Oct 5-7Hughes Performance Arizona Nationals Presented by Deeds PerformanceFirebird Int. Raceway, Phoenix, AZfirebirdraceway.com
**Special Event**Nov 1-4Dyno-Flo.com Street Car Super Nationals III East vs. West ShootoutThe Strip at LVMS, Las Vegas, NVlvms.com
Season FinaleNov 16-18 9th Annual Edelbrock World Finals Presented by Tom's DifferentialsCalifornia Speedway, Fontana, CAcaliforniaspeedway.com
HindsightWe can always count on Chevy High readers to set us straight when we stray a bit, and that's what happened in our 8.2-inch 10-bolt rebuild story, "In the Rear with the Gears" (Jan. '07). GL460 e-mailed the following question concerning said article: "On page 44, the bottom right-hand pic, you say the pinion bolt gets 12 to 15 in-lb of torque. I've seta bunch of rears up, and the only inch-pounds I have seen is the torque to turn the pinion with new bearings. The pinion nut usually takes about 250 to 300 foot-pounds to start the spacer crush. Am I reading this article wrong?" No, GL, you're exactly right, as confirmed by the shop that built the 10-bolt in question, Don Lee Automotive of Rancho Cucamonga, California (909.989.1573, donleeauto.com). "It usually takes about 250 ft-lb to start the crush spacer," says Tim Lee. "That 12-15 inch-pounds it what it should take to turn the whole assembly. That's how much preload is on the bearing." We appreciate the chance to clear things up. -JN
For SpeedBob MehlhoffI love pulling old motors from engine bays, rebuilding them, and dyno-testing them as well as restoring old cars. To me there is not much else that is so rewarding as transforming what once was an old, greasy motor or worn-out car into something with improved performance and glistening appearance. When I frequently talk with other hot rodders who feel the same way.
From time to time, many I've met (both inside and outside the hobby) have commented that it takes a big part of each day and a large budget to build these engines and cars. True, for many car-building ventures it requires both, but for other projects, where a strict calendar or huge goals are not in place, the process can be done with far less.
I've found that the secret to doing this is twofold. Be flexible with your project and be able to deal with the unexpected. In other words, don't think in conventional ways. Unlike the fun-to-watch car-building TV shows, it's OK not to have your car completed at breakneck speed. When problems arise (which they always will), think of a plan B or C. If you don't have large spans of time to devote to your project each week, break it down into timeframes that fit your schedule. Even 15 to 30 minutes spent on a project a few times a week can add up to a significant amount of time each month.
A buddy of mine recently began building an early Camaro that had been parked for 25 years. From the start of Reed's project, he set reasonable goals, and as the project has unfolded with surprises he's made adjustments. Because he's building this project with his teenage son, Ryan, he's not throwing huge money at it, but instead is cleaning up the engine bay, making a reasonable amount of repairs to the original 327, and plans to have a driver-quality paint job applied later. The best part is that they're having lots of fun restoring the car. It's the process that is the reward.