early all performance automotive magazine stories take the positive approach. We bolt on the parts, the engine makes more power, and the paintjob comes out perfect every time. Everybody wins, the birds sing, and life is grand. But that’s rarely how it works in the real world.

This story begins with gritty facts that unfortunately happen all too often. The owner of the engine in question has requested to remain anonymous mainly because he now feels like he’s been ripped off. It all started when he asked if we could spend a few minutes curing an ignition problem.

The engine in question was not a typical mild street small-block but instead a high-compression street/race small-block Chevy that was aimed at attacking the local eighth-mile dragstrip.

The 403ci small-block was underperforming, and the timing numbers on the balancer bounced around badly at idle; when revved, the numbers instantly retarded between 15 and 20 degrees. At first it appeared that this mechanical roller-cammed engine was suffering from a missing cam button. This allows the distributor gear to push the cam forward in the block, retarding the ignition timing as the rpm increases.

BY Ryan Manson Images by THE AUTHOR

lumbing a fuel system on a new build or after an engine swap can be a daunting experience to the uninitiated, but with a little help from your friends here at All Chevy Performance the task can be simplified so that anyone with a handful of the proper tools can get the job done right. But, plumbing the fuel system on a ’69 Camaro back in 1969 is a totally different affair than the way we’d prefer it to be done today. New methods and materials have introduced a modern modus operandi when it comes to the fuel system in general. That first-gen Camaro relied on gravity and suction to feed the mechanical pump mounted off the side of its small-block engine, feeding less than 10 psi to the carburetor. A steel hard line running fore and aft connected by some low-pressure rubber hose and a couple hose clamps were all that was required. Filters, regulators, and return lines were non-existent for the most part—that is until electronic fuel injection came into vogue a decade or so later.

With the advent of bolt-on fuel injection systems and crate engines utilizing OE injection systems, today’s fuel system requirements look a little bit different. For starters, the pressure has increased by about 50 pounds. This requires different hose and fittings, at the very least. In addition to the increase in pressure, EFI requires very clean fuel and responds very poorly to any contaminants contained within. That increase in pressure also needs to remain constant, as any drop can result in poor performance. Careful filtering and regulating therefore is a must in EFI systems. An increase in pressure also requires a more dependable fitting than the venerable barb fitting and hose clamp. A fitting that doesn’t require constant attention and won’t come loose and leak is mandatory. The result is the adoption of specialized hose and hose ends that are assembled to suit and use the AN system.

1. Fiberglass body panels are usually tougher than you think, but cracks happen and we’ll teach you how to fix them.

1. Fiberglass body panels are usually tougher than you think, but cracks happen and we’ll teach you how to fix them.

Fragile Fibers

BY Tommy Lee ByrdImages by The Author

ccidents happen, and we all know that fiberglass body panels can be quite fragile. While fiberglass doesn’t stretch and create dents like metal, it often cracks when too much force is applied. Such is the case with our example, a 1977 Nova with fiberglass replacement bumper filler panels. One of the panels suffered some damage, and the result was a 4-inch crack in the surface. While we could have contacted Classic Industries for a replacement part, we figured it would be a good opportunity to show you how easy it is to do fiberglass repairs at home.

We stopped at the local parts store and grabbed a U-Pol fiberglass repair kit, which comes with everything necessary to repair a crack. In fact, there is enough material in the kit to handle a few of these small jobs. A large quantity of loose weave fiberglass mat is in the kit, and there is a 250ml container of resin, along with two small packets of hardener. A mixing cup, mixing sticks, and application brush are also supplied. For less than $30, you can’t beat the quality of this kit. Of course, additional expenses are needed for body filler, primer, and paint, but the repair kit certainly gets you a long way in the process.

By John Machaqueiro Images by The Author

marks the 15th anniversary of the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. A must-attend event for the hard-core American muscle car fan, this show year after year continues to deliver a fresh batch of automotive goodness leading into the Thanksgiving weekend. Regardless of what brand you gravitate toward, the organizers continuously manage to keep the show relevant with new themed displays and fresh restorations as it plays an ever-growing significance in the high-end muscle car world.

For the Bowtie faithful there are always new revelations that come to light at the show. Before entering the main hall, in the lobby are a pair of original Penske Trans Am Camaros, along with a 1967 Yenko 427 SC Camaro, 1969 Camaro Z/28, and a 1967 L88 Corvette clone. Beyond the main entrance, in the Factory Lightweights Invitational, one could find several early 1960s Chevys from the golden age of racing, while more modern examples could be found in the Nostalgia Pro Stock group, which was a carryover display from 2023.