Fall 2007 1

In Chevrolet and GMC truck order books, it’s called the Vortec 4200. In Jerry Ar-nold’s and Ron Bohn’s book it’s called the latest and greatest engine for the NHRA’s econo-dragster class. In anyone’s book, the 4.2 liter, inline six cylinder from General Motors’ Power Train Division is a testament to engineering genius. Displacing 256 cubic inches, the all aluminum inline six was designed to perform yeoman duty in the Chevy Trail Blazer, but has a lot to off er in the way of performance potential for use in drag racing. The block has the strength to make lots more power than the 270 horses it’s rated at in stock form. With dual overhead cams, 4-valves per cylinder and a girdle-like structure that ties the main bearing saddles together for extra strength, the engine is the perfect base for a modern, unique competition engine.

That’s what Jerry and Ron thought when they fi rst discovered this engine. They liked what they saw. Both men have a long history as successful drag racers. Jerry, well known as the proprietor of Arnold Cylinder Heads in Kalamazoo, was NHRA Comp Eliminator World Champ in 2000

and is a seven-time NHRA Division III champion. Ron owns Bohn Motorsports and is a wizard with a CNC mill. He’s also a veteran Comp Eliminator racer who has campaigned a tube chassis Chevrolet Beretta in Division III for many years. The two decided to combine forces to build an all-out Vortech 4200 to power Jerry’s rear engine, Comp Eliminator dragster.

Starting with a stock 4.2 base engine, Jerry took a spare cylinder head and cut it in two to get a better grasp of the intake and exhaust ports and the combustion chambers. Jerry fi rmly (and correctly) believes that the cylinder head’s effi ciency is the most important ingredient in making lots of horsepower with any engine. The aluminum block was plenty strong in stock form, with cast iron cylinder liners for durability. The crankshaft was another story. A cast item, it is not only weak from the

high RPM standpoint, it is also quite heavy at 85 pounds. A billet crankshaft, weighing in at a mere 55 pounds, was substi-tuted and, while they were at it, Jerry and Ron decided that it should have 1/2” less stroke. The fi nal combination displaced 236 cubic inches, allowing the car to fi t perfectly into the G/Econo Dragster class’s weight to cubic inch break.

After some early bugs were worked out, the fellows took the car to National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio for an NHRA Divisional race where they won the Best En-gineered award. In September, they once again traveled to Columbus and Jerry set both ends of the G/ED national record with an 8.00/163.00 pass. Then, a few weeks later, at the Division III Fall Classic at O’Reilly Motorsports Park in Indianapolis, Jerry ran 165.00, but traction problems at the track kept them from attempting another record. However, they won the Comp Eliminator class at the event.

The car is currently disassembled for some winter changes. Ron is putting his CNC skills to good use, building a new billet crank. Inline sixes have an inherent torsional vibration problem due to the length of the crankshaft and the new crank will be fully counterweighted which should smooth things out considerably. The tach has regis-tered as high as 9,800 RPM, but usually is held to about 9,600 so any reduction at all in vibrations would be a plus. Jerry says the engine produces unreal torque and produces 2.8 g’s at launch. The best 60-ft. time to date is 1.063 seconds, nearly 5% quicker than the Ford six that previously powered the car. and Jerry feels that there is still a great deal of performance potential that remains to be tapped. The transmission used is a Turbo 350.

Jerry and Ron have created an impressive engine package in a relatively short period of time, a defi nite tribute to their skills as hot rodders and racers. In many ways, they are pioneers with this engine and we think they deserve to share major credit for doing their part to keep sportsman drag racing at the forefront of drag racing technology. R&R

FEATURES:The Spotlight ........................ 1 Editors Notes ........................ 2 Hot Rodding News & Notes .... 3New Allstar Products ............. 4New Products ....................... 5

Racing News ......................... 6,7,8Rodding Journal ................... 9Manufacturer Spotlight ........ 10Lane Happenings .................. 11Lane Collectables .................. 12The Parts You Need and the Service You Deserve!

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Jerry (left) and Ron hold Comp Eliminator Trophy won at 2007 Division III Fall Classic at Indianapolis .

Car’s first outing and the Best Engineered Award.

The Ford powered roadster Jerry drove to NHRA Comp Eliminator World Championship in 2000.

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Editor’s Notes“Build A Better Hot Rod And The World Will Beat A Path Your Doorstep”

Elsewhere in this issue we have a small blurb on the Hunnert Car Pile-Up in Morris, Illinois. Just looking at the photos of some of the many cars at the event gave me new hope that real hot rodding is still alive and well. Maybe the Chrome Czars, the club that puts on the “pile-up”, emphasize their stand against billet and fl ash a bit too heavily, but I think their point, as I decipher it, is well taken. It is still possible to build a creative, original hot rod without expecting an end product that looks like it came from a TV show. For far too many years now, a lot of would-be rodders have been scared off from actually joining the ranks because they felt there was no way they could hope to compete with street rods that cost over a hundred grand to build. Even if they could have found a suitable three- or fi ve-window Ford starting point, and inherited a hundred gallons of red lacquer and a billet factory, the standards had been set too high. The Chrome Czars kind of knock everything right back into perspective. I like the “build it wild, build it mild, but, above all, build it your way” approach. So, stop fretting if your ‘57 Chevy is a 150 two-door post and not a Bel Air, or the only project car you’ve got is a ‘55 Oldsmobile sedan. There are thousands of rodding fans out there who are eager to see your approach to creative hot rodding. R&R

No Hot Rods Anymore??...A longtime friend frequently bemoans the fact that the initials NHRA seem to stand more for No Hot Rods Anymore than they do for National Hot Rod Association. With the recent acquisition of NHRA by H-D Partners, this may be closer to the truth than anyone realizes. Rumors persisted for awhile that NHRA Pro Racing, the new name for the professional ranks, would eventually initiate a move to eliminate top alcohol dragsters and funny cars from their national events and relegate them to division only contests. Fortunately, these rumors were unfounded. This could be the original NHRA’s best shot at putting the sportsmen ranks back in the limelight. With H-D only promoting Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Bike, it will be up to the the sportsmen to carry the torch for amateur drag racing. Removal of three of these four categories - all but Top Fuel - makes NHRA more traditional than it’s been for nearly forty years. R&R

Fare Thee Well, Hot Rod GirlIt’s never easy to come up with words that sound right when a very good

friend passes away. A longtime hot rodder, and a friend to everyone who ever met her, Kathy Nitz covered a lot of automotive territory in her short life...and loved every minute of it. Kathy lost her battle with cancer on October 12, 2007.

Kathy was deeply involved in the hot rodding sport,and just as deeply in-volved with her family; husband, Verne, and son, Josh. For several years Kathy worked as part of the registration team for the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, tackling the job with her typically good-natured, enthusiastic approach. Her hearty, infectious laugh, well known to her legion of local friends, had become recognizable nationwide.

Kathy looked right at home behind the wheel of every car she ever owned...and she owned many, including a ‘69 Camaro, a ‘32 Ford and her most recent ride, the ‘48 Buick convertible pictured here. Her positive outlook in spite of overwhelming odds and her continual cheerfulness during her long illness will remain as inspirations for everyone. R&R

In Memoriam Less than one week after we learned of Kathy Nitz’s passing, the local hot rodding scene

suff ered another loss. At this time last year, we were working on a story about Rick Zurek and his charming, period perfect fi fties era ‘34 Ford coupe. Now we have learned that Rick, like Kathy Nitz, lost a battle with cancer on October 24, 2007. As much as he liked to talk about his hot rod, Rick could just as readily speak with authority on a number of topics, and was an enjoyable lunch compan-ion. We’ll miss seeing him at the car shows, and sharing an occasional chuckle over a funny email or a humorous story. R&R

Early 1970’s Ford Maverick is the perfect basis for the kind of hot rod we are talking about.

Fall 2007 3

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Hot Rodding News and NotesFrankenmuth Auto Fest

It’s an overcast, warm late summer evening in the picturesque, little German village. Hanging baskets, fi lled with color-ful fl owers, hang from every lamp post and swing back and forth in the breeze. Bavarian style buildings and the sparkling clean, cobblestone main street, give the impression of being in a modern small town in Germany. People are walking up and down the streets, enjoying the view of hundreds of old cars parked every-where. Several blocks of the street have been barricaded, as if in preparation for a parade. The clouds overhead become increasingly dark and threatening; a heavy downpour is imminent. The sun’s rays sneak between some cracks in the cloud cover, casting a glow over the entire scene.

Suddenly, just seconds after the sun brightens things up, a deafening roar erupts from somewhere up the street and settles into a rapid staccato . Then an-other roar...and another...and, still, another. All this racket seems to be getting closer. All eyes are directed up the street, toward the source of this puzzling noise. A moment later, a red front engine dragster comes into view, followed closely by a yellow one, a silver one, a green one...and a really long, red and white one, all with headers blazing raw nitro and “cackling” to their hearts’ content.

Boy, that sure looked like Ed Golden in his “Probe” fueler. And, we’re sure that was Al Bergler in his “More Aggravation” Comp Coupe, Bud Barnes at the wheel of the “Michigander”, Ron Bergler in Larry Payne’s “Gang Green” and Dave Daun-heimer shoeing his “Frantic Fueler” from Illinois. Driving down the main street of Frankenmuth, Michigan? You bet! Vintage Top Fuel dragsters on main street and the Frankenmuth Auto Fest have become synonymous.

For two years in a row now, a kick-off for the Frankenmuth Auto Fest has been a parade down main street by several vintage dragsters. The show is put together by Dave Gutierrez and, thus far, has been a huge hit with show attendees. The 2007 show opening was somewhat interrupted by several sudden downpours, but the rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of 20,000 nitro fans who loudly cheered each car as it passed. If you’ve never been to Frankenmuth, it’s defi nitely a show to warrant a spot on that 2008 calendar. R&R

The “Hemi Deuce” Progress Report As November winds were starting to signal the onset of winter, we

retreated to the warm confi nes of Steve Wright’s shop to check on the progress of the Twin Hemi Deuce Delivery. In our Spring 2007 issue, the ‘32 Ford project consisted of a lengthy pair of frame rails cradling a pair of dummy Chrysler blocks. We’re happy to report that the car is coming along quite nicely. In fact, it pretty closely resembles the rough pencil sketches that accompanied the initial article.

Those hemis up front represent the fi nal mounting confi guration, and instead of the Indy hemis that were originally planned Steve will be using KB Street Hemi aluminum engines. Each will displace 572 cubic inches - that’s 1,174 total cubic inches - and be force fed generous amounts of fuel by Enderle electronic fuel injection units and 8-71 superchargers from The Blower Shop.

The car now rides on complete front (Total Cost Involved) and rear (Tom Trox-ell and crew at Troxell Specialty Cars) suspensions. The front setup is a tradition-al Ford transverse spring and tubular axle assembly with wishbone radius rods. Out back, a brutish Dana 60 is supported by a coil over/ladder bar arrangement. Check the photos. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of this homebuilt hot rod. R&R

An idea of how many people crowd into down-town Frankenmuth for the annual Auto Fest.

Upper right - This ‘32 defi nitely has a mean stance.

Lower left - The Ididit steering column hovers above the masterful metalwork of the Troxell Specialty Cars crew.

Lower right - Out back, custom fi berglass wheel tubs off er clearance for Dana 60 and massive Mickey Thompson tires.

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New Allstar Products

ABC Universal Front and Rear Bumper Kits Fabrication of a bumper for a circle track car need not be an all day project...at least that’s the philosophy that Allstar

Performance subscribed to when they came up with the ABC Universal Front Bumper Kit (ALL22372). The kit consists of a 1-3/4” diameter, .095” wall front tube, two adjustable 1-1/2” diameter, .095” extension arms and two sleeves, which weld to the frame.

The rear bumper consists of a 1-3/4” x .095” wall main tube, two adjustable 1-1/2” x .095” wall corner pieces, two con-nector tubes and two sleeves to weld to the chassis. Buy both and save precious time for other, more urgent race car management issues. R&R

Tire Maintenance and Service Tools Allstar now stocks a convenient, low-priced Valve Core Tool (ALL44030) that may be used to

remove and install tire valve stem cores. Made of stainless steel with a machined grip on the handle, this compact, 3” long tool should be a standard feature of any racer’s toolbox.

Allstar’s new Tire Sipers, in 6-blade (ALL10265) and 14-blade (ALL10264) versions, are depth adjustable to quickly and precisely sipe racing tires for more traction. Designed for heavy duty usage, the tool uses standard utility knife blades. R&R

Electric Helmet Breather (ALL13012) Now Allstar has made available a self-contained, 12-volt fan that can supply an amazing

fl ow of air to a racer’s helmet. The fan has a reusable fi lter and an RF connector to facilitate easy, quick helmet removal. A 14” wire is permanently attached to the fan and the end ac-cepts a 24” pigtail - also included - with simple red (+) and black (-) hookups. Perhaps the best feature of the new air system is that it is so compact that a racer may not even be aware that it is there...everyone can do with one less distraction during the heat of a big race. R&R

Ford 9” Rear End Housing Studs (ALL72040) Any time a 9” rear end is rebuilt, new studs for retaining the center section should be in-

stalled. Until now this was more easily said than done. Allstar Performance off ers a new, previ-ously hard to fi nd, stud kit for the 9” rear end that solves the problem of worn studs and makes the rear end reconditioning project much easier. Ten to a pack, the 3/8”-24 studs are easily pulled into place via a nut threaded on the end for a press fi t. R&R

Brake Hose Kit (ALL42027)Anyone who has ever assembled a street rod or a race car from ground up has encountered

the problem of fi nding a brake hose that will connect the 3/16” steel brake lines plumbed into the frame with the brake calipers. It often seems that the generic auto parts stores only stock hoses that are “almost correct”, but not THE correct ones. Allstar now off ers brake hose kits that fi t our 3/16” steel lines and also connect right up to the 7/16”-20 threads in our big GM brake calipers. R&R

Power Steering Pump Pulley (ALL48251) We’ve heard lots of good things about our steel power steering pump (ALL48250) and now

we’ve got a nifty pulley that fi nishes the installation. R&R

Give us a call for more information on any of our new Allstar components.

Fall 2007 5

DPI’s Platinum Track DifferentialAn exclusive item for circle track racing use, the DPI Platinum Track Diff erential has been com-

pletely redesigned with a preload system that can endure the most severe racing conditions while permitting the wheels to turn freely and the car to steer easily. The unit’s spiral gears sense which tire has the most resistance, and then smoothly deliver power to that wheel in direct proportion to the amount of traction available. DPI off ers Platinum Tracks for quick changes with 31-spline axles (tight set up) and Ford 9” rear ends with 28- or 31-spline axles and tight or half-tight setups. Adjusting shim packs and preload adjusting kits are available separately. R&R

New

ProductsNew Products

MasterCraft Seats for Truck and Off-Road EnthusiastsMasterCraft off ers many choices of seating and accessories for trophy trucks, trick trucks, unlimited and dual-purpose cars

and pre-runners. Originally developed for violent, high speed short course off -roading, the seats have blossomed into the spotlight as the seats to have for any serious, rugged pursuit. R&R

Among the off erings: The 3G, with Euro-styling and a race proven suspension system designed for superior lateral support.The Pro4, the standard for reliability and comfort in off -road vehicles for over a decade.The Rubicon, off ers rock crawlers a seat with the same craftsmanship and safety features as all-out race seats, but with

lower side and front edges for easier entry and exit.The Baja RS, the fi rst reclining suspension seat for off -roading with a heavy-duty, 9-position reclining mechanism and

the same mounting fl exibility as the Rubicon.The Sportsman, a low mount, suspension seat that adapts easily to early or late Broncos, Rangers, S-10’s and Toyotas as

well as full-size Dodge, Ford and GM pickups. Call us for more detailed information on each of these MasterCraft seats.

3G Pro4

Rubicon

Baja RS

Sportsman

6 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266

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Drag News2007 Mid Michigan Motorplex Lane/Edelbrock Champions

The 2007 Lane Automotive/Edelbrock Points Championship at Mid Michigan Motorplex came to a conclusion at the end of August. As it always is with the stellar drag racers at MMM, there were some impressive performances turned in by competitors in all three points divisions.

When the smoke had cleared in the Super Pro Bracket, Dave Ruehs and his Chevy powered rear engine dragster had amassed a commanding points total of 935, topping a very tough fi eld in the process. Mark Hancock was Super Pro Runner-Up and Rob Gregory rounded out the top three fi nishers.

In the Pro Bracket, Rusty Samsel, who runs a trick Chevrolet Vega, garnered 1,047 points and held a healthy 183 point lead over Runner-Up, Dan Gorby. The third place spot in Pro went to Rod Risner

Not to be outdone in the points total category, Cody Anderson, in a 1972 Dodge Charger, earned an astounding 1,212 points to lead the pack at the end of the season in the Street Bracket. Cody needed to be on his game at all times, however, because second place fi nisher, John Keenon, had also scored well over a thousand points. The Street Bracket third place spot went to Herb Bock.

As always, it has been another pleasurable year with our longtime friends Mary, Mike and Karrie Ledford, the prime mov-ers and shakers at Mid Michigan. Here’s a recap of the Lane/Edelbrock money winners in all three brackets for 2007. R&R

Super Pro (Top 15)1. Dave Ruehs – 9352. Mark Hancock – 8743. Rob Gregory – 8454. John Pranger – 8325. Rob Perrone – 8316. Bill Smith – 7807. Ron Morris – 7408. Rick Powell – 6709. Mike Marckini – 63210. Mike Zednicek – 63011. Jim Johnson – 600 12. Dave Acha – 580 13. Mike Marcett – 570 14. Howard Jameson – 531 15. Ben Robbins – 500

Pro Bracket (Top 15) 1. Rusty Sampsel – 1,0472. Dan Gorby – 8643. Rod Risner – 820 4. Greg Love – 7805. Pat Lintdow – 760 6. Mike Landheer – 6807. Jeff Burdess – 6608. Rocky Winter – 6509. Tony Hulon – 64010. Ron Hagar – 61111. Tim Kruszynski – 610 12. Bill Connors – 590 13. Fred Overkamp – 581 14. Craig Fountain – 542 15. Bob Decheney – 450

Street (Top 10)1. Cody Anderson – 1,2122. John Keenon – 1,0373. Herb Bock – 961 4. Scott Beyer – 8125. Ron Hagar – 6496. Jason Kieff er – 4827. Jake Van Gelder – 4718. Chris Emfi eld – 2709. Dallas McKim – 25010. Ben Wenzel, Jr. – 250

Dave Ruehs Rusty Sampsel

Cody Anderson Ron Hagar

Ron Morris

Fall 2007 7

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Bill Reichert Gets Third ChampionshipOwosso’s Bill Reichert, a drag racer who has taken the Allstar Performance

name to national prominence, recently won his third straight NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship. He did it in typical Reichert style, posting consistent reaction times and outstanding quarter mile perfor-mances. Bill proved convincingly that his championship was not a fl uke by also winning the T/AD Eliminator “Wally” at the NHRA World Finals event in Pomona, California and winning the Division III Top Alcohol crown again. When the smoke had cleared after three rounds of qualifying, Bill was in the number one spot with a fi ne 5.22 elapsed time.

Bill easily won the fi rst round with a 5.25 time slip, but round two caused quite a scare as Larry Miersch put a gigantic holeshot on Bill’s Rislone machine (0.007 to 0.073) and was actually winning the race until half track. Bill made up for lost time toward the big end, passing Miersch for the win with a great 5.20 elapsed time. In round three, Reichert eliminated one of the Harker sisters’ entries with a 5.27, putting him in the fi nals once again. In the fi nal, Bill unleashed his best e.t.of the event with a 5.19 e.t.@ 275.22 mph, once again showing the troops that the well-known central Michigan engine builder can handle the driving chores equally as well. Our hats are off to Bill Reich-ert, defi nitely one of the good guys in drag racing. R&R

Bill Reichert (far right) and the crew at Reichert Engines in Owosso.

Wally Parks - 1913-2007If there was one drag racing personality who was always larger than life, it

was Wally Parks. His resume was a baby boomer’s textbook on the history of hot rodding. He was the fi rst editor of Hot Rod Magazine back in 1948 and, in 1951, branched out by founding the National Hot Rod Association. His impetus for starting the NHRA was the bad rap that hot rodding was getting from the general public because of illegal street racing. Mr. Parks felt that by organizing sanctioned drag races, the streets would become safer and the public’s take on the sport of hot rodding would improve. With his careful guidance and direction, the NHRA grew to be one of the largest motorsports organizations in the world. Perhaps the item that is most symbolic of Wally Parks’ impact on NHRA and the entire sport of drag racing is the bronze trophy that is presented to each eliminator winner at all NHRA national and divisional events. It is, of course, a statue of Mr. Parks himself and it is aff ectionately called the “Wally”. Also, the NHRA Museum in Pomona, California is continually watched over by a twice life size statue of Wally Parks.

We crossed paths with Wally Parks many times over the years, most recently at each of several of the Hot Rod Reunion events around the country. Just last year, in fact, after the Saturday night Cacklefest at the California Hot Rod Reunion, several of us adjourned to the Denny’s Restaurant on Buck Owens Boulevard in Bakersfi eld for a late evening meal. It was near midnight and, much to our sur-prise, there was Wally, with his son Richard, dining in the booth right by our table. He asked us if we were having a good time so far and we replied in the affi rmative. We exchanged tidbits of conversation for half an hour or so and Wally graciously autographed our event credentials before he left.

He was a kind, down-to-earth gentleman, and he will be missed by all, and especially by the NHRA. Rick Kirvan supplied us with the photo at the right which pretty much sums up how approachable Wally Parks really was any time we ever ran into him. In this photo, he was adding his autograph to a NHRA jacket we had bought to present to Dave Crane, who could not accompany us to Ba-kersfi eld last year because of a lingering illness. R&R

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Racing NewsKamp Motor Speedway Lane/Holley Challenge Winners

Mike Mataragas Steve Barnett Kent Robinson

Mike Fuqua Jarred Krick Michael Daugherty

Ian Keller David Hurst Dustin Waggoner

Jim Bailey Derrick Hufford Michael Kettnich

Denny Schwartz Shelby Miles

SteveBarnett Jarrad Krick Dustin Waggoner Jim Bailey Shelby Miles

Fall 2007 9

Racing New

s Racing NewsM-40 Speedway Lane/Holley Challenge Winners

Ty Hayes Jeff Daugherty Howard Litaker Jr.

Steve Smith Jr. Lloyd Brooks Rob Welch

Derrick Davis Jamison Corn Jeff Ganus

Rodney Smith Jeremy Damron Steven LaFleur

Ty Hayes Jeff Daugherty Howard Litaker Jr. Steve Smith Jr. Lloyd Brooks Rob Welch

Derrick Davis Jamison Corn Jeff Ganus Rodney Smith Jeremy Damron Steve LaFleur

10 Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266

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Rodding JournalCan A Stay-At-Home Weekend Be Fun?

Sometimes, the best plan is to just stay at home. For many years, on Labor Day weekend, I’ve packed up all interested parties and headed out for various automotive events here in Michigan and in Indiana. Continually discouraged by the high price of gas and what it has done to increase the cost of travel for the past year or so, we decided to stay home this year...and I’m glad we did. We found many entertaining things to do, and probably didn’t travel more than twenty miles the entire weekend.

For several years now, the small, but dedicated Hartford Old Engine and Tractor Club has produced a Labor Day Weekend tractor show, swap meet, craft show and fl ea market at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds, just three miles from my house. The whole aff air kicks off with an old tractor (and truck) parade on Thursday evening. I guess you’d have to be a real gear-head to derive excitement from a bunch of old equipment “putsing” along at a brisk 3-5 miles per hour...I certainly am, and I certainly do! We made several visits to the tractor show from Thursday through Saturday, as my wife had set up a display in the arts and crafts building.

Another equally dedicated group, the Rod Knockers, headed by Rod Austin and Bob Millhouse and their lovely wives, Connie and Ruth Ann respectively, have set aside the Sunday of Labor Day weekend for their Annual Hot Rod Picnic. This get-together has been going on for several years now and has attracted quite a following. This year, nearly a hundred ve-hicles, including the “full boogie” drag cars of Tom Troxell and Dana Gast and Steve Wright’s project ‘32 Ford sedan delivery with two hemi engines, showed up to bask in the bright, late summer sun. A sumptuous pot luck lunch was followed by an entertaining awards program featuring some real awards and some “just for fun” awards as well as an interesting cast of presenters. All in all, a really great time with great people, great food and great cars...and it was fi ve minutes from home, to boot!

Labor Day weekend came to an end and I returned to work refreshed on Tuesday, with none of the travel lag of previous end-of-summer holiday weekends, and a whole stack of warm memories as well.

Maybe there’s a moral here. Choose your road trips carefully. Consider taking a look around the hometown for some en-tertainment before making plans to drive hundreds (or thousands) of miles, especially on a holiday weekend. Save gas, save wear and tear on your hot rod, save your sanity and, above all else, HAVE A GREAT TIME! R&R

The “Hunnert Car Pile-Up”If there’s any show at all that will be on next year’s “Must Go To” list, it is the

Chrome Czars Motor Club’s “Hunnert Car Pile-Up” in Morris, Illinois. We surely missed a good one...but fellow hot rodder and Lane employee, Jim Kubash, and his lovely wife, Linda, did not. We’ve got Jimmy’s photos here to prove it!

Started in 2002, the “HCP” is held in mid-October every year and is dedi-cated to preserving the traditional hot rod. Translated, this means that a rod that shows up at the gate in all of its non-traditional “billet” splendor will end up parking elsewhere (Mundelein, maybe?), because the Czars like chrome and paint or primer only. I think these guys invented the term “...getting the gate”, an expression that means getting booted out of a place.

One thing is certain. After viewing all of Jim’s photos, it’s apparent that the once rebellious “rat rod” is undergoing a metamorphosis and developing into a highly traditional hot rod with some outstanding (and well concealed) engineering touches.

What kind of truck is it? We’d guess a 1927 Heinz (as in 57 varieties)! One thing’s for sure...it has a genuine Dodge Red Ram Hemi under the hood.

We made this photo black and white to show that it could have been shot in 1962 just as easily as in October 2007. Backgrounds with all period perfect cars that will allow this are scarce...there’s usually a 2001 Neon hid-ing somewhere back there!

Chopped Model A, chopped “Deuce” shell, finned flathead, “beehive” oil filter and matching air cleaner scoop, white naugahyde...shades of 1958!

Just when you think you’ve seen ‘em all, some-thing like this much-modified ‘50 Studebaker Starlight Coupe comes along!

Fall 2007 11

Lane Happenings

Lane HappeningsEighth Annual Cub Scout Fun Day A Success Ever since we fi rst hosted the Cub Scout Cubmobile Rally in 2000 we have eagerly looked forward to the next year’s event. In what has to be every bit as dramatic and exciting as any other automotive type event, the Cub Scouts and their “scout powered” carts race over a pre-measured course in an orderly (somewhat) display of teamwork and physical exertion. The ultimate winner of each contest is the team that can orchestrate driver and pusher exchanges at the end of each leg of the race and get across the fi nish line fi rst. Four sepa-rate age groups compete only within their category and prizes are awarded to the winners in each. The four groups are Tiger Cub (fi rst graders), Wolf (second graders), Bear (third graders) and Webelos (fourth and fi fth graders). This year, the event was held on October 13 and was expanded to include BB gun and archery safety classes, crafts and an obstacle course in addition to the Cubmobile races. The idea behind this event was to present a preview of what Cub Scout camp would be like. Over 200 scouts from Southwestern Michigan registered to take part in all the events. R&R

Grace Christian Kindergarteners Visit Lane Automotive For the past seven years or so we have hosted a tour for as lively a group of car enthusiasts as you will fi nd anywhere. They already know a lot about cars and hot rods...and they are all barely fi ve years old! Again this year, Mrs. Karen Carey brought the Grace Christian Kindergarten class and several parent chaperones to Lane Automotive for a walk around look at our facility. Highlights of the tour included visiting the Art Department, checking out the vast collection of Exact Detail models, looking at the hot rod paintings, walking through the huge warehouse, trying on helmets, and testing the comfort factor of racing seats in our showroom. Éach student received a goody bag with a color group photo, a frisbee, a Lane race car coloring book and a Lane drink cup. R&R

in addition to the traditional Cubmobile Rally, ...

...and learned the finer points of archery.

...area Cub Scouts target practiced with BB guns, ... ...ran a pretty intense obstacle course ,...

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

CAT109.4

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Part No. 410 • Limited EditionOnly 1,098 Made

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AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2007AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2007LIMITED EDITION • PART NO. 710 • $109.95LIMITED EDITION • PART NO. 710 • $109.95Visit www.exactdetail.com to view our entire product lineVisit www.exactdetail.com to view our entire product line

METICULOUSLY HAND ASSEMBLED METICULOUSLY HAND ASSEMBLED FROM OVER 225 INDIVIDUAL PARTSFROM OVER 225 INDIVIDUAL PARTS