Cheating... or Just Experimenting?

Unless you've been off the grid on some vacation excursion or living under a rock for the past week, you've heard the news about the scandal that has rocked the automotive world, and in particular, VW. News stories are everywhere about the approximately 500,000 turbo diesel vehicles (in the US alone) that contained illegal computer programming within the engine control modules that operated in two modes, instead of just one. One mode kicked in just for yearly or bi-annually emissions testing (so the vehicle would pass) and the second mode operated pretty much the rest of the time, spewing out as much as 40 times the legal limit of exhaust emissions. The fallout has begun, consumers & dealers are pissed, and it will be months, if not years, before the dust settles. It was an out-right case of cheating the system.

We've all heard stories over the years about how a vehicle manufacturer, or a race driver, or some other instance where the envelope of rules and regulations have been pushed to the extreme. But unlike today, a number of the instances of the past were in the veins of experimenting and not cheating. Looking back, there were also huge gray areas where even federal laws could be manipulated in some way. Case in point, the 1969 Dodge & Plymouth model year offerings. Starting with the 1968 model year, the federal government made it mandatory that all vehicles have side marker lights on the front fenders and rear quarter panels. Adding this feature, meant more manufacturing costs in Detroit. Chrysler side-stepped this rule for 1969 by installing highly effective reflectors that bounced light back just as efficiently as regular lights. It was also way cheaper to produce. But it didn't fly - for the 1970 model year, Chrysler had to play by the rules like everyone else... or be fined heavily.

In the early years of drag racing back in the late 50's, there were very few rules and only a handful of classes that vehicles could be put in. Experimentation was thriving. One of the best examples of this was the 1949 Plymouth business coupe called "The High and Mighty". It was campaigned nationally for two years back in 1959 and 1960. Assembled by a group of engineers that eventually became known as the Ramchargers, the vehicle was a sea of innovations despite its looks. The Plymouth is regarded to be the first altered wheelbase vehicle (the team moved the wheels forward for better weight distribution). It was also the first case of engine setback (and even tilted rearwards) to accomplish the same. The rear suspension was a handcrafted multilink setup - the first iteration of what's now known as the adjustable four-link. The vehicle was purposefully lifted to improve weight transfer, and it contained what is regarded as the first engine tunnel-ram system. Cheating? Nope - just pure experimenting and innovation.

NASCAR is famous for drivers cheating - or as they put it "just interpreting the rules". On June 19, 1949, the very first official NASCAR "strictly stock" race was held in Charlotte, North Carolina... and had it's first racer who cheated. Founder Bill France insisted that since the "SC" in NASCAR stood for "Stock Car," he didn't want the race to be filled with backyard-built, chopped and channeled hot rods, but by cars that actually looked like... well... cars. So a large percentage of the field of 33 vehicles came straight from a local dealership. The race took place on a three-quarter-mile dirt oval track, for 150 miles. The winner was Glenn Dunaway, who drove Herbert Westmoreland's 1947 Ford all 200 laps, finishing three laps ahead of second place, Jim Roper, who had read about the race in a comic strip and showed up in a Lincoln. When the dust cleared, it was actually Roper who was declared the winner, because there was evidence that Westmoreland's Ford, a genuine moonshine-runner, had modified rear springs. Dunaway ended up last, and Roper received the $2,000 purse. Dunaway ended up filing a lawsuit, but it was thrown out before it even went to court. Because of that controversy, as few as 15 cars showed up for some of the remaining races of the 1949 season. France wasn't anxious to kick out any other competitors during this fragile infant period of racing, so it wasn't until July 31, 1951, that another winner, Jim Delaney at Rochester, New York, was disqualified, this time for a non-stock camshaft.

I can remember when rat rods first started making huge waves in the hot rod world. Most of them were structural and mechanical works of art with modern suspension, brakes, tires & wheels. Numerous rods carried that theme to the drivetrain. They just looked like hell on the outside with surface rust and patina. However, when most zig, others are truly going to zag. Some rat rods were truly that - absolute rust and rot buckets that were somehow saved by using whatever parts and sheet metal were available. It didn't matter if the parts came from different cars or trucks and the sheet metal used ranged from public street signs to roofing material. Some say it degraded the street rod or hot rod scene. Others say, it brought it back to it's roots, where you used ingenuity rather than a checkbook. In the end, some enthusiasts still shouted that the owners of these rebel rods "cheated" when it came to building them. In my opinion, you own the rod - you build it how you want. Just make it safe to drive.

On that note - peace out.
Dave

Just What Is A Gearhead?

Because of the fact that I can honestly admit that I am one, sometimes I'm surprised at the number of people who ask me that question - "What exactly is a gearhead?" A good number of folks seem to be familiar with the term, but often confuse it with the casual automotive enthusiast. In simpler terms, a good majority of the public lump gearheads into the vast, but vague group of people who "are into cars" - individuals who attend car shows, have a fair working knowledge of a vehicle's basic mechanical systems, who receive a subscription or two of a monthly publication, whether it be Hot Rod, or Street Rodder, or Motor Trend, or even possibly own a late model "performance oriented" vehicle.

But being a gearhead is more than that - way more. Do they eat, sleep & breathe cars? Without a doubt. Are they always looking fora way to modify them in some positive way? Absolutely. But most gearheads that I know are, in one form or another, successful individuals on some level. Gearheads are always dreaming big and shooting for the stars. Sometimes we succeed, other times we don't. The failures don't matter - we learn from them. Shooting for the stars sounds like some huge vision on a grand scale. Unfortunately, that's where most people stop - the scale of the dream is so big, some type of fear takes hold and that's the end of things. For a gearhead, that's the first notion that gets tossed. Success is not measured solely on the level of majestic.

Maybe I can't afford a Dodge Hellcat, or a Shelby GT500, but I can buy a Fox-bodied Mustang and put more power under its hood than Ford ever dreamed of. And I can reach 700 horsepower for about one-fifth of what those new vehicles cost. It's not about lowering one's standards, it's about making the most of what you have and having an absolute fucking blast while doing it. But if you dig deeper, being a gearhead can be even more than that. It's about learning new things, automotive wise (especially if it's really creative & it somehow works), then using or passing on that knowledge to others - especially if they're stranded on the side of the road and AAA is no help.

Being a gearhead, however, is not about being stupid. Busted knuckles is one thing, experimenting and trying something different is all part of the game. But getting injured because you don't follow common safety, or saw blades fly around because you're being careless is not. However, it is just as much about driving as it is tinkering. It's about leaving your fears in the driveway, embracing the unknown, taking the back roads, and accepting the good with the bad whether it be grooving on a beautiful sunset or cussing at the latest breakdown. Trust me - you'll have cool stories that will stick with you for a lifetime... and that's what matters.

Gearheads come in many forms - male, female, young, old, conservative or rebellious. I can remember having a conversation with a guy who absolutely loves tri-5 Chevy's. He's owned several of them and his wife currently owns a mint 1956 BelAir. He's always had a soft spot for how they look - especially the interiors. I told them to thank the "Damsels of Design" for that. If you don't know who they are, you should. In a nutshell, they were responsible for the colors, the fabrics, the features, options, and the styling (inside & out) that made the vehicles more appealing to women. They were also really into automobiles! Google them for more information.

E.J. Potter once said, "Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even usually surpassing knowledge." This can be a key mantra to the gearhead world. History has showed us that people from a working farm, of all places, whether down South or from the Midwest, has produced some borderline geniuses. One Elon Jack Potter from Michigan was one such genius. The guy had a yen for strapping small block Chevy engines onto Harley Davidson motorcycles. All his creations were direct drive and had a slew of other then unheard of inventions. He eventually got into building automobiles with Allison aircraft engines as well as a jet-powered trike. It is absolutely amazing the guy never got killed and died of natural causes in 2012 at the age of 71.

Finally, being a grearhead is nothing new. It goes way back - minimum to the 1920's if not farther. Face it - there were no cell phones, AAA, or an automotive garage in almost every town if you turn the clock back just shy of a hundred years ago. You had a breakdown - you fixed it. Or you had a long walk ahead of you. It was American ingenuity at its finest. It's comforting to know that still exists today - and a concept we can't afford to lose. If you have some serious automotive skills, pass it on to whomever you can. Even if that person doesn't share or embrace your passion, they will be grateful that some bit of knowledge stuck with them at a key moment that will, without question, save their ass in some fashion.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Suddenly... It's 1970

Believe it or not, I got the idea for this week's blog from a discussion I had with a customer at the automotive repair garage where I work. While the gentleman and I called it a "friendly. thought provoking conversation" (his words), his wife thought of it as an argument. Especially when I told them that the Prius they drive will not save the planet. In fact, if we all drove hybrids, it still would not make a difference. Needless to say, she got a little pissed off. It's been proven that driving any

hybrid or even an all electric vehicle still will not save Mother Earth from our carbon footprint. The modern human lifestyle encompasses way more than just car and truck emissions. There are too many other irons in the fire - everything from the manufacturing of hybrid and electric cars, especially when it comes to the batteries that power them, (the carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacturing are more than double that of a gas-powered vehicle), to big corporations and airplanes (which contribute approximately 70% of the carbon footprint). In my humble opinion, the picture on the right is one of the best things you can do to a Prius. I'm not saying these cars are junk. If an owner takes care of one, with proper maintenance and repairs, I've seen these things clock over 300,000 miles. I'm just growing tired of all the "green talk" surrounding these things and how wonderful people feel with the fact they think they are helping save the environment.

It reminds me so much of circa 1970. This was when the automotive industry as well as the car buying public saw a HUGE shift in all things regarding vehicles. Everything from ushering in the use of unleaded gasoline, to vehicles being restyled every three to five years (nowadays it's more like ten) instead of every year, to climate change. But it's always been a learning curve. I can remember when so-called "experts" throttled the calamities of global cooling - yes, cooling, not warming - and that we only had 20 years of oil left in the ground, down our throats. Both of those "facts" turned out to be total bullshit. I do agree we need to lower our carbon footprint. Face it - we all need clean air to breathe and I'd like to have trees around for my great grandkids. But it always kills me that the consumer and their automobile, especially the high performance models, as well as vintage American iron more recently, seem to be the ones taking things on the chin. The big culprits whether it be big corporations or the air transportation industry, go unpunished.

If you're old enough, remember the 1970 model year muscle cars? Numerous people have said that 1970 was the zenith year for these classic machines. My personal opinion places the high point at 1969, but that's another story. I can see their argument for 1970 because that was the year GM finally threw their ridiculous engine mandate for mid-size cars out the window. As a result, we had some of the most powerful Chevy Chevelle SS, Buick GS, Olds 442, and Pontiac GTO's ever produced. That same year debuted the completely restyled (and best looking) Plymouth Barracuda and the new Dodge Challenger.

Also entering deja-vu territory are the impending CAFE requirements that will be begin to make V-8's all the more rarer. In fact, there's already talk about killing the Dodge Hellcat vehicles and the Hemi engines after the 2018 model year. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Just like 1970 going into 1971 when numerous big blocks were in their final year before being killed in the name of emissions. So - if this happens, what engine will take the place of the Hemi? There's rumors of a very potent twin-turbo V-6. Sounds cool, but just doesn't seem the same.

Oddly enough, with all this gloom and doom, I find it ironic that Chevy finally re-released a mid-size muscle car, even if it has four doors. With all the hype of the new Corvette and the Camaro, the 2015 SS received little fanfare, but has received rave reviews. Here is an honest-to-goodness 415 horsepower V-8 powered vehicle that is docile in traffic, handles well, is rather comfy, and can hold more than two adults. It's also available with a standard transmission as of this writing! If you want a car that screams mid-life crises, then this rig isn't your bag. You can drive the SS to church and no one will think you've sinned. Admittedly, it's not the fastest new vehicle out there (nor the cheapest; around $47,000), but it's rear wheel drive with a limited slip and pretty well balanced. It also screams for you to pop the clutch just like back in 1970.

 The thing is, none of these issues are new or a novelty. Throughout the history of the automobile, similar issues have always been with us; everything from safety, to the manufacturers building too many vehicles resulting in traffic clogged roads. A friend of mine just came back from visiting in California. He mentioned that almost every road is a four-lane highway, and any vehicle that is over four years old is considered a beater. Many people he talked to while he was out there hated the amount of traffic - they said "I'm sure things were so much simpler way back when." You think so? The picture above was taken around 1940. I bet those drivers were thinking the exact same thing...

Now that were into September, and the car shows are starting to wind down, I would like to thank all those people out there who chatted with us at Vintage V8 Photography while we photographed all kinds of vehicles this summer. We had a blast! We may all be different, but we have that common thread of the American hot rod. We all have gasoline running through our veins and a respect for vintage Detroit iron. We need to be banded together in order to keep this hobby alive. In regards to our hot rods and muscle cars - use them or lose them. Gas is still cheap, the weather is still warm, and good times await. Hope to see you soon before the snow flies!

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

In Denial

I stumbled across a classic article that was originally written in Hi-Performace Cars magazine back in August 1968 which I have in my collection (not the one pictured on right - the 8/68 edition I have has a beat cover). I do believe the article was reprinted in a different rag in 2007. Along with the three different Super Stock magazines (one of them pictured on right) being published during the late 60's, HP Cars is one of my favorite reads. Mostly because it was an East Coast publication and more politically incorrect than the California periodicals like Hot Rod. Nothing against Hot Rod mind you; I have tons of those titles in my collection as well. It's just that HP Cars was way more hardcore - as were it's readers.

Getting back to the article in question, it was about the street racing scene that was hot and happening in Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island. The problem was, no one spoke about street racing back then. It widely existed, but was still in the closet, so to speak. The street racing scene had a very bad reputation, whether it was deserved or not. Don't believe me - check out the picture of the pulp fiction publication from the 50's to your left. Very stereo-typical indeed. So, when this nationwide magazine hit the newsstands that summer, I guess the shit hit the fan. It was considered shocking that any magazine would be glorifying street racing. The author of that article, Joe Oldham, didn't glorify street racing. He just reported on what he saw. He knew it existed, as did thousands of others all across the country. It's just some people were in denial.

Now, before we go any further, I'm not here to take sides. I am not condemning nor advocating street racing. I did it in Massachusetts when I was younger. I now do my racing on the track. I would be a hypocrite either way if I took sides.


The feedback and the resulting criticism that resulted from that article was astounding. Even former Hot Rod magazine editor and NHRA founder Wally Parks called in protest. Parks claimed that one of the chief reasons he formed the racing organization was to get racing off the streets. Of course, by the late 60's, and into today, so many people realize that the NHRA was and still is an entertainment business taking in vast sums of money at events, through television contracts, and corporate business ties. It was no longer a "grass roots movement" by 1968 - it hadn't been for years. Many people still respect Wally Parks, as do I, even though he is no longer with us. But, I can also tell you first hand that it's not an easy thing to look at yourself in some way and face your own denial - especially when you think someone is calling you out and exposing you. In this case, the NHRA thought that they were solely responsible for making the streets safer by getting street racing off America's main roads. The problem was - that really didn't happen.

I've also come to the conclusion that another form of denial is brand loyalty, especially when it comes to muscle cars. This subject is about as touchy, if sometimes not more so, than sports, politics, and/or religion. Remember the story I relayed about a friend of mine who restored a rare 1971 Boss 351 Mustang that was even more uncommon with a funky green / teal color quite a while back? Just like some people who were absolutely fanatical about the restoration standards of factory muscle cars when that hit it's zenith around 1990 and fortunately is now more or less subsided, the same is true about brand loyalty. Either you love GM, or Ford, or Mopar, or AMC - there is no in-between or gray area.

Myself? I love them all. I consider myself fortunate to have owned a muscle car of each marquee save AMC and Buick. To me, they were uncommon from the get-go, all had their quirks, pros and cons. In reality, none were really better than the other. Some were faster than others - okay. The build quality was never really top shelf - considering the technology and the mind-set we had back then - it doesn't surprise me at all. Over the years, I never liked the feel of Chrysler power steering; it was always too sloppy. I never liked GM rear ends; they didn't hold up as well. And a Ford 390 (which was their bread and butter muscle car engine for years) was always under-powered. This is just my experience. Yours may be different, and that's perfectly fine as well. There were also many good points; Some differentials were bullet proof, like the Chrysler Dana 60 and the Ford 9 inch. Nothing sounds like a Chrysler 426 Hemi engine - nothing. The same can be said for the feeling when one is power shifting a Ford Boss 351 or a Pontiac 421 dual quad. They were all cool and iconic. If I have the chance to purchase one, regardless of make - I'll lay my money down. Every time. I have yet to purchase a muscle car and have someone tell me, "It's in nice shape, but why did you buy that piece of shit?"

It's funny though, when you flip over the other side of the coin and get into hot rods and street rods in particular. Don't you think it's odd that no one bats an eyelash when you see a small block Chevy in an old 30's street rod that isn't a Chevy? Ditto with a Ford? Or when you see an old Ford rat rod with a Chevy engine or vise-versa?  That would be utter blasphemy and subject to the death penalty if one stuck a Ford Boss 429 engine into a 1970 Chevelle SS. Or are we just in denial to admit that it's actually pretty wild looking? Maybe because we're afraid of what others will think? The way I see it, I may not agree with it or even like it, but it's someone else's car; if I want to tell them "how it should be done", then let me pay the bills to restore it. If I'm not doing that, then I need to refrain from such comments of "well, you fucked that ride up. Good goin' pal." (Above photo courtesy of Hot Rod magazine)


Strength is diversity and also in unity. Competition also breeds innovation. Remember when Toyota wanted to get involved in NASCAR quite a while back? Officials had no problem allowing teams to run a Camry as long as it met all the rules and requirements. But fans of the sport? You would have thought they made the announcement that all events were closed to the public and would not be televised. I mean some of these people went nuts. I can remember the rants; "Keep NASCAR all American" or "We don't need rice burners in NASCAR"... and those were the nice ones. But it happened - Toyota entered the fray. The world didn't end, all the American cars didn't go away, blah, blah, blah. We just didn't want to face our denial.


Face it - as humans we don't like change, but we don't like the way things are. It's goofy, but it's true. But we must embrace positive change. We will lose our freedoms, including all things performance and hot rodding, if we remain placid and lazy. If all we do is complain and be divided by petty aspects of our car hobby, then we are part of whatever problem we're faced with. Moving forward together - it's a cool thing.


Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Ahead Of The Curve

Even though you hear this term frequently in regards to movies, music, or art, I've also heard this who knows how many times in the automotive industry. Sometimes the concept pays off - sometimes it doesn't. Even if all intensive purposes are good and the execution is right on; if the timing is off, especially if the public is just not ready for it - the venture will fail. More often than not, the same concept will be launched several years later, usually with greater success. Other times, it will just get buried. This scenario crossed my mind when I came across two distinct issues of Hot Hod Deluxe - the original issue released back in 1999 and the 2nd launch "rebirth" issue in 2008. The magazine failed the first time simply because the public was not ready to fully embrace that aspect of the hot rodding culture in the late 90's. The magazine was ahead of the curve.

I received a flyer in the mail yesterday advertising seminars at a local automotive repair shop as part of "The Automotive Sisterhood" movement that's taking hold. In a nutshell, ASE certified technicians hold evening classes to better educate women regarding their automobiles. This is a wonderful thing, no matter who puts these seminars on. The irony of all

this is, is my oldest daughter, who is a long-time ASE technician, and I have talked about organizing something like this in area for over 10 years. I even worked with our local technology school to offer evening adult-ed classes at low cost on the very basics of the working of an automobile as well as in the purchasing of a used vehicle. That was back in 2007. Neither class got off the ground due to too-low of enrollment. I always thought it was because a guy (me) was teaching a class geared towards women. A possible comfort level just wasn't there. Today, schools that offer evening adult-ed classes are clamoring for this - but now I don't have room in my schedule to teach at night. Was I just ahead of the curve?

However, not all things automotive that are ahead of the curve destined to be delayed or outright flops. Some hit the ball out of the park on the first try. Case in point, the 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner that debuted in the fall of 1967. In a sea of muscle cars, Plymouth zigged, while everyone else zagged. After extensive research, Plymouth realized that if a buyer wanted a new muscle car that met certain criteria (in this case cut a 14 second flat or lower quarter mile E.T. and reach 100 mph or better while in the process), one would have to spend at least $3300 to do so. That was a lot of coin back in 1967. That also meant a lot of buyers were left out of the performance car market. Plymouth focused on the go-fast goodies and left out all the fluff. The result? A car that met Plymouth's criteria for under $2700 dollars and sold like hotcakes. Even if a buyer opted for the $800+ 426 Hemi engine option, nothing could touch a Hemi Roadrunner for the $3500 admission price. Even Motor Trend magazine in their December 1967 issue called the Roadrunner "...the most honest supercar in over five years."

It's been said that you can thank a drag racer for much of the modern technology we have today on vehicles. Everything from fuel injection, to flex-fuel motors, to super-charging, to distributorless ignitions - it appeared first in drag racing. But that's what it's all about - innovation. Back in the 50's and 60's, there weren’t very many established rules, which allowed guys to experiment with some truly radical designs. Some worked - some didn’t. But for every failed drag car design, something was learned, for better or for worse. One of the most bizarre drag cars ever (that thankfully to my knowledge no one tried copying) was the Vulcan Shuttle. Throughout history, many racers have tried to harness the uncontrollable power of a rocket engine. The problem however, with a rocket in a drag racing situation is that the length of time that thrust is being created is directly proportional to the amount of solid fuel being used. The driver is not controlling the throttle - that’s the job of physics. You light the fuse and hang on for however long it decides to burn. The Vulcan Shuttle came out in around 1980, a rocket motor housed in a Volkswagen Bug. With a surplus engine that was about 10-feet long, this little V-Dub acted like an out-of-control bottle rocket, and eventually killed its driver, Rodney Poole, during a test pass at an airport. Ahead of the curve? Probably not...

Even NASCAR has had some ideas that sounded good at the time, but for some reason never materialized. Probably the best known concept was one that Bill France had back in the 80's. You ready for this? A street racing series. This is where your favorite NASCAR drivers in their beloved rides skip the ovals and grandstands, and take it to a determined street course. Can you imagine? Straight-a-ways, left and right turns, no drafting, or high banked ovals, speeds ranging from 40mph to around 135mph. No more cookie-cutter race courses. They would all be different. You want to show your driving skills? Here you go! Talk about grass roots style racing - heck let's bring it back!

Got any other ideas or stories? Let me know.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Getting It Right

Those three words can bring about some of the most spirited and opinionated discussions among human beings; how does someone know when something has been "done right" or not. With some aspects of our life, as with art, music, or photography, there really can't be a definitive line of right or wrong - because if we follow set-in-stone composition rules, it will only lead to a tedious repetition of cliches. But can the same concept be said for the automobile, hot rodding, and even racing?

I believe that answer is yes, but only to a point. Allow me to explain. I was reading an article about the 1939-40 Ford, arguably one of the most beautiful vehicles to come out of the depression era. While Ford's design chief, E.T. "Bob" Gregorie totally nailed the design of the car, it took several years to get it right in the chassis department. One of the biggest issues was Ford's early 30's style 112 inch wheelbase. It needed to be longer, so Gregorie designed one. He even had a working prototype done by 1935. Hence, the second delay - ego. Ford's chief engineer, Lawrence Sheldrake, would have no part of a suspension design that had been dreamt up by the head of Ford styling.

A few other examples that I personally experienced brought this "getting it right" concept to mind. The first was a beautifully restored / modified triple black 1970 Plymouth Duster (very similar to pic on left). Let me be the first to say, I will never tell someone how to build, paint, or modify a car. Heck, if you want to cut up a vintage 1957 Corvette and turn it into a modern pro-touring vehicle, go for it. As far as I'm concerned, it's your ride and your money. I had to give kudos to the guy who owned the vehicle, as he stated he built the Duster from a shell.

But here's where the "... only to a point" comes into play. While the Duster had all the right cues - from flawless paint and interior, to a cool sounding exhaust compliments of the modified 440 big block under the hood, (also similar to pic on right) and some spirited performance, it needed "some minor bugs worked out" according to the customer who brought the car in to the shop where my daughter, son-in-law, and I work. We ended up having this car for almost a week trying to work these bugs out. Even though the car looked flawless and totally cool, there were still so many things wrong with it, it was like working on a Pandora's Box. The brakes were all screwed up, because the system did not have all the correct parts; never mind a few fell out when we removed the "new" drum brakes. The steering system was a wreck as was the alignment, because short-cuts were taken. We had to tinker with the idle because the engine was getting way too much gas and ran like shit, especially with the aggressive cam coupled to an automatic. When all those challenges were ironed out and the car was taken for a mild test drive, we found that the original 6-cylinder torsion bars as well as the sloppy factory Chrysler power steering box were still in place. We already knew there was no front sway bar. If one even remotely nailed the gas while turning coming out of an intersection, the Duster was like a hippo on roller skates. It was actually somewhat nerve-wracking to drive, not fun like it should be. Bottom line - feel free to build and/or modify any car you want, any way you want - but all the components have to be up to the task of what you're building and work well together in the end. It will be done right not only in the visual department, but also in the mechanical world.

This past Friday night, my daughter, her kids, and I attended a local car show that meets every Friday night in the small town we work in. It meets in the a-typical shopping plaza parking lot that has a small hot dog stand in it. It is loosely organized and run, but it is definitely done right. No admission fees, cool oldies music supplied by a guy with an MP3 player, an amp, and some big speakers, and no hardcore limits on the cars that participate - domestic, foreign, stock or modified, original, restored, or somewhere in between - as long as it was 15 years or older. The evening was sunny and warm, everyone was laid back, and the show was packed! People of all ages, mingling, chatting, sharing memories, and bench racing. Not a bad way to spend an early Friday evening.

I can remember one time I was at the quarter mile drag strip in Epping New Hampshire. The track was holding a sort-of informal "run what you brung" type event. Be that as it may, the track still made any participants who wanted to take their ride down the 1320 feet of tarmac, go through their normal tech inspection. Rule #1 about hot rodding; safety first - then we can all have a blast. There was this one guy who owned a nice looking 1969 Chevelle; sounded really fast. However, he was denied entry into the racing portion of the event, because his car was not safe enough. He left the event all pissed off, rear tires a blazing out the main entrance. Apparently, he couldn't let go of his anger soon enough, because the Chevelle ended up getting totaled about 10 miles down the pike. A single car accident where the car went off the road, through a guardrail, and got stuffed it into the weeds and trees. He somehow walked away from the accident, even though the body had completely separated from the frame and then caught fire due to the Mickey Mouse wiring and fuel system set-up. And that's why he was denied at Epping in the first place. Things just weren't right. (Picture above for demonstration purposes only. Not of actual accident).

Lastly, I posted on the Vintage V8 Photography Facebook page that I was contemplating my next go-fast ride. Some of the vehicles left on my bucket list include hot rods from the 30's and 40's. I found a 1948 Ford pickup rat rod online that's down in Maryland. The rig has already been chopped and channeled (very well I might add), has a modified 460 Lincoln engine, a beefed C6 automatic, and a bullet-proof Ford 9" rearend. The interior is nice, and the flat black paint is flawless. The spider web grill is a plus. I might change the 16 1/2" Firestone tires and red steel wheels (still keeping them of course) for some American Racing or Rocket aluminum rims and Mickey Thompson rubber. Don't know yet. Either way, if I purchase it or not, I'll be cool with the fact that this semi rat rod was done right.

Until next time, peace out,
Dave

The Holy Grail Of Hangouts - The Garage

Take any of those classic statements that basically center around the concept of "...the consequences of a misspent youth" and somehow hot rodding, fast cars, racing, and the garage enter the scene at some point. There was a time some 60 years ago, hot rodding in general was frowned upon - the people associated with it were seen as outcasts, "the bad guys", and delinquents. But I'm willing to bet that working on cars in a basic one car garage probably kept a lot of people out of trouble. It gave us something to do; a way to work off excess energy; a place to try ideas.

I was reading an article last night where a guy and his friends restored a 1971 Dodge Challenger in his garage. They worked nights & weekends - and it took them 10 years. They did everything from the engine, to the suspension, the entire interior, to all the body work and paint. The only thing they farmed out was the vinyl roof and interior headliner. All of that is beyond extremely cool. But the lead picture in the article (right) showed the finished car in it's garage. The building is all steel, with a 10 foot high ceiling and concrete flooring. There are racks of tools, shelves galore of supplies, a huge air compressor, a good sized work bench, and a professional 2-post lift. When you finish reading and browsing all the details of this garage, there's probably at least $40 grand wrapped up in this automotive out building. While I would kill to have a set-up like this, I wondered just how many people actually have this type of deal just 20 feet from their house? (Above photo courtesy of Hot Rod).

Don't get me wrong; I'm not busting this guys chops just because he has a sweet garage. Once again the glory of the aftermarket has come through for us enthusiasts. It wasn't long ago that professional equipment like what's described above just wasn't obtainable for the average Joe. It got me to thinking (as it usually does) just how much things have changed, garage wise, over the years. It's amazing as well as amusing to look back at the glory years of hot rodding, NASCAR, and drag racing, to see what they had for garage set-ups. Compare that to the modern garage in the article, some of the early times looked... well, ancient.

It all has to start somewhere. back in the late 40's, just about every hot rod, street rod, or grass roots racer was built in a one car garage, probably with the help of a single 60 watt drop lamp or light. And most likely, it was done in a garage owned by the young speed demon's parents in some suburban neighborhood. When I was a kid, we had a neighbor who was a massive go-fast type of guy. He worked on all his cars in his small single bay garage. He eventually erected a wooden stockade fence so the neighbors wouldn't see all the cars he owned. Way more than once, our neighbor enlisted my help to push a vehicle that was "in process" out of the garage and into the side yard, because another car was on it's way in that became a higher priority.

"Fair enough," you quip. "That's the hometown hot rodder. What about the professional drivers? They must've had big setups to work on cars." Well, let's have a look at that. First up - NASCAR. We'll even skip the roots of the sport from the late 40's and early 50's and jump right into the top drivers of the 60's. The first pic I've included is none other than Richard Petty and his practically unbeatable 1967 Plymouth. Just because you had factory support and financial backing doesn't mean you had cushy accommodations and top-shelf repair facilities wherever you went. While that may be the case today, back then the race teams did things pretty much the same way hot rod enthusiasts did it - outdoors using jack stands.

I can see the hands raised in objections already - "That was on the road. What about their home base of operations?" OK - let's look at that. This next photo is from the early 60's and the operation headquarters of none other than the Woods Brothers. When this shot was taken, Glen Wood had just bought out his then-partner Chris Williams. Just who are the Woods Brothers? They owned the familiar #21 red and white Ford and Mercury's that numerous talented drivers like A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Cale Yarborough, and David Pearson drove to the winners circle. Of course, things would change dramatically by the late 70's and early 80's when racing teams started fielding multiple cars during a race or at minimum, having backup cars.

Drag racing wasn't a whole heap different as you groove on the next two pictures. The first one on the left is of the famous Vic Hubbard garage. Much like the Woods Brothers, very humble beginnings that were simplistic in nature. No snazzy enclosed car carriers, just plain-Jane U-Haul type trailers. The second shot (below) was taken in the pits at Dover Raceway from 1961. Like NASCAR, you schlepped your own bags, parts, and tools - usually in the back of a pickup truck. And these guys worked outdoors as well. I've also read countless stories and have seen tons of old photos of racers who participated at Bonneville. It wasn't uncommon at all to see racers rebuilding engines, transmissions, and who knows what else in motel parking lots.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Think about how much has been invented or started, especially automotive, in a garage. Well, enough of the history lessons for this week - time to head out to that magical one or two door building of inspiration and dreams. It's also a damn good place to crank up some good tunes and tune that carburetor a little better.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave