THE AUTO BUILDER

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BLACK AND BLUE AND FAST ALL OVER

In the past, we’ve told you numerous stories about obsessed owners who spent years, in some cases decades, chasing down a particular car. Sometimes, people who aren’t quite that devoted still spend a lot of time looking for a particular model, or a car equipped with a certain options package. Other enthusiasts have broader tastes, and one of those enthusiasts is Kurt Klopping of Omaha, Nebraska. When we asked Klopping whether he had specifically been looking for a Camaro like the ’72 that he now owns, he responded, “Nah. If it’s cool, you own it.” Sounds fair enough to us, and to prove his point, Klopping noted that he also owns a ’55 Buick two-door special, a ’65 Dodge Coronet 500 and a ’65 Buick Skylark convertible.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Ford fans will willingly tell you that the Mustang is the No. 1 muscle car built in America, but its style, affordability and performance has earned this popularity title all by itself. The 2005 Mustang GT is a prime example of Ford’s success, and it seems to only be evolving to an even higher level of popularity today. Some say the Mustang was getting long in the tooth and was becoming boring in recent years, but believe it or not, Ford addressed it just at the right time with its new retro-style pony. Maybe the Mustang was evolving too far away from its muscle car roots and Ford decided to bring it back to tighten its focus; then again, perhaps it was just a coincidence of timing.

Full Throttle Glory

Alright, let’s take look back at the Holley LS Fest West 2024 Autocross event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was a wild ride, with LS-powered machines tearing up the asphalt, from vintage muscle to modern speed demons, all vying for glory in a whirlwind of horsepower and adrenaline.

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ON THE LEVEL

DJM Engineers a Leveling Kit for the 2007 Tahoe

Author

Marshall Spiegel

The ’07 Tahoe, Chevrolet’s premature baby, hit the street in late March 2006. Introducing the next generation of Tahoes so early was part of some master marketing scheme, born and nurtured in the hallowed halls of Chevrolet corporate. In any case, the ’07 Tahoe’s rear ride height measured 23-1/8 inches from the center of the hub to the lip of the fenderwell, while the front measured only 20-1/4 inches. As usual, the rear stood considerably higher than the front.

For those who don’t see this suspension configuration as “cool,” DJM Suspension of Gardena, California, a manufacturer of suspension lowering kits, immediately set to work engineering a leveling kit to put the “ass-end” of the ’07 Tahoe on the same plane as the front. In other words, DJM engineered a cool-looking kit.

The DJM leveling kit features 2-inch rear drop springs, for which the installation is rather straightforward.

After the wheels are removed, the lower shock mounts are unbolted. The sway bar is then unbolted but not removed. The rubber isolators are removed and saved to be re-installed. The 2-inch rear drop springs are then installed. When the springs are securely in place, the lower shock mount is rebolted. The sway bar is then retightened in place.

At the completion of the DJM leveling kit installation, the rear had been brought down exactly 2 inches and its ride height measured 21-1/8 inches. The installation of the DJM leveling kit made all the difference in the world to the stance of the ’07 Tahoe.

The accompanying photos follow the highlights of the teardown of the stock suspension and the installation of the DJM lowering springs. Check it out if you are looking for that cool stance on your new Tahoe.