Street Rides

Story of 1929 Rat Rod!

Being the owner of a Hot Rod Magazine and being a fan of unique and crazy hot rods sometimes I have to go digging for these unique and crazy rods but ever once in awhile a unique and crazy rod finds me. I give you ladies and gentlemen Scott Wiley’s 29 Ford “God’s Rods” Rat […]

Car Restoration Today for Hot Rods that Ruled

Muscle cars and their glory days are long gone, but they seem to make a comeback every few years. These fuel guzzling monsters were once the animals that ruled the streets. With huge engines that give out a lion’s roar and the speed of a cheetah, these were once the object of every man’s desire. […]

The Perfect Bare-Bones Muscle Car

In 1968, the first muscle cars were moving away from the true spirit of muscle cars, which was a fast car that was affordable for the common man. So the folks at Plymouth Cars, a division of Chrysler, even though they already had a high-performance car out in the market (the GTX), went back to […]

Performance Exhaust System For Your Car

Unique “392 HEMI” badges flank both fenders touting the historically significant V-8 engine that remains true to its high-performance roots and powers the highest rated Challenger in terms of horsepower and torque ratings. From the rear, the Mopar quad exhaust tips deliver the performance exhaust note while adding the styling cue of a serious muscle […]

American Racing Wheels, An Betterment For Your Car or truck

American Racing Equipment Inc. Came into existence in the year 1956 as a result of the efforts of Romeo Palamides, Jim Ellison, and Tom Griffith. This is a leading manufacturing company of American Racing wheels. The wheels are distributed and marketed to the street racing enthusiasts. Over fifty years or above, these chrome wheels tires […]

Story of 1929 Rat Rod!

February 28th, 2014

Staff

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Being the owner of a Hot Rod Magazine and being a fan of unique and crazy hot rods sometimes I have to go digging for these unique and crazy rods but ever once in awhile a unique and crazy rod finds me. I give you ladies and gentlemen Scott Wiley’s 29 Ford “God’s Rods” Rat Rod! When it comes to rat rods, I am usually very picky about them some a great others I think are just money spent on junk, but with Scott’s rat rod he put in a lot of his own blood, sweet, tears and personality into the car so I ended up loving it at first site. (Plus its a flathead and I love flatheads).
The story of the 29 Ford Rat Rod by Scott himselfHere is the story of this car from an abandoned body left in a field for over 75 years to the “best of show” winning creation in the following photos.

“After having collected classic and muscle cars for over 35 years they all began to look the same to me and I was bored with the hobby. Then in June of 2011 I went to an event called the Road Rocket Rumble in Indianapolis, Indiana that changed my perspective and ignited my passion for the car hobby again.

What I saw were these creative, one-of-a-kind, crazy, cartoonish, totally personal vehicles called Rat Rods. Not one of them were the same and they all reflected the builder’s personality.

Instead of rows and rows of the typical Camaros, 57 Chevys and Mustangs, that to me became “white noise”, I saw these vehicles that were raw with unique powerplants, weird wheel and tire combinations, bizarre interiors and fabricating techniques and materials.

These were individual works of art and moving sculpture that used raw, rusty metal as their clay. I immediately put up for sale old our beautiful, restored 1966 Shelby Cobra and set out to create the rolling tribute to my life you see before you in this article.

I found just the right canvas for my project not far from my home in Northern, Indiana.

A gentleman named Ed saw an abandoned 1929 Model A Tudor body in a field near his home and built that base car. It was chopped 7? inches and channeled 6? on a new 2 x 4 boxed frame. It was Z’d front and back. For even more uniqueness it was converted to be driven from the right side of the car.
The rear suspension is a ladder bar set up with a panhard bar and a 1940 Ford buggy spring. The front is a 4″ dropped axle.

The engine is a 1953 Ford Flathead V8 with a Fenton intake and dual Holley 94′s. Resting on the Holley’s are a pair of functional Model T horns acting as air filters. It uses a Chrysler starter and the exhaust is handled by a set of Lakester headers complete with removable motorcycle baffles.
The transmission is a Turbo 350 with a manual Hurst 4 speed shifter powering the 10 bolt Chevy rear end.

Stopping the beast are finned Buick brake drums with 1940 Ford brakes inside.

It has chrome reverse wheels with rare Coker inner and outer whitewall tires.

To make it truly personalized and one of a kind I added these personal touches from my lifetime.

The Radiator cap is a 1940′s Boys’ Club Bumper clamp. I’ve been a member since 1966.

Roof is an actual sign from my Mom’s 1960′s Warsaw Dance Hall.

Transmission boot is my very first baseball mitt.

Baseball shifter knob my brothers 60?s.

Golf head cover on the transmission dipstick was deceased father-in-law’s.

Bullet casings on the door openers are from my brother’s and father’s 21 gun salute at their military funerals.

Third brake light is from an old Schwinn.

License plate light is an old Rayovac flashlight.

Tail light lenses are modified Margarita glasses with blue dots added.

Oil drain plug is a Pabst Blue Ribbon Draft Taper.

Periscope is functional and came out of necessity so I can see stoplights.

Coil cover is one of the very first Diet Pepsi cans.

Oil dipstick is a horse syringe.

Radiator grill is from a house fan.

Screwdriver sticking through radiator is an old one of my Dads.

Seats are school seats from a 5th grade class.

Steering wheel (yes it is right hand drive) is from an old bumper car ride from the county

fair, held on by an allen wrench.

Steering wheel spinner is from a water faucet.

Brake pedal is an acrylic encased scorpion.

Gas pedal is an old motorcycle license plate.

Primitive alligator clip kill switch on steering column.

Boat bilge pump switch on steering column just for fun.

Flashlight dash light mounted on passenger side

Dome light is a modified ceramic house light fixture

Dome light pull is an antique plumbing tag

Pass through between the seats is an old meter cap

Rear view mirror is an old lady’s compact with my wife and daughters photo.

Louvered interior door panels are from an old furnace.

Trunk in back is an old ammo box.

Blower behind the seats is an old air conditioner unit.

The pair of Vise grips on the driver side frame holds the ground wire on.

Large Safety pins hold the wheels on.

The Odometer in the passenger side rear wheel and is from an old semi.

Meat Thermometer through the top radiator hose is the temperature gauge. (Ham and

pork seem to be the best temps)

Antique pliers mounted on the front were found in the gas tank.

The front turn signals are old drinking fountain spigots bored out and mounted on the

headlights.

Headlight mounts are Ford Flathead connecting rods

Look for the ball bearings in the fuel bowls

Door hinge pins are old nails and a couple of old screwdrivers

It has been signed by George Barris and Dennis Gage

The sides are painted with “God’s Rods: Where Car AND Driver are works in Progress” to share my faith.

Antique repo Route 66 signs on sides with nail crosses, again to share my faith.

Actual 1929 license plate.

Biohazard sticker on voltage regulator on interior passenger side firewall

Old wrench welded as a handle for the electric access panel.

Old barn wooden floorboard

In back are an antique gas can, battery charger, and voltage meter.

Interior door panels are the louvered access panels from an old furnace.

I get a real kick out of seeing the look on peoples faces when this “beast” wins “best of show” at the car shows. I know what they are thinking. They are thinking that their car has a $10,000 paint job on it with a $20,000 engine so how is it possible that this contraption without paint and a rusty flathead beat my car??? It has 5th grade seats for an interior for crying out loud.

Car Restoration Today for Hot Rods that Ruled

February 22nd, 2014

Staff

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Muscle cars and their glory days are long gone, but they seem to make a comeback every few years. These fuel guzzling monsters were once the animals that ruled the streets. With huge engines that give out a lion’s roar and the speed of a cheetah, these were once the object of every man’s desire. Now, in the age of engine efficiency, muscle cars have come to be known as classics. Classics include both muscle cars and hot rods. The people who brought them back then, have still held on to it. Not because it’s a classic, but because its beauty and design is unparalleled in the cars of today.

The amount of maintenance these classics need is tremendous. Car restoration or the art of restoring old vintage cars is a common site among owners of these classic cars. The actual business of repairing cars can be a huge ordeal. Therefore, passionate people are required for the job, especially, people who love cars. Thankfully, this profession sees a lot of people who love what they do and people who are more willing to provide a solution for restoring vintages, namely hot rods and muscle cars. There are many auto restoration shops, around who specialize in classic car restorations of hot rods and muscle cars and are of formidable repute.

The job of restoration of a classic back to its former glory begins with a few important tools. First, the customer’s needs are taken into account with the help of a designer. The designer then sets a theme based on color and individual customer needs, around which the car restoration is done. Mostly, designers decide the kind of theme to go with. Then, the car is brought to the shop. Now, the restoration team starts to slowly strip the car of it original parts and keeps it in an orderly fashion. Pictures are taken to compare the look of the car of before and after it’s fully restored.

After the car is completely striped of its part, the body work begins. The older parts are inspected to decide if new ones are needed, if not they are cleaned and repainted to be used. The car body is then inspected to see the kind of body work it requires. If there are cracks or rusted metal then a substantial amount of work will go in getting it in shape. The engine is inspected next to see the work that it requires.

Once all the body work is done, its prime coated and sent to be painted; this can usually take a day or two. As the car comes back from paint, the wiring and the upholstery is put in place. Then, the engine is placed and its power settings are adjusted to give it the optimum ratio. All the doors and accessories are placed at the end and a picture is taken which completes the restoration. The hot rods or the muscle cars are then delivered to the client with pictures showing what the car looked like before and after restoration.

The Perfect Bare-Bones Muscle Car

February 18th, 2014

Staff

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In 1968, the first muscle cars were moving away from the true spirit of muscle cars, which was a fast car that was affordable for the common man. So the folks at Plymouth Cars, a division of Chrysler, even though they already had a high-performance car out in the market (the GTX), went back to the drawing board. They wanted to build a car that was not only fast and powerful but one that wouldn’t burn a hole in an ordinary worker’s pocket. These goals were met, and then some. This new car that was able to do the quarter-mile at 14 seconds and costs just under $3000. This is how the Plymouth Roadrunner was born.

Plymouth paid Warner Brothers a large amount of money just so they could use the name and image of their famous fast-running cartoon character. They even spent $10,000 (an exorbitant amount in the 1960′s) just to develop a horn that made noises like the “beep-beep” sound made by the Roadrunner in the cartoons.

When the boys at Plymouth said they were going back-to-basics with the Roadrunner they weren’t kidding. True to the essence of muscle cars, anything that wasn’t essential was left out. The interior was very sparse, with just a basic cloth and vinyl bench seat; they used a bench seat because the shifter was just basically a metal rod protruding out of the floor. The shifter only had a rubber boot to cover it and there was an a centre console to raise it. And in the earlier models there wasn’t even any carpeting. There weren’t many options when it came to the Roadrunner, just the basic AM/FM radio, air-conditioning (except for the one with a 426 Hemi engine), and automatic transmission, power steering, and front disc brakes; it’s was as basic as you could get.

Plymouth concentrated on the thing that really made a muscle car, the engine. Although they put a smaller Hemi engine in the Roadrunner, it could still go as fast if not faster than the high-end GTX. This is because the Roadrunner had a better power-to-weight ratio; since everything that was not needed for the car to go fast was omitted, it made the car lighter than the GTX.
The Plymouth Roadrunner was truly a testament to the saying “less is more.”

Nascar off to a bang up start

February 18th, 2014

Jon Gardner

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Well folks hang on to your hats the 2014 Nascar season is starting off with one heck of the way it should be type of racing, We have a new kid in town leading the pole in the infamous #3 which has been adorn by the finest drivers in the sport, and this dillon kid is awesome, Tony Stewart is back, ready and hungry to do what he loves and lives for, as for my guy Carl Edwards he is looking pretty good, So you nascar fans I think that this is going to be one of the best years yet, the new cars are finally diled in the drivers and teams are pumped and ready to go! This is what it is all about, the need for speed and the adrenalin rush that keeps us coming back for more. Have fun and enjoy. God Bless, Bradley Jon.

Performance Exhaust System For Your Car

February 12th, 2014

Staff

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Unique “392 HEMI” badges flank both fenders touting the historically significant V-8 engine that remains true to its high-performance roots and powers the highest rated Challenger in terms of horsepower and torque ratings. From the rear, the Mopar quad exhaust tips deliver the performance exhaust note while adding the styling cue of a serious muscle car.

And finally, another great addition to your Nissan Titan is a performance chip. Performance chips are designed to improve the truck’s computer into getting a much more efficient fuel curve and adjust shift points so that the truck doesn’t over work itself towing. Performance chips are available from Hypertech and Superchips and cost in the neighborhood of $80-100 depending on your application. The install takes no more than half an hour and require only basic hand tools. You’ll notice the difference with the performance chip.

Rockford Fosgate: Rockford 3Sixty.2 digital signal processor was chosen for factory navigation head unit integration. The 3Sixty.2 transfers 153 bands of adjustable signal to two Power series amps. The T400-4 amplifier provides 400 watts of RMS power to the NEW Rockford Fosgate Power series full-range separates, T1652-S. The bottom end in this system is provide by the T1000-1bd amplifier paired with two P2 Punch 10″ subwoofers, delivering a 1000 watt bass.

If you think that pumping more air equals more power, you are absolutely correct. The most popular products in the automotive aftermarket are air intakes and exhaust–products that get the air pumping. Let’s take a closer look at the latter: performance exhaust and headers.

Blueflame are ISO9001 accredited for quality control which together with their Tier 1 Original Equipment capability and race team experience means there is no question as to their excellence in the performance exhaust arena. This is why Blueflame are approved for producing OEM exhausts for Lotus and have produced exhausts for many of the TVR range.

Staintune was founded in 1980 in Australia. Staintune has produced a firm reputation for creating exhausts with a consistently high quality of design, performance and sound in both Australia and many other countries.

Warren Shim-Quee of Fortune Motorsports has teamed up with Tjin Edition to build the ultimate Honda CR-Z. The company’s goals were to build an eco-friendly, fun daily driven Honda CR-Z. The Fortune Motorsports Honda CR-Z was built in conjunction with American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and some of the best manufactures in the industry. The Fortune Motorsports Honda CR-Z has been completely transformed by JD Motorsports into the ultimate daily driver, which will not only turn heads on the road, but also at shows across the Country.

Nissan released one of it’s breakthrough and revolutionary trucks in decades with it’s large and hulking Titan pickup. Available with one of the class leading 5.6 Endurance V8 engines, the Titan boasted huge towing capacity numbers and world class leading 305 HP at the time of it’s showroom newness. With all that power, comes expectedly lousy fuel economy numbers. But have no fear, there is an abundance of available aftermarket performance products available to increase your fuel economy and power in that fantastic Nissan Titan Truck. Here is a brief rundown of some of the available items available at retailers.

American Racing Wheels, An Betterment For Your Car or truck

February 6th, 2014

Staff

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American Racing Equipment Inc. Came into existence in the year 1956 as a result of the efforts of Romeo Palamides, Jim Ellison, and Tom Griffith. This is a leading manufacturing company of American Racing wheels. The wheels are distributed and marketed to the street racing enthusiasts.

Over fifty years or above, these chrome wheels tires have become the titles of racing games. They have proven themselves as standards of wheel design and development. Classic design and uniqueness is what differentiates them from the rest.

Multiple varieties are present in the market for all types of cars and vehicles. It includes tires for vintage cars, muscle cars, and SUVs. Off-road tires are also provided along with wheels for passenger vehicles and trucks. The tires are produced to fit in all brands and models. The company has made around 40 new designs and around 18 new patents. Torq Thrust is just one among the many designs created under this brand. Many accessories have also been designed for cars that include posters, stickers, metal signs, banners, replacement caps, headgear, as well as many car care products.

Nearly 40 special designs and 18 creative design patents have been made. Among the several designs of tires under this brand, the Torq Thrust is one such design. Vehicle accessories are also made for different vehicles like car care products, replacement caps, headgear, metal signs, banners, stickers, and posters. Heavy gauge steel is made use of in the making of this wheel. This adds weight and integrity to the wheels. The traditional steel tires plated with chrome are fixed with a baby moon hub cap. Wheel width ranges between 6 to 8 inches. Rim size ranges between 14 to 16 inches. For setting offsets, back spacing and selection of patterns for the tire, you have multiple options.

They have been designed revolutionary using magnesium spokes. They come with innovative designs and are famous for the drag racing style and hot rod roots. The wheels have smoothness and are luxuriously striking and bold. They have high performance providing a memorable experience to amateur, street, and professional racers alike.

The capability is unparalleled with the presence of good performance. Speed and power are added credits along with a high capacity and compatibility. They can race on any highway, road and street and in any weather condition. They are durable enough to run infinite miles. The newer tires have easy maintenance and have resisted brake dust system. Quality is assured with good balance, grip and traction.

If you use these, you will be upgrading the look of your car and give a visual representation of your style and personality. You will be able to move with the urban trends. It will turn the heads of the crowd and all eyes will be directed towards your vehicle.

It will create your style statement on the busy highways with your distinct styled car. Your normal car will transform into a muscle car by replacing the car wheels. You are provided with many options to upgrade the wheels with many unique variations and tweaks. Many custom tires are also offered. Exclusive car tires are also available.

When Will Muscle Cars Come to Be Manufactured Once More

January 30th, 2014

Staff

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Many of us can recollect their first car, and if you’re about 40 or 50 years old your first car might have been an authentic American muscle car. You will find there’s a growing trend of people throughout the United States looking to purchase classic muscle cars to restore. The primary reason for this is happening because nobody makes cars like this anymore. The big question is when is somebody planning to make a real muscle car again?

Chevy and Ford continue to release new versions of their renowned Camaro and Mustang every few years. The issue happens to be that these cars at this point are unlike the powerful muscle cars they once were. When is someone going to manufacture a muscle car with a 327 and a 4 barrel carburetor ever again. Regrettably the reply to this question is probably never.

The real problem is that people want to frequently upgrade things just for the sake of it. One good example is the 1967 Camaro, which was one of the greatest muscle cars ever. Even with its reputation, Chevy chose to stop making this particular version. It was likewise the same for the superb 1966 Mustang, with all its brilliant styling and power, Ford decided to not make it anymore.

I’ll tell you the funny part. Volkswagen recognized the chance to remake the VW Bug and they did. While the new Beetle sold fairly well, it had become nowhere near as lucrative as the original VW Beetle. It’s hard to succeed if you constantly believe that doing things a new way is always better.

The most significant thing might be this. If Chevy decided to go classic and build a Camaro with a 327 engine and 4 barrel carburetor and left out all the super duper technology, wouldn’t you want one? I may have actually quizzed hundreds of folks over the years and they all say that they would go out an get one. So what is the problem with the car people? If people today want the good old days, when is some auto company planning to give people what they desire.

When will Ford or GM determine that this may be a good time to build cars like the good old days? I’m sure that selling these classic American cars will be very lucrative for the car companies. But until these businesses start listening to their customers, you’ll have people looking for old muscle cars to restore.

Maybe one day a muscle car junkie will be the CEO of Ford or GM and decide to start making muscle cars again. As of today, the existing leaders simply think adding new technology will make a better muscle car. In my opinion we ought to just go back to the way that things were.

Driving Safely In Your Muscle Car

January 24th, 2014

Staff

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Millions of lives are lost annually due to road accidents. Countless more are scarred or had had a traumatizing encounter on the road. Many factors contribute to these significant lost of lives. To name a few, lack of concentration on the road, drowsiness during long trips and driver’s lack of knowledge of their machine’s limit. When behind the wheels of a muscle car, one must exercise cautioned and greater concentration due to the massive torque powering such lightweight body. This is where great power comes great responsibility.

A muscle car is built with only one thing in mind; high horsepower and ridiculous torque. It is great to drive them on track and during drag race, but to go for long drive in your muscle car; driver’s concentration must always be at maximum all the time. It poses a great challenge to maintain this due to the fact that comfort is greatly compromised in these machines. When the body aches due to the uneven road surface, fatigues sets in. To avoid untoward accident, frequent stops are vital. Take a quick nap at fixed interval to maintain focus on the road.

A good driver would know their machine’s limit before attempting the impossible with it. When modifications and upgrades are done by the driver themselves, they would have full knowledge on the technical aspects. That way, drivers would learn skills necessary to control their machine. No doubt, to learn about the car’s limit is to push it to maximum attempting to control it well. This must only be done on the tracks and not on the streets.

Driving under the influence of any substance be it alcohol or drugs will significantly impair driver’s senses ultimately affects drivability. Brain motor function will be affected, causing driver’s slow reaction and inability to react faced with a complicated situation.

How To Build A Muscle Car

January 14th, 2014

Staff

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A muscle car is made using a lightweight chassis from an American manufacturer; a few classic choices are the AMX, charger and chevelle. It is preferably a two door sedan rear wheel drive mid size sedan from late 1960s. These cars are then stripped apart and rebuilt with massive engines from modern age. V8s, V12s are commonly installed beneath these hoods making them extremely torquey on the straights.

The following tips demonstrate how a muscle car is built from ground up.

The most fundamental yet extremely important is the selection chassis to begin with. To select a 40 yr old car with chassis still intact poses great challenge. These cars are either at scrap yards or are infested with corrosions. Check for alignment or significant distortion on chassis before purchasing one. Full restoration on is vital to ensure integrity on weldments to not fail under massive force. Strip the car down to bare bones and patch weld corroded metal parts. Perform proper surface preparations and paints as per manufacturer’s specification.

Next on the buying list is the engine. Select one that still runs healthy. Bring along a reputable mechanic to inspect for any premature defects on engine internals which are beyond repair. Crank the engine and listen for abnormal sound which it may emits signaling deformities. Ensure that the selected engine fits into the engine bay. This is extremely important to keep everything neat and closed up beneath the hood.

Strip the engine and fully rebuilt and blue print all engine internal either to OEM parts or aftermarket race parts to ensure that it will serve you well for the coming years.

With massive power behind the wheels, ensure that the suspensions and braking power are upgraded accordingly. Adjustable absorbers would be a good choice to ensure that it could be tuned according to your needs either on the track or for daily use.

Twin pot ventilated discs brakes are standards to ensure sufficient braking power. To be able to accelerate fast, you must be able to stop just as fast to avoid any untoward accidents.

Motorcycle Tips – How To Stop Your Motorcycle

January 5th, 2014

Staff

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The brakes of the motorcycle are perhaps one of the most important components that a bike can have because they help slow you down when needed. Without them, your motorcycle would run wild without having any stopping power. Here are some tips on how to stop properly with your brakes.

One thing that we should point out before discussing different braking techniques is that every motorcycle is different, so you should become familiar with the braking system on your bike before you head out and ride. Your motorcycle may have different types of brakes such as anti-locking brakes, independent front and rear braking systems, and many others.

First of all, it’s important that you know that the majority of your braking power comes when you use the front brake, not the rear. This is due to the fact that there is less weight being applied to the front of the bike as there is in the back of the bike. You have to think about it in terms of momentum as well. When you apply the front break, all of the weight of the motorcycleshifts forward, thus putting the most weight and stopping power on the front tire.

When you apply the back brake only, the weight of the motorcycle again shifts forward, but this time there is not as much weight put on the tire that the brake is applying to. That is why if you try to suddenly stop your bike at a higher speed with just the rear brake, you might feel the motorcycle go into a skid. This is because there is not enough weight on the rear tire to get enough traction to slow the bike down without skidding.

There are several important factors that you have to consider when braking your motorcycle. One thing you have to pay close attention to is the type of road surface that you are riding on. This can greatly affect the amount of traction that you are able to get when braking. Gravel surfaces offer little traction due to the inconsistent nature of the surface. Loose rocks and pebbles create a greatly uneven surface that will allow for little consistent tire to roadway contact, so it is important that you apply the brakes slowly in order to prevent skidding. Blacktop and asphalt can take on a number of different forms. It can be flat and smooth, and it can also be rough and choppy depending on how old it is. The key is to pay close attention to the surface on which you are traveling.

When braking, apply pressure to the front brake first. This will give you the initial stopping power that you need in order to effectively slow the motorcycle down. Next, apply the rear brake to give supporting stopping power to the front brake. Don’t overdo it by compressing the brakes too much, this could cause your bike to skid. With the right amount of pressure and timing you can stop your motorcycle successfully.