Hardin Marine has been very aggressive lately in new product development, even though this is a company with a long history in the marine business and already has many exclusive product designs. One of the company’s newest products builds on Hardin’s widespread acceptance. Its Swirl-Away Sea Strainer line is at the forefront of technology in the area of cooling system protection.
There are many ways to add flash to your truck, but some of them are time consuming, expensive or overpowering. Then there’s a product such as Grippin’ Billet door handles. Grippin’ Billet handles will not only add a little sparkle to an otherwise bland part, but they will do so in an easy way without breaking your budget.
Rearview mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators are relatively new, but you will be seeing more and more of them, especially on luxury SUVs and pickups. They are already standard equipment on some models, and probably part of an upgrade premium package on others. They are also now available in the aftermarket.
Always hard at work in the never-ending pursuit to do something just a little different, Darryl Nance and the crew at D&P Classic Chevrolet in Huntington Beach, California, recently added a pair of Chevy Cobalt taillights to one of the mid-’50s pickups that they have been working on. The Chevy is a frame-off project that was completed to exhibit all of the tricks that the D&P team can throw at it, and we were on hand when they installed the late-model lights to the old-time treasure.
There’s a lot to like about vintage engines. Just the sheer fact that it isn’t a small-block Chevy is enough to inspire many hot rodders. Now, don’t get us wrong; the small-block Chevrolet is nothing less than awesome, but it is also the default engine of most hot rodders. Often, there is no thought involved as many rodders simply want the 350/350 treatment. That’s probably fine for most hot rodders, but there has been a real resurgence in putting vintage motors in vintage hot rods, and we love the concept. The Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick Nailhead and Hemi are all great candidates for powering a vintage hot rod. Parts are still available for most of these engines, some being tougher to find than others. A surprising amount of speed equipment survives for these engines, too, and companies like Offenhauser still produce a lot of vintage speed equipment.
By now, we all certainly know that nitrous oxide is a performance enthusiast’s best friend. Nothing can wake up a sleepy motor like a quick shot of nitrous.
Although modifying a car to handle well can often seem like a black art, virtually every aspect of handling comes down to three things: the weight of the vehicle, the traction generated by the tires, and the distribution of weight on each particular tire at a given moment.
Performance enthusiasts are a funny bunch. They all seem to agree that “as much as possible” is the correct answer when asked, “How much power do you want?” But they certainly
disagree about the best way to get there.
Sound is something that every car guy considers at the top of his or her list of what is important to their ride. Take, for example, the stereotypical sport compact driver. He or she typically has a huge muffler or mufflers and corresponding exhaust tip(s) that make those cars sound as if they are going 100 mph, even when cruising at slow speeds. We Ford guys know that good sound on a real performance car is also important, but we also know that sound must be backed up with corresponding performance.
Improving your new Mustang doesn’t have to be an arduous affair. You’re supposed to enjoy working on your car, RATHER than dreading getting off work because you “have” to wrench on the Ford. With that attitude in mind, we recently spoke with Al Kamhi, of Control Freak suspensions, to get his advice on what enthusiasts could do to further the concept of upgrading a Mustang in just an hour or two. But there’s a catch: the upgrade had to make a real difference in the car’s performance.
