Hot Rods
NASCAR. It’s the most popular televised form of racing, with millions of fans across the nation. In fact, some believe NASCAR’s Cup Series Racing is the most popular sport in America. For all the money expended in Formula 1 (something in the neighborhood of $300 million a year for each of the top teams), it doesn’t approach the excitement, immensity or competitiveness found in this most American of sports.
When building a high-performance vehicle or performing an LS engine swap, your transmission is just as critical as the engine. The 4L65E transmission from Gearstar offers the perfect balance of strength, reliability, and adaptability—custom-built to handle up to 650 horsepower and tailored to your exact specifications.
If you ask car enthusiasts to identify their favorite ’60s Chevy, most will say a Camaro. If you want a more specific answer, you probably will get mixed responses between the ’67-’68 models and the ’69. Troy Leiphart is one of those enthusiasts who like the early models, because they are smoother looking than the ’69 and look meaner when done right. That love affair with ’68 Camaros started when he was a kid. His older brother Ernie owned a maroon ’68, and Leiphart thought it was the coolest car around. After awhile, money got tight for Ernie, so Leiphart purchased the car from his brother. Leiphart drove the cool Camaro with much pride, fixed it up and spent time at the drag races, where the car did well. Eventually the engine blew and he couldn’t afford to fix it, so he sold the car back to his brother.
Bonneville is that final frontier, a place where a man or a woman with a better idea isn’t punished with a bunch of extra weight or politically ruled out of racing. It’s a place where a person with a better idea gets in the record book until someone with a better idea takes it away. It’s that simple, and it’s speed racing at its purest.
Building an engine that produces more horsepower than its stock configuration can be done in many ways. However, supercharging has proven to be one of the best ways to make the most horsepower over stock. Superchargers are air pumps that force a “super” charge of air into an engine, which in turn allows the engine to make more power. A Roots supercharger or blower is a sealed case with two rotors inside. It is driven through the crankshaft by belts and pulleys, causing the spinning rotors to force compressed air into an engine.
From the low-key approach applied to this ’55 Chevy, it’s obvious that Jack and Gail Jenkins’ reasons for building it were based around applied craftsmanship, when you take into account the subtle style it displays. While the bodywork and paint are flawless, there’s little sign of the modifications beneath it, or the effort that went into them.
For the most part, street rodding is viewed as part of our American heritage, every bit as much as the blues and jazz, hot dogs and apple pie. It incorporates many of the traits we Yanks are known for,
combining ingenuity and individuality, plus a large dose of style gleaned from the numerous vehicles of our past. If you have any doubts, just look at the enthusiasts throughout Europe, Australia and other rodding hotbeds around the globe. They love American rodding.
Michelle Holstien of Moreno Valley, California, grew up with a passion for cars. She took auto shop in high school for two years, and her dad, Bruce, helped her build a ’72 Ford Econoline van and a ’62 Econoline pickup.
But she really had her heart set on a Boss 302 Mustang. Just listen to her talk about the Boss: “For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest in Bosses.
Upon approach, it stirs the heart much like the sight of an old friend, with the flowing contours that recall memories of great times and fast, simple cars—before we knew much about automotive computers, CDs or the true meaning of lateral acceleration and G-force. Like a favorite teddy bear from childhood, this welcomed image warms our hearts, yet beneath that familiar façade is a grizzly bear of sorts. One that will grab you by the throat, slam you against the seat back and rip heart-pounding sensations throughout your body. This is no ordinary ’70 Plymouth Barracuda—this is a rush!
Undoubtedly, the most significant and influential hot rod component in recent history is the American Racing five-spoke Torq-Thrust wheel. It has been the most-copied wheel ever, as American Racing continues to fight off design infringements. In its many legitimate variations, it has—in many ways—influenced the whole of the aftermarket automotive car culture. No single wheel has ever made such a significant impact on the customizing scene as the Torq-Thrust has.
