Tabla de contenidos para Oct-13 en Rod & Custom

As hot rodders, we’ve become accustomed to making a mess of things, literally speaking. It’s how we got started, and unless we morph into another segment of the kit car industry, it’s how we’ll continue. Just think about it. What did the very first hot rodder do? He ruined a perfectly good stock automobile, that’s what he did. And same goes for the first to create what we now consider a custom car. Granted, hot rods were modified for the sake of performance; customs, on the other hand, well, you can’t very well credit “streamlining for fuel efficiency” as the reason behind chopping a top now, can you? These days, manufacturers surely have the aftermarket in mind when designing new performance models. But 50-75 years ago, the last thing any…

It’s refreshing to realize that there’s still a strong do-it-yourself ethos coursing though the rod and custom realm, despite the seemingly continuous stream of six-figure, professionally built, trailer-pampered rides clamoring for attention at any given vehicular gathering. And we’re not just talking barn finds or spray-bombed beaters, either. No, there are plenty of finely finished, “show quality”, owner-built customs being built, and we offer up Dan and Natalie Olsen’s sublime Merc as evidence. Dan built this knockout, low-lid Mercury almost exclusively in the couple’s Omaha-area garage—a fairly typical suburban three-car affair where Dan has mastered the efficient use of space. A second-generation hot rodder and full-time firefighter, Dan is no stranger to building eye-catching rides. His gold-and-flamed ’37 Ford sedan (also largely homebuilt) garnered a shelf full of awards a…

People have been splitting wishbones on traditional rods for decades. Admittedly, more common with front ’bones, and originally necessary to clear the oil pan on heavily lowered cars, rear wishbones have also been split over the years. However, while this is a sketchy practice at best, even when the torque tube is retained, it’s a recipe for disaster when an open driveline is used (assuming no other links or torque arm are added to the suspension). A torque tube prevents the rearend from rotating about its own axis. If this is removed, early Ford wishbones simply aren’t strong enough—nor were they designed to be—to prevent the rearend rotating. The result? Snapped wishbones. Here’s where ladder bars are an ideal replacement. With mounts above and below the axle housing, ladder bars…

Mickael Kaisers CHRA-Built ’33 Roadster Today’s hot rods literally “draw” from inspiration. Visions from the minds of builders as well as subsequent owners often begin as a simple sketch through the hands of a talented artist. Jimmy Smith is not only a designer of all things internally combusted, he’s a hot rodder at heart, and thus his passions truly come to life when he puts media to paper. In lieu of the absence of R&C’s “Dream Car” feature—something we regretfully had to set aside to accommodate a lack of space in which to commit—we still do our best to include the renderings that inspire many of the cars that do make it onto the pages of the magazine, as you may have noticed more so recently (the “Woodward Roadster” and…

Photography by Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Sports Car Graphic (The Petersen Archives), and the Author Two months ago we set out to do something we thought was pretty noble: define the wheels that revolutionized the hot rod and custom car market. It really did seem like a good idea to open peoples’ eyes to their options. In retrospect it was probably pretty ambitious, if not entirely foolish. Even though we bookended our list at 1932 and about 1970 we still nearly became buried in a figurative avalanche of wheels. It proved exceedingly difficult to limit ourselves. Consider our quandary: We know it’s silly to show obsolete wheels but at the same time it’s boring to limit the discussion to nothing but the commercially available ones. In the…

Terry Haun CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO 1923 MODEL T Terry Haun grew up in Fresno, California, and built hot rods, Corvettes, Mopars, and pickups his entire life, starting with a ’23 T. In 1989 Terry moved to Clovis, New Mexico, and immediately opened a shop at home in which to build cars for himself and customers. One such was a very rusty and crash-damaged ’55 Nomad, which he restored and drove to California, Bonneville, and numerous rod runs. In 2000 Terry was diagnosed with throat cancer, driving his ’32 sedan 100 miles to Lubbock, Texas, for surgery and chemotherapy. All the while he continued building cars, finishing a Hemi-powered ’32 roadster before starting what would be his last build, a ’29 Model A roadster pickup using a Brookville body. He built…

STACKED Jim Inglese Weber Carburetion now offers IR (Independent Runner) Weber and EFI induction units for the Ford Coyote engine. The eight-stack system will provide a dramatic increase in torque and horsepower throughout the entire rpm range, not to mention the visual impact of eight velocity stacks when you open the hood. Every unit is custom-built and calibrated to suit your engine, and can be ordered in a wide variety of plating and other finishes exactly the way you want it built. The complete Weber system is comparable in price to the EFI system, though the latter also requires an ECU. Inglese offers eight-stack Weber and EFI systems for most types of Ford and Chevy engines. For more information, contact Jim Inglese Weber Carburetion at (203) 623-0659 or www.jiminglese.com. PUMP…

Natalie & Dan Olsen LAVISTA, NEBRASKA 1950 MERCURY COUPE CHASSIS Nothing’s worse than a chopped Merc with a tall stance, so Dan brought the entire body closer to earth using RideTech air springs front and rear. The front ’bags are complemented with Fatman Fabrications dropped spindles and a ’99 Jeep Grand Cherokee power steering box. Out back, Dan installed a trailing arm suspension and Panhard bar to locate the ‘70s-era Ford pickup 9-inch rearend. A Ford Explorer brake pedal and master cylinder actuate the four-wheel drum brakes. DRIVETRAIN Dan did some horse trading to get the ’71 351 Windsor V-8, an older rebuild to which he added a Power Plus intake, Edelbrock carb, and HEI distributor. He also added finned aluminum valve covers from Speedway Motors and an authentic ‘50s-era…

Looking at the pictures hereabouts, it would appear we jumped a long way since last month, doesn’t it? Mounting the body to a chassis can make it seem that way, and can be a huge morale booster when tackling a project. What we’ve actually done in the intervening weeks is mount the body and bed, gas tank and radiator, and install the windshield, lights, and engine dress-up items. However, this part of the build has involved a certain amount of fabrication, drilling and tapping holes, and cutting fiberglass. Now that we’ve stopped itching, we can write about it! As supplied by Speedway, the body has six small holes in the floor that align with the top of the chassis ’rails. These were used to mark the chassis, which we then…

Independent front suspension must’ve seemed like impossibly amazing technology to the car-buying public in the mid ’30s. By letting each wheel independently comply with road irregularities it greatly improved traction and ride quality. While adequate when used in its intended environment along a patchwork of rural highways, these early designs show their age when asked to perform by today’s standards. Their lax caster (specs call for 3/4-degree negative for this ’47 Pontiac) makes steering effortless but robs stability at modern highway speeds. Their high roll centers cause the outside steering tire to roll under in a turn. And because the design doesn’t camber the outside wheel in a turn the tire can’t maintain full contact with the road. Sure, you can breathe new life into old designs with wider radial…

To There are a number of ways to start a hot rod project. One could start with an original vehicle, or an older hot rod, or piece one together from all-new repro parts. Or it can be done the hard way: piecing together a hot rod from parts procured at swap meets and from like-minded rodders. There are no prizes for guessing which route Steven and Shane Hill took with their ’29 Model A roadster pickup, though it actually all started with the engine. The father and son team wanted to work on a project car together after Shane purchased a ’32 banger engine some 12 years ago. After disassembly and inspection they discovered it was a crack-free and near-perfect block. They discussed what a great base it would make…

WHINE & CHEESE? I read the two letters in a recent issue criticizing your size and content more than once. Seems these two guys are only interested in their personal feelings and desires. I usually start by skimming the how-to articles then going back and going through the whole mag. Sure, there are almost always things I don’t care about, but I’m sure someone else does, and I learn from those articles too, since I usually take time to read them the third or fourth time through. My personal interest is ’40 and older, but I like it all. The articles about the past are fascinating. Many of the people and cars are those I have heard of and seen a few pics, but I love the in-depth coverage that…

BUYER’S GUIDE 2013 WHETHER IT’S PREPARATION OR PRESERVATION, WHEN IT COMES TO PAINT, WE ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. LET ROD & CUSTOM’S 2013 PAINT AND BODYWORK GUIDE DO JUST THAT-GUIDE YOU TO A BETTER PAINTJOB! Model 960 Abrasive Blast Cabinet Every shop or garage needs a Skat Blast Abrasive Blast Cabinet to clean car parts! The 960 Pro Blaster Abrasive Blast Cabinet is the most popular of many siphonoperated cabinets. It’s made in United States by Skat Blast and sold by TP Tools & Equipment, designed to remove rust, paint, and scale while working in a closed environment. Easy to use: Simply load part through side door, aim gun, and press foot pedal. The powerful C-25…

Building a “fresh” car these days is anything but affordable, not to mention the furthest from expedient for anyone looking to put rubber to pavement in any reasonable amount of time. The fip side to that is searching for a finished car that meets your criteria, but even that has some drawbacks, the obvious being the inherent difficulty in finding exactly what you want, at least within a fairly close proximity. So, you’re on a budget—you want a particular type/style hot rod or custom … and you want it now. Fat chance? Maybe not. What we’re about to present to you is a viable option to get what you want, in a roundabout sort of way, without breaking the bank or having to wait on someone else to fulfill your…

Two young Southern California hot rodders took on the very best seasoned teams and drivers and beat them. One was California Roadster Association driver Troy Ruttman, who at 22 became the youngest driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1952. The team won $61,743. (According to J.C. Agajanian Jr., Ruttman got 40 percent of that.) Ruttman’s fortunes turned sour after his win at the Brickyard and he was never able continue his winning Championship Car ways. Ten years later, Don Prudhomme won Top Fuel at the Smokers March Meet (considered by drag racers as epic as the Indy 500) at Famoso Drag Strip in Bakersfield, at age 20. Don’s recognition, at that time, was centered within a tight group of drag racing fans and racers. Kent Fuller, who Don drove…

Steven & Shane Hill WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA 1929 FORD MODEL A ROADSTER PICKUP CHASSIS An original ’29 Model A chassis was stretched to mount the spring behind the rearend, though the original 103-inch wheelbase was retained. The frame was then Z’d 7 inches. A Magnum 4-inch dropped I-beam mounts on a Chassis Engineering spring and Pete & Jakes shocks, with Ford spindles and ’39 Ford hydraulic brakes. A master cylinder from the same year is used, combined with a pedal assembly fabricated by Shane. Mel Gross supplied a ’55 F-100 steering box, attached to a Shane-built column. DRIVETRAIN The engine that started this whole project is a 200ci ’32 Ford four-cylinder, machined by Taylor engine and assembled by Jay Steel and Shane Hill. It uses a ’34 Ford factory counterweight crank,…