“Sick” Camaro Never Looked So Good…

by Brian Stupski at www.problemchildkustoms.com

…and it’s getting closer to the street, literally and figuratively.

The gang at ProRides, along with a dedicated team of close friends have been working diligently to get the ‘69 Camaro completed and ready for its show car circuit tour and also testing on the track. It is currently in Steve’s garage and the gang has been working on it every night after work. The goal is to finish the car in April and start testing… We are even thinking about driving it on a leg of the Power Tour to test the street driving of the Camaro. Not bad for a six-second capable ride…

Bowler Transmissions wants to have the car in their booth at some Goodguys shows in the coming year, and Denny will also be working with Goodguys on making exhibition runs at their Indy event. Feel free to let Denny know if the car is needed for anything else during the entire season, as we’d all love to see the car not only running on the street and track, but also acting as an ambassador for the hobby and industry as a whole.

The car should be going to paint at the beginning of February, and look for many more pics to follow. We truly cannot wait to share some finished shots of the car. Check out the mounting of the Chiseled Performance intercooler, Be Cool radiator, B&M tranny cooler, ProCharger, and that fuel tank in the front… not much room left!

…and if you’re not yet familiar with the project, here’s the rendering…

…and you can see the first updates, like machining the block to save weight, and building the chassis right here on my site! Look for more updates soon!

Original Story: Click here for a street-able car running 6 second quarter miles

More killer renderings from Problem Child Kustoms:

AMC Hornet: Problem Child’s Latest – Let Them Eat Cheese

SoCal Cube with Cues from VW Bus

World’s First: 3D custom car illustration

Don’t-cha wish you could draw like that?

John Force Wins at 50th Winternational!

John Force is back.  It’s great to see the spring in his step again and now with their new, in-house chassis built by John Medlin and in-house Ford Boss motors. This could be the first of many race wins.  How long before all 3 teams are running the new chassis? Not long. -Pikesan

Here’s the race recap from John Force Racing:

* * * *

JOHN FORCE WINS 50TH NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

POMONA — John Force broke the longest dry spell of his historic career opening the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season with an emotional victory at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Force was the model of consistency on race day defeating veteran Bob Bode, daughter Ashley Force Hood, Jack Beckman and Ron Capps with an average elapsed time of 4.123.

“I heard (Top Fuel winner Larry) Dixon say that he grew up in California and I’m from California too but I never grew up. I just love it and I have to tell you I can drink that Full Throttle. That stuff hops me up for a race like this. The 50th of this race at Auto Club Raceway is big and with Ford as official car of the NHRA, for all my sponsors Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, MacTools and BrandSource. This is twenty-five years with Castrol. It ain’t about a paycheck it is all about you (the fans). You are the blood that flows in my veins,” said Force from the winner’s circle stage.

“I know where (Ron) Capps comes from. I tried to hire him years ago before (Don) Prudhomme snatched him up. The kid is fighting for what he wants. That is that championship. He’s going to get that one of these days. A lot times it just takes a long time. He’ll get there because he has the talent. That is why I armed up for him. I gave him everything I had. I knew this guy will tree you. (Capps’ crew chief) Ed McCullough is going to throw a hardball. The weather is cooling down. We got the win.”

“I live this game. You race a kid like Capps and up against Schumacher Racing. They are tough. You have to just keep your focus. We have shuffled our team around. Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly they have teamed up with Mike Neff. All them together with Jimmy Prock, John Medlen, Guido (Dean Antonelli) and Ron Douglas they were all in the think tank trying to figure me out. Just seeing the younger generation with the older generation it works. My change worked.”

This was the 127th career victory for Force and the first since his win over Tim Wilkerson in Topeka on June 1, 2008, a span of twenty months and forty races. It is the 186th win for John Force Racing. It is the second win in a row for John Force Racing at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In November at the season ending Auto Club Finals Mike Neff drove the Ford Drive One Mustang to the winner’s circle.

Ironically Neff shifted gears this race and tuned Force to victory beside Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Force was the no. 3 qualifier and on race day he recorded the quickest elapsed times every round. Neff’s last win as a crew chief was June 10, 2007 in Joliet when he tuned Gary Scelzi to victory.

John Force Racing has won all three 50th annual or anniversary events in the history of the NHRA. Gary Densham, then a JFR driver, won the 50th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2004 and Force won the 50th anniversary NHRA national in July of 2001.

“This is fifty years here. That is unique to be a part of that. You’ll win a lot of races. I’ve won Winternationals and World Finals but to win this race that has the magic. I want my kids to look back. You know when you were great and the kids were little and nobody cared. They were like I don’t care dad let’s go to Disneyland. All of a sudden you aren’t any good anymore and then all of a sudden you think you have done all you can do but your legs won’t carry you. My trainer, Horn at Fanatics, told me if I kept working I could get my legs back. He told me I had to keep building my legs so I could push on that gas. My leg was shaking so bad last year holding the clutch and you can’t drive like that. I wasn’t going to cry about it. I didn’t want you all to know I was so screwed up,” said Force. “Over the winter I hit it harder and all of a sudden I had strength to get through the day. It is awesome. I remember I got in the treadmill I couldn’t run for two minutes now I can go for an hour. That is a fact. I can’t run with my knees but I can put it up to three or three and half. I haul tail. Man, this is big for me.”

Force won a crucial round when he defeated his daughter Ashley Force Hood and her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in the second round. They were the two quickest Funny Cars from round one and the odds were whoever won that race had the inside track on victory today.

As Force Hood rolled through the water box one of her parachutes fell out of the parachute pack and unfurled behind her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Her co-crew chief Ron Douglas immediately gave her the stop sign and she sat for minutes as her team furiously repacked her chute. Unfortunately, in the other lane John Force did not see what the problem was as he completed his burn out. He waited patiently but was unclear if he was making a single run or if Force Hood would be able to run beside him.

“I didn’t know until I got out at the end that I had a parachute problem. I thought maybe someone fell or got bumped by the car. Ron was telling the guys to be sure to get the tires clean and then I thought maybe I rolled through some oil. They told me I was going to do a short burnout and back up. Then they decided there wasn’t enough time to do a burnout at all and we were going to just pull up. Dad was already staged,” said Force Hood from outside her trailer after the round loss.

“(My dad) thought he was on a single. I just remember thinking ‘How can they send me down the track with oil on my tires?’ I should have more faith in my team that they would never do that. I just stepped on it thinking I have no idea what this thing is going to do. It went right down the track. I knew I shouldn’t have been worried about all these other things when none of it was correct. I don’t know why I didn’t think if the parachutes before. We have never had a problem like that before. It was just one of those fluke things. We didn’t do the burn out so there were so many things that go along with doing the burn out that didn’t happen.”

“At the time I knew I just needed to wait and do whatever they told me to do. It wasn’t that chaotic where I was sitting. I remember just sitting there and clicking my visor down which it the last thing I do before I pre-stage. I remember thinking let me get myself ready so that when I pull up I don’t have anything else to think about. I remember thinking I am all set to go so I just pretended I already did a burn out so I could pull up and stage,” added Force Hood.

“I was surprised it did go down the track. It wasn’t as quick (running a 4.187 second elapsed time) as they wanted. They said it was heavier because of all the fuel still in it. The clutch didn’t get warmed up enough. It still made it. That is something to just learn. The best part was that I was racing against one of my own teammates. So if I had to lose at least one of my teammates went on. I felt bad for dad because he was getting a lot of mixed signals. He wasn’t sure what was going on. I was at least just getting my information from Ron. I didn’t know what was going on but I knew what I was supposed to be doing. That is a good feeling for a driver,” concluded Force Hood.

Newly crowned 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight’s day ended unceremoniously early. The no. 1 qualifier Hight in his Auto Club Ford Mustang was the victim of a first round upset to no. 16 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. In just over an hour’s time Hight was handed his Full Throttle champion’s jacket and ring then dispatched from the first race of the season in the first round. Hight is extremely excited to be getting back on a track next weekend in Phoenix for the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

“(Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) is still baffled that we smoked the tires. Even after looking at the data. The tires weren’t hot. I had it perfectly lined up in the center of the groove. I knew I left on it. I saw the amber. It felt awesome. I pedaled it and got back on it and it hooked. When it does that usually it goes. I stayed in it and then all of a sudden it turned sideways so I lifted. When it does that the tires really start spinning. They slow down and then they really speed up and it shoots you. Unfortunately it shot me across the center line and I couldn’t bring it back,” said Hight. “It wasn’t going to run 4.30 anyway after pedaling it out that far. We have to not smoke the tires. It looks funny especially when Ashley goes out and runs 4.12 right behind us. It is just one of those deals and we’ll move on. We are still learning this clutch package. It is not like last year when we were struggling to figure it out. We just have to fine tune this Mustang to get it to react the way we need it to. We’ll get it.”

“Going to Phoenix next weekend is huge for me. I don’t have to think about this for a week. I can get right back to work. We’ll get that work done and get ready to head to Phoenix and start over again. I am really looking forward to Phoenix. With this race being the 50th anniversary of the Winternationals it has been huge. It has been a crazy, crazy weekend. I’m back at my home track after winning the championship. I got my ring today and my champion’s jacket. There were just lots of things going on. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am not complaining. It will be nice to get to a more normal race weekend. It is good to be back with the fans and all the sponsors. I have missed my team. They are all in Indy,” said the two-time Winternationals winner.

In the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks Courtney Force lost in her first round match up on Saturday when here BrandSource Ford Racing A Fueler crossed the center line versus Art Trautman.

“I was hoping it would be a good straight solid run. It had some tire shake and that drove me over to the center line. My helmet kind of fell down on me and I couldn’t see very well. That is when I lifted. I tried to pedal it and get right back into it when I got my vision back. Right when I did that my wheel was over and I hit a couple of cones. I did my best to drive it back into my lane. That is when I let off again,” said the no. 2 qualifier.

“It is still a big learning curve. I am still learning but people can tell you what to do but there is no real way to know how to do it until it happens to you. I don’t think I did too bad. I did hit a couple of cones but I am just really glad I was able to bring it back into my own lane and didn’t hurt the other racer.”

No.1 qualifier Brittany Force won her first round race against Brooks Brown but today her Jerry Darian tuned BrandSource A Fueler was just barely outrun by Shawn Cowie, 3.383 to Cowie’s 5.374.

“That race was really close. We have had a great car all weekend. It has been pretty consistent. I could see I was coming up right against him and I knew he was right there. I would like to do more racing than my schedule will allow me to with school and student teaching. I am looking forward to getting to the next race and going some more rounds. I haven’t been in my BrandSource A Fuel dragster in a while so this race was really nice. I was a little nervous that first run but I got back into my routine. Getting the no. 1 qualifier was great and it was good to be back,” said Brittany.

* * * *

FULL THROTTLE POINT STANDINGS

FUNNY CAR – 1. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 121; 2. Ron Capps, 94; 3. Bob Tasca III, 78; 4. Jack Beckman, 74; 5. Del Worsham, 59; 6. Matt Hagan, 57; 7. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 56; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 51; 9. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 43; 10. Tony Pedregon, 33; 10. Jim Head, 33.

TOP FUEL – 1. Larry Dixon, 122; 2. Doug Kalitta, 96; 3. Cory McClenathan, 86; 4. Tony Schumacher, 81; 5. Shawn Langdon, 55; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 52; 6. Antron Brown, 52; 6. Troy Buff, 52; 9. Morgan Lucas, 36; 10. Steve Torrence, 34; 10. Thomas Nataas, 34.

PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 130; 2. Greg Anderson, 95; 3. Allen Johnson, 78; 4. Larry Morgan, 71; 5. Rodger Brogdon, 54; 6. Greg Stanfield, 53; 7. Justin Humphreys, 51; 7. Shane Gray, 51; 9. Jeg Coughlin, 42; 10. Ron Krisher, 39.

THE DRIVERS

JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 4.066 seconds, 310.41 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +5 (quickest of Q2 and 2nd quickest of Q4)
Race Results: Beat Bob Bode, Ashley Force Hood, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps
Quotable: “I live this game. You race a kid like (Ron) Capps and up against Schumacher Racing. They are tough. You have to just keep your focus. We have shuffled our team around. Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly they have teamed up with Mike Neff. All them together with Jimmy Prock, John Medlen, Guido and Ron Douglas they were all in the think tank trying to figure me out. Just seeing the younger generation with the older generation it works. My change worked.” – JOHN FORCE

ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 27, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 6th at 4.093 seconds, 310.70 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +2 (third quickest of Q1 and Q3)
Race Results: Beat Tim Wilkerson. Lost to John Force
Quotable: “The best part was that I was racing against one of my own teammates. So if I had to lose at least one of my teammates went on. I felt bad for dad because he was getting a lot of mixed signals. He wasn’t sure what was going on. I was at least just getting my information from Ron. I didn’t know what was going on but I knew what I was supposed to be doing. That is a good feeling for a driver.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD

ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 1st at 4.059 seconds, 312.86 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +5 (quickest of Q1, 2nd quickest of Q3)
Race Results: Lost to Cruz Pedregon
Quotable: “Jimmy is still baffled that we smoked the tires. Even after looking at the data. The tires weren’t hot. I had it perfectly lined up in the center of the groove. I knew I left on it. I saw the amber. It felt awesome. I pedaled it and got back on it and it hooked. When it does that usually it goes. I stayed in it and then all of a sudden it turned sideways so I lifted.” – ROBERT HIGHT

BRITTANY FORCE, 23, BrandSource A Fuel Dragster
Final Qualifying: 1st at 5.293 seconds, 268.82 mph
Race Results: Beat Brooks Brown. Lost to Shawn Cowie
Quotable: “That race was really close. We have had a great car all weekend. It has been pretty consistent. I could see I was coming up right against him and I knew he was right there. Getting the no. 1 qualifier was great and it was good to be back.” – BRITTANY FORCE

COURTNEY FORCE, 21, BrandSource/Ford A Fuel Dragster
Final Qualifying: 2nd at 5.302 seconds, 251.39 mph
Race Results: Lost to Art Trautman
Quotable: “I was hoping it would be a good straight solid run. It had some tire shake and that drove me over to the center line. My helmet kind of fell down on me and I couldn’t see very well. That is when I lifted. I tried to pedal it and get right back into it when I got my vision back. Right when I did that my wheel was over and I hit a couple of cones. I did my best to drive it back into my lane. That is when I let off again.” – COURTNEY FORCE

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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com

Ashley Force-Hood Video Preview: 2010 NHRA Season

I can’t say it’s cool when you enter the John Force Racing compound. It’s OVERWHELMING! The people, the parts, the action, I love it!

We (Pikesan and Swanee) first entered the pit area of John Force, Ashley Force-Hood and NHRA Champion Robert Hight at the test and tune at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ to find every team working feverishly, even though, racing for the night was done. It’s obvious, this team works well together, everyone knows their job and they’re ready to rock for the Winternationals in Pomona.

As a huge fan of the NHRA, especially the John Force Racing team, meeting and talking to Austin Coil, then having a short sit down with the charming, yet #2 in the world funny car racer, Ashley Force-Hood was a dream come true. It’s a sure sign that the JFR team loves their fans.

So dig this short interview of loveliest lady of motorsports (Danica, it ain’t even close!) Ashely Force-Hood. After making several full passes, I found her listening to the Vikings, Saints game on TV while working on her laptop.

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It takes a strong woman to compete in a male dominated sport, then to be a calm and professional (one take’s all you need!) as Ashley.  About 20 minutes before the interview above, she did this:

I gotta thank the John Force Racing team for getting us so close to the starting line!

No doubt who we’ll be rooting for in the 2010 season of NHRA drag racing.  The season kicks off with the fabled and now 50th, Winternationals in Pomona, CA on February 11-14.  Take your honey to the race… I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentines Day!

Who else is rooting for John Force, Ashley and Robert Hight? Let us know!

1969 Nostalgia Drag Videos from the US Nationals

Every once in a while when cruising Youtube, you find gold. I found it five times with these 5 videos from the “Big Go” the US Nationals from Indianapolis, Indiana from way back in 1969 when they just called it, “The Nationals”. Called the “Tournament of Champions” and presented by Hurst Performance Center you’ll hear the late great voice of drag racing Steve Evans narrating.  The videography’s cool too. You’ll have no doubt, this is the late 60’s!

Even cooler for me is that these are from 1969! The year I was born and like me, they’re about to have their 20th birthday, again.

I haven’t heard a single drag racer, especially the current pros, mention any other race ahead of the US Nationals. This is THE race of the year and it looks like it has been for 40 years.

Enjoy these 5 nostalgia drag racing videos from before corporate sponsors and big dollar teams. The 4-speed bang’n, the tire smoking, the love of drag racing shows clear.

Here’s part 1:
Featuring the intro and credits. Don’t want watch the first minute of this one, then skip on to your next internet destination! This part also includes some great wheels up action clips and an explanation of the “Hurst-aid Center” supplied by Hurst at the race. This is the start of what Steve Evans calls, “The psychedelic kaleidoscope of action!” in part 2.

Part2 -
Featuring the fashion and people of 1969 drag racing including one of the most wicked comb-overs I’ve ever seen. The camera takes a double take on this dude! Then there’s non-stop wheelstanding front engine dragsters and blower explosions making me wonder how’d they see with a face full of fuel and oil? Then, it’s an intro to the “stockers”.

Part3-
Featuring “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and the parade of trophy queens and the top fuel qualifiers then racing starts. It’s Danny Ongais at the wheel of Micky Thompson’s  Mach 1 Mustang  then Bruce Larson driving the “USA-1″ Camaro funny car racing current drag race team owner Don Schumacher driving his “Stardust” Barracuda. Next it’s Connie Kallita’s “Bounty Hunter” cammer powered Mustag funny car racing “Big John” Mazmanian’s Cuda funny car.  The top fuel racing starts with Garlits accidentally turning off his car during staging and losing the race then Don Prudhomme’s engine blowing win.

Part4-
Featuring Ronnie Sox and Dick Landy, the Candies and Hughes funny car, a “ride-a-long” with legendary Altered “Pure Hell” then “Ohio” George Montgomery’s blown 1969 Mustang funny car (recently sold at RM’s Icons of Speed and Style auction for $132k) Not sure if this one or Part 3’s my favorite.

Part5-
This one’s all about the finals. The first is Ohio George’s nasty Mustang racing a Hemi powered altered. What was Super Eliminator anyway? There’s also a pair of wagons racing for the $6000 purse in Stock. You know I love the wagons! Then you get the bizarre story or Top Gas winner Santucci who set low ET while unconscious from choking on his gum in the car. They thought he was having a heart attack and took him to the hospital! Finally, the video ends with a ride-along camera split screen as Don Prudhomme wins his 2nd Nationals title.

In case you’re wondering who won, here are the winners by category (heard of any of these folks? WOW!):

• Top Fuel Winner Don Prudhomme, Runner-up Kelly Brown
• Top Gas Winner Domenic Santucci, Runner-up Phil Hobbs;
  
• Funny Car Winner Danny Ongais, Runner-up Rich Siroonian
• Super Eliminator Winner George Montgomery, Runner-up Ron Ellis
• Competition Eliminator Winner Terry Fritsch, Runner-up Neil Ellis
• Street Winner Glen Self; Runner-up Carroll Caudle
• Super Stock Winner Ronnie Sox, Runner-up Ron Mancini
• Stock Winner Bill Morgan; Runner-up Tom Neja

Gotta thank Youtube member DragStripRiot who also represents Drag Strip Girl clothing for loading these GREAT videos.

NHRA Museum Happenings: Wrap up 2009

If you’ve never been to the NHRA Motorsports Museum, GO! If you haven’t been in a while, GO BACK!! It’s always changing with new cars and interesting people wondering through.

NHRA Motorsports Museum Calendar of Events

(Nov. through Dec. 2009)

Thursday, Nov. 12

Ø       Auto Club NHRA Finals Begin www.nhra.com

Ø       Museum Open House 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – extended hours and admission is free.

Friday, Nov. 13

Ø       Museum Open House – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Ø       New Exhibit Opening – 3 p.m. FREE

Ø       Drag Racing Celebrity Book Signing – 5 p.m. FREE

Ø       Night of Champions/Auto Club Q&A with NHRA racers – 6 p.m. FREE

Saturday, Nov. 14

Ø       Museum Open House – 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Ø       Racing Collectible Show – 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. $5 Admission.

Sunday, Nov. 15

Ø       Museum Open House 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Admission is free.

Free Museum admission and extended weekend hours during Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15. Free Tram Service from Pomona Raceway (Gate J) to Museum.

Wednesday, Dec. 2

Ø       Annual Holiday Twilight Cruise and Toy Drive

4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is Free!

Bring a new, unwrapped toy for disadvantaged kids of the Pomona Valley.

Saturday, Dec. 12

Ø       Retro Holiday Slide Show with Charles Phoenix

8 p.m.
Fee – Tickets available online at Retro Holiday Slide Show Tickets

For more information, please contact the Museum at 909-622-2133 or visit us online at www.museum.nhra.com.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Gate 1/Fairplex, Pomona, CA 91768

Shelby 350H – Unrestored and 30 Years Racing

It’s easy to like iconic muscle cars like a Mustang, especially when it’s a true Shelby. Add to that it’s an original Hertz Shelby and I’m a little more curious. Without much effort, I can see a young man strolling up the Hertz counter (long before internet reservations!) and asking for a 1966 Mustang GT 350H.  “Yes, I would like the optional insurance.”

If you’ve seen a perfectly restored 350H or any Shelby Mustang, they’re obviously valuable and visually, they’re cool. You’re likely to see one a concours show or more likely at auction. But for me, (and I hope most of you) I look twice when it’s driven! I wanna hear it run! Beyond that, there’s the rarest of rare: The unrestored racing Shelby.

The first unrestored race Shelby I saw was out of pure luck. I was invited to an anniversary celebration for Bob Bondurant at the Bondurant Racing School of High Performance Driving. A treat in itself no doubt.  We drove the Mustangs he had back then (the ’stangs were later replaced by Corvettes) then he gave an interesting talk. After, we all went outside to see a plain white trailer had pulled up and was unloading an unrestored 289 Cobra.  When I say unrestored, I mean it probably had the original oil in it from the last time Bondurant raced, and won, in it back in 19-sixty-something.  Dented, scratch and rough around the edges describes it perfectly. It even had some in-field pea gravel in the cockpit from that last race track. It was the most unique car I’ve ever seen.  Bob fired it up and took a few hot laps. I’ll never forget it.

That brings me to the second unrestored Shelby I’ve seen. I found it at the Orange County “Cruisin for a Cure” car show.  It was parked discretely in line with a few other cars. Not much to see in the plain white 66 that could use a little detailing. Most people walked right by, but I talked to the owner, Randy Gillis, when I saw the 350H on the side. Randy’s owned the car for 30 years and he’s the 3rd owner including Hertz as the first.  For that entire 30 years, he’s been racing it.
The front calipers are aluminum not the rotors. I am using the original auto trans for the car although modified as you can imagine. The rear gear is 5.29. The car weighs 2830 in it’s current configuration. Every piece of sheet metal is original to the car. No new floor pans or any thing else. Next in line is a little bigger roller cam and a trans brake to squeeze the et into the 10’s. Then the engine will be swapped for an all aluminum 374 ci Boss 302 I am now building. Only the paint work was farmed out , I’ve done all the rest myself.

The current non original hipo 289 block has been filled with a stroker crank which gives 331 ci. This engine was first built with the Tunnel Port 302 heads but later were replaced by Edelbrock Victor Jrs. I use the Trans Am dual four barrel intake and a roller cam. The best time with this engine is 11.15@120 mph. The best ever was 10.75@125 with a stroked (351ci) Boss 302. A host of Ford experimental parts like the GT40 distributor and damper and experimental carb. There’s also some lightweight goodies like aluminum front calipers and he’s even got the original 1965 Cure-Ride 90/10 up-lock front shocks.

Randy sent over an update for the story and added this:

I am using the original auto trans for the car although modified as you can imagine. Next in line is a little bigger roller cam and a trans brake to squeeze the ET into the 10’s with the 5.29 rear gear and the car’s weight at 2830 lbs. Then the engine will be swapped for an all aluminum 374 ci Boss 302 I am now building.  Every piece of sheet metal is original to the car. No new floor pans or any thing else. Only the paint work was farmed out, I’ve done all the rest myself.

Yea, this Shelby was a outta place at the car show. It didn’t belong in a museum or tucked away in a private collectors garage. It belongs at the track and I bet that’ll be the next place I see it, if I’m that lucky again. Thanks Randy! This car is, My Ride is Me!

Please leave your comments on this story below.

Up Close and Personal with 80 “Icons of Speed and Style”

Not all of you ladies and gents can imagine a car being raised to the status of an icon or art form. In fact I haven’t always myself. However, the more I get to work on and see cars, the more enamored I’m becoming. After attending RM Auctions “Icons of Speed and Style” my car love-o-meter has just shot through the roof!

An auction doesn’t sound that exciting you say? What if I told you that all of the 80 iconic cars being sold in this no-reserve auction were available to peruse up close and personal? Yep… you could even touch em’! At most car shows, the best cars are roped off to keep you admiring from a distance. There were no ropes at the Friday preview before RM’s “Icons of Speed and Style” auction at The Peterson Museum in Los Angeles, California.

With nearly seven million dollars being drawn in by the auction, people putting out the money needed to really see what they were paying for. So when I arrived during preview day, I was able to get as close as I wanted to each car. With 80 cars to look at, my head was spinning and I didn’t know what direction to go first! I felt like a little kid in a candy store.

As I walked around trying not to drool, I began taking notice of who else was there. Some people seemed excited, others were strictly business. I overheard many sentimental comments of “Remember when…” or “Remember that car that….” Who has this sort of money and spends it on cars like these? There were businessmen doing the work for someone else, moneyed looking older folks, and of course a few Japanese… they go wild in Tokyo over hot rods! But there were also some regular looking car people. In fact, I met a few guys who had previously owned and restored some of the cars present!

While the theme to the Pink Panther played in the background, my mind wandered to hair-brained heists and I began feeling a little villainous. Looking at Deora, my surprise favorite, I imagined getting inside, swinging the swiveling steering wheel in front of me and driving out the front doors. Could I get away with it? Would anyone notice? I don’t imagine the cops would have too hard of a time finding me driving that masterpiece around LA!

So rather than becoming a felon, I satiated myself with the fact that I could examine all 80 of these cars as much as I wanted to. When else would I get the chance to check out the unique engine set-up of Ed Roth’s “Road Agent” or look underneath at the belly pan of the Khougaz Lakes Roadster?!? I nearly wanted to jump through the window of General Lee and was considering taking a try at the backseat of Elvis’ Lincoln Continental Limo, but I thought better of it.

While not too many folks were around for preview day, I heard auction day was standing room only! Though everyone was betting on Deora to take home top pocket, it was beat out by the surprise bidding on the “Little Red Wagon” of Bill “Maverick” Golden drag racing fame. The pre-sale estimate of this wheel-standing truck was $200,000 to $300,000 but a surprise bidder overshot everyone with a winning $550,000 bid! The Deora did well also at $324,500, making it the second highest grossing sale.

If only you could have been there, for only $132,000 you could have driven home in the 1969 Ford Mustang “Mr. Gasket Gasser.” Since ya weren’t there and I’m guessing you probably don’t have that kinda change lying around, good thing I took a lot of pictures. You can check them all out in the MyRideisMe.com Icons of Speed and Style picture gallery. Hopefully they’ll inspire you to what skill, engineering, and invention can build.

As I took one last glance at all these beauties under one roof, I couldn’t help but imagine all the history and personal stories that went with them. I walked outside, took a seat in my own work-in-progress 1955 Studebaker Champion, and was glad to be rolling down the asphalt in a classic. She may not be as iconic as the 80 that were up for auction – but to me she’s just as special.

You can also see the full auction results at RM Auctions homepage or some high quality pre-auction pictures featured in the  Icons of Speed preview story.

Leave a comment and let us know which one you would’ve like to go home with or what result surprised you the most!

Hot Rod Honda Looking For Crazy 8’s

If I were to tell you about a drag car that made about 1100 horsepower, weighed 2,550 lbs with driver and has run a best of 9.0 seconds at 170.97 mph in the quarter, would you think of a Honda Civic?    That’s exactly what we have here.  This Civic hatchback is owned and built by Chris Miller from NRG Tech out of New York.  It started its automotive life as a commuter car getting high 30’s mpg as all Civic’s do.

When you get right down to it, the Honda Civic can be compared to cars in the hot rod world like the Ford Falcon, Chevy Nova II or even 30’s Ford Coupe.  What, “am I crazy” you ask?!  Yes I am, Car Crazy, but just follow me on this path for a minute.  Consider 30’s Fords came with 4 cylinders and were the average Joe’s vehicle (as average as a 1930’s car owner was since they likely had more money than average…).  30’s Fords are now seen with every V8 imaginable, go 200+ on Salt Flats, sub 10 seconds on the 1320 and now even the race track/autocross (a la Factory Five’s ‘33 Hot Rod Kit car).  In the mid-1960’s, the Falcon and Nova came with econo inline 6’s and were the base economy car in their day.  Now look at Falcon’s and Nova’s!  They get swapped with V8’s big and small.  Because of their lightweight and engine swaps from bigger cars, they become the ultimate drag or street car.

Getting back to Miller’s Civic hatch, this car came with a 1.6L SOHC inline 4 cylinder making about 100hp.  It may have not even had A/C, power windows or Cruise Control.  The Civic hatch is the epitome of economy and “Civility”.  Chris and NRG Tech have done what all hotrodders do.  Take the drivetrain from a more sporty sibling.  In this case the 1994-2001 Acura/Honda Integra GSR and Type R came with 1.8L DOHC fours making 170-195hp or the 99-00 Civic Si which made 160hp.

Chris says this about what’s under the hood, “The power setup is NRG Tech’s spec’d 1200 hp B-series long block package and a small 72 mm turbo (regulated by the rules of the Outlaw class) with engine management currently handled by Motec. 1.9 liters is currently fed a healthy 40-45 lbs of boost, depending on track conditions.  Without a dyno pull, Chris estimates by fuel calculations, it should be making around 1100 hp and close to 700 foot lbs. We would like to thank Precision Turbo for their constant support and their dedication to the improvement of their products.”

The “magic” is in the MOTEC computer tuning.  That’s the only way to get a small 4 cylinder to make over 1000hp on a consistent, reliable basis.

Chris says “The car started out as a street car running 10’s.   I just wanted to keep pushing the envelope and see how far I could get a street car to go. I never dreamed it would be where it is now when I started with it in 2007.”

Thanks to Chris and the NRG Tech crew for sharing their race car with us at MyRideisMe.com.  This is a clean looking Civic (that cool camo is vinyl from konstantdesign.com) that performs like a true hot rod.  Some traditional hotrodders may not dig this car, but you gotta admit, it takes the same passion for racing and cars and the same hotrodding tricks to go this fast with an economy car.  I love it!  What do you guys think?  Let us know with a comment below!

Hechtspeed

How-To: Bullitt Gas Cap On A Late Model Mustang

Leave a comment below… Why should you win? That’s all there is to it!

Want to add a little “Frank Bullitt” style to your late model Mustang?  AmericanMuscle has just the accessory for you!  The slick looking aluminum Bullitt gas cap is the first modification you need before you start jumping your ’stang on the streets of San Fran’ a la Steve McQueen.

MyRideisMe.com provides the installation guide of a Bullitt gas cap on a 1994 Dark Green Mustang GT (McQueen would dig it!).  The Mustang you see here might look subtle but it packs a punch at the dragstrip, with its horseman banging the gears to a best of 12.85 @ 106mph on 8″ slicks and stock motor and cam.  This Bullitt gas cap will let those Camaros know this is no ordinary pony.

Follow along as we take you through the installation.  It’s very straight forward and can be done by a novice with simple hand tools in about 30-45 minutes.

Step 1: Open the box and make sure everything is accounted for and in good shape (nuts, studs, lock nuts, washers, magnets, cap and ring).  AmericanMuscle is pretty good about getting you a good unit if yours happened to be damaged or missing a component (ours was missing one of the magnets).

Step 2: Here’s the tools you’ll need;  T-20 Torx bit, 7mm wrench and socket/ratchet, allen set and a file/sandpaper/dremel.

Step 3: Remove the 2 Torx head bolts from the stock cap which attach the cap to the body and you’re ready for the Bullitt cap.

Step 4: Using the allen wrench, remove the investment cast hooks from the bullet cap.  They’ll need to be turned around 180 degrees and reinstalled onto the car/cap.  Our hooks required very minor deburring of the castings where the pins eject the part out of the mold.

Step 5:  Remove the “bumpers” with the T-20 torx bit, trim the bumpers just above the bolt head as seen in this picture (cut or grind about 3/16 ” off the end).

Step 6:  Slip the unit into place, put the studs in stock holes and re-attach the cast aluminum hooks and tighten with the allen wrench.

Step 7:  Install stock gas tank cap plastic lanyard first, then a washer, followed by the nut, then the lock nut using a 7mm socket /ratchet.

Step 8:  Finally tighten the lower stud using a 7mm wrench.  This takes a minute or two because there’s limited access.  Just take your time here and patience will pay off shortly.

The install is short and sweet and gives your Mustang a slick, purposeful look.  Steve McQueen would be proud!  Get your Bullitt gas cap at AmericanMuscle today.

Hechtspeed

Ron Capps’ Top Five Most Influential Funny Cars

Back for 2009 with Don Shumacher Racing, Ron Capps is in his fifth full season with Shoe’s team driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T for the 2nd time and of course, his crew chief is long time friend, Ed “Ace” McCulloch.

Born in San Luis Obispo Capps has always been a So-Cal guy and now lives with his wife and their daughter and son in Carlsbad, CA. With a B.S. in Software Engineering from Santa Clara college, Capps joined the NHRA super-team of Don Schumacher Racing, in 2005 to drive the Brut-sponsored Dodge Charger Funny Car. With Schumacher, he’s won eight national events and finshed 2nd in 2005, 3rd in 2006, and 4th in 2007. He’s hoping to turn that trend around for 2009

Capps joined DSR after driving for longtime friend and team owner Don Prudhomme. DSR is only the second Funny Car team for whom he’s driven since entering the nitro classes in 1995.

Since 1995 Capps has collected 25 wins in 54 final rounds, in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He’s been close, but has never won it all after claiming that crown, finishing as Funny Car runner-up in 1998, 2000 and 2005. He’s hoping his ongoing commitment to Don Schumacher will offer him the best opportunity to achieve his goal. With Nitro running through his veins, here’s Ron Capps Top 5 most influential Funny Cars…

Ron Capps Top 5 Funny Cars

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