Rod & Custom Apr-14

rob.fortier@sorc.com It’s fairly obvious that for quite some time, Rod & Custom has been heavier on the rod, lighter on the custom. It’s not necessarily by design, rather a result of numbers; the number of hot rods we encounter seems to often outweigh the customs. That last statement sounds odd to me, as so many people in the industry feel the tides are turning more toward the post-’48 material. The economy and the lack of resources (original, that is), among other things, appears to be pushing some folks to the other side of 49th street (that’s an old phrase from the STREET RODDER/Custom Rodder segregation days). But are they going the custom route? What I meant by that was, there’s plenty more besides customs when you cross that 1949 threshold.…

kevin.elliott@sorc.com STACKS OF FUN The idea of classic style combined with the superior performance of LS engines has become a reality with new Inglese LS 8-Stack Induction Systems. Designed to work with either EZ-EFI or XFI fuel injection systems, all necessary components, such as sensors, injectors, IAC, and a vacuum plenum are integrated, making the manifold an easy bolt-on. The LS 8-Stack Induction System uses FAST intake face O-ring seals and also includes cast-in nitrous bungs that can be drilled out if required. Two versions are available to fit LS1-style cathedral port heads or for LS3/L92-style heads, and are sold as either a single manifold or a fully assembled system in polished or as-cast finishes. The LS 8-Stack Induction Systems also work with Inglese IDA carburetors and a complete linkage…

rob.fortier@sorc.com NO FOOLIN’ In response to the letter on the Corvette in Rappin’ in the Feb. ’14 issue, I noticed a few things in the photos. Where the angel hair touches the floor at the near side of the car it flows to the left, on the far side to the right. I suspect the car was on a powered rotary table spinning counterclockwise. It appears some of the observers, including the photographer, watched most of a rotation, others wandered off. Looks like the owner was showing its street configuration on the right side and its strip configuration on the left; the muffler is replaced with a turnout on the strip side. Gotta wonder about the tire to fender clearance with the slicks—must have had airbags to raise and stiffen…

... AS LONG AS IT’S CURED You may recognize the name John Mearns as owner of the stunning ’36 three-window that was featured, not once, but twice, on these very pages, in bare metal and as a finished kustom. The cabriolet you see here has had his name on the title even longer, and this is its second go-around in his possession. As John puts it, “I got the bug to build a cabriolet after owning my first ’32 roadster, and figuring out I wanted to have windows that rolled up. I found this car 15 years ago, listed in The Recycler as an old Ford convertible project. It was 50 miles from home, and an abandoned project. The guy had butchered the frame so badly while trying to build…

Stainless can be a real pain to work with, but it doesn’t have to be. Unlike aluminum, with its soft characteristics, or steel, being so forgiving, stainless is tough—especially on tools. But if you can get past that, stainless can be a wonderful metal, and to try and make it a little easier to deal with, we went to Salinas Boys’ Cole Foster for a few lessons on cutting, shaping, and even welding stainless. Even if you’re not up to the task of TIG welding stainless, per se, you can always do all the steps leading up to that point, then take your modified pieces to a proficient welder. But the welding itself isn’t necessarily the most crucial part (though your alignment needs to be dead-on if you want the…

Some people’s reactions when learning that R&C would be attending, and subsequently covering, the Rodder’s Journal Vintage Speed & Custom Car Revival (Revival for short), was simply, “Why?” Of course my typical response was, “Why not?!” Rodder’s Journal is not viewed upon as competition, for many reasons; it’s more of an inspiration than anything else. So, naturally, it only seemed fitting that R&C witness firsthand whether or not our fellow rodding publishers could pull off a decent car show. Well, they did just that. The Second Annual Rodder’s Journal Revival played out to be the type of event that I, acting not as a motorvated photojournalist, rather a red-blooded gearhead, would make a point to not only attend, but do so with a hot rod or custom. It’s not a…