By now, this isn't breaking news, but I just heard it. I thought I kept up with hot rod and general car news, but I guess not. On top of that, I'm a big fan of Chip Foose. There are several good blogs that are writing about this story. Basically, Unique Performance has been busted and raided. Check it out: Shelby severing ties with Unique Performance Round 2: Unique Performance fires back at Shelby Foose Cuts All Ties With Unique Performance Unique Performance raided by local police What a mess! Uniqueperformance.com website is DOWN... I'll try to update this story as I follow it. I hope Foose's name is cleared. Everything I've seen or read says he's a solid guy. The NY Times added this: A Cloud Over Reborn Shelby...

Written by MyRideisMe feature Member: Mr. Freeze Let me start off by saying that I didn’t think that Goodguys Scottsdale would be the premier show for this build or that the truck would set new standards in the hot rod world. Goodguys was only a time goal for this build. The 40 Ford Cab was purchased for some parts for another project and then it was to be discarded or sold. The more I looked at it the more I thought that it would be a neat build. A friend and I started building the 2x3 box frame Z’d 6” in the front and 14” in the rear and after only a week we got it rolling. We chose a 292 Y-block and for that eye candy factor topped it off with a 6 deuce intake. After some deliberation we decided that this ride would be much cooler with a three speed. Out back, we chose a 56 Ford 4:11 truck axle with 56 front brakes. But it was soon pushed to the side for another project. Here's where we sat so far... It sat for a while and...

Custom Van with a Blown 428 Pontiac So you’ve owned it since you were 16?Yes.And that was when?1973.So then, what’s the next obvious question…Why’d a 16 year old kid buy a van?I’m a drummer! Mark Greenwell of Phoenix, AZ drove this 1966 Chevy Van to the 2007 Scottsdale Goodguys show and immediately caught my eye.The sun setting on those retro-perfect murals blew me away.I knew right away this van had a story.Check these out: (click to enlarge) I hadn’t looked inside yet. The original murals were painted in 1978.That was right after the van was totaled in an accident coming back from Flagstaff, AZ in the snow.$550 bought the van back from the insurance agency and Mark, a mechanic by trade, went to work.His work paid off when the truck was featured in the 1982 centerfold of Truckin Magazine.Back then, it ONLY had a turbocharged 350 mounted between the seats.Then, in 1987, Mark rebuilt the truck again.This time, he went over the top.Take a look inside: You’re looking at a twin turbo 428 Pontiac with and Hillborn Fuel Injection backed by a Powerglide trans with race converter and trans...

You have surely seen the image before, a race bike coming hard out of a turn with a light front end and serious headshake. Occasionally, this oscillation gets more violent turning into a full-fledged tankslapper where the handlebars are thrown from stop to stop. Sometimes the result is the rider being catapulted from the bike in spectacular fashion. Most street riders have experienced the phenomenon that leads to tankslappers to some extent after upsetting the suspension by hitting a rock or pothole (or landing a wheelie a little off center), etc. In most instances, a light grip that allows the bike some freedom to move will allow a shake on the front end to settle down. Now, if you have never experienced a tankslapper then simply imagine amplifying the shake of the previous example by ten fold and multiplying the odds of dirty leathers by at least that much. The purpose here is to briefly describe why tankslappers happen and some solutions to reduce chance of being bucked off because of one. All motorcycles can experience oscillations in the front suspension, but some motorcycles are much more prone to...

Like the better known Volkswagen Typ 1, the Ural motorcycle too has been produced since the late 1930’s and remained relatively unchanged. The staggering defeat of Russia in the Winter War with Finland demonstrated the cost of using obsolete technology in combat. A new motorcycle design was desperately needed considering the increasing momentum towards war with Germany. So, the Soviet army covertly acquired 5 BMW R71 motorcycles in Sweden and took them back to Moscow for reverse engineering. Every detail of the design was studied and reproduced in the 1941 Ural M-72. Thousands of Urals were put into service on the Russian frontlines during World War II. After the war, military production of the Ural was moved to Ukraine from the Irbit Motorcycle Works near Siberia and the original factory was converted to civilian production. Since then over 3 million of the R71-based Urals have been built and can be seen on roads around the world. Yes, they are available here in the United States. What you get today is a shaft driven motorcycle powered by a 750cc air-cooled flat twin rated at 40 horsepower with some pretty unique...

Thanks to our new freinds at T and L Engine Development, Inc for this How-To article. Stay tuned for an article and build info on their 575 HP all aluminum Ford Small block 427! Also, be sure to check out their Ebay Store for the best in Ford and Chevy engines. Upgrading to a roller camshaft; is it cost efficient? Pictures and text by Eric LaBore Camshafts have always been and continue to be the basis of argument among many engine builders and car enthusiasts alike. How much lift, the right duration, lobe centerlines and separation angles, there are so many aspects and conditions to consider. It requires many years of research, experience and an in depth understanding of the internal combustion engine to become an expert in choosing the best possible design. However, one thing that is widely agreed upon; for the best performance and reliability, a roller camshaft is the way to go. There are two basic categories among camshafts; flat tappet and roller. Flat tappet cams are the ones most people are familiar with. Most of your V-8 engines in the muscle car era came standard...

I’ll be doing several feature stories about the cars I liked at the show. I expect you won’t like all of them. Isn’t that what makes MyRideisMe? Otherwise, we’d use the name ThatOtherGuysRideAintMeAtAll.com.biz.tv.net.org. (we would have, but that domain’s already taken!) Here’s what’s in store: The Dragon Wagon owned by Mark Greenwell of Phoenix, AZ Kissing Cousin (to my car!) owned by Joe Clifford of Scottsdale, AZ The Hand-Me-Down 65 Dodge D200 owned by Mike & Luz Wilson of Phoenix, AZ The Cool Gold 38 Chrysler owned by Mike Flynn of Lake Havasu, AZ Swede with a Need for Speed – Tucson, AZ’s Seaholm family rides and service with bonus info about Hi Speed the hot rod shop that’s been helping the Seaholm family. Hank’s Killer Anglia (Who knows Hank? or his wife’s Willy's truck?) My Pops freshly built T-bucket (You did great dad! You’re my inspiration!) Mr. Freeze, Rob Zollar’s “Up All Night” 40 Ford Pickup Then, if that wasn’t enough, I’ll be breaking the story on this car and what’s happening at Squeeg’s Custom in Mesa, AZ. First time out, this amazing car fittingly won an award....

Mess-up fuel pump, lost air bleed screw for the new carbs, broken rocker stud, up all night getting ready for the show and sore-as-hell-legs. We had a great time! Here’s my recap of the 2007 Goodguys Show in Scottsdale, AZ. That all didn’t happen to me, I did change the fuel pump on my car, but probably didn’t need to. The new pump only hit about 1.5psi to start, then up to 3, back to 1, all over the place. Finally, she settled in and makes 3 psi as I’d hoped. My friend Joe helped out by taking this photo. By the way, your battery will go dead if you leave the pump on. sigh. For the big day, Saturday, we met at 6AM at a gas station. 6 of us left together headed north on the 101. Just as we hit the freeway, I decided I’d better get gas… duh, shoulda done that before. As soon as I got back on the road, I saw my pops and his friend Larry on the side of the road. Broken rocker stud. Larry had it at the show by 11!...

It takes 3 months for show coverage to make it to Street Rodder or Goodguy's Gazette, but with the internet, I can tell stories the same night! CNN eat your heart out! Tonight, thanks the club president Bob Bailey, I met the Phoenix, AZ members of the Over the Hill Gang. Bob said there'd be about 40 member attending, and there were. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many women members attending too. Whether they're supporting their husbands or driving their own hot rod, I think it's fantastic! The 'Gang's busy getting ready for the November 16-18 Scottsdale Goodguys show. Not only are they bringing their cars, they're also the host club helping with everything from admission to the swap meet. They're also leading the shop tour that starts from West World at 9 AM. When you see their yellow shirts, say hi! The member's gave me a few minutes to explain who I am and, "What's a My Ride is Me? I hope they all take a look and join. It's all FREE! Thanks again for the great opportunity to spread the word about MyRideisMe.com. Here's a...