Your day to shine, Atilla

[The Dark Side of Will]

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article ... uscle.aspx

That write up is from 2009... not sure if the competition is annual or even happened at all, but this seems right up Atilla's alley.

[Atilla the Fun]

Engine Masters is annual. The rules are never the same twice, they always change something, and usually make big changes. The builds may be real-world for the top 10% of enthusiasts, but aren't real-world for those who also need 25 MPG and 150,000-mile reliability.
I read the feature every year, looking for reality, but seldom find much if any.
My thrill is helping real guys with real cars on real budgets. This excludes all aftermarket heads, all solid cams, all solid roller cams, all forged pistons, all cams wilder than this: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam- ... id=97&sb=2
They still don't allow Chinese turbos, which is the greatest thing since my birth. They never required QuadraJets, they allow aftermarket distributors, aftermarket blocks, aftermarket rods, forged cranks, and much other BS that isn't true street stuff.
Where's the no-overlap ( at 0.050" ) rule? Where's the testing at 1500 RPM, where 80% of all driving is done? In the real world, we don't spend an hour re-tuning the engine at every red light ( or stop sign ) before asking the engine to accelerate against a load again. None of what they're doing applies to anyone on this forum, nor the other forum for Fieros. The stuff I do would benefit every single one of you willing to drive a SBC V8.
No, it's not my chance to shine. But the number of thank-yous I've received on TGO ( well over 1000 now ) is shine enough for me. Just not for JT. But that's okay. To mis-quote Weird Al's "Amish Paradise", I'll be laughing my butt off while he is burning in hell. ( Actually, I don't believe I could get into heaven if I could laugh at JT's inevitable punishment, I'm just sad his pettiness is keeping so many newbs from getting the help they need from the knowledge I have and enjoy sharing )

[The Dark Side of Will]

Didn't read the link, I see...

[The Dark Side of Will]

This competition is for budget builds. This is *NOT* Engine Masters. They institute a $5K claim rule to keep the costs down.

[Atilla the Fun]

A 5-grand budget!?!?! ANYone can get amazing numbers on that budget. How about a $500 budget? On that you can get anything you want from Pick-N-Pull, do your own porting, and order a custom cam. Then EVERYone would be doing the Dodge V10. Getting 550 HP from that, on $500, is possible. Too heavy for ANY true sports-car, and too fuel-thirsty to actually drive, but for cheap power, NOTHING can come close. For $5k, you better be pushing well past 1200 HP, probably more like 1500. Much of the budget goes to forged crank / rods / pistons & Chinese turbos, NOT aftermarket heads, NOT fancy machine work / blueprinting. Getting a 350 Chevy to 1000 HP with production Vortec heads, production PM rods, and a production 4-bolt block is no challenge at all. ( That's the upper limit for the stock block, but it CAN take it IF there's NO detonation EVER )

[The Dark Side of Will]

Maybe if you actually read the page I linked, you could respond intelligently.

[CincinnatiFiero]

So $500 for 550hp.. And almost none of your cars run. How broke are you?

[fieroguru]

They key points for the article:

Any normally-aspirated domestic V8 engine block

Superchargers, turbos, nitrous or other power-adders are prohibited.

McDonald says the contest, will have one main, overriding rule: once the contest is over and the winner is declared, the winning engine can be purchased by any other participant for $5,000.

[sarcasm]
The way I see it, Attila could spend $500, work is unquestionable engine building expertise, win this contest by 300+hp, have his engine claimed, and walk away with an additional $4500 to fund his other projects.
[/sarcasm]

[Shaun41178(2)]

So $500 for 550hp.. And almost none of your cars run. How broke are you?

troof!

[Atilla the Fun]

The more you spout off, trying to bash, the more it proves you don't know what you're typing about. You contradict yourself suggesting my 550 HP V10 can compete against a 1200+ HP turbo build. Not possible.
I don't want a 550-HP V-10, even though it can be done for $500.
I'm not out to prove myself. What does that result in, besides stress? Who needs it? Life's too short for competition. Instead, enjoy as many minutes as you can. Do work you love, use that money to live a life you enjoy. If the life you enjoy is competition, then you're missing out on a hell of a lot that's far better, because you're too busy competing to sample the superior alternatives. Took me years to discover this, because I couldn't believe those who had found the good life. I thought Trump had the good life, but he doesn't. I thought these lower-middle-class old people were clueless about enjoying all life has to offer. But I recall clearly those days when carrying a grand in cash in my pocket all day every day was no big deal. I'm happier now.
All my years machining engines, all my own junkyard builds, all teach me the same thing.
For NASCAR and such, yes, you need to spend on machining and blueprinting.
But for occasional fun with no risks that truly matter, it's all a waste.
You don't need 550 HP to have fun. You don't need a huge investment to have reliable fun.
You do need the right starting point, but you have to let go of "best" and gain adequate respect for "adequate". The LSx is best. The traditional 350 is adequate.
I'd give an awful lot to have known what I just typed, back when I first joined this forum.
Finally I have a project that really matters. And It's a project I love more than I've ever loved any other. This is the first project I've ever had that I make some progress on every single day.
Building engines really doesn't mean anything. There's no legit reason to prove my ideas. The world doesn't benefit from those pursuits.
But getting folks to stop mis-believing you need a thirsty 15-MPG dually to tow with, when you can have a 40-MPG car instead, that's slightly worthy. Further, doing it on a $5k budget? GM could make the new Camaro SS capable of towing 10K, and could fit it with that turbodiesel that Jezza got 49.1 MPG from, but the trucks are cash cows. However, not everyone has that kind of cash, but why should that stop them from enjoying a camper trailer vacation?
I'm a year from helping more real people than I've ever helped in my ebtire life before now. I'm about to help more people than any lawyer or cop ever could. If feels great. Could I get my 40-MPG dually gooseneck T/A in the magazines and newspapers? Of course, and I expect to do so, under a pseudonym of course.
It doesn't matter if you believe I've done what I've done, it doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with my claims. What matters is I share facts that could be independently verified, and can be helpful if the reader is open to taking good advice.
My goals are changed, but I'm still willing to help people whose goals match what I've learned, because helping feels good.I've taken a giany step forward on this journey called life, and it's so great that I'm inviting you along by typing this long post.

[CincinnatiFiero]

That's 49.1 miles per imperial gallons. An honorary engineer should know that.

[Shaun41178(2)]

Finally I have a project that really matters. And It's a project I love more than I've ever loved any other. This is the first project I've ever had that I make some progress on every single day.
.

installing trailer hitches?

[CincinnatiFiero]

Did he really suggest a 3.0L jaguar turbo diesel in a camaro after suggesting the LSX was the one true god?