During the weekend of June 17-18, 2005, we'll be holding the most highly anticipated show of the 2005 season at the Louisville Convention Center, in Louisville, Kentucky. There will be more than $5,000 in cash and awards up for grabs as well as plenty of draggin' action (at the show itself) and the most incredible rides you've ever seen. In addition to draggin' and braggin', we're planning a two-day party within the confines of the Louisville Convention Center. This includes a show-'n'-shine event that'll have all the best builders of the best sport trucks of all varieties going head to head for all that prize money. We'll also have a manufacturers midway, with lots of the hottest and newest products right on site so you can get a hands-on evaluation before you buy. In addition, we're planning to have installation displays, a wild bikini contest, and live entertainment, with the entertainer to be announced at a later date. For more information on the show, please contact Event Coordinator Amber Pierce at (714) 939-2580, amber.pierce@primedia.com.
Stylin' Concept Is Doing It AgainIt's Giving Away Another Project TruckWe had such a great response with last year's giveaway project, that we teamed up with Stylin' Concepts again. The project is so hot, we don't have all the details this issue, but check back next month for all the details. We're on sale 5/24/05.
A little Help From Their FriendsThe guys at GOEZ Customs in Placentia, California, just wanted to have a cool local show 'n' shine to celebrate moving into their new shop. It got a little out of hand, though, as word got out. Final count is unknown, but they ended up with 110 registered entrants and by our estimation at least three times that many drive-ups. To find out what all the buzz is about, check 'em out at www.goezcustoms.com.
Dateline DetroitShowtime at the North American International Auto ShowHow times change. To walk the show floor of North America's premier auto show today, it's hard to believe that the very first Detroit Auto Show was held in a beer garden with 33 vehicles and 17 exhibitors. The year was 1907 and in the 98 years since, Detroit grew to be known as the Motor City, and the little Detroit Auto Show has become one of the most important automotive events in the world, ranking of equal importance to the large global auto shows in Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, and Geneva.
Now called the North American International Auto Show, or simply NAIAS, the statistics are staggering. Press days now play host to 6,600 journalists from 68 countries. NAIAS brings more than $500 million to the local economy each year. Multi-million-dollar displays fill Detroit's downtown river-front Cobo Hall with all the traditional glitz and glamour. The major displays require months to assemble, as auto manufacturers from around the world come to Detroit to unveil their latest product and futuristic concept vehicles.
While the magnitude of the show is impressive, it's the vehicles that really shine. Perhaps a little lighter on truck surprises than recent years, the 2005 edition was still inspiring. The inside buzz is that 2006 will bring major truck news in Detroit. Sport Truck be there to bring you all the latest news and events.
Book ReviewIn the genre of automotive-enthusiast technical books, Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s is destined to be a classic. The book's subtitle, "Modifying and Tuning Gen III Engines for GM Cars and Pickups," says it all. That is exactly what this book covers in outstanding detail and with a high level of accuracy. This is not the first book written about hot-rodding the General Motors Gen III small-block V-8s, but it is, clearly, the best one so far.
One reason for this is the author, Will Handzel, is a former automotive-magazine technical writer and currently the manager for General Motors' Performance Parts Program. Not only is he very experienced at writing the type of material in this book, as a GM employee, Mr. Handzel had unprecedented access to the people and information necessary for him to cover the subject with the depth you'll find in Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s. Finally, Handzel's accessible, easy-going style makes the book as enjoyable as it is interesting and informative.
Another reason this book is a bang-up success is publisher CarTech's decision to use more pictures than it has in the past with books like this and to upgrade its printing processes such that those pictures are printed with higher resolution. As a result, this title is as good to look at as it is to read.
A technique Handzel used to illustrate the points he makes elsewhere in the book about various Gen III performance modifications is a series of four "demo" engine buildups. The first one, "100 Horsepower Anybody Can Install," by itself, is worth the price of the book. The other three include a 500+ horsepower street engine, a 600hp supercharged truck engine, and an exotic 1,200hp twin-turbo. Each buildup is a successive step in performance, complexity, and cost, and is explained in detail.
A really useful part of this book is the chapter devoted to tips and tricks experienced techs use to get Gen III engines in and out of Corvettes, Camaros, and light trucks. This isn't just a condensed version of factory service manual procedures. Rather, it is a collection of techniques professionals use to reduce the time and frustration of getting engines in and out of those vehicles.
In 1976, Bill Fisher wrote How to Hot Rod Small-Block Chevys. By standards of the automotive book trade, it was a runaway best-seller. A generation of Chevrolet enthusiasts became DIY engine builders because of that book. Today, nearly 30 years later, Fisher's book is still in print and continues provides Chevy DIYs with useful, practical knowledge on the Gen I SBV-8s. Will Handzel's Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s will do the same thing for the new crop of Gen III small-block DIY engine builders and will do it with a similar level of success.
If you are intent on modifying an LS1, LS6, or any of the Gen IIIs used in fullsize GM trucks and SUVs or midsize SUVs, add this book to your reference shelf.- Hib Halverson