Fesler Installation Instructions Now On-line

After months of uploading, we have finally gotten all of our installation instructions posted on-line. Just click on any part to view its installation instructions or to see all of our instructions at once, click here. 

It's official, we are out of catalogs. Don't worry, we are in the processing of printing more. In the mean time you can download a .pdf copy from our webstore at www.shopfesler.com. Keep a lookout for V1.2 coming soon!

Arizona Shady Hats promotes healthy heads by offering stylish shade hats at a variety of automotive events. In an industry that is acustomed to baseball caps, the owner, Keith Mead is single handedly saving noses, ears and heads one hat at a time. 

Arizona Shady Hats is a family owned business and is dedicated to the quality of their products which has been proven for almost 40 years with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. 

Each hat is handmade in the U.S.A. and come with a Lifetime Guarantee on the workmanship and materials. When they say lifetime, they do mean it with their company slogan being "If the hat wears out before your head does, we'll give you a new one". Most of the hats are fully crushable, washable, packable, and all offer great sun protection.  

With most hats blocking out over 80% of the sun’s harmful rays, sensitive parts are sure to be protected. With skin cancer at record levels, their large brimmed hats offer an easy to wear solution for UV protection. The best part is that AZ Shady hats supports the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation with it's efforts to educate people on the effects of the Sun on our skin and help to prevent skin cancer. 

It isn't that often that an entire business dedicates themselves to the benefit and welfare of others. That is why we are giving AZ Shady Hats a big thumbs up !

To see the complete line of Arizona Shady Hats, visit their website at www.shopshady.com

After years of poor service, discrimination and BS political rhetoric, Fesler has officially and voluntarily disassociated itself from the Goodguy's Organization. 

It was a situation whose time had come and finally did so on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at the show in Scottsdale, Arizona. After staff members over stepped boundaries, discriminated against Fesler specifically and ordered Chris Fesler’s wife, Carrie Fesler be kicked off the property, it was time to call it quits.

Goodguy’s was, at one time, a fine organization but as they say “a family’s legacy tends to diminish little by little from one generation to the next”, and this my friends is no exception.

To those of you who look forward to seeing us at Goodguy’s events, we will still be around, just with other promoters. I encourage you to start attending other upscale automotive events including:

• Super Chevy Show - http://www.superchevyshow.com/ - Events in Florida, Nevada, Virginia, Texas (2 events), Pennsylvania, Washington, Colorado, Canada, Tennesee, North Carolina and Arizona (Fesler's home town)
• NSRA - http://nsra-usa.com/index.php/site/evsum/C2 - Events in Oklahoma, California (2 events), Tennessee, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, and Florida
• Championship Auto Shows - http://www.autorama.com/casi/ - Events in Canada (2 events), Massatuchettes, Texas, Ohio, Louisianna, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Utah, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Maine
• MSRA - http://www.msra.com/ - 38th Annual Back to the Fifties Weekend - June 17-19 - St. Paul Minnesota
• NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals - http://www.nmcadigital.com/ - Events in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, California, kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, and Texas
• Car Craft Nationals -http://www.carcraft.com/summer_nationals/2011/ccrp_2011_car_craft_summer_nationals_event_location_hotel_info_registration_link/index.html - July 22-24 - St. Paul Minnesota
• Hot August Nights - http://www.hotaugustnights.net/ - Events in California, Lake Tahoe, and Reno
• Just Cruzin' Productions - http://www.justcruzinevents.com/events.html - Events all over California including The Classic at Pismo Beach, The La Verne Cool Cruise, California AutoFest and Veterans Car Show
• Gambler Classic River Run - http://www.gamblerclassicriverrun.com/ - April 7-9 - Laughlin, NV
• Rodshows - http://www.rodshows.com/ - Grand National Roadster Show and Sacramento Autorama
• Hot Rod Power Tour - http://www.hotrod.com/2011/powertour/index.html - Host cities this year include Cocoa Beach, FL, Montgomery, AL, Muskegon, MI and Detroit, MI
• Hot Rod Hotline - http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/2011show/ - The most comprehensive list of car shows in the U.S.A, Canada and Europe

We will be updating you shortly with a list of event Fesler plans to attend. As usual, thank you for your support.  

I Learned Everything I Need to Know From Some Other Idiot on the Internet

Before you get the benefit of my EXPERT advice you have to listen to me remind you how the universe works. Pay attention you just might learn something.

There is a phenomenon in the car building world that I observe on a daily basis that just constantly reminds me knowledge and truth are in extremely short supply. As an example, let’s assume you do not know how to decide what components to put on your car, so you ask someone either directly or you put a post on your favorite forum. In the “good old days”, being from that time I elect not to call it “back in the day” because I did not give some nobody the right to rename my time zone, as your ability to ask people was directly limited by who you knew or who you could come across it was difficult to find people who knew how to answer your question. So you did what people did for centuries, you went to the library to research your subject. For those who have never turned to books for help, I will let you in on a little secret. Anything you want to know about any subject is certainly already known by someone else. Lots of those knowledgeable individuals wrote excellent books about their topic. This is how knowledge is shared and stored. It is documented then printed for others use. As this is an expensive proposition most individuals with inferior knowledge were not allowed to participate.

Libraries are very strange places. They are huge repositories of knowledge. “Ah” you say, “I would just go to the internet”, but that is exactly the problem. The internet is not a grand repository of truth and knowledge. It is a repository of everything anybody wants to say with absolutely no accountability. How were you to know the professional “keyboard racer” dispensing advice that sounded so knowledgeable, does not even own a car? Or better yet, you get advice from some gunna-do whose only qualification is someone sold him a welder. He has such a high opinion of his skill set that his ego won’t let him not respond with his preten-do expert advice.

This next observation is important. You can choose to ignore it at your own risk. I have been in this industry a long time and a good number of famous people you should expect to be experts are absolutely not. There should be a disclaimer, “Experts in this conversation are less intelligent than they appear.” This creates a large amount of confusion as an uninformed person does not know what to believe. At least in a library the author had to convince another intelligent person, the publisher that he was qualified to write about his subject. In the online world all you need to be an expert is a keyboard and the willingness to expose your ignorance to the world.

The attempted solution to the pack of random idiots dispensing advice is to ask more of them. It seems that this generally accepted practice of surveying a group of individuals for their solution to your dilemma would be an excellent method to get a correct answer. It is exactly the opposite of what willhappen. The more people you ask the more idiots are in the mix. People love to think of themselves as experts but what are their qualifications. It is a rare day when someone says, “I don’t know anything about that.” Their ego just won’t let them tell the truth. “If you want a guess I could sure help”. A books author at least would place his biography on the jacket so you could decide if his qualifications entitled him to your further consideration of his opinion. In case you’re wondering my book jacket would say:

Chris Alston

“The author started his career in the automotive aftermarket in 1973 and has owned a manufacturing company ever since. He has personally been involved in the construction of hundreds of vehicles produced in house and delivered thousands of chassis kits over the years. The drag race door slammer chassis kit was invented by CHRIS ALSTON along with a large number of the industries current standard components. He wrote the first book on drag race door slammer chassis tuning. Chris Alston has been involved with the design and development of shock absorbers since 1979. VariShock is a Chassisworks brand with all its products designed and manufactured in house. Chassisworks was one of the first companies to market bolt-on g-machine suspension clips, years before pro-touring became popular. To this day Chassisworks is not just the largest manufacture of them but the only manufacture that had the design capabilities to do a clean sheet design so no products were used from OEM production vehicles. Those components are also all manufactured in house. Chassisworks is the only aftermarket chassis parts builder that has been successful in multiple markets. Chassisworks currently manufactures products for Drag Racing, Street Rods, Sport Trucks, Auto Cross, Road Racing and Pro-Touring cars. The Chassisworks product lines consist of over 8,000 manufactured items with another 10,000 purchased supporting components for those manufactured items. A total of over 18,000 items. The author has written thousands of pages of tuning guides, product instructions, technical manuals and installation articles. He has spoken to thousands of customers at chassis seminars all over the country. Chris Alston is also a recognized leader in modern manufacturing methods and automation. He has been invited to speak at numerous manufacturing industry events. The authors experience in the industry is unparalleled. He is the expert in the room.”

 A large number of survey takers don’t actually take surveys they just keep asking people until an answer comes along that matches what they were going to do. Here is a hint for those people. If you are capable of having an original thought why don’t you just get a little confidence sack-up and test your theory. If you are concerned your friends will think you’re stupid without getting their advice… News Flash… “They already think you’re stupid.”

If you are asking for advice on the internet, you must get the person’s qualifications to grade his answer. It seems every car guy on the planet has a web site with pictures of his latest “Build”. It is fun to look at the pictures. Am I the only one who thinks this, or should all of them learn how to use a camera? Do they not understand shot composition, lighting or focus? Once again, there are no standards on the internet. Just because someone posted a picture does not prove that the concept displayed was anything other than pure drivel. You wouldn’t look at pictures of ugly girls. Unless it was late at night and everyone in the house had already gone to sleep. You know ugly when you look at girls. You justdon’t know ugly when you are seeking advice. That is what makes it so difficult. If you allow every Gunna-Do you meet to influence you with ugly pictures and conversation full of drivel, I promise, you will be unhappy.

With a survey driven decision making process the best you could hope for is the crowd’s version of the truth. They call that mediocrity and that certainly won’t even get you to the quarter finals. Remember years ago the great masses of the time believed the earth was flat. How is that working out for them?

My closing advice…

Remember most people don’t know shit. And you will be fine.

-Chris Alston

To learn more about Chris Alston, visit his website at www.cachassisworks.com

Help us update our files and catalog by sending us photos of your cars! We need overall shots, product shots and anything that shows happy customer cars.

1972 Chevy Nova - Project Julia Juxtaposed

Bryan Millhouse tells it from the heart. No hesitation, no stumble, no searching for words. It's mantra. It's gospel. He's lived every minute of this and it is part of him. His entire hot rodding career has been no different. And this is a good story, too. A family story, a story with a very happy ending.

Bryan began Project Julia, his grandmother's namesake very soon after her passing. Millhouse grew up in Tucson, the son of loving and very patient parents. They indulged him with time and understanding and not particularly with money. They encouraged him to do his best, do his projects in the home garage, even if it meant a year-long scene from a wrecking yard in a room attached to their house ... while their own civilized wheels braved and baked in the dry dust and desert heat. "I most appreciate the support from my parents. Dad loaned me a few bucks here and there and mom's heart was in it all the way."

Millhouse began with Fords when he was 16 and stayed with them until he adopted a '66 Nova that he built in its final stage with a 1,500hp twin-turbo motor-and air conditioning. He still has it. His penchant has always been to go for big cubic inches, big nitrous, big whatever, but always with taste and with and a big dose of decorum. Then he wanted a luxury hot rod, one that was reliable, always ready to get up and go. How much money you got in this thing? That's the usual question when he stops, drops, and opens up his latest creation.

This creature awaited him on eBay. It was an hour and a half north on the west side of Phoenix. It was a roller, but clean and rust-free and all its panels were straight. No motor or tranny, so it was a home run for Bryan and all that he really needed to roll the ball. He'd seen an ad that Chris Fesler (feslerbuilt.com) had in the duPont Registry. Bryan made contact. A few weeks later, Bryan dropped the car off at his shop the same day he'd bought it.

"While I was at Fesler's, I got a call. My 95-year-old grandmom had just gone into the hospital and it didn't look good for her. I drove to Tucson immediately, was with her and my family when she passed. I decided then to build the Nova as a tribute to her," Bryan told us.

"Fesler's shop produces very-high-end cars. We put our heads together and planned the issue. I'd compare this to building a house. Originally, I'd envisioned a restoration and to use one of the carbureted engines I have, but then I figured, OK, it's a tribute car and I wanted to upgrade everything and all of sudden it had a Z06 motor, overdrive tranny, navigation, the works, and I wanted to keep it nice and clean. Fesler helped out. I'd had a lot of hot rods with no air conditioning, no amenities whatsoever, and he turned me away from that. I wanted to get in, turn on the tunes and the A/C, and drive like it was something you could get from a dealership today."

What he likes best about the Nova is that he can just get in and do just that. He gets the mileage of a Z06, but with all that grunt on tap as well, and that the Nova, despite its pin-neat appearance is nothing less than a daily driver. Its most pleasing feature? Without doubt it's the mind-altering attributes of the Air Wave system. Not to him, but the casual onlookers. "It gets swarmed everywhere I take it. I'll pull up to a light, get good props, and then hit the Air Ride controller and it slams down on the bumpers. People go nuts," he chortled. Bryan also acknowledges the people who helped him: "Special thanks goes to my folks for helping me with an early addiction to hot rods; Fesler Built (of course); Heidi Richter, who spent a lot of time with my grandmother, and without her help the car wouldn't have materialized."

Now that he's driven it for a while, he'll probably change out the 4.11s for something a little more civilized-and get even better mileage. Everything else is exactly how he envisioned it. He takes it when he goes out to dinner on Friday nights. "The valet guys see it coming and tell me to park it right in front ... and don't even charge me for the service. I usually putt around in the morning when it's still cool and drive it to the coffee shop. It's not a trailer queen, I drive it everywhere. If it gets scratched, I'll fix it."

Power Module And Support
The 427-cubic-inch LS7 engine is rated at 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The factory knows all about insurance "surcharges" applied to overabundant powerplants like this one, so it becomes prudent to underrate the production package. Think more like 540 hp and 500 lb-ft of grunt. This thing comes with a dry sump oiling system, in this case abetted by a Stef's oil accumulator, as well as a compression ratio of 11:1, a stout hydraulic cam (0.591/0.591, 211/230 at 0.050), and forged titanium connecting rods to go with that good steel crank. Hooker Super Comp headers (13/4-inch primaries, 3-inch collector) merge with a MagnaFlow 3-inch stainless steel exhaust system. The LS7 sports a Billet Specialties aluminum coolant pump, pulleys, and breather, and is serviced by a Vintage Air Front Runner serpentine accessory belt drive (Tuff Stuff 130-amp alternator, Vintage Air HVAC compressor, and Detroit Speed power steering are the ancillaries). There's an Optima cell stationed in the trunk to run it all. The 427 is fed by a Walbro pump (Holley fuel regulator, Earl's fittings, stainless lines) sucking from a custom aluminum fuel cell (leading corners were flattened to accommodate the width of the back wheels). Cool air comes in through a fabricated air duct to an Air Raid element. The engine controller is a GMPP stand-alone unit. The transmission cooler is integrated into the Be Cool aluminum core (utilizing the stock radiator support) that is pursued by a single 16-inch SPAL pusher fan surrounded by custom-built aluminum shrouding. Torque is processed by a beefed GMPP 4L65E transmission via a sensible 2,300-stall converter and companion stand-alone controller. A Drive Shaft Shop steel prop hurries the guff to a Currie 9-Plus axle that turns 4.11:1 gears on a limited-slip differential and spins 33-spline axleshafts.

Down Below
Just by looking at the Nova's knockdown stance, you know there's quite a bit going on here. At the pointing end, a Chassisworks (CW) subframe carries adjustable upper and lower control arms terminating at CW drop spindles. Air Ride ShockWave air springs (as monitored and supplied by an in-car AccuAir air suspension tank and Viair 400C compressor) are used to adjust vehicle height and stance as well as handling characteristics. A CW antisway bar sops up the leftovers. Fesler tightened up the middle of the car with a driveshaft safety loop/chassis stiffener and tied it into frame connectors that precede the 2x3-inch rails that add torsional rigidity and locate a custom subframe. The four-link suspension is amended by Air Ride bags mounted inboard and positioned vertically. In a very real sense, the Nova now has a perimeter frame beneath its unibody construction. Probably couldn't crumple this thing with an Abrams M1/A1 at full tilt.

Rollers & Clamps
Fesler Built's own FS905 3-piece, 19-inch rims are prominent: fronts are 9.5 wide and hold Michelin Pilot Sport P255/35s. The back ones measure 11.5 inches and are wrapped with P345/30ZR PSs. Lurking behind these massive and intricate hoops are 14-inch Wilwood velocity burners with six- and four-pot calipers, respectively. A Hydratech master cylinder works with a dual-reservoir booster.

 

Cockpit
Fesler based the Nova's electrical foundation on a Ron Francis wiring system and from there the goodness naturally flowed-to the gaggle of Auto Meter gauges in the fabricated instrument cluster, to the Dakota Digital air ride and Vintage Air control panels, the Electric Life power window lifts, the Pioneer AM/FM/CD/DVD head, the Kicker trunk-based amp, navigation system, and so forth. Before any of this was established, however, Fesler lined all of the car's naked surfaces with sound-absorbing/heat-quenching Dynamat. The panels, seats, carpeting, and the very interior scheme itself are low-key but obviously rich and sumptuous. The Recaros, original back seat, door panels, custom-made console, and armrest are upholstered in leather; headliner, package tray, and sunvisors are done in contrasting suede. A Fesler billet wheel anoints the Billet Specialties tilt steering column that's held by a custom column drop bucket. While Bryan holds the leather-wrapped wheel, Julianno's 3-point safety belts hold him. Shiny points in the bottom are Lokar stuff.

Struttin'
Gary Sharp applied the PPG water-based argent shade after the Fesler crew had their considerable way with the metal. Among the major triumphs, they smoothed and filled the body, shaved the drip molding, attached a Goodmark cowl hood, milled the firewall clean, built the mini-tubs, custom fabbed the rear bumper (notched for Meg's exhaust tips) and moved it closer to the body, and laid in tinted glass all 'round. But they left the door handles intact. What you are not likely to notice right off is the Fesler billet aluminum hood and trunk hinges or the stainless steel trunk strut support. Check out those slick Fesler custom taillights, kissed lightly by smooth billet surrounds.

 

 

 

To view the original article on Chevy High Performance's website, click here

John Flowers 1967 Chevy Nova SS - Mr. Big

With the help of longtime friend Bob Saltarelli, John found a machine that he could modify guilt-free. The vehicleyou see here was a former street racer in California that sat dormant for a decade and a half after seeing 15 years of clandestine action. It's a genuine SS, but had been pretty well stripped of any item that added weight-including the seats and glass (it had Lexan windows).

To read the full article on Super Chevy's website, click here

Fesler FS904 Wheel Rated One of the 50 Best Wheels of 2010

Complex.com recently rated the Fesler FS904 3-piece wheel as one of their top 50 picks for the 50 Best Wheels of 2010. The Fesler FS904 ranked in at number 21 of 50 possible contenders, even coming in ahead of notable names like Cragar, Enkei, OZ Racing and Motegi Racing. To view the complete line of Fesler wheels, click here.

To see the Fesler coverage online, click here.

Click here to view entire article

Holiday Gift Guide For Ford Mustang Owners - Holiday Ideas And Gifts