ROAD SCHOLARS

   This section is an outlet of news & issues that directly affect our hobby and how we enjoy it.

   No Politics will be Posted unless it has to do with legislation that can be called "detrimental to the greater good" of our hobby.

Truck and Muscle Car Consoles
Not every classic vehicle owner is looking for OEM-quality interior components. Hot rodders, customizers and builders of Restomods — or street machines — have been adding personal touches to their cars and trucks for generations. And there are a number of said owners and builders who are looking to add consoles between the buckets or in front of the bench seat.
Answering that call is Classic Truck Consoles. Originally designed for 1967-’72 Chevy trucks, their line of virtually indestructible fiberglass consoles has been expanded for use in classic muscle cars and other truck manufactures. Using marine-grade fiberglass, they can be made to fit nearly any vehicle by the simple use of a jigsaw and can be installed as-is or used as a base for further customizing, including the addition of automotive paint or upholstery. Their consoles are also backed by a 100 percent cost-return guarantee. Cost ranges from $85 to $220, depending upon design, which can be seen on their website www.classictruckconsoles.com. For more information, you can also call 305-852-5484.
- By Matthew Litwin

Hot rod film Deuce of Spades to be screened at the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise
Normally, Hollywood shows test screenings of its films in front of randomly selected and demographically broad sections of the general public to gauge how the films will be received upon release. Faith Granger is taking a different approach.

The writer and director of the upcoming hot rod film Deuce of Spades plans on previewing the film in front of a self-selecting audience of the people who will most be interested in the movie — hot rodders — at next weekend’s second annual Daytona Beach Dream Cruise.

The movie takes place both in the present and the past, focused on hot rodder Johnny Callaway and his Deuce roadster. “Fast hot rods, cool cats, gravity defying swing dancing, and rockin' retro music all serve as a colorful backdrop to this heartfelt, inspiring story,” Granger wrote of the movie. “Deuce of Spades is true to the era and true to hot rod tradition, marvelously conveying what hot rodding culture was back in the day.”

Two free screenings will take place — at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on October 24 — at the Aquarium Restaurant and Nightclub in Daytona Beach. For more information, visit www.deuceofspadesmovie.com. Granger plans on a December 2009 release date for the film.

By Daniel Strohl

COURTESY OF HEMMINGS MOTOR NEWS

Poncho Parts
Ames Performance Engineering has recently released new items that are sure to grab some attention from Pontiac owners. We’ll begin with correct Tri-power carburetors for 1959-1966 A-body and full-size Pontiacs. The center carburetor — part #N189AB for 1964-’65 A-body; part #PN456C for 1959-’65 full-size cars — features the correct plating, finish and choke assembly, and is stock-appearing with the exception of a small bracket above the vent valve on the top plate. They also come complete with airhorn and base gaskets; both retail for $269. For 1966 A-body vehicles, order part #N189AF; for full-size models, part #PN456D; both retail for $209.

Completing the Tri-Power arrangement are the end carburetors (with gaskets), each featuring the correct plating and side fuel inlets. No matter the part number — N189AM for A-body cars and PN457C for the full-size — the cost is $779 per pair. A less expensive end carburetor arrangement can be obtained by ordering part #N189AJ (1964-’66 A-body) or #PN457B (1959-’66 full-size) at $499 per pair; however, these units have front inlets rather than the correct side inlets.

For those of you who own 1970-’72 GTO and 1970-’81 Trans Am and Formula models, Ames also offers refurbished collars for formula wheel assemblies. Each collar comes in black — bearing a specific wrinkle finish — with replacement screws for the wheel, which are much like the originals used by GM, except for a manufacturer’s stamping in the screw head. Each collar — part #A249F for the GTO, #FA488CC for the Trans Am and Formula — costs $55.

For more information, contact Ames Performance Engineering by calling 800-421-2637, or visit their website www.amesperf.com.

- By Matthew Litwin   From Hemmings Motor News

Street Rods and Hot Rods

Expert to speak on hot rod-related legislation in California at Goodguys West Coast Nationals
Live in California and worried about what your state’s legislators have in mind for the collector car and hot rod hobbies? You might want to get to Bob Stearns’s seminar on the topic this weekend.

The seminar, “Save Our Cars,” will take place Friday afternoon at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds as part of the Goodguys 23rd West Coast Nationals.

“The state emissions board is under constant pressure to clean up California’s dirty air, and for some reason, the state senators have frequently targeted hot rods, customs and classics, lumping them in with older junked-out cars,” Goodguys wrote in the press release announcing the seminar.

Stearns will specifically take a look at Assembly Bill 859, which would mandate annual smog checks for cars 15 years old and older, and at Senate Bill 232, which would exempt all specially constructed vehicles in the state (kit cars, street rods, and the like) from smog controls.

“We need to educate car people on what’s going on in Sacramento because with one stroke of the pen, they can put a serious cramp on the old car hobby,” Stearns said. “These issues affect everyone with a car at the Goodguys events and every classic car club in the state.”

Stearns is the legislative liaison and analyst for the Association of California Car Clubs. For more information, visit http://www.good-guys.com/news/newsStory.aspx?newsid=1347 or www.acccdefender.org/.
- By Daniel Strohl

Not Every Bill Is a Clunker
Four Hobbyist-Friendly SEMA Model Bills

As an auto enthusiast, it sometimes seems as if legislation created in the state capitals only hurts the hobby. However, not every bill is a clunker. As the SEMA Action Network (SAN) has demonstrated with the success of its Street Rod/Custom Vehicle law, pro-active, positive legislation can serve to create new opportunities for the growth of the auto hobby. Expanding on last month’s theme of building productive relationships with your legislators, the SAN presents you with four hobby-friendly model bills to share with legislators in your state. Along with the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle bill, the SAN champions the Inoperable Vehicle, Exhaust Noise and Nitrous-Oxide Systems model bills from coast to coast. SEMA-model legislation is designed specifically to create reasonable and practical solutions to widespread issues affecting every hobbyist.

Street Rod/Custom Vehicle
Every hobbyist has a dream vehicle over which they obsess about every detail. For some, this might be a kit vehicle they build at home, while for others it’s creating the perfect street rod. To facilitate putting that dream onto the road, the SAN developed the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle bill to simplify the titling and registration of these vehicles. This model bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom car as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Under the bill, kit cars and replica vehicles are issued a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. To date, 20 states have passed a version of our model legislation to ensure historic and custom vehicles stay on the road.

Inoperable Vehicles
Many hobbyists work to take advantage of the Street Rod/Custom Vehicle laws by building or restoring a vehicle at home. However, some cities or counties seek to limit your ability to store and work on project vehicles on private property. The SAN aims to protect your historic projects with the Inoperable Vehicle model bill. Under this bill, municipalities may not create ordinances or regulations that prohibit land owners from engaging in automotive restoration as long as the collector’s vehicles or parts car are stored out of ordinary public view. With the support of the SAN, hobbyists in states across the country are able to comfortably restore and build their dream vehicles in the freedom and comfort of their own properties.

Exhaust Noise
One common thread on which most hobbyists can agree is the need to improve the performance of their vehicle. In the quest for more power and efficiency options, the first place many look to is their vehicle’s exhaust system. Through the years, we all have seen the nearly constant attacks on aftermarket exhaust system noise. As states work to limit the noise of mufflers, many enacted laws do not supply enforcement personnel with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation. We agree that these exhaust systems should not be used in a way that causes overly loud or objectionable noise. The SAN’s Exhaust Noise model legislation protects you by establishing reasonable noise limits for modified exhaust systems based on an easy-to-administer test standard. These limits are usually indicated in decibels and allow vehicle owners to prove compliance by an objectively measured, fair and predictable procedure. The exhaust model bill safeguards your ability to improve your vehicle’s performance while providing law enforcement with a measurable standard.

Nitrous-Oxide Systems
Tenths of a second matter at the local dragstrip and can mean the difference between hitting that magical 10-second quarter time or not. For some hobbyists, that shot of nitrous oxide is all they need to conjure their asphalt-shredding personal best on the track. Unfortunately, everyone knows the actions of a few can hurt the many. Because nitrous oxide has become linked to illegal street-racing in the minds of many, legislators began banning its use. The SAN’s nitrous-oxide model bill ensures the rights of those who use nitrous oxide legally. The legislation allows vehicles that are equipped to supply nitrous oxide to the engine to travel on public roads as long as the nitrous-oxide feeding line is disabled or the containers are removed. This allows for the system to be easily accessed and restored for lawful use at the track.

The SAN and hobbyists have worked together to generate these successes, but there is much more work to be done and we need you more than ever. With the knowledge of how to lobby your legislator and model legislation to share with them, now is the time to build that relationship. Each of you, through a letter, a phone call or by inviting a legislator to your club meeting has the power to protect the future of the hobby. Our allies in the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus prove that state legislatures are populated with automotive enthusiasts just like you, looking to protect the hobby. The Street Rod/Custom Vehicle, Inoperable Vehicle, Exhaust Noise and Nitrous-Oxide System bills along with the guide to lobbying your legislator, can be found on www.SEMASAN.com. If you are concerned about these issues in your state, now is the time to pick up that pen or phone and help the SAN enact hobby-friendly legislation so future generations can enjoy their own dream cars.