Street Rod Life Summer 2017

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Todd Ryden

tryden@xcelerationmedia.com

A Favorite Day

D

uring Xceleration Media staff meetings, which includes the editors of Power and Performance News, Drag Racing Scene, One Dirt, and Gearheads 4 Life, we throw a lot of ideas on the wall. A considerable number of these suggestions drip down and fall off, but there’s generally a few that stick and come to fruition in some form.

In a recent meeting, Todd Silvey, editor of Drag Racing Scene, suggested the nifty idea that each of the editors should focus their columns on the same subject. Various subjects were bantered about, from our favorite cars, to events, engines, and so on, until it was decided we should all write about ‘Your Favorite Day.’ The subject seemed to give everyone enough latitude to be able to focus on their title’s tone, subject matter, and opinion.

So, it is game on for each of the XM brands, and you can check them all out online, or in print. I’m curious what Todd Silvey, Jeff Smith, Cam Benty, and Ben Shelton will be sharing for their Favorite Day column, and also have been thinking about mine.

To me, a favorite day begins at an event of some sort. Almost any event works, from shows to races. For me, there are two favorite parts about any event: getting in the venue early and being there late. I love rolling into nearly any event when the air is cool and cars are just rolling in. Everyone is getting set up, from the vendors to the participants wiping the dew off their car and doing some detail work, or getting ready for the next run.

The day goes by. We shoot pics, do interviews, eat fairground food, sweat, and work the booth. Then, if the weather cooperates, you find a quiet area on the grounds to shoot a car for a feature. It’s fun to end the day one on one with a proud owner of a rod and learn the story behind the build. Then, when the sun is just right and you peer through the lens at a fabulous shot, it’s been a good day.

However, if I have to narrow it down to a specific event, SCTA Bonneville SpeedWeek is at the top of the list. Just driving out to the Salt Flats is a unique experience on its own, but when you combine the location, the history, and the diverse gathering of racers running only for glory, it’s nothing short of phenomenal.

I’ve been fortunate for several years to tag along with friends that were racing, which gives you a different experience than simply attending the event. Spreading out a couple blue tarps on the salt, unloading the tools, and getting the car up on jack stands for a pre-run inspection is an enjoyable ritual at any track, but then to look around at the barren surroundings, the mountains, and sheer space, it gives you reason to pause and freeze that moment.

It’s important to note I’m a notoriously impatient guy and like to get things rolling, moving, and going with haste. However, Bonneville is not the place for hurriedness and in a day or two, the concept of time wanes to sunrise and sunset.

Speaking of sunrise, my favorite day at Bonneville starts far before the sun shows itself. When you qualify for a record at Bonneville, you park in a special impound area, and come back at dawn to attempt to back up your qualifying run. Driving out on the Salt in the dark, seeing the lights of the impound area, and watching the sunrise with racers prepping for their record runs is absolutely awesome. For anyone that runs their number, it’s icing on the cake.

Bonneville is definitely a favorite day. SRL

Editorial Director

Todd Ryden

Senior Tech Editor

Jeff Smith

Tech Editor

Richard Holdener

Copy Editor

Cindy Bullion

Production

Hailey Douglas

Art

Paul Graff

Digital Editors

Elizabeth Puckett Jonathan Ertz

Contributors Barry Kluczyk Brandon Flannery Louis Kimery Corey Ringo Chadly Johnson Tammy Holland

Advertising/Subscriptions Ivan Korda John Nichols For advertising inquiries call 901.260.5910.

Street Rod Life is published quarterly to promote the growth of street rodding 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 street rodders and fans.

Editorial content and advertisements for each issue can originate from partner companies participating in the magazine.

Street Rod Life is a hybrid of content that was originally published at StreetRodLife.com and original content that was created for this quarterly print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through direct distribution from parent company Xceleration Media, its partner companies, and marquee events throughout the year.

Street Rod Life 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.

Cover ON THE

ONE-OWNER

Todd Ryden leaned out the rear window of Dale Golucke’s ‘55 Chevy street gasser to catch another ‘55 on a road trip through New Mexico.

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LONESTAR ROU BLUE SUEDE NDUP CRUISE

VOL. 3, NO.

Todd Ryden tryden@xcelerationmedia.com

Staff Operations Director Shawn Brereton

STREETRODLIF

E.COM

#StreetRodLife

THE CAR FIND S YOU

VINTAGE WIRES FROM IDIDIT

POWERMASTER STARTER TIPS

QUICK STREET RODSCRUISE

BY MICHAEL

INSIDE...

STREETRODLIFE.COM Vol. 3, No. 2

60

PLUMBING TRUCK HAULER A home-built ’53 really hauls

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

16 THE REBEL ’40 24 READY FOR THE ROAD 32 ROUND UP IN AUSTIN 38 SNAKE IN A BOX 48 STORIES FROM THE ROAD 60 PLUMBING TRUCK HAULER 76 ONE-OWNER GT500KR 84 BLUE SUEDE CRUISE

01 FIRE IT UP 04 RPM REPORT 06 DIGITAL DETOUR 08 SOCIAL SPIN 10 ROD SHOT 12 VIDEO PLAYLIST 14 IN THE PASSENGER SEAT

Chris Ito is the right owner Road trip preparation

48 hours of Lonestar fun

A truck with a Viper heart

Our staff’s road trip musings

A home-built ’53 really hauls

Rare and a surprise restoration “Two for the show…”

A favorite day

What’s up in the rodding world Cool sites, tech, and info

Car guy tweets and posts Inside Louisville

Cool videos you need to see

70 QUICK CRUISE

Michael Young chooses rods over music

92 CLUB SPOTLIGHT 93 STREET ROD LIFER 94 HIT THE ROAD 95 GRINDING GEARS 96 BEHIND THE DOOR

Michigan Hot Rod Association Race cars to street rods Where to be and when

Wedding day or the Ring Oney has a lot going on

SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Chair

Even more features, videos, & event coverage

@StreetRodLife.com 2

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

38

32

SNAKE IN A BOX A truck with a Viper heart

ROUND UP IN AUSTIN 48 hours of Lonestar fun

TECH

22 CUT AND CRIMP 29 EASY DISTRIBUTOR SWAP 44 DYNO CAM TEST 54 PARTS STORE 66 CRANK IT CORRECTLY 68 SIMPLE TRANS TUNING 74 VALVETRAIN BREAK-IN 82 STEERING RE-DO 90 ELECTRONIC ASSIST Building ididit’s new plug wires

Installing a new FAST XDi EZ-Run

Big power with Lunati’s Bootlegger New parts you must have Starter installation tips

Tune the trans from the driver’s seat Doing it the right — and new — way Borgeson sets us straight

29

EASY DISTRIBUTOR SWAP Installing a new FAST XDi EZ-Run

Parts Store ’70-’76 Chrylser A-Body Tilt Steering Column ididit ................ 54 Remaster Mopar Master Cylinder Baer Brake Systems............ 54 21-Stud Cylinder Heads H&H Flatheads .................................. 54 EZ-EFI 2.0 Sidedraft System Inglese....................................... 55 Pro Pack Premium Ties Down Strap Kit Mac’s Tie Downs......... 55 Correcting Cream and Orbital Polisher Griot’s Garage............. 56 Injector Defender Fuel Additives Driven Racing Oil.................. 56 Valve Springs Crane Cams ....................................................... 56 Trailer Coupler Lock CURT Manufacturing................................. 57 Hydraulic Roller Lifter Install Kits COMP Cams ..................... 57 BIM-01 EFI Interface Modules Dakota Digital ......................... 58 16-inch Big Motor Electric Fans GC Cooling Fans ................... 58 Stage II TVS Kit for ’65-’66 Galaxie Hotckis Sport Suspension .58

See more new products updated daily at StreetRodLife.com.

Power steering with electricity

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3

NEWS HOT TOPICS INFO

RPM REPORT

SPONSORED BY

ididit earns ISO cert

It’s safe to say most of the established companies in our industry were started in a basement or garage and driven by passion for hot rodding. Such is the case for the steering column experts at ididit, LLC in Tecumseh, Michigan. Being a homegrown company, it’s always neat to see them become an established manufacturer and major part of the street rodding hobby.

The team at ididit recently earned their certification to the ISO 9001:2015 standard. ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized family of quality management standards. By adhering to ISO’s quality measurements, ididit is certified to world-class specifications for quality, safety, and efficiency.

SEMA after-party open to all The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association, best known simply as SEMA, is a trade-only event. This means you can’t just walk up and buy a ticket to get in to see the world’s largest automotive trade show. But, on the last day of the show, the hot rods, customs, and all walks of the automotive world roll out of the Las Vegas Convention Center to form a giant after-party — and everyone is invited!

The SEMA Ignited event takes place from 3 to 10 p.m.

4

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

on Friday, Nov. 3, right across from the Convention Center.

There will be cars and trucks for everyone to enjoy, with a hot rod area, sport compact section, and off-road group.

The Battle of the Builders will be announced on the main stage, plus there will be food trucks, manufacturers, and automotive craziness forming a huge carnival of horsepower to cap off the week. Check out semaignited.com for details and tickets.

NEWS HOT TOPICS INFO

RPM REPORT Mustang searches are number one According to ClassicCars.com, the Ford Mustang is the most searched classic car. Based on a state-by-state report, Ford’s legendary pony car ranked first in 13 states, followed by the Chevrolet Impala (seven). The Camaro came in third with five states, while the Corvette, Dodge Charger, and the Ford Thunderbird each finished first in three states.

ClassicCars.com used their 330,000 daily searches for the data. Interestingly, domestic models topped the searches in 49 states, with Connecticut being the lone state to search out an import – Mercedes-Benz.

Roving restoration underway Speaking of Mustangs, eBay Motors will be sending Rutledge Wood, K.C. Mathieu, and Mike Finnegan on a cross-country restoration project this summer. eBay Motors will supply a ’67 Mustang Fastback and all the parts needed for the car build from its large selection of parts and accessories available on their marketplace.

The team will be at four pop-up garages across the states, including the Carlisle Ford Nats (held in June); the Goodguys PPG Nats in Columbus, Ohio, July 7-9; the Woodward Dream Cruise, August 18-19; and the Goodguys West Coast Nats in Pleasanton the last weekend of August. The complete Resto Mod Mustang will be unveiled in the Ford booth at the SEMA Show, Oct. 31 – Nov. 3. You can check out their progress on the eBay Motors blog (http://www.ebay.com/motors/blog) and their social media outlets.

Ignition for a lifetime

FAST recently announced their complete line of E6 CD Ignitions are now backed by a full, limited lifetime warranty. FAST wants rodders and racers alike to know they can trust the performance and endurance of their multi-strike, high-output CD ignitions by committing to a lifetime warranty.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AND RECENT TRENDS

@ StreetRodLife.com

STREETRODLIFE.COM

5

SITES APPS FORUMS TRENDS

DIGITAL DETOUR The internet is chock full of automotive information, but weeding through all of the ads these days to find the information you’re searching for is getting tough. We’ve put together a few suggestions that have helped us with a project, or we simply found fun to read through. If you have any great websites, forums, or social media groups to share, let us know!

WEBSITES Measuring Tires and More

Ever wonder what the difference in height is of a 215/65 versus a 235/70?

Why did tires become so hard to figure out the dimensions? This website makes it easy to compare tire sizes, learn the exact width and height. It’s also got helpful info to cover speedometer correction and more.

tiresize.com

Wiki for Kustoms

Kustomrama is basically a Wikipedia site dedicated to traditional rods and customs. Everyone is welcome to contribute to existing stories and to start new topics on its pages, to keep the rodding online encyclopedia growing with more fun info to share.

kustomrama.com

The 1959 Plan

Though this page hasn’t been updated in a few years, we still had a blast flipping through all of the great mid-century commercial art. There are pages of vintage advertising pieces, especially on the cars, trucks, and wagon pages, but don’t forget to check appliances, furniture, and the TV dinners.

plan59.com

Multi-Carb Info

In a search for multi-carb intake setups, we came across this site and learned a thing or two about the Stromberg carb, including the 48, 97, and 81 series carbs. The site is actually a store for carbs and intake setups, but there’s some good info and eye candy in the form of intakes.

vintagespeed.com

GROUPS/FORUMS 1954 Ford Club

The great thing about web forums is how narrow the subject matter can be. In this case, the point of interest is exclusively 1954 Fords. Customs, restomods, factory restorations, or any combination — as long as it is of ’54 Vintage.

1954ford.com

Mopar Madness

If you own a Mopar, are looking for a Mopar, or just like looking at and reading about Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouths, with the occasional AMC, this Facebook group is for you. The private group of more than 55,000 keeps it all Mopar, and there’s even Aussie models.

Nailhead Devotion

When you get a Buick Nailhead dropped into a street rod, then top it with some vintage accessories and a trick multi-carb setup, it’s a work of art. This Facebook group, the Almighty Buick Nailhead Engine, is devoted to the Buick mill and is full of great tech, pics, history, and experience.

facebook.com/The Almighty Buick Nailhead Engine

Put in an LS

If you’re thinking about swapping an LS engine into your rod, check out this Facebook group. The page is all about swapping LS engines into anything, supported with pictures and suggestions from its 17,000 members. Don’t expect to find any parts for sale in this group, it’s all about the tech.

facebook.com/Mopar Muscle Cars

Street rodding news at your fingertips Street Rod Life is making it easy for you to receive rodding news no matter what media platform you choose!

Whether you prefer a desktop computer, tablet, or phone, we’ve

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

got you covered with daily updates about the street rodding industry.

Check out Street Rod Life online or through your favorite social media platform.

facebook.com/LS Swap Everything

FACEBOOK

facebook.com/StreetRodLife TWITTER

@StreetRodLife YOUTUBE

youtube.com/StreetRodLife INSTAGRAM

instagram.com/StreetRodLife

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FACEBOOK TWITTER MULTIMEDIA

SOCIAL SPIN

SOCIAL MEDIA

#StreetRodLife

Get social with us – find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Be sure to hashtag #StreetRodLife on all your favorite car show pics, garage projects, and just plain ol’ cool stuff that we all dig. You can also give us a shoutout @StreetRodLife to share something and we might even repost it! #STREETRODLIFE AS SEEN ON FACEBOOK Could you imagine having your pride and joy stolen out of your driveway? How about having it stolen and then returned to you over 35 years later? That’s exactly what happened to Tony Peldunas and his ’65 Corvette.

Check out this amazing story and much more on our daily Facebook page updates.

FACEBOOK A FEW OF OUR FRIENDS COOK’S GARAGE BAILEIGH INDUSTRIAL DAVE KINDIG DANCHUCK USA MECUM AUCTIONS RAT ROD ADDICTION

TWITTER WORTH FOLLOWING

#STREETRODLIFE AS SEEN ON INSTAGRAM

@RINGBROTHERS @GOODGUYS @TCIAUTO @HOTCHKIS @DETROITSPEEDINC @USAHOTRODS

INSTAGRAM WORTH FOLLOWING MAX_GRUNDY BILLETSPECIALTIES WICKEDFABRICATION

If you like pics of cool rods, engines, garage shots, and just fun street rod shots, dial up #streetrodlife on Instagram!

Watch updates to our ‘40 Ford build as we assemble the front end with a Chassis Engineering Kit, along with a Weedetr leaf spring kit in the rear.

facebook.com/StreetRodLife

@StreetRodLife

youtube.com/StreetRodLife

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THEJESSICOMBS TEXASSTREETRODS KUSTOMPAUL

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Need High Performance Parts?

Chassis shops, engine builders, fab shops and performance parts retailers around the world rely on Motor State for all their performance parts needs.

Call to order a Free Motor State Hot Rod & Early Muscle Catalog.

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Rod Shot

Thousands of you reading this issue will be walking around this very hall, the Kentucky Expo Center, during the NSRA Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, you might be able to find yourself in this shot snapped during the 2016 event. If you’re going to the show, be sure to look for us in the main hall, or one of our team wandering around snapping pics…or possibly bartering a deal in the swap meet.

PHOTO: Todd Ryden

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

STREETRODLIFE.COM 

11

RACING PRODUCTS ENTERTAINMENT

VIDEO PLAYLIST There is no shortage of cool videos to watch online, but finding quality car stuff can get tough.

Here are a few of our recommendations that you can see at StreetRodLife.com/video-playlist.

To watch all the videos below, head to:

StreeRodLife.com/video-playlist History of Oldsmobile

A history of the Oldsmobile brand with vintage factory photos and film footage. Olds was first for an automatic trans with the Hydra-Matic, and even pioneered chrome plating.

Time-lapse Hemi build

You’ve probably seen a couple of time-lapse rebuilds by now, but this FirePower Hemi takes the cake. Watch 10 months of work and more than 40,000 photos in just a few minutes.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Timing is everything

We talk distributors, timing, and tuning with Robby Davis. Robby is the man when it comes to understanding timing and dwell. He even spins up a couple on his vintage Sun Machines for us.

Let’s talk quick change

If you’ve ever wondered about using a quick change rear end in your next build, this video from Speedway Motors addresses all of the pros and cons of using the vintage rear end.

Big engines starting

Chances are you like the sounds of an engine firing up, and this video has some BIG engines. From a blown Flathead to a Rolls Royce V12 plane engine, Allisons, and more, this video is sure to fire you up.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Body building at GM

Go behind the scenes of GM in this ’60s film reel about engineering and the manufacturing of car bodies within the halls of GM.

Digging the drags

You can find hours of vintage drag racing to watch online, but this video caught our eye (and ears) with jalopies, straight axles, Vettes, and early funny cars.

The asphalt jungle is a noisy place. Make sure you’re heard.

The streets are full of commotion and it’s easy to get run over unless you make some noise. The hard-hitting Thumpr™ Series from COMP Cams® will give your hot rod or street machine an aggressive note that lets them know you mean business. More than all bark and no bite, they were specifically designed to create impressive horsepower gains and broad torque curves while maintaining streetability.

From mild to wild, Thumpr™ offers three levels of thump to suit any engine: Thumpr™, Mutha Thumpr™, and the Big Mutha Thumpr™. Though nostalgic-sounding in note, the designs are compatible with the latest in valve train advances, including COMP® Beehive™ Valve Springs, Ultra Pro Magnum™ Roller Rockers, and Magnum Pushrods. EFI-compatible versions are also available. You choose the engine, Thumpr® will make it roar.

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With TAMMY

HOLLAND

SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance and the RPM Act Editor’s Note: The Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) is a SEMA sub-committee focused on the prosperity and challenges of the hot rod industry. Tammy Holland of COMP Cams is the incoming chairperson and agreed to get in the Passenger Seat with SRL and explain the HRIA’s goals and plans.

T

he HRIA has many different initiatives and programs in the works, such as Futures in Hot Rodding, which helps steer and encourage the next wave of enthusiasts into the automotive industry. We also share scholarship information, a Career Center, and the SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program (check it out at sema.org/hria).

Tammy Holland, HRIA Chairperson However, I’d like to take this column to talk about the recent SEMA Washington Rally held in May. The annual rally is a program put together by SEMA to bring many of its volunteers and staff to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Congress representatives.

This year, we had more than 80 industry volunteers from more than 20 different states. (While given the opportunity, I have to give the SEMA Washington Rally staff a big thank you for their long hours and scheduling that went into this program.) This was my third rally, and this year’s was by far the largest, in part to the importance of the RPM Act. The RPM Act is proposed legislation — for which SEMA is spearheading a campaign for public support — that will in essence allow the modification of street vehicles into race cars. This all started when SEMA’s Washington team spotted a statement in a proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulation which read, “…the Clean Air Act does not allow any person to disable, remove, or render inoperative the emission controls on a certified motor vehicle for purpose of competition.”

SEMA went back to the EPA and asked, “do you mean exactly as this reads?” They were told, “Yes.” Now, something is being done about it — H.R.350/S.203, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017.

As a hot rodder, you may wonder why the RPM Act should matter to you. Think about this: NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA, even off-road racing and most other motorsports, all stemmed from turning street cars into race cars. Look at the parking lot at your local club racing, autocrosses, or bracket racing — there’s a lot of late model cars out there. We need to ensure that rodders and racers alike can continue to modify and enjoy 14

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

their cars, which is exactly why the RPM Act is so important.

With that, it made this year’s SEMA Washington Rally extremely important. I got to meet with aides to Senators Bob Corker (R- Kirstin Stone of SEMA’s Young ExecTN) and Lamar Alexanutive Network, Congressman Steve der (R-TN). We were lucky Cohen from Tennessee, and Tammy Chairperson of the Hot Rod enough to see Senator Alex- Holland, Industry Alliance, met during the ander in the hall for a quick SEMA Washington Rally. pitch to vote yes on the RPM Act. SEMA Young Executive Network chair-elect Kirstin Stone and I also met with Congressman Steve Cohen’s aide.

Cohen (D-TN) has been to the COMP Cams facility many times, so he personally knows the impact the RPM Act makes to local businesses.

The rally was a help to gain support for the RPM Act, but the race is far from over. Our voices were heard in 2016, and now we need your help to make a bigger impact. This is bigger than just race cars. It reaches into our hobby and industry, so I ask you to please take two minutes and go to www.sema.org/ rpmact. SEMA has made it simple to fill in six lines and click two boxes, which will generate a letter to legislators from your state. #saveourracecars SRL Several SEMA members from Tennessee meeting with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). From left to right: Less Rudd, David Leach, Jim Skelly, Alexander, Greg Parker, Kirstin Stone, Tammy Holland, Marla Moore, and Madison Moore.

Hot Rodding Education Days The HRIA’s popular Education Days are coming up in Louisville during the NSRA Nationals, August 3-6. Education Day is actually two days of FREE seminars conducted by leaders in the market. This year, the presenting companies include: Detroit Speed and Engineering, Steele Rubber, Bowler Performance Transmissions, Powermaster, Driven Racing Oil, RideTech, Watson’s StreetWorks, Inland Empire, EATON Detroit Spring, Wilwood, Vintage Air, and Ron Francis Wiring.

A young man and his new

ry car. This was the day Lar

bought the Ford.

TO SEE MORE, SEARCH “MIRRORED LIFE” @ StreetRodLife.com 16

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Mirrored

Life

The Rebel ’40 finds the perfect home WORDS & PHOTOS: Chadly Johnson

I

n July of 1948, a 21-year-old named Larry Nicklin purchased a former telephone company car off a Los Angeles car lot for $225. Once in his possession, Larry began a radical transformation of the 1940 Ford that would stand the test of time and eventually become a hot rodding icon.

Larry took the stock ’40 to a body shop in Santa Monica for some custom work, including a chop and channel job by a man referred to as “Sailor.”

The 7-inch channel job was complete, but Larry pulled the

STREETRODLIFE.COM 17 17 STREETRODLIFE.COM

The entire chop, combined with moving the rear window back are what make this custom ’40 unique. It’s hard to believe these original mods are still untouched.

Also note the channeling and slight radius work to the fenders.

car out of the shop to finish the roof chop himself. He met Al Wallace of Al’s Custom Body Shop on Santa Monica Blvd. to help out with the chop, resulting in an amazing roof line.

Al and Larry dropped the roof 3.5 inches and angled the A-pillars back to achieve a faster profile. The full-size rear window was slid back 2 inches and really added to the flow of the roof line, especially when combined with the extreme channeling.

Larry was enjoying the thought process of modifying the body lines of the ’40, and they just kept on rolling. They raised the front fenders to maintain the lower body line, as well as doing a little radius work on the openings. The hood was also sectioned by Al and a modified ’39 grille and bumpers from a ’49 Plymouth added. Taillamps from a ’46 Chevy were molded into the rear fenders before the cruiser was shot with a coat of black lacquer.

In total, Larry spent about $2,100 on the custom Ford over three years. The project inspired him to study Transportation Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. While a student, he drove the ’40 and was tapped by Hot Rod Magazine for a feature. Unfortunately, the shoot never happened because Larry landed an interview at GM headquarters in Detroit and was leaving town.

The photo shoot that never happened did lead to the brush with fame.

A Hollywood scout called Hot Rod looking for cars to use in an upcoming movie, 18

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

The leaned back A-pillars, raised fenders, and custom hood work was all crafted nearly 70 years ago.

and they recommended taking a look at the ’40. A photographer came out, liked what he saw, and offered a low-ball offer of $400. Larry was moving to Detroit to start his career and was pretty much done with the car, so he let it go.

Larry eventually saw his car again.

He happened to be sitting in a movie theater in Michigan viewing Rebel Without a Cause and saw his ’40 in the background! The car also made a reprise in Hot Rod Girl, and then the next 50-plus years are a bit of a mystery, but don’t worry, the stars would once again align for this custom rod.

Enter Chris Ito, a budding designer who recently graduated from the Art Center College of Design. In 2007, Chris was living in Texas and working at Peterbilt. A

longtime fan of hot rods, particularly cars with a vintage styling and history, he had recently learned of the ad searching program jaXed, which was capable of pulling together searches for classified ads across the country.

After Thanksgiving dinner, he began searching motorcycle parts, then moved on to ’32 Ford searches, and finally typed in 1940 Ford. A poorly worded ad from northern Washington with two blurry photos of a customized coupe grabbed his attention.

Chris thought the coupe looked like a glass body, due to the modified body lines and other street rod treatments, such as 14-inch wheels and funky running boards. What intrigued him was he could make out exposed door hinges and

The hood was sectioned and smoothed in its original customization phase. Flames were added sometime during the lost years and will eventually be removed.

a trimmed drip rail — indications there was more to this ’40.

The weekend passed, and Chris called to speak with the owner. He explained he was selling the car to buy back a ’37 Ford he had wanted for years.

He went on to describe some of the body mods and also mentioned the car had a cameo in Rebel Without a Cause. Chris requested more photos, which gave him no doubt of the car’s history.

Just to be sure, Chris shared the photos with rodding historian and editor, Pat Ganahl, who had written a column asking if anyone knew of the whereabouts of the Rebel ’40 nearly 20 years prior. Ganahl agreed on its pedigree, and Chris soon had the ’40 on a trailer and heading to Texas.

After purchasing the lost custom, Chris began a process of researching the ’40’s history. It was truly bizarre the similarities between his life and that of the original customizer Larry Nicklin. Both pursued careers in car design, and both graduated from the Art Center College of Design. But, the story continues…

Chris learned Larry was one of the founding members of the Ferrari Owners Club of North America, so he called an acquaintance who was a Ferrari own-

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The 2-inch rearward placement of the split back glass is what really alters the roof line and the visual punch. Note that when the car was updated, ’40 taillights were re-installed in place of the ’46 Chevy lights. Chris already has a set of Plymouth bumpers to put back on someday.

The ’40 was only black for a year, but note the skirts. They look pretty good, and Chris is considering putting them on when he returns the car to its early custom days.

The ’40 in progress.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Of course, a Flathead was the original choice, and Larry had it decked out with heads, dual intake, and more vintage performance upgrades.

Not sure when the small-block Chevy was installed, but you can guess early ’70s street rod styling. Chris plans to retain the small block, but present it with early speed parts and updates.

er to see if he knew how he could get in touch with Larry. He was told his friend had not seen or heard from Larry in years, and that he thought perhaps he had passed away.

Fast forward a few more years, and Chris was interviewing for a position as the Director of Design at a company called Navistar, which primarily built International brand trucks...the same company Larry worked at through the end of his career.

During the interview with the director, the discussion lead to project cars, and Chris mentioned the ’40 and how he had wished that he would have been able to talk to Larry about the car. The director said, “Oh, would you like his number?”

Chris couldn’t believe it; Larry was alive and well.

After the interview, Chris immediately contacted Larry, and it led to a series of phone conversations. Chris got the job and moved to Illinois and called Larry to tell him that he’d like to come take him for a ride in his old car.

When Chris arrived with the ’40, Larry’s entire family was waiting to greet him and see the car. Larry was prepared with an old scrapbook he had held onto through all the years. Chris was able

The interior also was ‘updated’ during the Rebel’s lost years. Billet dash, muscle car buckets, and a tilt column give the car two distinct vintage vibes.

If it weren’t for Chris’s sharp eye in noticing the exposed door hinges and modified drip rail in the original ad for the car, he probably wouldn’t have even called on it.

to learn of the car’s history first-hand with many photos — one showed the car with fender skirts, something he had always wanted to try.

After a nice drive and many stories of the past, Larry put his hand on Chris’s shoulder and said “You did good, you and the car need this scrapbook.” Chris said it was one of the most memorable experiences of his life.

Chris has plans to someday back-date the coupe to how it was when it was first built; the only aspect he is struggling

with is the paint color. Larry only had the car black for one year, and confessed to Chris that after it was painted, he realized he was not the world’s best body man.

Larry soon fixed some cosmetic flaws, then painted the car a custom mix color he referred to as “tomato soup red.”

The irony of Chris and Larry’s chosen paths in life is undeniable, from choice of career, to design schools, to both working at Navistar, and of course, the shared love of the “Rebel 40.” History repeats itself. SRL STREETRODLIFE.COM

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Modern, yet Vintage The details of building a set of plug wires WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

S

park plug wires are the arteries of the ignition system.

They carry the spark from the distributor cap terminal, across the unforgiving heat and noise of your engine, and down to each spark plug millions of times each drive.

Not only do plug wires need to be able to handle thousands of volts, but they’re also in close proximity to high heat, especially at the cylinder head, making their job that much harder.

On top of it all, as street rodders, most of us want a wire that looks good with our engine or car. The good news is ididit’s new line, Vintage Wires, can handle it all.

There are a lot of plug wires on the market, but ididit has come up with something different — and perfect for street rods. Their new Vintage Wires have the look of a classic woven sleeve, but it’s actually a silicone material that will withstand heat and abrasion.

It’s a unique look and extremely durable. The sleeve is actually a cotton braid material covered in a protective lacquer fin-

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ish, producing a 7.8mm wire. Inside, the conductor of the wire is also protected by durable silicone insulation.

To live in harmony with all of the electronics on hot rods these days, the core is made of a spiral wound conductor. Together, these Vintage Wires look the street rod part and are built from the inside out for modern hot rodding. ididit offers the wires in several color combinations in universal (cut-to-fit) kits. The plug wire terminal and boot is crimped on from the factory, while you need to install the terminal and boot for the distributor and coil connection. There are a number of plug boots, 90-degree, 135-degree, or 180-degree (straight), as well as HEI or socket-style for old points-style caps.

Follow along as we build a set of new Vintage Wires for our small block. Cool looks and quality built — a great street rodding combination. SRL Sources: ididit, ididit.com; Vintage Wires, vintagewires.com

The key to ididit’s new Vintage Wires is the sleeve, which is a lacquer-covered cotton braid. ididit offers the wires in several primary colors, including yellow, red, and black, along with different crosshatch highlights. The wires really provide a distinct vintage vibe to the engine.

Vintage Wires are available in custom lengths for popular engines, as well as in universal kits. Our kit came with straight plug boots installed, along with HEI-style terminals we had to crimp in place after cutting the wire to length.

The small wire-looking piece we’re spiraling off the core of the plug wire is actually the conductor. Here’s where the term ‘spiral wound’ comes into play. There’s several feet of the conductor wound into a single foot length of plug wire.

We recommend investing in a universal crimp tool to achieve the best crimp possible. This tool has a ratchet action for a consistent crimp every time. There’s also inexpensive crimp dies you can use in a vice.

With the wire sleeve stripped about 3/8 to 1/2 inch, bend the conductor over and hold it to the sleeve of the wire. Position the terminal so the conductor is in contact with the metal of the terminal.

Sometimes, you may want to pre-bend the terminal tabs over a bit to help secure the wire before crimping. Note that the sleeve is positioned about a 1/4 inch through the tabs, allowing for a secure crimp.

ididit provides a dielectric grease that eases the installation of the plug boot, plus adds protection against moisture and helps the removal of the wires from the cap or plug wire.

It’s important for the crimp tabs to roll over and grip into the sleeve. If you simply squish them flat, the crimp will fail when you pull the wire off the spark plug. This is why it’s important to have the right tools for the right job.

We like to check the resistance — or at least the continuity — of each new wire we make, just to make sure there’s continuity from terminal to terminal. This wire was about 30 inches long with less than 1500 ohms per foot of wire. All the wires should test similar.

You don’t need to have a vintage-dressed engine to take advantage of the styling of ididit’s plug wires. They look good — and work well — on all build styles and ignitions.

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Make a few checks before hitting the road WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

“Get your motor runnin’ – head out on the highway” - Steppenwolf

W

hat’s the point in having a rod if you’re not going to drive it? After all, we build these things to cruise ‘em right? Road trips can create memories that will last a lifetime, but when you do a trip in your street rod or muscle car, the outing takes on a whole new level.

People love to see vintage cars on the road, so you’ll earn more thumbs up and smiles just cruising. Bikers will give you a subtle head-nod. Truckers might blast their horns. Strangers will ask you questions about your car at gas and food stops along the way. It’s guaranteed you’ll hear, “My Grandpa had a car like that…” at some point during a street rod road trip.

STREET Vol.No. 3, 2No 2 24 24 STREET RODROD LIFE LIFE Vol. 3,

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Sure, not every car is ready to tackle a thousand-mile road trip. Snug interiors, chopped tops, over-cammed big blocks, and lack of creature comforts might make for a long drive, but even a day trip in your car will be fun.

When you’re getting ready for a road trip, there are a few preventative maintenance items you should walk through. Even if your car is running great, it’s a good idea to give it a thorough once over and even plan ahead to handle any unforeseen issues.

Most are common sense to car guys, but it’s worth reviewing a few tips and tricks to ensure you and your car have a successful journey.

cap, and rotor • Oil change and fluid checks • Tires of course, but also the front bearings • Belt condition and tightness • Charging system check • Brakes and fluid • Check all the headlights, turn signals, and brake lights

Tools

If anything, planning a road trip will push you to do a lot of fixes and prep work you probably should have done a long time ago!

If you’ve been putting off getting new tires or waiting to change the trans fluid, now would be the time. Also, routine items such as replacing the belts and inspecting the charging system, along with the brakes and lights, are all key to a trouble-free trip. Here are a few essentials to check out before hitting the road.

• Inspect the ignition system; plugs and wires, distributor

Having a few tools could save you big if something simple were to go wrong. What tools you pack are based on two things: how much cargo space you have, and just how much work you’re willing to do on the side of the road or a hotel parking lot.

If you’re in a highboy, there’s not much room for a tool box, so you’ll be running thin on supplies. If you’re cruising a ’61 Bonneville, you’ll have room for most of your tools and then some. Here’s a few of the essentials.

• Wrench set or crescent wrenches • A screwdriver with replaceable bits • Vise grips, pry bar/lug wrench, hammer • Bottle jack and a small jack stand

Preventative maintenance is key before hitting the road. Check the air pressure, torque the lug nuts, check the wheel bearings, and grease those ball joints, tie rods, and steering points.

If you’re lucky enough to have a big trunk, packing tools and supplies is much easier. Pack the basics: wrench set, a few sockets, screwdrivers, and common aids, such as gasket sealant, electrical tape, etc.

Preventative maintenance

Even if your rod has limited storage space, there are a few useful small parts that can be stashed away. There’s always room to pack fuses, a belt or two, ignition module, and even an electric fuel pump.

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If you know your engine uses a little oil, pack a quart or two. A gallon of water can come in handy for washing your hands after a roadside repair or for coolant. Don’t forget your detailing supplies!

• Electrical tape and a test light • Gasket sealant and rags • Ratchet and a few sockets, including the right size spark plug socket If you’ve built your rod or have worked on it for several years, you’re familiar with what you may need for a repair.

Think about what could go wrong. Need to change a water pump on a small block? You’ll need sealant, a 9/16-inch,

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One of the most important parts of your street rod road trip is YOU! Take care of yourself with easy-to-eat munchies, and keep plenty of cool water within arm’s reach.

Do you have room for a spare tire, and if you do, does it hold air? If not, review your insurance policy to check on towing coverage. A fire extinguisher is a very good idea to have on the road (though bolt it in place).

Modern amenities include a phone charger, ear buds, GPS, GoPro, or camera.

1/2-inch, maybe a 7/16-inch wrench, gasket scraper, screwdriver, and water, of course.

Extra parts

As the hot rodder adage goes, if you have an extra one with you, you’ll never need it. The flip side to that is if you don’t have it, you’re going to need it. Again though, this falls into the area of space and the parts on your car.

If you’re running a small-block Ford with a DuraSpark ignition and carb, you’re going to be able to find most any mechanical parts you’ll need at a big box parts store. Vintage engines may be a little tougher to come by replacements.

Items like a few hose clamps, length of fuel hose, and a couple of plug wires are easy to pack in somewhere. (Road trips love to eat plug wires.) Having an extra ignition coil (or HEI module), fuel filter, a belt, and of course, extra fluids is always smart.

A pair of work gloves will be helpful, as well as a blanket or fender cover. One important extra part — that we learned about the hard way — is an extra set of keys. Remember to give them to your passenger, not locked safely in the car!

Personal maintenance

Sure, the key to a hot rod road trip is the car, but you also need to take care of yourself and passengers. One of the most import28

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

ant things is keeping yourself hydrated with plenty of water.

Have a small cooler inside the cabin, and for a snack, try an apple or trail mix. Pass up on the familiar fast food and try out a local diner or restaurant.

If you don’t have air conditioning or are cruising a convertible, make sure to lube up with some sunscreen or strap on a cap that won’t fly off. Our hats are off to you, but the wind, noise, and heat can really take a toll after a few hours of driving.

Enjoy the drive

It’s important to give yourself time on any trip. If you’re in your rod, you’re out there to have fun, and a key to enjoying a road trip is taking in the sights on the road. Get off the interstate when you can, and try to cruise some back roads. Stop in small towns, ask where the locals eat, get an ice cream. Stop at an antique shop or in a park to stretch your legs.

Enjoy the road, enjoy your rod. SRL

Distributor Drop-In FAST makes upgrading your distributor EZ WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

I

n a world full of complicated devices, it’s nice to keep your street rod as an exercise in simplicity. Sure, there’s a time for late model, coil-per-cylinder ignitions, direct port injection, and CAN-bus shared instrumentation, but there’s a pleasure in just stepping back and keeping things simple.

Even the crew at Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), which specializes in electronic fuel injection, understands the need to keep some things easy. Their latest ignition offering is a distributor that delivers a reliable spark with solid ignition timing and installs with just three wires — the EZ-Run Distributor.

One of the nice things about the EZ-Run is its size. It’s only as wide as a stock GM points distributor, which means it doesn’t interfere with the firewall like the larger HEI distributors. As for spark output, the distributor has an ignition mod-

ule built into the housing that delivers a high energy spark to help improve the combustion of the fuel mixture, thus improving performance.

An important note is to remember when it comes to ignition timing, different engines need different advance curves. FAST makes tuning in the centrifugal timing advance easy, as well as an adjustable vacuum advance.The centrifugal advance, sometimes referred to as mechanical advance, has two adjustments: the rate the timing advances and the total amount of advance.

The rate of advance is controlled by springs mounted on top of the distributor shaft. FAST supplies three different sets of springs, which allow you to set a very slow rate of timing advance (thick springs) or a very quick rate (lightweight springs).

To control how much timing is allowed, there are four ad-

The new EZ-Run Distributor from FAST delivers a powerful spark, adjustable timing advance, and a simple three-wire connection.

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The centrifugal advance is adjustable with the supplied springs (to control the rate of advance) and different diameter bushings to control the total advance.

A wiring harness is supplied for a direct plug-in installation. Orange goes to coil negative, red to positive (where it will also receive switched 12 volts), and a ground wire goes to the block or heads.

Our mild small block can use a quick rate of advance, so we swapped to the lightweight springs. Note the little spacers on the weight studs — make sure they’re in place! We retained the 22-degree bushing that was already installed.

We cranked the engine over until the old rotor was pointing at a fixed position. The goal is to drop the EZ-Run in with the rotor in the same position.

The EZ-Run also has an adjustable vacuum advance canister. We didn’t change the factory setting yet, as that will be tuned once it’s in the car and we can test drive it.

Be sure to install the new gasket on the distributor housing and apply some break-in or engine assembly lube to the distributor gear.

vance bushings with different diameters. These provide the total amount of advance and are sized for 18, 22, 25 and 28 degrees. The 22-degree bushing is installed from the factory, which we chose to leave in place. A third area that allows you to tune to your application is the vacuum advance.

In most cases, vacuum advance is primarily used to improve economy while cruising down the highway. There’s not much load on the engine at this point, which allows the engine to create vacuum. The canister connects to a ported vacuum source (above the throttle plates) and will advance the timing during mild cruising speeds. As soon as you accelerate, vacuum drops and the advance retards. The factory setting is about 8-10 de-

grees at 15 inHg. We’ll play with that setting more as we put some more miles on the car.

Installation of the EZ-Run is as straightforward as can be.

We marked the location of the spark plug wires and lined up the rotor with a point on the firewall that would be easy to get the FAST distributor properly aligned. We also upgraded with a new PS 50 coil and simply connected the supplied harness to the coil terminals and ground.

An important note about supplying a 12-volt source for the coil and distributor: Always make sure there are 12 volts on the coil positive terminal during cranking and in the run position.

Many older cars will have less voltage available when running or

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EFI INSTALLATION

We complemented the ignition upgrade with a set of FAST’s FireWire spark plug wires. These wires have super low resistance (25 ohms per foot!) to ensure the most spark possible reaches the plugs.

The EZ-Run Distributor keeps things simple, from the connections to the adjustments. Another neat thing about this distributor is it is a great upgrade for rods using carburetors.

But, what if you’re running an aftermarket EFI system? No worries, as FAST knows a thing or two about throttle body EFI swaps with their EZ-EFI line of injection upgrades.

All of the aftermarket EFI systems, including Edelbrock, Holley, FI Tech, and others require a tach or trigger input to fire the fuel injectors. FAST offers a simple and effective device called a Tach Driver that provides a reliable trigger source (12-volt square wave signal) to run an EFI system.

This compact device (P/N 170637) simply connects to the coil negative terminal and engine ground. There is a third wire that connects to the EFI system. Easy enough!

If you’re running an aftermarket EFI system, you’ll need to contact FAST to get a small Tach Driver. The component provides a tach output signal to trigger the fuel injection ECU.

If you’re going from a points-style cap, you may need to update the terminals and boots of your wires. FAST incorporates a male, spark plug-like terminal on the cap instead of the old push-in socket caps.

use resistors inline from the breaker point days. It’s important that both the coil and ignition get a full 12 volts.

We installed the EZ-Run in a typical small-block Chevy in an early Chevelle. After changing the advance springs, the distributor dropped right in, and the engine quickly fired. We’ve been cruising smooth ever since. SRL SOURCE: Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), fuelairspark.com

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Rods, honkey-tonk, BBQ, customs, and cruising Congress — it’s all in Austin WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

W

hat can we say that hasn’t been said about the Lonestar Round Up, other than we spent an absolutely great weekend surrounded by killer rods and customs, outstanding live tunes, cruising, and plates full of local food and fun. Seriously, what is not to like?

As if there isn’t enough happening at the County Expo Center, once you leave the grounds, it’s like another event. There are cruises at unique, cool spots all over town. If you need more live music, just cruise up South Congress to any number of clubs (with a mandatory stop at the Continental Club) or a bit further into town and prowl 4th or 6th street. This is the weekend where rodders take over the Texas capital.

The show is held Friday and Saturday at the Travis County Fairgrounds just east of town, where there’s plenty of room for everyone to gather for the afternoon. After hours, it’s up to you on which way to go. We headed for South Congress for music, a pie at Home Slice, Jo’s Coffee, and a stop at Austin Speed Shop. Some headed out to Top Notch Burgers for a bite, cruise, and a drivein movie, while other friends stopped off at South Austin Brewery.

In short, there’s just no down time in Austin!

Here’s a taste from the weekend to get you geared up for 2018, which is already set for April 6-7!

Find more information at lonestarroundup.com.

SRL

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Killer cars, great music, local food choices, swap meet, booths, and hot rod art — no wonder the Round Up is packed.

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Texans love trucks, and we really dug Jeremy Parson’s ’55 Ford.

Wayne Klob of Spring, Texas, cruised to Austin in his ’27 Ford with a highly-detailed tri-power fueling a classically-dressed small-block Chevy.

Another pickup that caught our eye was this beaming ’58 Apache owned by Ricky Rygaard of Sante Fe, Texas.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

How often do you see a Ridler-winning car cruise into a show? This stunning ’39 Olds, owned by Billy Thomas, won the coveted title at the 2016 Detroit Autorama.

It may not look like it at a casual glance, but there is a serious amount of custom work in Floyd Dutton’s ’58 Edsel Roundup wagon. From the chop to the custom bumpers and grille to headlight extensions, sunken dual antennas, and more, all is crafted by the owner!

Lonestar is truly an international event. Just check out Mario Lentini’s ’34 Ford. Mario came all the way from New Market, Ontario (just north of Toronto).

Jarred Carroll’s ’55 Olds Super 88 is even more super thanks to the stance, wheels, and pipes.

Once the show ends, it’s time to cruise the streets of Austin. South Congress serves as the strip. This ’57 gasser was making laps.

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Is it just us or are we starting to see more ’36 Fords cropping up? Dig the drop, skirts, and aged paint on Stephen Stockton’s coupe.

Vintage car parts and classic coolers — another great combination.

Carlos Chong made the long drive from El Paso (Texas is a really big state) in his V-8-powered ’62 ‘Chicanoline,’ as he calls it.

Austin Speed Shop welcomes show-goers over to their garage for an open house, where you get to check out all the projects and hang out with friends (and make some new ones).

If you run a single carb, you might as well not even open your hood. The Round Up is like a study in multi-carb induction, and you’ll see all sorts of combinations.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Did we mention how much Texans like their trucks? This custom ’56 Ford belongs to Kenneth Reierson of Cranfills Gap, Texas, a bustling town of just about 300 people.

Things get dicey on the loose dirt track for the mini-bike races.

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Snake in a

Box This ’61 D-100 packs the bite of a Viper!

WORDS: Louis Kimery PHOTOS: Corey Ringo, doublebarrelphotography.com

38 STREET 38 STREETROD RODLIFE LIFE Vol. Vol.3,3,No No.22

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rucks were designed to work. Farm trucks, supply trucks, delivery trucks, and just about any other vehicle with a single cab and a bed were put to task. They were a tool of the working man and served their purpose until they couldn’t keep up, and then they were put to pasture (literally, in many cases).

There are rare cases when a truck simply refuses to die and becomes part of the family. Wayne and Marcella Powell of Albuquerque, New Mexico, own such a truck.

His father, Wilburn, bought this first generation ’61 Dodge D-100 Sweptline with just 2,000 miles on the odometer in 1962 and promptly put the pickup to work.

The Dodge hauled lumber, firewood, roofing supplies, gravel, and manure on demand. It went camping and served as playground equipment for a neighborhood full of children. It was used as daily transportation for years – Wayne began driving it when he received his license, and it saw use when his daily drivers were not functional. Eventually, Wayne and Marcella’s older son, Adam, drove it to school and, later, for his roofing job. The Sweptline continued serving the Powells well beyond its twilight years.

The 505-hp Viper V-10 and four-speed/overdrive trans were nestled into modified front rails from an ’87 Dodge truck. A custom air intake, smoothed painted plenum, and valve covers add detail.

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Unmistakably Sweptline, but blended with Viper cues, such as the wheels and stance. The custom-made V-10 emblems give way to what’s lurking under the hood and bed.

Every panel on the Sweptline has been massaged and modified, with substantial focus on the bed.

The rear spoiler balances with the curves of the hood, hand-formed panels inside the bed match the outer contours, and a Rock Valley tank is integrated into the front of the bed. Taillights look familiar? Think VW Beetle.

The pasture was never in the cards for this Dodge. Instead, it was treated to updates, bigger engines, and modifications.

In fact, it’s been through about five different updates. The original slant-six engine was ditched years ago in favor of a 318,, which eventually gave way to a 360.

At one point, after breaking the original chassis with an excessive load of gravel, Adam and his dad merged it with a 4X4 half-ton frame and the running gear from a donor Ram Charger.

Once Adam sailed off to college in the late-’80s, the Dodge did get parked for a number of years. Later in the decade, Wayne started to resuscitate the D-100, but moved on to other projects, 40

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

including restoring a ’55 Olds his parents bought new (and in which Wayne and Marcella dated and honeymooned).

Finally, the time was right for the Dodge to be treated to a complete makeover.

Wayne wanted the family truck to be something more (much more) than a truck with a family background. He noticed a couple builds with Viper V-10 engine swaps and, with some research, found there were donor cars and pieces available. Why not make the Dodge handle like a Viper?! He contacted the team at Mild to Wild Classics of Albuquerque, who had built the family Olds, and the transformation began.

Inside and out, they left no bolt un-

turned, and the results of their efforts speak for themselves. The body was peeled from its second two-wheel-drive D-150 chassis, and the crew set about developing a new frame to secure the 2005 Viper drivetrain.

But, it wasn’t just the V-10 and trans that were incorporated into the Sweptline. The team also used front spindles and brakes, as well as the independent rear suspension from the same 2005 Viper Roadster donor. The basis for the new chassis was an ’87 Dodge pickup frame that was obviously heavily modified by the Mild to Wild team.

The last part of the cadaver Viper that lives on in Wayne’s D-100 is the gleam-

There’s plenty of modern comfort amenities once inside, including Vintage Air, PW, cruise control, tilt, security system, Honda Civic remote mirrors, factory style laser cut dash icons, and a brace of Dolphin Digital gauges. A pair of Le Baron power seats were covered in a luxurious doe skin leather, with complimentary Daytona low weave carpeting on the floor of the cab. Interior lighting is provided by rear passenger compartment opera lights from a K-Car and an overhead Dodge Caravan interior light.

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ing factory Mango Tango Orange Pearl.

This vibrant color seems to contain a certain undeniable solar energy that is trapped under the clear coat. The bright tropical hue changes with the sun, and sometimes, due to the trucks body lines, you’d swear it was two- or even tri-toned.

This Sweptline features a full slate of custom body modifications, though the truck still retains its heritage. Every panel has been modified or enhanced in some way. The extensive work on the bed included taking the outer sheet metal from a donor bed and transposing it onto opposite sides on the interior of the bed.

Subtle, yet a magnificent touch.

Many of the factory Viper components were sourced from X2 Builders of Maryville, Illinois. They provided the third generation, 505-hp 10-cylinder, and the four-speed/overdrive transmission for the project. A custom wiring harness from Hotwire Auto in Mena, Arkansas, kept the maze of wiring easy, and the factory ECU was re-programmed by Chris Jensen.

As for the interior, it received the

same attention and updating as the chassis and body. Storage compartments were created behind the seats, a custom console was crafted, and Sweptline styling cues were incorporated throughout. Power windows, locks, mirrors, and A/C bring luxury to the pickup, and the factory gauge pod was updated with Dolphin components.

The finished all-steel truck is completely Dodge, though a combination of two models that had absolutely

nothing in common. One was a heater-delete, no-frill truck designed to serve and haul. The other was a modern American-bred sports car designed for speed, agile handling, and an intimidating presence.

Thanks to the Powell’s vision, the talent of Mild to Wild, and the advice of countless other hot rod pros, the family Sweptline has a new lease on life. May this fine blend of performance and utility haul in style for generations to come. SRL

There’s more Viper in this Sweptline than simply the driveline. Viper aluminum spindles, rotors, calipers, and hub carriers were incorporated, along with the huge Viper brakes, to bring this hauler to a stop with authority.

Viper wheels were retained, as well as the calipers. The fronts were narrowed to 18x8 inches by Eric Vaughn Machine. The rear uses the standard issue 19x9.

A custom driveshaft with safety loops and a 3-inch exhaust system are integrated into the custom frame. The IRS and Dana 44 carrier were also sourced from a Viper cadaver.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

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Bootlegging Boost Lunati’s latest cam series makes serious power WORDS & PHOTOS: Richard Holdener

T

here was a time when an extra dose of horsepower was the difference between being a criminal and just an outlaw. The right camshaft kept you ahead of not only the competition, but others that might be hot on your tail. Even if you aren’t running through backwoods one step ahead of the law, who among us doesn’t want at least a little more power?

Given the popularity of the LS engine platform, combined with how well these engines respond to proper cam timing upgrades, it was only a matter of time before Lunati stepped up

in a big way to offer Bootlegger LS cams. After the success of their Voodoo line, the Bootlegger series was the next evolutionary step up the performance ladder.

To test the Bootlegger cam (and associated performance pieces), we snatched up a used 5.3L from our favorite LKQ Pica-Part wrecking yard. The used LM7 was the perfect test mule, having served faithfully for nearly 200,000 miles.

Despite the mileage, the motor was sound as a pound, and ready to rock once installed on the dyno. Rather than run the

Tucked inside this Lunati Bootlegger box is a hefty heaping of horsepower!

4444STREET RODROD LIFE LIFE Vol. 3, STREET Vol.No3,2No. 2

The Lunati Bootlegger grind (BTL-224HR111) offered .595 lift, a 224/240-degree duration split, and 111-degree lsa.

Like the springs, the factory pushrods were questionable, so a set of 7.40inch hardened rods were favored.

We knew there was no way the stock springs would keep up with the extra lift and potential rpm so a set of beehive valve springs were used.

test mule in stock trim, we decided to upgrade the little LM with a revised induction system. After the upgrades, we would then run a back-to-back cam test on the modified motor to demonstrate the merits of the Bootlegger cam profile. Keep in mind the gains offered by the cam swap are a function of the power output of the original test motor, meaning a larger, modified motor will show greater gains than something like a bone-stock 4.8L. The 5.3L was disassembled down to the short block. After removal of the stock 706 heads and truck intake, they were replaced by a set of TFS Gen X 205 heads and a FAST LSXRT manifold. The TFS Gen X 205 heads were designed for smallbore, LS applications, making them perfect for 4.8 to 5.7L applications.

The FAST LSXRT is advertised as a truck intake, but it works well on any LS application with sufficient hood clearance. The intake was complemented with FAST injectors and rails and controlled by an XFI management system. Westech has a set of 1 7/8-inch Hooker headers, and we filled the oil pan with Lucas 5W-30 synthetic oil. All testing was performed with a Meziere electric water pump (no accessories), open throttle body (no air intake), and no mufflers (simple collector extensions).

The original high-mileage timing chain was replaced by this double-roller, adjustable gear from Lunati. The chain set featured an adjustable crank gear that allowed us to advance or retard the cam timing to our liking. Make sure to use the supplied spacers for oil pump clearance.

The factory 706 5.3L heads were replaced by a set of TFS Gen X 205 heads designed specifically for the small-bore application.

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With the heads and intake upgrades in place, along with the stock LM7 cam, the modified 5.3L produced 391 hp at 5,700 rpm and 399 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.

The stock truck intake was upgraded to full LSXRT status and fed by a 102mm Big Mouth throttle body.

Out came the stock LM7 cam, and in went the Lunati Bootlegger cam.

Exhaust chores were handled by a set of 1 7/8-inch Hooker long-tube headers feeding 18-inch collector extensions.

After swapping in the Lunati Bootlegger cam and valvetrain upgrades, the power output of the modified 5.3L jumped to 482 hp at 6,800 rpm and 426 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm!

TO SEE MORE, SEARCH “BOOTLEGGER BOOST” @ StreetRodLife.com 46

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Modified 5.3L cam test-Stock vs Lunati Bootlegger Run with the stock cam, the modified 5.3L produced 391 hp and 399 lb-ft of torque. After installation of the Bootlegger cam, the peak numbers jumped to 482 hp and 426 lb-ft of torque. That’s an increase of more than 90 hp and 27 lb-ft of torque! Plus, the Lunati cam continued to pull all the way out to 7,000 rpm.

The first step in our test was to run the modified 5.3L with the stock LM7 cam. It produced peak numbers of 391 hp at 5,700 rpm and 399 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. We knew the stock cam was holding back the power output of the combination, but had no idea just how much until we performed the cam swap.

The Bootlegger cam was a healthy candidate for our 5.3L, offering .595 lift, a 224/240-degree duration split, and 111-degree lsa. In addition to the cam, the valvetrain was upgraded with a set of Lunati beehive springs, and hardened pushrods.

When the engine was fired up for the test, there was an immediate attitude adjustment coming from the dyno cell. With the Bootleggger cam, the power output of the 5.3L jumped to 482 hp at 6,800 rpm and 426 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm! Not only were the output numbers huge, but the engine just kept pulling.

Being an outlaw bootlegger feels pretty good! SRL Sources: Fuel Air Spark Technology, fuelairspark.com; Holley/Hooker, holley.com; Lucas Oil, lucasoil.com; Lunati, lunatipower.com, Westech Performance Group, westechperformance.com

Get More Power From Your Vehicle NEWS. TECHNOLOGY. PRODUCTS. • Engine & Driveline Tech • “How-To” & Installations • Technology Explained • New Product Reviews • Performance Testing

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Senior Technical Editor

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SRL on the Road The SRL staff shares stories from the road

I

t should come as no surprise that road trips are a big part of building or owning a street rod. They’re vehicles after all — vehicles that were built to look cool and are fun to drive. So why wouldn’t you want to take them on a trip?

We asked some of our staff and contributors about their own road trip experiences and gathered some of their favorite memories from the road…and maybe a few they’d just as soon forget about. Check them out. SRL

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STREET ROD ROD LIFE LIFE Vol. Vol.3, 3,No. No.22 STREET

Back roads in a GTX Todd Ryden, Editor

I’ve been lucky enough to have been on quite a few road trips from Los Angeles to Detroit, Boston to Florida, across the southwest, and through Texas a time or two. The trip at the top of the list, however, started after the Woodward Dream Cruise, when I piled into a ’68 GTX Hemi convertible with friends David and Steve and headed towards California.

Yes, the car was cool. In fact, it’s amazing Steve was willing to drive it, as this was a very rare, restored Mopar, down to the correct date-coded windshield and NOS stainless. It had even been in a museum for a while, but here we were with the top down, suitcases stacked up, and the dual quad Hemi humming along.

Besides the car itself, the beauty of this journey is once we got out of Michigan, we veered away from the highways and cruised as many back roads as possible. We also made it a point to eat at local joints, rather than the familiar franchises.

A key to this trip is it took place before cell phones were a part of life, though Steve had one that was the size of a shoebox and had little to no reception the majority of the time. I was entirely off the grid, not checking email, not getting calls, and certainly not looking down, scrolling through a screen.

That part was wonderful and is hard to comprehend today.

We stopped at a junkyard at one point and were introduced to a python. After breakfast in a local diner, a farmer invited us over to his land to look through his barns and yard. In the panhandle of Texas, we were told by a tall skinny feller named Peaches about one of ‘them winged cars’ that caught on fire, so they pushed it in the valley, where it was common to dispose of junked cars.

When we pulled into White Sands National Monument, the ranger wouldn’t believe that the Plymouth was truly Hemi equipped until we opened the hood to show him. We walked through an abandoned drive-in, relied on an actual printed atlas, had no radio, and never drove with the top up. It was a trip that will be hard to beat, but I’m willing to try.

Advice: Slow down, disconnect, read a map.

Day trips

Todd Silvey, Editor of Drag Racing Scene My wife and I really dig driving the big river, known as the Mississippi. We cruise in our ’70 C-10 west across Illinois and typically pick it up about mid-state for a 130-mile drive towards St. Louis. You can drive both sides of the river; each has its features. We prefer the Missouri side due to fewer small towns and smoother roads.

The Illinois side has some very cool ferries to the South where the Illinois and Mississippi rivers meet. It is great to climb out of the hot rod, take a breath, and ride across the river. Just make sure your parking brake is well adjusted during the spring river currents!

Back on the road, we make our way to Alton, Illinois, just across from St. Louis. The tall bluffs along the river host a number of eagles almost year-round, with a concentration of the majestic bird in the spring. In April, my wife, Laurie, spotted no less than 40 eagles in that 15-mile stretch.

The final part of our day trip is a stop at Fast Eddies Bon

Air. Imagine a honky tonk bar on steroids that serves the most amazing food cooked on a small flat-top grill: Huge hot dogs and brats for 99 cents, steak on a stick for $2.99, and a huge “Fast Eddie burger” for just 99 cents. At any given time on the weekends, the joint is filled with hot rods and Harleys galore.

After a great meal and a couple refreshments, we jump on Interstate 55 for a smooth ride home after a fun afternoon cruise.

Advice: You don’t have to go far to have a fun road trip.

One-day trips are great ways to enjoy your street rod.

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The drive is the thing Barry Kluczyk, Contributor

Through the years, I’ve developed a habit of finding cars out west — particularly the northwest. Generally, I fly out there to pick them up and drive them back to my Detroit-area home. I’ve done it plenty of times with varying degrees of success.

But for every trouble-free road trip, there have been those that challenged my wisdom, roadside mechanical acumen, and sanity. That was perhaps no more true than with a Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon I drove back from Seattle more than a decade ago.

Yes, it was a Pinto Cruising Wagon — that factory-custom model with the porthole rear windows. I’d ask you to look past that choice (and my fetish for disco-era Fords), but the whole misadventure was centered on that quirky (my euphemism for ‘crappy’) car.

First off, I hadn’t gotten 50 miles out of Seattle before the first real mountain grade put the Pinto’s 2300 fourbanger to the test. It wasn’t up to the challenge. The engine must have broken a piston ring on that grade, because when I made my first pit stop about an hour into the drive, I popped the hood for a cursory inspection and oil-level check, and discovered the entire engine and bottom of the hood were drenched in oil.

The oil cap had blown off under pressure, and there was barely a drop left in the crankcase. I bought a new oil cap and a few quarts of oil and hit the road again. About 100 miles later, I discovered the same scenario, with the oil cap nowhere to be found. At that stop, I bought a whole case of oil and a couple more oil caps.

To be fair to the Cruising Wagon, it ran fine and cool as long as I kept up with the constant oil fills every few miles.

I poured about 35 quarts into it to get to Detroit. Oh, and it took me almost two days on the road before I figured out the speedo was off by about 15 mph, meaning I was doing 50 mph instead of 65. That didn’t help matters, either.

Advice: If you’re driving an unfamiliar car, keep your driving to the daylight hours. A breakdown in the dark exponentially amplifies the trouble.

New tires, no brakes Louis Kimery, Contributor

I dragged my ’55 Chevy out for a run to Tunica, Mississippi, for the annual Delta River Cruzin’ Show. My old Chevy had received a fair amount of attention during the last few years with a totally new engine/trans combo, a fresh aluminum radiator, and power disc brakes. The tires, however, were the same ones that were on it when it went into hibernation more than 10 years ago.

I didn’t want any tire-related issues to manifest while on the road, so I opted to replace the now semi-rusty chrome wheels and aging rubber with a freshened up set of 15x7 Chevy rally wheels and some new tires. I planned on the same size tires, and the only difference between the old wheels and the new rallys was a 1/4-inch more back spacing. You would think that extra spacing would be a good thing. Wrong.

The new boots and rally wheels looked great, I topped them off with a fresh set of beauty rings and used center caps. The shoebox was looking good and driving like new…until the brakes went out about halfway through my roughly 50-mile journey.

It seems the extra 1/4-inch of backspace caused the back50

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

side of the rim to rub against the front brake hoses while making turns. Within 30 miles of driving, both front hoses were split, and stopping was nearly impossible. Thanks to slow-moving, heavy traffic, and judicious use of the emergency brake, I was able to roll into a nearby repair shop.

It was an unexpected hit to my wallet, but not a hit to any other cars, and I eventually made it to the show. Chalk this one up in the live-and-learn file.

Advice: Check your car out before hitting the road — especially anything that spins, turns, or moves.

4,300 miles in a ’31 Wil ys Chadly Johnson, Contributor

My friend Jon Hageness, of Osseo, Wisconsin, has always wanted to drive one of his hot rods to the West Coast (who doesn’t?). When he learned I had a couple photo shoots lined up out west in the late spring, he said we should drive out instead of fly.

Who was I to say no?

I didn’t know which of his hot rods he was going to choose for the drive, but I was happy to see him pull into my driveway in his rare ’31 Willys roadster.

No side glass, but roomier than his ’33 Ford three-window, a 350/350 combo, plus the top could come down once we hit the coast.

We hit the road on a cool afternoon, reminding ourselves we’d soon be in t-shirt weather. Cutting across Minnesota was smooth, but we soon found ourselves battling the strongest crosswinds I’ve ever been through across the flats of North Dakota.

Jon was battling to keep the roadster on the road as I pressed hard against the roadster’s side curtains. The wind blasts were so strong they tore the snaps right out of the heavy canvas top. We decided to call it a day in Bismark.

The next day, we pushed hard and made it to Missoula, Montana. On Mother’s Day, we took a chance and hit up a favorite honey hole for hot rod parts, and to our delight, they answered the door and invited us in for a tour and visit. Back on the road, we pulled off the interstate to traverse the Cascade Mountains — a great call, as the views and little towns were spectacular.

Monday morning, we rolled into the town of Sisters, Or-

egon, and really burned up the camera card with the mountain backdrop. We dreamed about this portion of the trip, driving with the top down, surrounded by the amazing mountain scenery, but instead we ran into rain!

As we rolled into Eugene, we were greeted by sunny skies and warmer temps and found our way to our good friend Keith Colton’s house, where we planned to stay a few days for shop tours, hot rod gatherings, and a couple of photo shoots. We also squeezed in a day at the ocean so Jon could say he drove his Willys to the coast. It was pretty surreal to be standing with our feet in the Pacific, only to look back and see the roadster sitting on the edge of the beach.

The trip was coming to a close, but first was a slight detour to Spokane to visit our friend, Eric Carlson. After a couple more days of rod shops and photo shoots, we headed towards Butte, only to discover a long neglected ’60 Chevy (which I’m still trying to acquire), followed by more rain, which stuck with us almost all the way to the Wisconsin border.

Advice: Everyone wants to do a road trip in their hot rod. It’s time, just do it!

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The marathon road trip Elizabeth Puckett, Digital Editor

I’ve taken quite a few road trips through the years, and unless it was for work, most have been totally unplanned.

It usually goes something like this, “Hey, you want to go to Pensacola to visit Grandma and do some fishing? Great, let’s go,” and we hit the road after work. Did I mention I have an extreme fear of flying?

With that being said, most sane people would opt to take a flight from Atlanta to Woodstock, Connecticut, for a graduation, but I thought the 15.5-hour drive would be a breeze.

Leaving after work and loading up the car put the departure at 6 p.m. on a Friday. Bad timing — it took us four hours to get out of Atlanta. We ended up getting turned around in Delaware, traveled through New Jersey, passed through NYC, and then into Connecticut around midnight.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep or direction, but in the middle of nowhere Connecticut, things got weird. Just after passing an old barn with a huge upside down pentagram, we noticed our severe lack of fuel. By coasting when we could and limping in overdrive, we got to what we thought was our destination.

We pulled into a school, which was next to a graveyard, as I tried to get a hold of our graduating friend. While waiting, we saw lights or reflections or something in the grave-

July from Florida

52

yard. We figured it was the eyes of a deer, as it was bobbing up and down and swaying around.

We followed the path to turn around, and as we approached the eyes, we noticed there was no deer at all. The eyes just disappeared in an instant, only to reappear in a flash on the other side of the graveyard! It had to be a ghost, and we jumped on the throttle and flew out of that graveyard with little regard to our low fuel light or anything else around us.

Later that night (morning), we finally found the right school and achieved the goal of seeing my friend graduate… then bee-lined for home. The drive south was just as miserable as coming up with little to no sleep in the cramped interior and firm suspension of the Formula. Adding insult to injury, we were tagged just before the Georgia state line by a South Carolina trooper. Ninety-eight in a 55 zone resulted in a big-dollar ticket, car insurance spikes, and my husband’s temporary loss of his license. But, we can laugh about it now…almost.

Advice: Being spontaneous has its place — a 15-hour one-way road trip in a sports car is not the time.

Bourbon Trail in a ‘66

John Nichols, Group Publisher

Shawn Brereton, Director of Operations

Our Group Publisher, John Nichols, was entrenched in the Mopar scene years ago and apparently a glutton for punishment. He cruised in Rick Bottom’s ’64 Dodge 880 wagon from central Florida to Columbus, Ohio, for the Mopar Nationals on the Return to Brice Road tour in August! The car was cool, the passengers, not so much. Regardless of the heat, John still recalls the trip as a great time with great people and only wishes he would have taken more pictures (this was prior to camera phones).

Our Director of Operations, Shawn Brereton, seems to pack in more road trips and cruising fun than most of us…which means he has too much time on his hands, or he’s just a hardcore rodder. We’ll stick with the latter.

One of his most recent road trips was cruising his dad’s ’66 Fairlane around Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.

The Fairlane is no slouch either; it has the drivetrain from a 2010 GT500! Not only does this road trip take you through some wonderful scenery around the state, but you also get to tour and taste samples from 10 different distilleries!

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

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TOOLS ACCESSORIES STUFF

PARTS STORE

Sponsored by

At Street Rod Life, we’re always on the lookout for new parts that will make your rod a little quicker, smoother, or simply cooler. This installment of Parts Store brings you a variety of great new products to hit the market. If you would like more information, follow the website or give them a call — be sure to tell them Street Rod Life sent you!

Turning Mopars ididit, ’70-‘76 Chrysler A-Body Tilt Steering Column It’s been a long time coming for fans of the ’70-’76 A-body Mopars, but there are more and more restoration and upgrade parts popping up. Take for example ididit’s new steering column.

Their latest Mopar column fits a sizable selection of Chrysler A-Bodies, including the Dodge Dart/Swinger and the Plymouth Duster/Demon. This new floor shift column features an eight-position tilt, self-canceling turn signals, four-way flashers, id.CLASSIC ignition, knobs, and levers. For safety, the column is also collapsible. The bottom of the column extends to a regular size 3/4-inch double-D lower shaft and is supplied with a wiring adapter, dash mount, and model-specific floor mount. ididit.com 517.424.0577

Billet master Baer Brake Systems, Remaster Four-Bolt Flange Mopar Master Cylinder Mopar fans will be happy to see that Baer Brake Systems has expanded their Remaster line of billet master cylinders with the addition of an early Mopar four-bolt flange model.

The Remaster is available with right- or left-hand port configurations, as well as 15/16-, 1- and 1-1/8-inch bore sizes. The CNC-machined master cylinder features unique screw-on billet caps, which makes checking the fluid easier and cleaner. (The proportioning valve shown is available separately.) Standard finishes include gray or black anodized, as well as fully polished, or Baer offers additional colors. Get your Mopar stopping as good as it goes with a Remaster from Baer. baer.com 602.233.1411

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Sharp heads H&H Flatheads, 21-Stud Cylinder Heads H&H Flatheads now offers brand new Sharp cylinder heads for both the ‘32-’36 Ford Flathead V-8 and the 1937 engine. These 21-stud heads complement the existing 24stud Sharp heads for the 59A and an extensive line of Sharp intake manifolds and other vintage speed parts.

The heads are faithful recreations of the original Sharp performance heads and are cast in Los Angeles from 356 aluminum, using brand new patterns. They are then heat treated before being CNC-machined for a final finish. They come with domed combustion chambers, but flattop chambers are available via special order. flatheads-forever.com 818.248.2371

Sponsored by

Step up the 4bbl Inglese, EZ-EFI 2.0 Sidedraft System Inglese has made it easy to get stylish performance induction without adding a full eight-stack system. The EZ-EFI 2.0 Sidedraft Induction System adapts to an existing single or dual plane 4150 flange four-barrel intake manifold and includes proven electronic fuel injection technology from FAST, providing stunning looks and reliable performance up to 650 hp.

All needed sensors, injectors, fuel rails, and wiring is included for plug-and-play installation with no tuning experience necessary. The system can be used with an existing carb distributor and offers the same power as FAST’s EZ-EFI throttle body with no loss in drivability. inglese.com 866.450.8089

Strap it and latch it Mac’s Tie Downs, Pro Pack Premium Tie Down Strap Kit If you’re new to trailering or are looking to upgrade your tie down straps, Mac’s Tie Downs has you covered with their Pro Pack Kit. The Pro Pack features four of Mac’s 10,000-pound 2-inch wide ratchet straps, four complementing axle straps, along with removable fleece sleeves to protect any show quality finishes on your axle or chassis. To keep everything together, Mac’s provides a set of Strap Wraps to keep things tidy and tangle free, as well as a heavy duty storage bag.

Choose a color, length, and ratchet end style to get everything you need to secure your rod from Mac’s. macscustomtiedowns.com 800.666.1586

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TOOLS ACCESSORIES STUFF

PARTS STORE

Be choosy

Perfecting and protecting Griot’s Garage, Correcting Cream and Orbital Polisher When it comes to keeping your street rod looking its best, do you wax, polish, or detail? The choices are getting overwhelming, but the pros at Griots Garage broke it down to a couple basics for us to understand.

If you’re perfecting your paint finish, such as removing swirl marks or other small imperfections, you need to polish, but if you want to protect the finish, it’s time to wax.

Griots offers their Correcting Cream to work out swirls and moderate imperfections. To apply the cream, they recommend a variable speed, random orbital polisher. These machines are designed to minimize heat, are safe for any paint, and are ideal for any skill level. Once you’re done with the polishing, you can move on to a high-quality wax, such as their Best of Show Carnauba liquid wax. griotsgarage.com 800.345.5789

Crane Cams, Valve Springs With more than 60 valve spring part numbers in its catalog, Crane Cams offers an array of options for street and racing applications. Their single, dual, and triple valve springs are available for use with hydraulic, flat tappet, and roller lifter camshafts. They’ve been designed for controlled harmonics and to provide optimum pressure and installed height in most Ford, General Motors, and Mopar engines. Several beehive varieties, wire types, and treatments are available. cranecams.com 866.388.5120

Get defensive Driven Racing Oil, Injector Defender Fuel Additives New additives from Driven Racing Oil provide a wide variety of engine protection and performance enhancements. The Injector Defender line includes formulas for gasoline and diesel engines, as well as one containing a “booster.”

The Defender + Booster additive not only raises the octane in unleaded fuels, but reduces valve seat wear, cleans and preserves fuel system surfaces, and protects against the corrosion deposits common with today’s gasoline. The Injector Defender Gasoline additive also tackles harmful corrosion, while providing fuel stabilization and preservation. It won’t harm sensors in fuel-injected cars, trucks, motorcycles, or marine engines.

For diesel engines, Driven’s Injector Defender Diesel prevents injector deposits by dispersing particles and contaminants in the fuel, allowing them to pass through injectors without clogging. It can also clean current deposits to restore diesel engine performance and improve fuel mileage, improve low temperature fuel flow, and increase lubricity to reduce injector and fuel pump wear. drivenracingoil.com 866.611.1820

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Sponsored by

Keep your trailer safe and secure CURT Manufacturing, Trailer Coupler Lock It’s unfortunate to read about so many street rods and trailers being stolen these days.

Enclosed car trailers, especially when they’re disconnected, are prime candidates for scumbag thieves. You need to take precautions to ensure your trailer is safe, and CURT can help.

CURT offers just about everything you need to have a safe towing experience, including hitches of all sorts, electrical connectors, ball mounts, accessories, and a number of heavy-duty locks. Their Coupler Locks are designed to fit onto the tongue of the trailer coupler so no one could unexpectedly “borrow” your trailer. This heavy-duty lock is precision machined, key-operated, and finished in a durable powder coating. They also offer a variety of coupler and hitch locks for when your trailer is hooked to your tow rig. curtmfg.com 800.798.0813

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Even more new products

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57

TOOLS ACCESSORIES STUFF

PARTS STORE

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Sharing the data Dakota Digital, BIM-01 EFI Interface Modules Your street rod build is a culmination of parts and pieces that all have to work in concert in order to drive and perform well, not to mention look good. Dakota Digital is bridging the gap between the EFI controller and gauges.

Dakota’s new BIM-01 series of interface modules are designed to connect to a vehicle’s EFI system and share the sensor information with their digital instrumentation systems. The benefit of sharing the info means you don’t need to run redundant sensors or wiring. Typically, this data includes a tach signal, coolant temp, fuel pressure, air/fuel ratio, and others, depending on the system.

The modules are available for a variety of aftermarket EFI systems, including Holley, FAST, and MSD, as well as OEM systems. dakotadigital.com 800-593-4160

Pull in the cool air GC Cooling, 16-inch Big Motor Electric Fan There is nothing worse than watching the temp needle creep up and up while you’re waiting in line at a show or cruise. One of the most important components to help cool things down at idle or low speed is an electric fan. GC Cooling just introduced a big, 16-inch version that will pull a serious amount of air through your radiator.

The Extreme Duty fan is ideal when replacing inefficient, old mechanical fans or building a new cooling system. The high-speed motor produces a class-leading 2,470 CFM at 3,100 rpm — that’s a lot of air movement! The overall depth, including the motor, is only 3.5 inches, and the complete assembly weighs just 6 pounds. gccooling.com 515.645.5908

Big handling for big Fords Hotchkis Sport Suspension, Stage II TVS Kit for ’65-’66 Galaxie Looking to add some handling prowess on your full-size Ford Custom or Galaxie? Hotchkis Sport Suspension now offers a full line of bolton suspension components that will dramatically improve the handling and looks of the popular ’65-’66 models.

Each component, from the geometry corrected A-arms to the adjustable upper trailing arms, are available individually or as a complete Total Vehicle System. New coil springs position the car down for a lower center of gravity, while a set of their 1.5 adjustable shocks provide the dampening for a balanced ride.

Sway bars are included with a 1 3/8-inch lightweight hollow bar up front, along with a unique 1-inch Chromoly bar and adjustable Panhard Rod out back. The TVS Kit is supplied with everything you need to bolt on performance handling, or you can build your system in stages. Hotchkis designs and manufactures everything in the USA and backs up their quality with a lifetime warranty. hotchkis.net 562.907.7757

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

You take care of the hot rod, and leave the lawn to us.

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STREETRODLIFE.COM

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Work Truck to Road Warrior Trades lead to a road-ready plumbing truck WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

H

ot rodders may not have been the first to trade goods for services, but they’ve certainly carried the concept to new levels through the years. Rodders are constantly selling, trading, and dealing parts for paint, engine parts for sheet metal, and whatever other means are necessary to achieve their build or budget.

This ’53 3100 Chevy truck, owned by Viktor and Betty Ramos, came about in a series of trades. Years ago, Betty’s uncle, Bill Phillips, asked Viktor to rebuild a mega-rare ’51 Harley-Davidson WRTT factory race bike (only 23 were

built). In exchange for his work and time, Viktor received a basket full of Shovelhead parts.

While the WRTT project was going on, Viktor’s buddy, Ron Reavis, was working on a ’53 Chevy pickup project.

Ron had bought the former plumbing truck from the original owner’s family and built it into a smooth cruiser with the inline-6, three on the tree, and perfectly aged patina.

Eventually, Ron sold the truck to their local NAPA counterman to fund a ‘62 Biscayne project. The old truck was painted black, cruised another year or two,

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After a lifetime of delivering plumbing supplies, you can imagine the factory sheet metal took some massaging.

Once Viktor deemed the metal work complete, pal Ron Reavis sprayed a single stage Ocean Green from NAPA.

and then just parked. This circles us back to Viktor, who not only had finished the vintage H-D build, but also built a classic bobber out of the basket of Shovelhead parts.

Word got back to Viktor that the ’53 pickup was up for trade for a vintage Harley, and a deal commenced. He got the pickup fired up again and back on the road, but he had a different goal in mind.

“My criteria for the truck was to accelerate, stop, turn, and cruise at 80 mph,” Viktor explained. “I didn’t want

to over-restore it or worry about it. It’s still a truck.”

In 2015, he blew the truck apart, down to the frame, where he and Ron began the rebuild. The chassis was boxed, reinforced, and strengthened throughout. A Speedway rack and Mustang II kit was added to the front, while the rear received a unique triangulated four-link to secure a 9-inch rear end, Panhard bar, and QA1 coilovers. Braking was kept simple with budget-sized discs at each corner — for the time being.

The years of plumbing work did no favors to the sheet metal, but fortunately, the dry air of El Paso, Texas, kept things rust free. Viktor and Ron spent long hours straightening out the cab, doors, and hood, while the professionals at Ochoa’s Body Shop smoothed the fenders. Once deemed straight, Ron applied the single stage Ocean Green stock color.

In keeping with the no frills theme of vintage trucks, the interior was kept as simple as possible. The factory bench

The dash clusters were upgraded with Classic Instruments, with the addition of a vintage Moon tach mounted to the steering column.

That’s a very rare ’51 Harley-Davidson WRTT race bike strapped in the bed of the truck. Viktor rebuilt it for Bill Phillips, his wife’s uncle. This bike was instrumental in how Viktor ended up with the Chevy.

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The Chevy’s days of hauling plumbing supplies around El Paso are long gone. Now, the pickup simply hauls.

The aggressive Bootlegger cams are designed for hot rodders who play by thier own rules. Building on technology from the popular VooDoo® Series, Bootlegger Camshafts are the most powerful street cams ever produced.

With a tight 108º Lobe Separation Angle (LSA) there's more torque for taking off, especially when paired with a 104º intake centerline. This potent combination starts opening the valves earlier to greatly improve low-speed torque and midrange power, creating a “useable range” for those who actually drive hard.

HYDRAULIC ROLLER & FLAT TAPPET CONFIGURATIONS LS, SMALL & BIG BLOCK CHEVYS

Sure, there are plenty of cams that make big power at the very top of the tachometer, but blasting off the line, downshifting, and on-and-off driving along twisty roads requires power down low. After all, everyone knows you can’t catch the Bootlegger.

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The rear suspension consists of a 9-inch supported by a triangulated fourlink, QA1 coilovers, and a heavy-duty sprint car Panhard rod.

The frame rails are boxed, and Viktor and Ron added reinforcing brackets, as well, to really build a robust foundation. Power steering is quicker thanks to a Speedway Motors Mustang II kit and a set of 2-inch drop spindles lower the ride height.

Under the hood is a study of tidiness and simplicity. The well-detailed 350 is tuned up a notch thanks to a COMP Nostalgia Plus grind that mimics the famous L79 327. A Street Demon mixes the air and fuel, while a performance HEI provides the spark.

The vintage simplicity of a truck was carried over in the interior, with the exception of the racing harnesses. Bench seat is stock, but note the rework to fit the Lokar tall shifter.

Pirelli 235/50ZR18 rubber is wrapped around 18x8 Torque Thrusts up front. Note the grille and bumper treatment — a heavy dose of bed coating.

If the rear inner fender wells look familiar, here’s a clue: Harley. Viktor and Ron split a Harley fender down the middle and used them as minitubs in the bed. You’ll also see a custom set of tie-down anchors to secure the restored ’51 WRTT that led to this project in the first place.

Viktor preferred the earlier Thrift Master emblem over the 3100 badging that came on the ’53.

Not only does it look cool, the name works well with the budget and build practice of this truck.

seat was worked over and wrapped in brown marine vinyl, race harnesses were installed, and a series of Classic Instruments gauges frame the Speedway ’40 steering wheel. The tall Lokar shifter seals the deal.

If you look in the bed of the truck, you’ll notice a pair of very narrow wheel tubs that provide just enough clearance

for the larger tires. When you look close, the sharp eye will note the mini tub is actually the rear fender from a motorcycle.

A ’79 Shovelhead to be precise, which was an extra piece that came in the basket with the bike he traded for the truck.

Viktor was brought up around SCCA autocross and heavily influenced by his dad’s ’65 Karmann Ghia with 13-inch

wheels and a screaming 2180cc engine.

Road racing was followed by more than two decades of drag bike racing. As you can see by the cargo of the truck, his two influences came together on this build.

Now, it’s time to enjoy it.

(Viktor thanks Ron Reavis for his build expertise and Bill Phillips for letting him load the WRTT for our shoot.) SRL

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Cranking Considerations The scoop on proper starter selection and installation WORDS & PHOTOS: Todd Ryden

T

he starter bolted underneath your engine performs an amazing feat time and time again. The act of spinning an engine over is quite amazing when you stop and think about it. Especially when you add in some hot rod features like higher compression, or even a blower.

Remember, the starter isn’t just spinning over the crankshaft and pistons; it’s also spinning the torque converter, the cam, and all the valvetrain, not to mention any accessory drive items.

Throw in some excessive underhood heat and it adds up to an unforgiving job.

We were talking starters the other day during a little bench racing session, which led to several things you should consider when purchasing a new starter. As such with modern times, someone asked the know-it-all Siri, and we were transported

There’s more to installing a starter than simply bolting it under the car. Torque, gear alignment, engagement, and wiring all need to be considered.

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to the Powermaster Performance website. We started scrolling through their line of XS Torque starters and more.

One of the biggest things is, of course, what will fit your application? Do you have a modified suspension or exhaust system that will affect the starter mounting position? If it is tight confines, a more compact gear reduction starter will be necessary. Besides the smaller size being a bonus, gear reduction starters are generally lighter, plus they provide increased torque, due to gear reduction, over standard starter motors.

If headers or an oil pan kickout are a part of your driveline, you may want to consider a starter that provides a way to clock the motor to a different location around the starter block. Powermaster offers starters that allow the position of the mounting block to be adjusted to help provide the clearance required for installation.

Another item to consider is the torque output of the starter. Though you can’t really have too much torque, Powermaster recommends a rating of at least 160 lb-ft for engines under 10.5:1 compression, 180 lb-ft for up to 12:1, and for anything over that, go with a 200 lb-ft rating — Powermaster even offers their Ultra Torque series that produces up to 250 lb-ft.

Once you decide on a starter, there are a few useful tips to consider during installation. Sure, you’re thinking, “It’s a starter, just bolt it on and go,” but to get the best performance and longest life out a new starter, consider these tips.

First, on starters that bolt to the engine block with a pair of vertical bolts, always use the bolts supplied. These bolts have a special knurled section that ensures there will be no movement when the starter is cranking. Without that knurled area, over time, the starter will move, ever so slightly, but enough to eventually cause damage to the pinion gear and/or the ring gear.

With the starter installed, there are two adjustments to check: the gear mesh and the depth of engagement. The gear mesh (up and down) is the relationship of the ring gear and the pinion gear teeth. There should be .020-.035 of area (the size of a paperclip) between the gear teeth when engaged. If the clearance is too tight, shims can easily be added between the engine block and starter mounting block.

Pinion depth is the distance that the pinion gear teeth engage with the ring gear (in and out). A rule of thumb is for the pinion gear to be about halfway to two-thirds engaged with the ring gear. Powermaster supplies shims that go behind the mounting

What about the R-Terminal?

Battery + Starter Switch

Powermaster supplies new retainers with every GM starter, for good reason. Note the knurls on the starter bolts? These engage to the starter block so there is no movement during cranking.

Torque them to 30-35 ft/lbs.

R-Terminal

Back in the day of breaker points and early electronic ignitions, the voltage to the coil terminal was reduced through a resistor. This was in place to protect the points, as well as the coil. To assist in getting the ignition really sparking, the R-Terminal was used to provide a full 12 volts to the coil during cranking only. Basically, it was a booster to the ignition during starting.

In most builds today, where an HEI, CD ignition, or modern distributor are being used, the ignition already accepts a full 12 volts, and the R-Terminal does not need to be used.

Checking the mesh of the pinion gear and the flexplate is important and can be compensated for with shims between the engine block and the starter mounting block. Pull the pinion gear out to engage it with the ring gear. Use a paperclip and place it between the teeth of the flexplate and the pinion gear.

Note the location of how far the starter’s pinion gear goes into the ring gear. Powermaster recommends that the pinion gear reach into the ring gear by halfway to two-thirds for proper engagement.

To achieve the proper gear engagement, it may be required to install a shim (supplied) between the starter housing and the mounting block.

block of the starter to achieve the proper gear depth. Also, you’ll want to rotate the engine three or four times and measure again to ensure the ring gear is not warped or bent.

While you’re checking the pinion depth, also confirm that the pinion gear is at minimum 1/16 inch away from the ring gear while at rest.

Before mounting the starter, ensure the mounting pad is free of paint to achieve a quality ground path. One last item to consider is the battery cable length and gauge connecting to the starter. Remember, a new performance starter is going to require more current than a stock model, and in many cases, the wiring may not be up to the high load. Also, be sure to run a ground cable from the engine block to the chassis.

With a few simple checks, you can be positive that your engine will crank over every time you turn the key. SRL Source: Powermaster Performance, powermasterperformance.com

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Shift Control Transmission controller setup really is easy WORDS & PHOTOS: Brandon Flannery

I

t seems that when it comes to automatic overdrive transmissions, the electronically controlled models are the preferred choice these days. This means pretty much anything with an ‘E’ in the name, such as the GM 4L80E or Ford AODE. One of the main benefits of using an electronic trans is the ability to tune it in to your specific application. You can easily adjust the shift firmness, torque converter clutch, shift aggressiveness, and other items that are not easy to change with a standard

trans. If you don’t like the way it shifts or the rpm, you can easily make an adjustment without leaving the driver’s seat.

We’ve always wondered if controlling and adjusting and electronic automatic was as easy as we’ve been told, so we went to TCI Automotive to learn more about setting up an electronic overdrive with one of the EZ-TCU systems.

Turns out, it really is just that easy. Follow along with these screen captures we took during the initial setup of a TCI 6X transmission. SRL

5

If you still have a mechanical speedometer, TCI makes a SCU (Speedometer Control Unit) that converts your spinning cable to a digital output.

Initial Setup

1

The first screen of the hand-held touchscreen is the Main Menu. Select the Setup Wizard.

The first step in the setup is to select the transmission. We’re working with a TCI 6X.

2

Since the ECU receives a rpm signal, it needs to know the number of cylinders.

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3

The Tire Diameter allows you to enter either the diameter, if you know it, or the tire size.

4

The Speedometer Output is next. MOST aftermarket and modern electronic OEM speedometers are 4,000 ppm (pulse per mile), though some early GM cars were 2,000 ppm. If you don’t know yours, you can just press done and adjust it later in the advanced settings.

6

The Rear Axle Gear selection is a simple one.

Ours is running a 3.73.

7

The Max Shift RPM tells the transmission the highest rpm you want the transmission to reach when shifting at WOT (Wide Open Throttle). Our big block likes 5,200.

8

A Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) is required with an electronic trans. TCI offers a remote TPS kit for carbureted engines. There are settings to program with the TPS, idle, and wide open throttle.

Do not touch the throttle during TPS calibration.

9

After the initial setup, turn the key off for 10 seconds to save the tune. That’s it; it’s that easy!

Your transmission is now ready to go.

FOR MORE GREAT TECH INFO, GO TO @ StreetRodLife.com, CLICK ON THE TECH MENU

Advanced Settings:

Shift Aggressiveness adjusts the overall shift strategy. This means with a higher number, the transmission will hold gears longer and be quicker to downshift.

In the Advanced Setup, you can make manual adjustments if the auto setup needs tweaking.

The second screen of the Advanced Setup offers adjustments to the shifting.

Max RPM Shifting, Low-Speed Shift, Shift Aggressiveness, and Firmness can all be adjusted. The 6X Overlap is for 6X transmissions only and affects shift characteristics between certain gears. It shouldn’t be modified without first calling the tech line.

The Low Speed Shifting can be adjusted on a numbered scale of 9 to 15, with 12 being the default.

This will raise or lower the shift table to adjust the vehicle speeds at which the transmission shifts under a very light load. This can be used to dial the points in to keep the engine from lugging, and a higher number means the transmission will shift at higher speeds.

Shift Firmness adjusts base line pressure. Higher pressure is felt as a firmer shift and allows less slip as the gears engage. Line pressure does increase along with the throttle and will always be maxed out during full throttle operation, so it doesn’t need to be uncomfortably high in part-throttle driving.

The third screen begins with the Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) and the minimum vehicle speed at which it locks up.

Locking the TCC is good for fuel economy and keeping the trans fluid cool. The MAX TCC TPS is the maximum throttle opening allowed before the TCC unlocks There is also a provision for a Manual Shifting mode that will allow the use of paddle shifters or shift buttons, such as those found on some TCI shifters. This will only electronically change the gears when the shifter is in the final drive position. Manually changing with the lever will override all electronic settings.

Live Data Screen one has things like transmission temperature, battery voltage, TPS percentage, etc. BU and BD are Bump Up and Bump Down and will indicate a shift up or down is being requested by grounding the corresponding Manual Shift wire with a shift button or paddle shifter. SE is System Error and acts like a check engine light. If it is filled, select Error Codes in the main menu to check and clear codes.

The Live Data area turns the hand-held into two screens of information that monitor various engine and transmission parameters in real time.

Screen two has a tachometer bar across the top and a speedometer readout on the left. Since our car was stationary, these are zero. On the right is what gear the car is in, and if the torque converter was locked up, or if the car was in Performance Mode or Manual Mode, the circles would be filled in.

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with Michael Young

Street Rods by Michael

A

bout an hour south of Nashville, in the town of Shelbyville, you’ll find a true street rod shop: Street Rods by Michael.

Chances are you’ve been by their booth at one of the big national events or checked out one of the four National Street Rod Association (NSRA) giveaway cars they’ve built.

When you walk into the full-service 15,000-square-foot building, you first step into a full-on speed shop, but instead of nitrous and cams, you’ll find cool gauge sets, shifters, fittings, and other street rod goodies. Once you get through the store, you’ll find the shop area with an eclectic number of projects in the works and in various stages. We’re talking about chassis fab work, paint and body, muscle car restoration, and rods of all forms.

Street Rods by Michael was founded by Michael Young and wife Rose Marie after he decided life as a touring musician was just not right for him. He liked rods, could build rods, and rods is what they decided to do. We got to take a quick cruise with Michael and enjoyed his unique story.

Want to see more cars and builds? Check out srbymichael.com.

How many ho to walk into? tMrod builders have a cool parts most of which ichael’s has a lot of parts in store stock, through experiethey’ve used before and reco nce. mmend

“I’m not the Ridler or AMBR guy. We could build one, but we specialize in rods you can drive anywhere”

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Michael’s only had three cars of his own since opening the shop; all ’32s. As for the 319 on the side and ‘Thumper’ name under the driver’s window? March 19 is his birthday, and Thumper is a nickname friend Frank O’Neal has called him for years.

How long has SRBM been building rods?

Street Rods by Michael officially started in 1990, but I was building hot rods and working on cars for friends long before we went full time into cars.

How did you get started in the hot rod business?

I was a musician that wanted to be a hot rod builder. I was playing in Nashville and doing well as a studio drummer, playing with some great people, as well as touring a bit. As a musician, there can be a lot of down time, which gave me the opportunity to work on cars out of my garage.

When I’d go to the studio, I’d typically drive a hot rod, and other musicians and producers would ask about building one for them or working on something for them. It just kind of built speed from there and never really slowed down.

You’re lucky that you’ve gotten to do two things you enjoy in life. If you had to pick one, music or cars, which would it be — and why?

Well, I already made that choice! Years ago, I had an opportunity to be the drummer for the Judds, but that was going to mean a lot of travel and touring, which I wasn’t willing to do, so I passed on the gig. Though I did end up building cars for their producer, and one for Wynonna.

A couple years later, I had to make a final decision when I was in the band Great Plains. We had a record contract with Sony Music, we had a great producer and management team, and we even had tracks on the Billboard country charts…but we weren’t making any money. The next step was to really dig in and hit the road with the band, which would have meant closing down the shop.

Rose and I talked about it, and I left the band in favor of street rods. That was in 1996.

Can you tell us a few of the builds you’ve done for fellow musicians?

Doing work for musicians is what drove me to start the hot rod business full time. One of the first trucks we did was a ’50-ish Chevy truck that Waylon Jennings gave to Mark Knopfler. We built Wynonna Judd a ’48 Ford pickup, a few for Ricky Van Shelton, a lot of session guys, and producers such as Michael Johnson.

Do you still fiddle around with music?

I still play, a lot actually, but just for fun. During the Goodguys show in Nashville this year, I played Thursday night at the Advanced Plating kickoff, then on Friday at the stadium during the show, Saturday at a private party, and one more time on Sunday. Plus, we had a booth at the show! It was a busy weekend.

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This highboy was in the running for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award at the GNRS a few years ago.

How many builds have you done with the NSRA on their giveaway cars?

We’ve done four giveaway cars for the NSRA. Our first was in 1994, a ’33 Willys based on a Bob Ida chassis and body.

Next was 1997, a ’32 five-window, and in 2003, a three-window deuce. In ’07 we did a Redneck Cabster.

We also built two other cars for an early TV show called Street Rodder TV. I pitched a rod show in 1997 to several networks, and we filmed the builds in the shop, but network channels at the time just weren’t ready. Eventually, we worked with Masters Entertainment group on Street Rodder TV for a couple years.

When a customer comes to you for a complete build, where do you begin?

That’s a tough one because each build is different depending on the customer. The majority of customers that want a complete build come in and just tell me to build them a car like I like. Sure, we bounce things off them throughout the process - gauges, accessories, wheels — but a lot of customers just trust our experience and judgement.

On the other hand, I enjoy collaborating with a customer that comes in with a stack of magazines and pictures about what they like, don’t like, and what they envision.

Then, we get to work together on the concept and project as it comes together.

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Full builds versus updates and modifications?

It’s nice to work on some smaller projects now and then, plus it gives you a break from a complete build. A refresh.

We just got done upgrading a shifter on a guy’s rod, and another job was simply doing the A/C on a Nova. It’s nice to help improve someone’s hot rod so they enjoy driving it more.

One thing to note is that we don’t work on any new cars. We’ll fix and update your hot rod, but not your daily driver.

When we were there, you had a rare, restored Mustang getting updates next to a wild custom ’56 Chevy. Do you have a favorite to work on?

I started out doing classic cars and restorations. I’ve always been a street rodder, but restoration was a main starting point for me in the business. That Mustang is a ’66 Hertz GT350 and is a restoration project. I can’t say I really have a favorite — both builds are a challenge — but my tastes lean toward the rodding side of things.

How many people work full time at SRBM? We have three full-time guys, plus me, and another part-time guy. Scott, my primary painter/body guy, has been with us for 15 years. Jason, who does a lot of fab and chassis work, has been here 14 years already. The newest guy is Danny, who helps out Scott in the prep and body work. Of course, Rose is tasked with keeping us all heading in the right direction. We have a great team that can build and work on anything.

This is the 25th NSRA anniversary giveaway car built by SRBM. Here’s the first Street Rods by Michael event trailer.

What is your take on the state of hot rodding?

It is alive and well. I think there’s more happening in hot rodding than ever. Look at Troy’s [Trepanier] ’32 sedan that they’re building. Go to the basement in Detroit. Look at the number of events that are going on; even local cruise nights are big and getting a lot of cars. Sure, many of us are getting long in the tooth, but we’re still going. Plus, a lot of the younger guys are doing the rat rod thing, many just because they have to due to the cost. But, they’re building some impressive cars, and that style is advancing in build quality.

What is your current personal street rod?

Since we’ve started this business, I’ve only had three personal rods. A ’32 Gibbons bodied three-window back in 1990, then a ’32 Cabriolet highboy, and just recently, we built another ’32 coupe. The main reason for building this one was that I’ve had a Motor City Flathead sitting in the shop for nearly 20 years. It was finally time to build another car for myself. It’s cool that my son built the chassis, we chopped

An open house at their previous shop.

and channeled it and it has a custom aluminum interior. It’s been a lot of fun to drive. I’m glad I finally have another hot rod of my own. SRL

Michael cut his teeth on a lot of restoration projects, and there’s currently a pair of rare Mustangs in the shop. Right behind them is a ’56 Chevy convertible getting a complete custom makeover. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, right?

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Groundbreaking Break-In

Heat-cycling offered as alternative to traditional engine breakin method WORDS: Cindy Bullion

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ecent testing has resulted in a byproduct that may have engine builders changing how they break in flat tappet camshafts. It appears an interval approach could be more effective than the industry standard 30-minute procedure.

For decades, the recommended break-in procedure for a flat tappet cam has been to run the engine for 30 minutes at 1,500 to 2,000 rpm and then change the oil. However, a new 10-1010 method evolved during independent testing to develop a break-in procedure that would not overheat stamped steel rocker arms.

The testing involved running an engine for 10 minutes at 3,000 rpm and then letting it cool for another 10 minutes before twice repeating the cycle, for a total 30 minutes of run time.

While, the rocker arms survived the testing, it was the camshaft that ended up stealing the show.

“The test confirmed what we expected, that there is more

wear in the first 10 minutes of break-in than the remaining time,” COMP Cams Valvetrain Engineering Group Manager Billy Godbold says. “But, it also showed less camshaft wear overall. Oil was checked after each 10 minutes, and at the end, there was less wear metals in all the combined oil samples compared to the old procedure.”

Godbold says the old procedure is still recommended, as it has proven successful in allowing engine components, particularly flat tappet cams and lifters, to bed together and seat. However, the 10-10-10 method is a valid and perhaps more reliable alternative.

Adcole precision measurements of the flat tappet camshaft from the engine on which the 10-10-10 method was used are quite convincing. They showed 0.00018 inch of wear, compared to 0.00029 for a matching camshaft broken in with the 30-minute procedure — a difference of nearly 38 percent.

The first step in breaking in a new flat tappet camshaft is applying assembly lube to all surfaces before installation. This offers protection for the few seconds during initial start-up when the crankshaft has yet to splash oil on the camshaft.

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STREET STREET ROD ROD LIFE LIFE Vol. Vol. 3, 3, No. No. 2 2

Adcole measurements following 10-10-10 method testing show a nearly 38 percent reduction in flat tappet camshaft wear, compared to the traditional 30-minute breakin procedure.

During independent testing, an engine was run at 3,000 rpm in three 10-minute intervals, with 10 minutes of cool time in between. This break-in procedure differs from the industry standard 30 minutes at 1,500 to 2,000 rpm, yet resulted in reduced camshaft wear.

The independent testing goal was to develop a break-in procedure that would not overheat stamped steel rocker arms like the ones shown here.

COMP Cams now recommends the 10-10-10 method as an alternative — and perhaps better — way to mate flat tappet camshafts and lifters.

“I absolutely believe it has to do with the cam-lifter interface seeing more cycles at high load and low temp,” Godbold says of the reduced camshaft wear. “It may also have to do with the oil viscosity after restart.”

Allowing the engine to cool between 10-minute runs keeps the engine temperature down. This heat cycling reduces the chance of overheating oil and diminishing its protective abilities during the critical break-in period.

“It will allow you to get a heat sink, if you will, and that is good for all engine components,” adds COMP Cams’ Dean Harvey, in reference to the high load benefits.

Some top engine builders already use a similar heat-cycling approach when breaking in engines with high ratio rocker arms or multi-spring setups. They found using outer springs and stock ratio rocker arms for the first cycle, followed by inner

Dedicated break-in oils, like these from COMP Cams, containing optimum amounts of ZDDP are a must, regardless the engine break-in procedure used.

springs and high ratio rocker arms in another cycle allows the engine components to better bed together — slowly.

Godbold noted that regardless the break-in procedure used, there are several elements that remain the same. It is still important to quickly crank the engine – be sure timing is dialed in the first time – since the only lubrication the cam and lifters receive comes from oil slung off the crankshaft. The use of an engine assembly lube and dedicated break-in oil like those available from COMP Cams is also a must to coat and protect wear surfaces. If choosing an off-the-shelf oil, it is essential to use a break-in oil additive containing ZDDP (zinc and phosphorous). Don’t forget to fill the oil filter and prime the system in advance, to immediately achieve oil pressure, and then change the oil and filter after breakin, to remove wear metals and other contaminants. SRL Source: COMP Cams, compcams.com

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THE THAT DIDN’T GET AWAY

This ’68 GT500KR still has its original owner — and his family had it restored for him WORDS: Barry Kluczyk PHOTOS: Shawn Brereton

B

ack in 1969, Louis J. Stadler was stationed at Fort McPherson, an Army base on the edge of Atlanta that was established in 1885 and closed in 2011. It was a day in March, and not a particularly good one for him. To clear his head, he headed off base and walked into East Point Ford’s showroom to check out the Mustangs.

Louis immediately fell for a Lime Gold Metallic (green) 1968 Shelby GT500KR convertible that hadn’t sold the previous model year. It seems impossible these days that a ’68 Shelby convertible would go unwanted, and there was no way at the time Louis could have known it was one of only 518 droptop KRs built, but there it was.

Then again, with a bottom line about double the cost of a regular Mustang convertible, it was a pricey snake.

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Louis J. Stadler, with his wife Claudette, has owned this ‘68 GT500KR since it was new. His family surprised him with a ground up restoration on the rare Mustang.

The Stadlers’ daughter, Hilda, son-in-law Jeff, and the rest of the family snuck the Mustang out of the barn and had it restored by Classic Mustang Specialists.

The KR-specific 428 Cobra Jet used 427 ‘low-riser’ cylinder heads, an iron version of the Police Interceptor high-flow intake manifold, a high-lift hydraulic camshaft, and a Holley four-barrel carb. Ford sandbagged the horsepower rating at only 335 hp.

The “KR” in the name stood for King of the Road and identified models fitted with Ford’s 428 Cobra Jet engine, in place of the Police Interceptor-based 428 engine in other GT500 models. It was rated with a wink and a nod at 335 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque, but those figures were meant to appease hand-wringing, brow-mopping insurance underwriters. The engine

Standard equipment for the GT500KR included an 8,000-rpm tach, 140-mph speedometer, Cobra-embossed padded console armrest, and a roll bar. For the convertible models, the bar included clips at the top for latching down surfboards.

truly made more than 400 horses and enabled 13-second ETs off the showroom floor.

And despite the comparatively high price, drive it off the showroom floor is exactly what Louis did that spring. It was his driver — and was even stolen and recovered — until the military sent him and his family to a new assignment in Izmir, Turkey. He left the Mustang at his moth-

This is what the Mustang looked like when they secretly stole the car from the barn for the restoration.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

er-in-law’s house while overseas.

In the summer of 1973, Louis’ son, Louis Jr., returned to the states to attend college and put the Shelby back on the road. Unfortunately, a drunk driver ran into it and caused significant damage to the front end.

“When we returned from Turkey in December of that year, my father immediately began gathering parts to repair it,” says Hilda Philips, Louis’ daughter.

“It wasn’t easy and took him about two years to track down all the necessary parts from Ford. By that time, he had three kids in college.”

Seeing his children through school took priority over the Shelby’s restoration, and by the time they were done, he’d started a business, so the project was further delayed.

“It became the talk of family dinners,” says Hilda. “He’d always say he was going to get around to it one day, and we teased him about it all the time.”

In 1968, Shelby moved production of their Mustang-based muscle car to Ionia, Michigan, where new front end and other exterior components were added.

Interestingly, the cars were built at the Metuchen, New Jersey, plant and shipped to Michigan, rather than starting with nearby Dearborn-built cars.

In 2013, the family was gathered at the Stadler home when Louis’ wife, Claudette, pulled out a photo of him standing next to the Shelby.

“He was in his dress blues, on his way to the funeral of a young military man who had died in Vietnam,” she

says. “My mom looked at the photo and said it was the only picture they had of him with the car. I took it to make copies of it for my siblings and, on the way home that night, my husband Johnny looked over at me and said, ‘Why don’t we get your dad’s car restored?’”

While asking around for a suitable shop to take on the project, Garner Kirkendoll from Memphis-based Classic Mustang Specialist was recommended more than once. Hilda and her husband met with him and described the car, the damage, and where it was

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located. Garner replied he already knew of the car and had inquired about purchasing it years earlier.

“He then asked us how far we wanted to take things with the car,” says Hilda. “We’d never done anything like it before, so we weren’t exactly sure what we were getting into when we told him a ground-up restoration. I said that I wanted my dad to be able to get in it and just go whenever he wanted — just like the day he picked it up in 1969.”

Not surprisingly, Hilda and her husband’s idea of a restoration differed significantly from the reality of bringing a car back to life that had essentially been sitting dormant for 40 years.

They had also planned on keeping the restoration a secret from her father, and when Garner suggested it would take something like a year to complete, they were sure it would never hold.

“When it was nearly Thanksgiving, Johnny said there was no way our family would make it through the holiday without dad finding out,” she says. “But, we got through the holiday, and things were going very well at the shop.”

The tentative goal was having the car ready for Father’s Day. “We were looking for the title to get new tags for the car, and when we found it, we realized dad bought the car on or near his 36th birthday,” says Hilda. “That was March 25, and we pressed Garner to get the car done by then, more than a month early. It was a 80

STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

challenge, but he got it done.”

On Louis J. Stadler’s 80th birthday four years ago, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered for the celebration, with the secret kept as tight as the creases on his old dress blues.

“We were out on the porch with a photographer, whom dad thought was simply there to take some family photos, when Johnny started up the car down the road,” says Hilda. “I stepped over to him and said, ‘Daddy, I want you to look right down there,’ and I pointed to a bend in the road.

“He asked what was he looking for and as the car came around the bend, he looked at my mom and said, ‘Do you think there are two of those cars in Wynne [Arkansas]?’”

When Claudette solemnly answered no, it dawned on Louis what his family had done, and he righteously thumped his chest with pride. He is now 84 years old and remains the car’s only owner.

After all these years, it has less than 30,000 original miles. Those early days of parts scrounging paid off with the restoration, as it was rebuilt with original service parts. It’s also one of a comparative handful of cars equipped from the factory with air conditioning, which would have been a must for any customer in sultry Atlanta.

“Growing up with this car, I never appreciated how rare it was,” Hilda says. “It was always just dad’s car, but since its restoration, it has been amazing to see the reaction to it, and dad loves every minute of it. His story for it gets bigger every time, too, with him telling people it was stolen twice: once in Atlanta and again by his daughter.”

Few cars have remained with the original owner after nearly 50 years, and with the legacy this Shelby has forged with the Stadler family, it is certainly one Cobra that’s not going to slither away anytime soon. SRL

Louis Stadler has all of the GT500KR paperwork from when he purchased the car in 1969.

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81

Steering Solution Borgeson solves steering issues we lived with for far too long WORDS & PHOTOS: Shawn Brereton

T

hey say, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,” and no truer words could describe the steering on my ’55 Chevy. I’ve been living with slightly sloppy steering and a poor fit installation for a decade. It’s not that the steering was dangerous or iffy, it just wasn’t 100 percent, so I just “lived with it.”

My ’55 has a Fatman front stub, with a power rack and pinion, so it rides great, but two things needed to be addressed: The wheel had about 1/2 inch of excessive play, and the column position was not where it needed to be.

When I happened by the Borgeson booth during the NSRA Nats last year, Sales Manager Jeff Grantmeyer schooled me on different U-joints and basic steering design. He pointed out the steering wheel connects you to the road surface, and there are varying degrees of linkage quality that affect that connection.

I knew I had a problem, so I checked it when I got back and found the U-joints were worn and the long linkage shaft was too short. Grantmeyer assured me the problem could easily be solved and recommended the parts to make things right.

With an understanding of what I needed to measure, I de-

82 STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No 2 82 STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

termined the ’55 would need a floor mount, three U-joints, and two 7/8-inch splined shafts. One would be 3 inches, and the top shaft would have to be determined once the column was moved into the proper position. Grantmeyer recommended I use one of their vibration-reducing U-joints to connect to the column. I also decided to spring for polished stainless to better match my engine bay.

My friend, Chris Johnston, and I assembled the new steering linkage and repositioned the steering column. Not only does the car drive and steer much better, but the Borgeson stainless steel components look outstanding under the hood.

The results were immediate, and I’m nearly embarrassed it took only about two hours to correct a steering issue I had been living with for years. The steering is so much tighter — no more little corrections going down the road — and the vibration-reducing U-joint removes all those little annoying bumps you expect from a 62-year-old car. It is like a new car all over again.

It’s true you really don’t know what you’ve got until it is gone — and I’m glad it’s gone! SRL SOURCE: Borgeson, borgeson.com

Here is what we started with. Note how far the column protrudes through the firewall, not to mention the ugly hose clamp securing the column to the makeshift mount underneath. Things get tighter and change directions closer to the rack.

Any time you have more than two universal joints, a shaft support is required. This additional support will prevent the shafts from ‘looping’ and wreaking havoc on the steering action.

Inside, you can see the poor positioning of the steering column. The wide part of the column should not be touching the gauge bezel! Not to mention the ugly gap between the bezel and the cover for the mount.

Repositioning the column with a Borgeson floor mount for Tri-Fives was first on the To Do List.

Due to some replacement floor panels installed long ago, we had to slightly modify the mount, but it bolted in place and properly secured the column.

With the column in the correct position (about 2 inches back), we went about setting up our new linkage. After careful measuring, we determined we needed a slightly longer top shaft. Here is a comparison the day we received it. Notice the vibration-reducing U-joint (left) that connects to the steering column.

We assembled the shaft and U-joints before connecting it all to the rack and column. A bolt goes all the way through the steering column shaft, plus a set screw to keep things in place. It’s also a recommended safety measure to dimple the splined shaft to seat the set screws, and thread locker is also a smart move.

And here is the final product. It not only looks better, but functions better, as well. The vibration reducing u-joint dampens all those little bumps in the road making for a much better feel behind the wheel.

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83

Rodders take over Elvis’ birthplace for a weekend of cruising WORDS: Todd Ryden PHOTOS: Shawn Brereton

R

ock ‘n’ roll is as much a part of hot rods and cruising as lake pipes, flames, and louvers. It’s just part of the fabric of the car culture, and Tupelo, Mississippi, decided to make a show that could celebrate both — the Blue Suede Cruise.

Tupelo is the birth place of Elvis Presley, so you can understand the deep roots in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

But the weekend is more than just a car show. It’s not the Blue Suede Show

84 STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No 2 84 STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

after all, it’s the Blue Suede Cruise — and cruising is exactly what they want you to do.

The BSC committee designed this show for rodders to cruise their cars and trucks around the Tupelo area to take in the unique locations and history of the region. The show includes a poker run on Saturday that stops at several different venues, so participants are encouraged to cruise around to take it all in. There’s downtown Tupelo, The Elvis Presley Center and birthplace, the Natchez Trace Parkway Center, and of course, the Tupelo Automobile Museum.

The Auto Museum itself is worth a trip to check out more than 100 vintage and historic cars, such as an 1899 Knox, a Duesenberg, Tucker, Elvis’ cars, and more. If history is your thing, there is the Tupelo National Battlefield or Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield not far away. Like we said, there is something for everyone. Oh, did we mention there are no awards — only a HUGE cash giveaway on Sunday morning!

If you don’t get your project car up and running by next year for the show, cruise on down anyway. The price is free, and you’ll have a great weekend. The show is always the first weekend of May, but check out bluesc.com for all the details and action. SRL This ’67 Plymouth GTX is a local Tupelo, Mississippi, cruiser owned by James Wheeler.

Tasha and Jason Graham took a break from building cars in Portland, Tennessee, to show off Tasha’s crazy-cool custom ’50 Merc.

David Heath of Grenada, Mississippi, got his ’39 Chevy pickup out for a giddy-up and go weekend of cruising fun.

Keith Johnson took the short drive from Southaven, Mississippi in his sweet looking ‘69 Camaro SS.

It wouldn’t be the BSC without a George Poteet sighting. He cruised down in his ‘55 Nomad with custom Evod wheels.

We were really liking the ’55 Mercury Montclair of Larry Gordhamer. The factory lines and trim give the car a custom look, and the color combo is just right with those wide whites.

A mirror black deuce five-window with a tri-power setup on top of a small block. Add a set of chrome reverse wheels and you have a combo that will never go out of style. Tommy Grimes nailed it.

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What do you get when you combine a Speed ’33 body with a supercharged LS2 backed by a six-speed trans? Basically a street rod rocket! Terry and Betty Williams are the lucky owners of this impressive ride.

Jay McCrary’s ’50 Chevy pickup looks great and has a number of Offenhauser speed goodies on the inline-six.

It’s not often you see a pristine Cameo, so it was a treat to check out Buddy Palmer’s ’58. He also had a ’56 and ’59 pickup parked nearby!

We could stare at the rear body lines of this ’61 Olds Dynamic all day, but Craig Hicks would probably chase us off eventually! There’s nothing like the recessed tail lights, wrap around bumper, and exhaust outlets.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

Larry Hurst of Town Creek, Alabama, has got to have a blast cruising his small-block Chevy-powered ’61 Rambler around, especially when the top’s down.

Jimmy Garrett of Carrollton, Mississippi, has one fine ’65 Mustang.

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87

Joe Zujus of Columbus, Mississippi, combines class with fast in his ’68 Buick GS 400. The Buford originally came with a 400c.i. Buick and a 400TH, but after a frame-off restoration, it now runs with a torquey 455c.i. mill.

Another one we lusted after is this finely patina’d ’52 Poncho tin woody of Larry O’Kelly.

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STREET ROD LIFE Vol. 3, No. 2

We’ve been hovering towards ’36 Fords lately, and Bruce Patterson’s satin black cruiser lured us in with the red trim, white walls, and louvered hood.

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Steering with Electricity How to take the oompf out of turning effort WORDS & PHOTOS: Jeff Smith

A

s the troubadour of the 1960s, Bob Dylan once wrote, “the times, they are a changing.” With regard to street-driven performance cars and hot rods, that statement has never been more accurate. Direct-port injection, mega-overdrives, CAN-bus networks, and electric power-assisted steering are the new norm.

Wait a minute — did you say electric power steering?

Yes, and in fact, electric power assist steering (EPAS) is standard equipment on many newer cars. More than 60 percent of all new cars are equipped with this feature.

The OEs are using this concept to avoid having to constantly drive a high-pressure hydraulic pump. Running down the freeway at 70 mph, full manual steering needs little help, so a hydraulic pump is just circulating fluid — which impacts the fuel mileage. This led to the design of a simple electric motor assist sandwiched between the steering wheel and the steering box or rack to reduce effort.

It wasn’t long before high-performance automotive enthusiasts started to pay attention. That’s when we ran across this beautiful little ’32. The owner is now in his later years, and stock manual steering had become a bit more difficult to negotiate at slow speeds. So, he went looking for a solution with help from the fabricators at Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) in Van Nuys, California.

The guys at GAS suggested an electric steering kit from

Driving your street rod is supposed to be fun, but if that manual steering box requires Popeye-like biceps, there is an electric solution.

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UniSteer. The UniSteer system is a classic EPAS system, which means it merely assists the steering using a high-torque electric motor that is geared at a right angle to the steering shaft.

The system consists of an electric motor assist module and a smaller electronic box that converts amperage from the charging system into torque applied to the steering shaft, reducing the steering effort.

In addition to the basic add-on system, UniSteer also offers a complete ididit steering column that is pre-mounted with the electric power assist motor. This can be added to most cars, assuming there is sufficient room under the dash.

As an option for any of their systems, UniSteer offers an addon control mechanism that allows you to custom-set the amount of electric assist, as not all applications will require the same amount. Variables like front-end weight, steering box ratio, caster settings, tire width, and several others all affect the amount of steering effort required.

The installation requires the EPAS motor to be mounted at a right angle to the shaft. UniSteer recommends the electric motor portion of the unit be mounted in a location away from direct heat sources and water. Unfortunately, in the case of this ’32, the very tight under-dash constraints of this finished car would have required the GAS fabricators to completely reconfigure the under-dash area to fit the steering box module.

This is UniSteer’s universal electric power steering kit. The electric motor drives a gear splined to the steering shaft. Power to the electric motor is supplied by the accompanying control box. Rated at 360 watts, the system demands less than 30 amps at max load — less than many electric fans.

Because the electric assist draws only 20-plus amps at full load, major upgrades to the charging system may not be required. Note here that the one-wire alternator uses a separate ground to ensure full charging capability.

With only the electric power assist and electric fan, a 90-amp alternator would offer sufficient power to maintain system voltage.

Here’s the box as seen from the driver side engine compartment. Because of the limited space available under the dash on this finished car, the GAS fabricators decided to mount the electric power assist just above the stock manual steering box.

Another view of the steering system reveals a dropped front axle in this nicely detailed rod. The steering assist merely makes it require much less effort at low speeds.

UniSteer recommends the assist motor ideally be located under the dash away from engine exhaust heat, but in this case, space was at a premium. GAS repositioned the exhaust and covered the pipe with DEI insulating wrap to reduce the heat signature, and also insulated the motor.

It’s an odd sensation to turn the ignition on (with the engine not running) and be able to easily turn the wheels. There is still sufficient ‘feel’ on the wheel as well.

Since this went beyond the owner’s wishes, the only other place to relocate the electric portion of the power assist was to position it just above the manual steering box. This placed the EPAS gearbox not only in the elements, but also unfortunately, very close to the driver side exhaust.

GAS relocated the exhaust pipe farther forward and down, which created sufficient room to minimize the heat. They wrapped the exhaust with Design Engineering, Inc. EXO exhaust wrap to reduce the temperature. They also insulated the UniSteer electric motor for the same reason.

The UniSteer control module is small enough that it could be located under the dash with little effort and be conveniently hidden, since it is not necessary to access the module once the system is in place.

The UniSteer system has been on the car for nearly a year with zero issues. The electric assist has made it much easier for the driver to guide his hot rod through parking lots without having to muscle the steering. And that makes driving a hot rod even more enjoyable. SRL Sources: Galpin Auto Sports, galpinautosports.com; Unisteer Performance, unisteer.com

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with the Michigan Hot Rod Association

The MHRA is still going strong after 66 years

The Detroit Autorama was conceived as a way for the MHRA to raise money to build a dragstrip. The strip opened in 1957 and was later sold in the late ’60s, but the show goes on stronger than ever.

T

he Michigan Hot Rod Association is one hard-working group of guys. We see them every year scrambling around Detroit’s Cobo Center, gearing up for Autorama. Next time, we find them sweating, laying under street rods, and leaned over fenders as they take their mobile Rod Repair Shop on the road at a number of events throughout the summer.

The MHRA is one of the oldest associations in the world of hot rodding. It was founded out of necessity as rodding and drag racing became more prevalent in the late ’40s around the greater Detroit area. There were a number of clubs around the city, and knowing strength comes in numbers, they grouped together to form the Michigan Hot Rod Association in 1951.

Their primary goal was to raise money to build a dragstrip so there would be a safe place for speed contests. The method used to raise the needed dollars was the creation of the first Detroit Autorama, which was held at the University of Detroit Field House in 1953.

Pretty cool to see what the Autorama has grown into and the fact that the MHRA is still heavily involved in producing the event.

1n 1954, the group put a down payment on property in New Baltimore, just southwest of Detroit, but it wouldn’t be until three years later that the race track opened. Club members worked the timing systems, controlled the traffic, and swept the starting line. By the mid ’60s the track was leased to the Motor City Dragway, and the association sold the track in 1968.

Another nifty event in which the MHRA was involved was the formation of the rod run. The group put together a number of runs from 1967 through the early ’70s, with trips to neighboring Canadian towns and across the state. One lesson learned from rod runs is how to build a hot rod for the long haul, especially on unforgiving Michigan roads.

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when the NSRA held their Nationals in Detroit in 1972.

Members showed up with their own tools to help rodders that may have had a failure on the road. By the following year, the MHRA had a support trailer to take on the road. Their goal is to help rodders repair nearly anything that is required to make the drive home.

In 2017, they’ll travel to five major events: NSRA’s Knoxville, York, Kalamazoo, and Louisville, as well as Back to the ’50s in St. Paul, Minnesota. (For the record, A/C, heat, radios, and the like do not count as required repairs!)

“The trailer program is a great way to help our fellow rodders,” MHRA President Butch Patrico says.

The MHRA has more than 300 members and seven charter clubs, including the Bearing Burners, Competition Specialists, Mill Winders, the Motor City Modified Auto Club, Road Knights, Shifters, and the Spark Plugs. Each club continues to host regional events to help the communities and help spread the fun of hot rodding.

Butch explains planning for the Detroit Autorama is a fulltime project.

“The show has gone from a regional event to a premiere national show and now is international,” he says. “The Ridler Award brings in the latest builds, we now have the Ridler Ball to kick off the show, and this past year, we started the Autorama with a General Lee jump right in front of the Cobo Center.

It just keeps getting bigger and better!”

Butch also left us wondering what the MHRA had up its sleeve when he mentioned they’re in the works for a new outdoor event that promises to be huge. As long as it’s in the summer, we’ll be there.

Congrats to the Michigan Hot Rod Association on their continued support to the world of street rodding!

For more information, go to mhraonline.org. SRL Volunteers gather at the MHRA’s mobile Rod Repair Shop, which still attends five different events each year.

MYRON GRIFFIN Whenever we need a picture for a tech story or buyers guide, we can count on Myron Griffin to have the parts or a build in process to help out. We’ve known Myron for more than two decades, and in that time, he’s always had at least one driver with another project in progress.

In fact, he figures he’s had about 75 different cars, give or take, since acquiring his license 55 years or so ago. Going back in time, the first one was a ’55 Chevy that he painted and then added a 327c.i. and a four-speed. It wasn’t built specifically for racing, but it did quite a bit on the streets of El Paso, just like any other first hot rod. And in the usual hot rodding evolution, drag racing is what came next.

In the late ’60s, he purchased a ’57 Corvette, an original fuelie car no less, for $1,200 and cut it up to build into his first full-on drag car. The car was treated like a drag car and eventually sold off to build other cars, including a big-block dragster and more. (Interesting side note is Myron’s longtime friend, Bill Avila, found the Corvette and did a Resto Mod build on it in the early ’90s.)

Eventually, the travel around the southwest and time committed to racing was losing its luster, which is when Myron started getting into street rods. His first car was a combination of both — a dangerous combo — a T-bucket with a built 327 topped with a crossram intake, and a four-speed. It was a handful.

One of the next cars was a ’32 highboy with a Flathead, Lasalle trans, and a quick change rear end. He didn’t trust the oddball driveline on long drives, which is anywhere from El Paso, Texas, so the car was sold off for another.

The string of rods has ranged from Tri-Fives to ’32s, ’40s, and a lot of Corvettes. We’re talking almost every model year from the ’60s, along with a C4, C5, and C6. The ’40 Ford has been a favorite for Myron, as there have been a couple, along with one he’d like to get back. There have also been a number of ’32s, including a five-window he and wife of 45 years, Sharon, drove to British Columbia for the 75th anniversary celebration of the deuce.

On the rare occasion when Myron doesn’t have a project in the works, he works on friends’ projects and helps however he can, especially with wiring. He restored an early Bronco for a friend, with a number of cool street rod tricks adapted into the build, and recently finished a ’90s-era Chevy SS 454 pickup for son Jason.

(He also has a daughter, Casey.)

His current car is a ’32 three-window, which he’s driving on a three-week road trip with four other friends. They’ll be taking in the Day at the Hay show in Lincoln, Nebraska, then making a run to Mt. Rushmore, and back south to the NSRA Nationals in Pueblo. This group puts a lot of miles on their cars!

Myron splits his time between working on rods and continuing to work part time building prosthetic limbs, a career he’s practiced for more than 50 years. When someone says, ‘Man, that car must have cost an arm and a leg,’ Myron knows exactly how much!

Keep on building and road tripping Myron, our Street Rod Lifer of the month. SRL

The latest rod projec is a ’32 highboy with a hig 327 and a six-speedt tran h-revving, solid r Cal chassis. The body is s nestled into a smoothed and finishedlifte Sofrom New Age Motorsports. A in the planning stages. coupe is already

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SCHEDULES EVENTS PLACES

HIT THE ROAD It’s officially summer, and by now, we’re sure you’ve hit a number of cruise nights and maybe a big event or two. Well, here are a few more to put on your list for the remainder of summer. If you have one to recommend, drop us a line at tryden@xcelerationmedia.com.

Goodguys Rod and Custom Columbus, Ohio, becomes rod and custom central as Goodguys hosts their 20th PPG Nationals and crowns their Street Rod and Street Machine of the Year. good-guys.com July 7-9 Columbus, Ohio

Indian Uprising If you’re a Pontiac fan, here’s one you don’t want to miss — the 27th All Pontiac Weekend. We’re talking 50 years of the Firebird, a 40th anniversary of Can Ams, and Bandits! theindianuprising.com Aug 12-13 St. Charles, Illinois

Street Machine Nationals Big tires, big blowers, and bug catchers!

This is the one that started the pro street revolution, and it’s still going strong with more muscle cars, street rods, and restomods joining the fray. streetmachinenationals.net July 14-16 St. Paul, Minnesota

Shades of the Past Join fellow rodders as they gather for the 35th Shades Show held in the mountain getaway town in eastern Tennessee. Be sure to stay Sunday to visit Dollywood while you’re there! shadesofthepast.com Sept. 8-9 Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Hot Rod Hill Climb

The NSRA Nats

Join in the fun, and the challenge involved, when you try to run your vintage hot rod up a mountain. There’s also a reliability run and plenty more to check out in the historic mining town. hotrodhillclimb.com Sept. 15-17 Central City, Colorado

This is the big one. The National Street Rod Association Nationals is four rod-filled days with a great swap meet, plenty of vendors, and thousands of ’87 and older cars and trucks. nsra-usa.com Aug. 3-6 Louisville, Kentucky

Osh Kosh Shakedown Billed as Wisconsin’s largest and oldest traditional hot rod and custom multi-day event, the show delivers a swap meet, traditional rods, vintage planes, and bikes. It’s like summer camp for rodders.

Aug 11-13 Osh Kosh, Wisconsin oshkoshshakedown.com

Not able to attend a show? Want to see which cars were at what events? Not a problem. Head over to StreetRodLife.com and check out the Events tab for coverage, pics, and more.

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WITH SHAWN

My Favorite Day Editor’s Note: Since all of the editors of the Xceleration Media titles were penning a column about “My Favorite Day,” we figured we should rope Shawn Brereton, our Director of Operations, into the fray.

W

hen Drag Racing Scene Editor Todd Silvey proposed the idea that all columnists across XM titles write a post on the theme of “my favorite day,” I struggled to narrow mine down to just one.

Truly, my favorite day was probably the day I brought my ’55 Chevy home more than 30 years ago, but I’ve written volumes on my love affair with that car and what almost every moment has meant to me (check out my very first column on Gearheads4Life.com). Instead, I thought I would throw a curveball to those who know me for this column — it involves a rental car!

In 2012, when my wife, Jenn, and I decided on a trip to Germany, I immediately thought how I could propose checking off a bucket list item while we were there. Yes, driving on the Autobahn was on the list, but I had my sights set higher — the Green Hell! That’s right, the number two destination on my car-guy list, the Nurburgring.

Even though Jenn doesn’t share my passion for car stuff, she entertained my dream to go to the Nurburgring and scheduled a day to visit the track — note I said visit. After all, our trip was going to take us to visit friends in Copenhagen then to Bavaria, and the Nurburgring was right on the way.

Part one of my plan was in motion, but in order to check it off my bucket list, I needed to actually drive the Ring. Part two involved a LOT of convincing that I needed to rent a car for the track visit. I also started playing Grand Tourismo nightly to learn the track.

I really didn’t want to settle for the cheapest rental, a Renault Clio, and preferred a rear-wheel drive. I found the perfect candidate in a BMW Z4. When the day came, we arrived at the rental company early and signed the papers (which essentially said my credit card balance would be maxed out if I wrecked it). Other than the papers, we were given instructions

BRERETON on how to get to the entrance and use the entry card for my six laps on the 13-mile track, and then sent on our way — no safety instructions other than to pass on the left.

When we arrived at the entrance, it looked like a high-end car show. I estimate there was at least 10 million dollars in vehicles in the tiny lot: McLarens, Aston Martins, BMWs, Lotuses, and a ton of Porsche GT3Rs (I had only seen one before in my life, and now I was looking at a dozen in one spot).

As we rolled to the toll gate for the first of our six laps, I made sure to push the “sport” mode button and followed some Englishmen we met, who also rented a Z4. We navigated the little chicane that brought us on the track about three-quarters of the way down the long front-stretch as we came up through the gears. I’ve never been so nervous in my life!

As we approached the first turn, my mouth immediately became a desert, as I braked much sooner than my English counterpart; he had obviously done this before. Jenn had never really been this fast and was understandably nervous about my abilities (and was certainly letting me know it from the passenger seat). I stuck with the Englishman for about four corners before I decided to be smart and run within my comfort zone.

After the first lap, we took a break to walk the parking lot, get a bottle of water, and to calm my (our) nerves. The next laps, I was able to pick up my times and felt very good, despite my biggest mistake of forgetting to put the car back into sport mode again. The most amazing thing that happened on the track was getting passed by a McLaren at the top of fifth gear (about 110 mph) like I was standing still. Jenn literally screamed, surprised from the concussion of the car flying by. He hit the corner ahead without lifting, and I never saw him again.

After the sixth lap, I’m happy to say we returned the car with no damage (whew!). When asked by the technician how it was, I told him “it was the greatest day of my life!” Jenn promptly reminded me of our wedding day, to which I replied to her chagrin, “I know!”

If you back up a statement with that, I guess it better be my favorite day! I’ll be paying for it a while. SRL

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Justin dropped this ’56 two-door wagon, added chrome reverse wheels with spinners, an ididit tilt column, and an Atomic EFI system, making it into one sweet cruiser.

Hood from the blown ’57 Chevy.

Longtime readers may recognize the ’55 Bel Air; it was featured in our second issue. (Go to streetrodlife.com and search ‘Atomic 55.’)

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You never know what you’ll find Justin Oney working on when you stop by his garage. Could be his blown ’57 Chevy, his wife Hilary’s ’61 Corvette, or maybe laser cutting parts with his CNC plasma cutter (he just made a set of boxing plates for our ’40 project). Regardless of what he’s doing, you’re always welcome to hang around, sip a cool one, and watch him do some wrenching on one of his Chevys.

This ’61 Vette was a surprise anniversary gift for wife Hilary. Justin updated the brakes with a power disc kit from Master Power Brakes for a safer drive.

The 4-71 Cragar blower will soon be bolted to a vintage small block, with plans of it going in a ’32 coupe. He has the vision, but no engine or car — yet.

the

BEHIND

DOOR