Fully Adjustable Steering Rack For Classic Car Upgrades

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Guy Algar and I like to keep abreast of what's happening in our industry. There are a lot of product releases, with many claiming huge advances in technology, or claiming superiority over other products. Many fall short, and it often isn't until many people have sunk a lot of hard-earned money into trying the newest-and-greatest. While we usually don't endorse specific products over another, we do like to report on ones that are unique, or that fill a true need within the industry. Here's one that may fill a need for the do-it-yourselfers that I first learned about in one of our performance industry publications.



RetroRack Steering System
by American Online Imports



RetroRack offers a product that can be useful for anyone upgrading an old car or truck's steering themselves. As we discussed in our last article on Safe Speed Limits for Classic Cars, many owners are opting to have critical components such as power train, brakes, suspension and steering upgraded to more modern technologies that not only make their driving experience more comfortable, but perhaps safer as well. Motorheads Performance and other repair and restoration shops across the country have long been dealing with clearance issues that frequently occur when customers want an engine swap with something other than what was originally in their vehicle. You usually have no problem getting the new engine in, and attaching accessories, but when it comes time to tie in the steering, you find you're bumping into headers (probably the #1 problem encountered), brake master cylinder or some other component. Sounds familiar, right? Professional shops have the necessary tools and the experience to solve these problems, but the average do-it-yourselfer may not.

Well, an Australian company designed and manufactured the first universal rack and pinion steering system they call RetroRack, which is a patented design that is engineered so that every component can rotate with precision 360 degrees to the desired location and locked into place. This solves tight fit issues and gives ultimate steering geometries, making it incredibly useful for anyone upgrading their muscle car, classic car, hot rod, street rod, vintage truck, sports car or race car! Because it features a CNC-machined billet aluminum housing and hardened chromoly rack and gear, it is built for speed, and built to last.

First released by designer and manufacturer, American Online Imports at the 2011 SEMA show, it is gaining in popularity with American restorers because of the high quality and ease of installation. It has even captured the attention of Jay Leno, as was seen on his television show.  See the resource list below for other video links on RetroRack.

The RetroRack system has been designed to be totally flexible in installation, and is available in front and rear steer, left hand drive and right hand drive configurations. 

RetroRack offers these unique features:    

• Every component is designed to rotate 360 degrees
• Complete versatility 
• 100% CNC custom billet product provides ultimate strength
• No cast or welded components
• Only the highest quality components are used
• There is a Lifetime Warranty on RetroRack
•  Looks Great!

So, if you're considering an upgrade to the steering in your classic car, muscle car, or other old vehicle, and want to do the work yourself, consider the potential savings the RetroRack could give you. While the units are costly (currently about $2500), what they could save you in having to pay a professional to solve fit or clearance issues for you later down the road, might make it worth your consideration. New products always have a high cost. As the company grows, and production increases, it's our hope that the unit price of these will come down. It's a great looking, high quality unit which performs great.

RESOURCES:
SEMA Show Video Interview
American Online Imports Product Videos
Bishop Endurance Testing on RetroRack

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Size Matters #1

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Iphone App: Giugiaro Timeline

Some time ago I discovered that Giugiaro created an application for Iphone. It's a stylish timeline of the history of the company since foundation in 1968 giving a little description and pictures for many of the designs and is free to download. As you would imagine it's far from being a complete archive of the all the projects but it has some very nice and rare sketches and shots.

I'm not sure this was a very good idea because it is ever so clear how things have gone bad stylistically and also how the brand became more interested in industrial design that in coachworks. The very last project, named Giugiaro Brivido is in my opinion particularly useless and hideous at the same time. It's a far cry from the Bizzarrini Manta it all started with.

Here following there's a little collection of some good shots of the app, that in my opinion is definitely worth downloading HERE.

A little trivia: Do you know or can you guess what is the last picture about?

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Speed Limits & Safety For Classic Cars & Vintage Trucks

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

I've recently had discussions with people concerning rates of speed allowed on roadways - how they vary, how frequently the speeds are posted along the roadways, why some limits seem so low, and others seem way too high. These ultimately lead to debates about what the ideal speeds are, the excessive use of speed traps by some cities or counties, laws about street racing, too many trucks on the road, and a host of other pet peeves and/or opinions that people develop over time and love to talk about.

I'm blessed to live and work in the great state of Texas! There's just so much to love about it here. I've lived in quite a few places around the country and have seen a lot of different standards when it comes to roads and specifically posted speeds. It really hit home when I recently traveled to the East Coast, where in some areas, highway speeds are still 55 to 60 mph. Coming from a state where on some highways you're able to travel up to 85 mph, secondary roads average 70, and even on farm-to-market roads you can go 60, driving 55 on a highway seems like an absolute crawl! I've also been in situations where I feel that people are driving too fast and too recklessly and think they need some help for their lead foot unless they're on a race track. I personally like the radar feedback signs that display how fast you're actually going, and think they can help keep drivers in-check to some degree. However, according to the caption in the photo below, some drivers may feel the signs are "egging" them on!


Photo by: funnyjunk.com created on diydispair.com

Running a performance shop for pre-1980 cars and trucks, we have a unique perspective because, while we love performance and speed, we need to make sure our customer's "oldie-but-goodie" vintage car is safe. Certainly when the cars were designed, the powertrain, steering, braking, suspension and other systems matched the system of roadways that existed at the time. With improvements in technologies, both in our roadway design and construction and in the technology advances with automobiles, classic car owners face a dilemma when considering a restoration of their vehicle, and it's one that always draws a lot of debate among enthusiasts. Do you keep your car completely stock with equipment that is often adequate but not state-of-the-art, or do you incorporate performance upgrades that will enhance your driving experience and provide additional safety?

To some degree, the area of the country you live in may influence your decision. Road conditions and posted speed limits vary tremendously from place to place around the country. Weather conditions also may influence your decision, as your needs may be quite different in the Northeast compared to the Southern States. The type of vehicle you have may also be a big consideration. How rare is it? Would modifying a rare "cherry" vintage car diminish it's value by changing its stock factory condition? Are you a collector, an enthusiast, or something in-between? How do you use your vehicle? As a daily drive, a weekend cruise, a show vehicle, or just an occasional ride?

Trends are certainly something you should take into account, as trends tend to come and go, and you may find yourself temporarily adding something cool, only to have it diminish the value or appeal of your ride several years later. We've all seen this happen recently with the "big tire" craze that had people destroying wheel wells in an attempt to cram a 22" tire into a factory 15" opening! Now that the craze is over, body shops are raking in the money restoring them. We may not see this as much in Texas yet, but the trend has been reversing itself in California and the West Coast. Consulting with your performance or restoration shop can benefit you as they are aware of trends. Sometimes they're part of the trend movement and sometimes they're traditionalists who know the value in keeping things original.

Do your research, know your options, and always keep your budget in mind! Upgrading to modern technologies are usually never as simple as bolting on a new something. For instance, when upgrading a suspension, you frequently need to modify, reinforce or repair the frame, a cross member, etc. There are fine products that will certainly add to your driving pleasure, and keep your car safely on the road, but it will come at a price. Remember, we're upgrading a vehicle which may be 30 to 50 years old.

Which brings me back to the question "what is a good, safe speed limit?"  We'd love to hear from you to get your opinion. We've created a survey in the sidebar to the right where you can cast your vote. We'll report on the final results after it closes on August 3rd.

Let's agree that we're referring to "cruising down the highway" speeds, not street racing! Remember, just because you know how to handle your vehicle at high rates of speed, there are  lot of other people out there on the roads with you that you need to worry about getting in your way, cutting you off, being reckless or even being intoxicated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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About Future Classic Cars

Some people define classic cars as older cars that were manufactures many years ago before 1948 according to the America classic car club. Some other definition is that classic cars are any car that is 15 to 25 years old compared to the current year and are well kept in good conditions or are restored to a condition that is in accordance with the manufactures preference, appearance and specifications.

Over the past years many companies have started dealing with classic cars and have opened clubs in which many people who fancy the classic car collections can view them. The classic cars are known to be very prestigious and esteemed as high class kind of cars. When one is passing on the road, all the heads turn to look at the VIP in the car in admiration. However, classic cars are very expensive to buy and have as one's own home car. They are very delicate and need a lot of maintenance to keep them in good and old condition. Some renowned classic cars are Essex Super Six, Ford Model T or Ford Model A, Rolls-Royces Silver Clouds, Essex Super Six, Mustangs and Bentleys Pontiac Bonneville to name a few. There are over 1200 classic cars and counting.

Some people are buying cars today hoping that in the next 25 years they will be termed as classic cars. However, this has not yet been confirmed by the various classic car clubs, some are still sticking to the fact that for a car to be classical the manufactured date has to be before 1948. Although this may be the case, some exceptional cars might have the privilege to be in the category of classic cars. If only one can keep a car at a good mileage and keep it in good condition over the years, there a good chance that it would be worth a lot more in the years to come.

Some cars that have entered the classic category are, Renault Clio Williams, which could cost around 1,400 pounds. The original, Williams Clio was made in 1993 has an exclusive degree. Over 400 right hand drive models were imported by the UK and their cabins having individual numbered plaque. The features of the Renault Clio Williams are less of standard as compared to the second and third models that replaced it.

The Volkswagen Corrado VR6 Storm can be sold for 2000 pounds. The special fact about this model is that they are only 500 of the kind which were made 250 in pearl blue and the other 250 in classic green. When buying this car, one should be certain that the deal is special. It has a top speed of 150mph. another car model that might fetch some good price in the future as a classical car is the Audi RS2 Avant, it has a price tag of 9,000 pounds and it is had to find this car mainly because most people who buy this car are not eager to sell.

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Time-Lapse Engine Rebuild Using Over 3000 Pics!

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

I caught a great YouTube video that I just had to share with all our fellow motorheads! I first published this article in on our Hot Roddin' Texas Style site, but since we've revamped and upgraded things with our new site, I wanted to give all of our new readers the chance to see this.

Don't know everything that's behind an engine tear-down and rebuild?  Just watch what one guy did over a period of 11 months, taking over 3000 photos, then putting them all together in a clever and entertaining time-lapse sequence!  Nothinghereok apparently bought an engine off of ebay after his engine had died. He began taking the photos so that he could remember how everything came apart. This is something Guy Algar, Shop Manager at Motorheads Performance, always recommends if you're not experienced - whether it's taking an engine, transmission, body, interior, etc. apart!  Too many people take a car apart without realizing that they have to remember (often years later) how to get it back together again!  Another hint is to always "bag and tag" everything - especially nuts and bolts!

I'm not an expert on foreign cars, (Guy and I work only on classic American cars and trucks from the 1920's through 1970's), but Guy says this engine looks like it might belong to an MG perhaps? Love the choice of music...take a minute and watch this cool video!

So, for all of you wondering why an engine rebuild is so expensive, as you can see, there are an awful lot of pieces that need to be removed, cleaned, sometimes replaced, and all put back together in the correct sequence and in the correct place!  In other words...quite labor intensive! This doesn't even include the time it takes to remove the engine and put it back into the engine compartment when finished.

Thank you nothinghereok for sharing such a great piece!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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The L&M Porsche Can-Am Champion by Stephen Cox

It doesn't happen often that a beautiful book is being published for free. This is exactly what happened with Stephen Cox's monograph about the famous L&M Porsche Can-Am that represents the ultimate brutal racer of all times. It took over 1000 bhp for Porsche+Audi 917/10 of George Follmer and Penske to win the 1972 Can-Am Championship ahead of the McLaren team and the story behind it is beautifully told in this book. This very car is possibly the pinnacle of unlimited sport racer of all times and is nice to see such effort to present the car ahead of the auction at Mecum Monterey, August 16-18. It is indeed worth reading till the last page and the pictures are worth your best coffee table book.
Please click HERE to enjoy.

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