Thread: Most important speed parts EVER!?

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Sounds to me like a big challenge. Well, the guys at Hot Rod think it's worth consideration; http://www.sema.org/Main/ArticleDeta...ontentID=58041

As soon as I started reading that my mind flew back to many pieces originally developed for Ford flathead eights back in the late thirty's, early forties. But then what about the big jumps in hot rod technologies of the fifty's. And then, as technology progressed we got into higher tech both under the hood and throughout the rest of the car. How will this fall out?

Well, if you follow the links it looks like it's taking a "nostalgia" lean in a big way; http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/s...WEB226SQY3YN63
Very few of the items are from the more modern era. It's probably driven by the age demographic of the readers of Hot Rod. I suspect the "Tooner Zoomer" crowd would have a very different list!

Bob,
I just took a gander at the list - and I do agree with a some of their choices - but 4 wheels, 4 mufflers, 2 tachs, RacePak data acquisition(?) and Dzus fasteners reduce the list by over a third and for sure not very imaginative. As much as I'm not a Chevy fan, that for sure should be listed along with '32 Ford (and others as well) repro bodies and frames. Remember - I'm an OF and do remember what many the cutting edge pieces were/are.

I hope the SEMA folks have a good laugh over these items the folks at Hot Rod Rag now have chosen. I haven't been able to read that rag for 20 years - they are like Motor Trend - whatever they are looking at right now, has to be the best, because "we said so".

I guess my cynicism shows - again.

I went back and read the article. I think one problem is that they asked "which products had the greatest impact on the specialty parts industry",...... not "Which products helped to shape the hot rod hobby."

I think we tend to think in terms of which were most important to us, not the "predatory interests". :-)

As an engine builder I can say the ability to bolt on a shot of Nitrous Oxide has really changed things in the last 20+ years.

I would agree that many innovations are still changing the hobby, but I would like to see them establish the products from the early years, as a basis, before adding the more modern improvements.

This is a difficult question because factory parts, like the Ford flathead V8, the Chevy smallblock, the 426 Hemi, the GMC 6-71 supercharger, and other non-aftermarket parts, will not be included, though they played a major role in the way cars were built, and the way the parts industry developed.

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I went back and read the article. I think one problem is that they asked "which products had the greatest impact on the specialty parts industry",...... not "Which products helped to shape the hot rod hobby."

I think we tend to think in terms of which were most important to us, not the "predatory interests". :-)

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying here. Personally, I can't conceive of the parts industry not being on the same wave length as "us" in shaping the the history of the hobby. If a manufacturer doesn't make what the hobbyists want his sales won't support his continued existence. Just as one example; if you interview a room full of Dave Seversons (now there's a scary thought ) you might believe that hardly anyone would buy, oh say, intake manifolds for small block Chevies. If you ask Vic Edelbrock how many he sells of each you might get a more realistic view of market significance of one versus the other.

what about ignitions OR did i miss that? mallory .accel .msd. crank triggers. any of old mags makers ? or the original roller rockers harland sharp

I agree about ignitions. When you think about the progress of performance, those would figure in pretty quickly.

My point is that the parts that were used to improve and advance hot rodding were not always from the aftermarket.....but this poll is only about the aftermarket. How about Borg Warner, for their 4-speed?, or Pontiac for their 57-64 rear axle?, or early Fords, for their front beam axles? These were often "core elements" of a project, unlike many items on the list.

I also agree with some of the comments about what made the list. Next they'll add custom seat covers, or the 45 rpm under-dash record players.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

if you interview a room full of Dave Seversons (now there's a scary thought )

You'd be hard pressed to find 2 of me, let alone a room full!!!!! As for chebbie intakes, I'm sure Vic sells a zillion of them....Which is good cuz I'm sure it help him keep the cost down when he builds intakes for quality engines!!!!!!!

As for the survey, thought it was terribly inadequate.... Hot Rod is again using survey results to impress advertisers, I would guess. Lord knows if Hot Rod is doing it, it would have little to do with an accurate portrayal of anything that is actually going on in the world of Hot Rodding. I gave up on subscriptions to all them rags about 10 years ago... can only take so many red Camaro's with 10 gadzillion horsepower small blocks!!! When I want information on what is really happening in the world of Hot Rodding, I go to SEMA for an impartial and accurate look at things... Think all the rags sold out the little integrity they had to the highest bidder decades ago.....

well more to do with who spends the most on adds in there rag of a mag yes vick has to make money? them other engine intake may not pay is bills

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

well more to do with who spends the most on adds in there rag of a mag yes vick has to make money? them other engine intake may not pay is bills

Well of course selling parts for the quality engines won't pay his bills!!!!! Heck, when you only have to build one engine instead of having three spares around for when them chebbies grenade Vic would never do enough volume and prices would go waaaaaaay up!!!! Need to get me a new F4B intake though....My original one just won't shine up good anymore!!!!!!

I wonder what the ratio is of chebbie intakes vs. all others???? Gotta wonder if his chebbie sales doesn't equal "all others"? Maybe not anymore, lots of them 5.0 carb and EFI intakes going out the door I suppose.....

10 years ago chevy.now i would bet ford hot and heavy tied with sbc ? 5 years from now the old stuff two fours flat heads etc and inports????

I couldn't find more than three or four items that were worthy to be on the list. How about superchargers, turbochargers, overdrive performance manual transmissions, auto trans shift kits, MII suspension kits, the positraction rear axle, roller camshafts, nitrous injection? I'd add more, but it ain't worth the effort. That list looked like an advertisement. Another reason I haven't bought Hot Rod magazine in the last 10 years or so.

That's why I started out saying it might be a big challenge.

Tires???

John