Engine Builder Tapestries

What is now known as "STP" was invented by German scientists during WWII as a response to Germany's need for lubrication of the German war-machine vehicles. WWII US Army divisions in Africa that overtook German Afrika Korps vehicles alleged that the Germans employed an engine oil that is now known as STP formulation full-strength in their air-cooled 4-cylinder engines, which successfully traveled through the hot African Desert war-front without seizing due to friction and extreme heat. How the Germans' original chemical synthesis formulation found its way to the U.S. after WWII is not known, but most likely it made that journey along with many of the other German innovations through the distribution of technology through the spoils of war.

Board Games Mechanic Series

Founded in 1964 in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwise was a chain of auto parts stores in the United States. In 1974, Nationwise partnered with Columbus-based engine builders, The Rod Shop, sponsoring a series of highly successful drag racecars. In stores, a Rod Shop section was created as kind of a speed shop inside of a parts store. In addition to go fast goodies from all the big names, Nationwise also sold Rod Shop branded performance parts. These parts were typically embossed with NRS (Nationwise Rod Shop), making them easy to identify by collectors, even decades later. The Rod Shop partnership ended in 1987, and less than a decade later, Nationwise became insolvent, and closed all stores on Sunday, October 15, 1995 at 3:00 PM.

Weber Speed Equipment started out in 1945 as Weber Tool Company, making some of the first aluminum performance fly wheels. As the company continued to expand their speed parts catalog with cams, clutches, and heads, becoming increasingly popular with hot rodders and racers alike, they changed their name to Weber Speed Equipment. Aside from making high quality, extreme high-performance parts, one of their biggest claims to fame was their 'blow up proof' guarantee on their flywheels, something that was a big draw to those pushing higher horsepower and revs in the early days of drag racing.

LM & P Motor Parts was an auto parts supplier serving the great Los Angeles area for decades. This design comes from a thrifted tee that carried a date of 1974 which had seen better days, so it was redrawn and made new again before being elegantly destroyed by hand.

What is now known as "STP" was invented by German scientists during WWII as a response to Germany's need for lubrication of the German war-machine vehicles. WWII US Army divisions in Africa that overtook German Afrika Korps vehicles alleged that the Germans employed an engine oil that is now known as STP formulation full-strength in their air-cooled 4-cylinder engines, which successfully traveled through the hot African Desert war-front without seizing due to friction and extreme heat. How the Germans' original chemical synthesis formulation found its way to the U.S. after WWII is not known, but most likely it made that journey along with many of the other German innovations through the distribution of technology through the spoils of war.

As post-war America began hot rodding and drag racing, Richard Lockerman founded Lockerman's Porting Service in Long Beach, California. Lockerman started out focusing on flathead V8s, but went on to offer his exquisite port and polish services on any heads that were brought in. In addition to one offs for local hot rodders, Lockerman did all of the port work for TRACO - the largest, and most respected race engine builder for elite competitors of various racing series throughout the '60s and '70s. Even as technology advanced, Lockerman continued doing his thing in his machine shop that remained a time capsule from the '40s, well into the '70s, and that's exactly how he wanted it... old school until the very end.

Like other performance pioneers, Ed Iskenderian was a Southern California hot rodder in the years leading up to World War II, learning speed secrets in an effort to make his own T roadster go faster. Grinding camshafts came after the war when a sudden demand for parts - fueled by returning GIs eager to get back to hot rodding - was so great that Iskenderian was faced with a long wait for a cam he wanted for his own car. Figuring he could do as just as good himself, he bought a surplus cylindrical grinder, converted it into a cam-grinding machine, and went to work. He wasn't just making a similar cam to those available at the time - he made them better, rightfully earning him the nickname of 'The Camfather.'

First established in 1965, VHS started out by porting cylinder heads for local racers in an old barn and has since evolved into one of the most complete engine shops in Southern California.

Founded in 1925, Mallory initially developed OEM ignition systems for many early cars, but by the '50s, they were known for their aftermarket systems for hot rods and drag racers who needed more oomph to get their high-compression engines to light and for those needing more adjustability for fine-tuning and keeping their monster motors humming along. Mighty Mallory was a fun superhero inspired character introduced in 1962 and was most commonly found on decals handed out at drag racing events.

After messing around with friend's midget racers, LaVern Nance fielded a series of his own home-brewed supermodifieds and as store bought racing parts weren't a thing in those days, he made his own. Much to everyone's surprise, his cars would run up an impressive string of victories against even the most well sponsored competitors. Sprint car fever bit Nance in the early '70s, and he had built his first sprint car in '72 - a meticulously constructed black outlaw racer that would dominate racetracks everywhere. The more Nance won, the more people wanted his speed parts, so in 1973, Nance Speed Equipment was born, and he began selling his machined parts as well as advanced chassis kits and complete roller packages.

Last thing you what to do is let the ol' flathead run dry during a speed run, so give it some love with a little old school hot rod lube!

When you’re building a V8 engine and looking for a camshaft, you may as well pick one that’s a beast to give it just the right amount of thump.

Quincy's Auto Supply sat on the south side of Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica and started out as a muffler shop, but evolved into a comprehensive speed shop. They had lifts for muffler work, a speed equipment showroom, and even offered machining services such as boring and porting. Ray Alley was the muffler guy and did the porting work; he later became fairly famous as a top fuel wrench. The proprietor of the place was Bill Quincy Cox, hence the name of the business, and Quincy's had considerable credibility in the hot rod and racing scene through his sponsorships of some of the top drag racers and Bonneville competitors, most of whom set numerous records while flying the Quincy flag.

Everyone knows that Binford Tools are the best of the best, especially the 6100 series. From cutting edge cordless power tools to traditional hand tools, Binford consistently delivers a level of made in USA quality that other brands can’t match. Of course, their calendar girls aren’t too bad either, and Binford would have it no other way.

With the post-war auto racing boom in full swing, the custom ignition business Chuck Potvin started in high school quickly outgrew his parent's garage. In 1948 Chuck purchased a corner shop and decked it out with cam grinders, a homemade master cam generator, a dynamometer, and several lathes and began crafting his own cam grinds that, like his ignition systems, found a sweet spot in the market. While he made countless models over the years, the most popular was the 425 Eliminator, the cam that the first car to break the 160 mph barrier was running.

The only way to get big stroke in the early decades of hot rodding was taking an existing crank, building up the journals through welding, and then machine finishing it, and that is what Alex Alexander had a knack for. As a welder, machinist, and avid hot rodder, Alex started making his own welded strokers in the '50s. As orders stacked up from word of mouth, he eventually had to admit that he had a business and formalized his operation as the less than creatively named 'Crankshaft Company' in 1965. From mild to wild, Crankshaft Company could build it and build it right, whether it was a street driven small block or a top fuel big block, the originator of the welded stroker could be counted on to go the distance.

C&T Automotive was started in 1951 in Sherman Oaks, California by Don Clark and Clem Tebo, hence the C and the T in the name. While they did a little bit of everything as far as making parts for racing engines, turning out competition grade stroker crankshafts was their bread and butter. Whether you were drag racing, burning up the dirt oval, or swapping paint on the stock car circuit, there was a good stretch there when it was safe to say that the fastest guys were running C&T crankshafts.

Overbore Racing is one of the sponsor patches spotted on the jacket worn by none other than Stuntman Mike in the 2007 film, Death Proof and now you too can be on the team!

The Judson Research and Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania got their start way back in 1880. Specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering, Judson developed products for farm equipment to improve performance.In the early '50s, the sons of the latest generation of Judsons were hot rod enthusiasts and began toying with sliding vane style superchargers. First created for the British sports cars and the venerable flathead V8, these bolt on supercharger kits quickly became popular with hobbyists and sold steadily. In 1956, the brothers designed a new kit for an increasingly popular German import that took the stock air cooled engine and doubled the horsepower. This is the product that changed the trajectory of Judson forever.

The Ford FE engine is a V8 used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. The FE was introduced to replace the short-lived Ford Y-block engine, which American cars and trucks were outgrowing. It was designed with room to be significantly expanded, and manufactured both as a top-oiler and side-oiler, and in displacements between 332 cu in and 428 cu in.The Ford single overhead cam (SOHC) 427 V8 engine, familiarly known as the "Cammer," was released in 1964 in an effort to maintain stock car racing dominance by seeking to counter the enormously large block 426 Hemi "elephant" engines. The FE 427 block was closer dimensionally to the smaller 392 cu. in. first generation FirePower Hemi.

During the drag racing and muscle car eras, independent speed shops were a common sight in most every major city, and New York was no exception. Everyone wanted their car to go faster, or at a minimum look like it went faster, and Bronx Speed Shop was one of the places to help out with that. From all out supercharged racing engines and bombproof transmissions to polished mag wheels and chrome side pipes, Bronx Speed Shop was the go-to spot for countless New York gear heads over the years.

"Dandy" Dick Landy was a master showman and a major pioneer in Super Stock, Funny Car, and Pro Stock drag racing. He was known for his innovative race cars, wild wheel stands, and his signature look of pressed white pants and jacket and long cigar clenched between his teeth. Automotive Research was Landy's first engine-building and tuning shop, opened in Sherman Oaks, California, in the early 1960s. Later, he would change the name to Dick Landy Industries and move to nearby Northridge. The business, which also employed his brother who acted as crew chief and engine builder, would continue until Landy's death in 2007.

The year was 1946 when a small hot rod shop opened up on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit and by 1960, they had expanded to half a dozen stores throughout Michigan and were known as the 'world's largest hot rod shops.' Unlike a lot of speed shops, Gratiot Auto Supply locations weren't just fronts for mail order dealers - they had hardware on the shelves, so no waiting for that new set of headers for your small block to come in from Los Angeles - they were in stock and ready to rock. From cross members and frame rails to cheater slicks and crate motors, they stocked literally everything a guy would need to build a car from the ground up, something no other retail store could come close to pulling off.

Abe “Al” Wexler opened his first Al’s Auto Supply store in Everett, Washington back in 1955. Al grew his business into a chain of 15 locations throughout the Northwest, becoming gear head’s auto parts store of choice. In the mid ’80s, Al sold the chain, which continued to operate as Al’s Auto Supply until it was sold again in 1999 and the locations rebranded as part of a larger national chain.

Founded in Brazil in the early '70s, Fania Cable Automotriz manufactured automotive cables for a wide range of applications, from speedometers to brakes. They provided OEM cables made to spec for a wide range of manufacturers, both in Brazil and abroad, and also supplied cables to the aftermarket.

What is now known as "STP" was invented by German scientists during WWII as a response to Germany's need for lubrication of the German war-machine vehicles. WWII US Army divisions in Africa that overtook German Afrika Korps vehicles alleged that the Germans employed an engine oil that is now known as STP formulation full-strength in their air-cooled 4-cylinder engines, which successfully traveled through the hot African Desert war-front without seizing due to friction and extreme heat. How the Germans' original chemical synthesis formulation found its way to the U.S. after WWII is not known, but most likely it made that journey along with many of the other German innovations through the distribution of technology through the spoils of war.

Founded as Charles Auto Supply in 1934, Charles would go on to open a dozen locations throughout the greater Washington Metro area, subsequently changing their name to Charles Auto Supply Stores. The retailer's initial offerings were basic repair parts and supplies, but by the time the boys began coming home from WWII and began hot rodding their cars, the Charles stores began adding speed parts and go fast goodies. By the late '70s, dedicated speed shops and national auto parts supply stores were putting the squeeze on Charles Auto Supply Stores, and they struggled throughout the '80s before closing up shop some time in the '90s.

STP Racer's Choice 1954

Rotonda's Speed Shop was founded in 1963 in Bloomfield, New Jersey and while they originally started out selling off the shelf go fast goodies, they added bays for service and installation and ended up building some rather infamous racing engines that broke quite a few records throughout the '60s.

William Jahns Sr. founded W.H. Jahns Co. in 1912 in Los Angeles where he turned out pistons for literally every application. When Jahns Sr. retired in 1948, he left the business to his son, William Jahns Jr., though Junior had already started his own business on the side under the name of Jahns Racing Pistons a year prior. Being much more interested in racing applications, William Jahns Jr. continued to operate W.H. Jahns Co., though now under the Jahns Racing Pistons banner, while reducing their vast catalog to include only the most profitable products. He simultaneously pushed forward with his racing piston development, becoming a leading of early high performance pistons that drove many cars of the day to win races and set records.

Dempsey Wilson was an accomplished race car driver in the '50s and '60s who competed in the USAC Championship Car Series. He had over 30 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in '58, '60, '61, and '63. Outside of racing, Wilson was a master machinist who custom-milled his own cams and ran a business called Dempsey Wilson Racing Cams in Hawthorne, California, which both made new camshafts and refurbished old ones. His primary clients were hot rodders and street racers, but he also did work for his fellow open-wheel racers, even providing some of his secret grinds to those he really liked.

Depending on whom you ask, ‘street racing’ used to simply mean drag racing, as in on a drag strip in the early days. Decades later, it literally means racing in the streets, but whatever your take is, be careful out there and give ’em absolute hell!

The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. The FE was introduced to replace the short-lived (in the USA) Ford Y-block engine, which American cars and trucks were outgrowing. It was designed with room to be significantly expanded, and manufactured both as a top-oiler and side-oiler, and in displacements between 332 cu in (5.4 L) and 428 cu in (7.0 L).

Dempsey Wilson was an accomplished race car driver in the ’50s and ’60s who competed in the USAC Championship Car Series. He had over 30 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in ’58, ’60, ’61, and ’63. Outside of racing, Wilson was a master machinist who custom-milled his own cams and ran a business called Dempsey Wilson Racing Cams in Hawthorne, California, which both made new camshafts and refurbished old ones. His primary clients were hot rodders and street racers, but he also did work for his fellow open-wheel racers, even providing some of his secret grinds to those he really liked.

Founded in 1964 in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwise was a chain of auto parts stores in the United States with a loveable mascot known as 'Motor Earl.' In 1974, Nationwise partnered with Columbus-based engine builders, The Rod Shop, sponsoring a series of highly successful drag racecars. In stores, a Rod Shop section was created as kind of a speed shop inside of a parts store. In addition to go fast goodies from all the big names, Nationwise also sold Rod Shop branded performance parts. These parts were typically embossed with NRS (Nationwise Rod Shop), making them easy to identify by collectors, even decades later. The partnership ended in 1987, and less than a decade later, Nationwise became insolvent, and closed all stores on October 15, 1995.