Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

“I can’t believe how long I held on to a beat-up old Camaro that I probably should have cut loose years ago. Thank God for youthful foolishness.” opened an email letter from a reader the other day, attached was an image of a ’69 Camaro that had just been pulled forward a few feet out of the garage it had been in for 30-plus years (check it out in Backfire’s Letter of the Month on page 52). We’ve all seen these types of scenes, whether in photos or in person, but this one seemed particularly familiar to me, almost to the point of déjà vu, as I recalled my own ’69 Camaro in a similar pose. Actually, my car had emerged from multiple garages, in various locations over the course…

LOST DRAG STRIPS II Scotty Gosson • www.cartechbooks.com • $29.95 That the need exists at all for this book is a sad testament to the number of straight-line racing facilities that are no longer in business. The fact that it’s the second volume in this series, however, represents the deep-seated respect that the author, historian Scotty Gosson, demonstrates for drag strips past. In 176 brightly written softcover pages, divided into chapters by region, Gosson lays out the facts and anecdotes behind more than 25 strips’ closings, usually for either economic or environmental reasons. A run through the list of locations makes you immediately wistful for how much has been lost over the decades. There are some very big-name tracks in this book that had rich histories: San Fernando, Fremont,…

ENGINE There were seven engines available for the Impala SS. You won’t find many around with six cylinders these days, but the rarity of an SS with an inline engine doesn’t make it valuable. Cars with 409s on average bring the big money. BRAKES Stock drums with a one-pot master cylinder are okay for AACA shows, but upgrading to a dual-chamber master is easy and safer. Power disc brake kits are plentiful and many bolt up in an afternoon. TRANSMISSION Odds are if you’re shopping for a 1964 Impala SS and reading HMM, you want a four-speed. Aluminum-case Muncies were used in these cars, not Borg-Warner T-10s, as in earlier Impalas. If you like automatics, but not Powerglides, there are many options for upgrading to a Turbo-Hydramatic. INTERIOR There’s no…

BEST IN SHOW 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible John Scalfani, Queens, New York BEST ENGINE 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 ZL1 Albert Galdi, Somerset, New Jersey BEST PAINT 1972 Plymouth ’Cuda Steve Zumpano, Ossining, New York FAVORITE AMC 1979 AMX Ronny Conklin, Jeffersonville, New York 2ND PLACE AMC 1971 Hornet SC 360 Scott Wilcox, Southington, Connecticut FAVORITE BUICK 1972 Stage 1 Buick GS 455 Phil Fern, Pleasant Valley, New York 2ND PLACE BUICK 1970 GS Convertible Ken Mallett, Albany, New York FAVORITE CHEVROLET 1961 Nomad Station Wagon Frank Arone, Homer City, Pennsylvania 2ND PLACE CHEVROLET 1969 Chevelle SS 396 Linda & John Mongelli, Somers, New York FAVORITE DODGE 1979 Li’l Red Truck John Marshall, Canaan, Connecticut 2ND PLACE DODGE 1968 Charger Mike Rodgers, Bernardston, Massachusetts FAVORITE FORD 1970 Mustang Rudy Santolu,…

TWILIGHT ZONE CALLS I recently received a phone call at my home about 8:00 p.m. A man asked if I’d owned a 1970 Plum Purple Hemi Challenger some 20 years ago. Being somewhat suspicious, I asked the person how he got my number — he’d found it in for-sale ads I’d placed years ago in Hemmings Motor News and Robb Report. For the record, I had owned this car and remembered it well, but was very cautious of divulging information to a stranger. I checked caller ID on the phone and asked him to verify his name and phone number, and it matched, so we spoke for about 15 minutes. He said he was interested in purchasing the same car from its current owner (at about seven times what I’d…

No matter how you slice it, a restoration is a series of sub-projects that coalesce into the final product. And whether you’re on your first resto or your 15th, you’ve got to start somewhere. For James Kryta and the crew at Wings Auto Art, the restoration of his 1968 Hurst/Olds, started, fundamentally, with the chassis. As we outlined in issue HMM #153 (May 2016), Kryta’s first-year H/O lived a comparatively charmed existence. It began life in the Midwest, but migrated to California, where the Golden State’s famously dry climate kept rust at bay. The car saw its share of time on the dragstrip and underwent at least one previous amateur restoration, but it was due for some attention, and was definitely worthy of a complete body-off restoration. A longtime Olds…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Block type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ford Y-block, cast iron Cylinder heads . . . . . . . . . . Ford Cleveland-cast ECZ-G, cast-iron, 60-cc combustion chambers, 1.92/1.515-inch valves, intake/exhaust Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . 312 cubic inches (currently 348 cubic inches) Bore x stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . 3.80 inches x 3.44 inches (currently 3.912 inches x 3.64 inches) Compression ratio . . . . . . . . 9.7:1 Pistons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Race-Tec forged aluminum, .040-inch over Connecting rods . . . . . . .…

Turning 60 this year qualifies me to say that I grew up in the muscle car era. While other items from my youth have gone missing — like the dozens of model cars I built — I had the foresight to keep just about every issue of Hot Rod, Car Craft, Super Stock, Drag Racing Pictorials and many other magazines I’ve subscribed to over the years. As a longtime car magazine reader, my interests have shifted from specs and restorations to the human side of this wonderful hobby and fellowship. I truly enjoy and relate to articles that reflect on the memories of muscle car ownership, road trips, parts and car hunts, street racing and the “hang outs” of my fellow enthusiasts. It’s the people factor that I now enjoy…

CLASSIC MUSCLE AT THE INAUGURAL MECUM PORTLAND SALE Mecum Auctions made its first foray into selling in the City of Roses, June 17 and 18, 2016, with its inaugural Portland, Oregon sale. There were plenty of opportunities to score the muscle machine of one’s dreams. Most attention-grabbing to us was a Z11-swapped, 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air “Bubbletop” that cracked the top ten, ringing up at $110,000. Of interest to Ford fans might be a 1965 Shelby G.T. 350, in the care of a single owner for the past 38 years, which sold for $305,000 and a 1969 Ford Boss 429, which sold for $240,000. Mopar enthusiasts will appreciate the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda coupe (at right), which sold for $190,000 and the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T (above) equipped with a…

September 1-4 Auctions America Auburn, Indiana. . . . . . . . . . . . 877-906-2437 September 4 Hemmings Musclepalooza XXIV West Lebanon, New York . . . . 800-227-4373 September 4 Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida . . . . . . . . . . .800-438-8559 September 9-10 Leake Collector Car Auction Detroit, Michigan. . . . . . . . . . . 918-254-7077 September 9-11 Springfield Swap Meet & Car Show Springfield, Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . 937-376-0111 September 11 Annual Classic Car Show South Windsor, Connecticut. . 860-933-1995 September 11 Long Beach Hi-Performance Swap Meet Long Beach, California . . . . . . 800-762-9785 September 15-17 Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race Stanton, Michigan. .…

A VAUNTED BADGE RETURNS WITH SOME CONTEMPORARY TWISTS American automakers have displayed a long-standing tendency to periodically resurrect once-respected muscle-era brands and badges and apply them to their latest efforts at performance, in an attempt to inspire fond recollections from consumers. Buick fans have not been immune, having elements from past performers of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s combined to yield the Regal GS, a pairing first used to somewhat disappointing effect back in the late ’80s. However, its more recent revival promises to be a bit more worthy of its name. Back around 2010, Buick showed a concept car branded as the Regal GS, a performance variant of the new Regal it was rolling out. Anyone who pays attention to such things likely noticed at the time that the…

The 1970s was a decade unlike any before it, and quite possibly since. Horsepower ratings had never been higher at the start, but within a matter of five years, the socioeconomic climate had brought the performance-car market to its knees. Times were so bleak that Ford reintroduced its Mustang as a compact. Buick dropped its Gran Sport. Oldsmobile’s 4-4-2 had been relegated to little more than a graphics and handling package. Even Chevrolet’s Z28 went away for ’75 and ’76. Pontiac, however, forged onward. As the ’70s unfolded, the Trans Am volume increased each year from 1972, and it overtook the GTO as the division’s performance flagship. Jim Carter, a 49-year-old funeral director from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was old enough to watch the Trans Am evolve into an icon of…

Thanks to a 440-powered Plymouth Fury, 1978 was the year the law had a leg up on the heavy-footed motorist The Seventies weren’t really that bad, were they? For American car enthusiasts, yes — they were. It was a time of detuned engines, but for part of that time, we could still option what remained of the once-mighty big-blocks: Buick, Olds and Pontiac held to their respective 455s through ’76; Chevy’s 454 lasted about as long in passenger cars. Ford’s 460 soldiered on for a couple more years, as did Chrysler’s 400 and 440 engines. But by 1979, all were gone from passenger car playlists, and many were out of production completely. Which means that 1978 was effectively the factory big-block’s swan song. But it wasn’t only gearheads who were…

‘‘It’s been one of my lifelong ambitions to own a highly competitive show car,” retired Delaware State Trooper Terry Pepper, confides. Little did he know at the time, the seed of that plan was planted in 1974, when he owned a Le Mans Blue ’69 427 Corvette Stingray convertible. He began dating Valarie Coyle that same year, and they both enjoyed cruising in his powerful drop-top sports car. They were married in 1978, and by 1981 had a baby on the way, so the Peppers decided to replace the Corvette with more practical transportation. Twenty-five years later, their two daughters were married and had children of their own. Terry and Valarie had also owned quite a few additional examples of Chevy muscle over those decades, but a ’69 427 Stingray…

F.A.S.T. Quick 4 Winner: DAVE DUDEK 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi F.A.S.T. Quick 4 Consolation Round: DON GIANNONE 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Shoot-Out Winners: RICK MAHONEY 1968 Dodge Super Bee Hemi ADRIANE BELTRAME 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 Ram Air IV JEREMY BENSON 1969 Pontiac Le Mans JOHN SUESS 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst /Olds PHILIP ROITMAN FPO 1973 Buick Centurion GS GENE WILSEY 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda AAR HAL OAKS 1967 Chevrolet Bel Air Rained-Out Round: PAT WENDLING 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 ERIC SAWCHUK 1971 Plymouth Duster 340…

LEAKING GLIDE Q: My 1959 Corvette cast-iron Power-glide is leaking at the shift linkage rod. I have a good DVD on how to perform a complete rebuild, but it doesn’t cover this specific issue. My question is, can this leak be fixed without pulling the transmission? Thanks for any input. John Doe Via email A: Do not take this as gospel, but I believe if you remove the transmission pan to disconnect the linkage inside and obtain the proper seal tool, you can get the seal in without removing the transmission from the car in most body styles. You may have a hard time getting the old seal out, though, and cleaning the bore where it resides. As Henry Ford used to say, “Let’s try it and see what happens”…

You could be forgiven if you mistook this 1930 Ford Model A for one of the multitude of junk-car-to-tractor conversions undertaken in the 1930s and ’40s by ingenious farmers either working on their own or with a mail-order kit. Those conversions, colloquially called “Doodlebugs,” sprang from the same can-do, Yankee ingenuity that saw the country through those hard times and led to the cheap automotive entertainment called jalopy racing. In the period spanning the Great Depression and the years after World War II, there were few clear demarcations between dirt-track racing and stock-car racing at the amateur, grass-roots level. The typical formula consisted of stripping down some decrepit old cars, persuading a farmer to rent out his cow pasture and racing the wrecks around the bumpy circuit in a cloud…

SEPTEMBER 3 Worldwide Auctioneers Auburn, Indiana • 260-925-6789 www.worldwide-auctioneers.com 3-4 Silver Auctions Sun Valley, Idaho • 509-326-4485 www.silverauctions.com 8-10 Mecum Auctions Louisville, Kentucky • 262-275-5050 www.mecum.com 9-10 Leake Auction Company Detroit, Michigan • 918-254-7077 www.leakecar.com 9-10 Silver Auctions Minneapolis, Minnesota • 509-326-4485 www.silverauctions.com 10 Dan Kruse Classics Austin, Texas • 866-495-8111 www.kruseclassics.com 17 The Finest Automobile Auctions Aspen, Colorado • 914-242-1969 www.thefinest.com 21-25 Silver Auctions Reno, Nevada • 509-326-4485 www.silverauctions.com 29-30 Carlisle Auctions Carlisle, Pennsylvania • 717-960-6400 carlisleauctions.com Check dates with auction houses before traveling…

HEADER GENIUS JERE STAHL, 1935-2016 If you’ve never heard his name, you almost certainly grew up outside the Northeast, but we bet you’re still were familiar with his products. Jere Stahl was a gifted mechanic and designer out of the York, Pennsylvania, area who came up with his own line of equal-length exhaust headers that set a firm standard of performance during his tenure. Stahl died on June 21, after a battle with cancer. Originally from Romulus, Michigan, Stahl got the idea for his headers after reading a library book on British sports-car engines while serving in the Army. In those days, most performance headers were of the tri-Y design, produced on the West Coast by the likes of Hedman, Jardine and S&S. Stahl figured he could do better, and…

Turbo Macho T/A #202 is a very unique car like none other that I have owned before. In terms of the T/A community, a person either loves the Macho T/A or hates it. When I had the car at MCACN ’15, some people would walk up and ask what it was. I think some even mistakenly thought it was an ’80 because of the “turbo” graphics. Others would share stories about a Macho T/A they knew of or saw back in the day! Neither bothers me because I can take it to any show and not worry about parking next to another. I am more than proud to be the caretaker of #202!…

I was fortunate to have an auto restoration shop that worked with me, making the whole experience enjoyable. Ed Denkenberger takes real pride in his work and considers every car that he does his own. We’ve become close friends and go to car shows together. For anyone contemplating a restoration, I’d recommend you get to know the person who’s going to be doing the work. If your personalities mesh and you are impressed with their work, consider them. Make sure they have an interest and knowledge in your particular model, and make sure that everyone is on the same page, including your spouse. Restoring a car to this level is a real commitment—it’s not for the faint of heart! Don’t even start the project unless you’re prepared to spend lots…

You never know. We go through a snowless winter in ordinarily brutal Vermont, followed by a wet and cold spring, and then all of a sudden, summer rapped us hard over the Memorial Day weekend. Despite the heat, humidity and constant threat of afternoon thunderstorms, over 500 show cars and hundreds more race cars turned out over the holiday to Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, New York, to participate in Musclepalooza XXIII, sponsored by Dark Horse Customs. Best in Show went to John Scalfani’s 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge, which came out of a full restoration to its original paint and interior color just six months back. John’s research showed the Judge wasn’t originally triple black as purchased, but Starlight Black with a Sandalwood interior; it had last been restored…

The Indianapolis 500 was the biggest, most prestigious racing event in the motor-sports world back in 1952, just like it still is today. It was contested at the time in upright dirt cars, mostly, and with Offenhauser four-cylinder racing power, virtually exclusively. And it became a contention, if you will, between two of the primary influences in postwar American motorsport. Up north was Tony Hulman, who’d newly rescued the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from oblivion, and down south was William H.G. France, who had a beach course, a new superspeedway at Darlington, South Carolina, with a highly successful stock car race there, and who was looking for more. So, it’s a barely remembered asterisk to racing history that NASCAR started its own division for Indy cars in 1952, and while it…

“ I bought my first Funny Car from Connie Kalitta... and the race car he sold me was, to be polite, a beater.” This has been quite a year for me. From launching my charity, “Shirley’s Kids” to making numerous appearances at NHRA national events to having surgery to remove my right lung after some suspicious tumors were discovered (luckily, not cancerous). So 2016 has been a whirlwind, and for someone who has never really adjusted to a sedate lifestyle, I’m definitely digging all the activity. In fact, the constant traveling and various commitments that are keeping me busy this year have had me thinking about how my life took such a drastic turn when I became a professional drag racer in 1971. Prior to that year, my first husband,…

If anyone’s contemplating recreating a car from the past, it’s vital to do as much research as possible before beginning the project. I’d also suggest that they buy the most rust-free example of that car that they can afford, because believe me, rust can slow that project to a crawl. I’m proud of what we managed to do here, even though it’s not completely finished. I met Dean McCann, the Ford engineer who was crew chief for the Battlebird team. He got into the car and told me, “I can’t tell the difference between this and the real ones.” He also told me that when DePaolo and Holman Moody were running the cars, they had one objective: Knock those checkered flags out of the Corvettes’ badges.…

HMM PRODUCT TEST: HOLLEY NON-STICK CARB GASKETS This space is usually used to review products that are relatively new, but there are times when it seems relevant to discuss something that has been around for a while. Case in point: Holley’s blue non-stick gaskets for fuel bowls and metering blocks. The company introduced these some years back, but we suspect that racers are more familiar with them than muscle car guys who run mostly on the street. The blue non-stick gaskets were developed to be reusable, something that appealed to racers who need to change jets on their Holley carburetors frequently to keep their engines in optimal tune as air density changes with the weather or to accommodate varying altitudes at different tracks. The benefit to those who don’t pull…

THE NUMBERS TOTAL SALES: $46,300,000 TOP MUSCLE CAR SALE: 1967 Cobra 427: $1,100,000 UPCOMING AUCTIONS BY MECUM AUCTIONS DATE: August 18-20, 2016 LOCATION: Monterey CONTACT: www.mecum.com LEGEND CONDITION: 1=Excellent; 2=Very Good; 3=Average; 4=Poor; 5=Major Project RESERVE: Minimum price owner will accept TOP BID: The highest offer made (but vehicle did not sell) SELLING PRICE: What the vehicle sold for AVERAGE SELLING PRICE: Average market value of vehicles in similar condition * Prices do not include buyer’s premium Springtime in Indy not only means racing, but also the annual Mecum Original Spring Classic collector car auction held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. This was the 29th year for the event, which saw sales of nearly $50 million and a 70 percent sell-through rate, with over 1,000 cars changing hands the weekend…

CHEVY NOVA REMOTE HOOD RELEASE CONVERSION Q: Whenever my subscription arrives, Swap Meet is the section I read first and enjoy. My 1970 Nova came with an exterior-type hood release rather than the interior cable type on modern cars. When I drive and enjoy the car, aside from car shows and cruises, I’m constantly going to check on the car in fear of someone opening the hood and tampering with the engine that I have over $6,000 invested in. Fabrication is not one of my strong suits. Are you aware of any later make/model hood release mechanism that will bolt into my car with little or no fabrication? Thank you for any assistance you can provide. George Westphal Via email A: The hood release mechanism on all 1968-’72 Novas is…

“While some guys with a 351 Cleveland want it to be a macho big-block, Chevy guys consider it a small-block.” A block of wood, a block of ice, the block you grew up on, all are obviously types of blocks. You can have your way blocked, own a chopping block, be a blockhead and even build a block wall. There sure are a lot of ways to use this word. But, whatever its original definition, it’s of no consequence when discussing our favorite kind of block. You guessed it, that large chunk of metal under your hood, the engine block. Here we’ll look at block cubic inches — not every variety ever made, or the reasons they were made, just the apparent insanity involved. Big-block, small-block, Y-block, valve-in-head block, cast-iron…