By Jeff Huneycutt Photography by The Author

hese days, thanks to modern engine controls, it’s easier than ever to add boost either to a new or existing build. But just because it is easier than ever doesn’t mean that throwing boost on a build is foolproof. No, there are still lots of things that can jump up and bite you when you least expect it. And the results can run from mild, like less horsepower than you’d hoped for, to wild, like a dreaded blown engine.

To help you avoid those pitfalls, we surveyed several of the most trusted manufacturers in the industry, asking them what problems they see most often, and how they help guide car guys and gals through those issues. Their answers ran the gamut, and they were all great. In fact, we feel they will be quite helpful to many of our readers.

BIG BOOST MAY REQUIRE A TOTAL PACKAGE RETHINK
Mark Campbell
Comp Cams

The problems I see the most on boosted engines are incorrect camshafts and incorrect torque converters. Both of these things can have a dramatic effect on how quickly an engine makes boost and how efficient it is when doing so. 

ow in its sophomore year at the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, the 24th Annual Camaro Nationals continues to build on the success of previous editions by serving up another stellar show. Aided by a cooperative weather forecast for the three-day event, the show pulled in Camaros from 40 different states, which helped the organizers surpass the final registered car count of 500 in 2022 to a total of 604 for the 2023 event.

President of the local Lehigh Valley Camaro Club and show chairman Karl Scheffy has built this gathering up with the help of his club members and the members of the North Eastern Ohio Camaro Club and Long Island Camaro Club. As a purely volunteer-based event, these clubs and their members are the engine that keep the show flowing.

Part of the show is also about giving back to a worthwhile charitable organization with a banquet, charity auction, 50/50 raffle, and several sponsor donations. This year they were able to raise a total of $17,000 for the Silence of Mary Home for Children–a number that significantly surpasses last year’s amount.

rum brakes have been around for more than 100 years, and they’re still in use on some modern-day applications, but for the most part, disc brakes have taken over for regular passenger cars and light trucks. This transition has encouraged gearheads to make the switch on old cars, and several companies offer front and rear disc brake conversions for most applications from the ’50s to the ’80s. The truth of the matter is that the average car enthusiast upgrades the front brakes and leaves the rear brakes in the stock configuration. This combination performs nicely on something that isn’t seeing track time or intense driving, but those rear drums need attention from time to time.

Because of the factory brake bias that puts more emphasis on the front brakes, you’ll rarely encounter rear drum brakes that are badly worn. Usually, it’s more of an age issue than a wear issue when it comes to rebuilding rear drum brakes. Our ’77 Nova project car is a true daily driver, so we wanted to be proactive about the brakes. We upgraded the front brakes with Summit Racing rotors and new calipers, and we continued our brake service with OE-style brake service parts from Summit Racing. We opted for AC Delco brake drums (PN ADO-18B80), AC Delco brake shoes (PN ADO-1424B), Dorman wheel cylinders (PN DHB-W45999), and a Summit Racing spring kit (PN SUM-7104K). These parts were readily available and barely put us over the $100 threshold, so we could take advantage of Summit’s free shipping offer. We had already replaced the rear brake flex hose previously, so adding that to our order would’ve added a few bucks more.

ostalgia is a word that hits all of us in a different way. For some, it’s big hair and T-tops, but for others it’s Jimi Hendrix and Cragar wheels. No matter your taste of nostalgia, the place to be on Father’s Day weekend is Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. For 20 years thousands have been gathering to pay tribute to the good ol’ days. For 19 of those years, this event was called the Hot Rod Reunion, a name coined by the folks at the NHRA Museum. This year, the event got a new name, but the general concept remains the same. The Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals, presented by Holley, takes old school to the next level with awesome vintage-style drag racing, an excellent car show, and a swap meet packed with rare speed equipment.

Hundreds of drag cars pack into the pits, with a huge range of classes. Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters, Nostalgia Funny Cars, and AA/Fuel Altereds are the stars of the show, but hundreds of other cars keep the track hot for all three days of the event. Other classes include Hot Rod, Pro Comp, Pro Gas, and a series of heads-up index classes. Some of the themed classes are the Geezer Gassers, Nostalgia Super Stock, Nostalgia Pro Stock, and the Straight Axle Mafia group. Of all 14 classes, one of the most entertaining was Modified Production, a class for cars with a manual transmission—and these cars were flying! There were also Exhibition cars, including Boyd Howe and Mike Bilina in their wheelstanding Tri-Five Chevys. Throughout all the classes, there was a high percentage of Chevrolet entries, or at least Chevrolet horsepower in the case of the dragsters and altered roadsters in the heads-up index classes.