When NASA's space shuttle first went into service 30 years ago-yes, it's been that long-nobody ever intended it to be flying for three decades. To be sure, it's been upgraded, refurbished, and well maintained, but we've also lost half the fleet. The point here underscores the importance of regular care and upkeep on our antique hot rods. Even with the best loving care, it's easy for some very important items to slip between the cracks.

Last month, we built a 509ci solid-roller big-block Chevy, using the leftover block, crank, and oil pan from the 502 Ramjet crate motor out of Project X. We christened it the Pile Driver, because it pounded out 717 hp at 6,300 rpm and 651 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 rpm-all while sipping a diet of 91-octane pump gas. Those numbers are impressive, especially in light of the fact that we only spent $8,100 to build it, not including the parts from "X."inline_mediumwraptextright25817471/tech/0912phr_big_block_chevy0912phr_01_o+big-block_chevy+1971_chevelle.jpgTrue

BY THE NUMBERS
DCI 455 PONTIAC
Bore:	4.160 inches
Stroke:	4.21 inches
Displacement:	457 actual cubic inches
Compression ratio:	10.49:1
Camshaft:	COMP solid flat-tappet
Cam duration:	260/268 degrees
	at .050-inch tappet rise
Valve lift:	.653/.677 inch
Rocker ratio:	Harland Sharp 1.65 ratio
Top ring:	1/16-inch Speed Pro
Second ring:	1/16-inch Speed Pro
Oil ring:	3/16-inch Speed Pro
Piston:	Ross dished
Block:	OEM
Crankshaft:	OEM
Rods:	Eagle 6.800-inch H-beam
Cylinder head:	Edelbrock
Intake valve diameter:	2.230 inches
Exhaust valve diameter:	1.770 inches
Intake manifold:	Edelbrock Victor Pontiac
Carburetor:	Quick Fuel modified
	Holley 1050 Dominator
Header:	Hedman
Ignition:	MSD 6AL
Damper:	TCI Rattler

For those of us old enough to remember '80s Reaganomics and learning about new math in school (what was the point of base 8 numbering anyhow?), our idea of tricking out a car used to be adding a set of Cherry Bombs and a Holley 750 double-pumper to the requisite '79 Camaro and promptly destroying a set of T/A Radials. A day or two has passed, and the LT1 F-bodies littering the Auto Trader have become the '79 Camaros of today. They're cheap, you can sort of work on them, and they still do great burnouts.inline_mediumwraptextright26968525/tech/0912phr_lt1_block_and_cams0912phr_01_o+lt1_block_and_cams+fedex.jpgTrue

Whether you dig the Pro-Touring movement, and its attendant propensity for big g-force turns or not, you will at some point need to turn the corner. Even drag racers need to turn, and if your tires don't mimic the directional input of the steering wheel, you, my friend, are in serious trouble. Virtually all muscle cars were equipped with recirculating ball and nut steering (sometimes called worm and sector). This type of steering box was almost universal in domestic cars through the 1980s; they're simple, they work, and their universal nature means they're compatible in cars of widely varying vintage (read: easy bolt-on).inline_mediumwraptextright31137477/tech/0912phr_1975_chevy_laguna0912phr_02_o+1975_chevy_laguna+front.jpgTrue

Just about any engine builder, whether a pro or a backyard hobbyist, looks at the completion of the short-block as a milestone in a performance engine build. Getting to this point in the process generally means that the grunt work is done, and the build shifts to dressing out the rest of the engine with a selection of high-performance parts. Getting over the hurdle of a completed short-block is almost always time consuming and sometimes frustrating. You might start by finding a good core, and unless you own a machine shop, the search will begin for a competent machinist who can do the work on time and at a fair price. All of the internal rotating assembly components must be reconditioned or sourced new, with everything sized and compatible with the rest of the parts going into the bottom end. With plenty of running around, phone time, and good planning, at the end you will have everything machined, balanced, and ready to assemble.inline_mediumwraptextrightDart's SHP short-block helps you take several big steps forward on the way to a high-performance engine build. We ordered one up in a 400ci version, with all the goodies needed to make reliable power.31135587/tech/0912phr_dart_short_block_crate_motor0912phr_01_o+dart_short_block_crate_motor+400ci.jpgTrue

Drag vs. Street Caster
Caster is simply the angle of the front spindle when viewed from the side of the car, and straight-line machines and corner carvers call for vastly different caster settings. A spindle that tilts rearward has positive caster, while a spindle that tilts forward has negative caster. Since light steering and wandering is a consequence of negative caster, almost all production cars have a few degrees of positive caster built-in from the factory. Where road cars and drag cars differ is in the amount of positive caster that's desirable. "The greater the positive caster, the better the car's straight-line stability and the more effort it requires to move the steering wheel," Bill Buck says. "These aren't necessarily bad things in a drag car, so I like to set caster at 5 to 7 degrees in straight-line applications, however, heavy steering effort isn't ideal for a street or road race car, and the wheel can have a tendency to jolt when you hit a bump with too much positive caster. Consequently, you want to limit positive caster to about 2 degrees in these types of applications, which makes the car feel more agile while still providing enough straight-line stability."
-Stephen Kiminline_mediumwraptextright26928025/features/0912phr_1993_ford_mustang_notchback0912phr_08_o+1993_ford_mustang_notchback+spindle.jpgTrue

A pile driver is a mechanical device that smashes the earth with tremendous force, and the term is a fitting description of this 509ci street big-block Chevrolet unleashed by Outlaw Racing's Andy Mitchell. As our story goes, we had a 502 Chevy Ramjet engine liberated from Popular Hot Rodding's Project X, a fine engine combination from General Motors, replaced by an all-aluminum 427 in the latest incarnation of our heroic project car. We found ourselves in the enviable situation of having Project X completely renovated by the crew at GM with an all-new mill, while the old engine was hanging from a hook waiting for whatever our collective imaginations might conjure.

Casting
The casting of the Boss 351 block starts with a brand-new tooling. Over a century of experience pouring blocks was put into the design of these molds and the way they are poured. Critical elements to a high-quality, repeatable casting are the sand used, number of cores, keeping the molten iron moving, proper venting, quick cooling, and keeping areas thin enough to cool properly but thick enough to give the required strength. Ford Racing uses flow dynamics and analysis to help determine the best way to cast the block, with what end up and where to put the vents. Unique to their Boss blocks, Ford Racing uses a two-block mold that doubles productivity without hurting quality.

Thirty-five years of age is a bit late to get into the hot rodding game, but there's no doubt that Josh Martin is a real-deal car guy. No, he doesn't have the requisite yard full of decrepit jalopies, or a kitchen repurposed as an engine assembly room, however, despite his relatively grease-free resum, Josh's visceral instincts tell a different tale. While the only thing most men remember about the 1996 flick Swingers is the hot little number named Heather Graham, Josh was mesmerized by the '64 Comet he saw on screen. With a scintillating young lady stealing most the thunder, even most car guys wouldn't give the Comet a second look. Nonetheless, Josh knew he had to build himself a Comet one day, and 13 years later, that day has finally arrived. His vision has materialized in the form of a '65 Comet hardtop that packs a 540hp late-model GT500 motor, a six-speed stick, and a full Art Morrison chassis. Granted, Josh is an unseasoned rookie, he's built a far nicer car on his first try than most veterans could build after their hundredth attempt.

When brothers Dale and Glenn Robinson decided to take up the gauntlet and enter the 2008 Engine Masters Challenge, they knew they needed every advantage they could get. They had to know all of the rules inside and out, and create a combination that could wow the crowd and still stay within budget. Their approach to building this little 307-based Olds mirrored their team name, Robinson Analytical.

Assembling The Hoses
Instead of using hard line or regular rubber hose, we used Earl's Pro-Lite 350 hose. This stuff is really easy to work with and it's very pliable for routing. Though not required, there are some special tools that help make assembly much easier. We used Earl's aluminum vise jaw liners, Earl's aluminum -AN wrenches, electrical tape, and a cutoff wheel.

Muscle car magazines have rarely been advocates for progressive and socially responsible behavior, but our past transgressions of apathy are about to change with Project Fox. PHR's '93 Mustang notchback is very green-Ford Calypso Green Metallic to be exact-and with a 532ci big-block Ford mated to a GM TH400 trans, it boasts the latest in hybrid technology. Making power is only half the battle, however, and getting Project Fox's 775 ponies to hook on skinny 10-inch-wide drag radials and a stock-style suspension is no easy feat. Or is it?

It's hard to believe that we started work on this big blue Ford over two years now. When we managed to score the '70 Fairlane 500 off eBay for $8,000 we knew we were already ahead of the game. It's one of the big advantages to buying an offbeat nameplate. While mechanically challenged, the Fairlane had great paint, a laser-straight body, new chrome, a cherry interior, and best of all, zero rust-even under the white vinyl top. For something "popular" like a Mustang or a Camaro, we could have paid twice as much.

This is the place to get all of the Information on the 2009 Engine Masters Challenge. This year the Challenge is going to be from Oct. 5th - 9th 2009 at the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, OH.

So you've decided to start shopping for a project car, and for one reason or another, you've got a limited budget. There are always going to be economic lulls and discouraging situations, but when it forces you to lose out on your hobby and your passion, then hope can be hard to keep. It's still possible, even on a limited budget, to find a cool running and driving project car; chances are it won't be a '69 Camaro, a Mustang fastback, or a Hemi 'Cuda, but who said you always need one of those to be cool?inline_mediumwraptextright31041555/features/0912phr_20_affordable_project_cars0912phr_01_o+20_affordable_project_cars+laguna.jpgTrue

It was hate at first sight. Like having your marriage arranged with an ugly chick, Steve Yoder Jr.'s parents bought him a '76 Laguna when he turned 16. They figured that forcing their boy into a turd of a first car would keep him out of trouble, but the sinister ploy failed miserably. After 23 years and several iterations, Steve has yet to dump the Laguna. And why would he? Pretty she ain't, but the big-block-powered ogre rips the quarter-mile to the tune of 10.96 at 122 mph on a slim budget of $25,000. In a world infested with aesthetically blessed but athletically inept muscle cars, this Laguna has no interest in contributing to the problem.inline_mediumwraptextright26812165/features/0912phr_1976_chevy_laguna_s30912phr_01_o+1976_chevy_laguna_s3+grille.jpgTrue

His name is Lang Paciulli, but his buddies call him Langenfelter. Obviously, the clever nickname is inspired by the late John Lingenfelter, a man legendary for his wickedly fast yet docile street cars. The real question is, however, whether Lang's handle is merely a cheap rip-off spawned from a lack of creativity, or a genuine tribute to the modern automotive icon based on peerless car-building talents. Granted, Lang's got a long way to go until his resumè can stack up against the prolific accomplishments of his namesake, but he's certainly jumping onto the big stage in a rather flamboyant fashion. The '67 Camaro presented here packs a twin-turbo 385ci small-block that belches out 1,174 hp and 1,000 lb-ft at just 10 psi of boost. Surprisingly, that's not the impressive part. Neither is the fact that the car gets the job done on 91-octane gas and rips the quarter-mile in 9.40 seconds at 150 mph on drag radials and a primitive leaf-spring rear suspension. What we dig the most is that this could very well be the most streetable 1,000-plus horsepower street machine in existence.inline_mediumwraptextrightBody mods have been limited to a Harwood 2-inch cowl hood and custom mini-tubs.26782978/features/0910phr_1967_chevy_camaro0910phr_01_z+1967_chevy_camaro+cowl_hood.jpgTrue

Once upon a time, a gearhead had to make a tough choice when he got to a certain fork in the road with his hot rod: Do I build it for show and spend my weekends polishing paint, or do I go to the track and wring it out? Perhaps you're at a stage in your involvement with the hobby where that question no longer seems valid, and the losing side of that equation has long since been stashed away in the proverbial attic with other ancient regrets. The fundamental choice of "show" or "go" is one we face early on in our hot rodding life, but the Goodguys folks say, "Why not do both?"inline_mediumwraptextright26777623/events/0911phr_the_12th_goodguys_ppg_nationals0911phr_01+the_12th_goodguys_ppg_nationals+mustang.jpgTrue

It's not that Rob Morell is impossible to please. He's just always tinkering, trying something new, pushing the limits, and applying what he learns to make things work better. All of which are admirable traits, unless you're trying to finish a project car.inline_mediumwraptextright30995817/features/0911phr_1973_chevy_camaro0911phr_01_z+1973_chevy_camaro+hood.jpgTrue

Born and raised in a mountain community just inland of Eureka, California, Brian Finch didn't get exposed to many hot rods or muscle cars. His father was a timber faller whose only involvement in the automotive industry was driving to work. Where did Brian get the bug? His friends were all into totally unrelated things, caught up in the social activities the small-town school offered. After some deep thought and hours rooting through the family albums, he figured out where he got his interest from. In many of the pictures he had tools and parts of household appliances scattered about. From a very young age Brian was interested in how things came apart and what made them tick. Brian told us: "As soon as I could hold a wrench in my hand, I was looking for something to put it on." Taking apart toasters and radios was very interesting to Brian at first, but as he approached his teen years, he was looking for more of a challenge. He thought of cars as very large and complicated toasters that he wanted to take a closer look at. He read every hot rodding magazine he could get his hand on, cover to cover.inline_mediumwraptextright30995199/features/0911phr_1967_ford_mustang_coupe0911phr_01_z+1967_ford_mustang_coupe+front_view.jpgTrue

2009 JEG's Engine Masters Challenge - Friday, October 9, 2009 Sponsored by Rottler

1:00 - Team #3 Advanced Products Engineering/Chevy

1:00 - Team #11 BH Performance - Mopar