Thieves Targeting Cars with LS V8 Motor
Two minutes. That’s all it takes for a crook to steal your car. A startling new trend is growing in SoCal and the San Francisco Bay Area: thieves are going after Camaros and Corvettes, not just because they look good but for what’s inside—their high horsepower motors.
Federal-Mogul Motorparts Announces Partnership with M1 Concourse
Federal-Mogul Motorparts and M1 Concourse have announced the two have forged a robust partnership resulting in Champion becoming the official sponsor of a new, state-of-the-art, 1.5 mile automotive performance track in Pontiac, Mich.
The Little Details Add to Your Bottom Line
A restoration shop owner we know sends his engines out to professional rebuilders. There are two engines sitting in his shop right now – a six and an eight. Both were rebuilt by different shops. One of those shops will be getting all of his engine work in the future. The reason isn’t the quality of work or even the price; it is the attention one shop paid to details.
Dart’s Maskin Inducted Into Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame
Among this year’s inductees into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame is Dart Machinery founder Richard Maskin. Following his success as a drag racer, crew chief and engine builder, Maskin went on to establish Dart as a leader in race engine components manufacturing.
Old Gold – Vintage Engine Analyzers and Distributor Testers
Engine analyzers and distributor testers are the most common types of equipment seen in the old-car hobby. Of the two, the distributor tester seems to be the more desirable and valuable type of machine.
Sourcing Engine Blocks
Production engine builders today want engine cores that match a very specific vehicle application. In many cases, they also want the tinware that goes with the engine because the oil pan, valve covers and timing cover are also year, make and model specific. That has changed the way core suppliers have to inventory their stock.
Vanishing V8s: Downsizing Engines
The V8 isn’t dead yet, but storm clouds are brewing on the horizon. Concerns over global warming, CO2 emissions and dependence on foreign oil led the EPA to mandate new Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules. To achieve 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, automakers may abandon the V8 altogether or restricting it to a handful of limited production applications.
PRW SFI-Rated Steel-Elastomer Racing Dampers
PRW ha s announced its new line of SFI-Rated dampers available for AMC/Jeep, Chevy, Ford, Honda/Acura, Mopar, Oldsmobile, Nissan, and Pontiac applications. Unless otherwise identified, this series of steel-elastomer racing dampers is OEM compatible.
Shop Solutions June 2015
In our shop we do a variety of cylinder heads for late-model diesel trucks. On jobs like 6.0L Fords, 5.9L Cummins or 6.6L Duramax diesels our customers often install ARP studs as an improved fastener. ARP highly suggests that the studs be re-torqued after the engine is run for the first time.
Mr. Gasket MLS Head Gaskets
Performance automotive manufacturing company, Mr. Gasket, has announced its complete line of high quality Multi-Layered Steel (MLS) Head Gaskets for a wide range of domestic engines. These gaskets provide improved protection for high-compression, turbo and supercharged applications.
Accel Expands Line of High Performance SuperCoils
ACCEL, a leading manufacturer of high performance fuel and ignition system products, has announced the availability of more than a dozen new applications for its line of high performance coil-on-plug SuperCoils for European, import and domestic cars and trucks.
New Engines Force New Pistons
As engines get smaller, motorists expect the same performance as a larger V6 or V8 but with the fuel economy of a four cylinder. Turbocharging makes little engines breathe big, but it also increases the load and temperature the pistons have to endure. This, in turn, requires pistons made of alloys that can withstand higher temperatures and combustion pressures. Yesterday’s castings won’t cut it for these kinds of applications.
Edelbrock 2015 Automotive Performance Catalog
Edelbrock LLC has announced the release of the 2015 Edition of its Automotive Performance Catalog. This years catalog features over 190 new products, and an expanded Total Power Package Top End Kits that include sixteen new applications.
Gasket Headlock Header Bolts
ACCEL Performance Group, a performance auto parts manufacturer of brands including Mr. Gasket, ACCEL, ACCEL Motorcycle, Hays, Lakewood, QuickTime and Prestolite ProConnect, have introduced its latest innovation for automotive enthusiasts and racers,Mr. Gasket HeadLock Header Bolts. Mr. Gasket’s HeadLock header bolts eliminate the need for lock washers when installing header exhaust.
Studebaker Sleeper
A crude-looking ’53 Studebaker drag racing car from Iowa has its share of rust, dings, dents and paint flaws, but under its hood is a one-of-a-kind Pontiac intake manifold that has some very sophisticated engineering behind it. Davenport, IA, resident Jim Allen has owned the Studebaker Starliner Coupe since 1959. It was back in 1964 that he purchased the factory experimental intake to go on the 421-cid Pontiac Super-Duty V8.
Behind the Scenes Look at Scat Crankshaft Manufacturing
With over 50 years of manufacturing experience, SCAT Crankshafts proudly produces some of the finest crankshafts in the world. With thousands of race proven wins, SCAT ensures customers receive the highest quality components on the market. In addition, SCAT rods are made from a two-piece chromoly steel forging to ensure maximum strength and durability for small and big block Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, Pontiac, Honda and many more. Visit SCAT at PRI in booth #2125.
Lingenfelter NCC-002 Nitrous Control Center
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) has released its NCC-002 Nitrous Control Center, which doubles the solenoid driver capacity of the original NCC-001 controller for both nitrous and fuel outputs. Capable of driving up to 30 amps per channel, the Lingenfelter NCC-002 Nitrous Control Center is a two-stage fully independent progressive nitrous controller with on-board display, on-board and PC based programming and data logging.
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
Riding with the Iron Duke
Rolling Along — Pontiac’s Iron Duke. Also referred to as the Tech 4 or Tech IV. Introduced: 1977 Pontiac Astre Last Year In Production: 1994 USPS Grumman Postal Truck After being stung by the unreliable Vega engine, Pontiac played it safe with the Iron Duke 2.5L I4 engine . Compared to the Vega engine,
Enthusiasts Set Sights on Wilmington Mile Records
In the December issue of Engine Builder, our cover feature examined the unique one-of-one engine build-ups to maximize performance in all-out speed runs. The article also noted the presence of a new land-speed location at the former DHL facility at the Wilmington, Ohio airport. The super-smooth 9,000-foot runway is perfect for this high-speed activity and
