performance report performance report

nov/dec 2006 • vol. 16.6
PERFORMANCE REPORT
).&/2-!4)/.6)%70/).43
KEEP THE LUMPS OUT OF THE OLD MELTING POT...
Is American Ingenuity Doomed To Extinction?
For many years America was referred to as a melting pot,
one in which many ingredients - people of different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds - were combined
in such a way that individual group identities blended together to form the wholly
American, uniformly consistent national identity.
The melting pot theory has been credited
many times over the
years for giving rise to
the creative approach to
inventing and problem
solving known as good
old American ingenuity. Several nationalities
working together with
one identity could provide several points of view
and draw from many varied
experiences for the common
good.
Applying this theory to the
performance aftermarket industry, we can see that the hot
rod, uniquely American, and certainly representative of American
ingenuity, is a melting pot of sorts
itself. In the beginning, an American
of German descent designed and built an
intake manifold to accommodate the multiple carburetors designed by another German American, so they
could in turn feed more fuel to a V8 engine designed by an
American of Irish ancestry. The engine had already been
fitted with a camshaft ground by an American of Armenian descent and an exhaust system built by an American
with Scottish roots. The hot rod benefited from the best
technological ingredients available, all skillfully blended
together by the best automotive minds for the purpose
of making a faster, sleeker, and ultimately better machine.
This became known as American ingenuity, a source of
pride for many years and rightfully so.
In more recent times, a multicultural society has developed, creating not so much a melting pot as a “salad
bowl” in which the ingredients - people of different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds maintain their native ways and customs, but
still work together to contribute to a
successful final product. Canadians
refer to this phenomenon as a “cultural mosaic” and the process seems
to work at least as well as that of the
melting pot because there is still
the drive to achieve a common
goal.
On the heels of these
changes came other factors.
Rampant abandonment of
American soil by big industries, increased competition
from offshore products and
the eternal quest for the almighty dollar have seriously
changed the entire complexion of the America we
thought we knew. Our shirts
now come from Bangladesh,
and the fruits and vegetables
we purchase at the local supermarket no longer come from
Michigan, California or Washington, but from Brazil or
Chile. The milk products we serve our families no longer
come from a local dairy, but from a large “factory” farm in
a faraway state. Boatloads of precious scrap metals, once
among our most valuable resources, are being shipped to
offshore interests as fast as they can be loaded.
The most recent cultural changes within our society
are a good deal more upsetting. No longer is it acceptable
(Continued on page 2)
INSIDEINFORMATION
• Information and Viewpoints •
Keep The Lumps Out ....................... 1, 2
• New Product Showcase •
S-A. Kirkey, US Brake, And More .... 3, 4
• Allstar Performance •
What's New .......................................... 6
• Charlie Jobber •
What's In A Name............................. 5, 8
The Motor State Performance Report is compiled and published bi-montly by the
Motor State Distributing Advertising Department Staff: John McLellan • John Berglund •
Matt Hauch • Jim Kaekel, Jr. • Michael Kalling • Robin Beachy • Chad Harris
• 19th Annual PRI Show •
Stop By And See Us............................. 2
• Manufacturer Spotlight •
Dynamat ............................................... 7
INFORMATION & VIEWPOINTS
(cont. from page 1)
Keep The Lumps Out Of The Old Melting Pot...
for diverse groups to simply maintain their individuality.
They are demanding that standardized language requirements be tossed out and that citizenship be extended to
everyone, regardless of how or when they arrived in this
country. The idea of the cultural mosaic no longer appeals
to these groups and the old melting pot theory is completely rejected. The main focus of their existence seems
to be just being left alone to conduct their daily lives just
as if they were still in the old country.
It goes without saying that the diehard traditionalists
- and even some of the more conservative liberals - in this
country are suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat at the
prospect of living with cultural separatism. We’ve all been
told countless times that we now live in a “world market”
and that diversity is a good thing. Maybe so, but not if the
diversity leads to adversity. If groups maintain separate
societal structures, the only results will be bad feelings
among them and a stagnant technology.
While the jury has yet to come in with the final verdict
on the long range effects of cultural separatism , we are
reasonably sure that there is at least one dangerous aspect
that needs to be tended to before it completely erodes
the very core of our aftermarket existence. That aspect is
the end of good old American ingenuity. With no collaboration, innovation will be seriously limited and the largest
single source of new ideas - cooperation among Americanized ethnic groups - will disappear. American ingenuity will become a thing of the past.
In today’s industrial world, anything that is designed
and built here will likely be copied offshore almost immediately, and then sold here in direct competition with the
original, most often at a fraction of the original’s price. It
goes without saying that pretty soon the initiative and the
desire to build better components will be stifled by the
reality that the item will soon be copied and sold more
cheaply. Once this happens, the company will fall on hard
enough times that their doors will close permanently.
Because their skills are primarily related to copying,
the copyists do not have the knowledge or engineering
skills to improve the technology. Everything technological could come to a halt. The speed equipment industry
requires the proliferation of American ingenuity, not its
destruction. Trying to justify using offshore manufacturing by saying it’s done for better customer service, or any
reason other than large profits is just plain misleading,
and an affront to the people who made this industry what
it is today. The next ten years may tell the tale. Will our industry rise to the challenge and keep American ingenuity
in the forefront? Or will cheap copies of our technological
breakthroughs be featured in every mega-discount store?
The answers are up to us. ©MSR
2
19th Annual PRI Trade Show
“Everything Happens Here First!”
The 19th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade
Show will be held December 14-16, 2006 in the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Over
42,000 racing entrepreneurs from 40 countries are expected to attend the show and making it another recordbreaking year.
With more than 1,400 companies exhibiting in 3,100
booths, it is the world’s largest auto racing trade showgateway to the worldwide racing marketplace. The threeday trade show provides a professional business atmosphere where racing retailers, race engine builders, race
car fabricators, race engineers and WD's can conduct
business face to face with suppliers, preview next year’s
hottest new racing products, make buying decisions and
have new lines in inventory for the start of the next racing
season.
Visit Motor State at peninsula booth number
4301! We’ll be there to show you what exciting things we
have in store for the 2007 racing season.
In addition, Allstar Performance will debut their new
and exciting products for 2007, and to allow more new
products to be seen, we would like to remind you that
Allstar now has its own booth! The Allstar Performance
booth is located directly next to the Motor State booth
at space #4301. Be sure to stop on by to say hello, see the
new goodies and check out the new Allstar product packaging design!
Whether you wish to talk with your favorite Sales Associate, preview the new Allstar Performance products for
next year, or pickup the latest product catalogs, we’ll have
something for you when you stop by to see us!
In addition, for all Price Guide Pro software users, we
are shifting gears this year. Instead of holding our annual
Price Guide Pro Workshop the Friday of the show, we
are now scheduling one-on-one dealer training sessions
for Price Guide Pro and potential users. We look forward
to working closely with you to demonstrate many indepth software features built into Version 6. We also want
to gather feedback about what changes or enhancements you would like to see in future software releases.
What about Price Guide Pro Version 7? It’s just a matter
of time!
So take a week off this winter and give those snowshoes and shovel a break...make your plans now to attend
this year's show...we hope to see you there!
To pre-register to attend and for additional show information, go to www.performanceracing.com. ©MSR
MOTOR STATE PERFORMANCE REPORT
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
S-A Design, Kirkey, US Brake
S-A Design
Introduces Two New Books
Quarter-Mile Chaos by Steve Reyes
Anyone who is a fan of the “golden years” of drag racing and the work
of legendary drag race photographer, Steve Reyes, will enjoy the latest
drag race history book to be added to the S-A Design library. “Quartermile
Chaos: Images of Drag Race Mayhem” depicts some of the best of Reyes’
work as he focused through the lens at the wild, unpredictable mishaps
that have befallen drag racers over the last 40 years. The cover shot on the
book says it all as it invites fans to delve into the interesting, provocative
photo essay.
DEUCE-75 Years of the ’32 Ford by Robert Genat
Heralding the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Ford, the author serves up a
historical look at the car that to this day is considered the ultimate basis for
a hot rod. Original factory photos, early and modern hot rod and racecar
photos - 100 black and white and 200 color - and supportive text fill 192 informative pages and present an in-depth look at an automotive image that
is stronger and more in demand today than it was seventy-five years ago.
KIRKEY
Full Containment 10 and 15 ° Layback Oval Track Seats
Racers looking for a reasonably priced, lightweight full containment
style seat would do well to check out the ten degree layback model recently introduced by Kirkey Fabrication. The seat is a complete, two-piece
unit made of extruded aluminum with padded rib supports and an elongated bottom. The base has adjustable shoulder and helmet restraints. A
black cover is available separately.
Those looking for a custom style seat, but not having the time to wait
for one to be built, will be impressed by Kirkey Fabrication’s new 15 degree layback, full containment seat. Unique three-piece modular design
allows the seat to be custom tailored to each individual racer. Padded rib
supports and elongated bottoms add comfort and safety. Ordering the
seat involves choosing a seat base and then matching up the proper size
shoulder and head restraints. Covers are available separately.
US BRAKE
Metric Caliper Hybrid Hub and Rotor Assembly
For Pinto Spindle
USB9850-6505
Built tough to stand up under tough racing conditions and still save
a good degree of weight, the US Brake Metric Hybrid Hub and Rotor Assembly fits the standard, rugged Pinto spindle and accepts the lightweight
metric brake rotor. The hub and rotor assembly is an all new casting, drilled
for 5 x 5" and 5 x 4.5" bolt circles, that accepts metric style brake rotors and
is specifically designed for oval track racing. The assembly must be used
with AFCO Brake Brackets, and pad spacers are strongly recommended.
©MSR
accepts:
NOV - DEC • 16.6 • WWW.MOTORSTATE.COM
(Continued on page 4)
3
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
M/T Dick Cepek, Professional Products, Russel
(cont. from page 3)
DC-1 Aluminum Wheels
Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek have introduced a new polished aluminum wheel for 2 and 4 wheel drive pickups and sport utilities that offers
maximum caliper clearance and can be used with or without simulated
bead lock rings. Wheels include a center cap and stainless steel bolts and
are available in 15", 16" and 17" diameters, popular bolt circles and a variety of widths to accept modern wide tires.
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS
Stainless Steel Engine Bolt Kits
A complete set of matching, stainless steel bolts fastening all external
components on small and big block Chevys and small block Fords can add
a great degree of show winning detail. Bolt kits from Professional Products include fasteners for intake manifold, timing cover, water pump, fuel
pump, oil pan, valve covers and other parts. The 12-point bolt heads are
polished.
RUSSELL
ProClassic Hose and Fittings
ProClassic from Russell presents a unique, attractive appearance with
black nylon outer braid, rubber inner core and black and silver anodized
aluminum fittings. Hose is rated at 350 PSI and is safe for fuel, oil and antifreeze. Hose and fittings are available in -6AN to -12AN and hose can be
purchased in 3', 6', 10' and 20' lengths. ©MSR
CHARLIE JOBBER’S PICK:
Ever since the youngster came to my counter many
years ago, wanting to purchase a 750 double pumper for
his otherwise stock, early Nova with a 307 small block, I
have wished that someone would establish a
means of communicating real world carb information. Someone at Holley must have read
my mind. They have recently introduced the
world’s first interactive carburetor selector, and best
of all, it’s absolutely free.
The Holley Interactive Carburetor Selector is available online at www.holley.com and gets under way
by asking a series of simple questions. As each is
answered, the selector narrows down the carb
choices. When the last question is answered, the selector presents the final list of recommended carburetors. Just for grins, I visited the site and
plugged that kid’s 307 into the selector. I gave the small block a 5,000 RPM
maximum for street use and specified an electric choke and vacuum secondaries. Just like that, the selector recommended either a 390 CFM or a 570 CFM carb, both with electric chokes and vacuum secondaries. Quite a far cry from
a massive 750 double pumper wouldn’t you say? Sometimes...no, make that all the time, less is more. ©MSR
4
MOTOR STATE PERFORMANCE REPORT
CHARLIE JOBBER
What’s In A Name?
Every
year I take a
long weekend off to
attend the
annual
Performance
Mogul Seminar (PMS). It gets
me out of town (and away from the counter) for a few days,
gives me the opportunity to learn about new products and,
most importantly, it allows me a chance to get together with
fellow speed merchants for the sake of talking shop while
we rotate the local bars’ beer stocks. I’ve made some lasting
friendships among this group and it’s always good to sit down
and compare notes and notions with them. I particularly
looked forward to our most recent meeting, which took place
last week, because this past year has been a roller coaster ride
of ups, downs, curves and more than a
few sudden stops for our industry.
My pal Roy, who owns a speed
shop in the Midwest, wasted
no time getting the ball rolling on our discussion. The
frost was still on the beer
mugs when he unleashed
a monologue about high
gas prices and how what
he perceived as unbridled greed by the oil
companies was going
to affect business for everyone.
“My guys are still
buildin’ hot rods, but
they’re just not driving
’em as much anymore,”
he said. “With gas at better ’n three bucks a gallon
and climbing, they’re choosing their trips a whole lot more
carefully these days.” Then, he
added, “Of course, gas is all of a
sudden coming down in price now
that the rodding season is pretty much
over.”
“A lot of my customers car pooled to my shop to save gas.
You gotta love these hot rodders...they’ll go through a lot to
keep working on their cars,” said Dandy Don from Tucson. “I
don’t see this gas thing stabilizing any time soon.”
I added my two cents’ worth, saying, “I noticed that many
of my drag race customers only traveled to closer events this
year to avoid high gas bills. I’ll bet motels and restaurants are
feeling the pinch as much as anybody.”
The discussion continued and several items were covered.
As the evening wore on, we analyzed minimum pricing, sport
compacts, shoddy engine builders and a whole host of other
speed related topics. About an hour before last call, I thought
we had pretty much exhausted all pertinent topics when
Draggin’ Dave from the Chicago area dropped a bombshell.
“What do you dudes think about all this private branding
stuff that’s been showing up in mail order catalogs lately? I’m
talking big stuff. Aluminum intakes and cylinder heads, exhaust systems, shocks...even mass airflow sensors for crying
out loud,” said Dave.
Suddenly the floodgates opened wide and the discussion
that had begun dwindling got its second wind. The question
hit a real sore spot and soon we were off and running, stronger than ever.
“Ya, then they put this stuff right next to the brand name
stuff in their catalog, too.” said Oley from Wisconsin Speed as
he pounded his fist on the table for emphasis. “Their diesel
exhausts for pickups were exactly half the price of the brand
name...and were perched right alongside the brand name,
too!”
Nat from Cincinnati grabbed the floor and
asked, “What do you suppose the long
established speed equipment guys
think about this? Their marketing
plans include catalog space and
then the rug is jerked right out
from under them.”
I fielded this one. “I imagine the manufacturers are
not real pleased. I think
this is a bold effort to get
around what the mail
order guys perceive as
the pitfalls of minimum
advertised pricing. They
can only advertise the
major brand items for
the minimum price
set by the manufacturers. Their own stuff, on
the other hand, can be sold
for whatever price they choose
because they are both manufacturer and distributor. It’s pretty sly and
I think it’s going to hurt us all in the long
run.”
Until this point, Ozzie, who actually works for
Acme, one of the big mail order houses, had remained silent.
Now he spoke up. “Hey, we try to help the guy who maybe
can’t afford the brand name stuff. We’re lookin’ out for the
little guy, here...tryin’ to get him a better deal....”
“Ya, you bet you are...at the risk of taking the whole industry down as part of the deal,” interrupted Oley from Wisconsin. “What’s gonna happen when there are no major brands
around because you’ve stolen their engineering? You’re “onestepping” in a two-step dance. You’re not playing by the same
rules.”
“Besides, your knock-off products take the profit away from
(Continued on page 8)
NOV - DEC • 16.6 • WWW.MOTORSTATE.COM
5
Allstar Performance
What’s New From Allstar Performance?
Allstar Performance
Universal 9" Ford Axle Housing Seal
ALL72098
Now, one seal does it all. Bellows style seal keeps gear lube from leaking into the
axle tubes so that it stays where it belongs, in the center section. Seal will fit 3" axle
tubes regardless of wall thickness. Internal seal diameter is .950" which will work with
most 28 and 31-spline axles.
Allstar Spark Plug Indexing Tool
ALL96510
Use the new Allstar Spark Plug Indexing Tool to precisely position the
ground wire on each spark plug for best clearance and flame travel. Combustion and horsepower gains can be realized because the electrode area becomes unshrouded. The tool is compatible with 14mm, gasket and taper seat plugs.
Allstar Front Bumpers
Made of 1-1/2" x .095" wall mild steel tubing, bumpers are available to fit
the front of a Rayburn Dirt Late Model with an MD3 nose (ALL22383) or a
Universal Modified (ALL22375) chassis. Rayburn bumper has an improved
design for easier installation of MD3 style nose. 1-3/4" slugs must be welded to the bottom of chassis for installation. Universal Bumper has 5" x 5"
plate style mounts that measure 44" from outside to outside and can be
modified to fit most chassis.
Allstar Offset Deluxe Roll Cage Kit
ALL22109
Ideal for use with template style or ABC bodies. Perimeter frame mount roll cage
has the same dimensions as the ALL22100 cage kit but has an offset main hoop and a
narrow halo for cars with an offset body or narrow roof.
The Why's Of Spark Plug Indexing
Many times throughout the history of hot rodding, a fellow would screw together a potent, high compression race
engine with a set of magnificently forged, high dome pistons, and when everything was wired in and hooked up,
the beast would either start, but run poorly, or fail to start altogether. Hasty checks would show that fuel was being
supplied and spark was reaching the plug wires at the plug ends, but the engine would sometimes not even offer to
sputter. Finally, someone would get around to pulling the plugs and notice that the ground wires were more or less
hammered right down flat against the electrode. No gap, no fire...and no clearance between the domes on those
pistons and the ground wire. The first complete revolution of the crank had rendered all eight plugs useless.
After several possible solutions to this problem were considered, someone arrived at the idea of indexing the
plugs. The idea was to thread the plug into a fixture - like our ALL96510 - so that the relative position of the electrode
to the combustion could be determined. To adjust the electrode to clear the dome, and position it for best flame
travel at the same time, washers were used between the seat of the plug and the head. Usually one would do the
trick and each plug would then be indexed and marked accordingly.
Another school of plug indexing eliminates the use of washers and bases its theory on the fact that all plugs are
different. Each plug is indexed with a tool, but instead of insertion of washers a plug is matched to a particular cylinder’s characteristics and designated just for that cylinder. The process is repeated with each plug and each cylinder.
Sometimes several sets of plugs may be gone through to assemble an indexed set. ©MSR
6
MOTOR STATE PERFORMANCE REPORT
MANUFACTURER SPOTLIGHT
Dynamat Acoustical and Thermal Products
Motor State Welcomes Dynamat
Acoustical and Thermal Control Products
It would be a safe guess that when a hot rodder takes a ride in his new
chopped, channeled, overcammed, open exhausted coupe he soon discovers
that the heat and noise have increased proportionately with the power output. Maybe he’s even able to put up with these minor difficulties for quite a
while, chalking them up as “...part of the fun.” Then, he decides to take the car
on a long trip, concurrently deciding that his significant other should accompany him. That’s when something gets done about the noise and heat. That’s
when Dynamat Products come into play.
Dynamat products are manufactured by Dynamic Controls of North America. Located in Hamilton, Ohio, the company has been in the business of producing and delivering high quality solutions to acoustic environmental problems for many industries since the middle 1980’s. Their exclusive Dynamat line
is recognized around the world as a high quality product for the elimination
of unwanted noise and vibration in everything from race cars to lawn mowers
and army helmets to garage door openers.
Dynamat Products Include:
Dynaliner, a self-adhesive, efficient thermo-acoustic foam in 1/8", 1/4" and
1/2" thicknesses that may be used to insulate roof, firewall, floor, quarter panels and doors from heat.
Extremeliner, the ultimate low frequency sound and thermal control material (non-adhesive) consisting of 1/8" thick neoprene foam, .015" dead soft
lead, .25" thick acoustic foam and .003" thick urethane top facing.
DynaPad, a non-adhesive, four-layer composite with a l lb./sq.ft.vinyl barrier between two layers of 3/16" thick acoustic foam with a urethane facing.
Offers excellent low frequency sound control and thermal insulation.
Hoodliner, a self-adhesive, 3/4" thick sound soaker with an oil and water
resistant, aluminized skin. Pressure sensitive adhesive has a high tack and is
easily applied.
Xtreme Dynamat, a patented, self-adhesive elastomeric sound deadener
with a .060" thick layer of butyl and a .004" thick aluminum skin for very high
sound deadening qualities.
Original Dynamat, a .070" thick, self-adhesive styrene butadiene rubber
extensional sound deadener that conforms and molds well to interior surfaces.
©MSR
NOV - DEC • 16.6 • WWW.MOTORSTATE.COM
7
CHARLIE JOBBER
What's In A Name?
(cont. from page 5)
all of us...manufacturers and dealers,” said Draggin’ Dave. “Your cheap stuff is becoming just another brand to all the newcomers in
the marketplace.” Roy spoke up now, “Yeah, today's youngsters may not even recognize real brand name speed equipment. Can
you imagine some young kid coming into one of our shops and asking for an Acme intake manifold for his small block as if it's a well
known brand?”
“What if we just buy a bunch of your intakes and then sell them as loss leaders to help move our brand name carburetors?” asked
Dandy Don. “You want to be a manufacturer now, but how will you like it when we sell your stuff cheaper than you sell it?”
“You might just look at minimum pricing a bit differently, if nothing else,” added Oley.
“I’ll bet you won’t claim to be helping the little guy out anymore,” added Roy smugly.
Last call came and went, likely saving all of us from some further ugliness. Once back in my hotel room, I reflected on the discussion before turning in. Basically this is just one more mail order generated hurdle we all must deal with. One of the finest attributes of
our speed equipment industry has been the freedom to choose just the parts we think will work best. Some may like Weiand, others
Edelbrock or Offenhauser. When a customer selects a particular intake manifold, he expresses confidence in that manufacturer’s
ability to engineer a product that is going to make his hot rod perform better. The manufacturers reinvest in engineering and tooling for new products, including less popular, more expensive items (“FE” Ford, Pontiac and Cadillac intakes) as well as the ultra high
dollar, exotic race only products that are a tiny, but equally important segment of the market. Private branding is not the problem
here, necessarily. To some extent, everyone has private, in-house brands manufactured just for their own label. The problem arises
when a company goes offshore and contracts for knock-offs of parts that were originally engineered by someone else. Producing
and selling cheap imitations of the more popular items puts all the dollars in the hands of people who had nothing to do with the
design and development of the original product. This, in turn, takes away the dollars necessary to keep the brand name companies
manufacturing and designing the full spectrum of performance parts for ALL engines. The worst case scenario would be that someday there may be only one decal on every car and one small block under the hood, wearing only copied accessories. I seriously doubt
that the Acmes of the industry are going to tool up for an intake for a 500-inch Caddy or a 455-inch Pontiac...or even a 440 Chrysler
for that matter. And neither will the Edelbrocks, Weiands and Offenhausers. Guess who the losers will be. Hot rodding cannot exist
as a one-dimensional sport. The sport demands the unusual and the exotic. Engineering, research and refinement, not bootlegging,
will keep us all going. ©MSR
8300 Lane Drive • Watervliet, Michigan 49098 • www.motorstate.com
Toll Free 800.772.2678 • Phone 269.463.4113 • Fax 800.772.2618