Reflecting on ‘Speedy’ Bill Smith’s Impact on the Performance Industry
I met “Speedy” Bill Smith while on a magazine assignment for a former hot rodder magazine back in April of 1999. The magazine editor called early one Monday morning… “I know you only write technical articles for the magazine but we need somebody to go interview “Speedy” Bill Smith in Lincoln, Nebraska. You are the
Ford’s Famous Flathead V8
It was special in so many ways. First of all, it was the first V8 engine for the Ford line of cars. Nobody could imagine the effects it would have on the racing and hot rod world in the years to come. Even in its stock trim, it was a gutty little powerplant, but it would
Gems From ’49 Bell Catalog
Long before the Internet, there was a man with a vision – and a catalog When Roy Richter wrote, “Here it is”on the inside cover of his 1949 Bell Auto Parts Catalog, he probably didn’t realize what he started. He said it was, “the most comprehensive and up-to-date catalog of racing equipment.” Bell Auto Parts
Vintage Engine Goodies
There are probably a million ways to dress-up a classic show car’s engine. You can add colorful spark plug wires to any vintage motor. You can install Chevy Orange logo valve covers on any 1958-’86 slant edge small-block Chevy. You can get a universal-fit Airbox air cleaner with a blue HPR filter, for muscle cars
Edelbrock to Giveaway 75th Anniversary Edition Mustang
This once in a lifetime promotion will allow enthusiasts the chance to enter and win a unique 2013 Ford Mustang featuring Edelbrock and Ford Racing Performance upgrades. The lucky winner will also receive a round trip for two, with VIP accommodations to the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Once in Las Vegas, the duo
Restoration Engine Market Update
The resto market can be a good source of extra business or a solid specialization option You might joke that the restoration engine marketplace is a “dependable” business niche. Trying to get a handle on its size, shape and character depends on with whom you talk and what they consider a vintage car to be.
Automotive-Powered Inboard Hydroplanes
They’re fast, have power aplenty, can turn on a dime, and throw a huge column of water behind them. They’re called Inboard Hydroplanes and are one of the most exciting motorsports shows on water with their automotive powerplants. The Inboard Hydroplane The looks of these boats spell speed with fighter aircraft aerodynamics on both the
HPBG:Grassroots Engine Market – The Grass MAY Be Greener
Since most people who are involved in racing do not run in NASCAR Sprint Cup, IndyCar or NHRA Top Fuel, we think that it is fair to say anything below these high profile professional racing series is a large group of grassroots racers who support the industry through the dollars they spend, not the sponsorships
Inside Flat Tappet Camshaft and?Lifter Technology
Roller cams have a couple of advantages over traditional flat tappet camshafts: they reduce friction, and they can be ground with more aggressive cam lobe profiles to make more power. You can also swap roller cams without having to replace the lifters. But the roller cam’s main disadvantage compared to flat tappet cams is its
Karting Engine Market and Technology
Experts say that the situation isn’t getting any easier for flathead lovers because many parts and pieces, such as flywheels and sump covers, are not manufactured anymore. There are, however, some replacement parts on the market that are manufactured in China such as sheet metal and valves. Burris now makes most of the pistons for
Bolt-on Horsepower: Choosing An Induction System
The induction system feeds the engine air and fuel. So to increase the torque and horsepower output of an engine, the induction system has to provide more air and fuel. That usually means adding an aftermarket performance intake manifold with taller, larger and/or longer runners to increase air flow into the cylinder head ports, bolting
Selling Vintage Speed Can Help Business Until Business Gets Better
Due to these hard times, fewer customers are looking for your services, and they’re looking to spend as little money as possible. A small shop can survive on low-margin jobs for only so long before the overhead simply eats you alive. One alternative plan is to add a line of vintage performance engines that command
Rat Rods
While the economy stalls – enthusiasts are building “Rat Rods” in record numbers. Right in the middle of the economic slowdown and our government’s bailout of Wall Street, a little West Coast car event called the Primer Nationals was taking place in Ventura, California. Did the hard times affect the turnout or enthusiasm for this
Stroker Engine Kits
For more than 50 years the old saying “There’s no substitute for cubic inches” has been the credo of nearly every racer and hot rodder. Whoever created this unwritten universal law could never have imagined to what extremes today’s speed enthusiasts would take it. Now, unless you have a 420cid-plus small-block or a 550cid-plus big-block
When Old Dogs Learn New Tricks
When Jay Steel was introduced to the assembled throng at last spring’s AERA International Expo 2003 as the winner of Engine Builder’s 2003 “Machine Shop of the Year” award, he was intimately involved with the down and dirty business of rebuilding and restoring all manner of antique engines. His shop’s lineage descends directly from the
Little Engines, Big Money
For the rebuilding facility familiar with typical automotive or heavy-duty engines, the small displacement, four-cycle, air-cooled engine may seem insignificant. After all, these one-cylinder motors, which may produce just 5 hp, are found in lawn mowers, rototillers and kiddy go karts, for cryin’ out loud! Although the small four-cycle engines from Briggs & Stratton, Tecumseh,
Small Engine Performance
Most businesses have the same problems and each must look for ways to remain competitive by reducing costs and exploring new markets for existing products or services. And so it is in engine building. There is always someone that is able to provide more features per dollar than you (or at least make someone believe
Building Horsepower Through Dyno Testing
Pick up a copy of any racing-oriented automotive publication andas you thumb through its pages you’ll notice a smorgasbord ofads from engine builders. Most of them will have an assortmentof horsepower figures large enough to rival the national debt. Of course, all the numbers are suspect because, in most cases,they were obtained on the advertisers’
Valvetrains: Better Materials & Design
Pushrods would seem to be an endangered species these days, atleast as far as most new engine designs are concerned. The onlybrand new engines built in recent years with a pushrod valvetrainhave been Chrysler’s 8.0L V10 for the Viper and Dodge Ram, andGeneral Motors new "LS1" 5.7L small block V8. All therest have either been