Download or read book Arnie The Farmer Beswick written by Dean Fiat and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2021-02-15 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arnie “the Farmer” Beswick was called “the consummate underdog” by Hot Rod magazine. While there was good reason, there is much more to his unbelievable career. Born a third-generation farmer in the small town of Morrison, Illinois, Arnie Beswick’s driving career began not behind the wheel of a straight-line terror but that of a tractor. On local dusty roads, Arnie’s budding reputation grew with street cars, as the “flying farmer” was coined to describe his driving style. When drag racing began in the Midwest in the early 1950s, Arnie was one of the pioneers who campaigned Dodges and Oldsmobiles. In 1960, he purchased his first Pontiac and never looked back. At the beginning, he didn’t like the “farmer” nickname, but he quickly learned to utilize the name to lull his competition into complacency. After all, what could a simple farmer know of the world of high-performance drag racing? Throughout the 1960s, Arnie’s Mr. B's Passionate Poncho, Mystery Tornado, Star of the Circuit I and II, Tameless Tiger, and Super Judge all contributed to dispel the myth that a simple farmer couldn’t dominate straight-line racing. Arnie was an innovator, fierce competitor, entertainer and showman who always gave fans their money’s worth at the track. He is still brand loyal--sticking with Pontiac long after production models ceased. Arnie has always been a fan favorite for this reason, and he continues to exhilarate fans at the track with his cast of potent Pontiacs.
Download or read book How to Build Max Performance Pontiac V 8s written by Rocky Rotella and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2012 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book includes in-depth reviews of factory performance components, and gives advice on the proper way to modify them for optimal power and durability. It also give an assessment of the many aftermarket accessories offered for these great engines.
Download or read book 1964 Pontiac GTO written by David Bonaskiewich and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2017-07-17 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the mid-1960s, the American automotive market was yearning for faster, more responsive, and sportier cars, and a crew of high-performance enthusiasts at Pontiac recognized this. Large V-8s were commonly installed in full-size cars, but performance was hampered by pure chassis weight. Under the guidance of Bunkie Knudsen, John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and others, Pontiac installed the high-performance 389 V-8 into the nimble and lightweight intermediate-size LeMans chassis. It was a watershed moment for Pontiac; the 1964 GTO delivered astounding performance and created the muscle car blueprint that the Detroit manufacturers followed in the 1960s and 1970s. This volume in the Muscle Cars In Detail Series delivers a comprehensive review of this trend-setting and historic car. The GTO housed a 389 V-8 engine with a single Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor, and along with dual exhaust and 4-speed manual transmission, it supplied extraordinary performance. To improve traction and handling, the GTO was fitted with stiffer springs, limited-slip differential, larger-diameter front sway bar, and wider wheels. And to give it panache, the GTO was adorned with distinctive badges and a hood scoop. The 1964 GTO is a landmark car, and this book goes well beyond the glossy overview of other books about this car. All In Detail Series books include an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included is an appendix of paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
Download or read book Chevy Drag Racing 1955 1980 A Celebration of Bowtie s Success at the Drag Strip written by Doug Boyce and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2020-03-15 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Relive the glorious first 25 years of Chevy drag racing in this comprehensive and nostalgic history. With the introduction of Chevy’s OHV V-8 in 1955, the brand’s domination on the drag strip immediately snowballed. Drag racers loved the compact V-8. It was lightweight, revved high, and responded like no other engine previously produced to modification. Chevy saw a record year in sales in 1955, thanks to a combination of a restyled body and the new mill. It was the age of ingenuity, and those who could get their hands on the new engine were swapping it into engine bays that once housed other weaker mills. Ford’s flathead, one that had dominated for so long, was rendered obsolete almost overnight. Chevy had a winner and dominated the sales charts for years to come. Aftermarket manufacturers got on board and offered up all the go-fast goodies needed to make Chevy a winner, no matter what category they ran. From Dragsters to Stock, Chevy’s success was immediate. And it was a long-term success, thanks to a combination of years of great styling and a vast array of driveline combinations. Accomplished racing author Dour Boyce takes a celebratory look at those years of success, with a focus on the first 25 years (1955 through 1980). Chevrolets gave rise to such stars as Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, “Jungle Jim” Liberman, “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Sox & Martin, Dick Harrell, Dave Strickler, and many more. World champs and fan favorites all drove Chevys. The success showed in the record books. No brand has won more races and events or has set more national records than Chevrolet. And unlike the other manufacturers, Ford and Chrysler, it was done with little to no factory support. Whether you are a hardcore Chevy fan or just love catching up on the history of drag racing during the golden age, this nostalgic look at Chevy racing history is sure to entertain for hours on end.
Download or read book Early Funny Cars written by Lou Hart and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2022-04-15 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Blast through the evolving early years of Funny Car drag racing when doorslammers morphed into flip-top rail monsters. The era features historic mounts from Arnie "the Farmer" Beswick, Al “the Flying Dutchman” Vanderwoude, "Jungle" Jim Liberman, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, and many more! The metamorphosis from doorslammers to fiberglass flip-top dragsters wasn’t ever a cut and dry plan. As drag racers pushed the envelope for more speed, a series of innovations quickly evolved and refined the genre. Funny Cars cut their teeth in the A/Factory Experimental (A/FX) and Experimental Stock (X/S) classes in 1964 with the 2-percent Mopars that looked funny with their axles moved forward. However, it was Jack Chrisman’s supercharged, nitro-fueled 427 Supercharged Factory Experimental (S/FX) Comet Caliente that trailblazed the class on which the NHRA turned its back and the AHRA fully accepted. Showmanship became the draw in the dawn of Funny Car with half-track burnouts and flame-throwing headers that packed fans five deep at the fence. By 1969, the NHRA had no choice but to create a class for these nitro-breathing, flip-top-sporting rail bruisers, indoctrinating the Funny Car (F/C) class at the Winternationals with 40 cars vying for 16 places in the field. The rest, as they say, is history!
Download or read book Definitive Pontiac GTO Guide written by David Bonaskiewich and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2018-09-14 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} After a brainstorming session, Pontiac executives and engineers decided to slot a 389-ci V-8 into the intermediate-sized Tempest against GM rules and the GTO was created. Little did they know what a profound impact that decision would make. The GTO would become a sensation and later was recognized as the first muscle car of the 1960s. Visionaries Pete Estes, John DeLorean, and other key Pontiac executives knew the youth market was waiting for a bold, lightweight sporty car. When their staff toyed with the concept of putting the large V-8 in the car, Pontiac executives jumped on the idea to meet that perceived market demand. Pontiac had a high-performance street car that could light up its tires and outperform the vast majority of the cars on the road. It also reshaped Pontiac’s image of a company producing stodgy, lumbering full-size cars into a high-performance youth brand. Pontiac expert and long-time writer David Bonaskiewich delves deep into the GTO model and its history, bringing the equipment and options of this iconic muscle car into full focus. He reveals the hardware under the sheet metal: the V-8 engines, manual and automatic transmissions, rear differentials, interior options, color codes, and so much more. When the GTO was released in 1964, it was offered as a unique performance package to the Tempest, and high-performance enthusiasts stood up and took notice. Examined are the GTO’s 4-barrel 389 with dual exhaust, 3-speed floor shifter, stiffer suspension, limited-slip differential, and heavy-duty cooling system. The 1965 GTO was restyled with more interior room being added, and the renowned 389 Tri-Power engine joined the lineup, cranking out 360 hp. By 1966, the GTO was a runaway success. Pontiac made the GTO its own model, and it featured a sleeker Coke-bottle styling. A convertible joined the hardtop, and a pillared coupe also joined the lineup. The 1967 Pontiac GTO was arguably one of most the superbly styled models ever, with a wide range of engines and high-performance hardware. All of these important upgrades, advancements, and model evolutions are covered in exceptional detail. The GTO stands alone in the annals for muscle car history. Not only did Pontiac create a classic muscle car, it created the muscle car blueprint that other Detroit manufacturers followed in the years to come. A glossy surface overview of this iconic model does not do it justice. If you have been searching for the in-depth, nuts-and-bolts guide to GTO equipment and options, you need look no further. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
Download or read book Milt Schornack and the Royal Bobcat GTOs written by Keith J. MacDonald and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2005-12-09 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The original muscle car, the Royal Bobcat GTO was the baby of a burgeoning Detroit subculture, one not sanctioned by the big automakers of the early 1960s. In a post-World War II America hungry for chrome, flash and speed, Royal Pontiac in Royal Oak, Michigan, modified and sold its souped-up versions of GTOs to customers, and in the process created a demand for custom street racers in America. Founded by Ace Wilson, the Royal name became synonymous with speed. This book outlines the history of the Royal Bobcat GTO, from the people--including Milt Schornack, the mechanic who raced for Royal Pontiac and was responsible for the custom Bobcats--to the fabled midnight test runs on northern Detroit's famous Woodward Avenue. Fourteen chapters, illustrated with 25 photographs of vintage GTOs, the infamous Car & Driver road test photos against a Ferrari GTO, and more, chronicle the history of a car that changed the focus of the Detroit auto industry for the next decade. Former editor-in-chief of Hot Rod Magazine Ro McGonegal contributes a foreword.
Download or read book Into the Forest written by Jean Hegland and published by Dial Press. This book was released on 2009-12-23 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • Set in the near-future, Into the Forest is a powerfully imagined novel that focuses on the relationship between two teenage sisters living alone in their Northern California forest home. Over 30 miles from the nearest town, and several miles away from their nearest neighbor, Nell and Eva struggle to survive as society begins to decay and collapse around them. No single event precedes society's fall. There is talk of a war overseas and upheaval in Congress, but it still comes as a shock when the electricity runs out and gas is nowhere to be found. The sisters consume the resources left in the house, waiting for the power to return. Their arrival into adulthood, however, forces them to reexamine their place in the world and their relationship to the land and each other. Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, Into the Forest is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking novel of hope and despair set in a frighteningly plausible near-future America. Praise for Into the Forest “[A] beautifully written and often profoundly moving novel.”—San Francisco Chronicle “A work of extraordinary power, insight and lyricism, Into the Forest is both an urgent warning and a passionate celebration of life and love.”—Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade “From the first page, the sense of crisis and the lucid, honest voice of the . . . narrator pull the reader in. . . . A truly admirable addition to a genre defined by the very high standards of George Orwell's 1984.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Beautifully written.”—Kirkus Reviews “This beautifully written story captures the essential nature of the sister bond: the fierce struggle to be true to one’s own self, only to learn that true strength comes from what they are able to share together.”—Carol Saline, co-author of Sisters “Jean Hegland’s sense of character is firm, warm, and wise. . . . [A] fine first novel.”—John Keeble, author of Yellowfish
Download or read book Pontiac Performance 1960 1974 written by Donald Keefe and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2024-10-17 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an era before corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) requirements and emissions standards, a pioneering General Motors executive was tasked with taking over a dying division and returning it to profitability. In June 1956, Semon E. “Bunkie” Knudsen became the general manager of the Pontiac Motor Division. He injected the stodgy, boring product line with a large dose of performance. “Race on Sunday; sell on Monday” was Knudsen’s philosophy. Although the idea of Pontiac getting into racing was far-fetched in 1956, Knudsen had a plan. In 1957, Pontiac released the Bonneville, which was a limited-edition, fuel-injected, high-performance convertible that was aimed directly at the burgeoning enthusiast market. Knudsen skillfully crafted a new youthful persona for Pontiac, and the sales began to climb. Pontiac’s Super Duty factory-built drag cars produced an amazing line of winners. The performance mentality was clearly working, as Pontiac sales jumped to third place among the manufacturers—behind only Chevrolet and Ford. After GM ceased all racing activities in 1963, Pontiac hardly missed a beat. In 1964, the GTO was released, and a new market segment (the muscle car) was born, which sent the competition back to the drawing boards. In addition, Pontiac continued to create iconic muscle cars, including the 2+2, the Ram-Air GTO and Firebird, the Trans Am, the Judge, and the Firebird Formula. Re-live Pontiac’s golden era with Pontiac Performance 1960–1974: The Era of the Super Duty, H.O., & Ram Air Drag & Muscle Cars!
Download or read book Dyno Don written by Doug Boyce and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book GTO written by Darwin Holmstrom and published by Crestline Books. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1963 Pontiac's Chief Engineer John DeLorean and his two favorite staff engineers, Bill Collins and Russ Gee, came up with an inspired way to keep Pontiac cars in the performance limelight: bolt a big engine into Pontiac's upcoming Tempest intermediate body. Thus was the GTO born. Through cunning, resourcefulness, and outright trickery the minds of Pontiac managed to get this rocket into dealerships and out onto America's highways, and to introduce that most iconic of American automobiles, the muscle car, to the nation’s most discriminating drivers. This is the story of the GTO, of the people who made it a reality and a sales sensation, of those who owned and loved the cars. And it is, above all, a story of the cars themselves, from the initial option package offered for the 1964 model year through the high-performance late-model standouts. With color photographs, drawings, and detailed stats, this book is not so much the story of a historic car as an illustrated biography of American muscle.
Download or read book Hubert Platt written by Allen Platt and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2019-05-15 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Webster's Dictionary lists the term showman as "a notably spectacular, dramatic, or effective performer." In the art of drag racing, Hubert Platt checked all boxes. Known as the "Georgia Shaker," Platt cut his motoring teeth on the long straightaways and twisty back roads of South Carolina while bootlegging moonshine. After a run-in with the law in 1958, Platt transferred his driving skills from illegal activity to sanctioned drag racing and began one of the most dominant runs in drag racing history until his retirement in 1977. After stints in 1957, 1938, and 1962 Chevrolets, Platt's next ride was a Z11 Impala, which carried his first "Georgia Shaker" moniker. Once Chevrolet pulled out of sanctioned racing, Platt found a new home with Ford for 1964 and remained there until he hung up his helmet. Some of the cars he campaigned became icons in their own right. His factory-backed and personal machines included a 1963 Z11 Impala, 1964 Thunderbolt, 1965 Falcon, 1966 Mustang Funny Car, 1967 Fairlane 427, 1968-1/2 Cobra Jet, 1969 CJ Mustang, 1970 427 SOHC Mustang, and 1970 Boss 429 Maverick. A 1986 NHRA Hall of Fame member, Platt's lasting legacy on the sport can’t be denied. Whether he was launching his Falcon with the door open, conducting a Ford Drag Team seminar, or posting low E.T. at the 1967 US Nationals in his Fairlane, Platt's imprint on drag racing was all-encompassing. His son and biggest fan, Allen Platt, shares his dad's iconic career in, Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the "Georgia Shaker"!
Download or read book Match Race Mayhem written by Doug Boyce and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2017-06-15 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drag racing is a very regulated sport. In the history of the NHRA, IHRA, and other sanctioning bodies, many classes existed in an effort to make sure the cars racing against each other are as equal as possible. It is a noble, if not futile, pursuit. You have two cars facing off that have very similar statistics in terms of weight, transmission type, fuel type, estimated horsepower, and all other sorts of measurables. The byproduct is that often the races that were "fair" were not the races that the fans wanted to see. During the golden age of drag racing, fans didn't care as much about class racing as much as they wanted to see scores settled, rivalries battled, and interesting match-ups. There were the manufacturer rivalries, Ford versus Chevy, Chevy versus Mopar, Mopar versus Ford, as well as numerous driver rivalries. Match races were also a great way to feature wildly popular cars that no longer had a class in which to compete, yet the fans still wanted to see them. So popular and intense were these races that many track promoters didn't bother to promote class racing at all. Instead, they used the match races as headliners, similar to the marquee at your local arena or a billboard in Las Vegas, all resulting in putting more fans in the stands. And the drivers loved it too. Although the prize money for national events was fairly average for the day, the extra appearance fees and prize money to lure the most popular match racers to events increased the driver's take exponentially. Many of the most popular pro drivers quit class racing altogether just to go match racing. Veteran drag race author Doug Boyce tells the tale of the history of match racing through the cars, the drivers, the events, the classes, the rivalries, and everything else that was fun about match racing during the golden era. It's all here, complemented by wonderful vintage photography provided by fans and professionals in attendance. If you are a fan of any class of drag racing, from any era, Match Race Mayhem is a fun addition to your racing library. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
Download or read book Linda Vaughn written by Rob Kinnan and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2016-10-14 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the most photographed personality in automotive and motorsports history, Linda Vaughn has entertained fans and has been a premier marketer of automotive goods for more than 55 years. From her first days as Miss Atlanta Raceway, coming of age while representing Hurst, through her annual appearances at America's top automotive and racing events, Linda continues to engage fans, drawing long lines whenever she makes an appearance. At her peak, Linda attended more than 100 events annually, year after year, and she still attends more than 25 events each year. The only entity that's probably seen as many events as Linda is Goodyear! For the first time ever, Linda Vaughn allows her fans a behind-the-scenes look at her career in motorsports and promotion through her personal photographic archive and other photos. Through captions, Linda tells the story of individual images recounting countless stories from her photographic memory, with no detail left unshared. She recounts events with racing personalities and automotive icons from George Hurst to Richard Petty to Mario Andretti to Don Garlits. Nobody is left out as Linda tells stories about the photos chronicling her career in Motorsports. Linda Vaughn: The First Lady of Motorsports is the most comprehensive gathering of imagery ever assembled on Linda Vaughn. Through her 50-plus years in Motorsports, Linda has lived it all, been everywhere, and met everyone. Whether you are simply a fan of Linda or a collector of Linda Vaughn memorabilia, this will be the premier piece in your collection!
Download or read book DieCastX Magazine written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DieCast X covers the entire spectrum of automotive diecast from customizing to collecting. it takes an insider's look at the history behind popular diecast cars and trucks, as well as how each model has helped shape the automotive industry and motor sports
Download or read book 1 of 1 Muscle Cars written by Wes Eisenschenk and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2023-09-22 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn about the rarest muscle cars ever produced with this new book. In the world of muscle cars, many were produced and sold in large enough quantities that they would be considered special but not particularly rare at the time of production. The Boss 429 and Plymouth Superbird were produced for racing homologation reasons, and since they were very expensive to produce, the manufacturers ensured that they would be rare. However, there is rare, and then there is rare. Prototypes and special factory builds, factory production cars, and super car tuners and builders are all covered in this new book by muscle-car historian Wes Eisenschenk. Some are single examples, some are very close to being the last remaining example, and all are extremely rare. Some have no surviving example known to exist. Featured cars include a Boss 429 Cougar, a 1971 Pontiac Ventura II Sprint 455, a 1965 Chevelle 300 COPO car with the L78 option, and a 1970 FK5 Deep Burnt Orange Metallic Superbird. Dealer promotional specials include a 1968 AMC AMX Von Piranha, a 1970 Dick Harrell LS6 454 Camaro, and a 1973 Nickey Chevrolet 427 Nova. These are cars that you will read about but likely never see. For a fun ride through muscle-car history and great stories of the rarest muscle cars ever produced, add this book to your automotive library today.
Download or read book Drag Racing s Rebels written by Doug Boyce and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2023-11-15 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn the entire fascinating story of the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) in this wonderfully illustrated color history. When the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was formed in 1951 by Wally Parks, the reasoning for the formation was to "create order from chaos" by instituting safety rules and performance standards that helped legitimize the sport of drag racing. Some organization was certainly necessary. A postwar boom in automotive enthusiasm was reaching new heights, and Hot Rod magazine and the NHRA were right in the thick of it. The NHRA hosted its first drag racing event in 1953, and in 1955, the organization staged its first national event, which was simply called "The Nationals." The AHRA formed in 1956 as an alternative to the NHRA, where the drivers voted on the rules (rather than sanctioning bodies and tracks), and their influence on the sport was felt almost immediately. When the NHRA denied the use of nitromethane in 1957, the AHRA approved it. When the NHRA banned aircraft-powered dragsters in 1961, the AHRA welcomed them. When the NHRA said no to the emerging Funny Car in 1965, the AHRA said yes. When fans and racers screamed for a heads-up Super Stock category in 1968, the AHRA delivered. The AHRA was called a rebel association. Some say that it was more of an association that got things done—to the delight of fans and racers. The AHRA was on equal ground with the NHRA by the 1970s, drawing enormous crowds and racer entries.
In this fascinating history, veteran author Doug Boyce tells the story of the AHRA, the rise, the competition, the events, and the eventual downfall of the organization. After AHRA President Jim Tice passed away in 1982, internal fighting for control of the association resulted in its doom. Get the whole story here, and add this wonderful volume to your drag racing library.
