Stand up!
Whether you want a new way to display your car at an indoor show or have a need to raise the car off the ground in the shop but still have its weight on the wheels, Hot Rod Garage has a product to serve both needs. HRG Wheel Stands are made from 3/16-inch steel to support up to 2,000 pounds each and raise the bottom of the tire 9 inches above the floor. Sold in sets of four, with the HRG logo flamecut in two sides, their standard color is red, but they can be ordered with any custom color, including a color match for your car. For more information contact Hot Rod Garage at (918) 241-6333 or www.hot-rodgarage.com.
Smoke Rings
It's very unusual to be able to fabricate a complete exhaust system in one piece from front to back, yet invariably the joints required to make the system in two or three sections are ugly, awkward to get at, or leak. Juliano's may just have the answer with their new Pro Clamp, a very slick piece for stainless steel systems. The sleeve nut pulls everything together tightly for a safe connection without any type of gasket, and best of all, you can dismantle it if you need to, without cutting it apart.
The Pro Clamp is made from 304 stainless and is available for 2-inch through 21/2-inch exhaust systems, with larger versions in the works, and can be hand-polished or in a satin finish. Juliano's has all the pieces to build the entire exhaust system, including the stainless mufflers, so you can have them price out a whole package for you. For more information contact Juliano's at (800) 300-1932 or www.julianos.com.
Wheel Neat
The right choice of steering wheel can make or break an interior, and there's a wealth of tillers to choose from, but if polished mahogany and leather are your materials of choice, Flaming River's new Navigator steering wheel could be just what you're looking for. With a 13.8-inch diameter and a slight 11/4-inch dish, the grip features a leather outer edge with mahogany inner half, the wood theme continued with an inlay in the hub.
A contemporary twist on the three-spoke design, with polished paired aluminum spokes set at 120 degrees from each other, the Navigator is available with black, light gray, or light tan Italian leather and requires an adapter to mount to Flaming River columns or a factory GM column. For more information contact Flaming River at (866) 815-3673 or www.flamingriver.com.
Above Parr
The Stewart Warner dash insert panel is a classic, though no longer available from the famed gauge manufacturer. However, Parr Automotive has stepped into the breach and thanks to CNC manufacturing technology has reproduced the panel to exacting dimensions, including the signature grooves of the original.
With the engine turned insert that made the Stewart Warner panel such a classic, the Parr Automotive aluminum version continues the tradition for those wanting to monitor vital functions in style. For more information contact Parr Automotive at (800) 654-6779 or www.parrautomotive.com.
Metal Manipulator
We've run numerous metal fabrication articles in R&C over the past few months, with another couple in this very issue, and have shown you a number of metalworking machines in action. The Eckold KF 170 hasn't been one of them, however, but is a universal machine used for forming both mild steel up to 16-gauge and aluminum up to 14-gauge.
Jesse James (you may have heard his name associated with West Coast Choppers or Monster Garage) nominates the Eckold as his "machine of choice," perfect for shrinking, stretching, planishing, and doming. Featuring adjustable height, mobility, and a quick tool-changing mechanism, the Swiss-made machine is sold complete with tooling by the US Industrial Tool Company and can be seen in action on the company's website. For more information contact US Industrial Tool Company at (800) 521-7394 or www.ustool.com.
Christmas Customs
If you're like us your hobby extends past finished cars, project cars, and your parts stash, to pictures, automobilia, and toys. If the latter floats your boat, check out these new 1:64 scale die-casts from Castline, under the M2 Machines banner. First up, and topical for the time of year, is the Twelve Days of Christmas set of, er, 12 Auto Dreams cars. Not only are they all mounted on plinths, but each one comes with a gold thread to enable it to be hung from a Christmas tree for the holiday season! Each car features the pinstriping of Tom Kelly. The set is available from Toys R' Us, Wal-Mart, and online distributors. To check out the other Castline series go to www.m2machines.com.