Leading the Pack
April 3, 2024
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
STEALTH OPULENCE
Building a cool new truck to show off at SEMA is nothing new for Jim Lewis and his team at ProMotorsports in Edmond, Oklahoma, as that’s what they do. This stunning new ’07 Cadillac Escalade EXT is their most recent creation. Like so many other enthusiasts, Lewis used the latest generation Escalade because it was an immediate hit, especially among the urban lifestyle crowd, so team ProMotorsports thought one would make a great representative demo vehicle for their shop. Billy Lewis came up with the flat black concept, with tons of chrome and polished metal to contrast the flatness of the finish. While the paint may be the first item that attracts you to this truck, the crew at ProMotorsports actually started the build underneath it all by increasing the performance of the Escalade.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Borgeson’s Performance Steering Shaft for G-Body, F-Body, & S-10
If you’re all about upgrading your ride’s steering game, then the Borgeson G-Body, F-Body, S10 Steering Shaft is your ticket to automotive nirvana. Designed to fit snugly into 1979-1988 GM G-Body, 1982-1992 GM F-Body, and 1982-1993 S10 pickup models, this bad boy brings a whole new level of performance to the table.
ELECTRIFIED
If you are like many of us who have at one time or another opted for a less expensive vehicle to build, then this how-to will be of interest to you. At the cost of certain features or creature comfort conveniences—mundane items like power windows and locks—we often begin with what may be considered a strippo model or a basic transportation car that is … well, available. These cars can, after all, make for a great foundation that can easily be personalized, just like we are doing here.
Spotlighter
Billet Hood Strut Installation on Your S197 Mustang
A Simple Fix for an Annoying Problem
When you lift the hood of your 2005-2014 Mustang and engage the prop rod, do you feel a little shortchanged? Well, Steeda Autosports has developed a billet hood strut kit designed to replace those clumsy prop rods.
Author
Chris Tobin
Story & Photography
We watched as the installers at Advantage Performance Center in Riverside, California, installed the hood strut kit (PN 555-0650, $199.95) on this ’07 Shelby GT500. The kit consists of two machined 6061 aluminum brackets, a pair of rubber bumpers, two OEM-quality gas struts, the ball studs to mount the struts, and a one-page instruction sheet. It is a simple installation that took less than 30 minutes, including the time required to pause for pictures.
This is definitely a project that virtually any hobbyist mechanic can perform in his garage or driveway in an hour or less. The kit bolts into factory holes, and no drilling or modification to the car is required. It will, however, require a second person to help support the hood when the hinges are loosened and when the struts are being installed, so bring along a friend or coax your significant other into the garage.
Follow along as we install the Steeda billet hood strut kit, but remember that this is just an overview of the installation process, so always follow the supplied instructions. If you are not comfortable with your mechanical abilities, have a professional install it for you.
While relatively inexpensive, the Steeda billet hood strut kit is of excellent build quality. It installed easily, and as expected, it makes an excellent addition to any new-model Mustang. With the kit installed, the prop rod can be removed from the car altogether, as it is no longer needed. The Steeda kit also delivers a few unexpected advantages over the factory prop rod; first, the hood lifts higher, making engine maintenance (or engine showing-off) easier; and second, the hood is now square when it is opened, since it is supported by gas struts on both sides. With the factory prop rod, the hood is supported only on the passenger-side front corner, allowing the hood to twist and droop under its own weight.
Steeda developed an excellent solution for a simple flaw in the new Mustang’s otherwise excellent design. If the prop rod bothers you as much as it does some Mustang owners, check it out—you may be happy to lift your Mustang hood again.
1-2. The clear rubber bumpers have an adhesive backing and are installed on the top edge of the bracket to keep it from scratching the paint on the bottom side of the hood.
1-2. The clear rubber bumpers have an adhesive backing and are installed on the top edge of the bracket to keep it from scratching the paint on the bottom side of the hood.
3. With your helper supporting the hood, the upper hood bracket bolt needs to be removed and the lower bolt has to be loosened.
4. Next, the bracket is slid beneath the lower bolt. After the bracket is aligned, replace the upper mounting bolt and the bracket will be secured.
5-6. The machined ball mount has two different contours; the tighter radius (seen on the right side) mounts toward the fender below the fender bolt closest to the firewall, as shown.
5-6. The machined ball mount has two different contours; the tighter radius (seen on the right side) mounts toward the fender below the fender bolt closest to the firewall, as shown.
7. Before installing the gas strut, the completed mounting brackets should look like this.
8. When installing the passenger-side bracket, make sure that the notch at the top of the bracket clears the hose clamp for the windshield washer hose, as shown.
9. Before installing the gas struts, carefully lower the hood to check for proper fit and alignment. In our case, the hood alignment was still dead on, with straight fender-to-hood gaps, so no correction was necessary.
10. The gas struts snap onto the ball studs. To make it easier to install the strut, a small flat-head screwdriver can be used to slightly pull the tab on the back of the strut head.
11. To remove the factory prop rod, simply unbolt the single retaining bolt on the radiator core support and remove the entire assembly.
12. The completed installation will look like this.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Steeda Autosports
2019 Steeda Way
Valdosta, GA 31601
2281 Hammondville Rd
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
1 (800) 950-0774
sales@steeda.com
