When Chevrolet introduced the LS engine, many clever and effective innovations were incorporated to simplify operations and reduce engine weight and overall dimensions. An integral part of these new technologies was a compact serpentine belt system designed from the start to lower frictional losses, which in turn improved belt strength and longevity.
The relentless progress of technology is a difficult topic for those of us captivated by the cars and lifestyles of a bygone era. As technology advances at an exponential rate, we now find ourselves clamoring to keep up with the latest and greatest products that simultaneously render many of our old favorites obsolete. Just about the time you figure out how to use your new digital camera and multifunction cell phone, you find out that someone decided it was necessary to combine the two. The struggle to balance the conveniences of modern technology with our nostalgia is especially difficult for many street rodders.
Until now, rodders have been severely limited by the battery-charging alternators they’ve had to select from. Rodders either utilized an OE or an OE-style alternator for their custom engine applications, or they selected one of the aftermarket units that were polished or chromed. Now, with the introduction of MSD’s Advanced Power System (APS) alternator, that’s all changed for the better.
The showroom is what every auto parts store dreams of being: diced in checkerboard black and yellow tile with a heap of pegboard. Up front, the sales counter is the hub of business, fueled by eager customers that keep the phone ringing off the hook. Bob, Sam and Robin deal one-on-one with customers, keeping all 50 states Moon-equipped.
The growing popularity of nostalgia and rat rods, along with the aging of street rodders, has meant the rebirth of vintage engines. Rocket Oldsmobiles, Buick nailheads, Y-block Fords and Chrysler Hemis are being chosen over the “bellybutton” Chevrolet small-block. Even some small-block Chevrolet engines are getting old-time flavor by using generators–some of which have been internally modified as alternators–early blocks and heads, three-deuce setups and even adapting Oldsmobile valve covers to look like something they are not.
There was a time not all that long ago, between station wagons and SUVs, when big conversion vans were the family transportation of choice. In the beginning, the Big Three considered vans to be commercial vehicles, fitted with rubber floor mats, vinyl seats and short (if any) side windows, not the decked-out, posh family transport they would become.
We know youʼve already checked out the photos or you wouldnʼt be reading this. You obviously wish to know a little more about this jack, so weʼll cut to the bottom line: If you get one of these for your very own, youʼd better not tell any of your buddies about it, or you will have to make room in the safe to store it. If they spot it in your trunk, just laugh about how you got it as a gift and hope none of them reads this article, or you will have to tape a cell phone to it to find out where it is this weekend–just when you need it!
Replacing the rear suspension arms is something of a Mustang tradition, and the S197 platform is no exception. Wheel hop is proving to be something of a problem on these vehicles, and Modular Mustang Racing has the solution in the form of new lower rear control arms for the ’05 Mustang.
The world is full of minor inconveniences, and changing transmission fluid is one of them. The job doesn’t need to be complicated, but on some cars it is. When we find the accountant who decided that our 4R70W transmission didn’t need a drain plug, we’re going to intentionally put him on duty at a quick-change oil and lube facility. What were they thinking?
Even more than 40 years ago, Ford understood the importance of preventing body flex in order to allow a suspension to maintain proper geometry. The earliest Mustangs came with front shock tower braces to prevent uncontrollable suspension articulation, caused when both upper ends of the shock towers flex inward. The need to prevent such flex is still important today, and the principle applies to the rear shock towers as well as to the fronts.
