In today’s automotive aftermarket, building a great-running, awesome truck can soon lead to a depleted bank account. With the cost of billet wheels, the price of modern powertains and paint jobs costing thousands of dollars, building a truck for under $10,000 can, to many, seem like an impossible undertaking. During a serious editorial meeting to discuss that very topic, the one thing we all agreed upon is just how difficult it would truly be to build a $10,000 truck.
Dean Brown was looking for another street rod to build after selling his ’40 pickup truck when he heard about a ’52 Chevy panel delivery for sale. As he’d always been fond of these trucks, he decided to take a look. When he saw the panel delivery he found that it was in reasonable condition and was still running fine with the original six-cylinder engine. The truck’s history showed that it was a Helms Bakery truck in the ’50s and had never been modified.
While it is true that a turbo system does not have the instant response of a supercharger, the new Turbonetics T3/T4 Hybrid turbochargers are closing that time gap. Turbonetics has formed a complete lineup of products that take a T3 turbine section (in standard, Stage 2 or Stage 3 trim), that is then coupled with a T4 compressor section (T04B trim or T04E trim). The result is the T3/T4 Hybrid, which combines the low inertia and fast boost response of the lightweight T3 turbine wheel with the high airflow characteristics of the T4 compressor. These characteristics combine to make the T3/T4 Hybrid the turbo of choice for high-performance import applications.
Most enthusiasts drive a newer car or truck for daily transportation, and we would dare say that most of them are equipped with power steering, power brakes and air conditioning. These are conveniences that most people take for granted and enthusiasts believe their street rods should have the same features.
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.
