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TRADING PLACES
It was during the ’60s when Vern Hill’s love for all things automobile blossomed. And like so many young men of that era, his love of cars turned into a thirst for speed, and there was no looking back. Hill began building cars, several of which were racecars, which helped him accumulate a few Wallys that adorn his trophy case.

The Crusher
You can’t fault a man for knowing what he likes, and in the case of Chelsea, Alabama’s Mike George, what he likes is the ’69 Camaro. at the age of 41 years old, he’s managed to own no fewer than 15 of these cars over the years, but none was anything like his current Camaro. In fact, we can’t think of any other ’69 Camaro that’s quite like this one.

Hydro-Boost Brakes
Nothing is more terrifying than cruising down the street to the fairgrounds when some idiot pulls out in front of you and you have to jump on the binders. Making a panic stop can be difficult when you are trying to stop 800 throbbing horsepower with a set of 9-inch rotors and single-piston calipers. You might even wonder if it will stop as you mash the brake pedal. When it comes to street rods with big motors, one braking concern is vacuum pressure. Is there enough? Many high-performance camshafts add power to the motor but produce low vacuum levels. This is something to consider when selecting your engine components. Of course, if the motor fails, you will have no vacuum, so stopping will be a real problem.
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Colorado Drop Kit
Story and Photography by Marshall Spiegel
DJM Introduces a Slick 3X4 Chevy Colorado Lowering Kit – Here’s How to Install It
Since its incorporation in 1985, DJM Suspension in Gardena, California, has grown to become one of the leading manufacturers of lowering kits for a wide variety of trucks. The company’s goal has always been to design and manufacture drop kits that help preserve the factory ride quality, and that goal was a big consideration when DJM set out to create a kit to lower the new Chevy Colorado (and the GMC Canyon). The DJM engineers created a 3-inch front drop, based on a specially designed lower control arm, and a 4-inch rear drop, which was achieved with DJM’s new, stronger steel lowering blocks. DJM strongly recommends that its new steel lowering blocks be used on vehicles with high-output engines.
The new 3×4 drop kit turned out to be relatively easy to install. The stock ride height measured 19-1/2 inches in front and 20-1/2 inches in the rear (measured from the center of the wheel to the fender lip). After the installation, the front and rear measured 16-1/2 inches, showing a 3-inch drop in front, and 16-1/2 inches in the rear for a 4-inch drop. At the new ride height, our test 04 Colorado had a ride and handling that seemed nearly as good as when the truck was at the stock ride height, but the new stance was far more aggressive and the looks were much improved.
DJM informed us that the stock shocks would work fine with this new drop kit for those on a budget; but it is recommended that the stock shocks be replaced with higher-quality, high-performance gas shocks to further improve the ride and handling. DJM owner and company president Jeff Ullmann performed the installation himself as we followed along so that we could witness for ourselves just how straightforward the swap is. Our test vehicle is a white 04 Colorado, and the accompanying photos show the highlights of the installation.
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TheAutoBuilder Staff
ARTICLE SOURCES
DJM Suspension, Inc.
Dept. TB
580 W. 184th St.
Gardena, CA 90248
800/237-6748
310/538-1538 (Tech)

