Thoughts Pertaining To Youth, CAR CRAFTERS and MAGAZINES

In 1953, Zora Arkus-Duntov wrote a famous "memo" (think Jerry McGuire) to Chevrolet's managment.  Duntov's thoughts, in part,  formed the basis for the dramatic shift from Ford's Flathead V8 to the SBC as the world's most popular "Car Crafting" engine.

Dr511scj, in the spirit of Zora, has updated this milestone memo with the Editors of CC in mind:

"The Car Craft movement and interest in things connected with hop-up and speed is still growing. As an indication: the publications devoted to hot rodding, Car Crafting, "tuning"  and hop-upping, of which dozens have a very large circulation and are distributed nationally, grow in number and diversity each year, including some which didn't even exist much more than a decade ago. 

(Except for a few brand-specific titles) from cover to cover, they are full of Chevrolets and imports. This is not surprising considering that the perception is that the majority of Car Crafters are eating, sleeping, and dreaming modified SBCs,  B-Series Hondas, Scions, WRXs and twin-turbo Supras.  Most readers know Chevy and import parts from stern to stern better than the factory people themselves.

A young person buying a magazine for the first time immediatly becomes introduced to imports and Chevrolet. It is reasonable to assume that when these Car Crafters buy transportation, they buy imports--although a dwindling few "Buy American" diehards still struggle with Chevrolets. As they progress in age and income, they graduate from jalopies to second-hand imports and Chevys, then to new imports and Chevys.  Accordingly, their magazine purchasing habits track these trends.

Should we consider that it would be desirable to make these youths more open-minded? I think that we are in a position to carry out a successful attempt. However, there are many factors against us:

- 5.Appearance of Chevy's cheap, antiquated overhead valve Gen III and Gen IV V8s, now years ahead of Ford's advanced 3V Cammer and upcoming 5.4 DOHC Cobra. 

When the superior line of  Ford Modular V8s appeared, there were remarkably few stories in NON-Ford magazines about developing these, and none too successful. Also, the appearance of DaimlerChrysler's new HEMI was met with reluctance even though the success of the old early and late HEMI in drag racing conditioned editors and readers to the acceptance of HEMI power. 

Like all people, CAR CRAFTERS are attracted by novelty. However, bitter experience has taught them that new development is costly and long, and therefore they are extremely conservative. From my observation, it takes an advanced Car Crafter some three years to stumble toward the successful development of a new design. The newest Modular Ford Cammers and DC HEMIS will be in this stable between today and 2008.

The slide rule potential of both the Modular Ford Cammers (SOHC, 3V and DOHC) and DC's HEMIS is extremely high, but to let things run their natural course will put them YEARS behind-and then not too many Car Crafters will pick anything but Chevy or imports for development. One factor which can largely overcome this handicap would be the availability well-written, easy-to-follow, how-to build-ups, dyno tests, flow bench reports and project cars involving Cammers and Hemis.  A second factor is to recognize and encourage development of Cammer and Hemi powered cars by featuring them regularly in Car Craft and at Car Craft-sponsored events.

If the use of the Ford Cammer and Hemi engines would be made easy and the very first attempts would be crowned with success, the appeal of these new engines will take hold and they not have the stigma of expensiveness like the Cadillac Northstar or advanced European exotics, and a swing to FORD and MoPar muscle --as well as  Car Craft Magazine-- may be anticipated. This means the development of a range of special stories and series on Cammers and HEMIS -- analyses, builds, swaps dyno tests, shoot-outs, photo spreads, Ford and MoPar event coverage, junkyard safaris,  TURBOCHARGERS INSTALLATIONS and such-- should be made available to the public.

To make good in this field, the stories must pertain not only to the Cammer and HEMI engines but to chassis components and engine swaps into older platforms (such as a variety of RWD Fox-Body Fords and dirt-cheap '70s RWD MoPars) as well.

These thoughts are offered for what they are worth-one man’s thinking aloud on the subject.

Signed: Dr511scj (with apologies to  Z. Arkus-Duntov)
Dated: Good Friday 2005

One line for you Junior - LS7 FIVE HUNDRED Horsepower

                                                 FIVE HUNDRED ft lbs of TORQUE

SUPERCHARGER NOT NECESSARY

THANK YOU

That was THREE LINES, Pops!

One line for you . . . $60,000 to get an LesS7 in a 2006 ZO6 Corvette.

Sorry, I'd spend less money for more power with a aftermarket turbocharged SVT Cobra.

You've captured what I'm trying to convey to 71Bigblocknova and other closed-minded GM types.

Excellent!

LOL Are you saying that there are more ways to build a car than using a Chevy engine? I love it. But don't forget magazine space is dictated by advertizing and with all the Chevy and Chev specialty parts  money in the mag, us non-Chevy guys are probably getting all the space CC is allowed to give us.  

Ya know...Im a chevy guy...tried and true...but nowadays chevy is only in the bizness of building SUV's and pickup trucks...anything else either sucks or carries a 70k price tag. GM needs to get their act together and fight the imports and the blue oval boys if they wanna stay afloat.
And its gonna get harder with delphi goin under.
GM already shot itself in the foot with the death of the camaro and then reloaded and got the other foot with the GTO. Now theyre putting SS badges on SUV's and the like?...
So theyve got a cobalt...the new ecotec stuff can be pretty bad to the bone but, too bad youd have a fast ride that looks like a weiner on wheels...whos designing these cars anyway?

I remember when cars had somthing called a hood...with somthing called torque and somthing else called  affordability. Now everything looks like (literally) a lemon on wheels...make that...17 inch wheels...ridiculous. Has GM priced rubber recently?

So im hip...I think the new mustangs look great...even better than the old ones...cept for the hideous new interiors that look like theyre all plastic ...theyre faster than ever and they turn...too bad a "standard" transmission is a "performance" option nowadays...that carries a performance price tag.

But as much as I hate to say it let alone admit it on a CC message board...i dont think Id buy a "domestic" car if I was in it for the quality and endurance or the money/value.

If I had the cash to drop on a new mustang...i think Id walk over to the Honda lot and check out one of the new K-series powered cars.
With these motors in their cars there are 4 bangers are punchin out 300hp naturally aspirated...of course modded
but dang...its hard to make 300hp with a v8...and theyre doing it with half the cylinders....getting triple the gas mileage, paying half the insurance, half the car payment, and just imagine what itll do on boost and juice.

Im not into the less than hetero, penile compensating wings and fart cans...but on a stock block with the factory tranny if I can bang gears at 10,000rpm and shoot through the traps at 119 @ 10.01  with under 6k invested in mods than im sold.

Ok..so i might not fit in with the import crowd cause my honda would be sporting 15inch wheels, flat black paint, no stereo, and no a/c along with "home-made" performance parts with no decals and deck wings. but at least Id run all night for less money and then drive my ride back home on one tank of gas...maybe not one tank of squeeze...but its a small price to pay for 10's.

Maybe the import guys just like spending money...i dunno...but that cold air intake kit they just spent 200 bucks on looks alot like some flex duct that i can get at menards for about $4.

Still...dont get me wrong...wrong wheel drive would make me feel blasphemous and Id take my monza over any of them any day. hands down.

Sorry bout the rant...i just got carried away.
God bless
-Wes

If you'd be seen in a Honda (not exactly the ultimate in muscle-car styling), then why not a blown Cobalt SS or an Ion Red Line?  They're fairly quick and you can't see the "weiner" look from the inside . . . .

BTW, it's easy to make 300 hp with a V8 . . . .

A 300-horse "naturally aspirated" four isn't going to be remotely streetable or reliable.   SDS deflates the Honda myth here: http://www.sdsefi.com/tech400.htm

DARN YOU CAR MAGAZINES WITH YOUR FANTABULOUS STORIES OF HORSEPOWER AND GLORY! I have been duped again!

But yeah...Im just geting more keen towards gas  mileage and since nobody and their brother makes performance parts for chevettes...IM at a loss for the whole concept of power and mileage.
I totally wanna put a 2.8 and 5 speed in the vette but it seems that no one around here has a good 2.8....yeah...think about that one...as many crapped out s-10's, blazers, and v6 camaros there are pounding the streets...theres not one good 2.8 around?..aint that ree-####-you-lus.

Id do the 4.3 V6 thing...but if I was gonna go through all that trouble of making it fit between the shock towers than Id just drop in a SBC...plus the 2.8 weighs far less and is far narrower.
Oh yeah...not to mention the budget im on...hehe..budget?...whats that?..stinkin tuition. Darn thee.

But the bottom line is that i just want somthing that is highway safe/worthy that will let me pass people(safely) and  get better than 16mpg at 60mph.
I do alot of highway travel at about 80mph for 3 hours.

God bless....but I meant the penis look thing...gosh is it awful.

-Shred

Given the huge number of 60-degree V6s built by GM, I find it hard to believe you can't find even one! http://www.60degreev6.com/ 

Don't just limit your search to 2.8s.  The 60-degree mills come in larger sizes.  The '92-'95 3.4 RWD version might be a better choice.

Why not dump the 'vette and score a Fiero?  They are still fairly cheap and many come stock with a V6.  And some of the more exotic FWD V6s bolt in. Mid-engined Fieros can be some of the most fun-to-drive and economical cheap cars GM ever built.

Turbo Ted wouldn't be "Turboted" if he didn't mention that turbocharging a small plant (like a 2.3 four in a '79-'93 Fox-body Mustang or even a V6 Fiero) is an excellent way to get big mileage and will let you "pass people (safely)."

Fiero. Good call!  

Glad I could help. 

It looks to me like CC is going to avoid late model engines for a while (which is okay with me as long as they equally avoid the GM LeSs, the new Hemi and the Cammers).

In the long run, however, CC will be forced to cover the Cammers and new Hemis because of the increased presense of both on the street.

Yeah...I think thats cool...but its a drag cause these engines will never be "cheap" as they where not produced in large enough numbers for long enough like say the sbc(5.7) or sbf(5.0/5.8).

Gm keeps changing the design of the engines and sorry to say I dont follow enough ford stuff to know about it very well...but the 4.6 has been around for a while though and seems more common than GM's LS series engines.

The LT series engines will become collectors pieces cause they only ran for a few years before they where replaced with the LS series.
Even though there are the truck counter parts, they still get so much press and prestige that every greasy-haired gold chain wearing car salesman wanna be will as 2k for that LS series 5.3 cause it "only has a noise in the bottom end" and "didnt run hot THAT long".

I dunno about part availability in CA but here in the rust belt of IN...deals are fewand far between...but hey...at least im not bitter...right?

And yes...even though a Gm guy...id like to see more 4.6 stuff built...im trying to broaden my horizons...so i bought a volkswagen.

God bless
-Shred