Lane Automotive

FEATURES:
The Parts You Need and the Service You Deserve!
The Spotlight ........................ 1
Editors Notes ........................ 2
Hot Rodding News & Notes .... 3
New Allstar Products ............. 4
New Products ....................... 5
Racing News.........................6,8,9
New Vendors ........................ 7
Rodding Journal.....................10
Lane Happenings .................. 11
Lane Collectables .................. 12
Longtime Drag Racer Making A Transition To Street Performance
It seems like we’ve known Rodney Burgoyne forever.
When he informed us recently that he has officially retired
from drag racing, a lot of memories came back. For at
least the last thirty years, Rod has come to us for the parts
needed to field all eight of the top notch drag race cars he
has campaigned during this time period. These cars ran the
gamut from his first, an A/Modified Production ‘66 Chevelle to the most recent ride, a Top Sportsman 2002 Pontiac
Firebird. In between these two extremes were three Super
Pro cars, a ‘72 Vega, an ‘81 Camaro and an ‘85 Grand Prix;
and two other Top Sportsman cars, a ‘93 Lumina and a ‘95
Beretta.
When
asked what
his best ever
elapsed
time and
top speed
were, Rod
responded by
saying that
he always
Rod warms the tires on his ‘95 Beretta
Top Sportsman car.
wanted to run
a six-second
e.t. at better than 200 miles per hour, but the best he had
achieved was a 7.01 at 197 miles per hour. We’d say that was
pretty close!
Rod is now turning his automotive attention to street
performance and is currently refining a 1967 Chevelle. We’re
sure it will be every bit as first class as his race cars. Oh yes,
about that six-second, 200 mph goal...Rod says he may
sign up for Frank Hawley’s Drag Race School just so he can
qualify for a Top Alcohol license and make a six-second pass
at over 200.
Drag racers from all over the Midwest will miss Rod. He
has touched the lives of many,
many fellow racers in many
ways. From helping in the pits
to co-signing drag race licenses,
Rod has been there for them. He
has written a Thank You letter
expressing his gratitude for all
who have helped him over the
years, and asked if we would print
it here. R&R
At the end of
2007, I retired
from drag racing
after 30 years. I
would like to take
this opportunity
to thank many
people who have
helped me along Rod’s Top Sportsman 2002 Pontiac Firebird turned in a
best performance of 7.01 @ 197 miles per hour.
the way. George
Lane of Lane Automotive, Don Adams, Dan Christopher and
Gary Igert from Performance Chassis, Jeff Covey & Gang
from Gun Lake Performance and Tom Troxell & Gang from
Troxell Specialty Cars. Thanks to all the gang at Lane Automotive who have put up with me through the years. Thanks
so much to Evan, Bryan and Linda at Torco Race Fuels for
their help and support. Special thanks to Terry Stears for all
of his help and friendship. Much thanks to Scott, Sondra and
their families for the help they gave. Thanks, too, to everyone who came to the pits and helped me at various times
during my racing years. There are too many to mention, but
all the help was appreciated. I can’t leave out one major part
of my operation, my longtime best bud, Roger Woodruff,
who has always been there to help and pal around with.
Finally, and not least, I could not have done this the last 15
years without my wife, crew chief, and lover, Carol. I have
met a lot of people that I call my friends, and would not have
met them had I not been racing all those years.
Thank you, everyone!
Rod Burgoyne
Rod’s ‘85 Grand Prix took over the quarter mile battle
when he crashed his ‘81 Camaro.
SUMMER 2008 1
RACING AND RODDING
SUMMER 2008
Editor’s Notes
Editor’s Notes
R.I.P. Scott Kalitta
The recent horrific funny car explosion
and crash that claimed the life of Scott
Kalitta will very likely have repercussions
that won’t easily be put to rest. Drag racing
at the professional nitro level has gone way
beyond being a simple acceleration contest
between two high powered race cars. With
speeds near 280 miles per hour at the eighth
mile point, and often over 330 miles per
hour at the quarter mile stripe, the dragsters and funny cars have transcended resemblance
to automobiles and moved into the missile category. Drivers snuggle up close to 6,000
horsepower, 10,000 RPM “bombs” - some sitting behind, others perched in front of them
- hoping that their aim is accurate when the green light shines. In the case of Scott Kalitta,
that missile was fired down a blind alley. There was no “back door” escape route at the end
Photos provided by
of the track at Englishtown, NJ, but rather a solid wall positioned just beyond what has to be
www.dragracingonline.com
the shortest sand trap anywhere.
Predictably, arguments are being made for a.) shortening the drag race length to either an eighth mile or a thousand
feet; (as of this printing, NHRA has shortened the fuel classes to 1000 ft.) b.) cutting engine and blower size as well as nitro
percentages; and c.) lengthening the drag strip for more shutdown area. All three solutions would likely have approximately
the same effect, but all three also have shortcomings.
Shortening the track for Top Fuel, Funny Cars and other 200+ mile per hour race cars would hamper all the rest of the
competition classes that encounter no problems with the quarter mile track length. To leave Stock, Super Stock, Comp, Super Comp, etc. racing on the quarter mile, while the really fast cars run on only an eighth mile, would seem weird. Reducing
engine and supercharger displacement might work for a short while, until technology overcomes the handicap. Lengthening the tracks involves the purchase of more real estate, which is not being made anymore. Most existing tracks have been
surrounded by urban sprawl and/or commercial and industrial zones which severely limit the growth possibilities.
What really needs to happen is that the marketing types who haunt the offices at NHRA and IHRA need to sit down and
re-evaluate their priorities with regard to just where they expect the sport of drag racing to be in terms of entertainment
value. They just might realize that they need to de-emphasize the 340 mile per hour, 4.5 second idea and work on developing the original premise that made the sport interesting in the first place. The closeness of the races, the influence that quick
reaction times can have on the slower cars and the absolute beauty of classic, highly individualistic drag car styling have all
vanished in a major way in the past few decades. No one, regardless of how hardy they may be, can honestly say that they
enjoy the feeling of impending doom that surrounds every Top Fuel and Funny Car pass, the ever-present fear that one, or
both, of the drivers may not survive the run. Drag racing is supposed to be fun, not a matter of life and death.
What would be wrong, for example, with requiring that funny cars replace the current bizarre bodies with bodies that
closely resemble the cars they now only loosely represent? Spoilers on the most modern of these cars have grown to
proportions that more closely resemble small pickup boxes. Without those flimsy headlight and grille decals, could anyone
really distinguish Gary Scelzi’s Dodge from the Chevy Impala SS of Tim Wilkerson or the Ford Mustangs of John Force and
his teammates? Most certainly the streamlining effect would be lost with more originally proportioned bodies, and the cars
would be noticeably slower, too, but that’s the point. Dodge’s new Challenger, Ford’s newest Mustangs, and the new retro
Chevy Camaro could all become the bases for beautiful funny cars and, judging by the enthusiastic response to the current
crop of seventies era nostalgia funnies, the cars would be more realistically aligned with ones the public can buy, drive, and
with which then can identify. Drag racing must get the visual aspects back, plain and simple...and keep the racers safer. R&R
InLongtime
Memoriam
friend, hot rodder and customer, Gary Ackerman,
passed away suddenly June 23, 2008. We’ll always remember
Gary, baseball cap on backwards, motoring down the road in his
pert little ‘23 T-bucket. R&R
2
Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266
Hot Rodding News and Notes
DEJA VU All Over Again...
Erb Takes Second UMP DIRTcarSummernationals Crown
Carpentersville, Illinois dirt late model hotshoe, Dennis Erb, once again topped all competitors in the 2008 version of
the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals. Erb, who drives self-owned Rayburn cars that are powered by Rhyne engines and carry
sponsorship from Thomason Express, Petroff Towing and J&J Steel, beat fellow Land-Of-Lincoln driver, Brian Shirley, by
37 points to score his second consecutive title in what has been branded “Hell Tour” by series organizers. Dennis was the
model of consistency, nailing two wins, 15 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes in the 20 events contested. The only blemish on
his record was a 12th-place finish on July 5 at Fairbury (IL) American Legion Speedway when a broken oil cooler on the final
lap cut his lead to just 4 points over Shirley. Erb and Chief Mechanic, Heather Lyne, showed that races are truly won through
preparation, completing every feature lap run during the tough 20 race tour. Dennis banked $25,000 and the Summernatioals title with a third-place finish in the series finale at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Dennis will continue his pursuit of his
second consecutive UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model National
Title and the $20,000 payday that accompanies it. At
publication time, Erb holds a
narrow lead in the quest for
the double-double. R&R
Tony Hammett Photo
SUMMER 2008 3
Hot Rodding News and Notes
In the whole big,wonderful world of hot rodding, there are not
many things that Al Bergler has not done. He has built, owned and
driven dragsters, competition coupes, funny cars and street rods.
He has masterfully hand-formed beautiful aluminum bodies and
interior panels that have graced many of the finest and fastest
drag cars in the world. Each car that has undergone his touch has
become a work of art. His original “More Aggravation” comp coupe
was the very first recipient of the famous Ridler Award at the Detroit
Autorama back in 1964.
Officially “retired” now, although you’d never know it, Al bides
his time these days restoring drag cars, mostly Michigan-based cars
with significant racing histories. Among his more recent creations
are four premier front engine fuel dragsters, “The Probe”, “Gang
Green”, the Logghe Brothers “House Car” and, most notably, Al’s
own “More Aggravation” nitro-powered, Bantam-bodied Competition Coupe. Work will be underway soon in Al’s shop on the restoration of Maynard Rupp’s “Prussian” fuel dragster.
One other famous car that Al originally planned to re-create was
his “Motown Shaker” Vega funny car. Young nostalgia funny car racer, Kyle Wurtzel, also wanted to build a “Motown Shaker” tribute car
to campaign at nostalgia events. Some may recall Kyle’s beautiful
“Nitro Pony” Mustang funny car, which took part in the “Noisefest”
at our 2007 car show. Both men got together and it was decided
that Kyle would rebody the “Nitro Pony” as the “Motown Shaker”.
Photos Courtesy Of Jerry Gilles
The newly reborn “Motown Shaker” made its debut at the
Goodguys Nationals in Indianapolis the first weekend in June, running in the low six second range and surviving until the
semi-final round. The next weekend it appeared at the NHRA Holley National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY and
was displayed with the Bergler & Co. cars in the pit area on Friday.
Kyle offered Al a chance to do a burnout in the car on Saturday and Al accepted the offer. The last time Al had driven a
funny car was in 1982, but he showed the crowd that he still knew how to make the car perform. He did a smoky burnout
pass to about mid-track, backed up and did another short burst across the starting line before idling down the track and
crossing the finish line. The smile on Al’s face as he climbed out of the car after the burnout session said it all. R&R
New Allstar Products
Dual Pass Radiators
Dual pass radiators have universal inlets to accept standard 1-1/2” hose, -16 or -20AN
fittings which are all available individually. Water circulates across the top half of the
radiator, then back across the bottom half for better heat dissipation. Double pass radiators offer the same features as Allstar standard aluminum radiators including furnace
brazed tanks, two rows of 1” tubes, billet machined filler necks with overflows and
standard 1-3/4” outlets. Inlet fittings are sold separately. Allstar Dual Pass Radiators may
just provide the margin of safety to prevent overheating. Available in sizes...ALL30022
(19“x24”), ALL30035 (19”x26”), ALL30036 (19”x28”) and ALL30037 (19”x31”). R&R
Transmission Stand
ALL10174
Avoid damage and fluid leaks during storage and transport of many popular transmissions. Multi-positional stand also keeps the transmission level and clean during
servicing. An adjustable rear stabilizer bracket can be moved fore and aft as well as vertically to accommodate a variety of transmissions. Overall dimensions 11” x 14” x 6”. R&R
Spring Steel Lower Nose Support
ALL23065
New Allstar Products
Provides support between the front nose piece and front bumper
of Dirt Late Models. 1/16” thick x 35” long x 6” wide, 3.6 lbs. R&R
Air Hose Reels
Heavy-duty air hose reels are spring loaded for automatic rewind. A locking ratchet holds hose
at the desired length. Adjustable guide arm can be angled to compensate for the mount location.
Mounting base has two 1/2” wide slots and two 1/2” drilled holes for easy mounting to a suitable flat
surface such as floor, ceiling, or wall. 3/8” hose is included. ALL10520 (25’) weight is 19.5lbs, ALL10521
(50’) is 41lbs. R&R
Compression Tester
ALL96520
Checks cylinder compression from 0 to 300 psi and features an air-hold valve to reset gauge.
Two brass fittings with o-rings are included for 14mm and 18mm spark plug threads. Easy to
read 2-1/2” dial is encased in a metal housing with a 12” flexible hose attached R&R
Competitive Edge Tire Treatment
ALL78105
Chemically treats and softens race tires to increase traction without making
tires greasy. Apply race day or night before on new or old tires. Can be used on
the inside or outside. One gallon container treats 4 to 6 tires. R&R
4
Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266
New Products
Performance Air And Oil Filters
Since as many as 10,000 gallons of air must pass through an
air filter for every gallon of fuel the engine burns, a good filter
will make sure the incoming air is as clean as possible. The Wix
racing air filter removes soot, carbon, abrasives and other contaminants from the air before it mixes with fuel in the induction
system.
Wix Performance Oil Filters are built to remove up to 94% more dirt than traditional
filters. Many have built-in bypasses to maintain oil pressure even under heavily clogged
conditions. Both filters are now in stock at Motor State and are available to fit a number of applications. R&R
Hushmat’s revolutionary sound control material is the
only such product approved and recommended by new
car manufacturers to deaden interior sounds and reduce
outside noise intrusion. Available in black and silver,
Hushmat is adhesive backed and installs in half the time
with no surface preparation or pre-treatment required. Silencer Megabond material
deadens noise as well as insulating against heat. Both products are now in stock and
should be seriously considered as a part of the next race car or hot rod project. Don’t forget that muscle car restorations can
benefit from Hushmat technology as well. R&R
E85 Carburetors
The age of fuels that are predominantly made up of
renewable ethanol is upon us. Many race sanctioning
bodies are starting to mandate 85 percent ethanol laced
gasoline as the fuel to be used in certain classes. Demon
Carburetion has answered the call for carbs that will accept this fuel.
Identified by bright gold baseplates and metering blocks, the E85 Demons are
calibrated for street or race operation on 85% ethanol fuel. With a wide range of tuning
adjustments, interchangeable idle and high speed air bleeds, idle feed restrictors and
main jets the carb boasts free flow, ridge free concentric venturi bores, billet metering
blocks and baseplate. Versions are available for circle track, drag and general competition in CFM ratings from 650 to 850. R&R
Suddenly, well into the twenty-first century, manual
transmissions are again gaining acceptance among the high- powered street warrior
contingent. Horsepower at the rear wheels is of the utmost importance...and everyone
knows that manual transmissions rob less horsepower than big, bulletproof automatic
transmissions.
McLeod, a pioneer in the field of performance clutches, has introduced a pair of units
that not only will revolutionize the use of manual transmissions, but will put all that
power to the pavement in the most expedient and effortless manner.
Imagine a street clutch that is quiet, with minimal pedal effort, that can easily handle
up to 1,700 horsepower. The RST Street Twin is a dual-disc clutch and the best choice for the street car equipped with
nitrous assisted, supercharged or turbocharged engine. Available in diaphragm, Borg & Beck and Long styles, it’s a bolt-in
proposition that can put that monster in the winner’s cirlce.
McLeod’s entry in the street replacement type clutches, the Street Pro can handle basic performance modifications like
headers and cold air intakes with street tires. The customer will notice a slightly heavier than stock pedal effort and improved holding capacity, but both characteristics will be a vast improvement over what the factory put in there in the first
place. R&R
SUMMER 2008 5
New Products
Performance Clutches
Drag News
Lane Automotive and Allstar Shine At Joliet
Lane Automotive/Allstar Performance sponsored drag cars have been
having a good year so far, with top alcohol stalwart, Bill Reichert, and ParkerTech alcohol funny car standout, Bobby Martin, both scoring major wins.
Bill Reichert and his potent A/Fuel Dragster have been 100% successful as
far as Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois is concerned. In back to back visits
there, first on June 6-8 for the Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals, and next
on June 13-15 for the NHRA Lucas Oil Division III race, Bill scored two Top
Alcohol wins.
At the Torco event, Bill waded through a field made up of sixteen of the
best alcohol and injected nitro dragsters in the country, taking out Morgan
Lucas in the semi-final round and earning a run against Thomas Bayer in a
final that turned out to be anti-climactic when both cars suffered severe tire
shake. Bill managed to drive out of it and win the race with a 5.35 elapsed
time to Bayer’s non-recovering 12.40.
At the Division III event, Bill qualified right in the middle of the eight car
field and proceeded to eliminate Noah Condo in the first round, Dave Weber
in the second and Marty Thacker in the final with a 5.40 second, 268.92 mile
an hour pass.
In his first year behind the wheel of Frank Parker’s Top Alcohol Charger
Funny Car, Bobby Martin is showing that he has what it takes to be a champion. After qualifying well and surviving two rounds of competition at the
Torco event, the Parker crew motored back to Joliet the following weekend
with all eyes on a class win. They were not let down as Bobby qualified
number two, behind Mick Snyder, and parlayed that performance into a first
round win over Jay Payne, a semi-final win over Fred Hagen and the final
win against Steve Harker where he turned in a fine 5.67 second 254.42 mph
run for the trophy. R&R
Bill Reichert warms the tires prior to his win at Joliet June 8.
Frank Parker making final adjustments on his Lane Automotive
sponsored Alcohol Funny Car.
Drag News
Bobby Martin Makes It Two Wins In A Row
Norwalk (6-29-08) marked the second consecutive win for the Lane Automotive/
CAP Dodge Charger R/T TAF/C in two weeks. It was also driver Bobby Martin’s first
ever NHRA National Event win.
This visit to the Winner’s Circle is special to Martin, as it represents a milestone,
not just a win. After racing Top Alcohol Funny Cars for eighteen years, Martin has his Bobby Martin leaves the line at Norwalk on his way to
a big win in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
first NHRA national event number one qualifying position and race win. For Frank
and Dan Parker, owners and crew chiefs of the Mopar Hemi-powered car, Martin’s
achievement was expected. “We’ve known and watched Bobby for years,” said Dan Parker, the team patriarch. “He’s become skilled and track-wise from running his own car, but doing everything himself was a distraction. We just knew that, if
we could hook up and take some load off his shoulders, he would really shine on the track.”
After tire shake aborted his first qualifying round pass (6.75/147) Martin came back in the second qualifying round and
laid down an impressive 5.645/255.63 to permanently take over the number one spot. Interestingly, Bobby was never out of
the five-sixties for the remainder of the event. That’s consistency!
In Round One, Bobby dispatched #16 qualifier, Mark Poyser with a 5.679/256.11 pass. Martin’s fellow competitor, #9
qualifier Von Smith, won his first round match, but his chute failed and he went for a ride off the end of the track, bending
his chassis. Thus, in the second round, Bobby Martin and the Lane car soloed, recording the quickest pass of the event, a
5.622/258.02.
After a short rain delay, Round 3 found Martin and the Lane/ParkerTech Charger paired with Andy Bohl’s Bohl Automotive
Mustang. Bohl cut a fantastic 0.01 light, but soon went up in smoke, veering very close to the wall in the process, as Martin
soared to a fine 5.63/257.73.
The final lined Martin up against veteran Steve Harker in the OMS Graphics Monte Carlo. Martin was out of the gate first
with a 0.169 reaction time, but just five ten thousandths of second later, Harker was on the pedal. The elapsed time was also
separated by five ten thousandths at the finish line. Martin won by a scant four feet (0.0102 seconds), posting a 5.624/256.84
to Harker’s 5.629/256.60 effort. What a race! R&R
6
Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266
New Vendor Showcase
V-Mac Racing Products
Sprint cars are a specialized breed of race car and, consequently, require specialized
components...items that are quite often hard to acquire. That’s why, whenever we come
across a highly reputable sprint car component manufacturer, we don’t hesitate to add
them to our product line. Such is the case with VMAC Racing Products of Visalia, California. VMAC is a double rarity in this day and age. Not only do they manufacture hard to
find sprint car parts and pieces, but they also manufacture them right here in the U.S.A.
VMAC Racing Products is an established company that has undergone a recent ownership
change and has been streamlined to eliminate previous inventory related problems. Feast
your eyes on some of the most sought after components from VMAC. R&R
Kevlar Brake Lines
There is nothing tougher than Kevlar when it comes to a material for bulletproof brake lines. Extremely flexible, VMAC Kevlar brake lines have crimped on collars with #3 straight aluminum ends. Four
lengths are available: 15”, 18”, 21” and 24”. R&R
Aluminum Brake Line Quick Disconnects
A 100% dry brake coupling, VMAC Quick Disconnects allow connecting and disconnecting
of brake fittings with no chance of air entering the system. Ethylene-Propylene seals will last a
lifetime and the hard anodized, billet aluminum fittings can take a real beating. The male end is
VMC2435; the female end is VMC2440. R&R
Honeycomb Radiator Protector
New Vendor Showcase
Eliminate the problem of bent radiator fins with VMAC’s Honeycomb Radiator Protector (VMC2620).
All the top Outlaw teams rely on this piece to keep radiators doing what they are designed to do,
mainly cooling expensive race engines. The protector also makes clean-up of the radiator an easy
proposition, just remove, hose it off and reinstall. R&R
Quick Release Transponder Mount
More and more tracks are using transponders to keep track of car positions during a race and
VMAC has developed the perfect companion piece: their Quick Release Transponder Mount
(VMC2600). The black anodized, billet aluminum mount clamps on a 1” diameter chassis tube and
includes a hairpin clip for quick mounting and dismounting. R&R
Super Flex Floating Front Motorplate
The billet aluminum floating front motorplate (VMC1505) is made of billet aluminum and
designed to pivot so the chassis can flex and drive harder off the rear tires. Two tapered Allen
head bolts mount the Rear Horse Shoe to the engine and two aluminum 3/8” spacers take
up the offset from the horse shoe. A 4130 spherical bearing eliminates binding and black
anodizing adds protection. R&R
Direct Mount Front Hubs
VMAC aerospace aluminum alloy front hubs, with or without brake
mounts, are made to last and include bearings, seals and Grade 8 fasteners.
Hubs will fit Sanders, Weld, Circle, MPD and Keizer wheels and are available
in silver and gold powder coated versions and in pairs or individually. All are
designed to be oil or grease filled. R&R
SUMMER 2008 7
Racing News
Racing News
Berlin Raceway Lane/Holley Challenge Winners
Chris Anthony
Ryan Gruppen
Dave Lake
Tim Yonker
Dennis Mann
Steve Needles
Denny Anderson
Jack DeJong
Chris Anthony
8
Dave Lake
Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266
Dennis Mann
Denny Anderson
Jack DeJong
Racing News
Kirk Meissner
Nate Walton
Nick Bonstell
Nick Sherrington
Steve Needles
Denny Anderson Wins Super Stock Heat And Feature
Nick Bonstell
Pro Stock
Feature Winner
Chris Anthony And
Crew Celebrate His
First-Ever Late Model
Feature Win!
Racing News
Nate Walton
Nick Bonstell
Nick Sherrington
SUMMER 2008 9
Rodding Journal
Rodding Journal
The Ins And Outs Of The Whole Scrap Iron Deal
Anyone who has ever hunted the backroads for vintage
ing the truck over, we discovered that both 75 gallon fuel
tin is likely agonizing over the high prices currently being
tanks were full to the top. Doing some mental calculations,
paid for scrap iron, and the long range problems these
I determined that, at 12,000 pounds dry weight, the truck
prices pose for those of us still involved in locating new hot
had a scrap value of $1,320. The “wet” weight value, due to
rod project material. Hundreds of thousands of choice, rethe 150 gallons of diesel at nearly five bucks a gallon, added
storable antique cars and trucks as well as parts donors have at least another $650-$750 to the actual value of the truck. A
been sent to the crusher, most with tons of desirable parts
double whammy to be sure! The truck now had a scrap and
still attached, because, at $220-$240 a ton, they are worth
reclaimer value nearly twice what it realistically would have
more now as scrap than they ever were as parts cars. The
sold for even a year ago.
tragedy here is that sooner or later, the scrap prices will go
Is there anything we can do to save some of these veback down, but
hicles, and maybe
many desirable
even purchase
old vehicles will
them for less
have disappeared
than scrap value?
forever.
There sure is!
Several horRight off the bat,
ror stories have
it wouldn’t hurt
circulated since
to inform the
the scrap dealers
owner of a potenhave upped the
tial restoration (or
prices they are
scrap) candidate
paying for old
that the per ton
vehicles. A while
price is paid upon
back, a 1939 Ford
delivery of the
1-1/2 ton cabover
vehicle to the
truck was adverscrap yard. Ninety
tised in a local
percent of those
I rescued this rare 1946 Dodge COE from behind a barn in northern Michigan.
classified paper
owning these
for $500.00. It was
vehicles have no
an old Vernor’s Ginger Ale delivery truck, with the trademark means of transporting the car or truck to the scrapper. At
gnome still visible on the doors. What I thought was really
better than $2.50 a mile, or more for wrecker service, the
unique was that the original flathead had been fitted with a
price per ton figure can dissipate quickly. Generally, you will
pair of Offenhauser aluminum cylinder heads. It seems that
pay for a round trip with most haulers, so if the car is forty
flatheads were always prone to overheating, especially in
miles from the scrapyard, a round trip of eighty miles, at two
the confines of a cabover engine compartment. Many COE
and a half per mile, can run $200.00. Most scrappers do not
Ford trucks in the forties had aluminum heads installed as a
like to take tires, deducting as much as $15.00 per tire on big
means of dissipating heat. The truck did not sell, and when
rigs and at least $5.00 per tire on passenger cars and pickup
the scrap prices escalated the owner hauled if off to the
trucks as a penalty. A six-wheel truck would be penalized to
scrapper. At 7,800 pounds and $220.00 per ton, the truck
the tune of another ninety dollars deducted for unwanted
yielded a check for over $850.00. He was happy because he
tires.
had nearly doubled what he would have gotten from his
Doing the math, it works out this way. When the guy
original asking price. I was sad because a prime restoration
rejects your offer of $750.00 for a dual-wheeled truck, saying
project was gone forever.
he can get a thousand bucks for scrap, you can counter with
Another, even more distressing occurrance, just a few
the fact that he may only get $710.00 for it after tire and
weeks ago, added even more insult to injury. An acquaintowing fees are deducted. The same holds true for cars, to
tance had an old semi-tractor that he wanted to send down
a lesser extent, maybe, but making a potential seller aware
the pike, hopefully with someone who would restore it. The
of ALL the expenses can yield some amazing results. I’ve
truck was in reasonably good shape, and had been fitted
always figured it is certainly worth a try. It doesn’t hurt to tell
with a rare aftermarket fiberglass tilt front end. The rig had
the owner that instead of scrapping the remains of his dad’s
not run in ten years or so, but its diesel engine would still
beloved Modal A sedan or farm truck, he should sell it to
turn over. The owner asked me what I thought the truck
someone who wants to restore it to its former glory. Hopewas worth. I told him I thought it might be worth a thoufully there is still a shred of sentimentality left there. After all,
sand bucks to a restorer...an accurate appraisal, or at least
he has kept it around for many more years than he would
it was before the scrap market went berserk. While lookhave if he’d had no sentiment. R&R
10
Phone 269.463.Lane • Toll Free 800.772.5266
Lane Happenings
20th Annual Lane Automotive Car Show
An Outstanding Success
The weather was great, the show cars were splendid,
as usual, and the crowd was outstanding for the 20th
Annual Lane Automotive Friday night Cruise-In and
Saturday Car Show, May 23d & 24th. The second annual Open Header Cruise through downtown Watervliet kicked things off with over fifty hot rods, race cars
and off-road vehichles rumbling without benefit of
mufflers. A new twist was added this year as two front
engine nitro dragsters joined in at the tail end of the
cruise and followed the rest of the cars into Lane Drive.
As the open header cruisers shut down their engines,
the background rock and roll music of Al Giganti & Lou
Brule and Friends was coming through loud and clear.
A mild, late spring evening kept cruise participants
here until 10:00 pm.
As the sun rose on Saturday morning, it reflected nicely in the paint jobs of the two hundred or so show cars that were
here and anxious to get the show underway. The Lane parking crew worked furiously and by 9:30 am had already parked
and lined up nearly 1,000 vehicles. The final tally was somewhere near 1,100 show cars and nearly 13,000 spectators.
A dozen nitro dragsters and one alcohol funny car fired up at noon for the 8th Annual Nitro Noisefest and the B&M/Moroso sponsored Chassis Dyno was up and running the entire duration of the cruise night and car show. When the noise died
down for the last time, Michael Roy’s supercharged big block inspired ‘71 Monte Carlo had pumped out 1,138 horsepower at
the rear wheels to take undisputed possession of first place. Mike Burrough’s ‘71 Nova placed second with a respectable 696
rear wheel horses. Verdell Bakers fierce, naturally aspirated ‘79 Mustang rattled everybody’s chains with an awesome 588
horsepower reading! R&R
Our Relay For Life Team Raises Over $7,000
SUMMER 2008 11
Lane Happenings
The Lane Automotive Relay For Life
Team every year fields a variety of
fund raising events in their effort to
raise money for support of the Berrien
County Relay For Life. This year was no
different as Lane employees bought
delicious baked goods at several sales,
shared in a wonderful variety of foods
at an outdoor barbecue, purchased
luminaria, adopted stuffed animals,
ordered gourmet popcorn, and even
enjoyed frozen treats at an ice cream
social. The funds from these events
were augmented by the money derived
from pop bottles, the B&M/Moroso
Chassis Dyno registration fees and the
donations from all the food vendors
who sell their goods at our annual Car Show. The total raised this year was a record breaking $7,000+!
Each year the Relay For Life campaign culminates in a 24 hour event at the Berrien County Fairgrounds. Several members
of the Lane team signed up to walk laps at various times. The walk goes on around the clock to signify that cancer never
sleeps. All the funds had not been tabulated as we went to press, but the total raised by the Berrien County Relay For Life
was already well over $505,000.
We finally were able to gather together most of our team members - when they’re not walking, they’re usually on the run
around here - for a group photo. R&R
8300 Lane Drive Watervliet, Mi 49098
Phone 269-463-LANE • Toll Free 800-772-5266 • Fax 800-772-2618
CAT109.3