1-800-551-4754 Tech Tips
Reader Rides: 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Convertible
Owner NameLoren BrixHome TownPrinceton, MN Vehicle Year, Make & Model1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS ConvertibleHow long have you owned this vehicle?3 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleFound it on Craigslist locally (40 miles away). Was a roller, good metal, no engine transmission, interior, etc. 6 boxes of parts, and a lot...
Reader Rides: 1965 El Camino Project
Owner NameArturo MarquezHome TownFlagstaff, AZ Vehicle Year, Make & Model1965 Chevelle El CaminoHow long have you owned this vehicle?17 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleI inherited this car from my grandfather in 1995 when he couldn't drive it anymore. He bought it new to use as a parts chaser car...
Reader Rides: 1968 Ford Mustang Coupe
Owner First NameScott VorrathHome TownErie, Michigan Vehicle Year, Make & Model1968 Ford MustangHow long have you owned this vehicle?3 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleOriginal owner told me about his friend that bought it several years ago was selling it. Jerry who now owned it was ready to sell...
Reader Rides: 1972 VW Super Beetle
Owner NameJuan Carlos Henning Home TownAsunciónVehicle Year, Make & Model1972, Volkswagen, SuperbeetleHow long have you owned this vehicle?11 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleMy grown-up son wanted a beetle, so I said for him to search for one. We found a fairly shaped (and fairly priced) one at a used car...
Reader Rides: 1970 Mustang Mach 1
Owner NameBill HamiltonHome TownCharleston, SC Vehicle Year, Make & Model1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1How long have you owned this vehicle?Eight yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleFound it through Ford and Mustang Trader MagazineHas this vehicle won any awards?Over 100 local and regional awards and trophies including several at MCA events ...
Welding Butt Joints
The first weld joint you must learn is the butt joint. While the basic square butt joint is fairly easy to master with the right amount of practice, there are many other butt joints that you need to have in your repertoire. Those include pass square butt, joggle joint, single...
Tips on Differential Teardown
A rear end or differential rebuild is in your near future if the pinion seal is leaking or the differential is exhibiting excessive gear noise. Often, you hear gear whine or noise that becomes louder with increased vehicle speed, and the common result of over-worn gears or failing bearings. If...
The Toughest Motor Sport in the World
At the beginning of the automotive era, all auto races were rallies – dedicated race tracks simply didn’t exist, and paved roads were rare outside of cities. So the only way to race cars was to start at Point A and race to Point B. That’s what they did in...
Ford C4 and C6 Automatic Transmission History and Facts
Literally millions of Ford cars and trucks were equipped with C4 and C6 automatic transmissions between the introduction of the C4 in 1964 and the replacement of the C6 in the 1980s. These purely mechanical (no electronic controls) automatic transmissions are still popular with racers, hot rodders, and restorers today...
Reader Rides: 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu
Owner NameJim DouglasHome TownPine Island, MNVehicle Year, Make & Model1972, Chevrolet, Chevelle MalibuHow long have you owned this vehicle?7 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicle"Bad Bowtie" The car started life as a bench seat, 350, 4 speed Malibu with 67,000 miles. I liked it as I can fit the whole...
An Introduction to the Honda B-Series Engine
by Jason Siu Rebuilding any engine is no easy task. The reason for your rebuild can range from refreshing an engine with hundreds of thousands of miles, to wanting to extract every bit of performance, and everything in between. The information provided here can serve as a reference to not...
The Sport Compact / Import Market Matures
I guess you have to be of a certain age to really understand and appreciate the old adage, “history repeats itself.” I was fresh out of college when “The Fast and the Furious” hit theaters, stirring up a storm in the sport compact and import market. With a new job...
Reader Rides: 2003 Toyota Celica GT
Owner NameJosh BrownHome TownMinneapolis, MN Vehicle Year, Make & Model2003 Toyota Celica GTHow long have you owned this vehicle?6 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleFound it in a dealer's lot Any projects planned for this vehicle in the future?Turbo would be greatHave you raced it? If so, where and when?Autocrossed...
Reader Rides: 1961 Morris Minor
Owner NameScotty GossonHome TownMedford, Oregon Vehicle Year, Make & Model1961 Morris MinorHow long have you owned this vehicle?25 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleTraded my (fun, but too heavy) gasser style '57 Pontiac for three Morris bodies. A pickup (which I sold for $75 to finance frame tubing for this...
How to Read Scan Tool Data
When diagnosing an on-board computer control problem, it’s important to distinguish between manufacturer-specific DTC codes and generic codes, so that you correctly interpret the errors and then devise the best solution to the problems. Some scan tools have the capability to distinguish between these DTCs while others do not. Some...
1965 Chevrolet El Camino
Owner NameJohn DelkeHome TownMinneapolis 'burbsVehicle Year, Make & Model1965 Chevrolet El CaminoHow long have you owned this vehicle?3-1/2 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleThe car was "for sale" at the last night of the '08 cruising season, in Hastings MN. The more I looked at it, the more it screamed...
Sanding and Finishing Metal
The repair of two small dents in a 1948 Chrysler decklid illustrates the basic sanding-picking-filing-sanding sequence that is used in metal finishing. This process indicates low spots, grinds off high spots, and ensures crown continuity in panels. It is also used to raise and repair small dents. The first...
Reader Rides: Bob McClurg's Mustangs
Owner NameBob McClurg Home TownHilo, Hawaii Vehicle Year, Make & Model1964-1/2, 2001, & 2007 MustangsHow long have you owned these vehicles?30-yrs (64) 11-yrs (01) 5-yrs (07)Where/how did you find these vehicles?My 1964-1/2 Mustang convertible was purchased in 1982 from an out of work "actor" from West Hollywood, CA. At the time,...
Reader Rides: 1956 Ford Mainline Business Coupe
Owner NameCharlie MorrisHome TownNormandy Beach, NJ Vehicle Year, Make & Model1956 Ford Mainline business coupeHow long have you owned this vehicle?December 2011Where/how did you find this vehicleFound her on the internet. For sale in TXAny projects planned for this vehicle in the future?Lots of cruisesHas this vehicle won any awards?Not...
Behind the Scenes with Scotty Gosson
Spitting on the Status Quo to Preserve Tradition: Punk Rock Idealism on Wheels by Scotty Gosson From the shade of hot rodding’s detailed underbelly crawled the rats, satisfied and licking their chops after feasting on the pretentious carcass of billet decadence. It was too easy. The set-up may have...
Reader Rides: 1967 Chevelle SS
Owner NameJohn SinnaHome TownLino Lakes Vehicle Year, Make & Model1967 Chevelle SSHow long have you owned this vehicle?2001Where/how did you find this vehicleI found this car in Birrmingham Alabama, I was reading some car magazine and found it in the for sale sectionAny projects planned for this vehicle in the...
Reader Rides: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner NameGreg BanishHome TownDetroit, MI Vehicle Year, Make & Model2009 Chevy Corvette How long have you owned this vehicle?Original OwnerWhere/how did you find this vehicleCustom ordered from Chevy dealer when I was a GM employee.Have you raced it? If so, where and when?It sees occasional use at open track road racing...
Reader Rides: 1967 Pontiac Firebird
Owner NameBill KrauseHome TownWoodbury, MN Vehicle Year, Make & Model1967 Pontiac Firebird Sprint 6 Convertible How long have you owned this vehicle?14 yearsWhere/how did you find this vehicleActually, I went with my father to purchase it new in 1967. It was his year-round daily driver until 1972.Any projects planned for this...
Meet Our Electrical Guru
How I Got Started by Tony Candela People often asked me how long I’ve been doing automotive electrical work and how I got started. I mean after all, most enthusiasts avoid it like the plague. Like most people, I had a few influences that got me pointed in the...
