Tech Tips – Gearstar

The new trend of restomods is definitely the best of both worlds. Whether you’re a classic or a modern car lover, you can have it all in a single-vehicle. Rock the iconic car look from the 1950s, and count on reliability, performance, and comfort of the latest sports cars. How awesome can that get? If you’re still contemplating if resto-modding is for you, here’s some valuable information that’ll help you decide.
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What Is Resto-Modding?

Now if you haven’t gotten a hang of things yet, restomod is a term gotten from “restoration and modification.” It involves restoring and modifying classic cars with modern engines, transmissions, and luxury comforts that can only be found in today’s ride. What this does, is to remove the performance flaws that were evident in the classic car.

However, the catch is that your old muscle car’s exterior still maintains its age long look. This is because its external appearance is either restored to or close to its original look and curb appeal. And if you haven’t guessed already, old pickup trucks can also be resto-modded by upgrading their chassis with long-travel suspension, modern-day drivetrain, and safety measures.
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History of Restomods

Back in the 1950s, there were two classes of hobbyists and these were the collectors and hot rodders. Collectors were only out to find classic cars they could show off at events. They were less bothered about low horsepower engines and low-quality brakes that were often present in classic cars.

Hot rodders, on the other hand, were not content with just having an old ride to play with. Their aim was to get better driving experience, and that meant newer engines, improved brakes, headlights, and other features that could give the ride a revamped and modern look.

But years later, a new generation emerged from car hobbyists and this set of car enthusiasts were both interested in retaining the classic car’s look and adopting a modern car’s performance. Cars from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, began to look interesting since some hotrodders stopped taking off the original design of the vehicle.

They maintained the car’s old look but gave it the latest engine, brake, and steering technology for improved performance, safety, and driving dynamics. Let’s take it one step further to show you what you stand to gain from resto-modding.
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Why Restomods Are the Best of Both Worlds

You may be wonder if there’s a need to seek vintage vehicle aesthetic and pair it with modern performance. But here are some reasons why restomods are the best of both worlds:

1. Uncompromising Features

Restomod is ideal if you want a classic car, yet the performance and safety features of today’s ride. You can do so without compromising these modern features, while you satisfy your heart’s desire for a stunning classic car. Therefore, you get to enjoy the advantages of a modern car in an old muscle car.

2. A Promise of a Better Ride

It’s a classic car and it was not built with the same high-end tech that is evident in cars today. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that classics are prone to leaking oil and even frequent breakdowns.

They are sometimes slow and inefficient when their performance is compared side by side with modern cars. However, this less impressive performance can be turned around by revamping the car’s mechanical components. What we getting at?

Your resto-modded car can have the performance of a modern machine, while still maintaining its charming, old school looks. Moreover, it improves the car’s safety features to today’s standards, thereby making it adhere to the current road laws.

3. Enhances Creativity

Who says you must drive around town with a ride straight from the manufacturer’s factory? There’s no rule, and as such, no limitation to your creativity. That being said, a restomod offers the opportunity to bring your creativity to life.

Hence, if there’s an old ride that catches your eye, it can be remodeled as you best dim fit. If you’re new to the hobby of collecting old cars, restomods make it easy to get creative.

4. An Alternative to Classic Restoration

Restoration seeks to return the car to its original look as it was from the factory. However, there are cases where the original parts are hard to find. Then comes in restomod as a better alternative since you can make do with old and modern parts. This means that the car’s old design can be flaunted instead of being hidden and forgotten in a garage.
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Restomod These Classics

Here’s a list of cars that can be resto-modded and if you’re looking for a classic car whose look you should adopt, this list will help you with it.

1. Ford Mustang

It’s no longer new to see a Ford Mustang from the 1960s flying on roads today since it is one of the most popular cars for resto-modding. Resto-modding a ride of this nature is easy given that they are several replacement and restoration parts lying around in the market. There’s the potential to pair the Mustang with a newer Ford drivetrain that will allow modern upgrades to be made to its internal build.

2. Chevy Camaro

The Chevy Camaro is another popular classic ride that is often resto-modded. A better version of its original self would often feature big wheels, hood scoops, matte paint, etc. all to make it look a bit more modern. And like the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro can be upgraded with V8 Corvette engines and newer drivetrains to enhance its performance on the road.

3. ICON Ford Bronco

Now the ICON Ford Bronco is quite different since it has already been resto-modded by the California-based company ICON4x4. This a company that specializes in modifying classic Jeeps and Land Cruisers with modern engines, matte paint, and so much more.

The ICON Ford Bronco, for instance, is a modified version of the first-generation Ford Bronco. This new variant is quite impressive since it features a Ford Coyote 5.0-liter V8, five-speed manual transmission, ABS brakes, and a fully-adjustable suspension kit. It may have been redesigned extensively, but it still bears the iconic look of a classic SUV from the late 1960s.
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The Bottom Line

There are more reasons than one why restomods are the best of both worlds for every car fanatic that wants to relive the past today. Pick a classic car from decades ago, replace its engine, wheels, etc. with that of modern parts, and you’ll well be on your way to having it all.

The best part is, you do not lose out on the benefits of driving a modern car since the only difference would be in the aesthetics. It all boils down to what appeals to you most – Driving the latest modern car that is also plying the road? or being unique by driving an old car that moves like a modern car?

You have a high-performance vehicle alright, and you love to drive it fast and pull hard into corners. While that may give you the needed thrill and excitement, it could be causing a great deal of strain to your car’s OEM driveline and suspension fasteners.

The reason cannot be far-fetched since manufacturers have built these cars to handle regular driving. It’s evident in the quality of parts and the level of performance they can offer.

That is why putting more speed/force on the same load can take a toll on some components. Generally, high-stress environments can affect the reliability of the parts of your vehicle.

But hey, that can be kept at bay by having some important transmission tech tips that will ensure that while you get a great driving experience, that is not at the expense of your car’s functionality.

Tips to Maintain Quality Performance in Impact Driving

Here are some transmission tech tips that will enable you to maintain the quality of your ride. These are processes employed by Automotive Racing Products, Inc. (ARP), a manufacturer of car parts for racers and car builders.

ARP has designed and engineered several fasteners that can offer safety margins for a variety of applications. That being the case, you can find a repair shop that can also implement these changes on your vehicle.

1. Quality Wheel Studs

If you’re only going to pull your car on and off the road without trying out stunts, then the 8.8 or 10.9 rated metric studs it comes with is just right for it. The same can be said for the SAE equivalent Grade 5 (120,000 psi tensile strength) or Grade 8 (150,000 psi) the car comes with, which is suitable for normal driving.

On the contrary, if you’re going to be pulling 9 to 1.0+ G’s while driving a 3,500 – 4,000 lb. car, greater consideration has to be given since there are a lot of lateral forces that will be at play. What’s more, dumping the clutch at high RPM could multiply torque through the transmission and rear end, thereby leading to a strain on the studs.

These forces may take a toll on the ride, but the use of premium wheel studs can handle sideloads and ensure a breakdown does not happen. How’s that? You may wonder.

a. Using Quality Materials for Wheel Studs

Wheel studs that are made of quality materials are free of any laps, seams, or material impurities. This level of quality can be ensured by designing these materials from premium SDF/CHQ grades (which can be compared to aircraft quality) 8740 chrome-moly steel. The SDF in, this case, denotes that it is Seam and Defect Free.

b. Cold Forging of Wheel Studs

Asides from using quality materials to create wheel studs, the studs are cold-forged into an oversize blank. Which is then transferred to a heat treatment process- in a bid to attain a nominal rating of 190,000 psi.

The Wheel studs are then shot-peened, and CNC machined to a specific diameter and shape. Also, the threads are all rolled upon completion heat treating. It is worth noting that the threads are formed when the material is hard, instead of being cut or rolled before heat treating.

This way, the threads are of high quality. They have a fatigue strength that is ten times higher than other threads that are designed using common commercial methods.

As a result, the resultant product has precision and tolerance. The wheel studs can now handle the tremendous shock loads that may be evident when the clutch is dumped at a high RPM.

2. Quality Bolts

Designing clutch/flywheel and converter/flexplate bolts to be of high quality instead of relying on commercial specifications that only harden the case can be highly beneficial.

Also, certain considerations have to be made. Such as the design of the ARP flywheel and flexplate bolt to feature a 12-point head design; a large shank diameter to provide increased strength and improved flywheel register.

The use of a design of this nature can save you a lot of trouble. Especially if you tend to dump the clutch a clutch at a high RPM. A clutch dumped at high RPMs poses several concerns, including the easy failure of the converter/flexplate fasteners or conventional clutch/flywheel within the bell housing.

What causes this failure can be associated with the load mounted on the bolts as the clutch engages at high RPMs. Much more, a stiffer clutch will be more impactful upon release. A possible solution to this problem is to use the high-quality bolts, that are not only hardened at the case.

3. Ring gear Bolts

Ring gear bolts can also be damaged since excessive shear loads can be more at the rear end. Nonetheless, the gear bolts that can handle the power will be susceptible to help to curb any potential issues.

Specifically, the use of premium grade 190,000 psi tensile strength bolts will prove useful. It is advisable to get bolts in bulk due to the range of application and custom nature of some installations.

Some options in the market are 10-32 x ½” bolts to as large as ½” by 6-inch bolts. The bolts can also be polished stainless steel, thereby making them less susceptible to rust and corrosion.

Transmission Tech Tips Conclusion

These are the transmission tech tips you should employ in ensuring that the components of your high-performance car stand the test of time. It also means that you do not have to sacrifice hard racing, pushing the RPMs, or hard turning in corners.

A car whose wheel studs and bolts are of high quality can impact the level of performance that can be provided. That being the case, your ride will stand the test of time and serve you well in the long run.

Find a company that can put these transmission tech tips in place, all in a bid to revamp your ride. If you’re confident that it has been built to handle the power, then you can be more confident to give it hard turns.