Light Source: A Quick Guide to Automotive Lighting
Lighting has gotten huge in the automotive aftermarket—and with good reason. The proper lights—headlights, taillights, and auxiliary lighting—can deliver improved safety, enhanced vehicle styling, and added versatility. It’s no wonder the amount of light options available has exploded recently. Every year, we see more and more lighting innovations and options at the SEMA Show, and
Photo Gallery: 10 Awesome Rides from the Calgary World of Wheels
The World of Wheels—a hot rod showcase that’s part of the International Show Car and Summit Racing Show Car Series—rolled through Calgary, AB last weekend reminding us once again that Canada, aside from being ridiculously friendly, knows a thing or two about building cars. The proof was everywhere. Here are 10 of our favorites: [portfolio_slideshow
Animation: An Entire Engine Teardown and Build in 140 Seconds
The engine build itself lasted 11 months. Chris Herridge used 3,000 separate still photographs to condense the whole thing into this 140-second video. Like others before him, Herridge started snapping pictures of the teardown to remember where everything went. That’s what sparked the idea to create a complete still-frame animation of the project. His patience (and
Skin Treatment: Applying LizardSkin Ceramic Insulation to Rutledge Wood’s Chevy Step Van
[portfolio_slideshow id=40213] Rutledge Wood has been driving the wee out of his 1949 Chevy Step Van since he built it in 2013 (you can see the build story here): While he’s still head over heels in love with the self-described “toaster oven on wheels,” Rutledge noticed that something was amiss. “I was a dreamer when
Ask Away: Diagnosing High-RPM Power Loss
I have a small block Chevy in a ’66 Chevy II that seems to run pretty good but now I’m not so sure. It’s a 383 small block with a set of no-name aluminum heads, a Lunati hydraulic flat tappet Voodoo cam (227/233 degrees at 0.050 inches with 0.489/0.504-inch lift), a Performer RPM intake, and
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Hemmings Dies at 89
Ernest “Ernie” Hemmings, founder of Hemmings Motor News in 1945, died early this morning while sleeping in Quincy, IL. He was 89. Ernie Hemmings inherited Standard Auto Parts—a parts business started by his father—in 1945, and began stocking parts for antique Fords like the Model A and Model T. According to Hemmings, there was growing
Photo Gallery: 23 Great Hot Rods from the Milwaukee World of Wheels
The World of Wheels hot rod show in Milwaukee showcased some of the finest collector cars, hot rods, and classic trucks the Badger State has to offer. There were hundreds of cars. But 23, in particular, stood out for us. Do you have a favorite? [portfolio_slideshow id=40160] Photos courtesy of AutoRama.
Big Block Blueprint: Duplicating Kiwi Customs’ Ford 557 Budget Big Block
What’s in a name? In the case of Kiwi Classics and Customs‘ KSV9000 Mustang, there are 557 cubic inches packed into the name. The KSV9000 Mustang got its name from the big block Ford under the hood—557 cubic inches is just over 9,000cc, or nine liters. The radical 1966 Mustang made a big splash when
Ethanol Out in Oregon? New Bill Could Get Rid of Ethanol in Gasoline.
The ethanol debate rages on. Some laud ethanol for being a clean-burning, renewable fuel. Many in the hot rodding community point to ethanol’s damaging effects on carburetors and older-style fuel systems. We talked in-depth about this problem in our Ethanol Effect article last fall. Although classic vehicle owners can opt to use ethanol-free gasoline, the
Video 101: How to Set Ignition Timing
Perhaps this would’ve been a good post for a Throwback Thursday. Fact is this video has been around for a while, but it’s still one of the more comprehensive tutorials on an oft-misunderstood topic: setting ignition timing. Chances are you know that ignition timing can affect engine power and performance, fuel economy, and even engine longevity.




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