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Improving Our Vintage Corvette With A Five-Speed Transmission

There was a time when any “respectable” hot street car had a four-speed and at least a set of 4.10 gears with a high-revving engine under the hood. Troy Hudson lived in that era. His previous streetable rides included a 9,000-plus-rpm, dual-four-barrel, 327 cubic-inch small-block in a ’57 Chevy with a four-speed and 6.50 rear gears. Next came a 1960 283 cubic-inch, dual-four-barrel, four-speed Corvette with 4.10s. Times and technology change, and where four-speeds were once dominant, five-speed transmissions featuring overdrive are now the norm.


The Full Swap: Ditching Your MT82 For A TREMEC Magnum XL
There is no doubt that with a few aftermarket parts, modern Mustangs equipped with the 5.0-liter Coyote engine can generate exponentially more power. With that increase in power often come hardships down the line, specifically in the driveline of the car. Many enthusiasts have voiced complaints about the stock MT82 transmission, which comes on the 2011 and newer Ford Mustangs. Owners mention issues with the transmission not shifting smoothly, and later, that the OE-spec transmission cannot handle the additional power. The good news: there is a plug-and-play, bolt-in solution for this problem, and it is called the TREMEC Magnum XL transmission.
Project Swedish Meatball: Our Wild LS-Swapped Volvo Wagon

Project Swedish Meatball: Our Wild LS-Swapped Volvo Wagon

 


Driving a boring car every day just sucks. There are a lot of cool-looking cars out there that don’t have an exciting engine and transmission package, but thankfully that can be changed with some creativity and effort. Project Swedish Meatball is LSX Magazine’s newest build, and it’s our take on an elevated Volvo wagon.

“The Meatball” as we call it, started life as your typical 1994 Volvo 940 wagon powered by a four-cylinder engine that was backed by an automatic transmission. These cars are known to be total tanks and last forever, but that little four-banger and slushbox just wasn’t cutting it for us. Our plan: replace the tired 2.3-liter mill with a 5.3 LS engine, slap a TREMEC six-speed transmission behind it, and add a single 76mm turbo for good measure. The goal is to create a gnarly 700-horsepower daily driver that will last for a very long time.

SEMA 2023: Dennis Taylor's Awesome Ed Iskenderian Tribute Hot Rod

Ed Iskenderian, the founder of Isky Racing Cams, is an absolute legend in the high-performance and hot rodding world. The parts that Iskenderian created helped push the fledging world of aftermarket parts to new heights, and his 1923 Model T served as a test bed for what he made. Dennis Taylor of Hot Rods by Dennis Taylor has created an amazing modernized version of Iskenderian’s iconic Model T.

The idea of building a tribute to Ed’s Model T started over a year ago when Dennis, his daughter Alex, and Nolan Jamora, COO of Isky started discussing the project. Ed’s original car is currently on display at the Speedway Motors Museum, so Dennis and Alex went there to take measurements and pictures of the car to get the process started. Dennis built the car like a young Ed would have if he time-traveled to the modern era, so the Model T is an interpretation of what he might have created.


Paul Lee Returns to Sonoma, CA With Support from DENSO and Zurn Elkay Water Solutions
Paul Lee and his McLeod Racing Nitro Funny Car entry return to Sonoma Raceway with DENSO and new marketing partner, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. The team will host a full hospitality with his partners of Mainline Sales and Breen Design Group for the entire weekend of action. With progress with the tune up continuing in the right direction, the John Medlen and Jason Bunker led team head into Sonoma with the strategy of consistency. 
Mike Copeland’s 500 Horsepower Hydrogen-Powered Ford Falcon Futura

Mike Copeland’s 500 Horsepower Hydrogen-Powered Ford Falcon Futura

 

Mike Copeland and his company Diversified Creations has an impressive resume of cool car builds. The level of detail and craftsmanship Copeland’s team puts into each project is impressive. Copeland’s 1964 Falcon Futura is a real looker, but it’s the Hydrogen-fed Gen III Coyote that will really grab your attention.

Anybody can build a Mustang or Camaro, so Copeland wanted to create a project car that would stand out in a crowd, so the Falcon was selected as his canvas. The Falcon’s Gen III Coyote mill runs on a new type of Hydrogen technology that Copeland developed, and boy does it add some power. The Hydrogen-powered Coyote has been designed to use water injection to control the burn rate of the Hydrogen fuel. The end result is a naturally aspirated Coyote that cranks out 500 horsepower and can be spun up to 8,000 RPM.

McLeod Racing extends partnership with FWD Champion Ricky Silva
February 21, 2023 (Anaheim, CA) McLeod Racing announces contract extension with import drag racer Ricky Silva and CLM Motorsports. Silva is set to make his season debut at the Xtreme Front Wheel Drive Challenge which will be held at Bradenton Motorsports Park during the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod Race March 3-5, 2023. With the acquisition of PowerTrain Technologies, McLeod Racing is able to provide a new line of smaller diameter clutch kits for racers like Silva.
Wharton Automotive Group Acquires PowerTrain Technology
October 25, 2022 (ANAHEIM, CA) Paul Lee, President of the Wharton Automotive Group continues to grow his portfolio with the acquisition of the small diameter racing clutch and drivetrain component line of PowerTrain Technology (PTT) of Algonquin, IL.  PTT has a two-decade record of putting drivers in the winners' circle with reliable cutting edge racing clutch and drivetrain products.
 
PTT will be relocating to McLeod Racing’s facility in Anaheim, CA and the products will be available through McLeod Racing and their worldwide distribution network.

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