Sommaire pour January 1982 de Hot Rod

In 25 years the ’57 Chevy has done it all. It was probably the’ first Detroit musclecar that had any impact at the dealers’ showrooms. Then it became the bread and butter of every hop-up artist for street and strip. And now it’s already considered a classic, with restorers reaching deep into their pockets to buy every “gennie” ’57 part they can find. Probably the thing that got the factory performance ball rolling was the number of “hi-po” engine offerings made in ’57. In the previous two years there was the base 6-cylinder, a rather mundane 2-barrel V8, a 4-barrel “Power Pack” version, and a dual-quad option. In ’57 there were seven levels of power offered, with the top of the line fire-breathers being a dual 4-barrel 283 and a…

Dan Gurney is a man of many talents. His record as a racing driver is legendary, winning races and setting records in a variety of racing machines ranging from heavy NASCAR stockers to the light, frail Indy-style, open-wheel Championship cars of the ’60s. And today, his status as an innovative race car builder and leading crusader of stock-block engines in Championship cars is unparalleled. Gurney calls his cars Eagles, and it’s a fitting name for his aggressive, innovative, and successful designs. His new “ground effects” race cars, which use the air passing both over and under the car to aerodynamically hold it against the racing surface for improved traction and handling, are among the most sought after machines in Championship racing today, and his Santa Ana race car factory, All…

I guess you can safely say when you climb a mountain and spend $2000 for an old warrior which is buried up to its gunnels in cold, white stuff, you’ve got yourself a snow job. You’ve also got yourself an irate wife, who said, “Here was Mike with a ’41 Willys in a thousand pieces, tied on the back of his truck and all he could say was ‘Look what I bought, honey.’ “Honey’s reply was what all car freaks face, “It’s ugly, so get it out of here!” “Now,’’ Mike says, “she loves it because she’s a street rodder’s wife.” Ah, yes, a street rodder’s wife. That phrase reminds me of Adele Smith’s poem of the same title. The poem begins with parts and pieces to store, continues with…

It had to be a ’37 Chevy two-door sedan. Some things you just know inside you, and you’re at a loss to explain them in any convincing fashion. Did a favorite uncle take you to ball games in one when you were a runny-nosed kid? Is it an indelible image from a period-piece Raymond Chandler detective yarn, or did Bogart drive one in a favorite old movie? Maybe all those round, streamlined cars from the late ’30s and ’40s speak to your soul and the Chevy just happens to head the list. Who knows? It doesn’t matter. All that seems to matter is to find one. I bought the seventh one I found for sale. My requirements were simple enough: I wanted a 1937 Chevy two-door sedan with a dependable…

Cragar Seals Funny Car Club Exactly six years after Don Prud-homme’s U.S. Army Monza’s historic 5.98 at nearby Ontario, drag racing’s Cragar Five-Second Funny Car Club was formally sealed in starting line ceremonies during Orange County International Raceway’s recent NHRA/Winston World Finals. Assembled just prior to Sunday’s eliminations were charter members, standing, left to right, Kenny Bernstein, Raymond Beadle, Don Prudhomme, and Tom. Hoover. Kneeling, left to right, are Dale Armstrong and Tripp Shumake. Dale Armstrong would set an all-time AA/FC class e.t. record of 5.89 seconds (backed up in 5.93) later in the day. Absent from the OCIR festivities were fellow five-second racers Pat Foster and Gordie Bonin. The Cragar Industries reps in cowboy hats are Bob Airheart, Rich Lenar, and Joe Galant. The Ralph Nader Driving School Does…

In their 15th year of uneasy coexistence in Southern California, NHRA and Orange County International Raceway finally got together last October for a true national event—and not a moment too soon. With the wrecking crew already well underway dismantling nearby Ontario Motor Speedway, which had hosted the annual Supernationals/World Finals since 1970, NHRA suddenly had a national event without a proper home. Consequently, the “Last Dragstrip in Southern California” finally got its big chance. The transplant was a total success, we’re happy to report, and this 17th annual World Finals was conducted in the very best SoCal tradition of grizzled veterans driving ground-pounding, tire-burning, piston-smoking, record-smashing, on-fire-in-the-lights fuel cars. Gary Beck, age 40, won the Top Fuel show with a little ol final-round 5.57 elapsed time, just a couple of…

First appearing in ’67, Pontiac’s Firebird has become a legendary driving machine. Now, 16 model years later, as the third generation of F-cars comes into being, the question arises, “Flow do you replace and improve upon a legend?” That’s not an easy task, but as cars get smaller and more efficient, maintaining the Firebird heritage and tradition turned into a real challenge. Pontiac’s expressed thrust for the ’80s is to “establish the division as a marketer of exciting, expressive, distinctive, youthful, sports-oriented, fun-to-drive, total performance automobiles.’’ What does Pontiac mean by “total performance”? They define it as making their cars outstanding in the categories of handling, braking, styling, driveability, and serviceability—not only in the United States, but in the international marketplace. So how does all of this apply to the…

You’d hardly consider Kansas the place to hold a downhill slalom in late September. (Where are the hills? Where’s the snow?) But then we’re not talking about skiing; we’re talking about the 9th annual SCCA National Solo II Championships, better known to us laymen as the “Slalom Nationals.” More than 500 competitors came from all across America to centrally-located Salina, Kansas, paying their own expenses and competing for nothing more than the challenge of the contest and the chance of winning a trophy—amateur racing at its finest! But the course and the drivers were anything but amateur in terms of sophistication and technique. Held at “Airport Park,” on the abandoned runway of Salina’s ex-Municipal Airport, the competitors were allowed three runs each on two very demanding courses. The best times…

More “T” and “H” J. E. Rhoads and Sons (Dept. HR-1, Box 573T, Taylor AZ 85939) introduces Rhoads Lifters. These lifters have a built-in mechanical brain that automatically affects valve lash, cam duration, and cam lift, thus creating more torque and low-end horsepower Star Brite, Star Light … Poly-System-One (Hank Meyers Associates Inc., Dept. HR 1, 2990 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33137) preserves the shine of any new car. Manufacturer suggests touch-ups may be re quired at six-month intervals to protect the finish on any vulnerable spots Rollin’ Rocker The “ultimate stainless steel Hemi Roller Rocker Arm” in now available from “dli” (Dept HR-1, 19743 Bahama St., Northridge, CA 91324). The arms feature special alloy construction and heat-treated rollers and pins to keep friction and valve guide wear to a…

Last month we covered certain basic characteristics of aftermarket disc brakes, including matching the system to its intended application, and some caliper, disc, and mounting bracket design fundamentals. In this installment we will begin to deal with the correct basis and method for assembling these components into a workable, effective system. To accomplish this, you must be able to determine both the actual braking requirements of the vehicle in question and whether a given disc/caliper combination is capable of fulfilling these requirements. Measuring Brake Torque Last month we said brake pad area has nothing to do with brake torque output or clamping ability. Then what does? Basically, those factors that determine the braking force exerted by a caliper/disc assembly can be expressed by the formula: T = R x A…

When we last reported to you on the progress of our Miserly Mouse in the October issue, you may recall that our ’37 Chevy, powered by a 350-cubic-inch Chevy V8 fitted with the Crower Mileage System, had managed a best of 25 mpg during steady 55 mph cruising on the open highway and that the worst mileage observed was 17 mpg in bumper-to-bumper traffic. You may also recall that the performance and driveability of this package were a little less than hoped for. Gearing Since that last report, we’ve made a few changes in an effort to reach our lofty goal of 30 mpg and to simultaneously improve the driveability and responsiveness of the vehicle. We began by taking the car to Hoopers Rearend Exchange, Inc. (12201 Branford Avenue, Sun…

When Bill Dougherty picked up this ’48 Chevy two-door for $115, he didn’t monkey around, starting his project that very weekend. But the Westfield, Indiana, body shop owner was not alone, for wife Rita cleaned and painted the chassis while a friend later taped out the front flames. Bill contributed such front end tricks as rolling the front (and rear), adding a custom grille, frenching the headlights, and filling the hood—all supported by a ’66 Corvair front end. From the rear, more of Bill’s handiwork is apparent, like the 4-inch chop, hand-built taillights, and the installation of a ’74 Camaro rearend. Under the pearl yellow/candy tangerine skin is an equally mild powerplant, a stock 74 Chevy 350 mated to a Turbo 350. Continuing this exercise in tasteful restraint, the interior…

The over-achievers of the world, NHRA drag racers are perfectionists. They talk in thousandths of inches, hundredths of seconds and thousand-mile trips to national events where a .01 second delay in driver reaction time can send you back home after the first round. It’s intense! George Owens, Jr. is one of these people. There is only one kind of racing for him, and as if the deck wasn’t stacked against him enough, he decided to campaign one of the more difficult types of cars, a ’27 T roadster. It was built for NHRA’s B/Street Roadster class but also ran D/Gas in ’81. The real problem with this type of car is its high power to weight aspect (525 hp and 2175 pounds) and its lack of aerodynamics. In D/Gas the…

Address all questions to CJ. Talks Tech, HOT ROD Magazine, 8490 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069. Please restrict inquiries to one question per letter. All letters must be signed and contain a return address. Due to the large number of questions received each month, personal replies are not possible. Questions will be answered only in this column, so please, no tech questions by phone. Chevy Firebird I have a ’72 Pontiac Firebird and I would like to remove the stock six-cylinder engine and transmission and install a small-block Chevy V8 and transmission. Do you know of anyone who makes mounts for such an engine swap on ’70-’74 Firebirds? Larry Nicholas San Mateo, California Just use the small-block V8 mounts from any ’70-’74 Camaro. It’s as simple as that. Devil…

Tool Crib This month’s selection for Tool Crib is one of those items that separates the professional and conscientious engine builders from those who do just enough to get by, hammering components together without going to the extra trouble to do it right. The tool we’re referring to is a harmonic balancer installer manufactured and sold by Jerry McGarrity, 13772 Monroe St., Westminster, CA 92683. Many shade-tree mechanics resort to hammering the harmonic balancer onto the crankshaft snout. Such a procedure frequently damages the balancer and/or the crankshaft thrust bearing. Still other supposedly knowledgeable engine builders hone the inside diameter of the balancer for a slip-fit onto the crank snout, not realizing that the interference fit is necessary to properly transmit the crankshaft dynamics to the balancer for effective dampening.…