urchasing a used engine, be it from a friend, junkyard, or a swap meet, can be a practice in futility. Every small-block at the local high-performance swap meet has been bored and stroked, equipped with a hot cam, and originally resided in a Corvette. At least according to the seller. The truth, however, is usually much less impressive. In reality, that overbore was only applied to one cylinder, that hot cam has two flattened lobes, and the seller actually meant Chevette and not Corvette. The point is, buying a used engine is akin to buying something sight-unseen because though it might be sitting right there in front of you, what’s hiding inside usually can’t be inspected until after the deal is done. And that deal can sometimes burn.

So, what can be done when it comes to buying a used engine? For starters, a heavy education in the make of engine one’s hunting for can help. Most blocks and heads can be identified by a variety of means, be it casting marks (think Camel hump heads) or casting numbers. A quick Interweb search will usually result in a fairly accurate identification that should help persuade, or dissuade, said purchase.

Split Decision

t’s been said that three of the biggest lies ever told are: “the check’s in the mail,” “this will hurt me more than you,” and “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Most performance enthusiasts would probably agree that the third one is the most applicable to our interests, after all the government hasn’t done many things to help the cause of hot rodding. However, there is arguably one example of the powers that be doing something useful and that was the implementation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 105 that required all passenger cars have dual master cylinders as of January 1, 1968 (all domestic manufacturers got a head start and began installing them in 1967). The obvious value of a dual-circuit master cylinder is that the brake system is divided in half, so in the event of a major hydraulic leak, half the system would still work—some brakes are better than none.

ouldn’t it be nice if, after building a brand-new engine for your muscle car, you could just drop it in, hook everything back up, and tear down the street? It feels like that should be the case. Especially when installing a carbureted small-block back into a ’69 Nova that was already equipped with a carbureted small-block. So what’s the hang-up?

Turns out, there are plenty of opportunities for hang-ups. Some come from the guilt associated with installing crusty, worn-out parts on a brand-new engine. Others come from mismatched components after making upgrades. In the case of installing the new 383ci small-block in our ’69 Nova we ran into a little bit of both.

For starters, when we switched from a traditional V-belt accessory drive to a serpentine system from Eddie Motorsports, we had the chance to also upgrade from a mechanical fan to something more modern. We reached out to our friends at Vintage Air because we heard through the grapevine they just came out with a line of brushless variable speed radiator fans. We wanted to know if they had something that would fit our setup. As it turned out, they didn’t have a plug-and-play kit for our aftermarket radiator-equipped ’69 Nova. They did have a 500-watt brushless fan and shroud that would be “close” but we’d have to get creative with a mounting solution. More on that later.

he Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) stands as a testament to the unprecedented allure of bringing together the finest rods, customs, roadsters, muscle cars, and everything in between, and the 2024 event met, and by many accounts went beyond, that tradition.

A brief historical journey into the GNRS reveals its inception in 1950 as the National Roadster Show, evolving through various Northern California locations before finding its permanent residence at the Pomona Fairplex in 2004. The expansive venue comprises seven large exhibit buildings, each dedicated to a specific theme. Notably, one building focuses solely on showcasing top-tier rides competing for the esteemed Al Slonaker Memorial Award. While the pinnacle of the show revolves around the prestigious America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award (AMBR) for roadsters, the GNRS caters to a diverse audience with a plethora of classic rides vying for various class awards. Vintage muscle cars, customs, lowriders, hot rods, trucks (both patina and pristine), grace the Pomona Fairplex show buildings, representing a multitude of brands to satisfy the tastes of any classic auto enthusiast.