The Road to AAPEX Ep. 2: Will This 33-Year-Old Cadillac Start? - Engine Builder Magazine

The Road to AAPEX Ep. 2: Will This 33-Year-Old Cadillac Start?

As a seasoned ASE-certified technician, Babcox Media’s Joe Keene knew getting a 33-year-old Cadillac Brougham ready for a 2,500-mile drive wasn’t going to be easy, but no one knew it would be this hard.

As a seasoned ASE-certified technician, Babcox Media’s Joe Keene knew that getting a 33-year-old Cadillac Brougham with more than 180,000 miles on it ready for the 2,500-mile drive from Akron, OH to Las Vegas in time for AAPEX wasn’t going to be easy, but no one knew it would be this hard.

Episode 1 ended with Keene installing a bevy of new aftermarket components on the car, confident they’d do the trick. But instead of the roar of a classic engine, all he heard was a click.

“A lot of things happened, except when I turned the key,” Keene says. “This is just how it goes sometimes–once you touch something, something else decides to give you an issue.”

While trying to crack the diagnostic mystery, Keene also pays a visit to Ohio Technical College, connects with a notable Babcox Media technician to paint the caddy’s roof and finds a surprise under the driver-side carpet. 

Click the video above to find out if he successfully starts the car and gets it rolling or if he has to push it out of the garage doors. 

Need to catch up? Click HERE to watch the first episode of The Road to AAPEX.

You May Also Like

JBR Engines Shop Tour

JBR Engines is 4-cylinder central, and we love it!

Jose Bello and his team at JBR Engines are well-known in the world of Honda engines and import engine work. We took a detour off of our Sick Week route to visit the Plant City, FL-based shop and get a tour. Check it out!

Turbocharged 5.0L Coyote Engine in a 50th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet

For the last couple years of the PRI Show, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics has had an impressive booth space filled with cool product and cool cars. Case in point, during the 2023 show we stumbled upon a 50th anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet owned by Martin Martinez of Junior Performance. Martin has already made this a seriously

Bryant Goldstone’s Javelin and its Big Block Chevy Engine

Bryant Goldstone is no stranger to drag-and-drive events, and in fact, he was named the inaugural 2023 Drag-and-Drive Champion. He’s done all this racing with his AMC Javelin and its 572 cid big block Chevy engine. We caught up with Bryant and his father-in-law and engine builder Norm during Sick Week 2024 to get the

Scheid Diesel-Built Triple-Turbo Billet 6.4L Cummins Super Stock Engine

During our visit to Scheid Diesel we had our mouths wide open in amazement for most of the time, but this Super Stock pulling engine really made our jaws drop! Scheid’s Joe Gasper walked us through the details of this billet triple-turbo 6.4L Cummins build, and it’s our latest Diesel of the Week brought to

Sunnen’s Newest Honing Equipment Highlights

As Sunnen Products Co. celebrates 100 years in the industry in 2024, Tom Dustman, sales director for Sunnen, and other Sunnen team members were at the 2023 PRI Show to showcase the latest Sunnen equipment, including the SV-35 and SV-15 honing machines to engine builders and machinists. Related Articles – Kaiju Motorsports’ All-Billet Subaru EJ

Other Posts

SEMA Show 2024 Registration is Open

Enthusiasm for this year’s SEMA Show continues to build.

TOPDON USA Donates $25,000 for Auto Techs

TOPDON USA, a provider of cutting-edge technology and advanced tools for auto repair professionals and enthusiasts, has announced the donation of $10,000 cash and $15,000 in products to TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the education, training and career development of aspiring auto technicians. To date, TOPDON has donated over $66,000 to aid organizations

415 cid Billet Cummins Engine in a Pro275 Cadillac

Ring Racing owner Jared Ring revealed a metamorphosis to this 2016 Cadillac ATS-V last week. The Cadillac is now equipped with radial tires and a 415 cid Cummins engine built by Freedom Racing Engines, and the combo just competed at Lights Out 15.

Cummins-powered Cadillac ATS-V Pro275 drag car
Noonan’s New Billet K24 Honda Engine

We aren’t trying to hide the fact that we’re impressed by what Noonan Race Engineering is capable of. That’s why we will always jump at the chance to highlight what NoonanRaceEngineering has coming down the pipeline, and the shop’s latest endeavor is a billet K24 Honda engine, which was showcased at the 2023 PRI Show. We caught

Noonan Race Engineering Honda engine