History Of The Dodge Charger: A Quick Look

Many muscle cars of the 1960’s all share a very similar story. While this decade is commonly referred to as the golden era of these fast, flexing street machines, there was a literal war between the companies designing and subsequently serving these cars as hot as possible to feed the market’s insatiable need for speed. 

The Dodge Charger wasn’t the first of these cars types to emerge from the drawing board. In fact, its very existence came in hopes to steal a share of the muscle market from General Motors and Ford, which had already achieved huge success on the streets with the 1964 release of the Pontiac GTO and Ford Mustang respectively. The younger audience that was buying these cars was hopped up on adrenaline, constantly scanning the horizon looking for the next big hit. In 1966, Dodge was there to enter a new horse in the race. 

The Charger came out sprinting to catch up to the frontrunners with four different V-8 engine offerings, one of which was the much-anticipated 426 Street Hemi mill. While the Dodge Charger displayed a strong initial showing during its first year of production, a slower-selling 1967 prompted the company to act fast. What happened next was an alteration to their approach in hopes to remain a viable competitor to the industry’s leading performance models. 

Little did Dodge know the impact said changes would make for the Charger’s second-generation success. At first glance, everyone who laid eyes on the car’s fresh redesign knew right away something big was about to happen. The sleek Coke bottle shape and integrated rear spoiler made the car look fast and capable before the key was even turned. Even today, the ’68-’70 Charger (namely the ’69) remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes in automotive history, as it has been forever immortalized with its multiple big screen appearances. 

…The sleek Coke bottle shape and integrated rear spoiler made the car look fast and capable before the key was even turned…

Backing up the Charger’s aggressively updated appearance, Dodge designated four big block V-8 powertrain options available for the coupe. The mild, entry-level 145-hp 3.7L I-6 was enough to make new-to-market drivers happy, but for the more wild at heart, two big V-8 engines were lying in wait to exponentially make things far more interesting. Buyers had a hell of a decision to make when starting at the 7.0L Hemi or the 7.2L Magnum power plants, but there was surely no losing with either selection. 

The third generation of the Charger received a second package redesign that was right on par with the looks of many other vehicles of the 1970s (think overly curvy), but lacking a longer lasting appeal that the previous gen had going for it. It was during this time that the Charger tells a shared tale of woes of other performance vehicles in the industry. Increasingly rising insurance premiums and gasoline prices proved to be major threats to the muscle car species as a whole. If that lethal combo wasn’t enough to take them out, the upcoming federal emissions regulations was sure to be certain death for their kind. 

Thankfully for Dodge, the Charger was still able to eek out some semblance of an existence until the end of the 1978 model year when it was taken out of production. Before the plug was pulled on it, the Charger had somehow appeared in the personal luxury car category. For the first time in the car’s history, performance output was not placed at center stage, and to be honest, neither was its styling with regards to today’s standards. The writing was definitely on the wall for the struggling Charger. 

…Increasingly rising insurance premiums and gasoline prices proved to be major threats to the muscle car species as a whole…

After the release of a Charger R/T concept car in 1999, which received good enough reviews, there weren’t any more whispers of the sleeping giant’s name in public again until 2005 when Dodge legitimately rereleased the car as a 2006 model year. The first question on everybody’s mind was quickly answered with authority—yes, this car was worth the wait! 

Even though there was some grumbling from a small sect of Charger ultra purists, the sedan version didn’t look bad—not at all. Even those who had something to say about the car’s extra two doors remained quiet when learning about the Charger’s top-end 6.1L Hemi V-8 SRT8 model—425 ponies and 420lbs-ft of torque will do that. 

A major overhaul came in 2011 for the Charger, which notably included aggressively restyled bodywork and a 6.4L Hemi-equipped SRT model. The car continued to evolve with the introduction of the SRT Hellcat model four years later. The Charger claimed a lot of bragging rights under this badging with the inclusion of a supercharged 707hp 6.2L Hemi attached to an 8-speed paddle-shifted ZF auto transmission. Yeah, those are big numbers, especially for a five-passenger sedan.

 It’s safe to say that 56 years after its inaugural release, there’s never been a more exciting time to own a Dodge Charger. 

A Quick-Hitting History Of The Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet’s Impala is an iconic nameplate that has been around since 1958 until 2020 when it was yanked from production for the second time. Throughout the years, and 10 generations later, this car has seen its fair share of restyling and reconfiguration to fit in with the auto industry’s ever-changing climate. 

First introduced to the world as the Bel Air Impala, the name itself designated itself as the top-of –the-line trim package for Chevy’s well-established, deluxe full-size car line. While the first example of the Impala was built to commemorate Chevy’s 50^th anniversary, it gained enough traction to become a stand-alone production model the very next year. 

Car fans fell in love with the styling of the ’58 Impala with its wide yet sleek appearance, but the factory quickly tweaked its appearance to give it a fresh identity that was all its own. In its second year and generation, the brand new Impala line featured exterior tail fins and teardrop shaped headlights, and sat atop of an X-frame chassis that promoted a lower ride height and had great structural integrity. The Impala was made available in multiple body variations such as a two-door hardtop or convertible and a four-door hardtop or sedan—the options were plentiful. 

While the Impala was quickly gaining popularity in its first couple years on the street, it wasn’t until the very start of the third generation in 1961 when things really got interesting when the release of the Super Sport performance package was first made available. While the SS model was available with many powertrain options to choose from, including Chevy’s brand-new 409ci 360hp V-8, which really allowed the Super Sport designation to live up to the hype. While upgraded performance gains were the major reason consumers opted for this premium badging, its many plush interior features and heavier-duty chassis components were also just as desirable. 

The exterior packaging changed again during the Impala’s third generation, and overall, the car became boxier than before. The new look of this particular redesign has had long-lasting power and is one of today’s most popular selections for restorations and full custom rebuilds throughout the car’s history. You’ve most likely seen Impalas of this vintage cruising in music videos or heard about rolling in a ‘six-four’ on the radio a time or two before. 

…this particular redesign has had long-lasting power and is one of today’s most popular selections for restorations and full custom rebuilds…

While the fourth generation saw its own redesign, which brought a more sleek and modern aesthetic to the Impala’s exterior, it also represented the car’s seeming most popular iteration to date for car buyers of the era, as it sold over a million units alone in 1965. Another interesting happening during this generation was the dropping of the availability of the wagon option in 1969, which had been a great family-friendly package from ’65-’68. 

During 1971-1976, the Impala once again went through another major appearance overhaul, while still offering the outstanding comfort and interior space consumers had come to associate with the nameplate. It was also during this time that the Feds began cracking down on emissions regulations, which in turn directly led to dramatically lower performance offerings being made available. These limitations were not specifically unique to the Impala, or the Chevy brand for that matter—the strain was felt all throughout the automotive industry.

…It was also during this time that the Feds began cracking down on emissions regulations, which in turn directly led to dramatically lower performance offerings being made available…

After going though yet another repackaging starting in 1977, the Impala’s sixth generation saw the car’s retirement from production in 1985. The premium Caprice package trim, which had proved to be popular in years past, began outselling the Impala as a sports coupe, yet the sedan Impala was still a popular selection for families during this period. Either way, the Impala was out, and the Caprice was given a chance to run as its own model.  

When the Impala became a fond memory, there were no plans to bring it back until almost a decade later in 1994. This 7^th generation only lasted two years in production, but since this release was strictly an SS model equipped with a decent 5.7L 260hp LT1 power plant, critics weren’t overly thrilled with the four-speed automatic transmission that was made the only option available. While the upgraded suspension setup was praised, however, this version didn’t have the right moves to hold the market’s attention for long. 

After being sidelined yet again, the Impala took another breather for another four years until it was revived again in 2000. This time, it remained on the street until it was recently canned once more in 2020. This most recent run spanned two whole decades that proved to be rather influential throughout the years as it hung around at the top as Chevrolet’s luxury full-size car offering. 

Many wonder if the Impala will make yet another return. It’s hard to count this car out, as it has been sent to pasture multiple times only to be roped back into production rotation. If the car does come back, it’ll be interesting to see what it will look like and what kind of new features it’ll be flexing. If the Impala does remain in extinction this time, it will remain near and dear in the hearts of millions of car enthusiasts.  

Then & Now: A Quick Look At The Dodge Challenger’s Past & Present

With so much buzz given to the Hellcat and Demon trim packages these days, it sometimes seems like there is somewhat of a disconnect from the Dodge Challenger of the early 1970’s. While the level of excitement surrounding the modern muscle car currently sits at an all-time high, the beginning stages of Dodge’s entry into the pony car scene some 52 years ago weren’t much more than hopes based on performance-centric auto market predictions.

Introduced to the market in 1969 as a 1970 model, the OG Dodge Challenger showed up as the new kid on the block to those into manufacturer-tuned performance cars. With the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro already well established names during the golden era of the American muscle car segment, the Challenger was originally designed to be a worthy and capable stable mate for Plymouth’s Barracuda to help take on the competition.

…the Challenger was originally designed to be a worthy and capable stable mate for Plymouth’s Barracuda…

While the Challenger did its part of raising awareness of Chrysler-branded performance cars, it also simultaneously carved out its own devout fan base rather quickly in its short production run. When it was first introduced, the Challenger won so many consumers over based on the sheer amount of customizations available to buyers at dealerships nationwide.

The Challenger boasted a wide range of powertrain selections to admire from a modest 225ci 144hp inline six engine to a 440-cubic inch 390hp V-8 power plant, the car was made available in a total of nine total engine configurations to perfectly suit the many types of owners looking to bring one home.

To build upon the Challenger’s generous powertrain menu, the first generation was originally offered in either a two-door hardtop or convertible model with trim packages ranging from the base platform Special Edition (SE), mid-level Road/Track (R/T), and a limited edition Trans-Am (T/A) model that was one of the first production vehicles to offer staggered front and rear tire sizes while meeting the qualifications for legit Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am racing. The Challenger also had one of the most impressive number of color palettes in the industry of paint codes to select from as well.

It was an exciting time for Chrysler, and even more so for fans of the Challenger specifically. The car’s appeal to gear heads, as well as to folks simply looking for a sporty car to drive was nearly immediate. But like all good things, the Challenger’s future was snuffed out all too quickly in 1974. The hike in insurance premiums during that time, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, along with a worldwide gasoline crisis going on in 1973, the carbureted muscle car industry was hit blow after blow, ultimately resulting in one challenge the Dodge Challenger just couldn’t overcome.

It wasn’t until 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that a sign of the Challenger’s possible resurrection was made public. A concept vehicle based on the styling cues of the first generation and presence of a 6.1L HEMI engine under the hood, went over better than expected, and eventually led to yet another production run in 2008 due to overwhelming demand. The Dodge Challenger was back on the streets—kind of.

While only a limited number of high-end, fully loaded SRT8 models were made available in that first year back, not everyone who wanted a new Challenger could get their hands on one. 2009 proved to be the car’s full return to consumers looking to buy one according to their preferred specifications. Muscle car admirers were once again able to hop back into the driver seat with a base model SE equipped with a 3.5L 250hp V-6 with the option to upgrade to a R/T package complete 5.7L 375hp HEMI engine with even more options and performance add-ons to select from.

…2009 proved to be the car’s full return to consumers looking to buy one according to their preferred specifications…

Throughout the years, the Challenger became available with more aggressive HEMI packages, but found itself becoming overshadowed by the competition, namely Ford’s Mustang GT500 and Chevy’s Camaro ZL1. Dodge’s response to potentially being hopelessly overpowered by these cars was its release of the SRT Hellcat—a car equipped with a 6.2L rendition of the Gen III HEMI that was teamed up with a 2.4L twin-screw supercharger to produce 707hp and 650-lb fit of torque.

This escalated the Challenger to the top of the heap, but in an effort to remain ahead of the pack, the same 6.2L HEMI found in the Hellcat was blessed with a larger 2.7L supercharger, along with a suite of upgraded engine components to make for the 808hp nucleus available in the notoriously powered SRT Demon package that was limited to only 3300 units.

For 2022, there are a total of nine different Dodge Challenger trim levels topped off with two high-end cars—the SRT Hellcat Redeye and SRT Super Stock premium models. The Challenger still remains attractive to a wide audience, from the entry-level 303HP V-6 AWD package to an 807hp rocket in the Super Stock trim that thrives on 91-octane pump gas.

It’s safe to say that the Challenger remains a crowd pleaser to this day more than 50 years after its original release. Even with the plug being prematurely pulled back in ’74, the legendary car has sat through a decades-long hiatus and has come back swinging for the fences.

Top 10 Air-Cooled Porsches

From 356 to 993, These are the Cars that Built a Teutonic Legend

The air-cooled, horizontally-opposed engine design that Porsche used with great success over decades had humble beginnings as a four-cylinder development of the original Volkswagen powerplant, but grew to become one of the most iconic engines ever found in both sports cars for the street and pure race cars. Here are ten milestones that cover the 50-year history of Porsche air-cooled boxer street cars.  

1948 – Porsche 356

From the rubble of war-ravaged Europe, a small, lightweight, rear-engine sports car based on the basic powertrain design of the pre-war Volkswagen “People’s Car” was created, dubbed the 356. The flat-four engine grew in displacement (from 1.1 to 1.5 liters), valve count (the 4-valve Carrera became optional at the end of 1955) and horsepower (29kW/39HP initially, 118kW/160HP in the most highly developed version) over the 356’s 76,000+ unit,19 year production run.

1964 – Porsche 911

With the 356 still selling but at the end of its development potential, the automaker introduced a new design, retaining the rear-engine layout but adding an additional two cylinders, which bumped the displacement to 2 liters and power to 96kW/130 horsepower. You may not have heard of this obscure model, as production only continued through 1989, but it represented the cornerstone of Porsche’s business model, with a legacy that continues to this day.

1965 – Porsche 912

Concern over the increased cost of the new 911 model compared to the outgoing 356 led to the introduction of an ‘entry-level’ version of the platform powered by a holdover flat-four sourced from the latest versions of the 356. Lighter, less expensive at $4,700 list price, and offering 66kW/89HP, the 912 substantially outsold the 911 at first, but by 1969 production facility realignment and stricter looming emissions requirements in the critical US market led to the decision to end 912 production in favor of the 911 and 914. In 1976, the 912 name was revived for an “E” model to replace the 914 as the bottom step of Porsche’s three-rung performance ladder until a proper successor came on-line. Just shy of 2,100 total 912E models were manufactured during that single model year, and were only sold in the US market. 

1969 – Porsche 914

Born out of a contractual obligation to provide developmental support for Volkswagen and the need to phase out the 912 in favor of a new model, the 914 was originally conceived as being sold as a VW when powered by a flat-four and a Porsche with 6-cylinder power. Concern about the US market and potential brand confusion led to Porsche marketing both models, bringing the long-standing ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ between the two companies to a sour conclusion. The car itself was a success, outselling the 911 and pioneering a rear-mid-engine powertrain layout that placed the engine ahead of the rear axle instead of behind it as it had been in the 356, 911, and 912. Though more than 118,000 were sold worldwide during the eight year production run, a bare 3,300 914/6 models would be produced. Largely overshadowed today by the runaway success of the many 911 models that appeared subsequently, the 914 was in many ways the blueprint for the modern Boxster/Cayman platform. 

1973 – Porsche 911 Carrera RS

The Rennsport (‘racing sport’) version of the classic 911 is widely considered to be one of the most desirable models from a collector’s standpoint, thanks to their improved performance and relatively low production numbers. Porsche, looking for a competitive edge in racing organizations that demanded a minimum number of cars be built and sold to the general public, created the RS as a ‘homologation special’ with a bigger and more powerful 2.7 liter six delivering 154kW/207HP. Other changes from the standard production model were an upgraded suspension, wider rear wheels and tires, more capable brakes, and aero mods that included the now-iconic “duckbill” rear decklid spoiler. In addition to these features of the “Touring”-spec RS, buyers could also tick the Sport Lightweight box on their order form which substituted thinner body panels and glass, saving an additional 220 or so pounds over the already-light 2,400 pound curb weight of the RS Touring.

1974 – Porsche 930

Though officially referred to as the 930 in the US, this variation was universally known worldwide as simply the “911 Turbo”. Introduced with a 3.0 liter engine rated at 190kW/260HP, the 930 had grown by 10 percent in displacement and another 40 horsepower by 1978; while 300 ponies doesn’t sound like much by modern sports car standards (or even compared to some crossovers), in a lightweight chassis with extreme rear weight bias and legendary turbo lag, it was more than a handful to drive. Even comically-wide rear fender flares to cover enormous rear tires and a giant whale tail spoiler could only partially correct the car’s off-throttle understeer/snap oversteer handling characteristics, and perhaps no vehicle in history other than the Beechcraft Bonanza has actively tried to kill as many doctors, investment bankers, and trust fund kids as the original 911 Turbo. Nevertheless, it remains an object of pharmaceutical-grade desire for anyone who was aware of cars in that era.

…perhaps no vehicle in history other than the Beechcraft Bonanza has actively tried to kill as many doctors, investment bankers, and trust fund kids as the original 911 Turbo…

The 930 had a hiatus in the US market due to emissions issues from 1981 until it was reintroduced for 1986, and by then the car was long in the tooth in terms of engineering, but it was still hugely profitable for the company. Porsche squeezed every bit of sweet, sweet juice out of the Turbo nonetheless, introducing the ‘slant nose’ version towards the end of production in 1989.

1989 – Porsche 964

Marketed as the “Carrera 2” and “Carrera 4”, the internally-designated 964 platform carried over just 15% of its design from the ‘classic’ 911, and was the first version to offer all-wheel-drive; as a matter of fact, the original 1989 model was only available in Carrera 4 configuration with the Carrera 2 coming on-line a year later. Power came from an equally new 3.6 liter air-cooled flat six designated the M64 rated at 184kW/247HP, and the suspension design made the radical shift from torsion bars to coil springs, with the ubiquitous MacPherson strut configuration up front and an independent semi-trailing arm rear. Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet body styles were offered, and power steering and ABS were introduced as standard features. Buyer demand in the US led to an RS America version for 1993 and 1994, based off of the Carrera 2, featuring a whale tail spoiler, de-contented interior, and lower 2,954 pound curb weight, among other changes. Overall, the naturally-aspirated 964 spanned just half a decade of production but racked up 63,762 cars built among all the configurations.

1990 – Porsche 964 Turbo

With the introduction of the new chassis and naturally aspirated motor but a successor to the previous Turbo’s powerplant still under development, the 930’s engine was used as a stopgap. Changes increased rated power to 235kW/376HP but blunted a bit of the turbo lag, which along with the revised chassis and suspension made the car much easier to drive at the limit than the previous Turbo, but still not particularly forgiving of large changes in throttle position mid-apex. 1992 saw the debut of the Turbo S, which had the same peak power but detail revisions to the tune, a lightweight interior similar to the RS America, a manual steering rack, and lowered suspension. Only 86 were produced, making for one of the rarest road-going 911 models ever offered. By 1993, a new boosted M64 was finally available for the Turbo 3.6 model with 265kW/355HP on tap, but the 964 was nearing the end of its abbreviated lifespan and only one model year and less than 1,500 total cars were produced to that spec. 

1994 – Porsche 993

For the 1995 model year, Porsche once again mutated the 911 DNA to produce another generation with minimal (claimed less than 20%) carryover from the 964. Major frame and suspension design changes improved handling and further tamed the inherent snap-oversteer characteristics common to rear engine designs, and once again both 2 and 4 driven wheel models were offered. While the M64 engine design was carried over, this generation gained a sixth gear in the manual transmission and a bump to 200kW/268HP at introduction. Coupe and Cabriolet body designs were manufactured, along with a complex “greenhouse” roof marketed as a Targa but with a power-retractable glass panel in place of the previous removable section. Production ended in 1998 thanks to the air-cooled design no longer being able to reasonably meet emissions and noise standards, but not without one final model to properly put a coda on the end of the air-cooled 911 symphony…

1995 – Porsche 993 Turbo

Everything came together in the last air-cooled Turbo 911, with a 3.6 liter twin-turbo M64 cranking out 300kW/402HP, the first all-wheel-drive layout for a 911 Turbo, wider rear bodywork, and of course a whale tail spoiler. All the nasty surprises of the original 930 had been eliminated, creating a car that was more forgiving when pushed, not a carnival ride in bad weather, and shockingly quick under all circumstances. The ante was upped in 1997 with the Turbo S’ uprated engine delivering 424 horsepower, and another homologation special, the GT2, was produced and sold in small numbers, making it highly sought-after by collectors. All things considered, the 993 Turbo was a fitting conclusion to the first part of Porsche’s 911 evolution. 

What is VTEC?

How Honda Created a Legend With a 10mm Pin

What does it take for one specific bit of simple, yet brilliant technology to achieve meme status? In the case of Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (better known as VTEC), it started out as a way for Honda to offer better performance while still meeting emissions standards and displacement limits at the start of the 90s and arguably gave the company’s automotive division the same kind of high tech street cred their motorcycles already enjoyed. 

The original VTEC led the way for a whole new slate of variable valve actuation systems from practically every major manufacturer, with a wide range of complexity and effectiveness seen today. Back in the day, it would be hard for anyone to imagine that a simple pin moved by a hydraulic actuator could become such a legend, but in retrospect it seems like one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” inventions.

Best of Both Worlds

To understand the impact of VTEC on the automotive world, it’s worthwhile knowing exactly what it is and what it isn’t. Conventional piston engines rely on one or more camshafts, turning at one-half engine speed, to control the motion of the intake and exhaust valves. No other single aspect of engine design has a bigger effect on performance, economy, or emissions than the timing and intensity (for lack of a better word) of valve events, and for engines without some sort of variable valve control, every compromise gets carved in steel at the factory and can’t be changed without getting into the ‘wet’ part of the engine. 

This is important because the physics involved in getting air and fuel into the cylinder and exhaust out mean that a cam lobe design optimized for low-end grunt is going to be unhappy at high RPM and vice versa. At lower speeds, cylinder-filling is improved by having relatively small valves with low lift, trading away some pumping losses in exchange for keeping velocity up in the intake tract, but towards the upper end of the RPM scale, bigger is better and low lift will kill airflow. Similar tradeoffs for valve duration (the part of the 720 degree four-stroke cycle when the valve is open to a meaningful extent) and valve overlap (degrees of crank rotation during which the exhaust valve is still closing while the intake valve starts to open at the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next) also have a big effect on how the engine delivers power. 

With a traditional camshaft, it’s one and done since whatever specifications were ground into the lobes at the factory are all you have to work with short of a swap. Hot rodders came up with some work-arounds, of course – part of the skill set of the traditional pushrod V8 racer was ‘degreeing the cam’ which involves using an adjustable timing gear set to move the cam’s timing earlier or later in the cycle, and dual overhead cam engines can use the same strategy plus change the intake and exhaust timing relative to one another to get some adjustability for overlap, but this was strictly something done in the shop rather than on the fly while the engine was running. More crucially, it didn’t change the cam lobes’ profile or lift.  

A Stroke of Genius

The solution seems obvious now, but at the time it required asking what sounds like a dumb question – “If the engine runs best with one cam design at low speed, and another at high speed, why not give it two cams?” At its core, that is all VTEC is – a way to put two completely different camshaft grinds into the same engine, and switch between them on demand. That’s much easier said than done, though, especially when whatever you come up with has to be simple enough to produce economically, durable enough to last for a hundred thousand miles or more, and designed to fail ‘gracefully’ and not leave you stranded if something goes wrong. 

… that is all VTEC is – a way to put two completely different camshaft grinds into the same engine, and switch between them on demand…

In 1984, Honda launched the New Concept Engine program with goals that included increasing torque and horsepower for their car engines across the RPM range, with an eventual benchmark of achieving 100 horsepower per liter of engine displacement for production engines. Initially, the NCE initiative led to powerplants like the DOHC ZC (forerunner of the D-series engine) as early as 1985, but the real breakthrough came when previous research begun in 1983 into a system intended to improve fuel economy was rolled into the new project. 

One of the main players in the NCE project was Ikuo Kajitani from Honda’s First Design Department in their Tochigi R&D Center. “Characteristically,” Kajitani said, “four-valve engines are known as high-revving, high-output machines. And for that reason we knew it would be quite difficult to achieve low-end performance if the engine’s displacement were too small.” He was certain that a solution to the problem could be found in the work done on the fuel economy project in the form of an engine that could change valve timing and lift dynamically during operation.

This capability took shape as a very simple but elegant system that uses only a few additional parts compared to a conventional valvetrain. At the beginning, the team had considered around thirty different methods of achieving this goal, but to narrow down the field, priority was given to systems that relied on proven technology rather than novel approaches that might have unforeseen show-stopping flaws. With a mixture of caution and optimism, ideas that seemed promising but had a high risk of being developmental dead-ends were set aside. One of the most important goals was to have a mechanism that could handle 400,000 cycles without failing. In the end, the team settled on the system we now know as the original VTEC.

For each cylinder, instead of a single cam lobe to control valve events, there would be three: Two low-speed lobes with a single high-speed lobe between them. With the system deactivated, each valve would be controlled by its own low-speed lobe, while a third cam follower with no direct connection to the valves followed the profile of the single high-speed lobe. On computer command, a hydraulic valve would send oil pressure to move a pin into place to connect the outer followers to the inner one and lock the whole assembly together, causing the valves to follow the more aggressive center cam lobe profile. 

No Magic Involved

Though the concept was simple, there were still significant technological hurdles to overcome. One major example of this was the fact that they needed to squeeze three lobes into the space originally occupied by one, and those lobes would also be operating the valvetrain under higher loads and engine speeds than they’d previously been engineered for. Solving this issue required improvements in both metallurgy and design, but the team achieved their goal (and then some) in time to confidently introduce the new technology for the 1989 model year. 

While VTEC in its original incarnation does allow an engine to operate in ways that a fixed valvetrain simply can’t, there’s a widely-held misconception that it’s some kind of super-science that works like hitting the switch on a nitrous system. In reality, what it did was allow Honda to build engines with the ability to change between a cam designed for efficient, clean, and fuel-sipping performance to one with the grind the engineers wanted to use in the first place. As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon in race applications to use a single-grind camshaft that actually defeats VTEC in order to increase tolerance for abuse and reduce complexity and weight. When street driving isn’t high on your priority list, the flexibility and broad powerband that VTEC allows isn’t as important, but it makes a huge difference in your daily driver.

…it’s not uncommon in race applications to use a single-grind camshaft that actually defeats VTEC in order to increase tolerance for abuse and reduce complexity and weight…

The Bigger Picture

For all the popularity of “VTEC just kicked in” memes, the system actually does what it was intended to do – Allow small-displacement engines capable of high fuel economy and low emissions during test cycles and normal driving to also provide exceptional horsepower when run hard. In the process, Honda managed to turn cars like the Civic from quirky but reliable transportation devices into ones that were actually fun to drive fast. Whether it was their intention or not, you can argue that the evergreen popularity of all the generations of Civic that followed were a direct result of the NCE project and the development of VTEC. 

Today, every manufacturer has implemented some sort of variable valve timing setup, even for old-school pushrod V8 engine designs. There’s a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms used to describe all the different proprietary ways manufacturers have come up with to adjust valve timing, intake versus exhaust cam phasing, and so on, and Honda has gone on to improve their own engines with VTEC-E, 3-Stage VTEC, i-VTEC, and i-VTEC with Variable Cylinder Management. But the real special sauce – changing to a completely different cam profile on demand – remains at the core of VTEC technology. Until we reach a point where camless valve actuation via pneumatic or electronic direct control finally makes its way from the cost-is-no-concern pressure cooker of Formula One racing to the street, Honda’s approach will likely remain as the best way to change lift and duration on the fly. 

Chevy Yenko

The Ultimate Muscle Cars

Such an odd name, Yenko, possibly Hispanic origin, but in the automotive history books it ranks right up there with Shelby and Roush.

Let’s back up though, all the way to 1921 when the Durant car company was founded by William “Billy” Durant in New York after he had been fired by General Motors. Unfortunately, Durant folded in 1926 but Billy resurfaced two years later in 1928 and began building cars again. The following year, Frank Yenko who now had a one-year-old son Donald “Don” Frank, opened a Durant dealership in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Durant failed again in 1932 and with no option; Yenko switched allegiances to General Motors and in 1934 opened a Chevrolet dealership in Bentleyville, PA.

Yenko Chevrolet thrived but at the time, Frank’s son Don was more into planes than he was automobiles. He gained his pilot’s license at age 16 and soon joined the US Air Force. After his military service, Don pursued a degree in business admin at Penn State before joining the family business. Frank, meanwhile, was doing so well selling cars he opened up a second dealership at 575 West Pike Street, Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1957, when Don was just 30, he took over the dealership that would make Chevy Yenko a household name.

Despite what Ralph Nader had to say about the Corvair, Chevrolet’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle, Don Yenko saw its potential and applied to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) for approval to race the Corsa. The Corsa was Chevy’s hot rod Corvair that was offered with an optional 180 hp boxer-six. The SCCA approved with a back seat delete and some performance mods and consequently, Yenko went on to build 100 certified examples of the “Yenko Stinger.”

“His fellow Corvette racer, Denise McCluggage, once described Don’s driving style as ‘brutish.’ ”David Steele, Executive Director, American Hot Rod Foundation

1966 Stingers were white with blue racing stripes in the style of the Ford GT40 but over the top rather than along the sides. Incidentally, this white and blue combination was recognized then as the United States’ international racing colors. In 1967, the Monza replaced the Corsa and now Stingers came in Marina Blue and Bolero Red, likewise with stripes. That year also saw a Yenko Stinger win an SCCA D Production national championship. Maybe as many as 400 were built between 1966 and 1973.

According to David Steele, Yenko fan and executive director of the American Hot Rod Foundation: “It’s true that Yenko was successful in SCCA racing with the Corvair but it was with a slightly less nimble car, an early Corvette, that he originally made his name in road racing. Considering the fact that his fellow Corvette racer, Denise McCluggage, once described Don’s driving style as ‘brutish,’ it’s no wonder that his best-known creations, his big-block Chevelles, Camaros and Novas, carried this same personality.”

Unfortunately, the Corvair was doomed, not only by Nader’s raiders but also by Chevrolet who introduced their Mustang fighting Camaro in 1967. Although Yenko continued to build Stingers through the end of Corvair production in ’69, his attention switched to the Camaro. At the time, GM forbade its dealers from installing engines larger than 400 ci in intermediate-size vehicles, nevertheless, Don ordered an L72 427 that made 425 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and dropped it into a Camaro creating the Yenko Camaro.

Typically, a Camaro came with a 350 or 396 ci engine but again according to Steele, “Supercar dealers invariably went for the big-block 396—specifically the L78/375 hp version because it had the correct fuel lines, tach, radiator, etc., and then just install the 427/425 engine.” Chevrolet turned a blind eye but the efforts of Yenko and others such as Baldwin Motion often accomplished performance options that the factory wanted to deliver but couldn’t because of various regulations.

It’s uncertain how many Yenko Camaros were built in this way but 54 appears to be the best guesstimate for ’67 and 64 for the following year. However, in 1969 Yenko was able to exploit Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) #9561 to have the L72 installed at the factory.

Yenko ordered 198 Camaros, 99 Chevelles and 38 Novas but by now other dealers had cottoned onto the wheeze and ordered their own 427-powered cars. For example, Dick Harrell used COPO 9560 to order an all-aluminum, hand-assembled ZL-1 427 rated at 430 hp with 450 lb-ft of torque.

In 1970, Yenko continued to apply his magic to the Nova and ordered a further 175 equipped with the high-performance LT1 350 ci small-block V-8 from a Corvette. He called that model the “Deuce,” as in Chevy II.

Unfortunately, a number of events conspired to nail the lid on the muscle car coffin. Insurance rates were rising on these fast cars, Federal regulations required cars use unleaded fuel and to make matters worse, the oil crises began in October ’73. It wasn’t over yet though and in 1971 and ’72, again using the COPO system, Yenko ordered a couple of hundred Vegas, Chevy’s small-car, to which he intended to fit factory turbochargers.

Yenkos, especially the Camaros and despite numerous clones, are highly respected, sought after and expensive automobiles.

Unfortunately, the EPA required a 50,000-mile durability test and consequently, Yenko sold the Vega along with an optional performance package that could include the turbo. The story goes, Yenko ordered a little more than 125 Vegas but less than a dozen appear on the COPO.com registry site.

In 1981, Yenko tried once more with the Camaro Turbo Z, a turbocharged 350, but apparently, only 19 were sold and the following year he sold the dealership. Sadly, despite being an experienced pilot, he crashed his Cessna 210 on March 5, 1987, while trying to land near Charleston, West Virginia. He was only 59 years old, however, he left a lasting legacy: Yenkos, especially the Camaros and despite numerous clones, are highly respected, sought after and expensive automobiles.

For those interested, check out a new CarTech book titled Lost Muscle Car Dealerships by Duncan Brown. It covers the history of Yenko as well as others such as Nickey, Grand Spaulding Dodge, Yeakel, Reynolds, and others. It’s well worth a read.

Vette Dreams: The Mid-Engine Corvette

The concept of a Corvette with the engine mounted amidships is nothing new, back in 1960 Zora Arkus-Duntov, the so-called  ‘Father of the Corvette’, unveiled Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle 1 (CERV I). Not so much a Corvette as a Corvette-powered, open-wheel racing car that served as Duntov’s Corvette test bed.

Sold for $1.32 million in 2017, CERV I was followed in 1962 by not unsurprisingly, CERV II, a far more realistic, full-bodied car that could easily have been badged a Corvette. Built to combat Ford’s GT40 program, CERV II was the first mid-engined car in the world to be equipped with full-time, four-wheel drive. It was powered by a 3-valve, 377 ci, all-aluminum V8. It could be geared to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds or show a top speed of 200 mph. Incidentally, there was another mid-engine concept shown around the same time that it was often mistaken for CERV II. It had Corvette GS-II badging and is recognizable by its clear acrylic injector stacks. According to Duntov, this was a stillborn concept produced by Chevrolet R&D (there’s an R&D badge behind the cockpit).

Despite numerous setbacks, Duntov pushed for a no-compromise Corvette that in his language meant mid-engine. Help came in the person of GM’s new president Ed Cole and there followed a string of mid-engine concepts that sadly never went into production.

A very swoopy, Jetsons-style coupe…

The first, dubbed, Astro 1, appeared in 1967 and employed many race car and safety-oriented features such as energy-absorbing bumpers, adjustable steering column, adjustable pedals, inertia-reel seat belts, roll-over protection, and an anti-surge fuel tank in one sill member. A very swoopy, Jetsons-style coupe, Astro 1 had a two-piece fiberglass body and was powered by a hopped-up, OHC Corvair flat six. It stood a mere 35.5 inches tall.

The following year, Astro II, now code-named XP-880 appeared. Sometimes blue and sometimes red, Astro II utilized a Lotus-style backbone monocoque chassis fitted with a Pontiac Tempest transaxle and the OHC Corvair boxer engine.

By now, Duntov was getting into his stride and there followed two concepts both codenamed XP-882. The expensive Corvair engine was replaced by a transverse mounted V8 with a chain, yes chain-driven, Turbo-Hydromantic connected to a stock Corvette rear end via a short, right-angled driveshaft. Stylishly finished in silver, the project was sound but new general manager John Z. DeLorean squashed the program as being impractical and expensive.

XP-882, however, was far from dead and in 1972 one of the two cars resurfaced renamed XP-895. The basic, chain-driven powertrain was retained but the Reynolds Aluminum Company added a new, all-aluminum body in an effort to extol its weight-saving virtues. The concept never reached production but XP-895 survives.

A year later, the second XP-882 reappeared fitted with a new, aerodynamic skin, gull-wing doors and a 585 ci four-rotor rotary engine. It produced 350 hp at 7,000 rpm. Unfortunately, the 1973 oil crisis put paid to most performance cars for the foreseeable future. Duntov said the fuel consumption was about 6 mpg.

…the 1973 oil crisis put paid to most performance cars for the foreseeable future.

It took until the mid-80s for the auto industry to recover the energy crunch and in 1986 Corvette debuted a new mid-engine concept tagged Corvette Indy. Here, the story gets a little murky as GM likes to keep a blanket on the inside story of its concept cars. The first Indy, a fiberglass mock-up, was apparently designed by GM’s head of design Chuck Jordan and built in Turin, Italy in just seven weeks.

At the time, GM owned Lotus so the second Indy, a running prototype finished in white, was built at Hethel, England in 1987 and featured a Lotus-engineered DOHC V8. There was no official word on the Indy until the following year, 1989, when a red, fully operational car appeared in Warren, MI. It was powered by the said DOHC, 32-valve, sequentially fuel-injected, aluminum V8 code named 350/32. It was not dissimilar from the Lotus-developed and Mercury Marine-built LT5 about to debut in the Corvette ZR-1.

Supposedly developed specifically for the transverse application, 350/32 featured pent-roof combustion chambers, chain-driven cams, self-adjusting hydraulic valves, and a hydraulic chain tensioner. The induction system employed 16 runners with 16 Rochester Multec fuel injectors. Painted blue, CERV III, the third and final car in this series was powered by a 650 hp twin-turbo LT5. It had AWD, three differentials and Lotus-developed active suspension with microprocessor-controlled hydraulics to eliminate conventional shocks and springs—remember, this was 1988 and by now the CERV acronym stood for Corporate Experimental Research Vehicle.

Despite much ballyhoo around CERV III, there were still no plans for a production mid-engine Corvette. However, almost 60 years on from the original CERV I, perhaps all that is about to change and Duntov can finally rest easy.

Ford Falcon

The Ford That Got Away—From Me!

We all have those stories of the cars that got away. The ones that were so close you could almost drive them but for whatever reason didn’t clinch the deal. One of mine involves a Ford Falcon. Never a favorite, the Falcon reminded me too much of a Ford Cortina when I was growing up in England. To me, they just didn’t cut it. I know now I was wrong but back then I just couldn’t see it and so when the phone rang and my friend told me about a 1964 Falcon for sale for a mere £600 (about $900 U.S.)…

I said, “No. They’re ugly,” and more or less put down the phone. Stupid me. Turns out it was a rare, Alan Mann Racing Falcon which would now be worth tens of thousands of dollars. I spoke to the late Alan Mann’s son Henry who said, “That was probably the ’64 that Bo Ljungfeldt drove in the ‘Midnight Sun’ Rally. That’s a nice car.”

Oddly, and maybe it’s the bad taste in my mouth but I’m still not a fan of the Falcon even though now I appreciate its accomplishments. The Falcon was introduced to the world in the fall of 1959 and immediately set a Ford Motor Company sales record of 417,000 units. It was only eclipsed by the Mustang that sold 418,812 in its first year.

Tiny by American standards, “The New Size Ford” Falcon was a 109.5-inch wheelbase compact. Available with two or four doors it seated six passengers and came in various configurations: Sedan, station wagon, sedan delivery, convertible, and the Ranchero pickup. Power came from three optional engines: a 2.4L 144 ci “Mileage Maker” straight six, a 2.8L 170 ci six in 1961 and in ’63 a new 4.3L 260 ci small-block V8 that would lead directly to the iconic 289.

The so-called “Father of the Falcon” was Ford executive Robert McNamara who would go on to be U.S. Defense Secretary. McNamara championed the car, its low-cost construction using a uni-body and pre-existing parts, including the coil front and leaf spring rear suspension, sourced from other Fords.

The Falcon was introduced to the world in the fall of 1959 and immediately set a Ford Motor Company sales record of 417,000 units.

The Falcon was such a hit at home—over a million sold by the end of the second year—that Ford’s overseas branches, particularly Australia and Canada, wanted their own. The Falcon would become the first Ford to be truly manufactured in Australia. To begin they were copies of their American cousins, albeit with right-hand drive, but eventually, they took on an Aussie personality and ultimately, millions were sold.

With an advantageous power-to-weight ratio, the Falcon made for an obvious racecar especially when the “Challenger” V8 became available, however, even before the factory fitted the V8 Ford outfits such as Bill Stroppe in California and John Holman & Ralph Moody of Charlotte, North Carolina, were shoving V8s under the Falcon hood. For example, in 1962 Holman & Moody entered Challenger I in the 12 Hours of Sebring. “The World’s fastest Falcon,” driven by Marvin Panch and Jocko Maggiacomo won its class.

Challenger II was not so much raced as used as the prototype for the Falcon Sprint. Introduced midway through 1963, the Sprint had sporty pretentions with bucket seats, a tach, chrome valve covers, and wire wheel hubcaps. At the same time, a convertible became available, as did the 260 ci V8. To accommodate the power increase the body and suspension were stiffened, 10-inch drums replaced the previous 9-inches and five-lug wheels replaced the 4-luggers. Just over 15,000 ’63 Sprints were made of which 4,602 were convertibles.

Challenger III was a beast of a different kind—a chopped, sectioned, fastback with aluminum body panels fabricated by famous Indy fabricator Lujie Lesovsky. The car, powered by a Weber-fueled 289 with a four-speed, was shown at the New York Auto Show and went on to race at Nassau in the Bahamas. NASCAR driver Marvin Panch won the first heat race but lost a fan belt while leading the second heat.

“I bought a brand new Falcon, swapped out the 2bbl carb for twin 4bbls, drove to Bonneville from Los Angeles and went 136.77 mph. It was a great little car.”Ron Hope, Rat Trap Racing

For 1964, a new, faster looking Gen II body was introduced with arrow-like moldings extending back from the headlights to the tail. The Falcon was all set to kill it in the marketplace until, that is, Ford literally killed it with the 1964-1/2 Mustang that was derived from the Falcon. Ford tried to make it up with a Sprint Package and the 289 V8 late in ’64 but it was really too little, too late.

On the track, however, the Falcon continued to excel. In ’63 Ford had contracted Holman & Moody to build three cars for European rallying in a laudable effort to promote the Falcon as more than family transport.

In England, Alan Mann Racing (AMR) became a Ford factory team racing cars in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo Rally to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In ’64 Bo Ljungfeldt and Fergus Sager set the fastest time on every stage of the rally. Meanwhile, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, the California-based team of Hope & Schottmuller ran a 260-powered Falcon in E Production Coupe and Sedan. According to Ron, “I bought a brand new Falcon, swapped out the 2bbl carb for twin 4bbls, drove to Bonneville from Los Angeles and went 136.77 mph. It was a great little car.”

In ’66, an AMR Falcon set the first ever 100+ mph lap of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with Sir John Whitmore driving. The following year, Frank Gardner driving a Group 5 Falcon for AMR won the British Saloon Car Championship.

Back on the home front in the U.S., the Falcon was doing equally well in SCCA road racing, Trans-Am, and on the drag strips where, according to driver Dick Brannan, there were a couple of “factory” Falcons powered by 427 ci engines. One of the cars driven by Phil Bonner won Top Stock and Stock Eliminator at the ’64 AHRA Nationals while Brannan won S/SX at the ’64 AHRA Summernats.

There would be two more generations of Falcon, the 1966-’70 version and the 1970-1/2 but the bird had flown and people had moved on. Nevertheless, the Falcon continues to hold a special place in people’s hearts. It’s an affordable, entry-level collectible that can be restored or modified without destroying its integrity. And, there’s the Falcon Club of America at www.falconclub.com

What’s a Hemi?

My very first car as a kid in England was a 1946 Riley RME. I thought it was cool because it had a chrome grille like a ’34 Ford and it had a race-developed, twin-cam HEMI—whatever that was. Back then, there was no internet to look things up but a trip to the library revealed that the word HEMI was an abbreviation for hemispherical combustion chambers—whatever that was.

Believe it or not, HEMI-heads are nothing new and their history can be traced back to the early 1900s when they could be found in a number of European cars including the 1904 Welch Tourist, the Belgian Pipe of 1905, the 1907 Italian Fiat Grand Prix car, the French Grand Prix Peugeot of 1912 and the Italian Grand Prix Alfa Romeo of 1914—race-bred alright. However, it was the Welch design that became the blueprint for the many successors that included numerous motorcycle engines.

Where the HEMI-head differs from other cylinder head designs such as the “flathead” Ford which is known as an “L” head design, is that their combustion chambers are hemispherical or half-bowl-shaped compared to most chambers that resemble a flattened, double egg. The chamber operates in a cross-flow configuration where the air-fuel mixture flows in one side; the more-or-less centrally located spark plug ignites the mixture and the exhaust gases exit on the opposite side from the inlet.

The use of a HEMI-head became prevalent in motorcycle engines because not only was it efficient, but it was not an overly complicated assembly in a single-cylinder application where the pushrods ran up the outside of the cylinder. Incidentally, a HEMI-head can be used with a pushrod, SOHC or DOHC valve train.

Believe it or not, HEMI-heads are nothing new and their history can be traced back to the early 1900s when they could be found in a number of European cars…

The concept even worked well in early air-cooled, radial airplane engines that are more-or-less a number of single cylinders arranged in a circle around a common crankshaft. In fact, by 1921 the U.S. Navy had announced it would only order aircraft fitted with air-cooled radials.

Obviously, World War II propelled engineering development, as it did with much technology, as speed and power became all-important. Chrysler worked with Continental on the development of a giant, 1,792 cubic-inch (ci) V-12 that would be used in the Patton tank. It produced 810 horsepower and 1,560 pounds-feet (lb-ft) of torque and enabled Chrysler’s engineers to gather some valuable information that they put to good use in their post-War automobiles.

In 1947, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the so-called “Father of the Corvette”, was commissioned by Ford Motor Company to improve the output of their aging flathead V8s. Zora, his brother Yuri and designer George Kudasch developed an overhead valve conversion (OHV) for the Ford V-8 that featured hemispherical combustion chambers. Tagged the “ARDUN”, which was a contraction of ARkus-DUNtov, their OHV heads looked great and increased the power, however, they were somewhat temperamental.

Only about 200 sets were made in the U.S. before Duntov moved to the U.K. to work with Sydney Allard where a few more sets were made for Allard’s J2 sports car. For many years, ARDUN heads were a much sought after hot rod accessory until the mid-90s when Don Orosco began to reproduce them. He made about 30 sets before the tooling was sold to Don Ferguson whose family continues to produce the heads albeit updated with some modern technology along with a compatible cast-aluminum block. Companies such as H&H Flatheads are known for building complete ARDUN engines.

While the Duntovs were working on the OHV Ford, Chrysler engineers John Platner, a graduate of the Chrysler Institute of Engineering, and William Drinkard, manager of the Engine Development department, got to work in 1948 downsizing that tank engine for use in an automobile.

The engine was tough and you could throw all kinds of power-enhancing devices from blowers to nitro and it thrived on it.

What they came up with was a 90-degree, 330 ci, cast-iron V8 engine with HEMI-heads. Code-named A-182, the “HEMI” was not quite ready for production and a lot of valve train development still needed to be done along with some ignition and crankshaft work.

Nevertheless, Chrysler debuted the HEMI V-8 for the 1951 model year as standard in the Imperial and New Yorker models and optional in the Saratoga. Initially, the “Fire Power” capacity was 331 ci due to an “oversquare” 3.81-inch bore and 3.63-inch stroke. With a 7:1 compression ratio (cr), it produced 180 hp and 312 lb-ft of torque but weighed a whopping 745 pounds—one head alone weighed almost 120 pounds and you’d better be wearing a belt when you lift one.

Chrysler’s DeSoto division came out with their 276-ci “Fire Dome” version in 1952 and Dodge followed suit with their 241 ci “Red Ram” in 1953. Although all three engines differed in detail, they shared the same basic architecture.

In 1955, Chrysler claimed a dual 4-barrel (bbl) Carter version the first production car to produce 300 hp. The displacement was increased in 1956 to 354 ci and the engine now produced as much as 355 hp and became the first American engine to produce 1 hp per cubic inch.

Two years later, the infamous 392 version was introduced and it was almost square having a 4-inch bore and a 3.906-inch stroke. It had a taller ‘raised deck’ compared to previous engines; however, the heads were cast with wider ports so that earlier manifolds could be used with the new heads on the new block. The following year, a single carb version with 9.25:1 cr was rated at 345 hp while a dual-carb version offered 375 hp.

The 392 is significant because it became the drag racer’s engine of choice, especially in the fuel ranks: Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Fuel Altered. The engine was tough and you could throw all kinds of power-enhancing devices from blowers to nitro and it thrived on it.

By 1958, the 392 was producing 380 hp but had reached the end of its production life. It wasn’t until 1964 that Chrysler re-introduced the engine and officially called it a HEMI. Nicknamed the “elephant engine,” because of its size and weight, the new Gen II HEMI displaced 426 ci. Not initially available to the public, it was used in NASCAR in ’64 but not in ’65 because it was not available in a production car and therefore could not be raced.

Not to be outdone, Ford also introduced a 427-ci HEMI in 1964. Nicknamed the “Cammer” because it had a single overhead cam (SOHC), engineers had worked hard to design a symmetrical combustion chamber with the plug located for maximum efficiency only to discover that the plug didn’t care where it was. The plugs were then located near the top of the cylinder for easy access. NASCAR wasn’t at all happy about these “special” racing engines, however, the “SOHC” motor (pronounced “sock”) remains a “halo” engine for Ford.

Chrysler fixed their NASCAR problem in 1966 by introducing the “street” HEMI with lower compression, a milder cam, cast instead of tube headers and two 4 bbl Carter AFB carbs. The Gen II HEMI was produced until 1971 and was rated at 425 hp at 5,000 rpm and 490 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.

Of course, this is only the American version of HEMI history. Across the pond, in the homeland of the HEMI, the Europeans never left the concept alone.

Incidentally, the 426 HEMI is a HEMI in name only. Rather than build the new 426 from the old architecture of the 392, Chrysler engineers chose to use the existing 440 Wedge-head big-block. That said, the 426 evidences many improvements over the Wedge and indeed the 392 and became the modern drag racer’s engine of choice and was known colloquially as the “late model” compared to the 392 “early model.”

As the factory HEMIs came to the end of their respective lives Ed Donovan of Donovan Engines introduced a cast-aluminum 417 ci aftermarket version in 1971 that was based on the 392. That was followed in 1974 by Keith Black’s 426 HEMI based on the factory 426. Versions up to 573 ci are now available as are heads and numerous other parts milled from billet aluminum from numerous aftermarket manufacturers such as Hot Hemi Heads.

In fact, we use a billet 417 ci Donovan block with billet heads from Hot Hemi Heads in Ron Hope’s Rat Trap AA/Fuel Altered that we race. With a billet BDS supercharger and 90-percent nitro, it produces some 3,000 hp. However, in current Top Fuel/Funny car racing they use architecturally similar 500 ci blocks milled from forged billet aluminum.

These proprietary blocks are produced in-house by Don Schumacher Racing and John Force Racing but similar blocks that can withstand in excess of 10,000 hp are available from companies such as Brad Anderson and Alan Johnson Performance—all based on that Chrysler HEMI.

Of course, this is only the American version of HEMI history. Across the pond, in the homeland of the HEMI, the Europeans never left the concept alone. For example, Daimler, using Triumph motorcycle architecture, developed two aluminum-headed HEMI engines of 2.5 and 4.5-liters.

Other British brands such as Aston Martin and Jaguar both employed hemispherical combustion chambers in the DOHC V-8s and straight 6s respectively. However, no doubt the most well-known use of their HEMI-head was by Porsche in many of their engines—particularly the flat-six boxer engines of the 1963-’99 911s.

The Jeep: From Willys to Wrangler

How the World’s Most Famous Go-Anywhere Vehicle Earned Its Stripes

If you had to pick a single candidate for “the most American car ever,” there are a lot of potential candidates. The Corvette would be near the top of the list—it’s always been “America’s sports car” from the original C1 racers at LeMans through the iconic split-window 1963 model and the C3 that defined the Apollo Era of American exceptionalism (and endured the dark days of smog restrictions and gas lines), all the way up to today’s C7 and upcoming mid-rear-engine C8 supercar.

You could also make a case for the Ford Mustang that launched the Pony Car wars and spawned the Camaro and Challenger, or the “shoebox” Chevy sedans that became a favorite of hot rodders. The original muscle car, the Pontiac GTO, would also be on the shortlist, and even the Ford Model T would be a strong contender, thanks to the way it put car ownership in the reach of the working class and created the impetus for America’s shift from roads designed for horse-drawn conveyance to ones better-suited for cars and trucks.

But out of all the possibilities, in the end there’s only one vehicle that truly deserves the title—the Jeep. In continuous production (and continually popular) since 1941 and showing no signs of ever falling out of favor, the iconic off-roader is the one motor vehicle that stands above the rest. Born in the shadow of looming global conflict, the original Jeep served admirably in the Arsenal of Democracy, transitioned to civilian life as a workhorse for farmers and ranchers, and evolved into a status symbol that never lost its off-road credibility.

While “Jeep” grew from a single, scrappy 4×4 light scout car into an entire brand that has encompassed multiple different platforms over the years, including today’s unibody SUV and crossover vehicles, what we’re really interested in is the MB, CJ, and Wrangler models that are first to mind when you hear the name “Jeep.” Here is their story.

Flat Fenders

The vehicle we know today as the Jeep began its existence as a US Army specification for a “Truck, ¼ ton, 4×4” just prior to America’s entry into the Second World War. Post-WWI, the country’s armed forces had been significantly drawn down and reorganized, and many experiments were in progress to determine how new technology would make the next conflict different from the static trench warfare that characterized the Great War.

…the original Jeep served admirably in the Arsenal of Democracy, transitioned to civilian life as a workhorse for farmers and ranchers, and evolved into a status symbol that never lost its off-road credibility.

Light trucks and cars had shown promise toward the end of that war as a way to conduct reconnaissance, quickly move troops, artillery, and supplies, and generally, replace the large numbers of horses that had previously done most of the heavy lifting. The Army had a number of vehicles already in development or production that ranged from a half-ton to 7.5 tons in payload capacity, but a need was recognized for a smaller, more agile vehicle in the quarter-ton capacity range for the reconnaissance and liaison role.

American Bantam, a manufacturer with a somewhat-troubled history of bankruptcy but plenty of experience with small cars, and Willys-Overland, another faltering Depression-era builder and seller of small cars, endeavored to produce prototypes to meet the somewhat-unrealistic specifications set out by the Ordinance Technical Committee: 4-wheel drive, a crew of three, a 75-inch wheelbase and 47 inch track width, a fold-down windshield, 660-pound payload, and an engine with a minimum of 85 pound-feet of torque, all weighing in at a scant 1,300 pounds empty. Oh, and by the way, bids were required in 11 days, with a deadline of 49 days for the first prototype and 75 days to deliver 70 test vehicles.

While Willys was the low bidder, they were passed over in favor of Bantam when they couldn’t commit to the incredibly short deadline, and the Army moved ahead with the project. Over the course of development, Willys and eventually Ford became involved, as Bantam didn’t have anything close to the production capacity that would be required for full-scale manufacturing. The specification evolved from the ridiculously-light 1,300-pound weight goal to a more sensible 2,160-pound maximum, and Bantam ended up being edged out of the project as the Willys MB and Ford GPW became the definitive production models, with the US Army securing the patent for what would be known as the WWII Jeep in 1942.

Over the course of the war, Willys would manufacture more than 360,000 MBs and Ford would build another 280,000-plus GPWs. Ford being Ford, while parts were mostly interchangeable between the two, many of the parts produced by Ford would be stamped with a stylized cursive capital letter “F” in the same font as the Ford logo.

Post-War Production

With the Second World War drawing to a close, and all of America’s manufacturing corporations eyeing the future beyond the massive expansion they’d experienced since 1941, Willys-Overland was keen to find a way to turn the MB into something that could be sold on the civilian market. In 1944 with victory in sight, they began to work on prototypes for the “Civilian Jeep,” or simply CJ, mainly consisting of removing military-specific details like blackout lights and adding a tailgate. The initial conversions would later be referred to as the CJ-1, though none have survived and details are scant. The follow-on CJ-2 prototypes would be another limited experiment with only a few scores produced for internal company testing of more civilian-friendly modifications, and a few still exist today.

These led to the CJ-2A, the first true production civilian Jeep, which introduced the now-trademarked 7-slot vertical grille (previous models had 9) and was primarily intended for the agricultural market with a wide range of factory accessories like winches, snow plows, mowers, and even welders powered off of the engine’s PTO mount. More than 200,000 were sold between the end of the war and 1949, in a bewildering array of possible configurations that have become a collector and restorer playground/nightmare.

The next model, the CJ-3A, debuted in 1949 and included more detail changes to improve the transmission, axles, and suspension, and was adopted to replace the now-elderly wartime MB and GPW Jeeps in US military service as the Willys MC, designated the “Utility Truck, M38.” 130,000 or so were produced before being replaced by the CJ-3B in 1953, with more minor changes. Kaiser (yes, the same car manufacturer that eventually spawned the healthcare company) bought Willys-Overland that same year, and licensing of the Jeep design was expanded from Mitsubishi (who had produced the 3A in post-war Japan exclusively for police and other government use) to also include Mahindra in India, who would continue to grind out CJ-3B-based vehicles all the way through 2010.

The CJ-4 moniker was applied to a stillborn concept project in 1950-51, so the next Jeep model the world would see was the CJ-5. In various versions, it would remain in production from 1955 to 1983, and it soldiered on through many changes – not the least of which came when Jeep was sold to American Motors Corporation in 1970. In military service it would be known as the M38A1, and in 1972 AMC engaged in a major revision to the platform that increased the wheelbase by 3 inches, added overall length, and increased the size of the engine bay to accommodate both a 304 cubic inch V8 and 3.8 and 4.2 liter straight six engine options.

…Jeep fans absolutely lost their minds, with the YJ being panned by hardcore enthusiasts as an unworthy successor to the legendary CJ series.

AMC’s marketing increasingly targeted mainstream buyers instead of the agricultural and utilitarian appeal previous Jeeps had cultivated. Multiple appearance, accessory, and performance packages were offered, leaning heavily toward the stickers-and-stripes design ethos of the 1970s and early ‘80s.

A stretched-wheelbase version of the CJ-5 was designated as the CJ-6 and was produced between 1955 and 1981, but most of the 50,000 or so units made ended up overseas, with US availability ending in 1975. As a hint of things to come, a 4-door version was available, but never caught on domestically. The definitive “Civilian Jeep” model, the CJ-7, debuted in the 1976 model year in the US in production that overlapped its predecessor. It was visually distinctive from the CJ-5 primarily due to different door cutouts, but also featured changes to the ladder frame beneath the bodywork that allowed wider placement of the rear leaf springs for more chassis stability—the CJ-5 had been somewhat unfairly faulted for being dangerous in sudden obstacle avoidance maneuvers, and the suspension improvements were intended, in part, to address that issue. As the last of the classic Jeep models that could draw their lineage directly to the original WWII MB and GPW, almost 380,000 were built before the sun set on the CJ series in 1986.

Meet the Wrangler

For 1986, AMC (now owned by French auto conglomerate Renault) introduced a mostly-clean-sheet replacement for the CJ-7 named the Wrangler, with the internal chassis code YJ. The redesign continued the trend toward more safety and comfort features, but retained the Jeep essentials—leaf-sprung live axles front and rear, body-on-frame construction, a folding windshield and removable doors, and a strong bias toward off-road competence over everyday practicality. Nevertheless, Jeep fans absolutely lost their minds, with the YJ being panned by hardcore enthusiasts as an unworthy successor to the legendary CJ series. The distinctive square-headlight Wrangler continued in production through the purchase of the Jeep brand by Chrysler in 1987, with total production topping 685,000 units before the final 1995 production year.

Remaining 1995 YJ production models continued to be sold through the “missing” 1996 Wrangler model year, and the new TJ made its debut for 1997. Bowing to the power of nostalgia, the new Wrangler went back to round headlights, but introduced a major change to the suspension in the form of coil springs in place of the front and rear leaf spring setup that dated back to 1940. Once again, Jeep purists were enraged, but the Wrangler gained another major improvement in everyday on-road practicality in exchange for essentially no loss of off-road competence. The top engine option remained as a modernized 4.0L version of the venerable AMC straight-6, with 4-cylinder power in base models. A “Wrangler Unlimited” model, still retaining the 2-door body configuration but stretched 10 inches in wheelbase and 15 inches overall compared to the standard TJ, debuted for 2004, offering better room in the back seat and greatly improved towing capability.

TJ production wrapped up in 2006, and Jeep introduced the JK Wrangler for the 2007 model year. While still retaining live axle suspension and styling that was very similar to the TJ, the JK was a complete redesign that was wider and longer in wheelbase (though shorter overall) than its predecessor. Most importantly, the Wrangler Unlimited, AKA the JKU, introduced a true 4-door option with a 20-inch longer wheelbase while being less than 3 inches longer overall than the previous TJ Unlimited. This decision turned out to be hugely successful, with the overwhelming majority of JK buyers opting for the 4-door Unlimited model. Finally giving in to the inexorable march of progress, hardcore Jeep fans have embraced the JK/JKU, and the aftermarket has shown incredible enthusiasm for the third-gen Wrangler with an enormous variety of suspension, engine, and body upgrades.

For the 2018 model year, Jeep introduced the JL, which continues the tradition of body-on-frame construction and live front and rear axles, with more concessions to the luxury and comfort features buyers of the increasingly-expensive Wrangler have come to expect. While it remains the most competent off-road domestic vehicle you can buy off the showroom floor, especially in “Rubicon” trim, today’s Wrangler has come a very, very long way from the tiny “go-devil” known to US troops in WWII. Over the past eight decades, Jeeps have gone from a thrown-together way to haul a few soldiers and their gear across inhospitable terrain to luxury mall-crawler and every point in between. In the process, they’ve become the most uniquely American form of transportation, recreation, and personal expression, and there’s no end in sight.

Classic Tri-Five

1955 to 1957 Chevrolet Car History

It’s not actually a single car, but when you say “Tri-Five,” people know you’re talking about that classic “shoebox” style Chevrolet automobiles from 1955 to 1957. Their revolutionary designs spawned a legendary history and full-on industries that cater solely to them. What made these cars special?

It’s not hard to see the Tri-Five as part of Americana, the idealized vision of the 50s and 60s in the United States and its car culture. The name comes from the three years these cars came about 1955, 1956 and 1957. Each year, the cars changed radically to match the looks of Cadillacs of the time. It was a huge effort, costing Chevrolet millions of dollars in 1950s money to make it happen. But, make it happen they did and spurned off one of the most recognized and desired set of automobiles the world has ever seen.

Prior to 1955

While we recognize the Tri-Five as a specific idea in our heads, the reality is that prior to 1955 Chevrolet had the One-Fifty, Two-Ten, and Bel Air models built and in production. All three started earlier with 1950 for the Bel Air and 1953 for the One-Fifty and Two-Ten. It was the Bel Air that set the tone for all three models and any Chevrolet until 1975.

It started as a two-door convertible with a hardtop, but that hardtop couldn’t be removed. It was a very sleek looking roof design and the Bel Air wouldn’t get a real convertible until 1953. That same year, it became a high-end model with the One-Fifty and Two-Ten being the lower trims.

…parts that made that 1940s era of cars unique to themselves was now gone…

It was also where Chevrolet evolved from pre-WWII automotive design. Torque tube drives, splash-feed six-cylinder engines, knee-action suspension, split windshields and parts that made that 1940s era of cars unique to themselves was now gone and replaced with modern designs. There was also the addition of more chrome to bigger exterior trim parts, too.

1955, The 265 V8, and The Nomad

Then came 1955 and a quick series of evolutions began for the full-size Chevrolet cars. The biggest thing that brought this about was the introduction of the 265-cubic-inch Small Block Chevrolet V8 known as the “Turbo-Fire” and the original SBC. That displacement was made by the 3.750-inch bore and 3.00-inch stroke.

It was the combination of high-compression with that short stroke that produced 162-horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor. However, it was the “Power Pack” and “Super Power Pack” options that lit the fire with 180-horsepower in the Power Pack and 195-horsepower with the Super Power Pack. What made these different were the use of four-barrel Rochester carburetors and dual exhausts.

While impressive, there was an issue with the 265 in 1955: there was no oil filtration built into the block. It was an add-on option mounted to the thermostat housing. For that reason, the ’55 265 is only desirable to period correct, numbers matching builders.

However, this engine was backed by the equally legendary Powerglide two-speed automatic. It wasn’t the only option for 1955, though, as the base One-Fifty model cars were available with the 235-cubic-inch I6.

…Harley Earl, said the Corvette-based Nomad was one of his dream cars…

’55 was also the introduction of the Nomad. It was introduced in its mid-year run with the Bel Air trim and V8 standard as a two-door station wagon. It was also the higher-end option as it came with upscale carpeting, two-tone paint, headliner trim, and other features to separate it from the One-Fifty Series. What helped set its distinction, though, was its roots from the General Motors Motorama show car with the same name.

The Motorama shows were where the public could see prototype vehicles of the time like the Corvette, Pontiac Bonneville Special, and the Oldsmobile F-88. Head Stylist at GM, Harley Earl, said the Corvette-based Nomad was one of his dream cars and followed the introduction of the 1950 Ford Country Squire, also a two-door station wagon.

1956

These are considered “carryover” models, with a few changes made. The one everyone paid attention to, however, was the bump in power and include an oil filter in the 265.

Aftermarket and tinkers, hot rodders, had already started making huge power gains in the 265 and Chevrolet was right there with them. The standard 265 went from just 162-horsepower to 225 while the Super Power Pack version upped that to 240-horsepower with that Rochester four-barrel carburetor.

The Bel Air model, though, received some interesting changes to its grille. It went from its “Ferrari-inspired” front end to a full-width grille, which more people liked. The tail lights became incorporated into their housings and were single piece save for the left-hand side. That used a Cadillac-inspired feature of housing the gas filler behind it.

Oh, and only 7.4-percent of Bel Air owners ordered seat belts.

The Bel Air also got a new model known as the Sport Sedan and was a pillarless four-door hardtop. There was even the option for a rain-sensing automatic top that was seen on the 1951 LeSabre concept car but was never believed to have ever been installed. Oh, and only 7.4-percent of Bel Air owners ordered seat belts.

1957 and the Turboglide

1957 would be the last year for the Tri-Five. All cars now got those large tailfins that made them spectacular and the “twin rocket” hoods. Cars would get a tricolor paint with even more chrome outside and in.

The horsepower wars were heating up between the Big Three and Chevrolet gave owners a choice of seven different V8s. These ranged from the original 265 to the then new 283-cubic-inch SBC—some of those even coming with early Rochester Ramjet mechanical fuel injection and produced 283-horsepower.

This was also the introduction to the Turboglide automatic transmission. Instead of being a two-speed transmission, the Turboglide was a form of continuously variable gear-ratio transmissions. The way it works is like how a sequential-dual-clutch box works. Sort of.

Usually, an automatic has a torque converter with three elements inside it: the impeller, the turbine, and the stator. The impeller pumps fluid through the turbine with the stator directing oil so it hits the back of the impeller blades. This action also gives the torque converter that multiplication ability.

How A Turboglide Works

The Turboglide is different and, if you think a regular automatic is witchcraft, you’re not ready for this. The Turboglide has three individual drive turbines with each connected to a different ratio inside of the gearbox. Transmission fluid goes from the impeller pump to the first turbine blade, striking it and engaging the “first gear” ratio.

That first turbine then acts as a stator and causes the fluid to strike the blades of the second turbine and “second gear” ratio. Finally, the second turbine acts as the final stator and the fluid strikes the blades of the third turbine and it goes into “direct drive” ratio.

This is directly connected to the output shaft of the transmission. Once the low turbine matches the pump speed, it freewheels on a one-way sprag clutch while the second turbine begins to match the speed of the impeller pump. Eventually, it does and that’s how fluid will pass through it and fully drive the direct drive.

…if you think a regular automatic is witchcraft, you’re not ready for this.

It also still has a stator which can switch between two positions and that’s controlled by the driver through the accelerator pedal. It works like a transmission kick-down in a conventional transmission to engage a “passing gear” or drop down to the next lowest gear to increase power going to the rear wheels.

The most interesting part about this, the engine stayed nearly at the same RPM through operation, changing only to accelerate. At normal operation, the Turboglide operated the engine between 3500 and 4000-RPM in roughly a 400-RPM window.

If you’re thinking this sounds like the operation of the modern Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), you’re not far off but the Turboglide was fully hydraulic and could be geared to multiply engine torque at any speed whereas CVTs are nearly all mechanical.

The other advantage was the use of the Grade Retarder range, which allowed the engine to “engine brake.” You could use the engine to slow you down just like you would in a manual. That’s why a Turboglide selector goes P-R-N-D-Gr.

The End of the Tri-Five Era, but Not the Bel Air

After 1957, Chevrolet did away with the One-Fifty and Two-Ten models and began the longer, lower, and the heavier era of car design. These cars were replaced by the Delray (One-Fifty) and Biscayne (Two-Ten). 1958 not only marked the beginning of the Chevrolet Big Block engine with the 348-cubic-inch V8 but also making the Bel Air into the “halo car” for Chevrolet with the Impala.

This meant that the Impala Bel Air was only available in a hardtop coupe and convertible for its first year. While it had similar design cues from other models, the Impala had a different roofline, a vent above its rear window, unique side trim, and triple tail lights housed in broader alcoves.

The last of the Bel Airs would be manufactured in 1975 for 1976, but a brand-new trim would be born and create an even more exciting, performance orientated trim line. The 1961 to 1969 Impala Super Sport, the SS.

The History of the GM C/K Truck

GM, through Chevrolet and GMC, have had a long and successful history with the truck design. Starting in 1941 with the Chevrolet AK-Series though to the 1947 A-platform Advanced-Design series with Chevy and GMC to the 1955 Task Force, GM trucks built a legacy of dependability and beautiful design made to work for blue-collar businesses and farms across the US. It was that last design that would lead into a new generation that offered four-wheel drive as a factory-built option—the C/K Series.

First Generation – 1960 to 1965

The C/K designation was possibly the longest-lived and it was thanks to that legend that came before it. The Task Force would introduce a few firsts that influenced the C/K: the wrap-around windshield and rear window in deluxe cabs, power steering, and brakes, a 12-volt electrical system. The C/K, however, improved that further by offering the first drop-center ladder frame—a frame that dipped down to allow the cab of the truck to sit lower. Typically, your frame was straight, and the cab had to sit higher. This new design would bend down just at the firewall of the cab, then bend back up just after the rear cab wall.

This was also the first truck to offer an independent front suspension. This was five years before Ford introduced the “Twin I-Beam” front suspension. Before either of these, trucks used a straight axle on leaf springs. What made the GM front end superior, in on-road use, was that a true independent design gave the C/K a more car-like ride and handling character.

GMC followed Chevrolet designations for their trucks up this point, with the introduction of the C/K, GMC would not use “C” in their two-wheel drive trucks but instead only use “K” differentiate between two- and four-wheel drive. GMC would also use numbers in thousands—1000/K1000 for half-ton, 1500/K1500 for three-quarter-ton, 2500 for one-ton—rather than the tens but were identical in design until 1963.

This was also the first time Chevrolet would offer a GM-designed four-wheel drive system in their trucks. Four-wheel drive was an option prior to this but was a conversion made by NAPCO (Northwestern Auto Parts Company) called the “Powr-Pak” and was offered up until 1959. While it was installed by the factory, it was a conversion rather than something built directly to work with the chassis on the factory line. The C/K, with K being the designation for four-wheel drive, was installed on the factory floor with a “divorced” Timken T-221 (Rockwell T-221). Unlike the C-trucks, the K’s remained straight axle with a closed-knuckle Dana 44 and an H-O33 rear end sitting on leaf springs front and rear.

The C/K designation was possibly the longest-lived and it was thanks to that legend that came before it.

The C’s front suspension would utilize torsion bars from 1960 to 1962, where it then switched over to coil springs from 1963 and onwards. The rear suspension used trailing arms that we call “truck arms” today with coil springs. The rear end was located by a “tracking arm,” also known as a Panhard bar, laterally. In 1963, the GMC trucks would switch over to a leaf spring rear end.

From 1960 to 1963, engines ranged from the 230-cubic-inch, the 236-cubic-inch and 261-cubic-inch I6s; the GMC 305-cubic-inch V6 in the GMCs, and the 283-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy. Behind these were either a three-speed or four-speed manual or a Powerglide two-speed automatic. After ’63, new engines were offered with a new base 230-cubic-inch I6 and an optional 292-cubic-inch I6.

In 1964, the wrap around the windshield was designed out of the cab, along with other interior changes, but the rest of the body was still mostly the same. In 1965, air conditioning and the 327-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy V8 were offered as options. It’s final year, 1966, a new 250-cubic-inch I6 was offered as a base engine, but no other changes were made.

Second Generation – 1967 to 1972

In 1966, designated as a 1967MY, the C/K’s body design was modernized and took on the squarer look enthusiasts are more familiar with. This would also be the only year RPO A10, a factory installed large rear window, would be offered. The suspension designs learned from the first generation stayed, including GMC trucks still retaining a leaf spring rear over the truck arm. Leaf springs were optional on Chevys.

Coming in as standard was the 250-cubic-inch I6 or 283-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy V8 with a three-speed manual transmission. The C10 could get an overdrive unit as an option, but there were four-speed manuals offered along with the Powerglide two-speed and the Turbo-Hydramatic automatics with the TH350 and the TH400. Optional engines included the 292-cubic-inch I6 and 327-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy V8. The trucks on the 10-series were 6×5.5-inch bolt pattern while three-quarter-ton and up trucks used the 8×6.5-inch bolt pattern.

In 1968, side-marker reflectors were added and the optional large rear window as now standard. This was also the 50th anniversary of building trucks for GM, so a special “50th Anniversary” package was built with an exclusive white-gold-white tricolor paint scheme. This would be the first year the 307-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy and 396-cubic-inch Mark 4 Big Block Chevy V8s were offered. There would also be the Longhorn three-quarter-ton C40 which was a 133-inch wheelbase with a bed six-inches longer than the standard. It was also available only as a two-wheel drive, so if you find a “Longhorn 4WD,” it’s an aftermarket conversion.

…the C/K’s body design was modernized and took on the squarer look enthusiasts are more familiar with.

The 327 V8 would be dropped and we would see the first use of the legendary 350-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy V8 in 1969 and stay in it until the end of C/K production. This was also the introduction of the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and GMC Jimmy utility variants with shorter wheelbases. The cabs were also modified to allow the use of a foot-operated parking brake rather than a hand operated one.

This would also not only introduce the Sierra and Sierra Grande option packages for GMCs but also add upper and lower trim moldings to the body. In 1970, the 396 was bored out to 402-cubic-inches but was still branded as a “396.” Other than an update to the grille, with plastic inserts with highlights that make it have six separate sections, the body was the same as the ’69.

The biggest changes came in 1971. A new “egg crate” grille was used in the Chevrolet trucks along with introducing the Cheyenne trim package. It was a comfort feature package, like GMC’s Sierra package, with better interiors, carpet and chrome on the trim, upper and lower side molding and tailgate trim. This was also the first year AM/FM radios were factory installed and the front brakes converted to discs.

This was also the year two-wheel trucks switched to a 5×5-inch bolt pattern and the four-wheel drives used the 6×5.5-inch bolt pattern, another feature that would stay until the end of the C/K series. Other than moving the interior rear-view mirror from being bolted to the top of the cab to glued to the windshield, the C/Ks didn’t change much until the introduction of the new generation in 1973.

Third Generation – 1973 to 1987

While billed as 1973, this new, clean sheet redesign of the C/K was introduced in mid-year 1972 with development going back into 1968. This would be some of the first use of computer simulation on truck components before being used on prototype trucks for real-world testing. This testing and design would lead into the “Square-body” generation of the C/K that’s still beloved and in high demand by enthusiasts today. The Chevrolet and GMC C/K were unlike anything on the road at the time. Gone were the overly round looks and boxed and sharp lines were used.

The headlights were also no longer a round design but instead, pairs of square headlights flanked a brand-new grille. The tail-lamps wrapped around into the bedsides rather than being seen from just the rear. However, there were rounded portions done to the body and the entire exterior was wind tunnel tested for improved aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, including the development of a hidden radio antenna embedded into the windshield glass.

The wheelbase of this new C/K was also longer with it growing to 117.5-inches for short wheelbase trucks and 131.5-inches for the longer ones. The one-ton truck could get the “Big Dooley” package for the first time with dual-rear wheels and introduced the new Crew Cab on the 164.5-inch wheelbase trucks. The fuel tank was moved out of the cab and down to the side of the frame, which allowed for a dual fuel tank option for the first time to increase fuel load to 40-gallons.

For 15 years, the Square-body roamed the streets, but Crew Cabs would last until 1991. Within those years, there would be several trim models, but the most important part was the introduction of safety materials used in the passenger cabin. The dashboard, door arm rests, steering wheel, and shift levers were all made of soft-touch materials. Upper trim levels used sound-deadening materials and 1980 would introduce both a tape player option as well as a CB radio.

The Chevrolet and GMC C/K were unlike anything on the road at the time.

The third-gen C/K would also introduce self-adjusting disc brakes with finned drums in the rear. Optionally, you could have four-wheel Vacuum-Boost or Hydra-Boost, a hydraulic brake boost system that’s still used by GM, but in an electro-mechanical form. The rear could be optioned with the “Load Control” suspension, a variable rate multi-leaf spring system with offset shock absorbers. This reduced wheel hop under heavy loads and hard acceleration.

For four-wheel drive, the K-Series could have “Conventional” New Process NP-205, “Permanent” NP-203, or “Shift-On-The-Move” NP-208 (only from 1981 and onwards, replaced the NP-203) transfer case systems. The transfer case was also bolted directly to the transmission output rather being divorced like in previous gen trucks.

All K’s would come with the “Load Control” rear suspension while the front would take that design with inline shock geometry rather than offset. Finally, the exposed brake lines were wrapped in steel and chassis had optional skid plate armor for off-road protection. In 1973, the Eaton Automatic Differential Lock replaced the Eaton NoSpin and the Positraction Limited-Slip differential in 1974. It used an internal governor to detect vehicle speed and wheel slip, disengaging at 20-MPH.

In 1975, the 400-cubic-inch Small Block Chevy was added with a realignment of trim levels. 1976 saw the removal of engine sizes from the grille while ’77 introduced power windows and door locks as options. One-ton trucks would finally get four-wheel drive with a Dana 60 used as a front axle. All models got flatter dash trim panels, black on the lower trim and aluminum-look on upper trim packages. Upper trims had fuel doors added to hide exposed fuel caps, too.

Gone were the overly round looks and boxed and sharp lines were used.

1979 would see a change to the grille surround to incorporate turn signals and all trims would get fuel doors rather than exposed caps to match the upper trims in 1977/78. 1980 would remove the permanent NP-203 and 1981 added the NP-208 along with a facelift. This was done to reduce the high-drag areas of the truck and it gained a “ship bow” like look to the front end and eventually influence the fourth and final generation C/K along with weight reductions and halogen headlights. Perhaps some of the biggest changes came in the engine, with the 305-cubic-inch V8 offered with electronic spark control. Well, except in California where the 350 replaced the 305 with ESC as it didn’t meet SMOG requirements.

For 1982MY, the 700R4 overdrive automatic was added along with a 379-cubic-inch Detroit Diesel V8 and chrome bumpers were standard on base models. 1985 saw the 262-cubic-inch LB1 with a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor replace the 250 I6. Hydraulic clutches were introduced, and the grille was changed.

In 1987, the C/K were renamed R/V, with R designating two-wheel drive and V designating four-wheel drive. The reason being is that the new generation of C/Ks was beginning production. These final generation “Square-bodies” were updated to single-point TBI (throttle-body injection) with electric fuel pumps and high-pressure fuel lines. This also introduced the powertrain control module (PCM) to the mix. It controlled the TBI, ignition timing, and the 700R4’s turbine torque converter clutch. In 1988, the fourth-gen C/K would come about and be the final C/K line of GM trucks.

Fourth Generation – 1988 to 1999 GMT400-Chassis

While planning started in the early 1980s, production development of the GMT400—the fourth generation of the C/K truck—didn’t begin until 1984 and introduced in April of 1987 as an ’88. While still square in appearance, these trucks were different in many ways. The biggest being that all trucks would get a front independent suspension, including four-wheel drive. There were also four different body styles: Fleetside Single Cab, Fleetside Extended Cab, Fleetside Crew Cab, and Stepside Single Cab. Trims were available as Cheyenne, Scottsdale, and Silverado.

The engine options on half-tons were the 4.3-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8, 5.7-liter V8, and a 6.2-liter diesel V8. Three-quarter and one-ton trucks could get the 7.4-liter V8. The drivetrains were all carryovers from the last year of the third-gen C/K and R/V. The GMT400 was also the first GM vehicle to use an electronic speedometer and serpentine accessory drive on its engines. 1988 introduced the world to the Work Truck (W/T) trim, a long-bed, single cab Cheyenne trim with a different grille and black bumpers. This was also the introduction of the GMC 3500 EFI with a 454-cubic-inch Big Block Chevy V8.

In 1989, the Z71 Off-Road package was offered for the first time with skid plates and Bilstein shocks available to the model. 1990 would give us a high-performance variant of the GMT400, the C1500 Super Sport, also known as the 454SS or by its RPO code B4U. This was powered by a 454-cubic-inch Big Block Chevrolet V8 with a TH400 sending power to the rear end. That rear end was a 3.73:1 14-bolt corporate with the only 5×5-inch bolt pattern, the only one to use this combination.

32mm Bilstein gas-filled shocks and a 32mm anti-roll bar improved cornering while a 12.7:1 fast-ratio steering box allowed the driver to make quick moves behind the wheel. In 1991, it would finally get the 4L80E with a new 4.10:1 rear gear ratio. It also received a tachometer in 1991 and dual-exhaust until 1993. While it’s seen mostly in black, there were Summit White and Victory Red in 1992 until 1993, when production of the 454SS was discontinued.

While still square in appearance, these trucks were different in many ways.

1991 introduced the new 4L80-E to the three-quarter- and one-ton trucks. 1992 dropped the four-speed manual transmission option and stepside trucks were offered with extended cabs. This year also introduced the 6.5-liter diesel V8 with a turbocharged option. 1994, the GMT400s got the federally mandated center-mount stop light as well as a new front-end design.

1993 introduced the new 4L60E automatic transmission, replacing both the 700R4 and its evolution, the 4L60. 1995 would require changes to the interior to fit the new mandated driver’s side airbag, but also a central-mounted radio, dial-operated HVAC (rather than levers) and improved cluster gauge. 1995 C/Ks and Sierras would get new exterior mirrors.

1996 saw the introduction of an optional passenger’s side third-door on extended cab trucks. The engines were also replaced by “Vortec” versions, which increased horsepower in V6 and V8 engines. However, the 6.2-liter diesel V8 was dropped. 1996 brought in the new federally mandated passenger’s side airbag on 1500, but the 2500/3500 were exempt and were given a new storage compartment.

1997 would be the last year “CHEVROLET” would emblaze the tailgate except on Cheyenne models until 1998. ’98 would bring us the PassLock anti-theft system, a new advanced driver’s airbag, and new “Silverado” badge on the tailgate. The deluxe two-tone paint would be discontinued but a more conventional two-tone would remain as an option.

1999 would be the final full production year of the GMT400 as the new GMT800 would be unveiled for 1999 as a 2000MY. Upon its introduction, the C/K designation would be removed and not used. From here on, it would become the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GMT400s would still be sold through 2002, mostly as fleet sales, and billed as Chevrolet Silverado Classic and GMC Sierra Classic trucks. Sierra 2500/3500 Crew and Chassis Cabs would be produced through 2000 while the C3500HD would end production in 2002.

The end of the GMT400 and G-Van would also mark the final use of the Chevrolet Small Block V8, it is replaced by the LS-based GM V8 engine series.

Nashville Pickers

There are many reasons people from all over the world visit Nashville, Tennessee. For example, there is the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Johnny Cash Museum, and the historic Ryman Auditorium. There are also more than 180 live music venues as well as bars and restaurants to keep your senses sated.

For car people there is the Lane Motor Museum but fast climbing the list of must-sees is the Marathon Motor Works that houses, among many other stores and eateries, a branch of Antique Archaeology, the namesake of the hit TV show American Pickers.

Built of beautiful red brick in 1881, the Marathon Motor Village, as it is now known, was originally the home of the Marathon Automobiles, at the time one of the largest producers of automobiles in the world assembling as many as 10,000 cars a year in 1912. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons the Marathon was over by 1916. The complex, which is an on-going restoration project by owner Barry Walker, covers well over 150,00 square feet that is now divided into a four-block complex of artists’ and photographers’ studios, offices, a radio station, salons, cafés, bars, a distillery, event spaces and, of course, Antique Archaeology.

For those of you who watch the show on the History Channel, you’ll know that Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz pick their way across America and some other countries in search of that rare nugget. The show has been on since 2010, has an audience of more than five million viewers a week and is seen in 63 countries. Mike, you can tell, is a car and motorcycle guy and he invited us down to Nashville to check out the store.

The store is not big enough to house any cars but they do have on display the Volkswagen-powered motorcycle that was built by lowbrow artist and father of modern pinstriping Von Dutch. Scattered around the store floor to ceiling and among the piles of Antique Archaeology clothing and knick-knacks are more rare motorcycle engines and parts. Unfortunately, most are not for sale including one of Evil Knievel’s star-spangled, white leather ‘jump’ suits.

American Pickers, a brand owned by the History Channel, has logoed merchandise for sale at the History Store. In addition to that, you can purchase Mike’s own line called Two Lanes.

Entrance to the village and, of course, the stores are free but unless you can find free street parking the cost to park in the Village lot is $10. Other than that, it’s a great place for a family to visit where you can spend several hours drinking, dining and checking out the building, the restored machinery, some original Marathon cars that are displayed and, of course, Antique Archaeology. For more information contact www.antiquearchaeology.com/locations.php or www.marathonvillage.net

In the Beginning: Ford Mustang

How the Original Pony Car Won America’s Heart

It isn’t very often that a single car model manages to create an entirely new market segment all by itself, but that’s exactly what the Ford Mustang did in the mid 1960s, and the other cars that followed its example from GM, Chrysler, and AMC all shared a moniker coined to reflect the Mustang’s equine name—the “Pony Car.”

While Pontiac had defined the Muscle Car formula of a big V8 engine in an intermediate-size chassis with the 1964 GTO, that was basically an option package on the otherwise-ordinary Tempest. Ford, headed at the time by the legendary Lee Iacocca, was working on a new small, sporty car design that wouldn’t look like any other car in the current fleet, though to save time and money it would share the majority of its underpinnings with the existing Falcon and Fairlane. Between late 1962 and the spring of 1964, a crash program took the Ford Mustang from a bullet list of goals to a production-ready design that would turn out to be an enormous sales success, paving the way for subsequent model generations that spanned more than 50 years of continuous production all the way to today.

Those goals included room for four with buckets and a floor-mounted shifter in front, an overall length of fewer than 15 feet from bumper to bumper, a curb weight under 2,500 pounds, and a starting price of less than $2,500 (about $20,200 in today’s dollars). Engines would include a base inline-six as well as an assortment of small-block V8 options, and both notch-back and convertible body styles. To say that Ford captured lightning in a bottle is an understatement—the Mustang prototype was the hit of the 1964 World’s Fair, and on the opening day of the fair, more than 22,000 orders were taken for the new car. Between the 1964 ½ model year (because the Mustang was introduced late in the model year cycle, the first 120,000 or so were technically 1964 models, though they carry 1965 VIN codes) and 1966 (the peak year of first-gen Mustang production) a whopping 1,288,557 Mustangs were built.

The best modern analogy would be to call it the iPhone of its day…

It’s hard to convey just how much excitement and interest the Mustang sparked when it hit showrooms, and GM, Chrysler, and American Motors all rushed to create their own cars to compete in the previously non-existent market segment. The best modern analogy would be to call it the iPhone of its day; while other cars preceded it that had some of the same features, none combined them in a way that defined a whole new type of enthusiast car like the Mustang did. Realizing what they had, Ford leaned into the Mustang’s popularity with ad campaigns that emphasized the idea of youthful exuberance, and even went as far as to disassemble a 1965 convertible into four main sections plus a few odds and ends, load the pieces into an elevator, and then reassemble the entire car on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.

The Mustang’s ground-breaking long hood/short deck styling set the standard for the domestic competition through the 1960s and beyond, and racers began to adopt it as a platform for closed circuit and drag racing competition as well. Best-known is the Shelby GT350, which debuted in 1965. Carroll Shelby, who also imported the British-built AC Ace and re-engined it with Ford V8 powerplants to create the legendary AC Cobra, took Mustangs equipped with the 271 horsepower 281 cubic inch Windsor V8 and modified them with different carburetors, intake manifolds, brakes, and other small changes in order to prepare them to the limit of SCCA B-Production rules, where the cars won three years in a row. Through subsequent years, the Shelby Mustang became less race-focused and oriented toward high-performance street use, but the die was cast, and many a future Mustang would wear Shelby or Cobra badging in homage to these seminal performance cars (and many a baby girl or family dog would end up named “Shelby” as well.)

…other manufacturers who were now offering their own “pony cars” plus the 1973 oil crisis brought the first generation to a close.

Over the course of the Mustang’s first generation, which lasted through the 1973 model year, engine options included inline sixes as well as 289 and 302 cubic inch Windsor small-block V8s (named for their Canadian manufacturing location in Windsor, Ontario), plus 390, 427, 428, and 429 cubic inch big-block V8 power. The Mustang progressively became larger and heavier, and a major facelift for 1971 radically changed the car’s profile. Though still popular, sales were nowhere near what they had been during the glory days of 1965–1969, and competition from other manufacturers who were now offering their own “pony cars” plus the 1973 oil crisis brought the first generation to a close.

The replacement, Ford’s Mustang II, was already waiting in the wings—having seen the end of inexpensive gas and ever-stricter emissions standards on the horizon, the company was well-prepared with a new model that was smaller, more fuel-efficient, and as it turns out, universally hated by Mustang fans then and now. But that, my friends, is a story for another day…

The History of Headlamps

When it gets too dark out, we just flip a switch and beam of light shoots forward to illuminate our drive. We take it for granted, but where did the original headlamp come from?

When our forefathers first created the automobile, a lot of the technology was based on what we knew from horse carriages. They were simple carriage lamps lit by a wick coming out of an oil bucket. These lights proved to not be suitable for the speeds even these automobiles could achieve. However, they were the only types of lights that could withstand wind and rain.

The first electric headlamp was built in the 1898 Columbia Electric Car and was optional. Even though it was possible to light an electric lamp, filament life and creating a power source small enough and strong enough was the limiting factor on the widespread use of electric lights. It wouldn’t be until 1908 that electric headlamps would become standard equipment, in which the Peerless made standard on all their automobiles.

The first “dippable” lights, where you can lower the beam angle to not blind a driver approaching you, came in 1915 through the Guide Lamp Company. However, you had to get out of the car and lower them. A couple of years later, Cadillac introduced a system that allowed the driver to lower the lights with a lever instead. It wouldn’t be until 1924 when the Bilux bulb was introduced that had a filament for both high and low beams. Guide Lamp also created a similar design called the “Duplo” but included a “dip switch,” a foot-operated electrical switch to allow the dimming to be done on the floor. Packards from 1933 to 1934 would have three beams: “country passing” as their main beam, “country driving” as a middle beam, and “city driving” for the lowest beam.

From 1940 and onward, the seven-inch round sealed-beam headlamp (H6024) was required per side here in the US. This stayed in place until just after 1968, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was created and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) was introduced. With it, came new rules that all states had to follow including the new rules based on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) lighting standards were adopted in whole or in part. This meant that the US was finally allowed to utilize the halogen bulb whereas the Europeans were utilizing this far earlier.

This also now meant that two sizes were allowed per vehicle – two seven-inch round or four 5.75-inch round headlamps (H5006). In 1974, there was a petition for allowing four-headlamp rectangular sealed beams (the 4×6.5, H4651) and 1976 allowed for single 142×200 per side headlamp (H6054). Then, in 1978, headlamp intensity laws were changed from the requirement of 75,000-candela (cd) to 150,000-cd and all but guaranteed the use of halogen from that point on. Halogen bulbs also allowed for the use of plastic lenses rather than glass, as the halogen lamp with its tungsten filament was already contained in an inner, gas-filled glass bulb.

In 1983, the NHTSA approved the first standardized replaceable halogen bulb, the 9004, which allowed for more aerodynamic, composite headlamps in the US starting in 1984. The 9005 and 9006 were introduced in 1987 and allowed for even more headlamp designs and materials. This also allowed for manufacturers to design headlamps that were aerodynamic from the start and not require flip-out headlamps. Those types of headlamps were originally introduced in 1936 with the Cord 810/812. Most hidden headlamps used vacuum-operated servos with reservoirs, but there were also electric variants and even some mechanical versions that used lever-operated linkages like on the Saab Sonett III. The last mass-produced cars with flip-out headlamps were the 2004 C5 Corvette and 2004 Lotus Esprit.

If it weren’t for the headlamp, we wouldn’t be able to see very far down the road in our modern cars, if at all. We are starting to see some improvements in modern light technology that allow us to have lights barely the size of our hands yet light up the road far brighter than the original 1898 headlight could have ever produced. Makes you wonder what’s coming up next.

Concorso Italiano 33^RD Auto Show

Italian Auto Celebration Invades Seaside

The Concorso Italiano once again made headlines during the annual Monterey Motoring Week as vehicles on display and spectators celebrated all things Italian. The 33^rd annual Concorso event was hosted at the idyllic Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course located in Seaside, California as a slew of more than 100 rare collectible sports cars and vintage vehicles ranging from Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Alfa Romeos were all proudly on display.

This years event paid a special tribute to three special vehicles celebrating their 50^th anniversary. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Lamborghini Espada, and Islero were recognized by the auto community as iconic vehicles that have achieved a milestone in automotive history.

Attending this event isn’t your typical car show. Vehicles ranging from a Ferrari 488 GTB to the venerable 488 GT3, which had just returned from battling at Virginia International Raceway where they took 4^th place, were just some of the special vehicles all embellished in rich motorsports history.

Love rare and exotic Italian cars? Be sure to check out next year’s Concorso Italiano Auto Show to get your dose of Italian flare!

Legends of LA

It’s hard to imagine what it might have been like to grow up in Los Angeles either side of World War II. It was pitched as paradise and with endless summers of sunshine, beaches and jobs it was. It was also the car capital of the world. Moratoriums prevented buildings over three stories; instead, we spread urban development like mayo on white American bread. The freeway ruled and with it car culture.

Think of all the cultures that blossomed here in SoCal: drag racing, dune buggies and off-roading, vanning, trucking, lowriders, tuners, surfing and, naturally, racing. Of course, racing wasn’t invented on the West Coast but the weather, the vast expanses of land and the freeway infrastructure enabled motorsport to grow like Topsy.

To celebrate the golden era before every track was bulldozed to make way for a mall, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles recently opened a new exhibit called Legends of Los Angeles: Southern California Race Cars and Their Builders.

Located in the Charles Nearburg Family Gallery, the display features twelve racecars, racing artifacts, and a 180-degree panoramic video providing an immersive way to experience a variety of the fastest and most famous cars built in and around Los Angeles.

Reflecting this diversity, the exhibit presents racecars built by the region’s renowned designers and engineers including Fred Offenhauser, Harry Miller, Frank Kurtis, and Max Balchowsky.

The new exhibit pays tribute to this rich history and honors racing greats such as Parnelli Jones, who has been a hero to fans around the nation for decades. Parnelli was honored at the opening night reception as one of the most successful racers to come out of Los Angeles with accomplishments in a wide range of motorsports including Indy Car, sports car, and off-road racing.

Most remembered for his accomplishments at the Indianapolis 500, Jones is often regarded as one of the most versatile racers of all time. He has won nearly every major auto-racing event in the United States including six Indy Car wins, four NASCAR wins, 25 sprint car wins and 25 midget car wins. Apart from racing, Jones has operated several successful automotive-related businesses.

The twelve racecars on display are: 1956 Watson-DeBisschop “HOW Special”, 1964 Mercury Marauder, 1967 Long “Shelby Super Snake”, 1963 Balchowsky Ol’ Yaller Mark IX, 1924 Miller 122, 1947 Kurtis Kraft “Leader Card”, 1975 Edmunds Tamale Wagon, 1970 Ford Bronco Big Oly, 1966 AAR Eagle, 1929 Ford Model A Roadster 22 Jr., 1948 King & Hansen, 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 FIA, and a c. 1947 Offenhauser Engine.

Cars displayed in the lobby are: 1960 Kuzma “Detroiter Mobile Coach Special”, 1975 Vel’s Parnelli Jones VPJ-4/1, 1946 Kurtis “Ross Page Special”, 1962 Epperly “Mid Continent Securities Special”, and a 1958 Novi Indy Engine.

Legends of Los Angeles officially opened to the public on November 10, 2018, and will run through December 1, 2019. For more information, please visit www.Petersen.org