R.I.P. Ed Iskenderian

[bdcardinal]

https://www.nhra.com/news/2026/ed-iskenderian-beloved-camfather-hot-rodding-passes-away-104

Absolute legend in engine performance has passed.

 

[thastinger]

Dang, his cam was my first hotrod part when I was 16.

 

[MVAR]

https://www.nhra.com/news/2026/ed-iskenderian-beloved-camfather-hot-rodding-passes-away-104

Absolute legend in engine performance has passed.

That sucks. The second cam I ever purchased came from him. He & my grandfather were friends back in the 60's. Grandfather had him make several custom cams & valvetrain components for Ford FE's over a 15-20yr period.

He was always a good guy to talk to, even to a know-it-all teenager & early 20's dork like myself (back in the 80's & 90's)

 

[02SE]

I had the pleasure of visiting with him at the '24 NHRA Finals. It's a memory I'll cherish. Nobody can say he didn't live a full life.

Godspeed, Ed


Not my pic, but an official National Dragster pic from that day.

 

[demarpaint]

Rest in peace.

 

[Kira]

I never built an engine but I clearly recall the ads which read, "Isky is ready for the Mustang!"

 

[fat biker]

R.I.P.
Ed Iskendarian was instrumental in both 1st and 2nd gen Chrysler Hemi Development.
You can read about it in ¨We Were The Ramchargers¨ by Dave Rockwell.
This is a must read for Hemi Fans.

 

[Hirev]

Sad to read this. RIP Ed Iskenderian. I must of bought a 1/2 dozen cams from isky over the years starting in the 1970s. They always sold good quality parts.

 

[Nessism1]

I'm not sure about their full history, but Isky cams is still located in Gardena, CA, same as always, going back more than 40 years. A company worth supporting...

 

[marc1]

We carried Isky products at the speed shop I worked at in the 80's, never any complaints on the cams in terms of performance and never any quality issues (I sold cams, springs and lifters). He was a great pioneer in the aftermarket without question, sad news indeed.

 

[awguy]

I seem to remember a small hole in the wall cam shop with his name faintly painted on the building in Culver City decades ago.


Burt Munro (The World's Fastest Indian) sold his hand made cam from his highly modified 1929 Indian Scout to Isky. Burt got $300 for it in the 60's which Burt was ecstatic about.

 

[Nessism1]

Back when I worked for Nissan, Isky offered a nice discount to Nissan employees. Isky's shop was within walking distance. I had them regrind me a cam for an L20B, which they did for a fair price, also including the needed lash caps.

They had a valve spring tester in the showroom, and all were welcome to use it for free. That was cool. Just a tiny little perk, but one I remember, because nobody else offered it.

 

[zhaarnak02]

The Hot Rodding world would not have been the same without him. Rest well sir. You will be, and are, sorely missed.

 

[RoadDukie]

If you didn't have an Isky Cams sticker on your hotrod, you wanted one!

He wasTHE Man in So-Cal in the 70's.

 

[CleanSump]

Isky, Crane, and Moon. A whole generation of hotrodding has passed on.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

My daughter was pals with one of his daughters in college. That would have put him at 64 +3 to -1 years old when she was born. I think I know what it takes to make it to 104 now.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Another automotive legend gone from us. He made a lot of young men very happy thru his work and the high performance products he made available to so many of us young auto geeks back in the muscle car era and beyond.

 

[Dinoburner]

Didn`t he have a grind called the 5 cycle? Maybe back in the 60`s.

 

[02SE]

Didn`t he have a grind called the 5 cycle? Maybe back in the 60`s.

The 505-A cam for Flatheads.

 

[Chris142]

My mom bought me my first car in 1985. A 1978 Toyota pickup.

According to the guy she bought it from he worked next door to the sky cams shop. They used my truck to test cams for the 20r Toyota engines.

It definitely had some work don't to it because it would beat the carbureted 5.0 mustangs and Camaros with 305's or stock 350's in a 1/4 mile.