luePrint Engines sits in a unique spot in the performance automotive world. The organization builds thousands of engines every year, which makes them a major manufacturer. But they aren’t churning out run-of-the-mill stock replacement engines built to a minimum viable price point and little regard for performance.

But neither is BluePrint a typical custom engine shop where parts don’t get ordered until you put down cash and where waiting time to get your engine can be months or even more than a year. It’s true. We’ve heard the horror stories of working with some shops.

Based out of Kearney, Nebraska, BluePrint Engines has set up an entire ecosystem that allows it to build high-performance crate engines on a massive scale that is unmatched in the industry. Unlike an engine remanufacturer, every part is brand new and sourced to spec. And unlike a low-volume pure custom shop, you can order up a high-performance engine that’s been dyno-tested and have it delivered to your door in just a few days. Plus, because of the volumes they work with, the value for what you get is at the top of the charts as well.

f we look at the trends of modern muscle car development, it’s easy to see there are many good reasons for adapting late-model production car ideas to older machines. Among them is hydraulic clutch actuation. The OEs initiated this back in the 1980s to eliminate the cumbersome mechanical Z-bar linkages and cables, choosing instead to use hydraulic pressure to do the job of releasing the clutch.

The contemporary approach is to use a hydraulic clutch release bearing with a hydraulic line from a separate clutch master cylinder bolted to the firewall. This system works extremely well. The aftermarket hydraulic clutch release embraced this idea with several companies offering complete kits.

Recently, Modern Driveline (MDL) introduced a new/old twist to this approach. One of the earliest OE hydraulic tactics was to retain the original mechanical release arm and bearing but actuate the arm using an externally mounted slave cylinder. As an example, C4 Corvettes, third-gen Camaros, and late 1980s and early 1990s GM pickups all used a similar master and external slave cylinder configuration.

f you’re building a classic Chevy with a lean toward any type of contemporary features, be them based on performance or comfort, chances are one of the things on the upgrade list are the gauges. Most cars from the 1950s and 1960s lacked a full array of gauges, limiting information to speed, engine temp, and fuel level. Low oil pressure or volts was usually displayed via a simple dummy light that may or may not have worked. And engine temp was usually displayed in such a manner that one had to know where the “normal” setting on the gauge was to even know when an overheating scenario was actually taking place, given simply a “Hot” and “Cold” setting at either side of a sweeping needle. It’s no wonder adding a couple extra gauges under the dash rail and a cup-mounted tach on the steering column became so popular.

But with time, technology has caught up to the needs of hot rodders in the form of more accurate gauge clusters that abound with additional information to boot. And that describes nearly all of Dakota Digital’s gauge offerings, but never more so than their RTX line of Retrotech Analog/Digital Instrument Systems. With a nod to the original factory cluster’s aesthetic, Dakota Digital has snuck in a myriad of additional information, all programmable by the end user. Their effort to incorporate OEM design elements as the layout is concerned results in an unobtrusive gauge design that, when powered down, is easily mistaken for stock. But once the ignition switch is hit, the LED-backlit cluster comes alive, providing an array of additional information.

hen you hold onto a car for a decade or so and drive it several thousand miles a year, components will wear out. During the early stages of our 1964 Chevelle project we went through the front suspension, brakes, and steering system to bring it up to par, while also lowering the stance. Since then, we’ve put about 40,000 worryfree miles on the car. Recently, we noticed an intense squeak that couldn’t be resolved and started seeing some irregular wear on the tires. We wanted to tear into it before things got any worse, and it was a perfect time to upgrade the suspension and ride quality on our trusty crew cab Chevelle.

Classic Performance Products (CPP) got the call as our first round of upgrades consisted of CPP components, which seemed like a natural fit. Many of the “phase one” replacement parts were still usable, but we knew that a tubular control arm upgrade would benefit the car. Old, stamped steel control arms flex and bend, and the original-style bushings just don’t last very long, so we wanted a long-term solution that would give us a good combination of strength and comfort. We opted for CPP’s complete Chevelle tubular control arm kit (PN 6472TCA-ULK-B), which consists of upper and lower control arms and the necessary hardware to install them. The control arms come preassembled with billet cross shafts, new ball joints, and bushings already installed. We also used a set of CPP shocks (PN CPP-1000) to give us a smooth ride. Because of the irregular tire wear, it was also a good time for fresh rubber, so we snagged a set of new Coker Classic Star Series tires from Coker Tire.

hen putting on a car show it comes down to having the right recipe in place for continued success. The folks who have been organizing the Camaro Nationals have managed to cook up a winning combination that has helped the show grow by building on the positives of the previous years’ successes. In celebration of their 25th anniversary, they once again held their event at the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. Aided by a stellar weekend of good weather, they continued to up their game by pulling in cars from over 40 states and Canada. With a registered car count of 708 by Saturday afternoon, the organizers surpassed the count of 604 in 2023.

An event of this magnitude needs foot soldiers to make it happen, and the leadership of this effort has been spearheaded by Karl Scheffy, the president of the local Lehigh Valley Camaro Club. With the help of his club members, and the members of the North Eastern Ohio Camaro Club and the Long Island Camaro Club, they have played an instrumental role in its continued success as a volunteer-based event.