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    THE REAL COOL CAT

    There was a time in this country when automotive platform sharing wasn’t as blatantly obvious as it is today. Cars that shared platforms didn’t necessarily also share 90 percent of their parts and styling; for example, the difference between Fords and Mercurys was more than skin deep. So, when Mercury decided it wanted to produce its own version of Ford’s smash-hit Mustang, the company knew it had to do more than give the car a new grille. The car it created—the Cougar—became an instant classic: it shared its basic underpinnings with the Mustang, but no sheetmetal.

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    Vintage Fabrication

    For every hot rod shop that has a show on TV, there are countless smaller shops that will never get mainstream TV exposure or clothing lines sold at Wal-Mart. But all across the country, it’s these smaller shops that turn out the majority of the street and super rods that you and I enjoy, and that we see at shows. And even though these little guys may not have big reputations yet, they churn out consistent and excellent work—and, that is precisely how some of these smaller shops will eventually become bigger shops with even more prestige.

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    55 Tips, Tidbits & Info

    Street and Strip Solutions: Practical Tips and Car Show Highlights

    One of the many things The Auto Builder does on a daily basis is keep its eyes peeled for small make-a-difference items, tech and how-tos that might benefit you for both street and/or strip application. Sometimes those elements are major, other times they are far less significant, but nonetheless helpful. We also pay particular attention to things that are of interest, up to and including the reasons why an owner did not win at a car show. There are 55 photos here, each with a bit of info. Many may pay dividends for you sometime in the future, so sit back, learn, laugh and enjoy.

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    Picture of Doug Marion

    Doug Marion

    Story & Photography

    01. Since 1981, we have seen more Chevys up close and personal than anyone we can think of. Always on the lookout for neat modifications to tell you about, we spotted this cool radiator layout recently, and knew you would enjoy seeing it. Note the core support panels and the trick top cover.
    02. So who needs steel four-bolt main bearing caps and high strength studs and bolts—endurance engines, high-output (horsepower) engines, large displacement engines, and generally anything with a supercharger or big dose of nitrous oxide. When in doubt, talk to your engine builder, or someone with similar experience. And when in doubt, never take a chance.
    03. When it comes to race car/show car towing, one priority is that the tow vehicle must be legally rated to tow the load, and be able to tow the rated capacity of your entire load. Add this Chevy Avalanche pickup to the approved list. Bill Horvat is the lucky owner. Check out that trick front bumper guard.
    04. A less-costly way of adding more main cap beef to a two-bolt main cap block is to add longer studs and steel caps atop the factory iron caps. Longevity is greatly increased in a powerful, more highly stressed engine, and it’s a lot less costly than four-bolt main caps or a new block to accommodate them.-
    05. We well know that small-block Camaros with slicks and slapper bars (not to mention a built chassis) can lift the front wheels during launch. Have you considered why? The trick is weight transfer, to shock the tires, which means launch rpm is critical. A manual trans will easily do the trick, but so will an automatic—with a stall-speed, say around 3,500-4,000 rpm.
    06. We always liked the Shakedown G/SA 1969 SS 350 Camaro. Here he is running IHRA style, many moons ago.
    07. If you break your aluminum ZL1 block, can you repair it by welding? Word is, you can, but a precise heat-treat process is recommended. Otherwise, the block may crack apart—as this one did on the dyno. Tip: Consult an expert; this is not a home repair.
    08. What does the term “Back-Half” mean? It means cutting the stock frame in front of the rear wheel wells, then welding in a custom-built, narrowed, square tube frame with wider rear tires, and a narrowed rearend assembly. When someone says a car was back-halved now you know what it means.
    09. Funny remarks: This photo is not of the car in question; however the huge door gap is similar. This car has obviously been in an accident, and repaired poorly. A similar ’57 Chevy once entered a car show, and when it did not win, the owner used this as an excuse: “You can’t deduct points; I bought it this way.”
    10. There are lots of ways to cool an engine at the drags. Ice on the intake manifold is one way. So is a huge electric fan. We spotted this set-up at the Francis Butler Shootout last summer. You’ll need 120V electricity, either from the track or through an inverter that converts vehicle 12V to household 120V.
    11. On race engines where oil re-circulation to the oil pan is critical, racers for decades have cleaned their lifter valley then applied Glyptol paint. It hastens oil flow.
    12. Some shops use white Glyptol paint. Why white? If any minute cracks occur, they are easier to find, and you can more easily see any shiny metal particles, before they become big shiny metal pieces.
    13. Why block studs? Some engine bolts are only good for one torque-down. Upon removal, they cannot be re-torqued. Traditional head bolts can be re-torqued, but if you continually use them, they will stretch. When they do, they often pull out the top block threads, or worse. In the worse condition, a heli-coil must be installed. Also it is recommended to chamfer the top threads, thus eliminating a raised deck surface. It is recommended to use top-quality block studs for heads and main caps, but be certain you can remove the heads with the engine installed, just in case.
    14. We once bought a ’69 Camaro, and the engine was a very tired 8.5:1 350. We babied it for a year, and then the nodular crankshaft broke in two at the rear journal. Seen here are engine oil droplets on the valve cover—after a high-speed run. High crankcase pressure blew the oil past the breather. When buying a car, pull the PCV valve and plug it with your finger. If you see smoke coming out the grommet hole, it’s oil blow-by. A lot of it is a no-no, and will be an indicator that the engine is tired.
    15. If you are looking to install an airbag rear suspension, we saw this setup and thought you’d like to see it too. It has lowering blocks and the airbags offer about 8-9 inches of travel.
    16. Years ago, a guy we knew built a high-horsepower big-block, but left the ten-bolt posi rear end as-is, and with no traction bars. On the second burnout—kaboom. This photo is worth many words.
    17. This is how car shows looked when we were involved—jam-packed, with no empty holes and all rows filled.
    18. Years ago, we stumbled across Seymour Cast Iron Gray spray paint and have used it ever since. When applied to clean iron, it never flakes or peels. It looks good too.
    19. Besides a free-flowing exhaust and high-rise induction with the correct carburetor jetting, head porting and combustion chamber prep-work can really help increase power and efficiency. When you do remove your heads, have them “street-ported,” but not with a huge racing engine port design. The trick is to cc the individual combustion chambers, and match them, but do this following a precision three-angle valve job.
    20. Can you spray cast iron gray paint on clean exhaust manifolds? Yes, you can, and it sure looks good, too. Moreover, it stays on even after it has been heated.
    21. If you cannot figure out where to put your tachometer and a supplemental oil pressure gauge, check out how this Chevelle owner solved the problem. First, for contrast, he painted each gauge holder red, and then custom-mounted his Auto Meter tach and oil pressure gauge to the left side of the steering column. Look for similar solutions.
    22. Chrome-plating a power brake booster and a master cylinder is accomplished by first disassembling the booster, then plugging all of the external and internal passages in the master cylinder. Any top chrome shops can spell out the rest, or if you hit a wall, call on a specialty chrome shop specializing in classic and custom car components.
    23. Coated mild steel headers not only protect the outside from rust, but when coated on the inside, will do the same there and reportedly will aid exhaust flow and decrease pipe temperature. Barry Wallner had his ’57 Chevy Stahl headers coated for ever-lasting good looks.
    24.Back in the ’50s and ’60s, lots of enthusiasts simply could not afford to drag race competitively, but they could afford to have their Chevy look and sound cool. Glasspack mufflers and/or cable-operated cutouts allowed an exhaust note to rumble. Cutouts—illegal in some places—are relatively inexpensive, and you could install them yourself with a hacksaw, or a muffler shop could do it. Doug’s Headers has a unique design for a few bucks more.
    25. On the subject of engine rebuilding, it pays to deck the engine block to make it flat and square. This goes for the cylinder heads too. The cost is minimal, as long as the engine is apart anyway, but the result is a better-balanced engine with more equalized combustion chamber volume, and no head gasket leakage.
    26. Crankshaft bearings usually have a very smooth surface where the crankshaft journal rotates. But if the engine oil is not changed regularly, dirt and contaminants will circulate through the oil filter bypass, and potentially cause what you see here. In this case, prior to failure, the oil pressure dropped to 5 psi and the crankshaft journal snapped in two at cylinders 7 and 8. Luckily, the block was okay and awaits future assignments.
    27. A dual roller timing chain is the preferred unit of choice for serious engine builders. A stock timing chain is a single roller on a steel or plastic-tooth gear. Both will wear in 40,000 miles, causing the camshaft timing to gradually retard. This lessens low rpm torque output, and throttle response. A dual roller (seen here) on a steel gear won’t stretch as much in 80,000 miles, thus maintaining performance.
    28. If you have ever driven a new Corvette, and kept your eye on the instantaneous gas mileage computer, you know that if you pedal softly, the ’Vette can muster near 30 mpg on the open road in overdrive. This ’70 Monte Carlo with L48 300hp 350 once got 30 mpg at 30 mph, 26-27 mpg at 50 mph and 19 mpg at 70 mph—with no overdrive. MPG and performance testing began back in ’79 and ended 60,000 miles later, in ’89. Its performance increased along the way, but we still own the car today and drive it regularly. Stay tuned for more about mileage and engine output efficiency.
    29.If you are out and about, and happen to see a ’55 or ’56 Chevy with a big lump on the firewall, further inspection is highly recommended. Fifty years ago for the ’55 model, air conditioning was first offered on the V-8.
    30. This 454 pickup evidently experienced a sticking intake valve. Once when the engine fired up, it sneezed causing a loud bang. The Selmer, Tennessee owner raised the hood and was aghast to see a raised and broken valve cover. There’s a lesson here.
    31. On this head you can see that the chambers are polished, and they have been cc’d for equal size, then polished to aid in the overall combustion process, and also to eliminate any casting flash that could cause detonation.
    32.It’s time for a change! If you have not seen the latest and newest small-block and big-block Chevy V-8 oil pan gasket, here it is. Over time, original-style gaskets had a tendency to push out or even shrink, causing oil leaks at one or more of the four corners. Which meant that installing a new gasket was always a gamble. This blue one-piece gasket ought to end that.
    33. Were Chevy V-8 engines ever painted gray at the assembly plant? Yes, in ’50s-era pickup trucks, like the Cameo engine owned by Mark Jansen at Chevy Duty Truck Parts Company in Kansas City (816-741-8029).
    34. You never hear about roller rocker arm mileage. Do they wear out? Well, we have run Crane 1.6-ratio roller rocker arms on our torque motor 355 small-block intake valves for more than 50,000 miles with zero problems. Upon installation, insure that there is no interference with other moving or stationary parts.
    35. This original ’70 master cylinder’s rear seal cracked years ago, causing on-going fluid leakage. The owner failed to replace the master cylinder as the car was mostly in storage. Finally, the check ball stuck, causing the master cylinder to completely fail—as in no brakes. The curse, of course, is a new master cylinder; the irony is how would one learn of the problem?
    36. For the record, catalytic converters do wear out, and will fail prematurely due to excessive engine particulate output, but they wear out on their own, too. They generally claim 150,000 miles as the replacement point, but there are better aftermarket replacements, reasonably priced. So if your engine flunks an emission test, don’t fret. A legal replacement shop can easily test the temperature at the inlet and outlet—if there is a big drop at the outlet, the converter needs replacing. Go for a good one.
    37. Perhaps the most respected cam timing assembly is the Jesel rubber belt drive assembly. It was originally designed for race engines, and is widely used in NASCAR and drag racing, and allows for easy camshaft timing changes.
    38. Someone once told us that it was no big deal to drive with no front spindle wheel bearing cups. Well, check this out. Note that as the bearing grease warmed up, grease rotated out and onto the aluminum wheel. Yes, the outer bearing failed, probably due to dirt and too little grease. Replacement cups are readily available for your dented or missing ones, so don’t leave home without them.
    39. Someone once told us that it was no big deal to drive with no front spindle wheel bearing cups. Well, check this out. Note that as the bearing grease warmed up, grease rotated out and onto the aluminum wheel. Yes, the outer bearing failed, probably due to dirt and too little grease. Replacement cups are readily available for your dented or missing ones, so don’t leave home without them.
    40. When running an aftermarket ignition amplifier and coil, you should always mount it where the air is cooler—in other words, away from the engine. This is one spot on the rear side of the radiator core support. Holes or slots could then be drilled into the core support panel for more outside airflow. Excessive heat and vibration are the primary causes of electronic failure.
    41. Have you ever considered painting an engine block white? Not us either. But, this big-block is going into a boat, and its sides are difficult to see. The white color will help the owner to visually spot any leaks. Credit for this idea goes to Brad Lagman at Quarter Mile Performance in Chatsworth, California. (818-576-0816).
    42. This is a small-chamber smog head, from the ’69 Camaro convertible we bought years ago. We tried babying the engine, but it was too far gone. The piston rings were worn and valve guides leaked oil into the combustion chambers, which got very oily. Acceleration beyond idle would produce clouds of blue smoke out the tailpipes. We built a replacement engine, but on the last day of driving with the old engine, its crankshaft broke as the TH350 transmission shifted for 1st to 2nd gear.
    43. Here’s the worn-out 350 short-block from that same Camaro. You will probably never see one this bad, but at Chevy Rumble, we tell it like it is.
    44. Got a big cam, a powerful engine, big brakes and your Chevy still won’t stop quickly? The factory went to hydroboost systems years ago in its big trucks, and now that technology stops some of the baddest Chevys around. Braking pressure comes from the power steering pump, not engine vacuum. To learn more of these systems, contact Bob Sweeting at Power Brake Service in Long Beach, California at 1-800-504-1060.
    45. When at the salvage yard, consider getting four cheapo space-saver tires with your correct bolt pattern. They work well when building a retro or any other Chevy resto for that matter.
    46. Commonly called O-ringing, the technical term is actually Panographing. This is when the block deck is grooved around each cylinder bore for a piece of wire. The end result is a cylinder that should never blow a head gasket. The wire sits above the deck, and seats right into the head gasket. Some builders prefer to O-ring the cylinder head as opposed to the block.
    47. When installing custom shock absorbers, always measure the shock’s engineered usable motion—full compressed and fully extended. As you do not want the shock absorber to operate at its limit of travel. Make sure that the shock extension matches that of the suspension motion/travel.
    48. This round turbo-type muffler from DynoMax was purchased and installed on a late model V-8 pickup. These mufflers can proved to be worth as much as 15 or more rear wheel horsepower, and better fuel mileage on the open road.
    49. We hate to say it, but BEFORE you finalize your exhaust system or have your headers coated, install the headers properly and check for clearances, especially adequate oil filter canister clearance. Over the years, we have seen the same header fit a few different Chevy applications—but check it. Tight clearance should not be a problem, but it is here. The thin steel canister wall of the filter can burn through, resulting in an oil fire. And rather than pound a dent or dimple in the header primary tube, we’d return the headers for the correct fit.
    50. If you are rebuilding your stock engine, consider lightening the reciprocals by choosing a short skirt piston, and thin-wall high-strength wrist pins. Lessening the weight can increase throttle response, quicker rotating mass acceleration and improved overall performance.
    51. We mentioned timing chain stretch in an earlier tip; here is the factory single roller timing chain from our worn-out 350. Compare the left side of the chain to the right. This chain stretch will cause the camshaft to retard, which in turn reduces low rpm drivability, throttle response and low-speed torque.
    52. Another key engine rebuilding tip concerns crankshaft straightness. We’ve seen big-block cranks as crooked as 0.07-inch, brand new. This will ultimately abnormally wear the main bearings, cause a resistance to crankshaft rotation, and even make the harmonic balancer wobble. So, pay a few bucks and have the crankshaft checked for straightness.
    53. If you have wanted to lighten your brake drums and add air holes to vent the internals for a boost in cooling, we spotted Power Brake Service in Long Beach, California (1-800-504-1060) completing this set of drums. They do a lot of retro mail-order work.
    54. This is a no-brainer but we thought we’d include it anyway. The 3 2bbl 348 evidently had a carburetor fire. Everyone except Phil Reed thought it was junk. When we saw it in his Kansas City shop’s rebuilding room, it reminded us how valuable the external brackets and bolts-ons are. Remember this when you see old engines in wrecking yards.
    55. GTS Customs (805-582-0276) builds some nice retro Corvettes and Chevys. Can’t find a body? Corvette Central in Sawyer, Michigan (269-426-3342) sells a complete reproduction ’56-’57 body in pieces, ready to be assembled. Match the two, and you have a winning combo.
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