klaxon february 2009 - cyber hot rodders · 2009-03-16 · presentation held at whiteman park. on...

JEFF HITCHENS CROWNED ASRF RODDER OF THE YEAR. .Whiteman Park WA 25/2/2009 At a well patronized event at Whiteman Park, Jeff Hitchens was crowned ASRF Rodder of the Year. The accolade is bestowed upon a rodder, elected by his peers, believed to have best served and promoted our sport during the previous 12 months. Jeff was taken back and humbled at the announcement. He is a get it done and get on with it kind of guy not expecting rewards for just doing his bit. He thanked Sandra for her support in his rodding activities. Most would agree that the girls are always there in the back ground, either enjoying it or not! Jeff is currently President of the goody good gum drops Goodfellas Hot Rod Club. Also recognized their work within the

WA ASRF for more than fourteen years, were Neil Gibb, as retired State Director and Dean Hollworth as retired State Secretary. Current State Director, Steve Johnson, presented a plaque to Neil. Dean who was absent, will receive his later. The Norm Mellows Trophy, also due for presentation will done At a later event due to absentia of crucial dudes. EW. PS. My apologies to Jeff, if Hitchens is spelt incorrectly, I used Rod Tork for reference and it was spelt with an “e” and an ”i” on different pages!

February 2009 No. 180

HEADLINES

Above: Jeff with his ROTY jack-et and the ROTY plaque that carries many famous names before him. Despite his appearance due to the camera angle, Jeff is taller than Bar-ry (the giant) Batten.

Address: Unit 1, 12 Cusack Rd, MALAGA. WA. Ph (08)9249 9632General meetings: 3rd Sunday of each month at 7.30pm. Visitors wel-come.President: Kevan Best Ph. 9571 0025.. Vice Presidents: Brian French 9377 7837 Alan Barton 9448 0110 . Secretary: Mel Broun 9447 1975 Treasurer: Alan Rossi 0402 43 1938ASRF Delegate: Jeff Ewence 9339 4337TAC Delegate: Ken MyersWAHRP Delegate: vacant, representative required.Management Committee: Executive committee (above) and B. French, Dave Krause. All members welcome to meetings. Get in-volved or get left behind.Social Committee: D. Krause, A.Lawrence , Maurie Searle, Ian Swin-bourne, Jim CandidoStrata Committee: Neil Gibb, Jeff Ewence, .Eric Warren Klaxon Editor: Eric Warren 9574 6440 or fax 9444 3299 or email on [email protected] Deadline is 7 days before the meeting. Klaxon Distribution: Peter Hunter 9445 2493.Contributors:: Mel Broun, Garry Curnow, Bill Jansen, Joe CarboneCover: Jeff Hitchins - ASRF - Rodder of the YearrClub Merchandise. Phone 9249-8553.

Call

Mr. Cool Andy Lawrence

New stocks for summer!AIR COND UNDIES

for rodders with stinking hot cabs in summer..

Please contact us using the details below.

mailto:[email protected]

. Hello, It’s me again. Cheese Welcome to another wizbang edition of your Klaxon. Strip off, turn on the ceiling fan and enjoy the February Klaxon mega experience.

Thanks first up to all the contributors, Melz minutez, Joe Carbone, Pommy Roy and Garry Curnow.To make sure that you are all “on the ball”, two weeks ago I sent out the most recent colour Klaxon to all those club members with the ability to extract it from their phone lines. Actually, I sent the 2008 version, not January 2009. A few members were quick off the mark and took the opportunity to advise me that I had made an apparent error, possibly due to poor internal cranium electron workings, and the like, but in much fewer words. Others looked at the Christmas party story photos and thought how young they were looking! When I sent out the 2009 version the next day, others were thinking, shivers, that was a quick month and others just thought that Eric has been very busy over night. An interesting exercise indeed. I also sent out the December edition to a heap of non West Coast rodders that I have email addresses for. It is nice to receive a few “thank you” s back, littered with some words of praise. It’s worth knowing that the hours of work that goes into each edition is appreciated. Keep the feedback coming in. I thrive on it. Talking about feed back… I received a real hand written letter in the club’s mail box, from the Cranksters Rod & Kustom Club, saying thank you for the words and photos in the Klaxon, of their club’s Salt Lakes “Worlds Fastest Indian” display in last year’s Burswood Show. They also went on to point out that maybe us “old” West Coast members are beyond learning or remembering new things, like how to spell the name of their club that begins with the letter C. Apparently the names Kranksters, Pranksters, Spanksters and Wanksters have all slipped through the spell checker previously. (just like the small ‘f’in ford.) But fancy calling us confused when they spell custom with a K! Once upon a time

I could look at any wall in the metro area and see a Crankster sticker attached, if I wanted to check the spelling. It seems most of this insidious graffiti has now been cleaned up. Thanks again for the letter. Us oldies will have to try harder, but Blanksters is a big word for us.

Like Moora a few years back, York has just experienced two flash floods within a couple of months. I don’t know how it affected the Duke of York, Underbelly Joe Carbone or fellow rod builder Terry Buckley, but Joe has recently sent me a stack of photos from his trip to the Melbourne Hot Rod Show. Some appear inside this very edition of the Klaxon. I hope all is well for these guys. Thanks for the shots Joe.

In the Last Klaxon there was a story about changes being made to the Klaxon Willys company car to make it reliable in all conditions. The changes have been tested for another 1500 kms and all is good. New changes have been made to the steering too. There is a catch up story further in.

Check out the coverage of the Mandurah Rod and Custom Club’s annual run. It was my first attendance of this event, because in earlier years it would have been a long to drive only to be rejected due to the Swedish nationality of my street hack. It was a big event. I estimate over 110 vehicles entered to enjoy a trip over the causeway to Garden Island.

Check out the story on this years ROTY (ASRF Rodder of the Year) presentation held at Whiteman Park. On my soap box now. I would like to voice my concern about the Nostalgia Drags. I believe the minimum fee to race an average rod this year is about $100.00 plus $20 for each crew pass. . If you want to become a member of the new Nostalgia Drag Racers Association for twelve months as well as race, it

Continued....................

will be $180 plus $20 for each crew pass. Six months membership for $150 etc.. The initial concept of having a drag event based on rules governing age and technical authenticity of entrants’ rods, classics and ex drag cars, t was well thought out.

It embraced having competitive fun with old competition drag cars and old street licensed vehicles at a reasonable price, amongst our own kind without the late model brigade in there too.

Racers spend a lot of money to race on the day. I don’t know the running costs of such an event with wages, electricity, insurance etc. but how much do the promotors give back, considering the expense to racers when they are the ones providing the entertainment to the promoter-paying spectators. Has the entry fee gone up past the “fun with cars” barrier, for this once a year vehicle flogathon. How much does it cost to race at a normal “street meet”? I don’t know enough about NDRAs workings to comment on their membership deal. Their aim is to be the voice for this niche of drag racing enthusiasts. Strength in numbers etc. Joining them is still a matter of choice. Membership includes a subscription to NITRO magazine and a T shirt and other deals as they become available. Cheaper entry at future events? Annual renewal is $110. While I wish the promoters all the best, I believe this year’s attendance of once-a year drag racers will be down while promoters slowly chew more from the hands that feed them. Just like rodders not willing to pay promoters to put their rods in shows primarily for the promoters’ benefit... We aren’t desperate for exposure. Our egos are big enough and self contained. I was preparing to take the coupe for its first quarter miler since its last dash at the old Ravenswood strip. The excitement of competition was growing. Even dusted off the old skid lid. The coupe’s motor has changed since then with a new cam, manifold and LPG and a new diff ratio. It feels good on the street. Would it beat the old ETs done with the triple carbies? What will be the speed through the traps be now?It was going to be fun but I will be giving it a miss this year. Thanks all the same. Maybe another time.All the best to those competing. Nev Anderson will be holding up the flag for WCSRC. Will Garry Curnow’s roadster make it there this year?Off soap box. Sorry out of Space for now.... Take care. Cheers.

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This Month’s QUIZ!I received this from Bob Dimer. Can any one help?Hi all, I received this request from the curator of the W.A. Motoring Museum and thought one of you will know the answer. Cheers, Bob [email protected]

I'm sending this to everyone I know in the hope that someone may remember seeing this "home built" special. Any ideas, anyone? Apparently it was based on a Pontiac chas-sis and was registered in WA. A most unusual car with many features from numerous cars of the 1960's.

Reminder to all members.Don’t forget the busy bee at the club rooms on 22nd Feb. Lots of hands required at this one. They are fun social gath-erings. Be there. It is cheaper than the drags!

Place your order now for next month’s exciting Klaxon .

The soooper doooper Big Al’s Poker Run Special!


This year’s annual run was another ripper. Entrants started assembling at the Repco car park in Mandurah before 9.30am. By head off time, the carpark was falling short of space due to the huge turnout of arriving attendees. This was a good turnout for a day that promised to be in the mid to high thirty degrees and in the middle of a long weekend. A small $5 entry provided route instructions, morning tea later on, a ticket in the raffle and a pass sticker to get access past the guard box onto the causeway to Garden Island.

When the flag was raised, over a hundred rods and enthusiast vehicles took off in follow the leader style, heading north towards Perth, with Jandakot Airport the next destination. The convoy was broken into manageable lumps by the traffic lights on the Perth - Mandurah road. After about 35 miles we had done a long stint on the Kwinana Freeway and now we were on Roe Highway… Hello, déjà vu, we had just been here two hours earlier on the way to Mandurah, as had quite a few other Perth based rodders. Pretty soon

we were at Jandakot Airport at Fighter Combat International’s.hanger. At Jandakot we joined up with about 15 more Perth rodders who didn’t want the déjà vu experience. The main exhibits in the hangar were several Nanchang military trainer aircraft from China. These are used for charter flights. Either easy and slow cruising up the coast or in dog fight fashion if you have the stomach for it. They also

Mandurah Rod and Custom Club Run 25/1/09

Above: Ian Swinborne’s 32. Be-low: New owner of the ex Dave Krause 37 Chev uses it heaps.

share the hangar with another interesting aircraft labelled “Experimental” so it was also worth a look.

Check the link below for more info if you have an urge to spend some bucks on excitement.http://www.bigthanks.com.au/showProduct/Air+Adventures/Fighter+Planes/FCI4. At the hanger, a fantastic range of home made cakes and biscuits was served with morning tea and coffee.. There are some good cooks in the MRCC. I know, I did a lot of testing. Leaving Jandakot and back onto Roe Highway and then Kwinana Freeway heading south to Rockingham and the whole déjà vu thing was happening again. Third time on this beat in one morning and we haven’t reached our destination yet, let alone going up the same path for a fourth time to get home.As we approached Rockingham we hooked a righty onto the Kwinana Beach strip and followed this through to Rockingham and Point Peron where we mustered at the start of the Garden Island causeway and

Mandurah Rod and Custom Club Run

Nanchangs and cockpit.

http://www.bigthanks.com

waited for our naval escort . We followed the escort in single file past the security box where they checked our window sticker security

passes. With no other traffic to break the string of vehicles it was one of the only opportunities ever to see such a large collection of rods and sorts cruising uninterrupted in single file. Magnificent… After the Cockburn Sound crossing we followed our escort around past the wharfs to have a passing goosie gander at the naval ships and submarines that were in port. The follow-the-leader caper took us to our final


Above: The Klaxon Co Car. Below: Les Moran’s near stock 36 3 window coupe.

Top: This Austin pops up now and again. Running gear unknown.Middle: Charlie Ferraloro came in the bucket to top up the sun tan. Bottom: Good to see the Ex Clive Titchener car is not collecting dust. New owner unknown.

Joe Italiano’s su-per glitzy 34 Chev

destination which was the senior sailors mess and recreation area. It was a great posi with a large elevated verandah area that seated just about everyone. There were BBQs and the wet mess, all located around a large swimming pool. The kids were in there like a flash. (the pool, not in the wet mess or BBQs!) I haven’t seen so many kids at a rod run since the WCSRC runs of the 70s and 80s. Now many of those kids are parents themselves, one is a grand parent! (not because of the pool, because they were kids 25 - 30 years ago.) After lunch it was time to swim a few laps in the pool while skilfully


Above left: Frenchie’s 57 Belair (RHD). Above right: Not Frenchie’s (LHD)

Top: V8 in an FJ Holden ute. Middle: Tony Arnold’s 31 Vicky. Above: Paul Walsh’s A coupe on LPG

Home grown Cusso convertible

avoiding the bombies of the kids at the deep end. I think Gibby and I were the only pool invaders from the over 16 age group. Lars had a towel, but it never got damp...After the refreshing dip, the huge raffle got under way. There were heaps of great prizes. Without Jimbo being there enough prizes to go


Garden Island car park shots.

Dave Cull’s 34 fordor

aroung. Even I managed to snag a prize.Next it was home time. The hot day had tuned out to be very pleasant while being immersed in the fresh Fremantle doctor for most of the day. Driving back over the causeway’s arch bridge it was worth a slow down for one last look at the expansive blue vista. Leaving the causeway was going to be like passing through a one way pawl with no of getting back in the foreseeable future. A good last look was important. Thanks to the guys and gals of the MHRCC for a wonderful day. EW


Above: Rec facilities for our lunch. Right: And of course, ROTY Jeff was there too!

ROTY (Rodder of the Year) 8/2/2009

ASRF Rodder of the Year started for me at Ravenswood, the scene of much hilarity the night before, at my Nephews 18th birthday party. It was an earlier than preferred rising from bed, but my trip to Whiteman Park was

going to be with the cruise group coming up from Mandurah, so it was up and at’em Atom Ant.

There is something about painting a rod masking tape colour… insects come from miles around just to poop on it, so the coupe got a quick hose down and wipe over before the 8 mile trip to the rendezvous point in Mandurah.Soon I was underway with about 7 or 8 rods and classics from the Mandurah Rod and Custom Club. I had a that sense of déjà vu again as we retraced

the same path up the Kwinana Freeway to Roe Highway as we did 2 weeks earlier for the MRCC annual cruise. What a great cruising strip it is, almost an hours cruising on two lanes without any traffic lights. Along the way we started picking members of the Wanderers Club and others that sat waiting

on the roadside along the way and the numbers soon swelled to about fourteen

ROTY (Rodder of the Year)

25/2/2009

Above: The Ex Clive Titchener coupe again.. New owner still unknown.

Mel Broun’s 39 Chev coupe alongside BL1’s (Allan Rossi) 32 roadster)

Halfway along Roe Highway however, one rod dropped out. A gastronomical reminder about the previous night’s beer intake at a birthday party, saw a beeline taken to the nearest known toilet destination, then to later rejoin everyone at the final destination of Whiteman Park. Whiteman Park is great destination for families and events such as ROTY. Acres of beautiful lawns, museums, swimming pool, food and drink outlets, tram and train rides and arts and craft shops, it has something for anyone who doesn’t want to bench race all day. I checked them out and managed to keep my pay packet in tact... I did witness some extra luggage being bought for Lance Fussel’s rod to take home.An other attraction on the day was the Lightning fast drive-by cruise of over


25/2/2009

Les Smith’s and Eric Warren’s Willys

Vince Berriman’s 32 tourer.

Nev Anderson, Paul Walsh, Jeff Hitchens

a dozen tractors from the tractor museum. Boy, without being rude.... I thought rodders were the only ones who had trouble attractng youngsters to our hobby! We are not alone, but lightning years ahead, understandably. After lunch, the presentations were made by State ASRF Director Steve Johnson. Jeff Hitchins was a worthy


25/2/2009

Fiddy’s A Tudor & Vince Berriman’s 32 roadster

No seat belts required!

Above: Graeme MIXI Bell cruises thru in his 32 Chevy. Below: Mick Allender’s orange 32 coupe and Graeme John’s big custom Caddy.

winner of Rodder of the Year and joins a list of rodders who have worked hard for the promotion and advancement of our unique sport. Special presentations were also made to Neil Gibb and Dean Hollworth for their many years service as ASRF State Director and State Secretary respectively.The anticipated presentation of the Norm Mellows trophy was postponed to another event as neither the recipient, nor presenter (Big Al) were present.

After last year’s washout at the same event, the day was blessed with perfect summer weather in the low 30 degrees. A Bonza day. Listening to the news on the way home and hearing about over 65 deaths and countless property losses the current fires in Victoria, almost made me feel guilty that we had enjoyed such a day. By now we know the extent of the Victorian fires and it is much much worse with 181 deaths when going to print..Thanks to Steve Johnson and the run organizers for a great day out.

PS. Dig deep for the sufferers in Victoria. No doubt some hot rodders have been affected too. EW


25/2/2009

Left: Jeff Hitchens re-ceives the ROTY plaque from Steve Johnson.Above: Brian and Jan French go to all events!

Nev LARS Anderson


25/2/2009

Emma’s

Lance Fussel

Alan Barker

Graeme Bell

Greg Potts

Above: Jeff Pringle, Chris Maxwell (with teddy bear) and Dave Fiddy create the foreground for two Willys


25/2/2009

Keith Wilson

Jeff Pringle

Steve Johnson

Lindsay Ewen

Neil Gibb

BL1


25/2/2009

Gibby receives his plaque from Steve Johnson.

Below: The Nu Breed gang huddled under the shade like cattle.

Above: The Nu Breed mob is still there. Lazy sods haven’t moved an eyelid..Below: Even the non-ford in me likes this roadster pick up. Must be the colour.

West Coast Street Rod Club Minutes of General Meeting 18/ 1/ 2009

Meeting opened – 7.32pm

Apologies - Kim Broun, Alan Barton, Maurie Searle, Andy Lawrence, Gary Curnow, Clive Titchener, Des Thomas.

Visitors - Ennio, Bob Sanders.

Minutes read and accepted by Brian French, seconded by Mal Sparks.

Correspondence In – Geelong Street Rodders Newsletter. ASRF sanction for Swap Meet to be held at the clubrooms in March.

Correspondence Out – Klaxon. Letter to GT Falcon Club withdrawing offer to store their trailer.

Treasurer’s Report - Read by Allan Rossi and accepted by Jim Candido. Seconded by Ian Swinbourne.

ASRF Report- WA now has 549 members. There will be space for 30 cars at Langley Park on Australia Day. Vince Berriman and Paul Walsh will be attending the UWA Event Sanctions have been granted for WC Swap Meet and Easter Run. Rodder of the Year will be held at Whiteman Park on Feb 8th.. One run will begin at Warwick Shopping Centre.Another at Mandurah. Both will arrive at approx 11.00 am. ASRF would like a list of charitable donations made by the club over the years. Neil Gibb would like all raffle tickets returned as soon as possible.

Social Committee Report – Sanctions have been granted for the Swap Meet to be held at the Clubrooms on March 29. Traders will be invited to set up stalls. Busy bee – 22nd Feb. Line marking, sandblasting and painting of gates. Sanction has been granted for Easter Cruise to York. This will be a four day event.

Unfinished Business – Allan Rossi reported that the refrigerator should be repaired within the next two weeks. The next time it breaks down, it will be replaced. New Business - John Ferrier asked when the photos which were removed for Super Model Sunday were going to be replaced. Kevan Best asked when AB would be removing his car so that the area could be tidied then improved for TAC use. Allan Rossi to ring AB. It is unlikely that the MBA will be using the Clubrooms for further training. Rodder of the Year nomination is Eric Warren.

Buy Sell and Swap- 1 Billet steering wheel and 1 Victor Junior manifold suit sbc – Sam Attard 0450 258548

Meeting closed 8.24 pm Melbourne rod show

Supplying him with nothing more than a Camera and 4 rounds of salami sandwiches, the Klaxon pinned its last hopes on getting some good photos of the Melbourne Show firmly on the shoulders of the Duke of York, Jailbar Joe Carbone. Previous attempts of using BL1 at the Sydney show proved financially disasterous on the receipt of BL1's entertaiment expense claims which were the fiscal result of killing spare time after the camera batteries were found to be flat on arrival. Joe didn't let the Klaxon Team down, though the bias towards fords will be scruitnized by the quality committee

Joe’s Report CardHeya eric well mate here's another scoop for you, the Melbourne hot rod show has been and gone and here's the pic's to prove it.I'm not exactly sure of what I sent you but if it's not good enough just let me know and I will redo it.I went to the show on the first day it opened at 12 noon and it turned out a good move, for not only seeing the cars but for taking pic's.on entering the show

the first thing you walk into is an FC Holden ute with an almighty chop flanked by an flamed 34 chev sedan. After my last visit in 2007 I think the numbers were down a bit but the quality was even higher if that’s possible. Some of the trends of the show

Melbourne Hot Rod Show

were a killer lefthand drive 33 ford roadster smoothie in flat black, hope the pics do it justice, seemed to be plenty of lefthand drive rods present, didn't notice if locally registered. Then there were plenty of chaneled sedans, coupes and roadsters, must be making a comeback [great I love em] also lots of cars sporting hemi's under the hood both supercharged and not. Think I’ll use a 186 in my next car. Even a couple of ardun head rods, supercool. Plenty of bare steel cars, ,the most notable being the fordson van of Johny Z fame, lots of custom work and a killer chassis on airbags, I gotta take a breather phew. For one upmanship you couldn't go past Elvis of rodbods fame’s 32 ford with V16 power, not sure of the motor bit it seemed to be a one piece block but with 4 seperate heads, don't ask I'm no expert.There were plenty of trade stands in fact more than enough. You could buy a sticker of a willys to an alloy diff housing to flouro lights, bowsers, modelcars, go fast gear and there were even trade stands outside the building and did I mention the rodshow in the carpark around the fountain?? Never mind, just enjoy the pictures. Joe.


Extreme E.8½

m Melbourne

Hot Rod Show

Above: Looking a lot like Trevor Breeze’s 32


Car Park Mini Show

Inside the head of the Chief Rod Designer at Spanky’s Hot Rod Shop.

The evolution of a daily driven hot rod. PART II .

Last month, you of course will recall, we did a story about changes to the Willys Coupe in order to make it a hassle-free daily driver. Doing a regular 300 to 500 kms a week, all through the year, would be a nightmare in a rod with niggling problems . Many changes were made to the coupe during the rebuild to make those 500kms better than they were 12 year ago. Last month, the radiator was extracted and given the triple flow treatment and the fan shroud further enclosed. This has worked very well and I would recommend it to anyone suspecting that their radiator setup is going to be marginal. Do it while designing and building… not afterwards!The electric fan was wired more directly to the battery via the alternator-to-battery 100amp charge wire. This was to eliminate the headlight voltage drop whenever the fan switched on.The alternator was also replaced with a 110amp sucker to keep up with drain on the battery from the concurrent use of the fan, headlights, and LPG system. A situation that previously ground me to a halt during the Xmas lights cruise. The charge terminal is now hooked directly to the fat battery lead on the starter motor solenoid with an almost as fat 100 amp lead. I have now got enough electricity to feed back the surplus into the domestic grid. The battery is charged but another problem arose….After a day or so, the battery was still fully charged and looking good. I decided to get scientific and check voltage levels at the battery and at the alternator to satisfy my curiosity about the sensing circuit, that checks what the voltage level is like back near the main distribution area normally near the fuse box, and adjusts the alternator output accordingly. To do this I had the headlights, spotties, and the current-thirst 16” fan all turned on and the engine idling. After a few minutes I poked my head in the window and was hit by the smell of some very hot PVC of vinyl. Not good, so I shut it all down via the battery isolator switch (another MUST in my books), and checked for any damage. All was still OK. Phew! I am experienced at hot rods going up in flames!.. Did I mention the coupe now has a fire extinguisher in the cab? Another improvement and a MUST. If not for you, to possibly save someone else.

The problem was the the

lack of charge going from the new alternator back through the old charge circuit and ammeter, to neutralize the massive discharge now going through the Amp gauge uncontested. The ammeter was physically too hot to touch, probably causing a dash upholstery meltdown. The solution was to fit 10 guage wire from the alternator back into the old charge circuit which now was now also used to supply a good supply to the fan. This way the current through the ammeter was pretty much neutralised and the problem solved. This was the best solution for dealing with the wiring circuit that was only designed for a 40amp alternator and small electric fan.These days the consensus is, that due to the higher current demands of auto electrics and the matching increases in alternator outputs, it is best to use an idiot warning light on the dash which will show an instant failure or fanbelt disappearing act and add a voltmeter if you are a collector of such dash jewellery (I love lots of gauges!) and get rid of the amp gauge. Voltmeters are safer because they don’t carry the current demands of the cars electrical requirements and if they fail, you won’t be left with on the side of the road.

Next the speedo!When the replacement of the 1961 Chevy speedo cable didn’t fix the reluctant-to-work speedo, the problem became a large mystery. I had already calculated the correct driver and driven speedo gears combination and change both cogs and I knew the speedo was still OK having pulled that apart and serviced it too.The speedo cable cog in many GM auto boxes sits in a tubular housing that is removed from the gearbox housing with the loosening of one bolt. Now desperate for a solution, I noted a bit of play between the speedo cog and this housing.. another EFTPOS transaction at West Coast Chev and voila, another source of irritation was eliminate and my selection of cogs looks pretty accurate. Woo hoo. If you want to know what cogs to use in your GM gearboxes, I have the secret formula. You need to know the rolling radius of your rear rim/tyre combo, your diff ratio, and how many revolutions your speedo drive needs to do to complete one KM or Mile on the odometer. Eg, my old Smiths Speedo had a sticker on it indicating 620 revs for a kilometre.

The evolution of a daily driven hot rod. PART II cont...

I was on a roll now…

Next, I had a small amount of jarring coming through the steering wheel when cruising on rough roads and heaven knows there is a few of those between Gidgegannup and Osborne Park. This was another source of annoyance. It wasn’t dangerous, just a pain.The coupe has an HG Holden front end and suitably shortened Commodore rack and pinion steering box. Its mounting location matched that of standard HG Holden steering linkages. I fitted shorter HQ steering arms to provide more responsive steering. These arms were modified for better ackerman principles but not tuned for possible bump steer, which was the cause of the steering wheel irritation on rough roads. I simply put the some HG arms and voila again. I cannot believe how much difference it made. Driving is much more relaxing now and the steering is more responsive than I thought it was going to be. You never stop learning.The coupe is at a stage now when I know I can lend it to anyone to drive any where anytime with full confidence and not worry about any idiosyncrasies in the car. What next? Despite new thermal and heat insulation and double firewall, an aircond would be icing on the cake, But there isn’t any where to put it. Not under the dash, not under the seat, and not in the dicky seat compartment, so windows and cowl vent will suffice…. for now.

In summary, all of last month’s work has paid of. There is hardly enough room now to squeeze in a two week old pay packet under the bonnet. But it had to be done.Spend the time to make your rod reliable and as much like a new car to drive as possible. It will hugely magnify your enjoyment of that investment in the garage.If you are building from scratch, put a beer in the fridge and ask some experienced rodders to come over and check what you plan to do. It may be worth it! I like Emu Export! EW

The evolution of a daily driven hot rod. PART II cont...

Here’s a story sent in by Garry Curnow doing the traps on email. I wouldn’t normally cover the subject matter, but it is amazing and I know a few of you ford sickos will enjoy it. I really did it because there is a Monaro amongst them! This huge collection of GT Falcons was in South Africa. I am sure the Ferret and Frenchie would have known about it, but Frenchie wouldn’t waste his time over them. Lets face it, Simcas are more interesting...... EW.

Attached are pics of some GTs that were found in a shed behind a pub in South Africa. These are GENUINE GTs however the GTs that were made for South Africa were badged as Fairmont GTs.In some of the pics you'll also see what looks like a HT Monaro. This has the same body, interior, etc as the Australian Monaro with a few minor differences and was baged as a Chevy SS.

GT FACONS FOUND - HUGE QUANTITY IN A SHED

GT

Interesting GT history (Some Ho Hum from the WWW . Sorry about the font to squeeze it in. Ed)If the name “Stewart Warner” means nothing to you, then you have probably found the wrong page. If, on the other hand, you recognize the name as that responsible for the seriously elegant instrumentation adorning the cockpit of the Ford Falcon GT, then welcome, and read on… The GT Falcon is unquestionably the quintessential Aussie muscle car, however we can thank the competition between the big three manufacturers of the day, GMH, Ford and Chrysler, for the evolution of arguably the most collectable of all Aussie built cars.While we could easily go back as far as the Model T, which endeared itself to many pioneering Aussie motorists with its amazing durability, the real indication of great things to come was shown with the XK Falcon’s Pursuit 170 engine. At the time the Valiant sported the most powerful engine, however the Ford engineers created the Pursuit engine as something a little more specialized for the Aussie motoring enthusiast. Designed to be freely revving and more tractable for Aussie conditions, the new engine ushered in a time of innovation in Australia, rather than the legacy of larger capacity lethargic engines finding their way to our shores from the US. Holden counter attacked with their 179ci six being introduced as an option from September 1963 in the EH series, itself evolving into the X2 introduced with the HD - a more spirited performance on offer courtesy mainly of its improved carburettor. Nevertheless there was certainly no panic at Chrysler, their 225ci slant six still offering a class leading 145bhp and remaining as the most powerful six cylinder Australian sedan. Chrysler also led the pack by being the first of the big three to offer a V8 option, but things were about to change – forever. When the XR was introduced Ford decided upon the fitment of the wonderful 289ci Mustang engine as an option across the entire range – a stoke of genius in no small part due to the marketing talents of Bill Bourke, then Deputy Managing Director of Ford Australia (later Managing Director). Collaborating with the Victoria Police Force, the path to the Ford Falcon GT was set. The police requirements were that the car be able to outrun the top speed of an average sedan (that being around 90mph), while having four doors. Bourke’s answer was to equip the XR with the Mustang V8, have it mated to a four speed manual gear box, improve the suspension and throw in a handful of other refinements, thus begat the car that would quickly garner legend status. Don Dunoon was responsible for much of the engineering work, and while we have not been able to question any officers of the day that had the pleasure of driving these first iterations, we are pretty sure they found the new car a vast improvement to the six cylinder “three on the tree” versions they had been used to. The XR VicPol pursuit special was obviously too good to be kept away from an eager public, and Bill Bourke ensured it would find its way to Ford showrooms. Sticking to the traditions of the Model T, the first Falcon GT could be ordered in any colour you wished, as long as it was bronze. The decision on colour was brilliant, it remaining timeless and now coming to immortalize the emergence of Aussie performance cars. If you think back to the time, you will realize just how forward thinking Bourke’s decision to bring the GT to market was; Australians used liberal amounts of Brylcreem in their hair, pubs shut at 6pm and the nation was shocked when the Melbourne Herald newspaper ran a front page photo of new Prime Minister Harold Holt with wife Zara holding a cigarette. It was a time when the British automotive industry had become complacent, a stuffy nosed attitude of “tried and proven” will win the day (and sales war) was quickly losing favour with Australians who needed transportation capable of swallowing up the endless miles as they sought out their favourite holiday destinations. Bourke's vision was supreme, he realizing that by taking the new pursuit car, equipping it with a Fairmont interior, fitting the dashboard with the green-glowing

Stewart-Warner gauges, adding a chrome “Hurst shifter” gearlever and deeply dished wood rim steering wheel (not to forget the sensational red GT badges), he could create a Unique! car indeed. Just how unique you may ask? Well at the time a performance 4 door was unheard of, not only in Australia, but throughout the world. But why a 4 door performance car? There were quite a few reasons actually, firstly the Victoria Police required their car be fitted with four doors (and their requirement provided the impetus for the cars development), in a period filled with baby-boomer parents the need for a four door car was paramount, and finally production car racing in Australia was garnering an ever increasing allegiance of fans. Jack Telnack supplied the styling artistry that turned a standard Fairmont into a GT. The stripes, the chromed wheel covers, blacked-out grille, badgework and so on worked to maginificent effect, especially in combination with the purposeful stance conveyed by the GT's that sat one and a half inches lower in ride height than their Falcon cousins. No such project had ever been attempted before in Australia and Telnack added aggression to the Falcon without undermining its elegance. The GT started life as a true limited edition, only two hundred and fifty five being built to the end of June 1967 (the actual numbers broken down by month being three in March, 105 in April, 115 in May and 36 in June). Demand was unprecedented, and a second batch of GT’s were quickly put into production, another 303 being constructed by years end. The final 38 XRs were assembled in January and February of 1968 and the GT's future as a model in its own right was assured. With the launch of XT in March 1968, the GT was made even more potent and attractive and, thanks to its having taken a regular position in the range, there was now a choice of colour; the original GT bronze remained, along with Zircon Green and Candy Apple Red, arguably the most evocative of the several shades offered. It should be noted to those seeking out a genuine GT that it was possible to order a GT in a non-standard colour, and at least two were finished in the delightfully subtle Springtime Yellow. The 289 engine was superseded by the 302, which brought a modest increase in outright performance. Now very much a part of the Ford model lineup, it was inevitable that a little rationalization would be required to keep cost down. Very little was given up, but the Hurst shifter was replaced by a shorter more conventional model, and in the true traditions of the GT name, (Gran Turismo meaning Grand Touring), an automatic version was available as an option. The XT was more subtle and elegant than the XR, and gave little away in sporting nature. The extroverted XW was to follow, it fitted with the brutal 351 Windsor engine, the pinned bonnet giving some indication of the potential top speed of the now legend GT. Just in case you didn’t notice the bonnet pins, Ford added “Super Roo” decals, fat stripes and “351 High Performance” chrome badges to its flanks. Simply put, the car looked so powerful that it never actually needed to prove itself at a set of traffic lights. The body adornments clearly stated to wanna be’s “nough said”. The standing quarter mile time dropped from mid-16s to mid 15s, helped by a lowering of the final drive ratio as well as the giant increase in power and torque. The Ford engineers ensured the GT could stop as well as it could go, fitting fabulous 11.25” Kelsey-Hayes ventilated front disc brakes. The XW GT begat the wonderful XW GT HO Phase II, developed for the Bathurst 500 of 1969 and 1970 respectively, although these later iterations sourced the 351ci engines from Cleveland rather than Windsor. Next came the “Shaker” – the most recognizable of the GT’s, the XY. Smoother, more refined, undoubtedly the best. The Phase III would punish any comers on the racetracks of

HOW about a day up in Northam, the week before Easter? Following is an email received at Klaxon WA head quarters. It could a good day out. Any takers? Hi I hope there is still time to get the date 5th April 2009 onto your club calendar. This years Northam flying 50 starts on Sat 4th April with the Mt Ommaney hill climb, & Sunday 5th round the houses flying 50.I will be sending out more details later, but if you want to contact me earlier email at [email protected] . Best Regards, John Bennington

TAC CONTACT INFO >>> [email protected] This is the address that will be used in future for build application correspondence etc, Paul Walsh

Australia, garnering a reputation that has endeared to this day, and making the XY unarguably the most collectable of all GT’s (although we would be happy to own any of ‘em). The XA retained much of the grunt of the XY, but the styling was far more restrained – no Super Roo decals and, so much is the pity, no Phase IV. Four examples would be built before the concept was abandoned at a time when the “Supercar Superscare” would see the media hype convince many that a Japanese 4 cylinder was the only answer to modern day transportation. The XB’s would be the last of the genre, although many consider the XC Cobra part of the family – and one we at Unique Cars and Parts agree with. The XB continued the theme of increased refinement, and few other cars ever offered such an encompassing “cockpit” that would make you feel more a pilot than a driver. The addition of Kelsey-Hayes disc brakes to the rear wheels helped pull the brute to a stop, however there was no HO, and inevitably no future GT – for a time anyway…

Special discounts for Club and ASRF members at Auto One Ellenbrook .

The crew at will look after you. Lars, Aaron and Glen can also offer great advice, gathered with years of experience.The problem with a lot of Auto stores is they are full of fluff and crystals and often don’t stock hard core rodder requirements. Ellenbrook Auto One will order almost anything you could need for your rod. And still give you some discount, if they can get discount themselves.



FUND RAISING NIGHT“A NIGHT AT THE RACES”

WHEN: MAY 2ND 2009WHERE: HAMERSLEY HALL, BELVEDERE ROAD. HAMERSLEY.COST: $15.00 PER PERSON TABLES OF 8DOORS OPEN: 6.45PM - 11.30

LOTS OF PRIZES, GIVEAWAYS, RAFFLES & AUCTIONS.

DOOR PRIZE & LUCKY BOOK NUMBER.

THIS IS AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED

PLEASE PHONE NOELENE ON: 0409300834 KRINSTINA ON: 92495218 TABLES TO BE BOOKED AND PAID FOR BY 9TH APRIL 2009

BOOK EARLY AS TABLE WILL GO FAST

FULL BAR FACILITIES NO B.Y.O.

This promo has been printed as a favour for Noelene Hughes. Noelene .is deceased member Geoff Hughes’ widow.. She is pres-ident of this organisation. The group helps disabled orphans abon-doned in Bali. Mouse racing nights are great fun. Attend if you can.

Coming EventsFeb18:SummerSun Twilight Cruise Al Erdman 0414 551928, 9349 4865 Cruise to Rockingham as per 2008 Feb 22: WCSRC BUSY BEE at clubroomsFeb 22: Nostalgia Drags at Motorplex.Feb 27 – March 2: Busselton Drive-in Weekend Radiators Matthew Clarke9751 1401 Same format as previous years. March 8: Pipeline Picnic Cranksters 02/09 Craig Clements9371 2005 Cruise to Mundaring March 8: Iggy Memorial Run Conrodders 03/09 Dean Hollwarth9523 1932 Cruise to Cemetery and Winery (TBA) for lunch March 15: Sunset Coast Cruise WAHRP 07/09 Les Smith 9446 7368 Sor-rento SLSC car park from 5pm, R ‘n’ R concert, departing 7:50pm for Southbound cruise.March 29: WCSRC Swap meet at the clubrooms. Kevan Best 9571 2205April 9 -13 Easter Get Away Run based at York.. Jan French 9377 7837November 15, 2009 Yanchep Cruise Goodfellas .Jeff Hitchens 9405 3568 Regular :Wanderer’s Pizza night. Mark Gryska 9418 3668. At Brandi Pizza, Rockingham Rd , Munster. 6.00pm. Second Thursday each Month.Regular: Frenchy and Jimbo’s Rodders breakfast at WCSRC at 8.30 every Saturday morning. Spread the word...Regular: Radiators Monthly Bunbury Cruise. Tony 9721 4386TAC Inspections. 3rd Saturday of month. Call Mike if you need an inspection to make an appointment 0411 709 599

CLASSIFIEDS Wanted: Neil Gibb- Mudguard for a CustomlineFor sale: FC and FB ute –need restoring EK needs some mechanical work. Ken Myers 0417 910 356-47 Chev truck Mike Flett 0402 632 51348 fibreglass pickup guards Steven Best 9571 00251 Billet steering wheel and 1 Victor Junior manifold suit sbc – Sam Attard 0450 258548

klaxon february 2009 - cyber hot rodders · 2009-03-16 · presentation held at whiteman park. on...

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