Cars
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.
We know youʼve already checked out the photos or you wouldnʼt be reading this. You obviously wish to know a little more about this jack, so weʼll cut to the bottom line: If you get one of these for your very own, youʼd better not tell any of your buddies about it, or you will have to make room in the safe to store it. If they spot it in your trunk, just laugh about how you got it as a gift and hope none of them reads this article, or you will have to tape a cell phone to it to find out where it is this weekend–just when you need it!
We all know and love the Honda/Acura B-series motors—and for good reason. They have been and continue to be the mainstay of the sport compact performance market. Sure, the new K-series motors are making headway with more and more performance pieces and they look to succeed the B-series once the supply of used motors becomes available in the quantities (and pricing) currently enjoyed by the B-series. But for now, Civic, CRX and Integra engine swappers, not to mention the horde of those originally so equipped, have made the B16A, B18A/B, B18C and B18C5 the performance Honda motors of choice.
Replacing the rear suspension arms is something of a Mustang tradition, and the S197 platform is no exception. Wheel hop is proving to be something of a problem on these vehicles, and Modular Mustang Racing has the solution in the form of new lower rear control arms for the ’05 Mustang.
Previously, we detailed the buildup and dyno test of a 475hp turbo B16A (“Boosted B-Series,” p. 50). Designed for street use, the turbo B16A represented what could be accomplished by combining an efficient normally aspirated motor with the benefits of turbocharging. By taking an already healthy normally aspirated motor, we had a head start to producing big power once we upped the boost pressure with our Innovative T04E-46 turbo. But what is necessary to take power to the next level?
Producing horsepower requires two major ingredients, namely, air and fuel. Of course, the two must be supplied in the correct proportions and at the proper time; but improving power is a simple matter of adding airflow. Naturally, additional fuel will be required once the airflow is improved, but the first item on the horsepower priority list should always be more airflow.
The world is full of minor inconveniences, and changing transmission fluid is one of them. The job doesn’t need to be complicated, but on some cars it is. When we find the accountant who decided that our 4R70W transmission didn’t need a drain plug, we’re going to intentionally put him on duty at a quick-change oil and lube facility. What were they thinking?
Even more than 40 years ago, Ford understood the importance of preventing body flex in order to allow a suspension to maintain proper geometry. The earliest Mustangs came with front shock tower braces to prevent uncontrollable suspension articulation, caused when both upper ends of the shock towers flex inward. The need to prevent such flex is still important today, and the principle applies to the rear shock towers as well as to the fronts.