Dealing with Advice Seekers
I read a great column in my current Drag Illustrated magazine by Will Hanna called the “Advice Buffet.” The theme of the article is how some racers and hot rodders seek advice from several sources. In most cases, the many sources will differ cost and effort to the seeker. The seeker will seek until he
Don’t Count Out The Classic Cruisers as Customers
People’s interests go in cycles. Right now the modern muscle cars and their fantastic engines are riding a screaming rocket to the stratosphere, with no end in sight. I am fascinated and admire the modern muscle. Being an NHRA tech official at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL, I get to see many of them
Learning Engine Self Defense
All engines that are upgraded in horsepower, whether accomplished mechanically, with power adders or both, need to have the proper defensive steps in place or your now more powerful engine could suffer serious failures.
Engine Building Bloopers
I learned early when doing an engine for a customer, especially a partial job, with the end user finishing construction, the importance of knowing that person’s capabilities – or better put – incapabilities. Over my many years I have witnessed some amazing engine bloopers.
When Do You Blow the Whistle?
When do you cover for the prior mechanic or engine guy? When do you have to tell the customer the truth to justify the correction and parts? There have been times I have done it each way. And for a couple, I regret my decisions.
335 Ford Engine is Still Alive
In the ‘80s I rebuilt a myriad of 335 Ford engines for daily use, mostly for farm pickup trucks. Most of those trucks had the 351M and the 400M that sported the 1˝ taller deck.
The Lost Art of Knurling Pistons Takes Skill – And Guts
Thanks to my late friend Pete Baldoni, a former NAPA store owner many years ago, I am the proud owner of a genuine Perfect Circle Piston Nurlizing Machine (Note: Perfect Circle spelled knurl with an N). Pete gave me that PC machine years ago, after closing the machine shop part of his NAPA store.
Titanium and Other Engine Friends
Titanium or Ti, is an element that has been around a while. An English clergyman interested in metals named Rev. William Gregor is credited with the discovery of it in 1781. The name titanium comes from the sons of the Earth Goddess in Greek mythology, also known as the Titans.
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
I Object! – Be Sure Your Sources Are Reliable
Like Perry Mason, I don’t trust hearsay information. When I am not sure of something, I consult a book, website or ask someone who is an expert about the information I seek. Having been in an automotive and racing career for 50 years, I have a huge collection of Chilton and Motor Manuals, from 1935
Pro Stock Quandary
One of my first writing heroes was Robert Benchley and his first book I read was when I was a freshman at LaSalle Peru (IL) High School in 1954. While researching materials to use as an exordium for an English assignment, the humor literature section caught my eye. I found Robert Benchley’s 1936 collection of
The Lost Art and Business of Head Porting
If I had my current shop rate paid to me in a lump sum for every hour I spent porting and flowing heads and intakes in the ’70s and ’80s, I could build a new race car. In ’76 when I started running Pro Stock, my wife Linda got me a SuperFlow 110 for Christmas