Blunt InstrumentWho: Paul BludgenWhere: Lowell, IndianaWhat: '72 Chevy Monte CarloWhy: 'Cuz it's so crude it's coolGoodies: It's low-buck, it ain't pretty, and it hauls the mail. Paul Bludgen wanted a no-frills car that could run the numbers, and we think he hit a home run. The 377-inch Mouse-powered Monte has turned a best of 10.59 at 128 mph with an 8-71 Dyers blower and two 950hp Holleys perched on top. Paul pointed out that his big Chevy weighs 3,846 pounds and cranks out 721 brutal horses. Paul spent his money where it counts the most, and he has the timeslips to prove it.
Reader's In and Out ListIn: A vehicle with a turbocharged, intercooled engine, a fiberglass hood, and a six-speed transmissionOut: It's my dad's F650 truck
In: Having a musclecar to drive to school inOut: Having to ride the bus because you did a huge burnout and got your parking pass revoked
In: Reading Car Craft in schoolOut: Your teacher catching you, then saying you should be reading Super StreetMatt Sahlivia e-mail
Mail: Car Craft Readers' Pages, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048E-mail: carcraft@primedia.comFax: 323/782-2263Voicemail: 323/782-2018Subscription inquiries: Car Craft,P.O. Box 56095, Boulder, CO 80322-6095
How to Write to Car CraftRemember: We can't handle your subscription questions here at the editorial offices (log onto www.carcraft. com for info on that stuff). We also can't return anything you send us, but we want all the real photos we can get-not digital shots.
ChipsWho: Officer Mark GeelanWhere: On the side of the Pasadena FreewayWhat: California Highway Patrol B4C CamaroWhy: It's the first time we've been pulled over by a cop without having done something wrong Goodies: Officer Geelan recognized one of our project cars cruising the interstate and waved us over to the side for a closer inspection. We took a look at his ride too, and were impressed by the flashing red and blue lights, LS1, six-speed, heavy-duty brakes, suspension, cooling system, enough radio gear to run a radio station, and a conveniently mounted shotgun next to the driver seat.
Driveway Demolition116-0305-PAGE-DWho: Larry OlsabeckWhere: North Branch, MIWhat: '70 Chevy ChevelleWhy: Driveway burnouts are coolGoodies: Judging by the condition of his driveway, we would say smoky burnouts are normal behavior for Larry, which makes him all right in our book. Larry's nasty Chevelle is packing some serious heat in the form of a 468-inch Rat sporting 13:1 compression, Dart Merlin heads, a big solid cam, and an 850 Holley. A line-lock assists Larry in the production of prodigious amounts of tire smoke. The mid-11-second bruiser recently won a burnout contest in town that was judged by the local sheriff. In California, a burnout contest is considered an exhibition of speed and reckless driving. Maybe Car Craft needs to move its offices to North Branch.
Support Your Local Speed ShopAfter reading Monty White's letter [Letter of the Month, Mar. '03], I began to think about all the local machine shops that have gone out of business in my area; the letter really moved me. I had a set of Chevy heads that needed hardened exhaust seats and a valve job. I was going to mail-order a new set, but Monty's letter really hit home. I called a local machine shop only to find it had gone out of business. This made me even more determined to support a local machine shop. I called my second choice and was greeted on the phone by a very unfriendly individual who runs this machine shop. I explained to him that I needed an estimate on the above work. He threw a price at me of $550. I felt like my phone call was a great inconvenience to him. After that I came back to reality and remembered why I prefer mail order.Anthony DeMarco Sr.Mechanicville, NY