How to start hotrodding with little knowledge or money
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Given that the initial goal of most hotrodders is to go fast, I'd like to make a few suggestions about building for performance while keeping safety in mind. | Given that the initial goal of most hotrodders is to go fast, I'd like to make a few suggestions about building for performance while keeping safety in mind. | ||
| − | There are many misconceptions | + | '''Safety''' |
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| + | The first thing you want to do when building for performance on any project is make sure the car is safe. This means checking your suspension components including bushings, ball joints, tie rods and ends as well as brakes, brake lines and fuel lines. U-joints are an often overlooked safety/upgrade component as well. They're inexpensive and easy to install, so make sure these get checked as well. | ||
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| + | Next, you want to take a look at your tires. Are they in safe condition or are they bald and dry-rotten? Good tires are a must for a performance platform. DO NOT BUY CHEAP TIRES FOR A PERFORMANCE CAR! Remember, this is the only place where the transfer of your control meets the ground, and therefore is arguably the single most component of the car. | ||
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| + | Another often-overlooked portion of a car are the linkage and joints. Take a minute to make sure your throttle linkage is not cobbled together with paperclips and pins. What about the rag joint and the connection to the steering box? These are also components that are easy to replace and can make your car much safer. Building for performance is going to put more stress on many of your components than was exerted when the car was stock: plan accordingly! | ||
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| + | '''Choosing your upgrades''' | ||
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| + | There are many misconceptions when building for performance- I'll mention two: | ||
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| + | First: bigger is not always better/faster (except when you're talking about cubic inches). For example, is a 750CFM carburetor better than a 600CFM carburetor? No, not always. In fact, a carburetor that is too large will destroy low-end power and actually serve to make a car slower a proper sized carburetor. The same is true with intake manifolds, heads, valves and camshafts. The most common mistake of most hotrodders is to overcam and overcarb their cars. | ||
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| + | Second: the motor is often times NOT the best place to start for performance, dollar for dollar. In fact, in many cases the best philosophy is to work from the back of the car forward! | ||
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| + | '''Working From the Back Forward''' | ||
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| + | A higher rear-end gear ratio is one of the best dollar-for-dollar upgrades for performance you can feel. Furthermore, it compliments other upgrades you may make later to the transmission/torque converter and engine. Many cars were built with low-ratio "open" (non posi-traction) rear ends. And lets face it, none of us are really that impressed with the "one wheel peel!" | ||
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| + | There are two ways to go about changing your rear end: Replacing the gears in your existing rear end, or finding a rear end with the gears and posi unit you want and putting the whole rear end in the car. Either are acceptable options, but building a rear end takes some precision tools and fair bit of skill. | ||
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| + | Generally a ratio between 3.4 and 3.6 is considered the top end for the street with a non-overdrive transmission (TH350, 727 and the like). Any higher and you may start feeling uncomfortable with the highway RPMs. | ||
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