Manufacturers
“Real hot rods have axles,” or so they say. That was our story, and we stuck to it fondly for more than 10 years. The ’47 Ford sedan delivery we drive came to us with a new Super Bell dropped axle and four-bar linkage professionally installed by Dick Jones’ shop in Campbell, California. It wasn’t really a hot rod; more like a primered beater with no interior, very little glass and enough rattles that a radio was a waste of time. It was a project car for another magazine for several years, and as such was the subject of many tech articles, updating it with all manner of great stuff. But it was still a primered beater, so the axle suited it just fine, and we got many miles of enjoyment out of this setup. Oh, it could have had a nice, new IRS more than once, but it just wasn’t that kind of car.
Tech presentation is something anyone can do to his or her existing Camaro, since it takes no special skill, yet the results are worthwhile. Those are the rewards of personalizing a cool Chevy, and it’s what drives us in the first place to tackle such jobs.
When it comes to performance, the devil really is in the details. Ever wonder why one engine makes more power than another, when both are seemingly identical? The answer to this very common performance question lies in the attention to detail. Basic performance elements such as engine tuning, spark timing curves, and, yes, even oil selection all come into play when you attempt to extract the maximum amount of power from your existing combination.
The late ’60s was a good time for automobile enthusiasts everywhere. For Chevrolet specifically, it remains a time when the company produced vehicles that are among the favorites of Bow Tie aficionados. Who wouldn’t want a ’67-’69 Chevy Chevelle, Nova or, of course, the ever-popular Camaro? The design of these vehicles, and many others from that era, has stood the test of time, and car manufacturers today are even reverting back to the styling cues of these classics when designing modern production cars.
There’s no denying the popularity of Camaros; they have been a rodding favorite since their initial release in 1967. The first-generation Camaro has always been an enthusiast car because it is small, lightweight and had a sports-car-design feel to it. Underneath, the early Camaros were based on a Nova platform and featured many good mechanical attributes. Right from the start, they became a popular choice for teenagers and young adults, and most of the performance enthusiasts wanted the SS model that came with a choice of a strong-running small- or big-block engine. Things haven’t changed much, because they are still a popular choice for enthusiasts to restore or modify.
The automotive world became a different place when Chevrolet introduced the new ’55. Prior to that time there were many Chevy buyers, but after the ’55s were released there were newborn Chevy enthusiasts. The new Chevys were not only great-looking, but they were also powered with what would become one the finest V-8 engines available anywhere. There was an instant attraction to the ’55, and the interest continued to grow once the ’56 and ’57 were introduced. Fortunately, all three model years became extremely popular, so Chevy enthusiasts took care of them, and many nice examples remain today.
The birth of the Mark IV 396 for public consumption occurred back in 1965. Its predecessor, the Mark I, started in 1961 on the drawing board, was finalized and built in late 1962, and was unveiled in race trim in 1963. It set the racing world on its collective ear at Daytona and other races, and then it disappeared, going back to Chevrolet Engineering for further development. Seeing that you could step up and possibly own the Marilyn Monroe of big-block engines, serious racers and enthusiasts had to sit on their hands for two full model years (1963 and 1964) before the son of this absolute powerhouse could be ordered.
Thirty-five years and $636 ago, we bought an 80,000-mile ’62 fuel-injected Corvette in Fresno, California. Sadly, the car had been stolen once. The fuel injection was gone as well as the T-10 four-speed transmission. A pair of bare 461-X heads was in the trunk. The engine was found to have a rocking rear cam bearing, which caused oil to shut off to the rocker arms at high rpm. At the time, the prognosis was that it could not be fixed, so the motor was replaced with a ’68 350hp 327. Since 1976, the car has been in storage, along with the original engine.
Small-block water pumps are common replacement parts and are available at prices that are nearly impossible to beat. However, while getting a brand-new water pump for cheap is great, sometimes you need to keep the one you have. If it’s date-coded, or maybe you’ve installed a chrome steel or an aluminum water pump. You aren’t going to get those at the parts counter. In cases like these, rebuilding a water pump is preferred to buying a new one.