It took quite some time for Dean Branham to get his 1969 Barracuda to this stage in its existence, but all the hard work, trials and tribulations have been more than worth it. “My dad bought this car in 1998, and it was a clapped-out, rusted mess with a 318 and bald tires. But it […]
Fast toys aren’t just for boys. And if you don’t believe us, then stop what you’re doing for the next few minutes and take some time to heck out this stunning—and deadly fast—Fox body Mustang. With just a glance we think you’ll quickly agree that Indiana native Shannon Butler can prove that statement. We caught […]
We aren’t afraid to admit it. In a veritable sea of Mustangs and Camaros, we at RPM are suckers for relatively obscure body styles, alternative colors, and off-the-beaten path engine and transmission combos—especially when such rides are able to crank out insane power. Don’t get us wrong—there are plenty of gorgeous mainstream cars out there. […]
For some of us, it takes a while to settle on the perfect car for a build. We scour the available targets, consider the pros and cons of each, hunt for a good buy, and eventually we make our choice. But for others like Trumbull, Connecticut’s Jim Sciortino, it is a far simpler choice. “I […]
Ask any scientist and he or she will surely tell you that the key to any quality experiment with dependable results is the effort put in up front to ensure that the data collection process is sound. Trial runs, mistakes, and miscalculations can be sorted out ahead of time to ensure that the finished product […]
There seem to be two schools of thought in what it takes to build a dual-purpose street/strip car. One group would suggest taking an all-out drag car, doing just enough to make it street legal, and trailering it anywhere and everywhere to demonstrate its stellar—and frankly predictable—on-track performance. However, to the other bunch of street/strip […]
If you’ve been in the high performance drag racing and street machine scene long enough, you’ve probably experienced it. In the nearly-constant search for better, faster, and cooler, you made a deal that you later regretted. Sometimes you lament the ride you gave up. Other times, you realize that maybe you aren’t as crazy about […]
Dan Bosco, just like the name of his Outlaw Limited Street “Maverick” suggests, isn’t scared to cross the line of conformity. No stranger to cars growing up, Bosco’s dad always had something that would turn heads in the driveway. For Dan though, there was nothing like the thought of going fast in a drag car, […]
As so many obsessions do, it started simply for Hawthorn Woods, Illinois native Joe Capps. He just wanted a capable performing Mopar street car. But an enabling friend can always spur us along to go further than we thought we would, and for Joe, that was good buddy Matt Renz of Midwest Muscle Cars. “Matt […]
“I bought the car in 1986 while I was a sophomore in college,” said Jay Friedrich of his 1966 Chevelle Deluxe. “It was an all original six-cylinder car with 48,000 original miles.” That Chevelle would only make it one more year with the six in it as Freidrich was working feverishly after school nd any […]
My good friend RJ Miolla said it needed a name,” recalled Lake Peeskill, NY paint and body extraordinaire George Rubistello. After several failed attempts and a few laughs, Miolla (whose own Pro Cameo took the July 2015 cover of RPM) said “Loose Screw,” and that was that. “There couldn’t be a better name for the […]
>>>BRADLEY GRAY’S ARMY OF WILD HOME-BUILT PRO STREET CREATIONS IS ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY! From a distance, it looks like any other vendor trailer you’re likely to see at a major show. As you draw closer, you notice that the bright red Kenworth tractor with matching stacker trailer is spotlessly clean and adorned with more chrome […]
A bright orange Mopar out of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania had the street car drag race world in awe this past July as it led qualifying in Kristal Cowle’s inaugural War By The Shore Real Street Showdown class. A Dodge leading the pack…this just doesn’t happen, let alone a 100% Mopar powered Dart. For those less […]
…Ian Hill takes on bracket, super stock, and heads-up drag racing in 2015 Aside from family and work, Ian Hill’s world revolves around cars—especially fast ones. He’s been a standout in sportsman drag racing for a number of years, but his most recent acquisitions will certainly take him to the next level in both sportsman […]
Shawn Beard is a car guy. The Midland, Texas native says it was cars that got him through a scary period of his adolescence and it is cars today that give him reprieve from the pressures and demands of business and life. “I have always had a passion for automobiles in general starting at a […]
Although disputed bythe Cowboys of Arizona and Texas in the late 1800s who had claimed to have found the “Thunderbird,” the existence of the massive winged warrior with alligator-like armor is considered to be a myth. Kevin Slyfield’s 2,500-plus horsepower methanol gulping championship bird of prey, however, is completely real. Right from the very roots […]
Since its inception, quarter- mile index racing has been steadily growing. However, over the last eight or so years it has become that shining example of grassroots family-style racing in much of the Northeast. Longtime supporters and competitors Fonse Performance have been patriarchs in the most popular and always heavily contested 8.50 Index category for […]
You don’t have to be around the custom car scene long to learn that there’s no shortage of Camaro fans out there. And why not? The classic Chevy lines are unmistakable regardless of generation, and build costs tend to be reasonable compared to other popular Ford and Mopar body styles. But while there may be […]
Nostalgia drag racing is still on a major upswing, and it’s crazy to think that cars built in the ’80s and ’90s qualify as nostalgic. But, in the case of this wildly modified Chevy Monte Carlo, it takes people back to a simpler time, and it certainly takes its owner back in time. Garrett Barker […]
There was little doubt that Waterdown, Ontario Canada’s Mark Robert would be wheeling some sort of fast car on the street—and eventually the dragstrip—as soon as he was old enough to drive. “I can remember my dad bringing a transmission into our apartment living room to rebuild it, and he was repairing and rebuilding cars […]
PROJECTS – HOME GROWN COPO – Powered, Wired & Shifted
It’s been six long months since we last checked in with Project Homegrown COPO, an RPM MAG-influenced tribute to the factory modified racecar offering from Chevrolet, and we’ve made some decent progress. It might not seem like much if you are a fan of TV shows that pack a year’s worth of work into a […]
PROJECTS/BUILDS – 4 LUG THUG – Nitrous Express Water Injection
For eons we have become accustomed to water methanol injection on both diesel and gasoline engines. It has been used in boosted racing and street performance primarily, but in the last few years water injection has become increasingly popular for nitrous engines, as well. Although it may seem like someone just recently discovered the advantages […]
INSTALL – 4 LUG THUG – RaceCraft Part 2 – Suspension Upgrade
Last month, we started our RaceCraft rear suspension upgrade in the RPM Magazine THUG mule Mustang with the install of a much-needed upper control arm doubler kit. RaceCraft’s stock upper torque box upgrade not only reinforced the control arm bolt holes but gives us another set of bolt holes above the stock location for more […]
INSTALL – 4 LUG THUG – RaceCraft Part 1 – Upper Torque Box Doubler Install
We decided while rebuilding the rear section of project 4 Lug Thug over the winter that we should upgrade our cheap second-hand upper and lower control arms while its jacked up and stripped down. While the car as originally going to be a mild street/strip ride, it has slowly morphed into more than we thought […]
TECH – Cover Your Butt – Engine Diaper Install
If there is one thing I’ve learned in my first 14 months of fatherhood, it is the vital importance of diapers. I never gave them much thought for the first 38 years of my life, but now I realize how fast things get out of hand without one. Even 10 minutes with a miniwild man […]
In every race community, there are groups that form and come to light. The Pro Stock and Pro Mod scene in the ’80s grew into Pro Street, while the current radial tire craze that started with the NSCA and NMCA has spawned multiple new classes of drag racing like no prep and the drag n’ […]
FEATURES – THE INSTIGATOR – Jeff VanNorden – 70 Challenger
To hear Clifton Park, New York’s Jeff VanNorden tell it, he didn’t have a choice. On the streets in his hometown, there is an order. There’s an ethos. There’s a way you establish yourself. And to fail to abide by those unwritten rules is… well…unforgivable. “A buddy of mine was riding his Hyabusa and he […]
FEATURES – STIFF WIND – Anthony Albanese ‘ ’71 Chevelle Ragtop
It’s been said that variety is the spice of life. And try as we might to mix things up here at RPM, the truth is that for all our car guy and gal chest thumping for being different, unique, and individualistic, we sure tend to do things a lot more alike than different. We all […]
FEATURES – C-10-MENTAL – Justin Moore
Speaking from experience here, it’s funny what we remember from our childhood as we age. For some, it’s a familiar smell of grandma’s kitchen. For others, it is just a few notes from a beloved song. But for the car guys and gals among us, it is fairly common that some of our best and […]
FEATURES – PROFESSIONAL GRADE – Ron Fountain ’68 Camaro
Severn, Ontario’s Ron Fountain was tired of the hassle. Fed up with the fight. Weary of the war. With a 9-second capable but non-caged 1970 Nova that he had street raced for years, every time he went to the track he’d get scolded for having a car that lacked the necessary safety equipment for its […]
FEATURES – GRAPE JUICED – Dave Pierce – 68 Pro Mod Camaro
Drag racers are a predictable bunch, especially those who live at the ragged edge of extreme speed and power. Pretty much anything that enhances performance is highly coveted, and most of the time, if a little is good, then a lot is better. Take Claremore, Oklahoma’s Dave Pierce. It wasn’t enough to have a carbon […]
In every race community, there are groups that form and come to light. The Pro Stock and Pro Mod scene in the ’80s grew into Pro Street, while the current radial tire craze that started with the NSCA and NMCA has spawned multiple new classes of drag racing like no prep and the drag n’ […]
FEATURE – WICKED WILLYS David Murdoch 1933 Willys
Imagine trying to build the hot rod of your dreams, but living 400 miles away from the nearest chassis builder and thousands of miles away from most every part you’ll need to build it. Not an easy task, and definitely not something that most readers can even imagine, however, such were the challenges of South […]
FEATURE – PRO STREET EVOLUTION – Jeff Fern 1970 Camaro
Make no mistake. RPM Magazine isn’t the place for theological debate or scientific arguments of a non-automotive flavor. We won’t ever discuss the social implications of the Pope’s visit stateside or the existence or fallacy of greenhouse gases and their impact on climate change. But for the next few pages, we’re going to prove that […]
FEATURE – NOVA CANE Nathan Stinson 1974 Nova
What gearhead hasn’t had a vision of finding that gem—that one barn find—the abandoned rare diamond in the rough? To stumble across a lost piece of history just waiting on that one person to replenish the relic back to its former glory and splendor. Sounds kind of like a fairytale doesn’t it? Most likely, it’s […]
FEATURE – BOOSTED MAV Richard Tally 1970 Ford Maverick
“My wife was afraid I was going to crash and kill myself,” shared Kentucky native Richard Talley. Quite simply, that in a nutshell, is how Talley—a former wheelman of a turbo Hayabusa 4-wheeler—found himself shopping for a new set of wheels. “My wife wished I would get a car because it would be safer. Ok, […]
FEATURE – THROWBACK – Jerry Gary 1970 Chevrolet Vega
Jerry Gary, Jr. was sick. Really sick. The likeable Smithfield, Virginia auto parts consultant spent more than a few days wondering if his time was almost up. However, during his lengthy illness, he stumbled across a book about the Street Machine Nationals and the heyday of pro street and found a freshly stoked fire for […]
FEATURES- CHEVY THE PERFECTIONIST – Mick & Judy Bodigon 55 Chevy
Face it: some of us just can’t leave well enough alone. When “good enough” is rarely (if ever) good enough and when “decent effort” is unacceptable in light of best effort, rest assured that you’re afflicted. The unshakable roots of perfectionism have a way of plunging hard into the depths of your psyche, leaving you […]
FEATURES- FORD WORK IN PROGRESS – Chris Damovski 1985 Mustang GT
‘My first pass down the track was a blistering 14.85 @90 mph,” said Scarborough, Ontario’s Chris Damovski with a hearty laugh. And fast it wasn’t. But a start, it was. And we all gotta start somewhere, right? Damovski acquired the car as a hand-me-down from his uncle while working in his grandfather’s shop at the […]
FEATURES- CHEVY WAITING TO STRIKE – David Hall 1970 Chevy Nova
Most of us are familiar with the idea of hibernation. You know the drill: animals bury themselves deep in a hole and sleep through the winter. Hibernation is an energy-saving measure that allows the critter to survive long periods of time when food is typically scarce. However, some animals like snakes who live in milder […]
NEWS – 2020 YELLOW BULLET NATIONALS POSTPONED!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 14, 2020 From: Monty Mikho/Yellow Bullet Nationals This press release is very difficult for me to write as everyone knows how much Maria and myself enjoy putting on the Yellow Bullet Nationals however, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the rules and regulations that we are forced to follow by our state […]
Statement from SEMA about the 2020 SEMA Show
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, announced today that due to Covid-19 and concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable, the SEMA Show will not be taking place in 2020. While both event organizers and industry members have been working tirelessly to deliver an outstanding SEMA Show in November, mounting uncertainty has rendered […]
The DBW (Drive By Wire) Throttle Body segment has long been waiting for a True Bolt-On 112MM Ultra Hi-Flow Throttle Body that is complete! Granatelli Motor Sports, established in 1989, is proud to introduce their 112MM Drive-By-Wire LS Series CNC Throttle Body precision-machined from 6061 billet aluminum to exceed the demands required to increase airflow […]
NEWS- 2020 LS Engine Sweepstakes Winner Announced!
What was the best phone call you’ve ever received? When Jonathon West of Highlands Ranch, CO looked at his buzzing phone screen, an unfamiliar number from Bowling Green, Kentucky stared back. West assumed it was a telemarketer, but answered anyway. However, rather than the expected robotic accent pedaling cellular snake oil, Holley Director of Marketing, […]
EVENTS – Summit Motorsports Park Proud to Present Patriot Pass for 2021
While Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio will not be open this year because of the global pandemic, it will be open next year. Plenty of planning is underway, and racers, race fans, supporters and sponsors can expect the park to use its passion and pride to resiliently rebound. The powerful cars, pyrotechnics, the park’s […]
NEWS – New Holley Lo-Ram Intakes with SFI Burst Panels!
Holley’s popular Lo-Ram manifold with dual fuel rail configurations is now available with an integrated SFI burst panel for added racer safety. Read on to learn more! Dual Fuel Injector Lo-Ram, Front-Feed With Burst Plate Flange The 300-625 (satin) & 300-625BK (black) front-feed intake manifold kits provide two injectors per cylinder for high volume fuel […]
New Universal 3″ Flowmaster FlowFX Muffler!
Flowmaster’s FlowFX series muffler is designed to deliver a subtle performance tone paired with an economical price tag. The popular straight-through muffler lineup has been expanded to include a new, large 3″ universal model. Read on to learn more about this awesome new piece from Flowmaster! FlowFX Muffler Flowmaster’s FlowFX series mufflers […]
Dual Injector Lo-Ram Base Manifold Now Available!
Are you tired of struggling to find a performance intake for your tight LS-powered engine bay? Is it time to make BIG power with a turbocharger or centrifugal supercharger? Holley EFI has the perfect recipe with their new dual injector Lo-Ram base manifold kit! Based off of the top-feed configuration, this base […]
FOOD FRIDAYS – DRINKS – A Big Honkin’ Margarita!
A BIG HONKIN’ MARGARITA! If you like margaritas you will love this easy and quick recipe to make more than you can probably handle before falling over. Very refreshing on a HOT SUMMER day. Decorations not included in recipe…choose your own…for a rainy day…little umbrellas…for a sunny day…try the sombrero pictured here. Great for parties […]
Hey, we get it. Even though the 2020 Shelby GT500 is a mind-blowing piece of technology, the Bean Counters in the corner office had a profit figure to hit. How did they do that? Cutting corners. On bizarre stuff, like finishing touches in the engine bay when they car’s biggest piece of eye candy is […]
TRUCK QUICK TECH – Hit The Brakes
Like most of readers, we use our vehicles for everything Imaginable, and honestly, we are not what you would call “easy” on them. And contrary to popular belief, we don’t cruise around in a fleet of brand new stuff. Instead, just like you, we have to make our old rigs last. Oh sure, we take […]
TRUCKS – Trick Out Your Truck – Lighting & Style F250
With new diesel F-250 pickups running into the upper $60,000 range, we decided it would be worth the upgrades to freshen our 15 year-old reliable Powerstroke instead. The newer trucks actually still have very similar overall body styling but our lights and grille really show how dated our old truck really is. Our 2000 F-250 […]
TRICK OUT YOUR TRUCK – TOW TECH – Safety, Style, Function
If you have a high performance street machine or drag car, chances are that sooner or later you are going to have to haul it somewhere. In fact, having a fully-equipped tow rig is—for many enthusiasts, at least—one of the key steps in being ready for the race or show season and not. If you […]
TECH – TOW TECH – Need a Lift – Air Bag Install
Yes, I am guilty of it. If you consider yourself a gearhead then you are probably guilty of it as well. What am I accusing you of? Gearheads like having toys and usually don’t have enough money to buy something new or something that is the “best” in its class—mostly because we can fix them […]
TRUCKS – TRICK OUT YOUR TRUCK – Flares
Trick Out Your Truck – A Flare for New Shoes My wife has a flair for new shoes and so does our vintage RPM F-250 hauler. Four flares to be exact, but only one set of new shoes. If you have been following the Trick Out Your Truck tech in RPM over the last several […]
TRUCKS – TRICK OUT YOUR TRUCK – In a Day!
FROM MILD MANNERED TO MENACING….IN A DAY! We’ll be honest, we got sick and tired of being made fun of for our mundane 2015 F150 shop truck. We just heard one too many “hey look at the magazine guys driving around in a stock pickup,” comments and decided to do something about it. First, we […]
TRUCKS – Tow Tech – Gettin’ Hitched
If you’ve towed your race car or street machine before, you know that depending on the quality of your tow setup, it can either feel like a stress-induced worryfest where your rig seems to constantly teeter on the brink of disaster or pretty much like any other drive. The less heavy duty your equipment, the […]
FEATURES – ENTROPY – Kevin Amar – 1955 GMC 3100 Pickup
ENTROPHY – Kevin Amar 1955 GMC 3100 Pickup Lack of order or predictability. Gradual decline into disorder.” Entropy isn’t a suggestion. It isn’t a probability. It is a scientific law. In short, it is the natural order of things to decline, decay, and become less organized—unless energy is added to the system. Take Kevin Amar’s […]
WELCOME TO THE NEW RPM MAGAZINE ALL DIGITAL VERSION
Well, it’s finally here….the very first ALL DIGITAL RPM MAGAZINE! Here is just a little Teaser of the June issue. If you were a subscriber, you would already have this in your email inbox today. Subscribe by June 1st and you will receive this issue in your email just as the thousands of other RPM […]
NEWS – DiabloSport Tuning Now Supporting 2020 Ford F150 2.7L Ecoboost & 5.0L V8
Tuning for 2020 Ford F-150 2.7L Ecoboost & 5.0L V8 DiabloSport tuning is now available for 2020 Ford F-150 2.7L Ecoboost and 5.0L V8 motors. Adding power to the already impressive Ford F-150 was no small task. DiabloSport’s calibration team spent the time to develop awesome tunes that enhance thnee driving experience for any F-150 […]
NEWS – Automakers seek new revenue streams from wireless services, upgrades
By Nick Gibbs, ANE The dashboard, once the place where drivers checked their speed or changed the radio station, is fast becoming the car’s most valuable real estate, as automakers seek to generate new revenue through wirelessly delivered services, features and upgrades. The upgrades can include everything from in-dash apps up to software […]
NEWS – Fiat Chrysler confirms talks for $6.8B state-backed loan to weather virus crisis
MILAN — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed that it is in talks to obtain an Italian state-backed credit line of as much as 6.3 billion euros ($6.8 billion) to buttress the automaker’s finances after the coronavirus caused a steep downturn. In a statement on Saturday, the company said talks were ongoing with lender Intesa Sanpaolo for a three-year […]
AUTO MANUFACTURER NEWS – People Bought More Trucks Than Passenger Cars In The U.S. Last Month
As passenger car sales plummet, trucks overtake them temporarily. Passenger cars have always outsold pickup trucks in the U.S. In some years, as many as 600,000 vehicles separated the two classes. But with the novel Coronavirus affecting all new car purchases in the U.S. in April, pickup trucks stole the sales crown. At least, temporarily. New data […]
Brands push forward with new-EV rollouts
Article by Stephanie Wallcraft COVID-19 has automakers pumping the brakes on r&d spending, but most are still planning — at least for now — the launch of key electric vehicles in the coming months. Matt Girgis, managing director of Volvo Car Canada, said the XC40 P8 Recharge crossover is still scheduled to arrive in Canada […]
Automakers want Ontario showrooms opened to deal with expiring leases
Facing an onslaught of customers returning leased vehicles, some automakers are calling on Ontario to reconsider rules forcing the closure of dealership showrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our dealers are now dealing with record numbers of lease returns at our peak season and they are unable to process them,” Hyundai Canada CEO Don Romano wrote […]
U.S. self-driving startup settles trade secrets lawsuit with Tesla
U.S. self-driving car startup Zoox said on Tuesday it had settled a lawsuit with Tesla after admitting that some new hires from the electric car maker were in possession of certain Tesla documents when they joined Zoox. Tesla lawyers filed a lawsuit in March last year against four former employees and Zoox, alleging the employees […]
ROUSH YATES COLLABORATES WITH BIOMEDINNOVATIONS FOR VENTILATORS
Roush Yates Engines was formed in 2003 by Robert Yates, Jack Roush, and Doug Yates with the leadership of Ford Motor Company to create a world-class race engine company that would compete at the highest levels of the Motorsports Industry. Out of the passion for power and performance excellence, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions was formed. […]
FCA Canada implements temperature taking protocol for workers
As automakers eye a return to production, FCA Canada says it is taking steps to keep its factory employees safe on the shop floor. Some employees are currently working at the automaker’s Ontario assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton. They’re deep cleaning the facilities and tweaking job stations to make room for social distancing. But those that arrive […]
Jaguar Land Rover aims to make 5,000 protective visors
LONDON — Jaguar Land Rover said it is using its prototype building operations to make a target of 5,000 visors a week for health service workers, as manufacturers repurpose facilities to fight against coronavirus. The British government is trying to boost the amount of personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses and ventilators for patients. […]
Daimler CEO, top executives take pay cut in response to crisis
Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius and members of the automaker’s management board will reduce their fixed compensation by 20 percent until the end of the year in response to the effects of the coronavirus crisis. Other senior executives will see their pay drop by 10 percent for the next three months, Daimler said in a statement […]