Phew!

We have made it past the first issue of SA HotRods magazine and boy, is the ball rolling! Before I get underway with what's in store for you in the second edition, allow me to show my appreciation.

When the first edition went to print, we had this idea that we could finally relax a bit, but we were so wrong. Things became even more crazy with the launch and we were busier than ever. I have thank to the SA HotRods team who worked flat out launching the magazine at various shopping malls and at two major events in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Castrol Extreme Auto Show and the SA HotRods Street Festival. With long days, little sleep and the flu to top it all off, we did it. You are all rockstars! Then to my loving wife Claudia, my dad Johann, and my two baby girls. without their love and support, I would have lost my mind long ago.

A special thanks must also go out to all the Rodders who have welcomed us with open arms. The response has been phenomenal. Within the first two weeks of the launch edition hitting shelves, we started getting feedback from Rodders all over South Africa (and a few from overseas), and the positive comments and support just keep coming. We are overjoyed that you like the magazine. We are also pleased to say Rodding is alive and well in South Africa and are delighted to note that the scene is much bigger than we had originally thought!

So what do we have in store for you in our second edition? First, we tell the story of a living legend, Carroll Shelby, the man behind the coveted Mustang GTs. Tom Bester shows us his award-winning 1934 Chevy Custom Rod. Our very own 1949 Chevy project comes to an end (for now - we all know that Rod building is an ongoing process). Craig Wessels introduces his 1968 Pontiac GTO, the pioneer of Muscle Cars. Then, we have been very fortunate to recently welcome top international custom paint company, House of Kolor, to our shores. In this edition you will be getting tips from the best in the business when they show you, step-by-step, how to do detailing on your car's body. We have also found Frankenstein in Paarl (Western Cape) of all places - a 1934 Ford Rat Rod that is made up of a large variety of cars. This Rat is a true reflection of when something is more than the sum of its parts.

We bring some insight into the contentious, yet murky, issue of what exactly torque and horsepower mean. Then you will get a report straight from the horse's mouth on the Castrol Extreme Auto Show and the SA HotRods Street Festival. Bringing you some international flavour for the first time is one of our SA reporters who was fortunate enough to be on the scene of the Viva Las Vegas Rod Show in the States. Another first is our feature race car, the 1963 Ford Fairlane. This is not just any race car - this one is based on the ultimate Muscle race car by Ford, the Thunderbolt. Finally, South Side Choppers shows us how they make tribute to a legendary rock band with the U2 Chopper.

Join us for another great read, and the lowdown on some more great Rods.

Joe van Zyl

	Carroll Shelby: the Living Legend Everyone wants a Mustang, but not just any Mustang, they want a Shelby Mustang. The Mustang was so popular that it created a whole new breed of car, the pony car, but what makes the Shelby Mustang in particular so special. Who or what is Shelby? It was his ability to race automobiles at exhilarating speeds that has made Shelby one of the most prolific personalities in the automotive industry, resulting in a fascinating career that spanned the spectrum from driver to team owner, manufacturer and consultant.  In this article we will look at the man behind some of the most coveted and legendary cars to date. The man that combined big horsepower with inspired engineering to create the AC Cobra, Shelby Mustang, Ford GT40 and Dodge Viper.
	‘Peaches and Cream’ – the 1934 Chevy 4-Door The 1934 Chevy 4-door is considered one of the most popular vehicles in the international Hot Rod community. This was acknowledged recently in South Africa when a particularly fine specimen won Best Pre-Fifties Car at the 2008 Castrol Extreme Auto Show. It seems to be a life-long love affair that brings these once-forgotten rust buckets back to life and owner Tommy Bester is no exception. He is not shy to admit that Hot Rod building takes plenty of imagination. In that regard he has plenty. Take a closer look at Tommy’s seven-year labour of love in this edition of SA HotRods magazine.
	1949 Chevy Project: Part 2 SA HotRods 1949 Chevy is out of the garage! As we discovered in initial stages of this project things don’t always go according to plan: just as you think you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s actually a train heading towards you. Fortunately, we have not happened upon too many trains since, and we are delighted to bring you on SA HotRods’ first Rod. Meet the new SA HotRods representative, with her pancaked bonnet, frenched lights, shaved handles and customised interior. She is truly a Rod for any Rod enthusiast, particularly a Rodding magazine, to be proud of. Find out more about the Chevy’s completion before finally hitting the road in the September edition of the magazine.
	‘Beauty and the Beast’ – the 1968 Pontiac GTO Enter the car that started it all; the car that had Ford and Chrysler scrambling to compete with Pontiac in dropping big-block motors into medium-sized frames; the car that kicked off the Muscle Car era…the Pontiac GTO. It is also its blend of beauty and brawn that made owner, Craig Wessels, seek out one of the most photogenic cars that SA HotRods has had in their pages to date – even without the model! Find out why this beast has been blamed for sparking an era which we are still celebrating today and what Wessels has had done to his beast to give it such a grunt. In the treacherous Muscle Car jungle of South Africa, this Pontiac GTO is a seriously big cat.
	Body Tech: Paint Detailing House of Kolors is considered by many as the international King of custom colours. Just a mention of the House of Kolor name emits gasps of awe from the Rodding and Customising fraternity. Having been around for over 50 years, they have established themselves as the leaders in their field and the only true custom paint system designed from the ground up. In fact, you can pick out a House of Kolor project by simply looking at it. We are thrilled to announce that House of Kolors has recently come to our shores. What’s even better is that SA HotRods is extremely proud to be among the first magazines to bring their expertise to you, when they show you how create a masked design on your car – the House of Kolor way…
	1934 Rat Rod When this 1934 Ford Rat Rod, belonging to Jannie van Rhyn, was discovered in the scrap yard, it wasn’t much more than a rusty chunk of steel. In fact, it would have been more at home on a Frankenstein movie set. It certainly didn’t resemble a car. The fact that Jannie’s starting point was nothing more than a rusty firewall meant that this Rod was going to be the sum of parts from a variety of other cars. This Rod was not going to look like a traditional 1934 Ford in the least. He made a drawing of what he wanted and got to work. Find out how Jannie truly captures the spirit of the Rat when he assembles this collection of motor history.
	Motor Tech: Torque vs Horsepower A murky, even contentious, issue that SA HotRods has noticed cropping up everywhere, even on our forum: What exactly is torque and horsepower? What is the difference between them? How do they affect performance? Why is torque given at a particular revolution per minute, while horsepower at another, much higher RPM? We have recruited mechanical engineer, Ephy Chesler, to get to the bottom of an issue that even expert Rodders are not always clear on. Get the September edition of SA HotRods magazine to become the authority on the topic. We have even included conversion tables to help you tackle this topic at home.
	Castrol Extreme Auto Show SA HotRods saw the Castrol Extreme Auto Show as the perfect opportunity to launch the magazine in Johannesburg. We had little trouble attracting public curiosity and interest considering the gorgeous exhibit of Rods on the SA HotRods stand, with some of them also winning the Best Pre-Fifties cars (the winning Rod is also featured in this edition).   Highlights for us included Bernie ‘the Bolt’ Fineman from the DSTV series London Chop Shop and beautiful machines such as those from Pure and Cool Customs, Big Boss Auto, Chiptech, Sportech and Lamborghini. Get the September magazine to get SA HotRods report on South Africa’s biggest custom motor event.
	SA HotRods Street Festival Get a ‘straight-from-the-horses-mouth’ report on the SA HotRods magazine launch in Cape Town when we descended upon Killarney Racetrack to create the most eye-popping, action packed day of motoring magic, both on and off the track. Festivities on the day included a Rod and Custom Show which brought together a wide variety of spectacular cars, Drag Racing, Gymkhana, Drifting and an Auto Market which involved some of the feature cars in the magazine. Read more about the activities and highlights that made this an incredibly exciting day in the second edition of SA HotRods magazine.
	Viva Las Vegas Pack my bags, hold the phone, I’m off to Vegas baby! Renowned Cape Town tattooist and all round Hot Rod enthusiast, Reverend Simon White, recently attended the 2008 Viva Las Vegas Show. This Rod and Rockabilly festival features a host of activities including a world-renowned Hot Rod and Custom show, Rockabilly concerts, a Burlesque competition, and the Tiki pool party. Read about the good Reverend’s antics and adventures when he took to the road in a hired V8 Ford Falcon, driving from LA to Vegas for a weekend of Rockabilly mayhem.
	‘Rolling Thunder’ – the 1963 Ford Fairlane At the SA HotRods launch at Killarney Racetrack in Cape Town, it was pointed out to us that there is plenty of talk in the magazine on V8s, big blocks, power and speed on the road – but what about power and speed worthy of the racetrack? Upon realising this oversight, SA HotRods took a trip down to the local racetrack where we found Malcolm Uytenbogaardt’s Rolling Thunder. Based on the most legendary race car in the Ford history books, The Thunderbolt, this 1963 Ford Fairlane is pure, aggressive power. While the outside is still old school, the inside is all modern racer, from its interior to the monstrous motor. Check out the September edition of SA HotRods where we investigate the history of The Thunderbolt and what makes Uytenbogaardt’s Rolling Thunder roll.
	U2 Chopper One can clearly understand the fanatical passion of Chopper builders and riders alike when you are exposed to a bike such as the U2 Chopper. Inspired by the legendary Irish rockers, this bike was sold even before it was built. Being such an avid U2 fan, builder Tommie Roos of South Side Choppers informed the buyer that the styling would be decided on by himself, but as the modern-day reality TV has shown, getting a show bike to its final point of completion always comes with a lot more headaches than the final product would have you believe. Find out how Tommie went about capturing the spirit of retro in this bike and the speed bumps he hit along the way to get it ready in time for the East Coast Rally