ROUSH® STAGE 3™ SUSPENSION AVAILABLE TO ALL MUSTANG OWNERS WHO WANT TO PULL Gs

LIVONIA, Mich. (July 31, 2008) - One of the things that sets the ROUSH®
Stage 3™ Mustang apart from the competition is the road-hugging,
highly-tuned suspension package. Previously, this vaunted suspension
package was only available as part of a ROUSH Stage 3 vehicle build, but
now anyone with a 2005 to 2009 Ford Mustang can feel what a 1G lateral
skid pad rating can give you on the daily drive.

Developed by some of the top chassis engineers in the industry, the
ROUSH Stage 3 Suspension Package is the result of hundreds of hours of
testing and thousands of miles on both the street and racetracks across
the country. Tests, including slalom, lane change, skid pad, and were
performed on a wide variety of road surfaces to provide the best
combination of ride comfort and road handling. Data was captured and
evaluated using a DIVAS Data Acquisition System, the same equipment used
by the Ford vehicle engineers. Overall, it took more than six months of
non-stop research and development to create one of the finest
suspensions available today.

The complete kit includes springs, dampers, jounce bumpers and
anti-roll bars which work together in harmony and provide optimum
performance on the street or track. The suggested retail is $1,499.00
(part number 401761), and when installed will lower the car
approximately one inch for a more aggressive stance. All instructions
and necessary OEM-grade hardware is included.

The front anti-roll bar is more than 45 percent stiffer than the stock
unit and is a solid material, unlike most others on the market which are
hollow. This helps to significantly reduce body roll, and ROUSH takes
the additional step to forge and machine the bar ends so that all the
joints are parallel and surfaces match for joint integrity. The rear
anti-sway bar is also solid and is heavier to help balance the vehicle
and remove some of the understeer that is a characteristic of the
Mustang.

The twin-tube shocks have a unique valving and will keep the maximum
tire contact patch on the ground, even while driving over uneven
terrain. They were developed in part with an advanced 7-post shaker rig
like many of the NASCAR teams now utilize to hone their chassis setups.
Like all the metal components in the Stage 3 Suspension Package, the
shocks are powder coated for corrosion resistance. The springs
themselves are cold wound and made from high chrome silicone steel. They
are pre-set so they won't sag.

The ROUSH engineers paid particular attention to the bushings and
jounce bumpers, areas other companies tend to overlook. The bushings,
though stiffer than OEM, are a bit softer than other third-party pieces
which allows for more compliance over low speed bumps. There is a unique
spiral groove cut in the front and rear bushings which helps to keep the
grease in place and quiets the unit. The jounce bumpers were actually
designed to act as a spring assist, and are constructed from an
OEM-quality, micro-cellular material.

"ROUSH has always been known for being the best in powertrain
components, but we also have some of the most knowledgeable chassis
engineers in the auto industry on staff," said Jack Roush. "I
continually challenge them to design suspension pieces that offer
tremendous performance enhancements yet don't make sacrifices when it
comes to ride comfort. With the ROUSH Stage 3 Suspension Package they
have met this challenge, and even exceeded my expectations for what a
performance enthusiast would want on his Mustang."

The Stage 3 Suspension Kit works with any type of wheel combinations,
but for optimum performance it is suggested that the ROUSH RR03 forged
wheels (part number 402422) and ROUSHcharger™ be utilized as well. The
suspension was specifically designed with the weight of these components
in mind.

Unique is an understatement here. This is why we love the return of traditional hot rods to the scene: you never know what you're going to get. And hey, who said hot rods aren't practical. We bet that thing has a huge trunk up front. [Hemmings]

Novel ideas don't end there. The car has been sort of a test bed for go-faster ideas seeing all kinds of changes and updates over the years. When it was originally built, it pucked the trend of a front mounted solid axle with trailing arms and instead went with a swing axle design allowing for the low stance. Since anybody who's studied chassis physics will tell you a swing axle sucks for driving dynamics, the car was again upgraded with a double wishbone and coilover setup which it still retains. Motiviation comes via a compact V6 V8 which we could not discern but was equipped with some cool parts. The open headers have a cutout valve operated by a cable which runs down the center of the exhaust pipe and can be operated from the cabin. Speaking of cabin, even though it's a cool looking ride, the driver space looks like a special kind of hell. Looking at one of the mods in particular, the big scoops behind the front suspension leading into the footwell, we're assuming that in addition to being cramped, the footwells were hotter than the fires of hades. Yikes but awesome.

The doors have been welded shut to keep things stiff, so to get in, the roof is actually hinged forward so you can just step right in - cool!. The rear suspension is pretty spectacular, its a solid axle kept in place with a stout panhard setup, a wagon style arched spring to provide compliance, and a set of very, very old oil piston dampers to quiet the chassis. We're eager to see what this thing looks like when it's all done, and we hear there are others from the same shop that are even more twisted and diabolical.

Jalopy Journal is proposing a new contest, with no checklists, no requirements, no politics - basically no BS - just a panel of guys, arguing the merits of cars to recognize their own most beautiful roadster. We like this idea. Conventional rodding has gotten fat and bloated, so self congratulatory over the advancement of smoothed frame rails and hidden nuts and bolt as to completely miss the spirit of the art. Hot rods aren't about who can create the most perfect rod, it's about being an individual, being creative with what you have, or following a crystalline and perfect idea to a logical end. And let's be honest here, this whole idea of the most beautiful roadster is bullocks to begin with. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that idea demands the standards of beauty be as varied as the styles of the art. By the current standard, a masterpiece like the Hemirod would never even be considered. Having said that, we salute this enterprise and hope to see it sprout revolutionary change in the hot rod scene.

FLEXFUEL CHEVY HOT ROD DEMONSTRATES VINTAGE STYLE AND MODERN ALTERNATIVE-FUEL PERFORMANCE

With a 500-horsepower engine, a channeled body and a chopped top, GM's custom street rod looks right at home on the salt flats of Bonneville. But instead of a traditional gasoline V-8, this '34 Chevy replica rod sports a turbocharged 2.0L Ecotec engine that runs on E85 ethanol. Appropriately, it has been dubbed the FlexFuel Chevy Hot Rod.

"Since the 1930's, hot rods have embodied American ingenuity, aesthetic flair and the quest for performance," said Bryan Nesbitt, vice-president of General Motors North American Design. "The ethanol Hot Rod is a modern statement that today's hot rodder can address energy concerns about the consumption of petroleum without sacrificing performance or style."

The car's low-slung stance and stripped-down essence suggests track cars and speed racers of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Open hood sides reveal the high-powered Ecotec engine, which has been pumped up with the help of GM Performance Parts' Stage III performance kit and a larger turbo. The higher octane of E85 enabled engineers to tune the engine for more power. It is backed by a GM Powertrain 5L40 five-speed automatic transmission.

"The engine was built using the basic recipe that is available in the Ecotec performance book available from GM Performance Parts," said Al Oppenheiser, GM Performance Division director of concept and vehicle integration. "Also, the E85 conversion is based on a kit that GM is exploring for regular production engines."

True hot rod aesthetic

Like hot rods built for the last 60 years, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is built from an assemblage of factory and aftermarket parts. The frame and body are based on the 1934 Chevy, but both were fabricated by the craftsmen at the GM Performance Division (GMPD). The body has been sectioned and channeled to give the car its true hot rod aesthetic, while the frame is a one-off piece designed, engineered and built by GMPD. The slanted grille - with a unique chrome mesh pattern - and hood are integrated for a smoother look, which includes a sun visor characteristic of period hot rod racers.

Like any good rod worth its salt, there are no fenders or running boards; the 10-inch headlamps are mounted to the core support. The front suspension is all custom-built, complete with period-perfect lightening holes drilled in it.

A sturdy 8-3/8-inch Winters Quick-change rearend is suspended by a parallel four-link suspension. It is filled with 5.20 gears, which are used to generate brisk acceleration with 35-inch-tall, racing-type Excelsior rear tires and 29-inch-tall front tires. The tires are mounted on custom 18-inch front and 20-inch rear "kidney bean"-style wheels from Budnik.

Steering comes from a custom-fabricated linkage that is connected to a reversed Corvair steering box. The linkage is mounted to the outside of the frame rail.

Hand-crafted cabin

Inside, the FlexFuel Hot Rod maintains its racing-inspired minimalist theme, but with contemporary feel. Hand-formed sheet metal and earth-friendly materials were used to trim the cabin, as well as the racing-style aluminum seats. The dashboard was hand-finished, too, and filled with traditional-looking Stewart-Warner gauges.

One of the interior's central points of interest is the racing-style driveshaft tube, which covers the custom driveshaft. It is a prominent fixture in the cabin because the body has been lowered around the chassis to achieve the streamlined appearance that was characteristic of old-school hot rods.

Road ready

More than just a conceptualized vision of an alternative-fuel street rod, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is a driver that GM Performance Division will press into service for a number of road events and tests.

"This thing is going to rack up a lot of miles," said Oppenheiser. "With the FlexFuel conversion, it can run purely on E85, gasoline or any combination of the two. That means it can be refueled anywhere the road takes it."
# # #

Our 1960 Ford Fairlane 500 driving Vegas homeboy Curtis Walker snuck away from the Las Vegas Grand Prix long enough to stop by Viva Las Vegas 10 at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino. It was the latest in a decade's worth of rockabilly/hotrod that's gone, daddy. Check out Curtis's photo gallery and wish your pompadour was tight enough and your chick chick enough to have attended in the flesh. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Las Vegas Grand Prix, 2007: Race Day; Lone Star Rod & Kustom Roundup Roundup [internal]

It started out as a 1999 Chrysler Concorde LXi, which was presumably minding its own business. But the guys at DiMora Designs, part of a larger coachworks company, lured the the four-door, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger family sedan into their machinists's lair and had their way with it. The result is the JX Coupe, a two-passenger, El Camino-like glossmobile with a covered bed and a 260-hp, 3.2 liter V6 built by ATK. They fused the rear passenger doors permanently to the body and chopped the factory roof so the rear glass assembly would fit. But don't bother asking the price. The company's only built this one as a show car. But if you ask nicely and wave your checkbook over your head in an attempt at semafore, maybe they'll build one just for you. – Mike Spinelli

[via Autocar]

Related:

Press Release:

The DiMora JX Coupe

At DiMora Designs, a division of DiMora Motorcar, we take pride in thinking outside the box to create unique automobiles, yachts, motorcycles, and even entertainment attractions. Whether the need is for a car with a particular capability or there is a desire to carry a thematic style to its logical conclusion, we conceptualize and deliver remarkable one-off creations.

The JX Concept Coupe was conceived for the movies. Often a movie car is a stripped-down vehicle with a desired look, made to fill a particular role in a movie, and it is never seen again except by the prop man or at a museum. But we decided to build this movie car of steel and quality parts, so that it can be enjoyed on the road long after the ending credits roll at the local multiplex theater. This concept car is meant to be driven, not just admired.

The JX Coupe began its life as a 1999 Chrysler Concorde LXi, a four-door, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger family sedan with lively performance from a 235 HP V6 engine.

In late 2006, we decided to make it into a movie car, a two-passenger coupe with the longest trunk in town. It was to have the utility of an El Camino with an electric, lockable lid on the large trunk, and a boost in performance.

Alfred DiMora also decided to use this car to demonstrate the lost art of American coachbuilding in steel during the late 1930s and 1940s. This echoes the steel coachbuilding work he performed at Clenet Coachworks in the 1970s and 1980s. With hundreds of hours shaping the steel, we would add classic style to this typical mass-market car.

In American English, a coupe is "a closed two-door automobile." Since our word comes from the French verb "couper" meaning "to cut", we started the project by cutting up the Concorde! We sealed the rear passenger doors permanently to the body and then chopped the factory roof to accept the rear glass assembly.

To enhance the design of the rear of the car, we replaced the single-outlet factory muffler with a Camaro Z28 dual-outlet muffler. The rear facia was modified by cutting holes to accommodate the chrome exhaust tips.

We replaced the stock engine with a 260 HP 3.2 liter V6 from ATK, which is backed by a three-year unlimited mileage warranty. We added a "Tornado" vortex component to the air intake. MPG was increased 10% and horsepower grew by 10%. We have not had a dyno test on the engine, but we estimate the engine's horsepower was increased to 260.

The unique grille was designed and hand fabricated by Jim Willis, our Concept Car Project Manager. We freshened up the interior then added plush leather seats.

We swapped out the stock wheels for American Racing Euro-Chrome 18" wheels, surrounded by BF Goodrich 235/50ZR18 tires. We used Intrax lowering springs to drop the car an inch and a half in front and an inch in the rear to help give the car a new profile look.

The JX Coupe was completed to better-than-factory-quality using all steel fabrication. The paint is by House of Kolor in San Diego, California, and is called "Sunrise Pearl". This unique paint gives you the illusion of the color changing with the light at different times of the day or with different lighting conditions.

When Jim Willis drove the completed JX Coupe on the open road for its first time, he couldn't help noticing that people were photographing the car with their cell-phone cameras everywhere he went. When he parked, he drew large crowds and people even got up from their meals at restaurants to go outside and look at the car. People approached Jim everywhere he went, asking "When did they start making these? Where did you buy this thing? How can I get one? How much did it cost?"

Well, there will only be this one JX Coupe. But it has already been photographed extensively for CarVision, the premier automotive publication in the Republic of Korea. It was introduced at the Spring Rod Run in Temecula, California, where it was a true crowd-pleaser. You will soon see it on TV and on the multiplex cinema screen. And if you are lucky, you may see the owner driving this one-of-a-kind car with pride for many years to come.

Related:
Think Bigger: The Super Luxury DiMora Natalia SLS2 [internal]

1960 Other Makes : VESPA [eBay]

Related:
Autorama Blowout! Vespa 400, Tiny Like Whoa [internal]

Sometimes, on this great journey through life, you witness something so truly breathtaking, so utterly, impossibly perfect, pure and good, it shifts the paradigm of your perception. It is deceptively easy to go right by the "First Love" exhibit in front of Detroit's Cobo hall. A passing glance will reveal nothing out of the ordinary, as slick show cars go. Look closer and you'll bear witness to high-dollar rodding nirvana. Simply put, this is, by a wide margin, the finest example of no-holds-barred custom fabrication work this Jalop has ever seen. Ever.

The details on this '36 Ford are so fine and numerous, the quality of the build so high, the execution so flawless that I cannot imagine a better example of the art. While his contemporaries are going with full chrome inboard Jag E-type suspensions, Troy and his team are giving us inboard drums and hidden discs. While the competition throws out candied colors, he goes for subtle, almost factory finishes that catch the eye like the Mona Lisa. They go with big chrome wheels, he's sporting custom-machined and painted wide fives, with a tasteful throwback hubcap. Even the hubs to match the wheels are works of art. The underbody of this car is better than most of its contemporaries' coachwork; nary a bolt, rivet, or pin is visible. The mesh below the hood has cutouts that match the car's heart shaped logo. Nothing has been overlooked, nothing is flawed. I, and many others, stood mouths agape at the craftsmanship of this car. Bravo sir, bravo. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:
Salt Flats Monster: '69 Barracuda LSR Car [internal]

Yes, those are 30" wheels made by DUB. Yes, that's a Cadillac Caprice with a Rolls Royce schnoz. Yes, the kid after the jump is barely taller than the wheel with which he is posing as if it were Spongebob (who was incidentally posing with kids not a hundred feet away). Does that about cover it? It's becoming a challenge to bring you continuously flashier and yet so so smooth rides; the ne plus ultra seems to have a short shelf life these days. Can Spate Kreations claim this as the current winner? It's a tough call between this and the orange Caprice with clear kicks from earlier, but in the end, we all win. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:
All Hail the First Video of a Clear-Rims Burnout: The Garfield Box [internal]

Yeah, that's right, I'm thumbing my nose at the establishment, giving the finger to the man, and gesturing in any other phalangically based displays of disrespect. I say this is the first C6 Corvette-based conversion that does not, in fact, suck. In pictures it may not work; our very own commenters raked it over the coals when Spinelli wrote about it back in November. But in person it works surprisingly well. I spoke with Fred Kanter, chairman of n2a (and owner of the Packard brand name - cooool!). Apparently the idea was to meld different aspects of the '57, '58, and '59 Bel Air models into something interesting but familiar. One remarkable aspect of the build process was that the entire undertaking, from purchase of Vette to carbon-fiber body #1, was only about 14 weeks. Damn impressive for the level of detail if you ask me. It even uses factory reproductions of the original headlight and taillight buckets. Come on, what's not to love about that? Sure, there are a couple of things that could be massaged. The interior could stand a bit of tarting up and the license plate spot in the rear isn't as cool as it could be. But it's a great start for such an ill-received concept. – Ben Wojdyla

Related:

Too early for a moment of Zen, you say? Ok, then, how about a wake-up call. This cartoonishly orange high-riser box Chevrolet Caprice fitted with $30,000 clear rims, performing a class-1 burnout, offers a more bracing start to the day than cold OJ ever could. Enjoy, in a sense. – Mike Spinelli

Cruisin' On My 30" Clears! {CarDomain Blog]

Related:
SEMA Show: Clear Wheels [internal]

Rivets, rivets, rivets. Everywhere, on everything, holding all parts together, acting as thematic motivator and functional fastener de rigeur. The WW2 themed offering is a really cool take on a the open-topped hot rod. It's spartan interior is reminiscent of early Jeeps and Willy's runabouts. Check out the trunk with its gas tin and one-off battery box. Rodding magic. I have no explanation for the brass head as a shifter knob. Some things are best left not known. Oh so much below the fold.– Ben Wojdyla

Related:
The Foose P-32: What Could've Been [internal]