Late Model
Be Cool is no newcomer to cooling heavy metal. For years it has provided cooling solutions for some of the most impressive high-performance engines to rumble down the streets and dragstrips of America. The folks at Be Cool understand that having the proper cooling components in any car or truck is vital to keep an engine safely within its operating temperature range. They also understand that to make cooling and installation easier, they had to design a full bolt-in system, a system that would fit hundreds of applications for classic cars and trucks, as well as more modern vehicles that also need cooling help.
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There is no other more important system than braking, so when the folks at Baer told us at the SEMA Show that they were finishing up their latest kit—one designed to fit the Ford F-150, as well as the Expedition, Navigator and Navigator 4WD—we wanted to see one installed. Baer has been producing high-?performance braking systems since 1986. The company specializes in high-performance, bolt-on brake systems that radically enhance the ability of the otherwise stock brake systems.
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Say you drive an older pickup in which the original designers weren’t all that interested in engine management. Thanks to the addition of that high-horsepower engine, however, you are very interested in what it is up to. But you are also interested in keeping the dash area clean and don’t want to put a bunch of holes into it. You also don’t really want to have an old-style gauge panel hanging beneath the dash. What to do? For those who drive a 1947-’53 Chevrolet pickup truck, the ideal way to handle this problem is to install Haneline’s 3-in-1 gauge clusters.
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Our old 350 Chevy-powered ’47 International was running a three-speed 350 Turbo trans with 4.11 gears, which, as you know, is not a great combination for this type of highway cruising. It is fine, however, for those who absolutely love in-town, short-?distance, stop-and-go cruising, as it does prove great low-speed throttle response. On the highway, however, it spins up the engine and uses more fuel. We decided that after having our low-speed fun, we were using too much fuel and weren’t comfortable listening to the whine of the small block as we approached 70 mph. It was time to make a change. We looked around for a number of answers and talked to many classic truck owners who had either installed a new set of gears, an overdrive trans or a Gear Vendors overdrive/underdrive unit. We figured that the new 700R4 trans best fit our application budgetwise, although future plans may call for a Gear Vendors unit, as it represents the best of both worlds. But we first wanted to start with a newer, more modern trans.
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They say don’t mess with it if it isn’t broken. This straightforward build of a 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL puts that advice into practice. Honda’s foray into the truck realm seems to have tapped into something big: that some people really want their truck to be more like a big, spacious car. Those people, for whatever reason, like the idea of driving a truck, but deep down they prefer something more comfortable and more refined. That is exactly what the Honda Ridgeline delivers.
So when Buddy Rice, Honda and Fesler Built started talking about customizing a Ridgeline, the conversation didn’t involve an all-out overhaul. Instead the team wanted to rely on the designed-in features that have made the Ridgeline so popular.
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The white ’99 Silverado was beginning to show the wear and tear of fighting the highway wars the last few years. The once proud and pampered show truck—a standard cab shortbed with matching cab-high camper shell—hadn’t spent much time in daily service until recent years, but now it bore its share of dings, dents and scratches. It was obvious that the 50,000 miles on the odometer hadn’t done the 5.3-liter V-8 much good. Part of the reason for the dissipated performance was the exhaust system, a very tired, less-than-top-quality aftermarket after-cat that had started banging, squeaking and leaking.
Installing a new after-cat from MagnaFlow was at the top of this owner’s agenda. He acquired a MagnaFlow (part No. 15617) polished stainless steel after-cat performance system for his Chevy, and because he’s in the automotive business and has a lift at his own facility, all he had to do was enlist the help of a colleague experienced in exhaust system installs to lend a hand with the hookup.
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In the ’50s, home-delivery baker Helms Bakery went door to door, delivering bread and bakery goods on the streets of Southern California. All you had to do was call and order what you needed, and the next day it was delivered to your door. You could also stop the drivers on their route to buy their goodies, and that’s how we remember the early ’50s Chevy Helms delivery trucks. We figured they must have a rather large fleet of them to cover the L.A. Basin. We aren’t sure exactly when it happened, but no doubt rapidly changing family lifestyles took their toll, and Helms stopped the delivery portion of the business. As a result, there were a lot of early Chevy panel trucks that went somewhere.
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The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV was one of the most eagerly anticipated SUV releases in recent history. The ESV is spacious, powerful and elegant from the factory, but most owners will choose to add their own touches to personalize this truck, just as they did with the old one. Ryan Friedlinghaus, owner of West Coast Customs in Corona, California, wanted to personalize his own Escalade ESV, but he wanted to do it in a stealthy and subdued sort of way so that he could then offer the WCC package to other Escalade owners.
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Join installer Eric Leopold as he meticulously upgrades a white ’04 Tundra with a Street Scene (SS) Speed Grille. Follow along as he navigates the challenges, highlighting the careful process of installation, and witness the transformation of this well-converted street truck in Atascadero, California. Discover the ‘rightest’ way to upgrade with precision and attention to detail in this step-by-step showcase. Photos included for a closer look at the seamless transformation.
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Now, it may seem crazy that anyone would take sandpaper to a new paint job, but if you want to have a glass-like finish that is exactly what happens. Of course, it is special sandpaper, and the person doing the work needs to know exactly what he is doing or that paint job can be toast. One of the things that makes color sanding possible is that the paper used is meant to be wet while the job is taking place. The water not only works as a lubricant, but it also removes the fine paint sludge from the area. The problem is getting that water in the proper place and having enough of it to do the job. After all, who really likes sticking his arm into a cold bucket of water time after time?
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