J U LY 2 0 2 2 No. 2 2 7 $4.99 REBORN AS A RESTOMOD COPPERHEAD ’69 DART SWINGER 340 STARSKY & HUTCH NEW F-BODY UPGRADES PERIOD PERFECT ’S6T5OGCTKO, BRUATGNTOOPT STRIPED TOMATO TORINO STEALTH SUSPENSION DAY 2 CHEVELLE
Stand on the Gas. Trick Flow ups the ante of big block Mopar performance with these PowerPort® 270 cylinder heads. They feature raised 270cc Max Wedge-style intake runners that provide a straighter path to the valve for greatly improved airflow over factory Mopar heads. Then there’s the PowerPort 270’s other standard features: A356-T61 aluminum construction, CNC Competition Ported runners and chambers, 2.190\"/1.760\" stainless valves, beefed-up rocker shaft bosses, PAC Racing Pacaloy™ valve springs, ductile iron valve seats, and bronze alloy valve guides. For the finishing touch, the heads work in total harmony with all factory-style big block pistons, roller rockers, and headers. Dyno Results Lift Value Airflow Results Exhaust Flow CFM .100\" PowerPort 270 .200\" PowerPort 270 .300\" Test Engine: 10.15:1 compression Mopar 505 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 270 cylinder heads .400\" Intake Flow CFM (TFS-61617802-C01), Trick Flow Track Max® hydraulic roller camshaft (TFS-61602003), Trick Flow .500\" retro-fit hydraulic roller lifters (TFS-21400011), Harland Sharp 1.6 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms .600\" 72 58 (CSP-S70016KE), port matched Trick Flow Track Heat® intake manifold (TFS-61600113), 950 cfm .700\" 154 130 carburetor, Trick Flow billet aluminum carburetor spacer (TFS-2141501B), 93 octane pump gas, Hooker headers with 2\" primaries, 31⁄2\" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. 230 186 288 222 322 243 343 253 352 262 Tests conducted at 28\" of water (pressure). Bore size: 4.350\"; exhaust with 2\" pipe. Your Recipe for Big Block Mopar Performance! New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients. Track Max® Camshaft Get an even bigger power boost with a Track Max camshaft. With 243°/247° of duration at .050\" and .600\"/.600\" of valve lift, it’s dyno proven to provide a good midrange with strong top-end power in the 3,000–6,500 RPM range. Cast Aluminum Valve Covers Treat your build to cast aluminum valve covers! Made from durable A319 aluminum, they are much less prone to flex than stamped steel covers to prevent oil leaks. Plus, the covers clear most roller rocker arms, have added clearance for the distributor, and can be drilled to accept breathers. It doesn’t hurt that they are pretty darn good-looking too! Track Heat® Intake Manifolds For those who demand maximum performance, these high-rise single plane Track Heat intakes feature a one-piece spider-type design with extended, high-flow runners and raised plenum floors to significantly increase power and torque in the 3,000–7,000 plus RPM range. Other bonuses include bosses for nitrous nozzles and extra material for custom port work. TrickFlow.com • 1-330-630-1555 2207HMTF Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations. Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations.
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ONTENTS VOLUME 19 • ISSUE 10 • #227 30 PERSPECTIVE MARKETPLACE 06 TERRY McGEAN 64 AUCTION ACTION 10 BACKFIRE 68 AUCTION NEWS 72 JIM McGOWAN 70 HEMMINGSAUCTIONS.COM FEATURES 22 TECH 08 PRODUCTION LINE 46 46 TECH: 14 MODIFIED: Second-Generation 1969 Dodge Dart F-body Suspension Upgrade Swinger 340 56 ASK RAY 22 STOCK: 58 SWAP MEET 1965 Pontiac GTO 60 GEAR 30 MODIFIED: 62 THE GOODS 1976 Ford Gran Torino Starsky & Hutch Replica SPOTLIGHT: Restomods 38 MODIFIED: 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Day Two Tribute ON THE COVER: Copperhead, the ’69 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 built by KTL Customs for late owner Bill Stanfield, as photographed by John Jackson.
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TAiruetsh&enWtihceLeoloskFsor PUBLISHER Jonathan Shaw, President When you want correct looks for your classic Muscle Car, then Universal Tire is your tire and wheel headquarters. We have the correct tires and wheels for EDITORIAL Muscle Cars, so shop online or call us today to speak to our vintage tire pros! Douglas R. Glad, Head of Editorial Terry McGean, Editor-in-Chief endable Vintage Tire Sales & Service Since1968. Mike McNessor, Editor, Hemmings Motor News Mike Austin, Director of Digital Content, Hemmings Daily OUR TIRE PROS ARE HERE TO HELP SHOP OUR SITE! Kurt Ernst, Managing Editor Matthew Litwin, Senior Editor 1-877-217-2553 SCAN WITH PHONE CAMERA Mark J. McCourt, Senior Editor David Conwill, Associate Editor UNIVERSALTIRE.COM Jeff Koch, West Coast Associate Editor Daniel Strohl, Web Editor Roberta Conroy, Graphic Designer Joshua Skibbee, Graphic Designer Tom Comerro, Editorial Assistant Editorial Contributors: Ray T. Bohacz, Chuck Hanson, Scotty Lachenauer, Jim McGowan, Jim O’Clair VIDEO PRODUCTION Mike Musto, New Media Director ADVERTISING Jaclyn Sunseri, VP, Media Revenue Sales Multimedia Sales: Melanie Barsness, Tammy Bredbenner, Rowland George, Heather Naslund, Tim Redden, Nathan Sutton Robin Burdge, Ad Trafficker HEMMINGS DIGITAL Nate Wardwell, Director of Digital Product Mark Nordyke, Director of Engineering Clayton Allen, Web Developer Robert Hayman, Web Developer Jeremy Meerwarth, Web Developer David Richied, Web Developer Clara Poston, UX Designer Wayne Archer, Quality Assurance MARKETING Dan Stoner, Creative Director OPERATIONS Jennifer Sandquist, Director of Operations Classified Sales: Leslie Benjamin, Lauren Bredbenner, Mary Brott, Missy Telford Graphic Services: Samantha Corey, Graphic Services Director Christopher Brown, Carrie Houlihan, Todd Koch, Stephanie Rawling, Mathew Sargent Information Services: Gregory Hunter, IS Director Facilities: Joe Masia, Facilities Manager Brad Babson, Paul Bissonette, Matt Williams CIRCULATION Scott Smith, Circulation Director David Argentieri, Claudia Birkland, DeLena Boutin, Glory Daignault, Alaina Krawczyk, Eddi Lynn Loveland, Darcy Lyle, Merri Mattison, Nathanial Stanley HEMMINGS AUCTIONS Terry Shea, Director of Auction Operations Auctions Specialists: Allen Boulet, Karissa Crandall, Nicole Deuel, Chris Drayton, Raina Kosich, Chad Thompson ADMINISTRATION Brandy Smith, Administrative Assistant HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES ISSN# 1550-0691 • www.hemmings.com Published monthly by Hemmings • 222 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201 TO SUBSCRIBE: Online: www.hemmings.com/subscribe Mail: 222 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201 Mail: PO Box 2000, Bennington, VT 05201 E-mail: [email protected] Subscription rates in the US and Possessions; 12 issues for $18.95. Canada $30.95; (CDN price includes surface mail and GST tax). All other countries $32.95 in US funds. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 76, Bennington, VT 05201, or call 800-227-4373. TO ADVERTISE: Online: www.hmn.com/sell E-mail: [email protected] Periodicals Postage Paid at Bennington, Vermont and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Hemmings Muscle Machines, PO Box 2000, Bennington, VT 05201 Hemmings Muscle Machines is a publication of American City Business Journals, Inc., 120 West Morehead St, Charlotte, NC 28202 Ray Shaw, Chairman (1989-2009) Whitney Shaw, CEO 4 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
TERRY McGEAN [email protected] • Instagram @tmcgean Reminders of the Reasons W hen the bolt fell out and clinked its way down into the engine bay without For the rest of that day, we tackled various mala- making the welcome sound of hitting dies on the T-37 — some we’d anticipated, some we the pavement below, I stepped back and discovered in the process. To plenty of onlookers, this car appeared every bit the boneyard refugee asked myself, “Why?” it really was, but the group of us enthusiastically Not why had the bolt fallen out — I already knew laboring to get it sorted all seemed to take a liking to that. What I wanted to know was, why do I keep the weathered Pontiac. doing this? Why do I keep willingly spending my And therein was the common bond — a bunch of free time working on old cars only to wind up gearheads happily getting greasy while struggling aggravated? Hadn’t I learned anything in the with 50-year-old fasteners buried in accumulated 30-plus years I’ve been at this? I could be sitting on grime, all just to get this relic in better shape so the couch right now, instead of crawling around on that it could accomplish the unlikely and traverse my driveway trying to nd that damn bolt. several hundred miles over the following few days. I stood there for a few minutes, re ecting on all The Roadkill traveling circus hit the road and eventu- the time I’d spent rolling around on that piece of ally reached its planned destination — you’ll have to pavement over the past few years, trying to x one watch the episode when it airs to see what trans- of the daily drivers, attempting to counter the effects pired. Come to think of it, so will we. of too many winters. That work was done out of It was an enjoyable experience, and timely, serv- What I necessity, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant. ing to help recharge my drive to keep messing wanted to know was, But on this day, I’d been working on my ’67 around with vintage iron even when the objectives why do Camaro. It was the kind of wrenching I ought to don’t necessarily make clear sense. Almost as if to I keep doing this? enjoy — working on the “fun” car to make it better, reinforce those thoughts, a day or so later, I stopped instead of laboring on a workaday conveyance to in at a local tavern to see a friend, and there at the keep it running. Yet, there I was, questioning why bar was a young guy wearing a Roadkill T-shirt. I’d ever gotten involved in such things. The show’s crew had been in that very bar just a Then, a few days later, I had the opportunity to few nights before, after we’d wrapped up work on catch up with a couple friends I hadn’t seen in years the Pontiac. When we showed the young fan and to work on their old car. It was the guys from the his buddy the phone pics from that evening, they video show Roadkill, who’d decided to start one proceeded to tell us about their circle of gearhead of their next road trips from Vermont, and what friends and how they’d been gathering together for better place than Hemmings? Some years back, I’d years to thrash on some project car that they would worked with Roadkill host David Freiburger when I then road trip to a big car cruise down at the shore. was a technical editor at Hot Rod magazine. David It was another reminder for me of why we all do and I had spent many hours in the company shop this sort of thing — the camaraderie enjoyed during working on projects together back then, often until these sessions is as much a part of the reason for the wee hours as deadlines loomed and the wrench- engaging in the projects as the outcome of the ing had to be completed so the pending magazine work itself. story could be written. For the Roadkill journey, A day or so later, I got a call from another friend David’s co-host was Steve Dulcich, another friend telling me he was about to purchase a ’68 Camaro I’d worked with back in California, and who’d also that was in nice shape. He texted some images and spent lots of time working on project cars. wanted to know what I thought ought to be done For this trip, the guys had shipped a ’71 Pontiac to it. I started rattling off a list of things to check, T-37 coupe, a car they had literally pulled from a parts to replace, and items to think about upgrad- Western junkyard a couple years prior before reviv- ing; without hesitating, I suggested we get together ing it and getting it back on the road. The Pontiac with a couple of the other guys in that circle to plan had been in storage for a while since then and a “wrench day” to dive into the Camaro. needed some attention to ready it for the planned So, yeah, I’ve remembered why I do this, and I’ve travel around New England. Once David and gured out the part I’ve been doing wrong there Steve arrived at Hemmings, they set to work in my own driveway: working alone. It’s probably and soon enlisted me and some of the rest of the time to set a wrench day for my place and get back Hemmings staff and our extended crew to assist. to the good part of turning wrenches.
CONSIGN TODAY | JUNE 30-JULY 2 | LAS VEGAS | 480.421.6694 1967 FORD MUSTANG ELEANOR TRIBUTE EDITION This is an officially licensed and certified Eleanor Tribute Edition, powered by a Ford Performance Coyote 5.0-liter engine mated to a TKO 600 6-speed manual transmission with a Centerforce clutch. Features Eleanor body VIN plate and emblems. No Reserve. SELL YOUR COLLECTOR CAR WHERE THE BIDDERS ARE Over 270 Auction Records Broken So Far In 2022 Contact a consignment specialist at Barrett-Jackson.com or 480.421.6694 Experience the Barrett-Jackson Auctions live exclusively ALL THE CARS, ALL THE TIME. on A+E Networks’ FYI and HISTORY channels. Streamed live on Barrett-Jackson.com Consign. Bid. Experience. Barrett-Jackson.com
PRODUCTION LINE from connectivity (standard Bluetooth, by Jeff Koch satellite radio, wi-fi hot spot, MP3 player, et al.) to comfort items like navigation, MEATY, BEATY, AND BIG—BUT NOT BOUNCY adaptive cruise control, heated and In the Southwest, the pickup is king. displacement translates to 213 cubic cooled front seats, remote engine start — There are plenty of hot cars around, inches, so Raptor makes 2.11 horsepower the list feels endless. It’s plush enough but if you really want to get noticed, per cubic inch. It sounds like it would in here, and on the road as well, that it you get a truck. We don’t mean some be a screamer. Alas, even with its might as well have a Lincoln badge on SUV with a fancy foreign badge and aluminum-intensive construction, the tailgate—but if people are plumping tires that look like they’d be afraid to Raptor weighs a shocking 3 tons at for 85 large on something with a Ford touch desert sand—we mean a truck. the curb, with driver, so the effect is badge, why bother? The less subtle, the better. Ford’s Raptor somewhat blunted. Off the line, the has practically owned the market for a turbos kick in at low-enough revs that We tried some mild desert bashing decade now. you hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds, in our photo sample. The ground but there’s enough truck around you was largely flat, save for some areas Like the F-150 it’s based on, Raptor that you never quite feel that fast. Once carved away by drainage flowing out has been subjected to a steady diet of you’re on the trot, passing is a dawdle— of a couple of nearby neighborhoods, improvements, innovations, size gain, boost is instant if you’re looking to put which made for some dramatic drops and weight loss. It’s 86.6 inches wide, some distance between yourself and the in elevation. We readily confess that we requiring those little amber lights in the slowpoke ahead of you. The mandatory aren’t dyed-in-the-wool rock-crawlers, grille to let everyone ahead know that 10-speed automatic transmission’s so what looked challenging to us might a wide load’s a-comin’. The Raptor’s presence is heard through engine revs not to someone more experienced. Even limousine-like 145-inch wheelbase is rather than felt via seat of the pants. so, the Raptor looked at our terrain and longer than an entire Ford Fiesta ST laughed at the paltry excuse for a test (R.I.P.) from bumper to bumper. Its Big speed in a vehicle so tall feels that I’d thrown its way. It just walked track—74 inches in front, 73 inches in unnatural to anyone accustomed to up anything we put in front of it; we back—is a couple of inches narrower cars. Those 37-inch tires suggest that didn’t even need to engage 4WD. than the entire body of a new Mustang. you’re going to be a wobbly mess all Raptor’s overall length is roughly over the road. You’re not. You can drive Atop the $64,145 starting price, our equivalent to the stretched Lincoln the Raptor like a normal car —take Raptor also included Equipment Group limousine that Ronald Reagan used 90 degree turns at the light at speeds 801A (wireless charging, power tilt and during his presidency. Your passenger you’re used to—and you don’t lean telescoping steering column, 360-degree riding shotgun feels like they’re in over so hard that opposing traffic can parking cameras, navigation, towing another ZIP code. So why is the Raptor see your driveshaft, nor do the beefy package with integrated brake trailer in HMM? There are 450 reasons why BFGs squeal for mercy. The tires also control, a Torsen diff in the front axle, tucked under that massive hood. suggest a floaty ride that would isolate LED lighting, an 18-speaker Bang & you from the pavement beneath and Olufsen speaker system, and a whole You may pooh-pooh two turbos and while the ride is limo-smooth, you lot more), which is a lot of goodies for six-cylinder power under the hood, always feel planted thanks in part (we $6,150; the Power Tech package (power but if it’s good enough for the Ford GT, suspect) to the colossal track. retractable running boards, power surely it’s good enough for an F-150? tailgate and tailgate step, and more, The 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft rating We could spend this whole story most of which you’ll probably need should more than make up for any listing the remarkable number of toys unless you’re LeBron James) for $1,995; case of cylinder envy. Raptor’s 3.5-liter included in the cabin, everything the Raptor 37 package (37x12.5R17 tires on forged-aluminum bead-lock-capable wheels, sport-tuned shocks, and a variety of low-gloss carbon-fiber accents dotted around the interior) for an eye- watering $7,500; and a spray-in bedliner for $595. With the $1,695 delivery charge, it stickered for $82,080. The Raptor is both massive and massively capable. The V-8-powered Raptor R is coming and should be an entertaining step up in power. Mean- time, we can’t help but wonder what the suite of goodies seen here would feel like in Ford’s Ranger—a truck that’s 1,500 pounds lighter. 8 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
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BACKFIRE Send your letters, photos and opinions to [email protected] OLeltytemr opfitcheDMreonatmh:s I’m a huge fan of our hobby and of Hemmings. My daughter Kaitlin is a figure skater (ice dancer) on Team USA and just returned from competing in her first Olympic Games in Beijing, where she and her partner Jean Luc Baker placed 11th (she and Jean Luc were first alternates for the previous Olympics). Even before I thought she had a chance of making the Olympic Team, I had always wanted to find a 1972 Sprint Edition Mustang. I was lucky enough to find one several years ago, about 30 miles from me, and was luckier still that it was a Q-code 351 4V. The car is a very respectable driver with 45,000 miles on it. I was able to find the correct blue Lambeth cloth from SMS Fabrics and had my upholsterer keep the original white vinyl and red piping. I have the Marti Report as well as the original factory invoice (also from Marti Autoworks). This Mustang is a non-A/C car, and I didn’t want to install non-OEM air. Instead, I researched dealer-installed options and found that there was a Mustang-specific under-dash unit. After three years of searching and post- ing on different forums, I found the “needle in the haystack.” A gentleman in Western Canada had driven to California back in the ’80s and purchased all the components, but never installed them. They are all brand-new in original boxes. I am hoping to get the A/C installed in my car this year. With my daughter Kaitlin competing in the 2022 Olympics, it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the car and 1972 Olympics. I know you have done a story on the Sprint in the past, so I thought this an appropriate time to share. Jon Hawayek Via email 10 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
PRESERVE THE PATINA? Terry McGean’s May editorial was right on (“A Different Set of Ideals,” HMM #225), as usual. I get the same thing every time I roll my GTO out. People are abhorred that I would want to get it painted, liking it with its burned and faded paint. They think it’s the “patina” and what’s underneath that counts. I drive this car a lot, whereas my restored ’67 Firebird sits on a shelf out of fear. The GTO is a good 15-footer — I just had it out at the Hot August Nights event in Reno. Bob Prichard Via email As I mentioned in that editorial, it can be odd for those of us who’ve been striving for perfect paint (and some of us who’ve achieved it, like you — see Bob’s ’67 Firebird 400 in the July 2009 issue of HMM, #70) to embrace cars with weathered and worn appearance, but that trend is strong, as you’ve found. I appreciate the patina look, and I’m glad it seems to have provided a way to participate in this sect of the hobby with- out having a perfect car. It’s good to see you get to experience perfection and patina! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE I have been noticing a common thread to several of Terry McGean’s columns. Between the lines, one can sense that Terry is basically commenting on the variety of values seen in the members of our collector- car hobby. One that particularly hit me was Terry’s comment in the second paragraph of his HMM December 2021 column about someone who, “…expressed that it was a shame…” that Terry had altered his own Camaro to something other than stock. In the May 2022 HMM, Terry deals with the newer generation of hobbyists and their values, and in the November 2021 issue he mentions, “…the discussion often becomes somewhat polarized among muscle car enthusiasts.” About 40 years ago, I took a “time out” from college studies to attend a car show at the San Francisco Cow Palace. Most of 11JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
the show was comprised of vehicles similar collector in our hobby loves their cars, #224). Do it! The prices are still ridiculously to those found in the pages of any of the whatever type they may be. As we spend low and the C5 is a lot of car for the money. Hemming’s publications. However, set apart time with each of them, we can encourage After playing with Harley Davidsons for from the main show area was a section them, strengthen the unity of our hobby, and the last 25 years, I decided I wanted a comprised of modified vehicles then known perhaps even find ourselves seeing in their convertible — a big-block, four-speed as lowriders. cars what it is that they treasure so much. convertible. Then I saw the prices for a big-block, four-speed convertible anything, I wasn’t planning on viewing those “cars,” Kevan Lesch so my aim changed to just finding a as I could not comprehend as to why anyone Carson City, Nevada manual transmission convertible. Browsing would butcher a perfectly fine automobile Hemmings.com, I found a C5 convertible into a concoction referred to by the owner WHAT ABOUT THE 289? in Texas being offered by a collector was as “their ride.” Fortunately, I was even selling all his manual-shift cars after having poorer then than I am now, and since I had In your May issue, you have a red ’68 a stroke. This one had only 42,000 miles, a paid to get into the show, I wasn’t going to Mustang that looks like mine, minus the six-speed manual, and a host of upgrades leave until I got my money’s worth. stripe and wheels. And, I have an early ’68 including a Lingenfelter-built, Magnuson- with a 289 in it; the later ’68s had 302s. supercharged LS1 pushing 600 hp, a dual- There was a long ramp that descended You said, “For 1968, Ford gently stroked disc clutch, huge slotted and drilled rotors, from the main show floor down to the the 289-cu.in. V-8 by 1⁄8-inch, resulting in a Corsa exhaust, CCW billet wheels, and a lot lowrider section. I can still picture the legendary number in the world of Mustang,” more. I got lucky: It was during the height of remains of once fine cars on display, and I which makes it sound like the 289 didn’t the pandemic and there was no one looking even remember my disgust as I approached exist in 1968 Mustangs. But no worries, I for such a car. I brought it home to Florida, them. But as I drew closer, I couldn’t help love my ’68 and your magazine! went through the typical C5 maladies, and but notice the level of craftsmanship that now it’s in show condition, and more fun had been bestowed on those vehicles. The Bob Stewart to drive than anyone should be allowed to paint, often including airbrushed artwork, Xenia, Ohio have. I got it for less than half of a typical the plating in chrome and even gold, the classic, big-block, convertible, four-speed upholstery, headliners, dashboards… all of it Sorry if we implied something inaccurate anything. was absolutely stunning. The owner of each with that passage, Bob. Our wording wasn’t car, through careful planning, considerable intended to overlook the 289 — we know Thank you for an excellent magazine, I labor and I am sure significant finances, had it was still in use for ’68, but the 302 was truly look forward to its arrival every month. painstakingly changed each machine into the news, and was just starting its long and I highly suggest Hemmings.com to anyone what was his or her ultimate ride. legendary run. looking for a ride. Keep doing what you’re doing, and maybe sprinkle in some late- In most articles in each of Hemming’s LATE-MODEL SOLUTIONS model muscle? Please! publications, there is at least one picture of the owner of the vehicle being covered. It is In the April issue, Corvettes! Yes! Everyone Mike Latkovich probably not something a guy should say, thinks, “Those guys have their own maga- Fort Pierce, Florida but if you look into the eyes of the owner, zines,” but the truth is, we don’t! Corvette you can see how proud they are. How many print mags don’t exist like they used to. Don’t worry, Mike — we’ve covered a times during a show have you stopped to Late-model Corvettes or late-model muscle bunch of later-model cars in these pages ask an owner about their car, and end up in general? No print mags whatsoever, but already and will continue mixing in more. spending far more time than you had initially at least there’s some online content. Thanks! intended because they love to talk about and show off their creation? And how many Terry McGean mentioned picking up a C5 times have you said to them, “Thank you for in a recent column (“Enduring Aura,” HMM bringing your car. You have made the show for me,” and see how it pleases them? Ultimately, our hobby isn’t about the cars. It’s about the people who collect, drive, and show them. In these changing times, we need to find our common bond, which is our love for cars — all cars — and for our fellow hobbyists who lovingly and painstakingly preserve them. In the last paragraph of his May 2022 HMM column, Terry writes, “…it’s good to see a younger set of people favoring the same cars we do.” While he is specifi- cally referring to muscle machines, what is encouraging to me is the fact that every 12 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
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MODIFIED SPOTLIGHT: Restomods COPPER
A ’69 DODGE DART SWINGER 340 THAT SANK ITS TEETH INTO ONE FAMILY’S HEARTS AND HEAD MINDS—ANDNEVERLETGO T HE DAY YOU PLUCK IT FROM A ROWBY JEFF KOCH • PHOTOGRAPHYBYNOTSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY,JOHNJACKSON of cars at the local dealership, can you ever really know that it will be your forever car? Many don’t. We get the feeling that Bill Stan eld did. “We bought it June 26, 1969, from Blackwell Motor Company in Danville, Virginia,” wife Laura Stan eld recalls. The Dart was painted Y4 Gold (Bill’s preferred hue) and came with a four-speed stick, black bench-seat interior, black tail stripe, and little else. “We bought it a few weeks after our son Tony was born. Bill traded cars a lot.” But somehow this Dart Swinger 340 is the one that stayed. It’s easy to under- stand why: Space across two bench seats made ample room inside for Bill, Laura, and sons Tony and Brian, perfect for the Stan eld family; a 275-horse, 10.5:1 compression 340 under the hood backed by a Hurst-shifted four-speed satis ed Bill’s need for speed; and the car’s low $2,819 price to start. Cheap, fast, t everyone inside… this ’69 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 was all the car Bill needed. In its decade of regular use, and the 140,000-odd miles racked up therein, the Stan elds accumulated a lifetime of stories that have become entrenched family lore. “I learned to drive a standard [shift] in that car,” Laura tells us. Also, there was another Y4 gold Swinger 340 in town, owned by a local hot-shoe who had no qualms about racing anyone, anywhere. Son Tony relayed the story: “It was a twin to Daddy’s car, and that guy was drag racing all the time. Everywhere Daddy went in the Dart, someone would tell him about a friend that lost a race to him. Daddy wasn’t racing anyone; he was working second shift, and weekends too. And he got tired of it. He had a part-time job rewiring cars at a body shop, and he traded wir- ing work for a black paint job, to make his car look different [from the local racer].” That didn’t last long, though: “Every ripple showed. It stayed black for about a year, then he repainted it gold.” This isn’t to say that Bill was disinterested in speed. “You could paper a room with the speeding tickets he and Momma got in that car,” Tony said, chuckling. “Daddy was a speed demon. If we were cruising, and someone ahead of him was being pokey, I’d see him start tugging on his britches leg — that meant that we were ready to drop a gear and we were gonna be gone. You could read him. He knew I knew, and I thought, ‘here we go.’” Once the fuel crisis hit, Tony recalls, “He’d drive it once in a while, but mostly the Dart just sat. Once, my brother Brian and I missed the school bus, and Momma said she’d take us. We jumped in the Dart. On the way home…” Laura picks up the story from here. “A dog jumped off an embankment and landed in front of me, and I hit the dog.” Despite being trapped brie y under the car, the dog was still t enough to disappear across the eld where it was headed before the Dart stopped its progress. “That dog was in better shape than I was,” Laura jokes. 15JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
You might expect a custom of ‘You’d kill yourself in that.’” pressure to finish it,’” Laura says. “Next this one’s cool style to pack a While the Dart was idle, Bill’s thing you know, five years had gone double-throwdown engine, but Bill by.” And suddenly what was once a insisted that the factory-installed imagination was anything but. “Daddy largely original car, with only a couple 340-cu.in. V-8 remain after its would say, ‘Once I retire, I’ll do this and of paint jobs and residual dog-strike 140,000-odd miles of service. It this,’” Tony recalls. “He talked about damage, was something else altogether. gained MSD Atomic fuel injection it off and on for years, but with raising “Things got out of hand,” Tony says. beneath a custom air cleaner two children, then grandchildren, the “They put new rear quarters on and designed to work visually with the money went everywhere else. But the used body filler instead of lead at the closer he got to retirement, the more joint where the roof met the panel; valve covers. he wanted to fix it.” Bill finally retired it was built up so much there that it about a decade ago, and at last got to cracked. At some point, chips started Tony remembers, “He bent the bumper work on bringing his dream Dart back flying off. It’s a unit-body car, and the at the tag, hit the bottom of the radiator to life. floorpans were just tack-welded in a and pushed it up. When we told Daddy couple of spots. what happened and he popped the The engine and transmission were hood latch, it sprung up; the radiator pulled and sent to Chris Seidle of Seidle “It got to the point where he just cap was against the bottom of the hood, Racing Engines in Martinsville, which wanted to drive the car in his lifetime,” and the hood wouldn’t latch without rebuilt it to stock specs — no overbore Laura says. It’s a phrase that rightly slamming. Daddy got mad, and said was necessary. The shop also used suggests that Bill’s clock was ticking. he’d get around to fixing it.” That was a camshaft that was mild enough to The half-decade when the Dart was 1978 or ’79 by the family’s best recollec- be indistinguishable from stock, and tion. “Then it sat,” Laura says, adding cleaned-up but stock X heads. Even the almost under her breath, “for about 35 factory exhaust manifolds stayed put or 40 years.” by Bill’s insistence. A cleaning, honing, and resurfacing made up the bulk of the Even in repose, the Dart rarely went internal engine work. unnoticed. “Daddy got tired of people stopping and asking to buy it. It went The body and chassis were another like that all growing up,” Tony says, matter. “A shop took in his Dart; Bill and he also found himself beguiled by told them, ‘Take your time, there’s no the Dart’s charms. “When I got to where I was starting to drive, I felt like me and the car were tied together; I told my parents, ‘I want that car.’ Momma was like, ‘Nope, it’s too fast.’ Daddy said 16 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
being tended to had not been kind to Bill. He had been fighting kidney cancer for some time and then learned it was a battle he would not win. But before Bill’s passing in October of 2019, kismet. The Stanfields’ home in Danville, population 42,000-ish, is also home to KTL Restorations — home of concours-quality Mercury Cougar res- torations for a decidedly underserved corner of the market. Owner/proprietor Kurt Lawrance has carved out a niche for himself where customers from across the country come to get their muscular Mercurys back into fighting shape (like the Cougar Eliminator featured in the March ’19 issue of HMM, #187). Though local to Bill and his Dart, KTL wasn’t what you’d consider a local shop — it’s a specialist, which happened to be located up the road a spell. A chance meeting at a high school football game brought them together. Though Kurt knows Cougars best, he also knows bodywork, unit-body performance cars, and how to make them right. Kurt got Bill’s Dart up on the shop lift and started pointing things 17JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
out. Suddenly, “This don’t t, that don’t tail stripe). Along the way, it gained line up. Daddy was sick but not out of a CVF “Wraptor” serpentine pulley it; we’d take him to the shop and Kurt set, aluminum Edelbrock intake, MSD would show him. He told me once, ‘I Atomic electronic fuel injection, and a can’t believe that we spent this much hand-fabricated oval air cleaner that money in this car and it’s crap.’ But I’m continues styling cues introduced on glad we did it; taking it to Kurt’s made the Mopar Performance valve covers. us look that much harder at what was The serpentine kit also helps power being done.” the newly installed power steering and Vintage Air climate control. An And from here, Bill started to rm XSPower battery has been relocated to up everything he wanted — and didn’t the trunk. want — in what would be the idealized version of his Dart. All was sketched Reilly Motorsports suspension front out ahead of time, down to the last and rear is equipped with 12-inch detail. It’s important to note that what Wilwood disc brakes and 17-inch Mopar you see here is very much Bill’s vision. Rally wheels (plus staggered-width, He didn’t live to see it through, but low-pro le Mickey Thompson meats) don’t mistake this for some maudlin “In that required a rear mini-tub treatment Memoriam” machine: KTL Restorations for clearance — but which were nessed and the Stan eld family felt duty-bound to t without wall-stretchers up front. to build this Dart to the exacting speci - The effect looks contemporary and cations Bill outlined before his passing. clean, and any chicanery used to make It’s not eulogizing the departed; rather, things t is nigh-on invisible. it’s an af rmation of life. The Dart’s body lines remain as The 340 remains the unrebuilt-but- Mother Mopar intended, with the only freshened factory unit (though now alterations (beyond new Auto Metal painted a shade of dusky copper that’s Direct panels and glass, now properly picked up elsewhere in the interior and af xed, and repairs to the dog-related Aluma Access , Easy Off For a dealer near you visit: AlumaKLM.com construction, easy ty of options make choice for hauling rformance vehicle. 19JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
The cabin remains the most obvious upgrade over stock. Out came the original dash, the front bench seat, and the acres of black vinyl. In went a ’68 Barracuda instrument panel, contoured buckets and a factory console (with correct original Hurst shifter), and a welcoming tone-on-tone palette installed by Speed & Design. radiator mishap from four decades it was born with. Start with the Rallye air for the Dart that has gained the previous) stemming from the paint. dash, liberated from a ’68 Barracuda nickname Copperhead; Laura is unlikely It’s a custom color called Tobacco Road and a whole lot more informative than to get back behind the wheel, though. Gold, akin to the original gold but with the stock Dart panel. The front bench “There’s too much invested in it and too “more metallic and more pearl; [Bill] seat was replaced by a factory console many memories for driving. I won’t take wanted it to really pop,” said Tony. (and a correct console-compatible a chance.” Tony suggests that “She’s shy, The color is now part of KTL’s bespoke Hurst shifter, a tough find in the heat of and I think she worries that something’s boutique line of Glasurit 55-line colors COVID) and gently contoured bucket gonna happen to it.” But Tony also sees within the greater BASF paint family. seats covered in tone-on-tone Moore & the Dart as an opportunity to talk about The color of the trunk stripe was Giles leather. Look closer: The darker Bill. “You know what they say: If they applied after Bill’s passing, inspired leather in the doors features a stacked quit talking about someone, [that by a hue found on his casket. The pattern featuring the Dodge “fratzog” person] dies twice. Really the one thing “Swinger” lettering within the stripe is logo. Dynamat is tucked everywhere, left is to help his name live on. Daddy candy gold — a shade chosen to help the and a Kicker sound system is far more did things for everyone — the fire lettering pop against the darker gold apparent to the ear than the eye. From department, first aid, the Boy Scouts — stripe. Fog lights have been blended designs supplied by Crystal Lawrance and he never asked for credit. His into the front bumper, lending a whiff at KTL Restorations, Gil Vigil at Speed attitude was, if you can help someone of 1970 Road Runner vibe to the nose. & Design in Nashville, Tennessee, without putting yourself in a spot, do is responsible for the transcendent the right thing. He always said that he Inside, you’d barely recognize it as a look inside. got enough satisfaction from being able Dodge Dart, frankly — certainly not the to help people. And I just want to keep austere black-vinyl bench-seat gut that What’s next? Plans are up in the his name tied to something positive. “One time we took it to Daddy’s grave — driving it on the road like a nor- mal car,” Tony recalls. “Last December 5th, on his birthday, we took the car over to him. It’s his car, and that’s the closest I can get it to him. It’s done its driving.” Although everyone agrees on one other thing: given the chance, “Bill would have burned the tires off it in the driveway.” 20 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
SPECIFICATIONS 1969 DODGE DART SWINGER 340 ENGINE Type......................................................................... Chrysler LA-series OHV V-8; cast iron Cylinder heads ............................................................................. Chrysler X-code cast iron Displacement .........................................................................................................340-cu.in. Bore x stroke ......................................................................................................4.04 x 3.31 in Compression ratio .......................................................................................................... 10.5:1 Pistons ............................................................................................................................ Stock Connecting rods............................................................................................................. Stock Horsepower @ rpm .............................................................................. 275 @ 5,000 (stock) Torque @ rpm .............................................................................. 340 lb-ft @ 3,200 (stock) Camshaft type............................................................ Mopar Performance hydraulic roller Duration.......................................................................268/276 deg, intake/exhaust (adv.) Lift........................................................................................... .430/.444-in, intake/exhaust Valvetrain ......................................................Factory 2.02/1.60-in valves, intake/exhaust Induction system ..................................................... Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold, single MSD Atomic 835-cfm throttle body with integrated ECU, four 100 lb/h fuel injectors, Holley in-tank electric pump Ignition system.......... MSD billet distributor, MSD Blaster SS coil, MSD 6A ignition box Exhaust system.................................... Factory manifolds; 21⁄4-in exhaust with crossover and Flowmaster 50-series Delta Flow mufflers Original engine................................................................................................340-cu.in. V-8 TRANSMISSION Type....................................................................New Process/Chrysler A-833 four-speed, all synchromesh, Hurst shifter, McLeod flywheel Ratios.......................... 1st/2.66:1 … 2nd/1.93:1 … 3rd/1.39:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.57:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.............................................. Mopar 83⁄4-inch with Sure Grip limited-slip differential Ratio................................................................................................................................ 3.23:1 STEERING Type.................... Power-assisted rack-and-pinion by Reilly Motorsports/Flaming River Ratio .....................................................................................................................................16:1 BRAKES Front/Rear ........ Wilwood 12.19-in cross-drilled/slotted rotors with four-piston calipers SUSPENSION Front...................................................Reilly Motorsports AlterKTion coilover conversion; RideTech single-adjustable coil-over shocks, 1.25-in anti-roll bar, Mustang II spindles, polyurethane bushings Rear............................Reilly Motorsports Street Lynx triangulated four-bar conversion; RideTech single-adjustable coilover shocks WHEELS & TIRES Wheels ...............................................................................................Year One Mopar Rallye Front: 17 x 8 in, 4.5-in backspace Rear: 17 x 9.5 in, 5-in backspace Tires .................................................................................... Mickey Thompson Street Comp Front: 245/45R17 Rear: 275/40R17
STOCK FLEXIBLY STOCK THIS 1965 PONTIAC GTO HAS BEEN IN THE SAME HANDS SINCE 1984 AND REFLECTS THE EVOLUTION OF ITS OWNER’S RESTORATION PHILOSOPHIES BY DAVID CONWILL • PHOTOGRAPHYBYJEFFKOCH 22 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
IM McGOWAN HAS BEEN AN HMN COLUMNISTsince the very beginning of the magazine. Over those years, you’ve heard many references to this car: his Reef Turquoise 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible. Jim acquired the car when it was only 19 years old as a “good J original” and then spent the next couple years making it the beautifully restored car seen on these pages — right down to using lacquer paint to recreate the factory nish. That makes Jim one of the true veterans of the hobby, with a love for muscle cars that predates the rst price bubble of the early 1990s, when GTOs, Chevelles, and eventually anything with a Hemi started bringing in newcomers with dollar signs in their eyes and an investor-grade bank account to match. In fact, Jim’s infatuation with the 1965 GTO goes back to right about the time this car rolled off the assembly line. “One evening in September of 1964, I was driving past a local Pontiac dealer and spotted a Mayfair Maize 1965 GTO hardtop on the showroom oor. I was 20, and it was love at rst sight. I bought one and was never the same again!” Suf ce it to say that not every GTO owner has the same level of connection to their car that Jim has to this one. Simply holding onto it for 38 years and counting is dedication, and in that time period, Jim’s had his hands on virtually every part 23JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
Although seemingly synonymous, there where it benefits that level of of a shift kit] and changed the rear three deuces were never operation. Take the original 389-cu.in. gears from 3.23:1 to 3.55:1. While the V-8 topped by the proverbial “three parts were out of the car, my simple standard equipment on the GTO. deuces” (Jim’s addition) and wearing freshen-up turned into a complete This car originally had a four- a July 30, 1964, casting date. mechanical rebuild and undercarriage detailing. I had no idea when I started barrel, but Jim made the upgrade “The best part about these vintage to take parts off the engine that it to a correct Tri-Power setup. muscle cars is that we can make them would turn into a restoration free- better with today’s technology,” he for-all.” of the car, giving him an almost unpar- asserts. “In late 2002, I decided to alleled insight into its details. freshen up the all-original engine in The result is improved but still my GTO. The 389 had somewhere looks the part: The original Tri-Power For example, although this is a 1965 north of 80,000 miles on it and was carburetors, Jim says “speak muscle” model, the build date is in the first starting to put out a little smoke. By in a way no single four-barrel ever week of September 1964, making this the time the project was finished, the could, but as gasoline formulas have one of the first ’65s to roll off the line. engine had been completely blue- changed over the years, they also gave “Body number 46, car number 729,” printed, received a Crane Ram Air IV him some drivability issues. Back Jim notes. That’s backed up by things cam and valvetrain, completely new in 2014, Jim fitted a set of phenolic like Morrokide seat covers (Pontiac’s internals (except for the Arma-Steel spacers, hand fettled and painted to house name for Naugahyde vinyl) still crank and factory rods), and the heads reduce their visual impact, to improve wearing a “64” stamp on the back- were fitted with stainless steel valves, hot starting (see HMM #137, January side — a detailed he uncovered when hardened seats, and a three-angle cut.” 2015). Similarly, an aftermarket flex recovering the original buckets back in fan helps reduce power drain at 2013 (see HMM #122, October 2013). That wasn’t the end of what Jim higher rpm while still ensuring terms “mission creep” with the GTO, good airflow at idle speeds, and a Although Jim knows his ’65 intimately either. The underwhelming factory Pertronix points-eliminator kit and loves the original period details, suspension was upgraded with a retains the original distributor he also drives his car and doesn’t “beefed-up” front anti-sway bar, housing while conferring the benefits hesitate to improve things here and the addition of a rear anti-sway bar, of electronic ignition. and a set of gas shocks. Little of this is evident from casual observation. Most of these updates and improve- More subtle changes followed. ments happened gradually after the car was originally restored. “I had the transmission completely gone through [including the addition “Ever since the mid-’80s, I have 24 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
been extoling the virtues of stock be considered “Day 2” cars, as the “Back in the day,” Jim says, referring muscle cars, as opposed to modified original owners seldom cared much to this first period of the restoration era, ‘street machines.’” That’s an attitude about factory stock but a lot about “it was almost considered a sacrilege to very much in line with when muscle- going faster and looking cooler take an original car and change any of car restoration started. Those projects than the compromises of mass- the factory parts for aftermarket speed often began with what might now production allowed. or styling items.” Yet, Jim observes, his 25JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
OWNER’S VIEW own attitudes have softened some- “They had a one-car garage, and what. “After all these years, I have to their new vehicle slept there. The poor W hen I purchased my first admit, I’m guilty.” drop-top sat outside and eventually the muscle car, I simply paint lost its shine.” Nevertheless, “The left it as delivered and As with the carb spacers and fan, body was straight, no dents or rust, the enjoyed it with only a few minor however, these aren’t major changes. interior was like new but fading, and it appearance changes. Some of my Perhaps the biggest disruption to needed a new top. Nothing scary there. more affluent friends added new the as-built appearance of the GTO They had not done anything to the tires and mag wheels, upgraded are the Hurst five-spoke wheels—a engine compartment, so all the original sound systems, different steer- rarely seen aftermarket addition parts were still in place except for the ing wheels, and more. That was from the 1960s that are nevertheless air cleaner element, plugs, and battery. beyond my means at the time. so memorable that they’ve been It was essentially untouched. Just what reproduced. Jim’s are originals, I wanted!” This GTO is a totally dependable however, and are the third set of wheels driving classic that I don’t have to he’s had on the car. At first, Jim was content to restore the worry about when I want to take car back to how it would have been as it out to a show, or just a nice “My ’65 GTO came from the factory purchased by the Hinksons, but after weekend drive. All the revisions with the basic ‘dog dish’ hubcaps, a while, he started to figure out what I’ve made are (or appear as) which is surprising considering all he might have done differently had he factory original. Another factory the other options the original buyer been filling out the order blank instead. part that was a little hotter or added.” Sometimes, not opting for flashier might not have been on fancy wheel covers meant that the “After accumulating the various the build sheet, but it could have first owner intended to immediately option catalogs and other factory- been, so why the heck not? pull off the factory wheels in favor of printed matter associated with my car, aftermarket mags. The original owner I found that polished spinner wheel —Jim McGowan of this car, though, Richard Hinkson of covers were also available, so I went on South Gate, California, was not a hot the hunt for a set. Finding good ones rodder. He was a man in his 40s just proved to be easy, as other buyers were looking for a Sunday driver he could upgrading from wheel covers to after- share with his wife — a fact that no market wheels. Once I added those to doubt led to the GTO’s excellent state the steel wheels, the car looked better, of preservation when Jim acquired it. but, technically, it was no longer ‘stock,’ Mr. Hinkson put only 48,000 miles on since my car hadn’t been equipped that the car before his death in 1979, and way originally. My rationale was that Mrs. Hinkson added another 30,000 to I would keep the small caps and could that before selling it to Jim in 1984. It always put it back to factory original wasn’t perfect, though. if I wanted to.” The logic seems good,
With the help of reproduction tion, and I bought all ve (original having been stored in a chicken coop, seat covers (and a swap from AM- spare included) for 200 bucks. So, off weren’t even in the greatest of condi- only to a correct AM/FM radio), came the wheel covers, which were tion, but the association of Hurst and wrapped and carefully stored with the Pontiac started before the GTO and the interior perfectly recreates dog-dish caps, and on went the factory was arguably at its strongest in the late-summer 1964. Rally I wheels. I ran those for several mid-1960s. Hurst ve-spokes on a years until a Pontiac acquaintance Goat is simply a natural combination. as it’s just a matter of touching up the offered me a complete set of Hurst inevitable rim scratches, but then one wheels for a GTO.” “I still consider them an example of has to think that changing wheels is what I call ‘ exible stock-ness.’ I could nearly as easy: It’s just 20 lug nuts, The Hurst wheels were never a easily put the car back to totally stock after all. Jim admits that it was the start factory option and the set Jim acquired, as I have all the parts. I’m not the only of a slippery slope. one who is guilty of exible stock-ness. It’s often justi ed with the excuse: “At a Pontiac swap meet, I found a ‘I put all the original parts away complete set of ’65 Rally I wheels that for when I sell it!’ Most of the other had been taken off a ’65 Le Mans and muscle-machine hobbyists I know placed in the owner’s garage rafters. have at one time or another recited an The set was in dusty but mint condi- almost identical mantra.” VINTAGE CHEVROLET CLUB of AMERICA Welcomes ALL Chevrolets For more than 50 years the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America has maintained its pledge to support the preser- vation, restoration and excitement of Chevrolets. NOW we welcome ALL Chevrolets, vintage to contemporary, original, “personalized”, and now our Chevy truck broth- er, GMC. So no matter what kind of Chevy or GMC you drive, you will nd fun, expert help, and lasting friend- ships as a member of the VCCA. Check out our chat site at VCCA.org/forum and get to know us! COME JOIN US! Restoration Website G&D Magazine Regions Touring Judging www.vcca.org 708-455-VCCA (8222) 27JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
1965 PONTIAC GTO PRICE Base price.................................................................................................................... $3,093 Options on car profiled...........................Carpets, electric clock, remote-control deck lid (owner addition), rally gauges (owner addition), AM/FM radio (owner addition – AM original), power steering, power brakes, custom sports steering wheel, Safe-T-Grip Jim views this as a realistic away to approach the car hobby. After all, he limited-slip di erential (owner addition), Tri-Power carburetion (owner addition), says, “Unless you’ve found the exact vehicle of your dreams, with all the two-speed automatic transmission, console exact options and in the color you wanted, you probably have had to give ENGINE in to some exible stock-ness.” Block type...................................... Pontiac OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Other “ exibly stock” upgrades include Jim’s change from the original Displacement ..........................................................................................................389 cu.in. AM radio to a restored AM/FM unit plus “a new, correct front speaker;” Bore x stroke ..............................................................................................4.0625 x 3.746 in replacement of the basic gauge package with an original Rally cluster; the Compression ratio ........................................................................................................ 10.75:1 addition of a remote rearview mirror; reproduction oormats; a vanity mirror Horsepower @ rpm ........................................................................................... 360 @ 5,200 on the passenger-side sun visor; a 2-inch exhaust system with stainless- Torque @ rpm ............................................................................................ 424 lb-f @ 3,600 steel muf ers; stainless-steel brake lines and fuel tank; and a factory glovebox- Valvetrain ..................................................................................................... Hydraulic lif ers mounted trunk release. Main bearings ................................................................................................................... Five This GTO and its veteran owner have been around in the hobby from the Fuel system .........................Triple Rochester two-barrel carburetors; mechanical pump beginning and that has allowed Jim to synthesize a pretty good worldview on Lubrication system..................................................................... Pressure, gear-type pump the hobby and the continued appeal of the original muscle cars. Electrical system .............................................................................................................. 12-V “That time in the early Sixties was Exhaust system.................................................................................... Dual 2.0-in exhausts a de ning moment that can never be replaced. That kind of speed and eye- TRANSMISSION catching style had never been merged and offered to the general public before. Type......................................................... B-O-P Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic Nothing as momentous has happened since. Today’s muscle machines are Ratios.................................................................. 1st/ 1.765:1 … 2nd/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.76:1 very cool, but certainly not in the same way our pioneer muscle cars were, and DIFFERENTIAL still are. I consider the performance cars of the 1960s to be absolutely revolution- Type........................................................B-O-P 10-bolt 8.2-inch; Safe-T-Track limited-slip ary for that time period.” Ratio..........................................................................................................3.55:1 (orig. 3.23:1) And, as for this car? “I’d do it all over again,” Jim says, “exactly the STEERING same way.” Type...................................................................... Saginaw recirculating ball, power assist Turning circle ................................................................................................................43.4 f BRAKES Type........................................................................................ Hydraulic, power-assist drum Front: 9.5 x 2.5-in cast-iron drum Rear: 9.5 x 2.0-in cast-iron drum SUSPENSION Front.................Independent; unequal length A-arms, coil springs, telescoping shocks, 0.938-inch solid anti-roll bar Rear................................................ Live axle; upper and lower control arms, coil springs, telescoping shocks, Eaton solid anti-roll bar WHEELS & TIRES Wheels .........................................................................Hurst Dazzler aluminum/steel mags Front/Rear: 14 x 6 in Tires ..................215/70R14 BFGoodrich redline radials (orig. 7.75x14 Uniroyal bias-ply) PRODUCTION Pontiac built 75,352 GTOs for the 1965 model year. Of those, 11,311 were convertibles; 20,547 were fitted with Tri-Power; and 18,974 were equipped with an automatic transmission. PERFORMANCE* Acceleration: 0-60 mph..................................................................................5.8 seconds 1/4-mile ET...................................................................................14.5 seconds @ 100 mph * Source: May 1965 Car Life review of a 1965 Tri-Power GTO with 4.11:1 rear gear.
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MODIFIED SPOTLIGHT: Restomods ATTACKSTORFITPHEDE KTOILMLEARTO REALIZING A DREAM WITH A FACTORYSTARSKY & HUTCH GRAN TORINO WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTTY LACHENAUER 30 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
I T’S NO SECRET THAT MEDIA can have a significant influence on the young mind. Kids are just a perfect blank canvas to grab ahold of and impact, through the use of audio and visual stimulus. Today, we see that being done in continuum by way of the internet and all that it entails. The ’net is in our lives everywhere we may go —on our computers, our personal phones, and on our home entertainment systems. However, if you were a child of the ’70s, there was nothing that got your attention and dazzled you like television. Showtimes were big events, and before the heyday of VCRs, Tivo, streaming services, and other means of watching what- ever we want whenever we want, TV schedules were pinned to our brains like memos to a corkboard. Television had the power to entertain, inspire, and to make us dream. Heroes and icons were created and idolized, and many of us wanted to follow in their footsteps—to be just like them. Steve Losacco of Chatham, New Jersey, was one of those kids who fell in love with the TV shows of the day. “I was born in 1972 and grew up in the ’70s and ’80s. I was a fan of the shows from the era, and the TV series Starsky & Hutch was a big one for me. I loved that car the very first time I saw it. Yeah, ‘The Striped Tomato’ was one of my dream rides,” Steve says. 31JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
This “Striped Tomato” left the wheels with BFG lettered tires, a dual attached to it. My parents bought it factory with a 351-cu.in. Windsor exhaust, a set of Hooker headers, and for me as a graduation present! I was some air shocks. It was a sweet ride.” beyond thrilled. From that day on I V-8, good for 152 hp. Today, However, that car’s tenure as Steve’s was known as ‘Starsky!’” it packs a 427-cu.in. Windsor, main steed was brought to an abrupt producing 539 hp at the crank. halt when, unfortunately, the Monte Steve and his Torino would spend was T-boned by an errant driver. the next four years together. “It was The passion he had for that particular my daily driver for a while, and then car would play out years later, when Though in the wake of misfortune, I stopped driving it, my head full of the youngster grew of age and earned there was a shining light. Steve says, plans on restoring it. Then life got in his own license to drive. “There was a guy who lived not too the way. You know how it goes. Sadly, far from me with a ’76 Gran Torino a decision was made and I ended up As long as he can remember, Steve that was painted almost exactly like selling it. I regretted it from the day it has had a love of everything car re- the Starsky & Hutch car. There were left my driveway,” Steve recalls. lated. “It started with Matchbox, Hot a few differences, like a wing on the Wheels, and AFX slot cars, and then back, the wheels weren’t exactly right, Over the years, he prudently progressed to gas-powered RC cars and there was a spoiler on the front of searched for a replacement. “I was when I got older. When I hit my teens, the hood. But it was enough to get my older by that point, making money, so I was engulfed in the real-deal muscle attention.” One day, the owner was then I wanted the real deal: one of the cars of the time, dreaming of the day outside, so Steve inquired about the factory-produced ‘Striped Tomatoes’ I could have one of my very own,” car. “His name was Sean. I asked if he that Ford built in 1976. I came across Steve recalls. would ever consider selling the car. a few of them over the years, but they He told me $3,000 would take it off his were always in bad shape. I wasn’t in a Until his late teens, Steve’s family hands. It was more than I could afford rush; I was going to take my time find- never had a new car. To keep the fam- as a kid in high school, so I chalked it ing a good candidate to restore.” ily on the road, his dad would typically up to a pipe dream.” drag home jalopies, wrench on them in Starsky & Hutch went on to become a the family garage, and put them back Steve ended up patching up his big hit for ABC after it debuted in April on the street. “From a really young age, injured Monte Carlo and driving it for of 1975. The following year, Ford Motor I had a fascination with taking things a while longer. However, things were Company produced a special retail apart and putting them back together about to change for the recent high edition of the now-iconic TV car. There again, so I would be out there helping school grad. “One afternoon, I was are conflicting reports on how many my dad. I learned a lot by being his in my room and my brother came in were produced, with numbers rang- assistant,” he says. and told me to come quick, as there ing from 1,000 to more than 1,300. No was something going on out front. I matter what the figure is, the special Once Steve turned 17 and got his opened the front door and saw Sean’s replica editions were soon sold off to license, he went out and scored his first Torino in our driveway with a balloon eager fans wanting to mimic what their car: his older brother’s ’79 Monte Carlo. favorite heroes did on the TV screen. “I immediately started making it my own. I installed a quartet of Cragar S/S 32 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
Ford had ordered up a number of Complete Repair, YDRAULICS MADE IN 1976 Gran Torinos (the last year for the Restoration & Custom THE USA SINCE 1976 model) painted in Ford Bright Red. The Wimbledon White “vector” stripes SPEEDOMETERS YOUR #1 SOURCE were added on the anks to nish off TACHOMETERS the paint scheme. All Starsky & Hutch GAUGES FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP PARTS models were built at Ford’s Chicago FOR MUSCLE CARS assembly plant in the spring of 1976 and BEFORE were given the DSO numbers 0022 (US) • TOP CYLINDERS and 8000 (Canada). The VINs on these AFTER • MOTOR PUMP cars start with 6G30 and carry the code PS 122 on the buck tag and build sheet. CALL OR VISIT • HOSE SET The cars came with any engine option OUR WEBSITE! • TOP SWITCHES that was offered on the Torino, which (800) 592-9673 • CONVERTIBLE TOPS included the 351-2V, 400-2V, and the www.bobsspeedometer.com big block 460-4V engine. All were auto- AMERICA’S CONVERTIBLE & matics, as that was the only transmis- 10123 Bergin Rd, Howell, MI 48843 INTERIOR HEADQUARTERS sion offered in ’76. WWW.HYDROE.COM Though the Starsky & Hutch special 941-639-0437 edition production Torinos closely resembled the TV show cars, there 5530 INDEPENDENCE COURT, PUNTA GORDA, FL 33982 were some differences between them. The black outline on the vector stripe HEAT & SOUND CONTROL foryour was left off on the factory cars. Since Ford did not offer an aluminum slotted HEADER BLANKET wheel, buyers could only shoe their car in wheels offered on the Torino. The Enter code HEM20 Available at: air shocks were not included, so if you wanted that “rake” that Starsky added to receive 20% off at ThermoTec.com to his Torino, aftermarket suspension parts were needed. Of course, none of (800) 274-8437 www.ThermoTec.com the “police equipment” was included either. Many owners ended up hitting the aftermarket to make their cars look just like the real deal. After several years of searching for the right candidate, Steve’s time would nally come. “One day, I stumbled on a numbers-matching Starsky & Hutch Gran Torino for sale in Florida,” he says. “It looked to be in great shape based on the pictures and video the seller sent me. I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped up 33JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
Select Shift Cruise-O-Matic transmission was replaced by a Hurst-shifted Pro Street-built Ford AOD. Aftermarket steering wheel is the most noticeable interior upgrade. to my shop in New Jersey. Luckily, it was just as advertised, but it still wasn’t perfect. I wanted perfect, so I decided I was going to do a full-blown restoration on it.” The next day, Steve drove to his shop and got to work. “I’m in the building/ contracting business and I have work space and a lift at my building. I im- mediately put [the Torino] on the lift and started tearing it down, right to the frame.” Soon his brother and crew were alongside him helping out, stripping the car down to bare metal. Steve found that there was some work needed. “There was a decent amount of metal work to do. I sand- blasted everything that could fit in my booth, and the rest in my back lot. As a self-taught welder, I went ahead and started replacing the panels that needed help, and rebuilt the com- pound curved parts by hand with a body hammer and sandbag.” After doing a lot of the metalwork, Steve knew that he just didn’t have the time, patience, expertise, or facility to do the high-end paint work he wanted. “I started looking for a proper shop to do the body and paint work. 34 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
SPECIFICATIONS 1976 FORD GRAN TORINO ENGINE Type.........................................................................Ford Windsor “small-block,” 351 based Displacement ......................................................................................................... 427-cu.in. Bore x stroke ................................................................................................ 4.125 x 4.000 in Compression ratio .......................................................................................................... 10.3:1 Horsepower @ rpm ............................................................................... 538 (rpm unknown) Torque @ rpm ................................................................................500 lb-f (rpm unknown) Valvetrain ................................................................................................. Roller rocker arms Camshaf .....................................................................................575-in lif , intake/exhaust Fuel system .................................................................................................Holley Sniper EFI Lubrication system............................................................... Melling high-volume oil pump Exhaust system......................................Custom 3-in stainless steel with Kooks mu ers TRANSMISSION Type................................................................................ Ford AOD with manual valve body. Ratios.............................1st/2.47:1 … 2nd/1.47:1 … 3rd/1.00:1 … OD/.67:1 … Reverse/2.00:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.................................................................Ford 9-inch with Detroit Locker di erential Ratio.................................................................................................................................. 4.11:1 STEERING Type........................................................................... Stock recirculating ball, power assist Ratio................................................................................................................................... 20:1 BRAKES Type.................................................................................Ford front disc, Wilwood rear disc Front: 11-in, single-piston caliper Rear: 11-in, dual-piston caliper SUSPENSION Front.................Stock, independent; unequal-length control arms, coil springs, shocks Rear...........................................Stock, solid axle; four trailing arms, coil springs, shocks WHEELS & TIRES Wheels ....................................................................................... U.S. Mags “Indy” aluminum Front: 15 x 7 in Rear: 15 x 9 in Tires ................................................................................................... BFGoodrich Radial T/A Front: 255/60R15 Rear: 275/60R15 PRODUCTION Ford Motor Company produced somewhere between 1,000-1,300 Starksy & Hutch replica models during the 1976 model year. 35JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
I called around and talked to a lot of and transmission built, so the Torino correct, but it’s now sporting Bluetooth shops, until I found Jesse Barratt and now has a 427-cu.in. Windsor, making and much better sound.” Jeff Manzella, co-owners of Blue Sky 539 hp at the crank. It’s mated to a Performance and Restoration in Budd Pro Street 4STB automatic with a trans Once it rolled out of Blue Sky, Steve Lake, New Jersey. Once I met them brake and reverse-pattern manual put the Torino to the test. The results in person, I knew my car would be in valve body. A custom driveshaft feeds were exactly what he had hoped for. good hands.” the original Ford 9-inch rear, rebuilt “The final product speaks for itself. It’s with 4.11 gears and axles by Currie exactly like I wanted it. It has tons of The plan was to have the shop do Enterprises,” Steve says. power and is an absolute blast to drive all the body work, panel fitment, and and own. It brings back so many great paint work. From there the car would Other slight modifications include memories of my late teens and early go back to Steve for final assembly. eliminating the seams under the back 20s. It was totally worth the wait!” “Then, once again, I soon realized that window and where the quarter panels I just didn’t have the time to finish this meet the rockers, for an overall cleaner The car was completed just in time off in the foreseeable future. I decided look. “I then boxed the rear control for the annual Lead East event in New to let Blue Sky handle the final assem- arms with steel plates for strength to Jersey, where it was honored in the Top bly, and I’m certainly glad I did.” handle the additional horsepower. I Custom category. As for the future, also added Wilwood disc brakes in Steve plans to enjoy his new ride, and However, some things did change the rear for stopping power.” The drive his Torino to local car shows in along the way. “My original plan was interior is mostly stock, minus the the New York/New Jersey metro area. to restore the car to factory condition. steering wheel (Steve has the original) And since he’s enjoyed the experience of After giving it some thought, I and the added Hurst shifter. “We also putting together this Starsky & Hutch- decided to change the drivetrain. I added air conditioning but utilized the themed ride, plans are in the works to pulled the anemic 351 Windsor and factory controls to make it work so it possibly create a 50th anniversary Pro automatic transmission out and crated would retain the stock look. I have the Touring version of the iconic TV car, them for safekeeping, in case I ever original radio but I decided to put in a working again with the crew at Blue did want to make the car 100-percent RetroSound setup so it looked period- Sky — another dream that will hope- original. Then I had a new engine fully become reality.
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MODIFIED SPOTLIGHT: Restomods THE OBSESSION PURSUING PERIOD PERFECTION DOWN TO THE DETAILS WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK HANSON 38 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
T’S BEEN SAID THAT THE LINE BETWEEN obsession and insanity is a fine one. Even though we’re not psychiatrists, personal observation has shown it a declaration difficult to dispute. And when the obsession is the pursuit of perfection, that line often becomes even more indefinable. I Jimmy Arnold succumbed to his obsession when he aspired to construct the consummate “Day Two” Chevelle. “I wanted to build a Chevelle the way it was when it drove out of the showroom,” Jimmy explains, but there was more to his plan: “Then, once it was home, all the cool hot rod parts would be added that the factory didn’t offer.” But even with the destination so clearly defined, following the path to perfection can prove difficult, especially when the indelible vision of the finished product motivates your every decision. His dream was actually fostered decades before, when at the impressionable age of eight, the Bristol, Tennessee, resident took particular notice of an uncle and his Granada Gold ’67 SS 396 Chevelle. Jimmy quickly became infatuated with that 39JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
Chevelle as he observed his uncle’s It would be decades, however, corner of the shop. But while the regular wrenching sessions and joined before Jimmy’s dream would come to Chevelle was gathering dust, Jimmy him bending over the fenders any fruition. Along the way there was a kept collecting all the hard-to-find chance he could. Naturally, his partici- string of Chevys that came and went, hardware needed to build it his way. pation was amply rewarded. each one benefitting immensely from Resolute about how his Chevelle his inclinations. As the number of should be built, and after hearing “I’ll never forget riding in the front Chevys passing through his garage horror stories about projects that never seat with him. I can remember the grew, so did his wrenching abili- reached completion, Jimmy didn’t way it sounded, the way it smelled, ties, and each project was better than want his to suffer the same fate. He and exactly how it looked under the the previous. His well-honed skills decided it was time to cut things loose hood,” the 53-year-old mechanic says, ultimately produced show-winning with that shop and move on. dredging up those memories with Chevys that attested to his prodigious obvious fondness. “And every time talents and filled his shelves with With his Chevelle rescued from my uncle would mash the gas pedal…. trophies charting those achievements. its uncertain future, Jimmy searched Nothing I’d ever ridden in set me back for a new shop willing to take on his in the seat like that Chevelle did. The Eventually, Jimmy felt he was project and help realize his dream. His first four-speed shift handle I ever held ready to make a move on his dream search led him to Terry Davis’s shop in in my hand was when my uncle used Chevelle. “I sold a completed ’72 Rally Wytheville, Virginia, where a discour- to let me shift through the gears while Nova to buy a ’67 Chevelle and start agingly long waiting list confronted he drove!” this project. The hunt was on, and I him. But Terry’s reputation as a master searched daily, spending every free craftsman encouraged Jimmy to Eventually, the gold Chevelle passed minute I had. I finally found one that I pursue further conversation, and on to a new owner. But while the was interested in and purchased it.” once it was determined he’d collected uncle’s ownership was temporary, nearly all the parts needed and was the impressions embedded in young The Chevelle was quickly stripped adamantly committed to its Day Two Jimmy’s mind were permanent. Even and hauled to a shop for the needed configuration, Terry awarded the at his tender age, Jimmy promised bodywork and paint. But while Jimmy Chevelle a slot in the rotation. himself that one day, some way, he’d had a crystal-clear vision of his car in have a ’67 Chevelle of his own. its completed form, the shop owner Good fortune followed the Chevelle had other ideas. “The construction of to Terry’s shop, where circumstances This rust-free roller was this car was filled with many highs moved it nearer to the front of the line Jimmy Arnold’s starting point, and lows,” Jimmy recalls. “And when because of other clients’ lack of funds, a mishap occurred at the shop, it parts, or both. The project was soon after wrangling it from Jeff almost derailed my dream because of underway again, with a renewed sense Helms’ possession. Jeff was creative differences.” of hope. somewhat reluctant to part Not surprisingly, the differences Irreconcilable issues appeared, with the Chevelle until he stalled progress and the Chevelle however, once the Chevelle’s structure learned of Jimmy’s committed languished, reassigned to a remote and soul were exposed. Hope quickly Day Two plan. 40 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
Rare vintage components adorn the L88 tribute engine, a testimony to Jimmy’s devotion to construct the consummate Day Two Chevelle. declined into despair — that particu- lar Chevelle was in worse shape than previously realized, so Jimmy imme- diately initiated the search for a viable replacement. Terry, however, had an ace up his sleeve and decided to play it. He called his friend and fellow Chevelle collector Jeff Helms, who owned a clean, rust-free, 26,000-mile rolling Super Sport body from Nevada. It had been in a minor collision early in its life and sat neglected for decades until Jeff’s purchase. Negotiations ensued, and after Jimmy secured own- ership, work commenced immediately. There was a slight change of plans for the Chevelle, however. “I had envisioned a Marina Blue car,” Jimmy explains. “But this one was Mountain Green. I thought about changing the color, but my best friend ‘Pops,’ who was instrumental in building the Chevelle, said he really liked that color and would fist fight me to keep it that way. Well, we didn’t fight, but he won!” Pugilism wasn’t necessary, either, when it came time to choose the 41JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
proper propulsion system for the Acquiring the minutia that assures a heat powder coating. “It was a lot of Chevelle: A 427-cu.in. big-block Chevy proper Day Two appearance, however, work,” he continues, “but they really was the foregone conclusion, and was a formidable undertaking. “It took helped complete the Day Two engine nothing else would suffice. Vintage over five years to gather all the right compartment.” The rest of the exhaust ads for Motion Performance in New parts,” Jimmy admits. “I used every system included NOS Hush Thrush York offered 1967 Chevelles with source imaginable to come up with the mufflers to quell the discharge from 500-plus horse L-88s stuffed between right pieces; both online auctions and the high-compression big-block. the frame rails, and those ads provided swap meets were obvious places to Jimmy impetus for emulation. look, and I also used an extensive list Not surprisingly, Jimmy’s relentless of connections to find what I needed.” search for NOS or otherwise perfect Things began with a four-bolt-main pieces extended itself to the chassis as block bored to 4.250 inches, then fitted For instance, the Mark Ten ignition well. The rear end was a rare and prop- with a 3.76-inch GM “6223” Tufftride- and solid-core racing plug wires were erly dated “KK” housing, fitted with a treated and cross-drilled crank. For from a friend’s jet boat, while the 4.10 Posi from the factory. It benefited pistons, Icon forged-aluminum 12.5:1 Mallory distributor and coil were further from a set of chromed NOS L-88 replacements were fitted with sourced from another friend who Lakewood traction bars and Hurst Total Seal rings then hung on a set planned to use them on his ’69 Z/28 Super Air Shocks, while an aluminum of premium GM “dimple” rods with but decided instead to maintain the E/T differential cover gave it a bit of floating pins and ⁄7 16-inch ARP bolts. stock look. The rare ’67-dated Holley period bling. three-barrel carb was acquired from The L-88 pastiche continued when a yet another good friend, Billy Lambert, Up front, the suspension was rebuilt solid roller camshaft with similar specs who purchased it for no reason other to stock specs, including factory as the original flat-tappet piece was than the date and was happy to see it “spiral” shocks and power steering. sourced from Comp Cams and mated put to such good use. The factory disc brakes had been pil- with a set of Crower roller lifters and fered while the Chevelle sat neglected, Comp Pro Magnum roller rockers. “The vintage Appliance headers and according to Jimmy, “Finding Topping the short-block was a pair of were found in the trunk of the first GM aluminum “077” heads fitted with Chevelle,” Jimmy recounts. “They’ve 2.19/1.88-inch Manley valves, while been out of production forever, but a vintage Edelbrock C427 intake — we were able to reuse them after selected specifically for its ability to replacing a couple of mangled primary accommodate an ultra-rare Holley tubes.” Once completed, the repairs three-barrel carburetor — handled the were undetectable and they were induction duties. finished off with a fresh white, high- 42 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
OWNER’S VIEW RESTORATIONS Over 35 years’ experience goes into each restoration. d Check our website to see CARS FOR SALE and restorations in progress. We specialize in ’55-’57 Thunderbirds – please visit our THUNDERBIRD CENTER for a complete line of reproduction NOS used parts. We also have NOS sheetmetal hillsresto.com CLASSIC CAR RESTORATION & PARTS 29625 Bashan Rd., Racine, OH 45771 Info/ Tech support: 740-949-2217 Parts: 866-949-1956 T o some people, they’re just cars, but to others they’re like family due to the people you meet along the way and the friends who share your passion. I can probably speak for a lot of people when I say that everything I went through—all the count- less hours and all the ups and downs—were certainly worth it. I wouldn’t change a thing! — Jimmy Arnold all the correct factory hardware was the hardest part of the whole project. It was tempting to go with a single- piston setup from later models, but I’m too stubborn and glad I stuck with it. The stopping difference between the two is like night and day.” Further evidence of Jimmy’s mule- like mindset is the rolling stock. Although chrome Cragar S/S wheels are still produced, the spoke pro les and Uni-lug bolt pattern don’t measure up to the ones from back in the day. Luckily, he stumbled on a vintage set that the owner of an early Camaro chose to replace with some- thing a bit more current. “Even though they were very nice, my buddy JR still spent hours and hours scrubbing them with a toothbrush, polishing them, and detailing them so they’d match the quality of the rest of the car.” Finally satis ed, the effect was completed with a set of Pro Trac L60s on the 8-inch rears and 640-15s wrapped on 4-inch front wheels. The era-correct attitude carried over to the inside as well. Within that context, it’s dif cult to nd fault with the factory interior design, so the black gut was refurbished with new soft 43JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
trim from PUI and augmented with a SPECIFICATIONS factory “wood” wheel. Additionally, a Sun tach and NOS blue-line gauges 1967 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS 396 were included, while a Hurst shifter stirs the Muncie M22 gearbox to ENGINE complete the throwback theme. Block type..........................................Chevrolet Mark IV “big-block” with four-bolt mains Although it’s certainly not a daily Cylinder heads ....................................................... GM/Winters “077” aluminum castings driver, Jimmy does his best to let the Displacement ..........................................................................................................427-cu.in. Chevelle live up to his expectations. Bore x stroke ....................................................................................................4.251 x 3.76 in “I just love taking it out, running it Compression ratio .......................................................................................................... 12.5:1 through the gears, and feeling it pull in Pistons ..................................................................................Forged aluminum, 50-cc dome each one,” he proclaims with passion. Connecting rods.........................................................GM steel “dimple” rods, 7/16-in bolts “The 427 is extremely strong and Crankshaf .................................GM “6223” forged steel, Tu ride treated, cross-drilled I like to let it wind all the way to Horsepower @ rpm ...................................................................... 550 @ 5,900 (estimated) 7,500 rpm or so, where it really makes Torque @ rpm .......................................................................550 lb-f @ 4,900 (estimated) some beautiful music. The 4.10 Posi Induction system ................Holley 950-cfm three-barrel (1967 date code) atop vintage and the whine of the Rockcrusher gearbox really bring it all together Edelbrock aluminum C427 dual plane manifold for me!” If there’s anyone reading Ignition......................... Mark Ten Ignition capacitive discharge, Mallory distributor/coil these scribbles that wouldn’t love to Exhaust................................Appliance headers w/2-in primaries, Hush Thrush mu ers experience the same visceral assault TRANSMISSION rst-hand, please check your pulse, because chances are you’ve left the Type................................................................ Muncie four-speed, af ermarket M22 gears living world. Ratios.............................1st/2.20:1 … 2nd/1.64:1 … 3rd/1.28:1 … 4th/1.0:1 … Reverse/2.27:1 After completion, accolades for DIFFERENTIAL Jimmy’s commitment to excellence were immediate and proli c as the Type................................. Chevrolet 1967 “KK” 12-bolt housing, Positraction limited-slip Chevelle was shown at various Ratio................................................................................................................................. 4.10:1 venues. Especially appreciative of Jimmy’s obsession were students of STEERING the “old school” mindset, who were able to recall exactly how things were Type....................................................................................Factory Saginaw power steering back in the day. When asked what his Ratio .....................................................................................................................................18:1 plans were for the Chevelle, Jimmy’s response was “I just want to continue BRAKES to show it, drive it wh I d enjoy it as much as po Front............................................................................ Factory four-piston disc, 11-in rotors Rear....................................................................................... Factory drum, 9 1⁄2-in diameter SUSPENSION Front..................Factory unequal length control arms, Eaton coil springs, spiral shocks Rear....Factory four-link, Lakewood traction bars, Eaton coil springs, Hurst air shocks WHEELS & TIRES Wheels .....................................................................................................Vintage Cragar S/S Front: 15 x 4 in Rear: 15 x 8 in Tires ....................................................................................................... Front: Coker/640-15 Rear: Coker/Pro Trac L60-15 The Chevelle was built for having fun, and that’s what Jimmy intends to do with it. “I love to get it out every chance I get,” he says. “The 427 loves to rev, and I don’t mind letting it do that… all the way to about 7,500 rpm!” 44 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES
Special 50th Anniversary Tribute HURRY! The Only Car of Its Kind Ever Built! Strong demand is expected. THE 1971 HEMI CUDA ACT NOW! Measures 11\" long In 1971, Plymouth built only 62 Barracudas with the Shaker Hood with trim rings 426 HEMI — the last year for this engine. ONLY ONE got and matte black vent; fin-like white billboards, making it one of the rarest Cudas ever built! vents on fenders; dual exhausts ALL-NEW TOOLING captures the rare ‘71 Barracuda in a limited-time • 50th anniversary die-cast commemorative — the “1:18-Scale 1971 Plymouth Twin high intensity road lamps; flat HEMI Cuda” complete with a fully plumbed and wired 426 HEMI! black rear panel; detailed undercarriage Boasts opening Backed by our unconditional • hood, doors & trunk! 365-Day Guarantee! Bright showroom finish in Rallye Red; SEND NO MONEY NOW! poseable steering and F-60 white The issue price is payable in four letter tires with replica Rally Wheels payments of $49.99*; with only the first payment billed prior to shipment. • Your satisfaction is guaranteed for a Interior detailing with 4-speed shifter, full year or your money back. Don’t tilting seats and customized gauges miss out; reply today! Presented by The Hamilton Collection. Manufactured FOLLOW US ON Fastest way to order: by ACME Trading under license with Chrysler. HamiltonCollection.com/71HEMICuda MAIL TO: Presented by 09-09853-001-BIB Name______________________________________________________________________ (Please print clearly.) Address____________________________________________________________________ SEND NO MONEY NOW! City_______________________________________State____________Zip______________ ❒ YES! Please reserve the “1:18-Scale 1971 Plymouth Email______________________________________________________________________ HEMI Cuda” for me as described in this announcement. Optional (for order & shipping confirmation). *Add a total of $23.99 for shipping and service, and sales tax; see HamiltonCollection.com. Signature___________________________________________________________________ All orders are subject to product availability and credit approval. Allow 6 to 8 weeks after initial payment for shipment.
TECH SPOTLIGHT: Restomods GETTING IT HANDLED LOOK STOCK AND CARRY A BIG GRIP WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK HANSON N O DOUBT ABOUT IT, WE’VE BEEN SPOILED. Today’s daily drivers offer so much in the way of Butt-hugging buckets that retain the original seat-cover creature comforts, handling, and power on demand patterns, larger-diameter wheels featuring“rally wheel” styling cues, air conditioning with factory-like dash vents, that many of us forget just how rudimentary our and fuel injection systems that emulate the appearance of classic muscle machines really are. Reality quickly sets in, carburetors are just a few examples. however, as soon as we take our vintage sled out for a spin. All this accomplished, of course, for the sake of Being the creative, resourceful creatures that we are, improvements without wholesale compromise to the style many of us have figured out how to incorporate several of that gave muscle cars their original appeal; modification the“new”-ances of modern-day machinery into our classics. without obliteration is what restomods are really all about. And the aftermarket facilitates the process, too, with prod- Suspension systems, too, have come a long way since ucts that make it easier to complete our updates. our muscle machines first hit the streets. Ride quality
has advanced remarkably while also allowing lateral-G system and utilize contemporary caster and camber settings numbers that bring out the Walter Mitty in all of us, for improved handling. Basically, increasing positive caster allowing us to attack on-ramps as though they were The will improve stability and cornering capabilities while Foxhole at the Nürburgring. slightly increasing steering effort. Introducing negative camber will help improve tire bite, but with somewhat Attempting suspension modifications to improve the abbreviated tire life. The benefits of modern caster and road characteristics of a classic muscle car usually involves camber settings, a lowered center-of-gravity, upgraded new springs, anti-sway bars, and tubular control arms as brakes, and improved shocks/anti-sway bars are what we part of the plan. Suspension upgrades work best, of course, wanted, without resorting to tubular components and large- with larger than stock-diameter wheels and shorter aspect diameter wheels and tires. ratio tires. Intrigued by the prospect of having our cake and eating it But not everyone wants to deviate from factory (or even too, we placed our order, hoping that the promise lives up vintage aftermarket) rolling stock. Fifteen-inchers work just to the promotion. Our intent is to engage in weekend auto- fine, thank you, and the preference is to maintain, as much cross activity and other spirited driving, but we don’t want as possible, either an original or a“Day Two”look. to give up comfortable street manners. Interestingly, we found a new suspension package that The willing recipient of this new hardware is a ’70 dramatically improves handling while allowing retention Camaro Z28 that looks a lot better than it drives. Its of 15-inch wheels. And what’s more, it also retains factory- original suspension design was quite good back in the day, appearing control arms and other major componentry. intended for use with capable (at the time) F60-15 bias-ply rubber and conservative suspension settings that were Rekudo has engineered a suspension package specifically a compromise to ride quality. The result was a car that for the second-generation Camaro and Firebird (1970-’81) inspired drivers to seek the limits of their capabilities, and that keeps the original look, with stamped upper and lower when pushed hard enough, the vehicle’s limits were often control arms, then adds adjustable shocks, a stout 13⁄8-inch found (or exceeded) as well. Our Z28 compounded the front anti-sway bar, and taller, redesigned spindles that felony with its worn bushings and ball joints. accept Corvette-style brake calipers and 12-inch rotors. Eager to see the improvements promised by the Rekudo Rather than cast-iron Corvette calipers, however, we system, we quickly set to work on its installation. With any chose Wilwood six-piston replacements because of their suspension work, be sure to have all the right tools and increased braking capabilities, and because they are also equipment needed to complete the task safely; basic hand several pounds lighter to reduce unsprung weight. They can tools, safety glasses and gloves, plus a floor jack, jack stands, be powder coated to your preference; we chose red, but also and a spring compressor allowed us to accomplish our task. considered graphite gray for a more subtle appearance. The suspension components are designed as a cohesive 12 1. Get the old stuff out of the way first by disconnecting the tie rods and removing the shocks. Loosen the ball-joint nuts, but leave them fully engaged on the threads, then use a pickle fork to separate the spindle from the ball joints. Now use a spring compressor to take the tension off the control arms so you can unbolt and remove them. 2. Remove the upper control arm alignment shims but maintain each shim stack in order by wrapping them with tape and marking each shim pack according to its location. 47JULY 2022 WWW.HMN.COM
3. Both upper and lower control arms are patterned after 6 the original Camaro stamped-steel pieces, and feature HD ball joints and rubber bushings (optional Delrin bushings are available). The monotube shocks are adjustable to match your driving style. 4. The upper control arms are fitted with slotted shafts and offset inserts to facilitate optimal caster settings. We’re using the #2 inserts, which accom- modate more aggressive caster settings. 5. Spindles are forged from 4140 chrome moly steel. Their taller design creates negative camber gain and a 1-inch drop to lower the center of gravity for improved handling. 3 4 7 5 6. New hubs are constructed from billet steel and allow 48 HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES the use of C3 Corvette rotors while retaining the 4¾ -inch wheel bolt pattern. New races, bearings, and seals are also included in the package. 7. Pack the new bearings with grease and install the inner seals before mating them to the rotors. After dropping them in place on the spindles, tighten the spindle nut while rotating the rotor, and then back it off. Repeat the process several times to properly seat the bearings. 8. Lower control arms on 1970-’73 and early ’74 F-bodies used ½ -inch bolts, while late 1974-’81 vehicles were upgraded with larger ⁄9 16-inch bolts. The bigger bolts are included as part of the kit. 8
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