Now the slow periods of his day have disappeared and his oldest son Dustin is a business partner. Stop by and you'll find Granger now middle-aged with all kinds of carbs stacked, waiting for one of his renovations. Many of the carbs are sent from hundreds of miles away and mostly for one reason. Hot rodding is emotion driven and his clientele wants their carburetors immersed in Granger's passion.
Whether you enjoy early 327s, carburetors, the latest aluminum LS1s, or today's six-speed transmissions, hot rodding is always exciting and evolving. The thrill of modifying, restoring, and building Chevys is what makes many of us at Chevy High arrive each morning to our office before 6:00 a.m. Thumb through the pages of CHP and you'll most likely find a place for your particular adventure.
By the way, today Granger's daily driver is a five-speed, Vortech-super-charged, electronically fuel-injected ride.
OversteerJohn NelsonInspired by Hot Rod's recent car-movies article ("Anarchy & Bedlam," Feb. '06) and a late-night CHP bull session, I'd like to hold forth on my favorite movie of the '80s. It may not be thought of as a car movie, but I submit that it is, and a surreal riot of a ride as well. I'm speaking, of course, about Better Off Dead, released in 1985 and starring John Cusack.
Cusack's quirky Lane Myer is cheated out of a place on the high school ski team by ultracreep Roy Stalin, who also takes his girlfriend Beth. Lane, at the wheel of a ratty Ford wagon, must then face his nemesis: a pair of Falcon-driving Japanese brothers, one who speaks like Howard Cosell, calling the impromptu street races-which Lane invariably loses. No one understands, teen angst is in full effect, and Lane Myer decides he'd be...you guessed it, better off dead.
Lane's ill-conceived suicide attempts fail, and he meets French foreign exchange student Monique, played by the irresistible Diane Franklin. Living with the Smiths, Monique pretends not to speak English to avoid weirdo Ricky's advances. She does, however, take a liking to lovable loser Lane.
Lane finds Monique wrenching on the mystery car-bought because Beth thought it was "tasty"-amidst a sea of detached parts. Despite Lane's fear of tools, in short order the duo have the car-a '67 SS Camaro-up and running. Lane then remembers that he's challenged Stalin to race down the scariest slope in town and prepares to go hide. Monique suggests that a taste of success is all Lane needs, dangling the Camaro keys in front of him.
We suppose you can guess the rest. Lane and his Camaro shred the Falcon menace, he defeats Stalin, rescues Monique, and drives off into the sunset. And what changed Lane's life? A car and a girl, of course. How many of us can relate to that?
Not convinced? Where else are you gonna see a hamburger sing Van Halen? And how about, "I want my two dollars?!" If you haven't seen Better Off Dead, it's worth a look. And wherever you are, Diane Franklin, you can help me work on my Camaro anytime!
Help!We're again running miserably short of useable material for the CHP Rides. This is your chance to make the pages of CHP, friends, but you've gotta give us good material to work with. Send us the sharpest photos you can, or your submission will disappear into the black hole created by all the unprintable photos we receive here at CHP Central. The sun should be behind you, shining right onto your Chevy. And please pick a nice background-no poles or trees growing out of the top of your car, no garbage cans, no parking lot full of F-150s, and no one wants to see your neighbor's house and SUV. Be sure to send all the info on your Chevy: year, model, a detailed rundown of original equipment and/or modifi-cations, and some background on why your ride is special. We'll be waiting. Send photos and info to chevyhiperformance@primedia.com. Digital photos must be 300 dpi at 5x7 inches. Prefer snail mail? Write CHP Rides, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Take a look at the photos we run, and do likewise. We'll be waiting.