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period detail shot

Started by gt350shelb, November 27, 2023, 09:46:42 PM

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6s2055

Bob, interesting observation about the picture being about valve cover! Thought it looked like spark plug removal/install as there are a lot of combinations of tools on the fender. Remember such a feat and always crack one or two which lead me to always by ten!

6s2055

Also, the valve covers are different than what my car came with and had a breather cap not a cap as in the picture. Just an observation!

Bob Gaines

Quote from: 6s2055 on November 29, 2023, 11:51:11 AM
Also, the valve covers are different than what my car came with and had a breather cap not a cap as in the picture. Just an observation!
Reread reply #11 . Shelby valve covers are aftermarket additions on that magazine car.
Bob Gaines,Shelby Enthusiast, Shelby Collector , Shelby Concours judge SAAC,MCA,Mid America Shelby

6s2055

Thank you Bob! I missed that. Aging is really rapidly taking over my memory!

6s2055

Thank you Bob! I missed that! Aging is really taking a major toll with my mine!

Side-Oilers

#20
Quote from: Bill Collins on November 28, 2023, 11:08:26 AM
I think it was Popular Hot Rodding. Published between 1962 and 2014, part of the Motor Trend group. Best known for their "Project X" '57 Chevy build series.

Hi Bill,

Yes, that was Popular Hot Rodding. A formerly excellent technical car mag (sort of combining Hot Rod & Car Craft's editorial breadth) that ended up in the soup-kitchen-mess of leftover stuff that spilled on the floor during too many publishing company sales/mergers.

PHR was never affiliated with Petersen, but got mixed-in with the Motor Trend Group (about three more company takeovers after Bob Petersen sold everything in 1996) in its last year or so, and was dead by 2014...a shadow of its former self.

PHR was originally the flagship of Argus Publishers Corp, a much smaller magazine company than Petersen (located in West L.A. about 6 miles from Petersen) that also published Super Chevy, Off-Road, VW & Porsche (eventually became European Car), drag racing specials, Motorcade (a new-car quarterly), Guide to Muscle Cars, Fabulous Mustangs, and others.

Company owners Don Werner and Gordon Behn were former Petersen guys. Werner was editor of Motor Trend (circa 1959) and Behn was in the Distribution (newsstand and subscription) dept.  They decided to compete with Petersen and opened their own company (Argus) in 1962.

The young guy in this photo was the editor of PHR at the time, George Elliott. He had advanced to Exec V.P. when I started there in '81 (George hired me!) He's a great guy, fun-to-work-for, very knowledgeable, and a natural race driver (cars and motorcycles.) 

I worked at PHR from 1982-87, before Carroll asked me to come to work for him, and thus also before I was at Petersen in the '90s-early 2000s. (Car Craft & Motor Trend.)

George and I are still friends, and I talked with him a couple of months ago. He's 80-ish and still loves fast machines. If anyone has a specific question to ask him about that Shelby article, I can pass it along. 
Van
Current:
2006 FGT, Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs. Top Speed Certified 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra 427.  482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Previous:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model

Side-Oilers

#21
Addendum: 

It's possible that photo wasn't so much part of a specific technical story, as it was to showcase the 428 P.I.  I've been in many meetings where we were trying to figure out a snappy lead photo for the cover, or an article.

The answer: When you have a car with a visually-sexy engine, pull off the hood to get a good look at it. Shoot the pix vertically so it fills the entire page. Then have it lead-off a special engine building section, or an article on how-to jet dual-carbs for street and strip.

Also, keep in mind that the 1960s-era hot rodding magazines liked to test cars not just as stock, but after simple tuning tricks had been done. The goal was to report on the potential of the car as a bracket racer, or (more likely) a street racer. And, the performance gains of aftermarket parts. 

The staff would regularly take drag slicks, carb parts, multiple sets of spark plugs, tool boxes and an air tank to the track, to test and tweak that same day. They'd make runs with and without the air cleaner, try different tire pressures, unbolt the front sway bar, and even run with uncorked exhaust if it was a bolt-together system and they could get to it.

As a result, this particular color photo is doing exactly what was intended: Grab your attention. Whether it be on the newsstand that month, or 55+ years later on a Shelby forum.   
Current:
2006 FGT, Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs. Top Speed Certified 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra 427.  482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Previous:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model

SFM66H

Quote from: Side-Oilers on November 29, 2023, 03:34:30 PM
Quote from: Bill Collins on November 28, 2023, 11:08:26 AM
I think it was Popular Hot Rodding. Published between 1962 and 2014, part of the Motor Trend group. Best known for their "Project X" '57 Chevy build series.

Hi Bill,

Yes, that was Popular Hot Rodding. A formerly excellent technical car mag (sort of combining Hot Rod & Car Craft's editorial breadth) that ended up in the soup-kitchen-mess of leftover stuff that spilled on the floor during too many publishing company sales/mergers.

PHR was never affiliated with Petersen, but got mixed-in with the Motor Trend Group (about three more company takeovers after Bob Petersen sold everything in 1996) in its last year or so, and was dead by 2014...a shadow of its former self.

PHR was originally the flagship of Argus Publishers Corp, a much smaller magazine company than Petersen (located in West L.A. about 6 miles from Petersen) that also published Super Chevy, Off-Road, VW & Porsche (eventually became European Car), drag racing specials, Motorcade (a new-car quarterly), Guide to Muscle Cars, Fabulous Mustangs, and others.

Company owners Don Werner and Gordon Behn were former Petersen guys. Werner was editor of Motor Trend (circa 1959) and Behn was in the Distribution (newsstand and subscription) dept.  They decided to compete with Petersen and opened their own company (Argus) in 1962.

The young guy in this photo was the editor of PHR at the time, George Elliott. He had advanced to Exec V.P. when I started there in '81 (George hired me!) He's a great guy, fun-to-work-for, very knowledgeable, and a natural race driver (cars and motorcycles.) 

I worked at PHR from 1982-87, before Carroll asked me to come to work for him, and thus also before I was at Petersen in the '90s-early 2000s. (Car Craft & Motor Trend.)

George and I are still friends, and I talked with him a couple of months ago. He's 80-ish and still loves fast machines. If anyone has a specific question to ask him about that Shelby article, I can pass it along. 
Van


Side-Oilers,

My magazine has this caption on page 60, explaining the period detail shot on page 61 that is being discussed in this thread:

1966 GT350H owner since June 30, 1976

430dragpack

Quote from: SFM66H on November 29, 2023, 04:46:20 PM
Quote from: Side-Oilers on November 29, 2023, 03:34:30 PM
Quote from: Bill Collins on November 28, 2023, 11:08:26 AM
I think it was Popular Hot Rodding. Published between 1962 and 2014, part of the Motor Trend group. Best known for their "Project X" '57 Chevy build series.

Hi Bill,

Yes, that was Popular Hot Rodding. A formerly excellent technical car mag (sort of combining Hot Rod & Car Craft's editorial breadth) that ended up in the soup-kitchen-mess of leftover stuff that spilled on the floor during too many publishing company sales/mergers.

PHR was never affiliated with Petersen, but got mixed-in with the Motor Trend Group (about three more company takeovers after Bob Petersen sold everything in 1996) in its last year or so, and was dead by 2014...a shadow of its former self.

PHR was originally the flagship of Argus Publishers Corp, a much smaller magazine company than Petersen (located in West L.A. about 6 miles from Petersen) that also published Super Chevy, Off-Road, VW & Porsche (eventually became European Car), drag racing specials, Motorcade (a new-car quarterly), Guide to Muscle Cars, Fabulous Mustangs, and others.

Company owners Don Werner and Gordon Behn were former Petersen guys. Werner was editor of Motor Trend (circa 1959) and Behn was in the Distribution (newsstand and subscription) dept.  They decided to compete with Petersen and opened their own company (Argus) in 1962.

The young guy in this photo was the editor of PHR at the time, George Elliott. He had advanced to Exec V.P. when I started there in '81 (George hired me!) He's a great guy, fun-to-work-for, very knowledgeable, and a natural race driver (cars and motorcycles.) 

I worked at PHR from 1982-87, before Carroll asked me to come to work for him, and thus also before I was at Petersen in the '90s-early 2000s. (Car Craft & Motor Trend.)

George and I are still friends, and I talked with him a couple of months ago. He's 80-ish and still loves fast machines. If anyone has a specific question to ask him about that Shelby article, I can pass it along. 
Van


Side-Oilers,

My magazine has this caption on page 60, explaining the period detail shot on page 61 that is being discussed in this thread:



The guy working on the Shelby in the period picture has the name George Elliott on his shirt, albeit not fully legible.

Side-Oilers

#24
That definitely is not Lee Kelley.  I worked for him too.  He died a few years ago.   

That's George Elliott in the photo, wearing that shirt.
Current:
2006 FGT, Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs. Top Speed Certified 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra 427.  482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Previous:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model

CSX4781

Wasn't George Elliott the guy who started Project X?

SFM66H

Quote from: Side-Oilers on November 29, 2023, 06:27:39 PM
That definitely is not Lee Kelley.  I worked for him too.  He died a few years ago.   

That's George Elliott in the photo, wearing that shirt.

Okay - Thanks for the clarification!
1966 GT350H owner since June 30, 1976

Side-Oilers

#27
Quote from: CSX4781 on November 29, 2023, 08:44:45 PM
Wasn't George Elliott the guy who started Project X?

Yes, he was. I just reminisced with him on the phone about how that project got started.  It was around 1965 and they wanted to do an affordable project car. Arch-rival Hot Rod would do the occasional mega-dollar high end project, but PHR's readers were more into stuff they could build themselves.  George saw the '57 Chevy with a for sale sign on it, as he drove past it on some street in the San Fernando Valley. He bought it for something like $350.

That began the multi-year series of build-up articles, which then carried forward (after long jumps in time) to the era I was there, and until they ruined it by converting it to full EV for display at SEMA about 6-8 years ago. Apparently, Chevy did (or paid for) a lot of the work, I guess trying to make EVs seem cool.  Uh...

I have heard that it's been put back to proper Chevy V8 carbon-propulsion.

I think that when George retired from Argus Publishers, after something like 35 years of helping build the company from one magazine into a pretty powerful independent publisher & producer of car events & TV shows, he should've been given Project X.  But, the tight-wad owners couldn't see past the dollar signs.  Sad.

I hope whoever has it, fully appreciates its long and unique history. Gotta say, to drive it on the street, the couple of times I did to car events, when it was still a very famous icon of hot rodding, was pretty bitchin'.   

Never got it to do a wheelstand, though.  That was the earlier PHR crew. 
Current:
2006 FGT, Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs. Top Speed Certified 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra 427.  482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Previous:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model

shelbydoug

#28
While this subject is open, I have a few questions.

1) Is that oil filler cap what is expected on all '67 GT500's or do they vary?

2) The Cobra Lemans driver's side valve cover is machined for clearance to the master brake cylinder for clearance. Doesn't the CS Shelby cover need that also?

3) Does the heater hose routing vary according to emissions or non-emission GT500 applications? Where would you expect to see it on a non-emissions car?
68 GT350 Lives Matter!

430dragpack

#29
Quote from: shelbydoug on November 30, 2023, 07:04:50 AM
While this subject is open, I have a few questions.

1) Is that oil filler cap what is expected on all '67 GT500's or do they vary?

2) The Cobra Lemans driver's side valve cover is machined for clearance to the master brake cylinder for clearance. Doesn't the CS Shelby cover need that also?

3) Does the heater hose routing vary according to emissions or non-emission GT500 applications? Where would you expect to see it on a non-emissions car?

Which cap are you asking about?  The scalloped, "cookie cutter" cap on the drivers side valve cover was only used on the closed crankcase emissions/thermactor GT 500's(and '67 427 Fairlanes/Comets/Galaxies).  They could be Autolite stamped or no script un-stamped.
The chrome, Autolite stamped cap on the intake fill tube in the first picture at the beginning of this thread, is typically the style expected for a later car.  The earlier cars used the same style/shape cap that were stamped with the FoMoCo in an oval from my understanding.  Others will know approximately when the phasing in occurred for the Autolite caps.  I was also told that not all of them were chrome, and black painted variations of each type script cap were used sparingly throughout production.  Again, maybe someone has a more definitive time frame of usage.

Something I've been wondering about is did some of the closed emission/thermactor GT500's use the oil fill tube cap and spark arrestor system pictured below if the regular, straight oil fill tube was used instead of the C4AZ-6763-A curved fill tube with the nipple on the side that Jeff posted a picture of.  If so, then that opens up another whole batch of closed crankcase emission caps, scripts, finishes, shapes/sizes.