Old Car Engines Never Die
I have not worked on everyday, common engines for years. Everyone who comes into my shop is a hobby-level special car enthusiast. I build all types of performance American brand engines. A huge part of my business has become building and rebuilding engines for classic cars, which it turns out, there is an adequate market for
From Good to Great – Simple Ideas to Take Your Business to Another Level
Recently, sales figures nationally have been flat at best, and there are far more shops closing than new ones opening. But there are shining stars that still beg to be recognized. These vibrant, busy and profitable businesses can’t help but beg attention. These owners are well aware that others may not be seeing comparable prosperity,
Time to Tell EPA to Back Off
When I was a kid, if I wanted to get away with something, I learned how to bend the truth and not give my parents the whole story. Or, if I DID tell them what was going on, it was in the middle of a completely different story. It didn’t work of course – my
Powerhouse Pinto Engine Makes 3.26 Ponies Per Cube
Doug “Burton” Brown of Fremont, WI, raced stock cars for more than 30 years before he got into land speed racing at Bonneville and other venues. In 2010, he set a record with a Datsun Z-car, and about a year later he found a Bonneville Streamliner on eBay and purchased the engine-less car for somewhere
High Performance Engine Oils
Boy, has life ever gotten complicated! Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when Jim Kirby, Mike Kausch, and I were racing fueler Chevy funny cars, there were only about six American racing oils on the market. Three were produced by major oil companies (Pennzoil, Quaker State and Valvoline), and three were produced by
Going Faster in 1954
I have a large library in my office consisting of Hot Rod How-to books and annuals from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. During one of my recent review sessions I found a chapter introducing nitromethane and its use for drag racing. Keep in mind this is 1954 technology… The article began by explaining that hot rodders
Your Customer Did WHAT?!
A few weeks ago, I got into a conversation via social media with sprint car engine builder Steven Hogue. He was in Akron, IN and I was in Akron, OH, but thanks to Facebook, it was like we were sitting across from each other at our favorite local watering hole doing some bench racing. Despite what
Right to Assemble – Assembly, The First Amendment to the Constitution
The right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. It is often forgotten that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gives the American people, including persons in the automotive industry, the rights to peaceful assembly and to petition the government for redress
It’s Time You Got What You Deserved
When we launched the Performance Engine Builder of the Year competition in 2012, we looked at it as a chance to celebrate the unsung heroes of the racing world. After all, the driver, the crew chief, the team owner – heck even the driver’s dog – each got more TV time and fan recognition than
Challenges of Change – 10 Things You’ll Learn From Oil Analysis and How They Affect Engine Condition
For most consumers, a preventive maintenance program for their automobile consists of nothing more than an oil change. While a regular oil change is very important, the most critical part of changing the oil is to know when to change the oil. The interval of the oil change is often dictated by one of two
Customer Appreciation
In the March issue of Engine Builder, I shared some stories about crazy customer experiences from sprint car engine builder Steven Hogue. We all had a good laugh recalling the birdseed, the shop rag ingestion and sealing an engine a bit too well with duct tape. Then, unsure of whether you would be interested in
Assembly Lubes & Break – In Oils
Perhaps the most important property of lube oil is its ability to remove heat from a surface where two or more metals are sliding across each other. In much the same way as air flows around cylinder head fins to remove heat, oil flows through a bearing and removes the heat caused by friction. I