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Product Spotlight: Artec Industries APEX Axle Truss – Strengthen Your Jeep’s Foundation

If you’re wheeling a Jeep Wrangler JL, you know the factory axles are decent for the daily grind—but get rowdy with bigger tires or gnarly trails, and they’ll cry uncle faster than you can say “diff fluid leak.” Enter the Artec Industries APEX Truss, a killer upgrade for your front and rear axles that doesn’t just add strength—it revolutionizes the game.

LS1 CAM SWAP AND DYNO TEST

When it comes to adding power to your small-block Chevy, the camshaft is an integral part of the performance equation. Luckily for owners of Chevy’s latest iteration (Gen III) of the famous small block, the modern fuel-injected LS1 responds just as well to camshaft upgrades as the LT1s, L79s and L48s of old. Naturally, cam technology has come a long way since the days of the Duntov 30-30 profile. The improvements in cam technology are important, as the new LS1 is head and shoulders above any of the old ’60s and ’70s muscle-car small blocks, regardless of the advertised power ratings.

CAT-SCRATCH FEVER

Maksimovich became familiar with the MN12 platform because parting these cars out is how he paid for his schooling at the University of Missouri, Rolla. He says that at one point he had upward of 20 parts cars, stripping them of all their usable parts before sending their twisted hulks to the scrapper. Indeed, his first car was an ’89 Cougar LS that he fitted with a 3.8-liter V-6 from a ’98 Mustang. After time, he began looking for another shell to work on, and he decided his ’89 was structurally too far gone to consider for such a project. His sister, though, had a ’90 Cougar XR7 that recently had spun a bearing.

SSRRRRR!

The guys at Detroit Locker (makers of the Detroit Locker, Tractech, Truetrac, and more) were looking for a contemporary vehicle to demonstrate the rugged durability and smooth power transfer of the company’s Detroit Truetrac helical gear limited-slip differential when it hit them: The Chevrolet SSR pickup would be the perfect vehicle for this purpose.

METALFLAKE: The Roth Way

Spraying flake isn’t a black art; it’s simply a slightly different medium. It’s no tougher to spray than anything else, although you do have to be meticulous, pay attention to the details and resist the urge to rush. Plus, unless you have a spray booth, it doesn’t matter how well you seal off your chosen spraying area: This stuff will escape and get everywhere.

BOMB’S AWAY

Bully Dog Technologies, located in Aberdeen, Idaho, was established in 1999 with the intent of designing and building diesel performance parts that both improved performance and truck reliability. In the past eight years, Bully Dog has hit its target and never looked back in the diesel world, and now has expanded its business with the same quality parts for both cars and trucks.

POCKET ROCKET

The very concept of a V-8-powered Ford Focus isn’t as new as it is novel. In fact, we introduced Jerry Kugel’s install kit some years ago and then ­followed it up with the mod-motor install. But that was then, and now ASE master technician Donny Seyfer, from Wheatridge, Colorado’s Seyfer Automotive, decided to tackle the building of such a hybrid.

THE CHIEF OF NEW JERSEY

Native American Russell Youngblood is a man you’d love to powwow with. Bloomfield, New Jersey is the home and base camp for one of the coolest late-model classic Chevys you’ll ever see. Many feel that the 1994-1996 Impala SS models are to today what the 1955-1957 models were to the ’50s. Youngblood will certainly agree. His dark green-gray metallic is custom from stem to stern—so much so that we’d consider it one of a kind.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Get Unleashed Acceleration with Soler Performance’s DLX Bluetooth® Throttle Controller

Here’s the deal: if you’re driving a performance car, the last thing you want is factory lag holding you back. You bought it for the thrill, the punch, that raw acceleration that gives you instant gratification. But if you’re tired of stock throttle response getting in the way, The Auto Builder has the answer. We recommend Soler Performance’s DLX Bluetooth Throttle Controller. Your first drive will be mind blowing — it transforms your car into a responsive rocket.

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