FEATURES:The Spotlight ........................ 1,2 Rodding News ...................... 2 Drag Racing News ................. 3Circle Track Racing News ........ 4Racing Journal ..................... 5

New Products ....................... 6New Allstar Products ............. 7Rodding Journal ................... 8,9Manufacturers Spotlight ....... 10Lane Happenings .................. 11Lane Collectables .................. 12The Parts You Need and the Service You Deserve!

RA

CIN

G A

ND

RO

DD

IN

G

Of all the Fords built in the period between 1929 and 1940, the 1936 model is considered by many enthu-siasts to be the most elegant, highly refi ned effort to come out of the blue oval styling studios. Heavily infl uenced by Edsel Ford’s love of European cars, the 1935-36 Fords presented an abrupt departure from the very popular 1933-34 models, sporting completely redesigned bodies, fenders and interiors. The stylish ‘36 looked more expen-sive than it was, no doubt a major reason it was a hit with the public. President Franklin D. Roosevelt owned one and often talked fondly of his leisurely drives in his ‘36 Ford Phaeton. The 1936 model year was one of “fi rsts and lasts” for the Ford Motor Co. It was the fi rst year that an integral heater, one actually designed as a part of the car, was available. It was the last year that Ford used a one-piece, fl at windshield in passenger cars. In 1935, Ford relocated the front trans-verse spring from above the axle to a position in front of the axle, giving the car a lower stance. This allowed a longer nose, larger fenders and an overall larger look from the same 112” wheel-base the ‘33 and ‘34 Fords used. The ‘36 nose took much better advantage of the new axle position than the ‘35 and its proudly V’ed nose would charac-terize Ford front end stying for the next several years. No doubt about it, the 1936 Ford was a trend setter. Ralph Sanders of Union Mills, Indiana recognized the trend setting capabilities of the ‘36 Ford and decided that it would be just the car upon which he could base his 1960’s gas coupe style hot rod. Ralph has set out to build something different. His love of street rods, gassers and drag racing has culminat-ed in the design and construction of a coupe that is a fairly radical departure from the norm. Ralph purchased the ‘36 Ford 5-Window coupe from George Lane a few years back, when George acquired an original one that was closer to the type of hot rod he wanted to build. Ralph’s car was a driver when he bought it, powered by a rela-tively stock small block Chevy/Turbo 350 setup. Soon after he got the coupe home, he began dismantling it to prepare for its transformation. With the body off the car, the deck lid was the fi rst part to get some attention, receiving a liberal helping of louvres (about 150) in the process. The chassis was sent to Rob Littiken in Morocco, Indiana for necessary

modifi cations. Rob is associated with McKinney Race Cars in Lafayette, Indiana, so Ralph was confi dent in his welding and fabrication skills. One departure from the sixties gasser look will involve the front end. A typical gas coupe in the sixties exhibited a nose high attitude, achieved with severely arched springs and straight tube axles. Ralph’s car will have the nose lower than the rear of the car, thanks to Pete and Jake’s sus-pension pieces, and it will be more stable at drag strip speed. Did we say drag strip? You bet! This car will not be just a boulevard cruiser. No sir! The car will have a full cage incor-porated to enable rapid quarter mile passes with complete abandon. Ralph is a Pontiac guy. His dad was a Pontiac guy. Ralph remembers the awesome Super Duty 421 drag cars of the 1960’s so the selection of a Pontiac engine for the coupe was a natural. Continued on page 2

Life’s a Gas(ser)

RA

CIN

G A

ND

RO

DD

IN

G

That’s 455 inches of Pontiac power nestled

snugly into the 36’s cus-tom recessed firewall.

Liberal application of the louvre press resulted in a period

perfect deck lid.

Photos Ralph Sanders

S p r i n g 2 0 0 6S p r i n g 2 0 0 6

2 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266RO

DD

ING

NEW

SR

OD

DIN

G N

EWS

Rodding NewsLife’s a Gas(ser) Continued...Horses will be supplied by a 455 cubic inch version, with lots of compression and two four barrel carbs on top to stir things up a bit. In keeping with tradition, the engine “fi re” will come from a new old stock, sixties era Vertex Magneto, a Christ-mas gift from Ralph’s wife. A Jim Kaekel-built Turbo 400 will route all that Pontiac muscle back to a narrowed 9-inch Ford rear end. Slicks and wide street tires will snuggle within stock fenders and inner fender wells that have been mildly tubbed by moving them inward three inches. Ralph drives a tractor/trailer rig for United Parcel Service, pulling double - and sometimes triple - trailers. His work day takes place while most of us sleep. When he’s heading to the garage to work on the coupe at the end of his busy day, we’re likely polishing off that last cup of coffee before we begin our daily grind. This coupe is progressing nicely, and we can’t wait to see the fi nished product. It will certainly be no “run-of-the-mill” coupe in Union Mills. R&R

Rob Littiken fabricated the 9-inch, coil-over setup.

The ‘36 Ford coupe before delivery to Ralph Sanders.

Editor’s Notes: Who Says You Can’t Go Back Again?

The first time I saw master metalsmith Al Bergler’s “More Aggravation” Austin Bantam-bodied Competition Coupe, it was charging right at me, right off the cover of Gratiot Auto Supply’s 1966 speed equipment cata-log. Sometime later, I got to see the car for real when it competed at an American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) divisional race at Ubly Dragway. I felt then, as I do now, that it was one of the prettiest front engine cars I’d ever seen. In the catalog shot, and in person, the car was painted red. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I became aware of the fact that the original color was yellow...and that the car was the very first recipient of the coveted Ridler Award at the 1964 Detroit Autorama. Al’s fame as a metalsmith continued to grow. He was responsible for, among many other projects, the flawless aluminum interiors on the funny cars built by the Logghe Stamping Company in Detroit. He kept his hand in the drag racing game, too, fielding nitro funny cars well into the 1970’s. At some point, “More Aggravation” got passed along and Al eventually lost track of its whereabouts.

The popularity of nitro “Cacklefests” - like our “Noisefest” at the annual Lane Automotive car show - convinced Al that he should track down his old drag car and then restore it to its original beauty. An intensive search, many phone calls, countless hours on ebay’s auction site, some lucky finds like the original chassis, discovered among Dave Crane’s extensive collec-tion of drag race memorabilia, and Al had the components necessary to rebuild the car. The beautiful results of the search, seen in the accompa-nying photos, took shape in just about a year, testimony to the fact that even though he is officially retired, Al Bergler has not slowed down one bit. Forty-two years after winning the Ridler Award, “More Aggravation” returned to the Detroit Autorama to once again enjoy the celebrity status that it and its owner/builder richly deserve. The restored Comp Coupe will appear at the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY in June.

(Top Right) Al Bergler’s restored “More Aggravation” Comp Coupe is flanked by an enlarged photo of the car taken on the return road at the NHRA Nationals at Indy nearly forty years ago. That’s Al sitting in the background, between the photo and the car.

(Bottom Right) Close-up shot shows the extensive modifications made to the ‘37 American Austin Bantam coupe body, as well as the heavily chromed and polished ‘57 Chrysler 392 engine, now bored and stroked to 480 cubic inches. R&R

Photo Ralph Sanders

Photo John McLellan

Photo John McLellan

Photo George Lane

April - June 2006 3

D

RA

G R

AC

ING

NEW

S D

RA

G R

AC

ING

NEW

S Drag Racing NewsDrag Expo Number Eleven The Pheasant Run Megacenter in St. Charles, Illinois was the site of the 11th Annual Drag News Magazine World Drag Expo Janu-ary 27-28. The expo, a trade show with a swap meet thrown in for good measure, is the creation of Drag News publishers Todd and Laurie Silvey, and it has grown to be the country’s premier drag race oriented trade show. This year we dispatched two of our sales associates (who also happen to be veteran drag racers), Brian Robbins and John Motycka, to represent the Allstar Perfor-mance line at the show. Many Allstar Performance components are specifi cally designed for drag race cars. It was announced by Todd Silvey that the 12th World Drag Expo will take place on January 20 and 21, 2007 and will be held in a new location. That new location will be the brand new Schaum-burg Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. Less than fi fteen miles from Pheasant Run, the new center will have the capability to house the trade show, swap meet and, new for ‘07, a car corral with drag cars for sale. R&R

IHRA Chassis Certifi cations At Skinny Kid Race Cars The International Hot Rod Association recentlyannounced that Keith Engling’s Skinny Kid Race Cars in Commerce, Michigan has been designated as an offi cial IHRA Chassis Certifi cation Center. Certi-fi cations can be scheduled at any time during business hours as opposed to having to wait for a one time, one day only ses-sion at a pre-determined location. Skinny Kid Race Cars is located at 3170 E. Oakley Park Rd., Commerce, Michigan 48390-1661 and can be reached by phone at (248) 668-1040, Fax at (248) 668-1042 or by email at keith@skinnykidracecars.com. R&R

Lane And Edelbrock Team Up At Mid Michigan Drag racers in the Super Pro, Pro and Street categories at Mid Michigan Motorplex will compete for cash as the 2006 Lane Automotive/Edelbrock Bracket Points Series gets underway. The fi rst points night will be April 29 and the season will conclude September 4. The season will be comprised of two halves. The fi rst half will end June 25 and the second half will resume July 9 and run until September 4. Top point fi nishers in each class will be eligible to compete as members of the Mid Michigan Motorplex All Star Team at the NHRA Division 3 Bracket Finals in Indianapolis Sep-tember 15-17 and the Lane Automotive Michigan Bracket Finals September 22-24 at the Motorplex. Monetary awards will be presented at the track’s annual ban-quet in January, 2007. The season points championship entry fee is $20.00. R&R

The points structure is as follows: • 20 Points For Entering An Event • 10 Points For Every Round Won (excluding buybacks)• 2 Point Bonus For Overall Winner • 1 Point Bonus For Runner-Up

John Motycka, left, and Brian Robbins capably represented Allstar Performance at Drag News Magazine’s 11th Annual Drag Expo.

Keith Engling of SkinnyKid Race Cars (shown with driver, Brian Robbins, and crew at Alaska Raceway Park) will take time from a busy race schedule to handle tech inspections and certifica-tions for IHRA in 2006.

Randy Brace the 2005 Lane Automotive/Edelbrock Bracket Points Winner.

Photos Courtesy Brian Robbins and Skinny Kid Racing

Photo Courtesy Drag News Magazine

Photo Courtesy Mid Michigan Motorplex

4 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266

CIR

CLE

TR

AC

K R

AC

ING

NEW

SC

IRC

LE T

RA

CK

RA

CIN

G N

EWS

Circle Track Racing News

The fourteenth consecutive running of the Kalamazoo Klash will take place on July 19th, 2006. Between 80 and 100 Outlaw Super Late Model racers from the eastern half of the country will converge on Kalamazoo Speedway, to compete in a 200 lap race that has become one of the largest Outlaw Super Late Model races in the nation, with a top prize of $25,000 going to the winner. The history of the Klash, fi rst run in 1993, includes an im-pressive list of competitors that comprises the who’s who of short track racing. Among past participants and winners are such notables as Tim Steele, Butch Miller, Matt Kenseth, Dave Sensiba, Kenny Schrader, Johnny Benson, Mike VanSparren-tak, Andy Bozell, Brian Cloud, Glenn Allen Jr., Adam Petty, Fred Campbell, Bob Holley, Mike Eddy, Doug Lane, Chris Orr, Ken Scheffl er, Chad Blount, David Stremme, Randy Sweet and 2005 winner, Lee Anderson. The excitement is already starting to build as several heavy hitters make plans for this year’s Klash. NASCAR star Johnny Benson will be fi elding one of his own pavement rockets at this years event. Scott Bloomquist, one of the hottest dirt track drivers in the sport, will be behind the wheel of one of Randy Sweet’s hot rods at the 2006 Klash. Out of town shoes will include Freddy and Brian Campbell, Jack Landis, Scott Hantz, Tom Thomas, Tim DeVos, Andy Ponstein, Alan Marcott, Lee Anderson and Joe Bush. Perhaps the hottest competition will be from Kalamazoo Speedway’s own “Boys of the Zoo,” a group that includes Andy and Phil Bozell, Rick

Sexton, Curt Spalding, Jeff Ganus, Dave Lober, Phil Massuch, Hank Miller, Terry Senneker and many more. In addition to the top prize of $25,000, the second place fi n-isher will collect $8,000 and third place will pay $5,000. The purse will have money for fi nishers all the way back to 26th place. In addition, there will be a $1,000 halfway bonus, a $500 bonus for fast time, and lap money for all 200 laps. The B-Feature will pay $2,500 to the winner while the winner of the C-Feature will earn $1,000. The large Klash purses will in-spire the drivers to run a race that will show everyone in the Midwest what Outlaw Super Late Models are all about. The 2006 Klash is presented by Edelbrock, with major spon-sorship funding from Holley, Lane Automotive, All Star Per-formance, and Sweet Manufacturing. Several contingency and lap money sponsors will be added to the list in the next few months. On Tuesday, July 18th, there will be an open practice from 5-9pm. The grandstands will be free, so bring your cameras and stop watches, and get a preview of Wednesday’s Su-perstars. On Wednesday, Klash practice will begin at 11am, qualifying begins at 3pm, with pre-race presentations start-ing at 6pm. Grandstand tickets will be $25.00 for adults with kids 6-12 being $5.00. Ordering tickets online for this event is highly recommended. R&R

Kalamazoo Klash XIV Presented by Edelbrock

Returns to the Zoo

2005 Kalamazoo Klash Winner Lee Anderson

Randy Sweet

Photo Tom DeVette

Photo Rick Kimball

Scott Bloomquist

Photos Rick Schwallie

April - June 2006 5

RA

CIN

G JO

UR

NA

L R

AC

ING

JOU

RN

AL

One Soldier’s Dream...Patriotism and Loyalty Working Together Regardless of where we stand on the “military Exercise” taking place in Iraq, everyone agrees that the soldiers serving tours of duty over there have had to deal with major disruptions in their lives. For many seasoned National Guardsmen, the call to duty came at a time when their energies were totally devoted to everyday family activities, and their military retirement dates were imminent. These soldiers report-ed for duty leaving everything - family, homes and even hobbies - on hold. One such individual is Bob Metcalf. Bob served his country fi rst as a U.S. Army soldier, and later became a member of the Indiana Na-tional Guard. After more than twenty years in the service, Bob could see the end of his career in sight. Then, the thing in Iraq happened, and he was called to active duty. One item that Bob had to leave be-hind was his 1967 Plymouth Barracuda project. Several of his fellow car enthusiasts in the Michiana area, most of whom are members of the Land Yacht Club, or the Michiana Mopar Association, decided that the old Barracuda had languished long enough in the garage. They further decided that they should gather up all the pieces and restore the car as a homecoming present for Bob. Securing space in Inter-Galactic Services’ building, the group began the restoration in earnest. The project was spearheaded by two of Bob’s friends, Jimmy Johns and Sean Burns. A campaign to round up needed parts began. MMA member Ron Conley donated a 318 engine and 904 Torquefl ite and, when the engine turned out to be in too bad a shape, found another one. Ron, Randy Stoner, Denny Rose, Tom Stoner and Bill Bennett tore the engine down and took the block to Bob Deferbrache at Action Machine for cleaning up. Harold Rankin bored the block .030”. New camshaft, lifters, pistons, rings and bearings were included in the reassembly process. Mike Slater handled the rebuild of the 904 automatic. In the meantime, Jimmy, Sean, John Johnston , Paul Ferris and Joe Richards tackled the frame and body work so the car could be turned over to the painter, Gregg Wegenke, who was waiting to apply a beautiful blue paint job, with red and white racing stripes. The deadline for the completion of the restoration was March 23, the opening day of the annual Cavalcade of Wheels at Notre Dame’s Joyce Athletic Convocation Center. The plan was to give the car to Bob at the show. The photos attest to the fact that, except for minute details, the car was completed in time to make the show and, most importantly, the presenta-tion to Bob. That’s Bob facing the camera and bestowing a big “thank you” hug on one of his buddies. R&R

Photo Scott Wahlstrom

Drag News Bracket All-Star Tour Re-Ups with Allstar PerformanceDrag News Magazine announces that Allstar Performance Specialty Parts and Equip-

ment will return as the presenting sponsor of the 2006 Drag News All-Star Tour. Laurie Silvey, All-Star Tour Event Director commented “It is an interesting combination between the All-Star Tour and the Allstar Performance line.” “We are looking forward to once again displaying the Allstar Performance line of products and their extensive catalog at all of our stops this summer with the Drag News display Freightliner,” she added. According to Drag News Magazine Editor, Todd Silvey, “The All-Star Tour is all about the Sportsman Drag Racer and pairs tour stops with special events scheduled at participating tracks.” Many new programs are on tap for the 2006 season with series sponsors like Edelbrock, TCI, Comp Cams, Dart, andAmerican Racing. The special programs will all culminate at the Ohio Crankshaft Super Bowl of Bracket Racing, to be held at Indianapolis Raceway Park on September 30th- October 1st. Several special shoot-outs featuring qualifiers from the season’s events will take place at Indy’s Super Bowl. The Drag News All-Star Tour has scheduled 17 events in 12 states for 2006. For more information on the Allstar Tour and Drag News Magazine visit www.dragnews.com. R&R

Photo Scott Wahlstrom

Racing Journal

6 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266NEW

PR

OD

UC

TSN

EW P

RO

DU

CTS

New ProductsPowermaster 16 Volt Battery and 12/16 Volt Charger

The new Group 24 Powermaster 16 Volt Battery (PWM1000) is the ideal battery for drag cars, especially those equipped with all the electronic add-ons available to drag

racers these days. Non-spillable, the battery weighs 42 lbs. While we’re on the subject of batteries, let’s look at a new charger that should be every racer’s companion in the pits, whether they’re drag racing, circle track racing, truck pulling or mud racing. The Powermaster 12/16 Volt Battery Charger (PWM1005) can handle AGM/gel, deep cycle and maintenance free batteries, 12 or 16 volt, with equal ease. With amp levels of 2, 15, and 25 the charger can do everything from a trickle charge to a full boost. Charger has a built-in amp gauge, LED indicators and 6’ of heavy duty cable. R&R

EMP Stewart Components Inline Electric Water PumpCompared to some aftermarket electric water pumps, the EMP Stewart Inline Electric Water Pump (STEE558A-BK) is downright tiny at only 6" in length and

4-1/4" in diameter. Don’t let size fool you though. This little black anodized pump weighs under 5 lbs., but can deliver up to 55 GPM while drawing just 8 amps. A high effi ciency, computer controlled motor adds superior reliability. R&R

LSM Racing Products Set valve lash and properly torque adjusters at the same time with this very

handy, all-in-one tool. Forget time consuming valve lash setting...time can now be cut in half and the problems associated with this chore are eliminated. No

more rounded off Allen wrenches or damaged adjusters. The set contains 1/2"-3/16", 7/16"- 5/32", and 7/16"-18 wrenches to fi t most rocker arm adjusters. R&R

B&M Composite X ShiftersComposite X Pro Stick Shifter The legendary Composite X Pro Stick Shifter maintains all of the features that have

made the original Pro Stick so popular, including interchangeable gate plates and front exit cable. With improved styling and the magic of carbon fi ber technology this shifter is better than ever. A billet alu-minum Magnum Grip handle and real carbon fi ber cover lend a “for business only” touch. Composite X Pro Sticks are available for all Ford and GM automatic transmissions including overdrive units and Power-glide, and the Mopar 727 and 904 Torquefl ite 3-speed automatics.

Composite X Pro Bandit Shifter Now carbon fi ber styling and lightness can even be added to the narrow confi nes of dragster and altered roadster cockpits with the Composite X Pro Bandit Shifter for the GM Powerglide. Shifter has a rear exit cable and can be purchased by itself (BMM81048) or in a kit (BMM81047) with an 8’ Super Duty cable, Powerglide Pro Lever, quick disconnect and cable extension. Handle is com-patible with CO2 or electric solenoids.

Composite X Pro Ratchet Shifter The Pro Ratchet (BMM45042) is noted for its reliability and functionality and now it can add carbon fi ber styling to its reputation. With a CNC-machined billet Magnum Grip handle, real carbon fi ber Pro Stick cover and a 5’ Super Duty cable exiting out the front, there’s a Composite X Pro Ratchet to improve shift-ing on all popular GM, Ford and Chrysler automatics as well as the GM Powerglide. R&R

Be Cool Aluminum Shock Absorbers Revolutionary twin-tube shocks are CNC-machined from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy and bright dipped and anodized for lasting protection and good looks. A 5/8" high carbon steel rod is chromed and fi tted with polyurethane bushed ends

for durability. Rebound and compression may be adjusted at the turn of a knob, while the shocks are on the vehicle, for maximum tuning of suspension. Front and rear Be Cool Ad-

justable Aluminum Shocks are available for “Big Three” muscle and pony cars all the way back to 1962. R&R

April - June 2006 7

New Allstar ProductsN

EW A

LLSTAR

PRO

DU

CTS

NEW

ALLSTA

R PR

OD

UC

TS

3” Thick Foam Mud Plugs Dirt track racers now have a choice of 3” or 5” thick Allstar Performance Mud Plugs. They like the way the plugs keep the mounting surfaces of 15” wheels remarkably clean and free of gobs of gooey clay. Imprinted with the Allstar Performance logo, the new 3” plugs are available in black, red, blue, orange, purple and yellow. P.S. Many race fans swear by the foam mud plug’s performance as a seat cushion, too! R&R

Superlite Caliper Bracket Allstar has engineered a new aluminum caliper bracket (ALL42134) that’s lighter than anything else currently available. The bracket is CNC-machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and has 3-1/2” spacing to fi t Wilwood Superlite calipers. R&R

Adjustable Panhard Bar Mount When fastened to 1-3/4” diameter chassis tubing, the Allstar Performance Adjustable Panhard Bar Mount’s threaded shaft can be turned to add up to 2” of adjustment. Each turn moves the mount .100”. Mount the extension rod in the rear window opening or in the rear deck for quick, easy adjustment from outside the race car. Mounting hardware and a 3/4” Panhard bar bolt are includ-ed. Mount and extension rod can be purchased separately. R&R

Quick Change Panhard Bar Bracket The new Allstar Quick Change Panhard Bracket is engineered to replace the front seal plate/bearing retainer on most quick change rear ends. Bracket is drilled to provide up to 4” of adjustment and includes yoke seal, O-ring, spacers and 3/4” locknut. R&R

Adjustable Centerlinks Much stronger than stock GM centerlinks, the new Allstar Adjustable Centerlinks make use of specially designed inserts to correct bump steer. The lowered center section adds engine oil pan clearance, too. Links are available for ‘78-88 GM Metric cars (ALL56330) and ‘70-81 Camaro (ALL56331), and inserts may be purchased in kits or separately. There are two kits, one with 0”, 1/8”, 1/4” and 3/8” inserts (ALL56334), and the other with 0”, Offset and Centered inserts (ALL56335). Separate inserts are available in 1/8” Offset (ALL56336), 1/4” Offset (ALL56337) and 3/8” Offset (ALL56338). R&R

Racing Fuel Pumps and Regulators Machined from aluminum billet, the Allstar Performance Racing Pump weighs just over a pound and can fl ow up to 200 gallons per hour at a constant, regulated pres-sure of 4-50 PSI. Compatible with gasoline or alcohol, the pump works with the stock Chevrolet pushrod and has a -10AN inlet and a -8AN outlet. An optional -8AN fi tting and mounting hardware are included. The pump is now available for big block Chevys in a black hardcoated fi nish (ALL40282) and in a highly polished ver-sion for small block Chevy (ALL40281). Both can be regulated by an Allstar PerformanceAdjustable Regulator, a hardcoated aluminum unit with one 1/2” NPT inlet and two 3/8” NPT outlets and the capability to handle up to 200 GPH at an adjustable pressure between 7-15 PSI. There are two regulators: ALL40286 for gaso-line and ALL40287 for alcohol. The alcohol regulator has an idle bleed to decrease fuel pressure at idle. R&R

Dirt Late Model Bumpers Made of 1-1/2” x .095” wall mild steel tubing, dirt late model bumpers are available to fi t front and rear of chassis built by Rayburn, Mastersbilt and Rocket. A right rear only bumper is also available for the Rayburn chassis. R&R

8 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266RO

DD

ING

JO

UR

NA

LR

OD

DIN

G J

OU

RN

AL

The Chicago Auto Show Fellow Lane Automotive co-worker Dave Arent and I re-cently attended the 2006 Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place. We were fortunate enough to obtain press credentials so we could attend on the fi rst of two media days before the show opened to the public. Being there on a media day al-lowed us to avoid the crowds and provided ample time to examine and photograph everything that participating auto manufacturers had to offer. Believe me, they had plenty. The Chicago Auto Show, through no fault of its own, has always lacked some of the drama and “punch” of the North Ameri-can International Auto Show because it is scheduled roughly a month after the Detroit show. In spite of that minor handi-cap, the show still provides an exciting venue for the manu-facturers and the viewing (and, they hope, car buying) public. It’s been a long time since new car introductions generated any enthusiasm on my part, but upon entering the halls of McCormick Place I felt some of the excitement of years ago when, as teenagers, we’d drive all around town checking out the dealer showrooms at new car introduction time. We started at the Ford Motor Company display, where we checked out several new Mustangs, including the Shelby GT 500 version which went on to be voted the show’s Best New Production Vehicle. Another highlight at the Ford display was a new, powder blue GT40, defi nitely an exciting machine in its own right. Beginning our tour of the show at Ford’s dis-play area was appropriate, since one purpose in attending the Chicago show was to check out two new “retro” coupe concepts, the Dodge Challenger and the Chevy Camaro, both undoubtedly inspired by Ford’s bold Mustang reissue last year. Since Chevrolet’s display was right across the aisle from Ford, it took only a few seconds to get up close to the revolving display featuring the new Camaro. The stunning silver coupe showed some signs of its early lineage with a roofl ine and lower quarter vents reminiscent of the ‘69 Camaro. However, from there, the stylists strayed seriously from Camaro roots and gravitated toward current GM styling trends. Character-istic early Camaro traits like the distinctive grille and gently rounded and downward sloping rear quarters - certainly aspects that would give the car a retrospective look - were replaced by a wide, almost gaping smile of a grille, and a chopped off rear clip, similar to the Z06 ‘Vette’s tail section. In fairness, the Chevy styling guys came closer to the mark with the new Camaro than their counterparts at Pontiac did with the reborn GTO, but I think they somewhat missed the “feel” of the original.

Rodding Journal

April - June 2006 9

Our next destination was the Chrysler Corporation display area, where the new concept Challenger vied for attention with another entry from the concept stable, the Imperial. Presented in a pearly, Vitamin C enriched shade of orange, the Challenger wowed everyone with its faithfulness to the original car. With a potent 6.6L Hemi under the hood, the Challenger can lay claim to 4.5 second 0-60mph times and a top speed of 174 miles per hour. Taking a cue from the Ford stylists, the Dodge boys managed to deftly update the new Challenger while maintaining a keen awareness of the origi-nal car’s appeal. Hopefully the team that produced the Chal-lenger will be able to convince the rest of the Chrysler styling camp to overcome their aversion to two-door styling for the Charger/Super Bee Hemi cars. The original Challenger was, after all, teamed up with several high performance Dodge two door vehicles including the Super Bee, R/T ,Charger and Dart GTS, and the whole package was unbeatable in style and performance. Another highlight of our trip to the show was a chance to go for a test ride in a new Charger Hemi SRT sedan. Part of Chrysler’s display area was devoted to an indoor test track, di-vided into two parts. One segment of the test area was dedi-cated solely to Jeep vehicles and the other to various Chrysler and Dodge vehicles. Our ride in the Charger took us through interior sound evaluations, bump and jounce measurements, handling, acceleration and braking. The ride culminated in a 0-60-0, standing start to complete stop in less than a hundred yards burst. A defi nite way to get the old adrenalin stimu-lated. One other educational experience for me was a chance to study the cutaway model of a Toyota Hybrid sedan. This dis-play answered a lot of my questions about the marriage of battery and internal combustion power. There can be no doubt that Toyota has the inside track on successful hybrid technology. All too soon, we were on the trek back home. I enjoyed the show. I’d go again, especially if current trends toward a re-institution of American thinking with regard to car design continue to fl ourish. An email received the week after the conclusion of the Chicago show informed us that the Dodge Challenger was voted the Best New Concept Car, beating the Camaro 35% to 30% (after the Detroit show, the Dodge won 37% to 28%). The Camaro, on the other hand, was voted the “Car I’d Most Like To See In My Driveway” by a 20% to 17% margin. I will not question the apparent confl ict of a car be-ing voted the best in one category, and then ending up as the second choice in a closely related one. I learned a long time ago to never second guess voting results in the Windy City! R&R

RO

DD

ING

JOU

RN

AL

RO

DD

ING

JOU

RN

AL

10 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266MA

NU

FAC

TUR

ER S

PO

TLIG

HT

MA

NU

FAC

TUR

ER S

PO

TLIG

HT

Manufacturer SpotlightStainless Steel Brakes Corporation Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation pioneered the stainless steel sleeved caliper for clas-sic Corvettes and Mustangs in 1975. Today, thirty years later, they set the industry stan-dard for high quality brake systems and components for just about every American car

built during the last 50 years. SSBC is totally dedicated to the design and manufacture of brakes. Their motto, Braking Rules, attests to that, and also the fact that SSBC is a company that’s not afraid of breaking traditional design constraints to design and develop new products. What does this mean to the average hot rodder? Plenty! After American auto manufacturers began switching from drum brakes to disc brake systems in the late sixties it took about another fi ve to seven years before disc brake adaptations began showing up on street rods. That time span was equal to the time it took for wrecking yard supplies of disc brake components to become adequate. Not too long after the street rods began to be converted to disc brakes, the muscle car guys began restoring the GTO’s, Chevelles, Road Runners, Chargers, Fairlanes, Comets, etc. and they wanted better brakes, too. It’s hard to believe today that most of the true muscle cars “back in the day” were delivered to showrooms equipped with drum brakes. Many of these muscular intermediates sported nearly 400 horsepower and were capable of high four second range 0-60 times, but stopping was another matter entirely. Brake fade from drum brakes no doubt caused many a gray hair among muscle car afi cionados as they tried to bring their mount to a halt after a blistering quarter mile run. Equally hard to believe is that for several years the only remedy for less than adequate drum brakes was adapting a set of used disc brakes from a junkyard donor. Many a rodder has struggled to adapt disc brake parts off of some wrecked car, juggled a half dozen proportioning valve setups, and then found that his brakes did not offer any more stopping power than the original drums. Enter Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation. Now it’s possible to have stop-ping power at the wheels that’s more than an even match for the go power nestled under the hood. Let’s take a quick look at some of the neat disc brake components SSBC offers. R&R

Standard Front Disc Brake Kits Kits include 72mm cast iron, single piston calipers, high performance brake pads, 11” x 1” rotors, dual master cylinder, 9” booster (if power brakes are ordered) and proportion-ing valve plus hardware and instructions. Kits are available for full size and intermediateChevrolets, from ‘59 to 68, ‘74-78 Ford Mustang II (with choice of 4-1/2” or 4-3/4” bolt circles), and Mopar B and E Bodies from 1967-72. All kits fi t right on original equipment spindles and will really boost the car’s braking power. R&R

Standard Rear Disc Brake Conversion Kits The move to four-wheel disc brakes is just a part number away with Stainless Steel Brake’s brake update kits for Ford, GM and Chrysler cars and trucks. Kits include cast iron, single piston calipers with built in parking brake, slotted rotors, high performance brake pads, hardware and instruc-tions.

Force 10 One-Piston Aluminum Caliper Rear Disc Conversion Kits An upgrade of the standard kit, the Force 10, the kit is ideal for any vehicle with a 9” Ford rear axle. The kit has a lightweight, aluminum single piston caliper with built in parking brake, slotted rotors, high performance brake pads, hardware and instructions. R&R

Force 10,2,3, or 4-Piston Aluminum Caliper Front Disc Brake Kits In stock for Mustang II street rod applications, with either Ford or GM bolt patterns, late model Camaro and Firebird, late model GM and Ford pickups, the Force 10 kits include aluminum calipers, slotted rotors, high performance brake pads, hardware and instructions. R&R

Big Brake Front Disc Brake Kits An upgrade for stock disc brakes on the front of ‘88-99 GM and ‘94-99 Dodge 1/2 ton pickups, the Big Brakes are compatible with stock wheels and include cast iron, single piston calipers, thicker walled, stock diameter rotors, high performance brake pads and hardware. R&R

April - June 2006 11

LAN

E HA

PPENIN

GS

LAN

E HA

PPENIN

GS

Lane Happenings

18th Annual Lane Automotive Cruise Night And Car Show

May 26-27, 2006 Before you know it, Spring will be here, the birds and the bees will be doing their thing and, best of all, our favorite cars will be coming out of storage to herald the beginning of another cruising and car show season. Preparations for the 18th Annual Lane Automotive Car Show & Cruise Night are well underway. Pencil in May 26 and 27, 2006 on your calendar right now and be ready for the new and exciting surprises we have in store for participants and spectators alike. We are hard at work looking for ways to make the show a better experience for everyone. This year, the 40th Anniversary Circle display will feature the Cars of 1966. We’re on the lookout for street, drag and circle track vehicles that were manu-factured, or made their debut in 1966. Among notables that year were Dodges and Plymouths with the new street version of the 426 Hemi, Ford Fairlanes with streetable and race 427 engines, the first Dodge Chargers, the Pontiac GTO (as a sepa-rate entity from the Tempest line), Corvettes and Impalas with 427 big blocks, and the American Motors Marlin. The popular “Noisefest” will make its sixth appearance as nitro and alcohol fuel dragsters, funny cars and other race cars and hot rods fire up their engines to the delight of the crowd. Live music will add sparkle to the Friday night Cruise Night celebration, and a DJ will provide the sounds during the Car Show on Saturday. A whole row of food vendors will provide a veritable smorgasbord of tasty items. We can’t wait! Copy or cut out the registration form below, fill it out and mail it to us.

2006 Lane Automotive Car Show RegistrationNAME

ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE

HOME PHONE: WORK PHONE:

CAR YEAR:

CAR MAKE:

CAR MODEL:

Don’t Miss Out On All The Fun,Sign Up Now

Mail To Lane Automotive,

ATTN: John McLellan 8300 Lane Drive, Watervliet, MI 49098

or Register On-Line @ www.laneautomotive.com

Last Year’s Lane Automotive Car Show DVD For SaleCopies of the Lane Automotive 17th Annual Car Show DVD are still available for $5.00.

Call and order a copy, stop in or order on line at www. laneautomotive.com.

Photo by Matt Hauch

8300 Lane Drive Watervliet, Mi 49098Phone 269-463-LANE • Toll Free 800-772-5266 • Fax 800-772-2618

PRESORT BOUND PRINTED MATTERPOSTAGE & FEES PAIDDOWAGIAC MICHIGAN

Permit No. 74

8 3 0 0 L a n e D r i v e • W a t e r v l i e t , M I 4 9 0 9 8w w w. e x a c t d e t a i l . c o m • i n f o @ e x a c t d e t a i l . c o m • To l l F r e e : 8 0 0 . 7 7 2 . 2 6 8 2 • F a x : 8 0 0 . 7 7 2 . 2 6 1 8

Manufacturers of High Quality 1:18 Scale Die Cast Replicas of America‘s Favorite Cars

The Sea Terror has been a race car its entire life. Sponsored by Rockmont Chevrolet, Rockville, Maryland, it was an NHRA E/Stock national record holder in the late 1960’s. It set a national record (12.01 @ 114.94 mph) in E/Stock at an NHRA Division 1 points race at York U.S. 30 Dragway in Thomasville, PA. in June 1969. The car also set records in IHRA competition. A feared competitor wherever it showed up to race, the Sea Terror achieved many milestones and raised the bar for all 1968 Z28 Camaros in the “Stock Eliminator” classes.

1968 Sea Terror Camaro® Z/28™

$99.95$99.95

1/18 Scale