Powerglide Transmission Handbook
Carl H. Munroe
This complete reference guide to the Powerglide covers it all, from a stock rebuild to an all out race unit. Subjects covered include general transmission service, basic operation, in-car service and repairs; torque converter design and operation; identification; removal, disassembly and inspection; overhauling unit assemblies; final assembly transmission; the drag and circle track racing Powerglide; and much more. Includes over 500 photos and illustrations.

Part # HP1355
ISBN: 978-1-55788-355-1
EAN: 9781557883551 51995
UPC: 0 75478 01355 5 8 1/2" x 10 7/8" 160 pp. $19.95/$24.00 Can.inline_mediumwraptextright27232033/techarticles/0912cct_chevy_ford_small_block_big_block_engine_books0912cct_13_z+2010_automotive_catalog+transmission_handbook.jpgTrue

New Spoolmate 200 offers cost-effective aluminum MIG welding solution, remote adjustable wire feed speed settings and multiple barrel options for light fabrication.inline_mediumwraptextright25994504/hotnews/0912cct_spoolmate_200_mig_aluminum_welding_torch0912cct_01_z+spoolmate_200_mig_aluminum_welding_torch+performance_parts.jpgTrue

Skull and flame elements combine in aesthetically appealing designinline_mediumwraptextright31382082/hotnews/0912cct_blue_rage_arc_armor_welding_helmet0912cct_01_z+blue_rage_arc_armor_welding_helmets+safety_equipment.jpgTrue

Miller introduces the only workbench designed specifically for welders; customizable options make it the ideal welding workbench for both the fab shop and the home shop.inline_mediumwraptextright25993511/hotnews/0912cct_millers_arc_table_workstation_welding_metalworking0912cct_01_z+millers_arc_table_workstation_welding_metalworking+work_bench.jpgTrue

At any SEMA Show "Custom & Classic" tie together like cookies and milk and this year is was more evident than ever. Compared to last year's lack of classic trucks; 2009 has redeemed its self with plenty of nice, clean and a few crazy trucks. For those who didn't get to attend this year's show customclassictrucks.com brings you everything you missed.

We're hoping this '61 Chevy Apache will have the same impact on you that it had on photographer Joe Greeves when he first saw it at Slamfest in Tampa-and that it had on us when he showed us his photos. The out-of-the-ordinary choice of raw material and unusual selection and application of paint tend to draw attention to Russell and Eva Griffin's two-tone pickup.inline_mediumwraptextright26727094/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1961_chevy_apache_pickup_truck0911cct_01_z+1961_chevy_apache_pickup_truck+classic_front_grill.jpgTrue

There's no two ways about it, the more comfortable your classic truck is to drive the more you are going to enjoy driving it. Right from the get-go the plan for my '79 C10, known as the Americruise truck, was to ultimately end up with a classic truck that could hold its own with the best of today's modern highway machines. This means not only in acceleration, braking, and handling, but the comfort level in the cab as well.inline_mediumwraptextright25613210/techarticles/0911cct_1979_chevy_c10_led_taillight_conversion_kit_install0911cct_01_z+1979_chevy_c10_led_taillight_conversion_kit_install+modern_parts.jpgTrue

In the same way it's been fashionable in recent years to add the word "choppers" to the end of a motorcycle shop's name there was a trend in the late 20th century to add "engineering" to the end of just about any kind of shop's name. Looking back one might think gee, there sure use to be a lot of engineers back then, but the truth of it was few shops had any real engineers in their employ.inline_mediumwraptextrightAlthough No-Limit Engineering offers a full line of off-the-shelf components for most classic trucks, they do an equally high number of one-off custom builds.25607669/hotnews/0911cct_no_limit_engineering0911cct_03_z+no_limit_engineering+custom_builds.jpgTrue

When Dave and Sue Underwood of Rainham, Kent, Great Britain, emailed us a passel of photos depicting their dog Buster alongside of their '49 Chevy five-window pickup we thought the whole crew was comprised of transplants from the United States. A second read and it became clear that only the '49 Chevy was a former U.S. resident.inline_mediumwraptextright25507709/hotnews/0911cct_terrier_truck_dog0911cct_01_z+terrier_truck_dog+1949_chevy_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

Back when show rods and wild custom cars and trucks were at their height, circa late '50s to early '60s, builders spared no expense in creativity. Their art, expression of one's self, vision, or whatever you want to call it, began with the exterior of the vehicle and flowed into the interior. Long story short, onlookers got to see a wide array of designs and techniques being applied, for better or worse, being at the forefront.inline_mediumwraptextrightNo, that's not get Get Shorty's, but these seats were made using the same technique described in the story, and they will look somewhat similar to this style when all is said and done.25625285/techarticles/0911cct_custom_seats_center_console_build0911cct_01_z+custom_seats_center_console_build+future_look_of_project_car.jpgTrue

'65 Dreamin'
Randy Roberts of Humble, Texas, told us he has put over six years of blood, sweat, and tears into the '65 Chevrolet he calls '65 Dreamin'-not to mention a whole bunch of money. He bought the '65 C10 for $350 in northeast Texas, and didn't waste a minute before tossing the stock 250-inch six it came with into the scrap heap and scored a 350. On top of the 0.040-overbored 350, Randy bolted a 600-cfm Edelbrock carb coated in Endurashine to a chrome-plated intake manifold. The cam is a mild grind intended to help the '65 chug away from the light, paired with 3.43:1 gears and a 700-R4 automatic overdrive transmission. Inside the cab Randy has all the power options, plus air conditioning, at his command. To keep an eye on things, Randy has a billet dash cluster packed full of Dolphin gauges. An Alpine sound system keeps his wife and daughter supplied with tunes to travel with. The exterior of Randy's '65 Dreamin' was sprayed in PT Cruiser Electric Blue paint after he welded and filled the body seams. Randy says he's been showing the truck for a little over three years now, and it has won an award from our sister publication Classic Trucks. In closing, Randy said, "I would love to see my truck in your magazine."inline_mediumwraptextright25648223/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1965_chevy_c10_pickup_truck0911cct_01_z+1965_chevy_c10_pickup_truck+restored_front_grill.jpgTrue

Alfred E. Neuman for President-Remember the good old days when we had quality candidates? Who could have ever imagined our quality of life in the 21st century would deteriorate to the point that living in a 1959 Twilight Zone episode would appear more attractive? I think it's high time we get our ageless friend Alfred E. Neuman behind the wheel of our nation. We need Alfred E. Neuman now more than ever. I'll bet the first thing Alfred would do is publish a series of handy guides for folks to live by. Not a bunch of crazy zealot-type tomes filled to the brim with faulty logic and idiotic conclusions, but honest-to-god manuals with good information. I'd like to see the usual gang at Mad release: A Guide To Cash For Clunkers. The only problem is, I personally find the epithet "clunker" offensive, so from here on out I will refer to clunkers as the C-word.inline_mediumwraptextright25508627/hotnews/0911cct_cash_for_clunkers_top_10_trade_in_vehicles0911cct_01_z+cash_for_clunkers_top_10_trade_in_vehicles+cash_ford_clunkers.jpgTrue

When it comes to building a truck, it's always easy to pick out the guys who have experience in having done it before as opposed to the guys who are doing it for the first time simply by asking what it is that they're starting with. Having said that, this really only applies to the guys who set out to build a truck at a level of completion like Gordon McGilton has done with his '51 Ford F-1. Those guys who are building workhorses or primered hot rod trucks aren't concerned with every panel being straight and the sheetmetal in perfect virgin shape. Patina is oftentimes the name of that game; the more distressed the more impressed. But if one's setting out to build a five-star truck, those with experience know that the better the foundation, the better the end result.inline_mediumwraptextright26732512/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1951_ford_f10911cct_01_z+1951_ford_f1+custom_truck_grill.jpgTrue

Like many of the trucks seen in Custom Classic Trucks, our F-1 has undergone suspension modifications and the original I-beam and worm-and-sector steering gear were given the heave-ho in favor of a Mustang II IFS and rack-and-pinion. While the suspension and steering installation were satisfactory, the same couldn't be said for the steering column-the recycled Mercury column was not only ugly, but it was too close to the driver door and, worst of all, the U-joints were of questionable health, weren't phased properly and had been welded to the intermediate shaft. To make things right it meant starting all over.inline_mediumwraptextrightWe updated our F-1 with a new Flaming River tilt steering column equipped with an ignition switch and shifter. It’s topped by a Flaming River leather-wrapped steering wheel. The original instruments were restored and updated to 12 volts by Williamson’s Instrument Repair.30979398/techarticles/0911cct_ford_f1_flaming_river_tilt_column_install0911cct_01_z+ford_f1_flaming_river_tilt_column_install+performance_steering_column.jpgTrue

"Slick Crazy" in California
Jack and Toni of Alpine, California, sent us a bunch of color prints depicting their '61-66 Ford truck collection. In upcoming issues we'll revisit and show you more of their collection. In the meantime here's the family's '62 and '63. Jack wrote: "It was in 1975, at the age of 10, when I watched my oldest brother Tom butcher a perfectly good '65 T-bird convertible to steal the FE motor for a slightly worn-out '63 Ford Unibody. My brother, in his senior year of high school, proceeded to race the old truck up and down Long Island until he blew it up entirely. As a grown man, I moved to San Diego, in 1986. It was then I found my second wife and our first '66 F-100 in a trailer park with no engine for the cost of $300. My friend had just totaled his '81 Corvette, so I proceeded to put the Corvette drivetrain into the old girl. The next "Slick" was the Clairemont Family Farms truck. This particular '63 F-250 Unibody, with a Y-block and three on the tree, was bone stock and purchased in Spring Valley, California, for $1,400. My wife and I rubbed out the paint and used the '63 F-250 to help build our family's first house. The old "Slick" trudged back and forth to the dumps and the local supply stores until she burnt a piston. I called my dad in New York, with whom I spent many of my days growing up helping him patch together our family vehicles in the driveway of our family home. My dad told me to 'just pop the head and drop the pan with the engine still in it and throw in another piston.' I heeded my father's advice and the truck is still purring to this day with the same spark plugs in it."inline_mediumwraptextright31002603/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1963_ford_f250_pickup_truck0911cct_06_z+1963_ford_f250_pickup_truck+front_bumper.jpgTrue

Noris Carsen, our friend that lives in New Mexico told us: "When we were visiting the small mountain town of Pinos Altos, near Silver City, New Mexico, we ran across a '57 Ford two-door wagon, which looked like it was still used since it was connected to a trailer. Out in the field near the '57 was this old Ford panel truck. New Mexico has a lot of old cars and trucks that are fairly rust free, but the owners usually don't want to sell them. They almost always say 'I am keeping it to fix it up,' or 'I am saving it for someone.' That's the excuse I use for not selling when someone wants to buy the '65 Chevy Nova two-door hardtop sitting next to my driveway."inline_mediumwraptextright31003716/hotnews/0911cct_1957_ford_panel_truck0911cct_01_z+0911cct_1957_ford_panel_truck+rare_find.jpgTrue

En-Gauging
Classic Instruments new gauge panel for '67-72 Chevy trucks is one of the latest in a long line of bolt-in-style gauge packages from the Michigan company. Available in nine different series, each set consists of a 5-inch 140-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach, a 3-inch clock, and 2-inch fuel level, water temperature, oil pressure, and voltmeter gauges. Featuring polished stainless bezels and flat glass, the gauges are mounted in a reproduction '67-72 Chevy truck housing with stock turn signal indicators mounted and wired and precut holes for the headlight and wiper switch.

Classic Instruments
(800) 575-0461
www.classicinstruments.cominline_mediumwraptextright26740744/techarticles/0911cct_november_2009_classic_truck_parts0911cct_07_z+november_2009_classic_truck_parts+aftermarket_gauge_system.jpgTrue

Columbus is conveniently situated halfway between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean, and less than 300 miles from more than a dozen states. It is the capital of Ohio and for three days every July, the capital of the hot rod universe. The phenomenon occurs when the Goodguys PPG Nationals rolls into the Ohio Expo Center.inline_mediumwraptextrightWe're starting this story at the end, as Doug Wickline's blown 351-powered '55 Ford F-100 cruises its way through the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus as part of the Sunday parade of award winners.26731150/eventcoverage/0911cct_2009_goodguys_ppg_nationals0911cct_01_z+2009_goodguys_ppg_nationals+1955_ford_f100_cruiser.jpgTrue

Big-Time Magic in a Small Town
The first day of August 2009 marked SEMA's inaugural Show N Shine, held in Old Town Pasadena, California. Besides being a good excuse to round up the best-of-the-best show vehicles and put them all under one roof, the spectacular benefited SEMA charities: Child Help Village in Beaumont, California-a home for abused and high-risk children and Victory Junction Gang-a camp for children with life-threatening diseases.inline_mediumwraptextright25605272/hotnews/0911cct_hot_rod_alley0911cct_01_z+hot_rod_alley+hot_rod_alley_crew.jpgTrue

A gas tank is one of those things everyone needs for their truck. Overlooking low capacity, the main problem with the stock gas tank in most classic pickups is it's usually mounted in the cab, and that means it's dangerous. Remember in 1963 when a sect of Buddhist monks poured gasoline over one of their own and then he lit himself on fire? Not a pretty picture, but it's pretty much the same scenario for anyone unfortunate enough to get trapped in an older truck where the gas tank behind the seat ruptured in an accident, or the owner is a careless smoker. Moving on to a more pleasant aspect is the improved range one achieves for their pickup after they have installed a higher-capacity gas tank.inline_mediumwraptextrightRock Valley will fabricate just about any size or shape gas tank you might need, and they've built tens of thousands of them over the past 30 years.26729551/techarticles/0911cct_how_to_build_a_custom_gas_tank0911cct_03_z+how_to_build_a_custom_gas_tank+custom_fabricated_tank.jpgTrue

It's an all-too-familiar scenario. You begin what seems like a simple task only to question your own judgment and intentions. Before you know it, you're deeply committed to making every detail perfect and spent a heck of a lot more time than you'd planned. But is it to your chagrin or satisfaction? Musicians do it in the studio, women do it with wardrobe changes, and classic truck owners do it with their projects. Why? It's a labor of love.inline_mediumwraptextright25609685/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1955_ford_f100_pickup_truck0911cct_01_z+1955_ford_f100_pickup_truck+fully_restored_classic_truck.jpgTrue

Manual Labor Read Before You Leap An excellent analogy when it comes to explaining why it's always a good idea to thoroughly research a project before blindly jumping in is the Disneyland tourist's credo: "It is better to meet a nice mouse than it is to get killed by a giant rat." In essence what this means is you better buy a tourist map and go directly to the happy kingdom rather than wander aimlessly into a strange Orange County alley and get murdered. Without understanding which parts go where and the precautions and preparations that should be taken before installing them, your latest project can easily turn into a mechanical homicide of sorts. That's why before starting on any project whether large or small I always refer to a trusted primary source. This can be a factory shop manual, if one is available, or a good aftermarket publication.inline_mediumwraptextright25510298/hotnews/0911cct_haynes_manual_review0911cct_01_z+haynes_manual_review+chevy_s10_truck_guide.jpgTrue

If you have a neighbor who doesn't call the cops at the first sign of loud music, or a throaty motor for that matter, you're a fortunate individual. Pete Thomsen can say he's one of those lucky individuals who had just such a neighbor. Not only was the man who lived across the street from his dad a nice guy, he had a soft spot for cool old trucks. Pete's father had a '49 Studebaker 1/2-ton pickup that he drove as a regular old workhorse until he decided to part with it in the early '70s. His neighbor bought the truck for a modest amount and drove it 'til it blew a freeze plug. From there, like many of us can relate to, the old Stude was put out to pasture and sat, and sat ... and sat.inline_mediumwraptextright26739595/featuredvehicles/0911cct_1949_studebaker_pickup_truck0911cct_01_z+1949_studebaker_pickup_truck+front_grill.jpgTrue

There's any number of reasons to switch the gauge cluster on a '73-87 Chevrolet C10 or GMC truck. In the case of the '79 C10 Chevrolet Big 10 CCT readers know as the Americruise truck it was for several reasons. The first reason goes back to a 1985 Cadillac Eldorado I owned in the '90s that had the digital dash cluster option. Reflecting on what I really liked about the Eldo's digital gauge cluster was how precise the readings were, and how easy they were to see. For example, the oil-pressure would read 23 lbs pressure at idle cold and then drop like a stone to 7 or 8 lbs if the Caddy's poor little underpowered 4.1 V-8 was running hot. Looking to the Cad's speedometer and tachometer would reveal exactly how many revs the engine was turning at exactly how many miles per hour. Add this to the fact that the Caddy gauges were easy to read in any kind of light and it becomes clear why I chose a Dakota Digital cluster for my '79 C10, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

It's not often one can relate Jake and Elwood Blues' Bluesmobile to trucks, but when it comes to Max Cross' '60 Chevy it's more or less a kissing cousin. Underneath all that classic GM sheetmetal lays a cop motor, cop brakes, and a cop tranny.inline_mediumwraptextright30503895/featuredvehicles/0910cct_1960_chevy_pickup_truck0910cct_01_o+0910cct_1960_chevy_pickup_truck+front_bumper_shot.jpgTrue