DIAMOND BAR, CA - Full-time students in the United States and Canada pursuing a career in the automotive industry may be eligible for financial assistance through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF).Over the past two decades, SEMA scholarships have supported over 700 students with more than $1,000,000 in scholarship awards. The program rewards the best and brightest students engaged in studies leading to careers in the automotive aftermarket or related fields. The application deadline for the upcoming year is April 1, 2009. SEMA will offer four-year, two-year, graduate, loan forgiveness and member/dependent scholarships.

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Cover Section: Build a Better Daily Driver

25 Ways to Build a Better Daily Driver Tips and tricks to make your daily commuter more commutable

Special Section: 35th Anniversary Car Craft All-Star Drag Racing Team

35 Years of Drag Racing Machines We look back at the evolution of Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock

Dominant Dixon Larry Dixon Jr. has set the Top Fuel world on fire this year driving the Miller Lite dragster

35th Anniversary Commemorative Poster

All-Star Team: The Early Years Drag racing pioneers look back at the impact the award had on their careers

Tech

Testing the StealthRAM Holley's new EFI system for small-block Chevys is super-trick

How to Rebuild a Posi Useful tech if you've wasted yours doing burnouts

Project SuperNova, Part IV Disc brakes stop good

Lashing for Power This dyno test is yet another compelling reason to step up to a solid-lifter cam

Buttoning Up the 'Bu Our '78 Malibu gets some final tweaks and an exhaust system and makes a trip to the chassis dyno

A Look at Gauges "Mechanical or electric?"--it's the burning question

Features

David's Slingshot Big power in a small package makes a giant-killing combination

GM's '03 New Car Preview The General's serving rice for dinner

Super Sport Redux A race car with street/strip roots

Departments

Point of View

Readers' Pages

Straight Scoop

Heads Up News

Speed Shop

Tech Talk

Hot rodding and racing lost one of its luminaries this past weekend when John Buttera passed away from complications of a brain tumor. "Lil John," as he was known to the industry, was 67 at the time of his passing.

Renowned hot rod builder and HOT ROD Magazine's 1988 "Man of the Year" Boyd Coddington died early Wednesday at the age of 63. The cause of death has not yet been released.

GLENDORA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2007) - Wally Parks, the driving force behind the formation of NHRA, has died at the age of 94. It was Parks' vision, goals and unconditional commitment to the need for speed and side-by-side racing in a safer, more controlled environment that created what is today the world's largest motorsports governing body.

On the morning of March 16, 1988 Mickey and Trudy Thompson were murderedin front of their home in California's San Gabriel Mountains. The doublemurder went unsolved for 18 years until today when, in a Pasadenacourthouse, Thompson's ex-business partner Michael Goodwin was convictedfor the killings.

For all you readers who dug our junkyard tour of Curboy's Auto Wreckingin the June '05 issue, here's a tour of another great salvage yard thatspecializes in vintage and classic machinery. But unlike Curboy's, whosedamp Massachusetts location contributes to astonishing levels of rust,Desert Valley Auto Parts is located in super-arid Phoenix, Arizona, soits inventory of 5,000-plus (yes, 5,000) pre-'80 cars is mostlyrock-solid.

Make no mistake, Ford wanted to create a little buzz when it introduced the GT40 concept car three years ago at the Detroit auto show. That buzz has turned into a roaring boom with its 21st century version of the legendary four-time Le Mans-winning GT40 race cars from the '60s. Aesthetically speaking, the new GT virtually mimics the contours of the original GT40s, however unlike the original, you can expect a plush interior that's ergonomically designed for comfort rather than the flat aluminum panels of a purpose-built race car.

There's nothing better than wandering around boneyards looking for diamonds in the rubble. Now imagine those diamonds are GTO Judges and Shaker hoods. And it's real. On a recent winter trip to the East Coast, we visited Curboy's Auto Wrecking in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and were blown away by the astonishing assortment of rare muscle on the premises. Curboy's has been family owned for three generations and has a thriving late-model parts division. But the guys also have a soft spot for vintage tin and have been stashing it away for over four decades.

American racing has always been dominated by the drag and circle track varieties. After all, the U.S. is an enormous place where many (if not most) of the roads are arrow-straight and virtually every one of the country's 3,141 counties has a fairground with an oval horse track. So it was only natural for us to race ... well ... there. It's Europe that's filled with twisty roads up the sides of mountains and former goat paths through vineyards--they're the ones who came up with road racing.

The steady flow of Stupid Gearhead Stories from our readers proves thatthe trials and tribulations of hapless hot rodders never cease, and thedeath-defying antics of our readers never cease to amaze us. But otherthan a few bumps and bruises, our luckless readers always come away withnothing worse than a fractured ego and a funny story. -Matt King

Oldsmobile and Cadillac had already made it to market with overhead-valve V-8s by the dawn of the '50s, but in 1951 Chrysler introduced an amazing engine-the Hemi V-8. The new engine was based around combustion chamber technology that had been partially developed during the war for aircraft and tank engines. The core of this architecture was the hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers that placed the valves in a stacked configuration at opposing angles. This design increased the efficiency of combustion and allowed for bigger valves, centrally located spark plugs, and more direct routing of the intake ports. By the time the Hemi made it to production for the '51 Chryslers, it sported 331 ci and compression that cranked out an astounding-for-the-day 180 hp.

ignoreOldsmobile and Cadillac had already made it to market with overhead-valve V-8s by the dawn of the '50s, but in 1951 Chrysler introduced an amazing engine-the Hemi V-8. The new engine was based around combustion chamber technology that had been partially developed during the war for aircraft and tank engines. The core of this architecture was the hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers that placed the valves in a stacked configuration at opposing angles. This design increased the efficiency of combustion and allowed for bigger valves, centrally located spark plugs, and more direct routing of the intake ports. By the time the Hemi made it to production for the '51 Chryslers, it sported 331 ci and compression that cranked out an astounding-for-the-day 180 hp.

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Did you know can upload your own photos and a description of your car in the Readers’ Rides section? Click on Cars & Events in the left navigation bar, then select Readers’ Rides from the drop-down menu. Click on the Submit Photo button on the lower right of the screen. Be sure to follow the directions--particularly regarding photo sizes and formats--otherwise your photos will be distorted.

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You can click on the "Go!" button at any stage of the process. Thus, if you wish to see all Ford stories--but only Ford--click on "Go!" after selecting Ford from the Make drop-down. If you wish to see all Ford Mustang stories, click on "Go!" after selecting your Make and Model. To see only 1999 Ford Mustangs, click on "Go!" after selecting from all three drop-downs. This function allows you to also see stories from our sister sites, such as hotrod.com or fourwheeler.com.

Ask anyone who's worked around hot rod magazines long enough to have a valid answer what the most elaborate magazine cover shoot of all time was, and you'll probably get the same response: the time Car Craft talked General Motors into shutting down its Van Nuys, California, assembly plant for a photo shoot.

Much like man’s rise up from his cave-dwelling, knuckle-dragging beginnings, three pro classes of the NHRA—Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock—have evolved from rather rudimentary foundations. In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Car Craft Magazine All-Star Drag Racing Team, we’ll look at some of the most prominent technological advances that have taken place since the inception of the All-Star awards in 1967, beginning with the biggest dog in NHRA drag racing’s pound—Top Fuel. For added perspective, we also interviewed a prominent drag racing legend from each class to get his take on the subject. So sit back, imagine the smell of nitro, and enjoy the history lesson contained in the sidebars below.

Cover Section

Tales From the Tech Lines Experts Reveal Your Best, Worst, and Stupidest Questions

Tech

Sticky-Tire Test: Radials vs. Slicks How fast do you want to go? What kind of tires do you have?

Tuning With Air Bleeds A little tweak here or there means a lot with the new Mighty Demon carbs

Project SuperNova, Part III We’re still smokin’ the radials, but the ETs look a lot better this month

Ford vs. Chevy, Round Two We swapped solid-roller cams in our 400-inch small-blocks and aimed for the 600hp barrier

440hp Budget-Built Vortec Chevy You could build it with beer money with your eyes closed

Cam Swaps Made Easy Comp Cams’ new three-piece timing cover makes in-car cam swaps a breeze

How to Install a Cutoff Switch …And not get booted by the tech inspector

Hydraulic Lifter Test High-bleed, anti-pump-up, or regular? Which lifters should you use and why?

How Air Conditioning Works Summer hot enough for you? Find out how to cool you and your car

Features

One Bad Brick It took perseverance and sheer determination to get this ’57 into the 8s

Rating the Camaros From First to Worst You can probably guess our pick for the best Camaro ever, but which one came in last?

Car Craft Road Trip! It’s time for our third annual fiasco. Wanna come along?

Second to None A jet boat guy takes to the asphalt with his ’64 Savoy

Indianapolis, IN August 29, 2002--The staff and management of Los Angeles-based Car Craft Magazine, a member of the Primedia publishing family, this evening presented the 35th Anniversary All-Star Drag Racing Team as selected by the magazine's 400,000-plus readers. In addition to votes received from online balloting additional votes were received from the readers of NHRA's "National Dragster," IHRA's "Drag Review" and a special Selectors Panel made up of deserving racers, members of the aftermarket and media communities and racing officials.

"We were almost overwhelmed by this year's voter turnout," reported Car Craft Publisher Jim Adolph following the awards banquet at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis. "This was the second year we utilized internet balloting along with our traditional sources of votes, and we were very gratified at the number who responded. Each year the program seems to get just a little bit bigger in terms of voter participation, which works to everyone's advantage. In some respects I guess you could say that the greater number of voters, the more meaningful it becomes to be a part of the All-Star Drag Racing Team, because this isn't something you earn on the track. You're selected to the All-Star Team by your peer group and your fans, and that, to us, is really important."

In addition to 26 reader-determined driver, mechanic, builder and sponsor categories the staff of Car Craft Magazine determined the winner of the Person of the Year award, which was presented to Funny Car driver Gary Densham and his crew chief, Jimmy Prock for their accomplishments over the previous 12 months.

"Densham and Prock were the 'feel good' story of the year," Adolph said. "He's a former Southern California school teacher who's been racing for a long time. He's won four times in the last year, but more important than those wins were how they impacted the sport, and believe me, it was big. Gary's a popular driver, and Jimmy's obviously a very talented tuner, and from the audience reaction when their names were announced, we made the right choice."

The other major award selected by the publication's staff was the Ollie Award, emblematic of one's career-long contributions to the sport, with this year's winner, Ohio mail order magnate Jeg Coughlin, Sr., epitomizing the concept. For more than 30 years Coughlin has been a mainstay not only in the aftermarket, but in NHRA drag racing as well. A former competitor in the Top Fuel ranks, when Coughlin's personal driving career ended he fielded some of the sport's best in Funny Car and Pro Stock, finally turning the driving - and the day-to-day operation of the business -- over to his four sons, Mike, John, Troy and Jeg, Jr.

In honor of the All-Star Drag Racing Team's 35th Anniversary the staff of Car Craft also presented several Special Recognition awards. Three went to long-time supporters of the All-Star Drag Racing Team program, aftermarket giants Hooker Headers, Moroso Performance and Mr. Gasket/Hurst Corporation.

The performance of the Vortech carbureted blower featured on the August 2002 cover literally blew our doors off, and it's not the first time we've been awed by the performance of a centrifugal blower. This got us thinking about power adders in general, and leads us to pose the question, "If you could choose just one power adder for your engine, would it be a Roots blower, nitrous, a centrifugal blower, a turbocharger, or motor only?" Cast your vote for your favorite power adder.

• Roots blower
• Centrifugal blower
• Turbocharger
• Nitrous
• I don't believe in power adders--motor only for me

Cover Section: Import Killer

780 hp From 7.4L That’s a 454—or 1.73 hp per cubic inch for the math- challenged

Tech

Ride the Comet A young man’s search for the 11s

Ceramic Header Coating Test The stuff looks good, but does it work?

Facts About Fuel Filters An easily overlooked item that can leave you easily stranded

SuperNova, Part 2 Our new project car gets an engine and makes a gut- busting trip down the strip

What’s Up With Stall? We demystify the black art of converter selection

Brake Troubleshooting What to do when your car won’t stop

Sticky Situation There’s more to tire technology than slapping on a set of slicks

Features

Inspired A shoebox Nova with the sweet-and-lowdown

Hook & Book Traction secrets from the NMCA/NSCA Super Series

10 Worst Bolt-Ons for the Street Let’s guess—this looks just like your car

What In the Willys?! A street rod in Car Craft ? Perhaps...

In the glory days of drag racing, men were men and the trophy girls knew it. The first generation of quarter-mile jockeys participated for the sheer love of speed. They had courage the size of Texas and paid little regard to the sport's inherent dangers. And there were no rules. Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was one of those racing pioneers who got a kick out of the adrenaline rush and went on to earn a prominent place in the record books--and a cool nickname, too.

Cover Section: Paint & Body How-Tos

How to Use “Bondo” Without caking it on

How to Align a Fender And keep your gaps—and sanity—in order

How to Spray Flames And a get a good, cheap paint job in the process

How to Finish the Job Without ruining your brand-new paint

Special Section: Car Care

Car-Care Product Guide What to use and how to use it

Tech

Pontiac LeMans 455 Swap We whipped out a wheezing six-banger and jammed in a 500-horse 455

All About Superchargers Marlan huffs and puffs and blows you away

Valvetrain Innovation for the Masses Jesel’s new Sportsman shaft-mount rockers are trick and affordable

Air Cleaner Shootout We tested every size of K&N filter imaginable on a 520-horse big-block; the results are shocking

Stick-Shifts for Drag Racing Anybody can stall a converter; it takes a hero to bang gears

Cover Section: 400-Inch Small-Blocks--Mild to Wild

512hp 406 Chevy It’s not even a stroker, but it still pulls like a freight train

607hp 408 Mopar This stroked, solid-roller-cammed 360 is a real thumper

502hp 408 Ford We’re dying to slap this in a late-model Mustang and go real fast

Tech

X-Pipe vs. Hi-Pipe Dyno-Test Are these new-fangled crossovers worth any power?

All About Clutches Marlan dissects the details of a manual-trans drivetrain

Spark Plugs: Fact and Fiction What is a heat range anyway, and how do you pick the right one?

How to Certify a 9-Second Car Maybe you can run the number, but is the car safe and legal?

Our Latest Buyer’s Guide This one’s about exhausting your possibilities. Get it?

Gray Baskerville. Hot Rod Magazine. After 35 years, the two have been separated by the only means possible: On February 1st, we lost Gray to cancer. It was the most tragic of days for the Hot Rod staff and its readers, both of whom have grown up with Gray's passion for the magazine and its subject matter.