Each month in "From the Hood" we bring you one of the sport's hottest-looking engine compartments. The section will highlight an engine that has been customized and hooked up with performance parts as well as cosmetic components. From The Hood will be broken down to include performance parts, pulleys and brackets, engine compartments, induction and ignition systems.
This month, we feature Johnny Salters' '59 Chevrolet Impala convertible from South Carolina. Johnny's no stranger to the pages of Lowrider, as he's owned a few cars that have graced our pages. His newest creation, "Cloud Nine," is a custom restored '59 Impala that has caught the attention of many with its close-to-immaculate construction. Johnny's project spread over a one-year time period, but we're focusing on his three-week fine-tuning.
The engine compartment was completely gone through, with everything either being painted or chrome plated; nothing was left untouched. A new GM Performance crate engine was used for the car to ensure that there would be no problems for any driving desired. Johnny's engine compartment was done right and definitely caught our attention at the recent Miami, Florida, Tour stop. Congratulations, Johnny, and keep up the good work. We can't wait to see the full feature in an upcoming issue.
If you feel that you have an engine that might meet the From The Hood standard, or if you have a question, feel free to submit an image or your question to saul.vargas@sorc.com.
 Bowtie bolts were used throughout...  Bowtie bolts were used throughout the engine compartment.Ball-milled valve covers were accented with paint to match the exterior.Street & Performance pulley setupto help keep the single belt in place.Edelbrock carb and Street & Performance intake manifoldwere added to spike the performance of the GM crate engine.Disc brakeswere used including this chrome-plated master cylinder and booster.Matson aluminum radiatorFour-core radiators usually move so much fluid that it helps keep the temperature down.Optima batteryto power up the 12-volt vehicle. | | |