Performance Upgrades
While it may be somewhat of a surprise that muscle cars have become some of the most highly prized cars on the market today, the prices people are paying for them really have enthusiasts reeling. With some cars easily surpassing the million-dollar mark at the Barrett-Jackson auctions and others swelling in value in the wake of it all—well beyond the prices paid for the most treasured of European exotics—muscle cars have been transformed into commodities. That’s a good thing and a bad thing.
During the muscle-car wars of the ’60s and early ’70s, few companies produced motors that were surrounded by the kind of aura that ebbed and oozed like a fog around Mopar. Engines like the 426 Hemi, 426 Max Wedge and 440 Six Pack were among the most coveted and feared of the era. It says something of a car company’s commitment to power and performance when a multi-carbed 440 big block is not the most wanted engine in a manufacturer’s lineup. So it was with Mopar, because for many, the 440 was the engine you got if you couldn’t afford or couldn’t find the car you wanted with a Hemi.
It’s all about girl power. Over the past few years, we have featured more than a handful of female-built and owned rides. It doesn’t matter how many times we feature a girl’s ride, some guys still assume that women can’t build cool rides. You guys all know the saying, “Don’t assume cause it makes an a** out of you and me.” So with that said, please don’t assume that this is just another ordinary four-door Integra owned by some girl.
Rev up your engines and buckle up, folks, because Granatelli Motorsports is unleashing the ultimate solution to your vacuum woes with their 12V Electric Vacuum Pump Kit! Picture this: you’ve got your hot rod sitting pretty in the garage, but you’re struggling with power brakes, wipers, or engine management issues due to vacuum deficiencies. Well, fear not, because Granatelli has your back with their state-of-the-art kit, designed to tackle these challenges head-on and turbocharge your ride’s performance.
To say that the Fox-body Mustangs have been among the favorites of Ford performance enthusiasts since they began production in 1979 is like saying Henry Ford did okay. Even those without an eye for the obvious know that, by sheer numbers alone, these highly effective, as well as affordable, machines rule the streets of America. And while ’79-’93 Mustangs may lack some of the technological advancements found in Ford showrooms today, there’s an abundance of components available through the aftermarket that will make up for that shortcoming, and lots more.
Looking at the Stallion shows the influence of Unique Performance on Foose’s design. Actually, once you really sit down and look at the car, it appears to be a collage of design features from classic Mustangs, all herded together on the same car. The new front fascia replaces the stock headlight buckets with a large round light and smaller driving light, and this arrangement looks very similar to that found on the Unique G.T.500E. Horizontal billet bars replace the stock honeycomb mesh in the upper grille, shaped very much like the original ’65 grille, down to the offset Foose badge in place of the stock Mustang emblem. The lower grille contains another pair of round lights and more billet bars.
This was a time when car manufacturers improved on their cars with much better suspension systems, larger and more efficient V-8 engines, and all the stylish creature comforts new-car customers expected. Chevrolet evolved, too, using more modern technology and a performance parts supply that enabled Chevy enthusiasts to build upon the factory offerings. Chevrolet changed what was once a basic industry, and even though those were simpler times with no computers, cell phones or electronics to speak of, the suspensions were new—but still a long way from what is available now. However, tri-5 Chevys were fast and provided a blast without all those fancy gadgets found in luxury cars at the time—just give them a two-tone Chevy equipped with a V-8 and whitewall tires, and it was all good.
In 1981 this Jeep, that now belongs to Clinton Campbell of Dallas Texas left the factory floor with a straight 6, but he drove it away from Street & Performance with a 5.3 truck LS-1 type engine and a 4L60E transmission. Clinton wanted more performance, drivability and, with the recent enforcement of emission laws in Texas, he needed to be able to pass emissions.
When Jorge Torres was young he would help his father around his shop. Named after the senior Torres, Armando’s Custom Upholstery in San Jacinto, California, opened in 1989 when Jorge was still in high school. In 1992, he began working full time with his father and brother, Armando Jr. He stared doing old cars and went to a few shows to promote their work. During this time he mentioned to his dad that he wanted to build a 1969 Chevy pickup. It turned out that his dad had a friend who owned one, but he was told that the truck was in pretty rough shape. All Jorge heard was that the price, at $1,500, was in his range.
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In the fall of 2003, I wanted to attend an open-track lapping day with my ʼ67 RS/SS Camaro. I have owned the car for several years and have autocrossed and drag raced it, but I never had the opportunity to run it at one of the local tracks, such as Nelson Ledges of mid Ohio, or BeaverRun.
