAre you a gearhead?

ing done right. Some even become the features of V8TV videos or get featured in national magazines. One thing we noticed from our tour of the shop was just how busy they were. They may only have 12 or so people working there, but it seemed like there were 50 with the activity that was going on. There were at least three vehicles in the final stages of assembly and the guys were working hard to wrap them up. Many of the employees have been with the shop from the beginning. Kevin told us that everyone works very much like family. They truly love the job they are doing and build every car as if they were building it for themselves. He said that mentality works great, because it also seconds as a “checks and balance” system — if someone sees some-

thing that wasn’t quite up to par before going to the next stage, they have no hard feelings making it right before handing it back. V8 Speed has no problems finding customers even though they are in a little town in the middle of nowhere. There is actually a waiting list and some cars are stored in another building down the road until it is their turn. That is a good problem to have! Luckily there is a plan in place with the landlord to move into the space next door within the next few years, which just so happens to be a body shop the landlord also owns. If things keep up the way they are going, they may be kicking the landlord out of his place real soon. For more information on V8 Speed and Resto, you can visit their website at v8speedshop.com. GH4L

Triple Threat SHOW STREET STRIP

31 Chrysler

BRANDON FLANNERY SHAWN BRERETON

f you are a Ford guy, building a hot rod is as easy as it gets. If you are a Chevy guy, it gets a little more difficult, and if you happen to be a devout Mopar fan like Brian Kohlmann it can be downright next to impossible. Brian is no stranger to fast cars. He’s had a blown nitro car, another on alcohol, and a list of other fast Mopar street machines. When he decided to build a hot rod, he knew he wanted it to be a Mopar. His search eventually turned up a car on eBay listed as a Desoto. Thinking that was close enough, he kept an eye on the auction. He contact-

ed the seller after it failed to meet the reserve and struck a deal to bring it home. The car was just a body, frame, and fenders, but it was a solid package. With plans for a highboy coupe, the fenders were put back up for sale. A potential customer revealed that based on the fenders the car wasn’t a Desoto, but a Chrysler. Further investigation determined that it was a 1931 model, and an early production one at that, as they changed the front windshield to a two-piece unit later in the year. The early coupe was a bit of a rarity in that it was also a rumble-seat version. It still

had the factory roll-down rear window, which was used to communicate with the rear passengers. Since the window mechanism was intact and functional it was retained. The roof was chopped 2 inches and the insert filled with the roof skin of a ’63 Dodge station wagon. In true hot rod fashion, the visor was drilled, the decklid was louvered, and four ’59 Cadillac taillights were frenched into the rear quarters. The parachute on the rear is not a prop, but we’ll get to that in just a minute. But first, like a house, every hot rod needs a solid foundation. Brian Gearheads4Life.com

31 Chrysler

Brian Kohlmann’s ’31 Chrysler Coupe is not your average hot rod says the car’s original frame rails were incredibly stout, so he simply boxed them in and added tubular crossmembers. While many hot rodders would have taken the easy route and added a Ford-style transverse leaf spring and an I-beam, Brian decided to keep the Mopar’s original parallel leaf spring setup. He chromed the springs and added a dropped axle. In a nod to the car’s nostalgic vibe, he dampens the suspension with lever shocks. When setting up the rear suspension Brian pulled out the big guns and located a Dana 60 rearend. He fabricated an Are you a gearhead?

adjustable ladder bar setup and hung it on a set of coilovers. Radir mags were chosen, with piecrust slicks and sidewall screws for the rear, and skinny wide whites up front. Inside, the factory dash panel now features seven AutoMeter Pro Comp gauges, a little pinstriping, and a few switches. A tachometer is mounted on the steering column below the metal-flaked three-spoke steering wheel, and the pleated white bench seat is backed by a roll bar. Simpson racing harnesses, a Moon pedal, and a Hurst floor shifter round things out.

While the car is nice enough to have won the Overall Best of Class – Street Cars award at the Detroit Autorama, it is far from all show and no go. Quite the contrary. Remember that parachute on the back? Well, it’s more than just a prop. Brian is an avid Drag Week competitor and it’s needed to slow him down from his nine-second blasts down the dragstrip. A big blown Hemi was the final component in this all-Mopar hot rod. Care was taken to keep things balanced between nostalgic good looks and today’s performance and reliabili

ty. With plans for both street and strip duty, Brian called upon Bob Walker at Hot Hemi Heads for a 354c.i. block with a 392 crank. Roger Lechtenburg of R&J Performance is a well-known cylinder head wizard, and he spent many hours working his magic on those iconic Hemi heads for optimum flow and power. Originally, the Littlefield 6-71 was topped with eight Stromberg carbs on an adapter that was one of only 20 made. A talented carb guy, Brian actually tuned them well enough to get the 3,200-pound coupe into the 10s. But

like all things fast, he needed more. Their combined 1,200 cfm became a bottleneck that restricted the car from going any faster. The solution? A Hilborn four-port injector, modified to work with modern EFI. A mix of Injection Dynamics nozzles, custom Holley EFI rails, and a FAST XFI 2.0 system were implemented, and after tuning, put the car into the 9s while retaining enough manners for the street. He frequently drives it to work and on trips, and gets around 12–15 mpg without fouling plugs or contaminating the oil.

Backing the Hemi is a clutch-assisted GFR-5 transmission from G-Force. The FAST unit also offers rpm-sensing traction control that adjusts ignition spark if the rpms spike unexpectedly. This creates the best of both worlds for this potent street and strip hot rod, and Brian has done a fine job building himself a Mopar like no other. He’d like to thank his son Kieron for prodding him to make the leap into EFI, the crew at FAST, Roger for the head work, and Larry at ASSC Racing who continues to be a huge help in the tuning department. GH4L

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Sportsman’s PARADISE

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he Memphis skyline is famous for its middle-20th-century buildings that rise from the bluffs on the Tennessee side of the Mississippi River. Thousands of stories have been written about the music and the food that has been made here, but first-time visitors to the city usually have one pressing question about the cityscape: “What’s the deal with the Pyramid?” The Pyramid began life in the early 1990s as a sports venue and concert hall. However, in just over a decade and a half it was tenant-less and sat dormant for years. It was an eyesore to the people of Memphis. But all of that changed when Bass Pro Shops — the Missouri-based sporting goods retailer — began work in 2011 converting the Pyramid into a 535,000-square-foot tourist attraction. On April 29, 2015, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid opened and while the outside might look nearly the same as it did 25 years ago, the interior is a sight to behold. It’s a true sportsman’s paradise. Walk into today’s incarnation of the Pyramid and you are greeted by the scent of cedar and a scene that is part sporting goods store, part nature preserve. 100foot tall cypress trees reach for the sky inside the 32-story structure, while foot bridges traverse various ponds stocked with a variety of fish, including plenty of bass of course. In the center of the ground floor three alligators are housed behind Plexiglass as part of a display that backs up to a multi-colored elevator. For $10 visitors can ride the tallest freestanding elevator in America to the top of the immense structure. Glassfloored observation decks provide views from more than 300 feet above the Bluff City and the Mighty Mississippi, while

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back inside visitors can eat at The Lookout at the Pyramid, complete with a 10,000-gallon catfish aquarium. Back on the ground floor, tucked away in a corner is Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill, featuring a casual dining restaurant and a 13-lane, ocean-themed bowling alley. (Get the Fishbowl name?) A general store wafting the smells of freshly made fudge and roasted peanuts entices visitors within its walls, and the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center on the second floor provides wetlands education. A 103-room hotel known as Big Cypress Lodge completes the package,

with rooms featuring a hunting lodge motif. Each one is even affixed with a front porch overlooking the retail space. Outdoorsman have plenty of shopping options too, ranging from the ridiculously kitsch (bass-shaped can cozies), to the sublime (boats featuring price tags equivalent to a mid-size car). Guns and ammo, bows and arrows, fishing rods and reels, and ATVs are among the other items that visitors can purchase. Expert employees are stationed in each department as well. This gallery provides a look inside Memphis’ latest addition it its wide range of retail and tourist attractions. GH4L

To see more search “Bass Pro Pyramid” @Gearheads4Life.com

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ROADSTORIES with JEFF SMITH

Jeff Smith is one of the most respected names in automotive media and is currently the Senior Tech Editor for our parent company Xceleration Media. Jeff has had legendary exploits during his years of being editor of Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Chevy High Performance.

We understand you had plenty of adventures with your ’65 Chevelle. Any special one you’d like to share? I have a ton of stories about that car, but the one thing I think that makes it special isn’t that it’s some great show car. Frankly, it’s been rode hard and put up wet way too many times. It’s really been more of a mule for all kinds of parts testing. But I think one thing that makes this car interesting is all the different events that we’ve put it through. It’s been on Power Tour a couple of times when we drove from Los Angeles to Detroit, I’ve bracket drag raced the car, it’s autocrossed hundreds of laps, we’ve taken it to Willow Springs on the road course, I raced it at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI), ran it twice on the Virginia City Hill

Climb, and even circle track raced it at Saugus Speedway on a 1/3-mile oval that was like racing inside a frying pan. But perhaps the wildest event was the two years we took it to the Pony Express Open Road Race.

What made you want to do that event?

Simple — I wanted to see how fast I could get a ’65 Chevelle to run. I’d been to Bonneville a couple of times, and I was there when my friend John Baechtel set a record with a Pontiac Trans Am car that went 220 mph. That got him into the 200 mph Club. I thought it would be fun to see how fast a Chevelle could go, but after seeing the damage the salt does to a race car at Bonneville, there was no way I was going to put my Chevelle through

that, so I started looking around for a cleaner place to run my car flat out. We had done a story in Hot Rod magazine with Big Red at the Silver State Open Road Race in Nevada and that looked like a great place. In the meantime, my friend John Green worked with Indy 500 winner, Roger Ward, to help create the Roger Ward Classic Auto Racing Society, an organization designed to promote a similar top speed event on Highway 305 in Nevada between the towns of Battle Mountain and Austin. This was 1997. I had started playing around with a top speed simulation computer program that with some conservative input numbers said my Chevelle would run between 170 and 172 mph top speed. More than a few friends said that was just flat wrong but others thought it was possible, so we put a 10-bolt 3.08 gear in the Chevelle because my 12-bolt had a problem at the last minute. My good friend Jim Peterson came with me and we entered the 150 mph

Jeff didn’t have any photos from his Pony Express race as they belong to another publisher, but he did have photos from his adventures in the 341 Challenge sponsored by Spectre in 2011. This is the ’65 Chevelle leaving the starting line just before we blew up the transmission near the top of the hill!

Gearheads4Life.com

class. My allowed tech speed was 170 mph, but I really didn’t think it would go that fast. The plan was to just see how fast we could get the Chevelle to run. On the Saturday test session, when the car hit around 145 mph, the front end actually lifted so badly that the steering became so light it would take two or three seconds for any input into the steering wheel to take effect. That was scary, so we changed our class to the 140-mph class and blocked off as much of the grille as we thought we could get away with. On race day there were 18 cars in the grid for our 140-mph class. The race is more like a rally, because winning is determined by how close you can finish to averaging 140 mph over the entire 90-mile course. I was only there to see how fast my car would run, but I still managed to finish 9th out of 16 cars. There were a bunch of Corvettes and Vipers in the class (and maybe some Porches), so it was fun to see a big, stupid shoe box out there running with those sports cars and doing well. I didn’t even have a stop watch with me, so I had no idea how close I ran until the results were announced at the banquet. My top speed was something like 155 mph. I knew it had more, so right there we decided to come back the following year and try again. Next year we were back with a big cow-catcher front air dam to keep the air out from under the car and prevent it from flying. It had an evil tendency at speeds over 150 mph to raise up and remove all the steering input because there was no downforce on the front tires. When we finally got up to speed, the car would hit a bump in the road and the front end would rear up and take a gulp of air which would lift the front end and hold it for about two seconds. Wherever the car was pointed, that’s where it went. I would turn the wheel slightly, but it would take about a second or two before it would respond. So I was constantly chasing the car at high speed, which was just plain scary. There was one long straight that was probably 40 miles long and that was where I just chased the car, because I knew they would be doing speed traps somewhere along that straight. Later I learned we hit 167 mph, which is cool. Just reaching the finish line is a feat in itself, but after I cross the finish line, I went to step on the clutch and the Are you a gearhead?

This is a nice action shot he liked of his Chevelle at the same Spectre 341 Challenge in Virginia City, Nevada. pedal was just limp. I pulled the car out of gear and coasted into the parking lot. As I was getting out of the car, somebody said “Hey’ you’re leaking.” I looked under the car and the oil drain plug was only holding on by about three threads and oil was dripping like every half-second. I kept my driving gloves on and burned my fingers on the oil threading the plug back in. There was a big stalactite-like thread of melted plastic hanging from the drain plug. I had replaced the oil pump pickup from the year before, because it literally fell off and my new oil pan used a plastic oil drain plug seal. The previous seal was copper but I didn’t re-use it, which was dumb. The seal had melted because even with a big Earl’s oil cooler in the car, the oil temperature hit 300-plus degrees during the race. I’m not sure how high it got because the gauge topped out very early in the race at 275 degrees. I had to limp the car back to Battle Mountain without a clutch linkage because somewhere out there in the Nevada desert is the adjustment rod that vibrated off. So the early-Chevelle gods were watching out for me. Imagine if that oil drain plug had fell all the way out and dumped 7 quarts of oil under my back tires at speed. That would have been ugly. That was a lesson learned. We ended up running 167 mph against a simulation of 170. So when I got home, I plugged my 550-horse-

power engine and drivetrain into the simulation and then dialed in a much cleaner third-generation Firebird with a drag coefficient of 0.29. The simulation said that just the aero help alone (along with a taller gear) would push this package well past 200 mph. That shows just how much aerodynamics are worth. My buddies and I talked about building a 200-mph third-gen Camaro, but other projects came along and we decided to road race the Chevelle instead, since the car was already pointed in that direction.

Sounds like a wild ride. Would you do it again?

The biggest thing is that car should never have been allowed to run that fast. All I had was a four-point roll bar and a cheap plastic seat and a fourpoint harness. That’s really dumb. I think one reason they let me run that fast was because I was going to do a story for Chevy High Performance. But it really wasn’t safe. The only way I’d go back is with a full NASCAR-style cage, a fire system, and bunch of aero work to keep the nose down. Even with all that, it wouldn’t run much faster unless we put some Big Red-style Rat motor in it and just muscled it through the air. I don’t really want to do all that to the Chevelle, so we’ll just play around on the road courses. That’s almost as much fun and not nearly as scary! ’65 Chevelles are not supposed to go that fast! GH4L

EVENTCOVERAG EVENT COVERAGE

STREET MACHINE NATIONALS — ST. PAUL July 17–19, 2015 SHAWN BRERETON

mitated, but never duplicated. The one and only Street Machine Nationals took place July 17–19 on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota. Initially we had some concerns since another show was going on that weekend in nearby Milwaukee, but as soon as they opened the gates, there were no more worries. The hallowed grounds coveted for its tree-lined streets and amazing food vendors once again saw thousands of street machines partake in the festivities that make it one of the “can’t miss” events on the calendar. ProStreet, muscle cars, street rods, and customs flooded in the gate Friday morning to claim spots. There is nothing like the rumble and smell of high octane fuel in the morning. Though it was a little hot for the northerners, it was perfect weather for us Southern boys and Xceleration Media was again out covering the grounds shooting the event for three of its titles: Gearheads4Life, Street Rod Life, and Power and Performance News. Our own Tech Editor Jeff Smith was on hand to direct the participants in the Street Machine Challenge, which tests the cars in different disciplines including a dyno challenge, autocross, and start/stop challenge. Street Rod Life Editor Todd Ryden was also there to document the show with as much coverage as his camera could take before it screamed for mercy. Social Media Coordinator Jonathan and GH4L Editor Shawn Brereton manned the Xceleration Media booth most of the time, but were able to shoot some coverage and features as well. Our online Gearhead Powerpack Giveaway winners received gift certificates worth approximately $750 from our friends at COMP Performance Group. If they weren’t parked in our booth space, they were either out cruising the grounds, or winning the Street Machine Challenge. That’s right, our pick for the GH4L Powerpack, Ryan Buck, took his ’63 Nova out and thrashed it all weekend in the Challenge and beat the pants off of everyone else to grab the Challenge Cup (look for a feature on the nasty Nova in an upcoming issue of Power and Performance magazine). All three editors scoured the grounds trying to decide on the picks for the Editor’s Choice awards that were given away at the main stage on Saturday. Three lucky winners were chosen to receive a custom, one-of-a-kind award made by FastLane Metalworx. These awards are handmade works of art that are surely hanging proudly in their man cave. Justin De Mars was chosen as the GH4L Editor’s pick with his wicked 1965 Ford Fairlane (you can see a feature on the car on page 62). Folks stopped by all weekend to pick up free copies of the magazines. And boy did we give out some magazines — somewhere north of 12,000 of them. We sold out of almost every T-shirt we hauled brought with us. We also had special event pricing into our Enthusiast Club for just $25. Along with a subscription to the magazine of their choice, members of the club receive a free T-shirt, license plate, Gearhead Girl poster, and access to member-only promotions and discounts from participating manufacturers. Check out our website for information on signing up. All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better trip up to the Land of 10,000 Lakes and can’t wait for next year. We can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! GH4L

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BOOKREVIEW BOOK REVIEW

JEFF SMITH

Physics for Gearheads By Randy Beikmann, Ph.D. 608 pages Published by Bentley Publishers ISBN: 978-0-8376-1615-5 $55.42 at amazon.com 86

Physics for Gearheads has to be one of the most challenging books I’ve read since I finished school. That may not sound like a glowing review, but my intention is purely positive. It wasn’t until after I left school that I realized the basis for nearly every technical question ever addressed for a high-performance automobile could be neatly summarized with basic physics and its accompanying math. Author Randy Beikmann has a Ph. D. in mechanical engineering and has taken the complex subject matter of how physics relates to the automotive world. The book is broken down into 17 chapters to help you understand how physics affects everyday decisions we make about performance cars. Beikmann addresses this by emphasizing that we must at least acknowledge the existence of basic laws of physics if we expect to avoid potential headaches later on. Gearheads4Life.com

It’s discouraging when you realize that your new idea on making more horsepower won’t pass muster because it overlooks the laws of physics. Physics for Gearheads has chapters dealing with forces, torque, motion dynamics, energy applications, and the basics of power among many others. Beikmann also gets into fun stuff like center of gravity calculations, load distribution within a race car, and other topics true gearheads will find enteraining. In each of these chapters, he takes the obscure theory and applies it directly to an automobile so the reader can become familiar with the theory by seeing it applied in a real-world automotive application. This is really the key to understanding much of what physics attempts to teach. I wish my high school physics teacher had tried this. I might have been more interested when I was 17. Are you a gearhead?

I won’t sugar coat this , Physics for Gearheads is 600 pages and while the subject matter is about high performance cars and racing, this is tough sledding for those of us with limited math skills. However, this book is enormously helpful with hundreds of formulas intended to guide you through the math when faced with a question that can only be solved with numbers. For example, Beikmann offers math-based proof for why taking the preferred line on a race track will generate quicker lap times, or why gasoline is an excellent energy choice compared to other forms of energy. For engine fans, there’s a chapter on Power Basics where Beikmann gets into power, acceleration, and parasitic losses. Among the best parts of this chapter is his treatment on traction, power, and gearing, all of which directly relate to performance enthusiasts. There’s even a chart that lists formulas for determining acceleration based on traction limits. These are the same formulas used to create the drag strip simulations computer programs that are now so easily accepted. Biekmann quickly mentions kinetic energy in rotation as it relates to a flywheel. As an example when a flywheel spins, it creates kinetic energy. He notes that by doubling the speed of a given weight flywheel from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm, the kinetic energy is quadrupled. This explains why raising the launch rpm allows a race car to leave that much harder, assuming traction is maintained. It’s not so much that the engine is making more power but that the kinetic energy stored in the spinning flywheel releases that energy as the clutch is engaged. This is also the reason why Indy cars spin the tires when leaving the pits, since their flywheel and clutch is so small and light that it stores very little energy. The driver has to raise the launch rpm high enough to spin the tires so the engine doesn’t stall while leaving the pits. But don’t let all the formulas and equations in this book scare you away. If you have always wondered about the real origins of how the physics is applied when it comes to high-performance automobiles, chances are your questions are covered in this book. I know it has already earned a prime spot as a valued reference on my bookshelf. GH4L

Jeff Smith is our Senior Tech Editor. He is one of the most respected automotive journalists and is a walking encyclopedia of automotive information.

40 THE BIG

TURNING

BRANDON FLANNERY

o matter what the business, startup companies have shortand long-term goals they hope to achieve. Some fail to reach any and are forced to close. Others continually reach their objectives and see growth year after year. Those years of growth helped COMP Cams (founded in 1976) build a legacy in the motorsports world and become the leader in valvetrain technology. As 2016 gets closer, the company is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary with several festive activities, including a special celebratory event, collectible merchandise, and the resurrection of its iconic white ’69 Camaro. Recently we were given a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to sift through COMP’s vast photo archives, and we were amazed, not only at the sheer volume of images, but at the wide range of vehicles. If it had an engine (or four), COMP was right there in the thick of things helping develop products and assisting with sponsorships and contingency programs. We’ve picked out some interesting cars to showcase its four decades in motorsports, and we hope you dig them as much as we do. GH4L

This dyno room has given life to thousands of camshaft designs over the years.

Tim Cole is a long time drag racer, and actually works at COMP Cams in the Engine Builder Sales dept. His Corvette yanks the wheels up and sets records, and is powered by a V6. Yes, you read that right.

With roots in drag racing, cars like Phil Hassell’s Vega waged war one quarter-mile at a time. He was a COMP customer who did very well. Gearheads4Life.com

One of the most iconic ’57 Chevys in drag racing, the Soff Seal ’57, was COMP equipped. If you read Super Chevy in the 1980s this was all over it.

Here’s a cool shot of Bunny Burkett’s funny car warming the tires. With over 50 years of racing under her belt Bunny has done it all.

Dirt track racing is a huge reason why second-gen Camaros are hard to find. They were used by the thousands.

Big money! A $100,000 purse is a huge one, and in 2004 Scott Bloomquist took home the big check. Are you a gearhead?

Round and round! Sprint Cars need to breathe and COMP helps them stay in the power band.

One of the most famous NASCAR racers in history got there with a COMP Cam. Breaking into the NASCAR realm was harder than one might think. Those guys were pretty set with what they had, and COMP had to earn its way into the ranks. The rest is history.

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a neat one! The late Ralph Bruning was an 8-time World Champion Pikes Peak Racer, seen here in his Buick taking his 7th win.

Helmet? Check. Backpack parachute? Check. Glovesâ&#x20AC;Ś. Gloves?

Boat racing was big business in the 1980s, and require their own grinds.

While it flies under the mainstream radar, truck pulls are still very popular. In 1980 Joe Meklin was the Missouri State Champion in the 6200-pound class with his 514c.i. Ford. Is this thing cool, or what?

Monster trucks make big horsepower and draw big crowds. The Executioner was one high-flyer that rode with COMP.

When COMP partnered with RHS it really got into dirt track racing, and set the bar for camshaft technology, evolving with the cars as the years went by.

Got Salt? If it has an engine COMP is there. Many land speed records have been set with a little help from Memphis.

If you sell engine parts, participating in tractor pulls is simply good business. Here the Sassy Massey digs in with a half-dozen supercharged Hemis.

1 3

Photo 1: shows the COMP Cams 1969 Camaro as it was being built in the late 90s. Photo 2: The finished Camaro was a fixture on Hot Rod Power Tours until 2010. Photo 3: Camaro taken to V8 Speed (see page 70) for renovations for the 40th anniversary. Stay tuned to Gearheads4Life for updates.

THE

Ameri Take a tour of the National Corvette Museum

SHAWN BRERETON

he word “icon” can have a few different meanings depending on the subject: religious — a conventional image used in devotion; symbolic — a person or thing that represents something; idyllic — an object of uncritical devotion. When it comes to cars, there are very few models that can fit all three definitions. The car has to almost certainly have a track record (or pedigree), a devoted following, and represent something to a vast majority of people. By those standards, it is safe to say that the Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most iconic American automobiles ever made. Nestled among the rolling hills off I-65 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, sits a shrine to this most iconic piece of roll-

ing art, The National Corvette Museum. Its non-profit mission is the celebration of the Corvette’s invention and the preservation of the legendary automobile’s past, present, and future. The museum serves as an educational and research model for all to enjoy. Built on a 52-acre site surrounded by an outdoor picnic area, amphitheater, and large parking grounds, the museum houses over 80 Corvettes inside the walls of a 115,000-square foot building recognized world-wide for its space-age design and sweeping lines. The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in the driveway (or see it from the interstate) is the Skydome, where the Hall of Fame cars are housed. The yellow cone-shaped room, 140-feet in diameter

with a 100-foot high glass ceiling, made headlines in February 2014 when a sinkhole opened up and swallowed eight of the most-prized possessions. Two of the eight cars have been restored: the 2009 ZR1 prototype known as Blue Devil was returned to original condition last year, while the 1992 1 millionth Corvette was recently “re”-unveiled after undergoing a painstaking 1,200 man-hour restoration. A third car (a 1962 version) will be the final restoration. The other five were considered not salvageable and will remain in their as-recovered state in a sinkhole-themed display at the museum. The tour starts pretty much as soon as you walk in the door. Corvettes with the R8C option designates them for MuGearheads4Life.com

rican

seum Delivery. The newly completed Vettes, brought over from the assembly plant across the road, adorn the entryway awaiting their new owners who get the VIP treatment before driving them home. After ogling the new cars, you are ready to enter. For those with a mobile phone, we suggest bringing your earbuds and downloading the tour app that will walk you through the entire facility step-by-step. You can pause it if you would like more time in a certain area or fast forward, making it very easy to tailor your time. After paying your fee ($10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-16, free for under 6), you are free to enter the Gateway, which is a tribute to the six generations of Corvette. From there you can go into the Chevro-

ICON

let Theatre and watch a short film on the 50-year history of the Corvette. The next section (Nostalgia) is laid out in a small town USA feel, complete with a barbershop, gas station, and an introduction to the 1953 Vette. There is also a tribute to Zora Arkus-Duntov, the godfather of the Corvette. Other displays in this area harken back to the ’60s and ’70s including a diorama showing a car being assembled at the plant in St. Louis, before it was moved to Bowling Green in 1981. From there, you move into the Performance section, which is devoted to Corvette’s place in the performance and racing industry and features cars of all generations. Speaking of generations, folks of any age can also participate in the Pit Crew Challenge offering a real hands-on experience with actual tools used in a pit stop. The Design and Development area shows how Corvettes go from the drawing board to working prototypes to ac-

tual production models. You will see some really cool models that never made it into the showroom. There is even an exhibition on the safety that engineers and designers build into every Vette. The Enthusiast Area spotlights what makes the Corvette stand out from other hot rods and just how “Corvette crazy” people can be. This is where you see what makes a Corvette uniquely a Corvette. The next room, unfortunately was not complete when we made our trip. They were putting the finishing touches on the Skydome when we visited, but you could see a few of the damaged Corvettes awaiting their final resting place in what is sure to be a major draw when the sinkhole display is complete (if not already). The Skydome features production vehicles on-loan from private owners, as well as cars made famous in magazines and auto shows. The Exhibit Hall is a constantly changing 12,000-square foot room with

all sorts of different displays. When we toured, it featured NASCAR cars through the years, featuring some great cars from the likes of Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmy Johnson. After the Exhibit Hall, your tour ends in the gift store, where any fan can easily empty their wallet faster than a Corvette can make it down the quarter mile. On your way out the door, you can stop in the Corvette Café and grab some an ice cream cone before you check out the assembly plant or the Motorsports Park. Part of the beauty of the museum is that displays throughout the building are on-loan, which means the cars are constantly changing, keeping it fresh for multiple return visits. You will never be bored, because there is always something new to see. You can get more information on the National Corvette Museum by visiting the website: corvettemuseum.org. GH4L

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