How To Accurately Bend LinesStory & Photos By Jim Clark (The Hot Rod MD) Copper, aluminum and mild steel tubing is relatively easy to bend which allows for correcting some mistakes when you bend it in the wrong place. Stainless steel tubing is not so forgiving; when it is bent that is it. So you… Continue reading Bending Brake Lines by Jim Clark

F 100 Brakes for Early Fords by Jim Clark      Early Fords prior to the 1940 models were equipped with mechanically actuated brakes. These were very inefficient even on these underpowered stockers that ran on 2-lane pre-interstate highways at turtle-like speeds. Early hot rodders were quick to adapt the hydraulic systems from the Fords of… Continue reading F-100 Brakes for Early Fords by Jim Clark

We had this diagram in our archives from a project long ago but thought that it still provides some useful information about Stainless Steel Brake Lines. This diagram shows the layout running the brake lines.

Cutting, Bending and Flaring Tubing Article and Photos by Jim Clark Cutting, bending and flaring tubing is a skill that should be mastered by anyone building or modifying a hot rod. There are three types of tubing used in automotive applications: rigid, semi-rigid and flexible. Rigid tubing includes JIC steel, stainless steel, titanium, heavy-walled steel, hard… Continue reading Flaring, Cutting and Bending Brake Lines by Jim Clark

“Fit and Finish” is a term used to describe how the components align and function when a vehicle is assembled. Particularly when discussing things like door gaps and fender alignment on cars and trucks. The standards for “Fit and Finish” on today’s new vehicles is extremely high; something that was seriously lacking on cars produced… Continue reading Installing Reproduction Doors by Jim Clark, The Hot Rod M.D.

Stripping Paint  by Carl Brunson The 1st rule in painting is:A quality paint job can not be put over bad paint… period!If you want a quality paint job the bad paint has to come off. Seeing as I am goofing off this holiday weekend I thought I would write up a little “how to”. Using… Continue reading Stripping Paint by Carl Brunson

Fabricating a Deck Lid Latch & Mounting Bracket.By Jim Clark (The Hot Rod MD) Building a hot rod requires the design and fabrication of many different components. Some of those components must be created from specific types of materials and be strong enough to perform in a safe and reliable manner. Others just perform a… Continue reading Installing a Trunk Latch by Jim Clark

Here’s a little technique that the folks at Welder Series have found to be useful to keep that cold air inside your rod. If your car is as drafty as a wiffle ball, you can blow as much hot air into it as you want, but it will always feel cold. The same goes for… Continue reading Keeping The Warm Air Inside Your Car

HushMat installation in a ‘32 Ford coupeCool, Quiet & ComfortableBy Mr. Al Knack, Cotter, Arkansas   These are the HushMat products and suggested tools needed to install Hushmat in any type vehicle. A tape measure, scissors, utility knife, straight edge, and small hard roller are essential, but the gloves are optional. The edges of the foil… Continue reading Installing HushMat Sound Deadening and Insulating Product in a 32 Ford.

Master Cylinder Access DoorsBy Jim Clark (The Hot Rod MD) Many early model cars used to build hot rods have the master cylinder mounted on the frame beneath the floorboards. This makes filling or checking the brake fluid level difficult unless there is some form of access to the unit. Some of these early vehicles… Continue reading Installing an Access Door for your Master Cylinder by Jim Clark