Dave Sutton - Sterling Bearing
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The Great Crate Debate – Profit Potential From Packaged Engine Programs Actually Exists

Right now I know of no other term that draws as much negativity among some engine builders as the term “Crate Motor.” It immediately brings feelings of sales lost. We all know the story. The customer sees his car project like one big plastic model. When it comes time to pick a rear differential, write

Take Our Business Back – Let’s Stop Talking About the Parts Sales Dilemma and Do Something

What has me so fired up recently is a report I read in another industry magazine written by a UPS executive, who was reporting on a study they did on consumer online purchases and the automotive industry. Of course, this is a good thing for a carrier, as the greater the online purchases, the more

A Tale of Two Markets – Dealing with the Times

A couple of months ago, I approached this industry’s parts sales problem through some statistics. Now I’d like to look at things from another angle, or maybe two. I don’t think there is one reader who would argue that engine parts sales today are much different than they were even 10 years ago. Though it doesn’t

RELATIONSHIPS – Saving them without a therapist

How’s your relationship? I hope things are good at home, but I was thinking about at the workplace. Merriam-Webster defines relationship as: “The way in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other.” Have you ever stopped to think about your relationships with your customers? How

Profitable Performance – Sell Value Before Price

Selling value is all about selling you. Yes, this is the time to roll it all out. Your years in business represent security. Your vast resources and a belief in using quality products is important as well. Everyone knows quality costs a little more, and the implication is that it is worth it.

Losing a National Treasure – True Craftsmanship

No, this isn’t an adventure story about great works of art or even our national monuments – it’s even more dramatic. I’m referring to the GREAT ones: the machinists we all know who have been around far longer than these fancy new CNC machines. I’m talking about the true craftsmen that built this industry long before many of you were born.

How Not to Lose the Race to the Bottom

You know how it feels when you explain something over and over and the person just doesn’t seem to get it? Some seven years ago I broke into the pages of Engine Builder with an article about dealing with what I called walk-in parts. Off and on again I’ve gotten back on that bandwagon because the topic just keeps getting more and more relevant.

Knowledge is Power

What does a guy or gal do when the next unfamiliar job walks in the front door? Where does one go for technical information about the really old or the recently designed engine job you’ve just been presented with? Read on to find out.

The 392 Magnum V8 Build is a Wrap

The 392 Magnum engine build is a wrap. We’ve done all we can and now it’s going to power someone’s muscle car, hot rod or truck. When all is said-and-done the only things original in this 318 motor are a fully machined block, the cam thrust plate, the fuel pump eccentric and the bolt and washer holding on the harmonic balancer. Everything else is brand new.

Sticker Shock – The 392 Magnum Gets Ready for Auction

As you can see in the pictures, we’ve reached a point where we can say the engine is built and ready to install. Or in this case ready to dyno and auction off. We certainly would not have been able to produce such a cool piece without the help of our contributors and Grawmondbecks Competition Engines. The 392 V8 Magnum engine is currently being auctioned off on eBay Motors. The auction ends Dec. 21.

Greetings From Bonneville

This year an opportunity came to go to a gathering of speed freaks drawn together from around the world. An event that I’ve now learned is on most “Motorhead’s” bucket lists, and was put forth as the background for a great movie that hit limited screens in 2005 and is recorded on DVD in many of our video libraries. The movie was “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the event is simply called “Bonneville.”

Parts Happen

We chose to expand on the idea of taking the engine under the hood of your customer’s car, and modifying it rather than searching out a more desirable muscle car engine. Now, with the money you’d save by not having to purchase another expensive desirable core motor, invest that money into a stroker crankshaft and a set of matching pistons to build a bigger cubic inch engine that would have more power than the old factory muscle car engine and greater dependability from the new upgraded parts.