We feel your pain when it comes to getting into a musclecar these days. The older they get, the less affordable they seem. But that's not to say that a few deals can't still be had if you're in the right place at the right time.

Engines, bullets, motors, powerplants...the myriad names we call the sources of our motivators. And when we asked you to submit the types of engines you'd build...wow, the response was incredible, by far exceeding anything you've responded to previously. For those of you who don't like to e-mail but don't have a problem posting on message boards, then head on over to our site at chevyhiperformance.com. Here's your chance to get interactive with each of the staffers and post the builds you'd like to see.-Henry D

When you get right down to it, isn't this the reason we have nice interiors and weatherproof convertible tops? When you need to get out of the rain, you want a comfortable place to sit and relax. Special thanks to interior expert Elbert Efird for installing our Kee Auto Top and covering the door panels with Arctic Ice from East Coast Leather to match the Recaro seats.

These images should bring back fond memories of the monsoons that inundated 2005 Power Tour participants. While this amount of rain may be beneficial to crops, it sure can make driving our favorite cars a challenge. Although these pictures may seem irrelevant at first, think about it--all the precious fluids in your vehicle must be quietly doing their job, since the car is still moving and is taking you safely and worry-free to your destination!

This segment is gonna blow big-time! Once again, since the amount of detail is so great, we had to cut the topic coverage to shoving air, and leave pushing fluids for next month. That said, we'll start with the installation of the Vintage Air system, which takes in hot and humid air (the bad air) and blows out the cool, dry air we desperately need during the summer months. Having the top down is nice, but you can't beat having the air on max to help cool you off; although nothing seemed to help much driving through the monsoons at last year's Hot Rod Power Tour! From there, we'll wrap up this month by installing the Flowmaster American Thunder system with their Series 40 Delta Flow mufflers. Not only will it expel the spent fumes out of the LS2, it'll produce that recognizable Flowmaster exhaust note we've grown to love!

If your project looks like this, welcome to the club. Follow along as we write from the loony bin. This may help you maintain your sanity while making sense of electricity and fluids--and how to keep from electrocuting yourself!Yesterday's classics were rarely available with the creature comforts we all enjoy in our modern vehicles. Thanks to Auto Meter, Covan's, Custom Autosound, Baer Brakes, Be Cool, Classic Tube, Detroit Speed, Electric-Life, Painless Performance, Powermaster, Rick's First Gen Camaros, Street & Performance, Year One, and Vintage Air, we can outfit them with systems that are much more efficient, compact, and reliable than the old stuff we used to call modern.As with all parts of your project, planning is the key to successful installation and joining of wires, tubing, and hoses that carry the lifeblood of the cars we are restoring. Most of the 30-plus-year-old wiring harnesses we remove are obviously past their prime. What may not be so evident is corrosion in the interior wiring bundles and fuel and brake lines, and mouse nests in the air and heat ducts.

During its years of creating mechanical fuel-delivery systems for GM vehicles, The Rochester Products Division certainly turned out some misunderstood creations. Early Rochester fuel injection almost reached red-headed-stepchild status as more than a few frustrated Corvette owners replaced these unique but complex systems with carbs. Of course, at least one of Rochester's carburetor-type offspring also developed a bad rap. Ever hear of a "Quadraflush" or a "Quadrabog?" Naysayers notwithstanding, the Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor has proved its mettle, doing its duty on hundreds of thousands of GM vehicles, from the '60s all the way into the computer-controlled '80s.

How often have you walked the isles of an automotive event daydreaming about building the perfect ride? The reality is that very few of us act on those thoughts. Imagining the perfect ride is like opening a book and reading the first paragraph. It’s the introduction to the rest of the story.

John Barkley has played the same “what if” game but finally landed on a vision of building a Pro Touring ’81 El Camino. He acquired the El Camino from a fellow Chevy enthusiast who had previously installed a high-performance 350ci and TH200-4R transmission. While the stout small-block offered plenty of power, California’s tough emissions laws banned it from the streets. Barkley’s only option was to extract the offending engine and replace it with something more emissions friendly. This bump in the road presented Barkley with several options.

Before he began, Barkley established the “rules of engagement” that the El Camino would have to play within. Barkley wanted a daily driver, but he also demanded the performance of an exotic sports car. While these parameters may seem polar opposites, they’re quite close to Pro Touring.

After much deliberation, Barkley came up with four possible directions his supercar could follow. The first route involved modifying a 305ci engine. Since Barkley’s been keeping up with CHP’s “My Generation” Camaro project car, he had a good idea of what the smog-legal, budget 305ci engine could produce and decided he wanted more. His second option was to build a mild 350ci engine and recycle the overdrive TH200-4R transmission. Chevy High has been planning this engine build for several months in the “My Generation” Camaro project car and tipped Barkley off to the potential power this setup could produce. After much debate, he decided that building the 350ci would be too much like his current combination, only with less power to keep the smog police away. Even though a modified 350ci is probably the best bang for the buck, Barkley wanted something different.

Another idea was to build a 383ci that would create massive amounts of torque. However, upon investigation he found that emissions laws required a factory feedback Q-jet carburetor, EGR intake manifold, and single catalytic converter in order to comply with the California visual inspection. While changing carburetors for a quick smog test isn’t that difficult, Barkley decided to pass. He figured that adding cubic inches to the engine only to restrict the amount of airflow isn’t the smartest route.

Finally, after pondering numerous combinations, Barkley chose an LT1 engine and 4L60E-overdrive transmission from a ’95 Impala. The LT1 fuel-injected engine is capable of providing plenty of power and reliability, while the 4L60E-overdrive transmission would allow the use of a steep rear gear.

Going fast is all about eliminating the weak links in the performance chain. This is the seventh part of our buildup of the My Generation Camaro, a car that started life as a lackluster 305-powered slug with a TH700-R4 overdrive automatic that ran 17.40s at only 78 mph. In our last episode, the Camaro had improved to the tune of 13.82/ 100.23 mph with the help of a rebuilt 305, exhaust, heads, a mild cam, and a little squirt of nitrous.

The Camaro name has been synonymous with Chevy’s high-performance breed of cars for 35 years. This high-performance reputation combined with a sleek body style is enough to tease any Chevy enthusiast. While the Camaro may not be everyone’s favorite, it is hands-down Chevrolet’s most popular performance platform.

We decided to look into the world of used Camaros and find out what’s involved in locating a good one. Everyone has heard the stories of someone who bought one of the 602 ’67 Z/28 Camaro for a few hundred bucks because the seller didn’t know what he had. But since those gifts don’t occur everyday, the majority of us are forced to look through endless cars listings until we come across a car that looks reasonable. Once the phone calls have been made and the details worked out, a trip awaits. Upon arrival, hopes of a clean Camaro in good condition are often dashed by a wrecked parts car that’s been stuffed under a tree for the past two decades. If you’re smart, you’ll continue to keep looking and have the pleasure of repeating this process several more times.

One thing that could save us all a lot of time is a universal understanding of a few important descriptive words relating to vehicles and their condition. The Kelly Blue Book (KBB) is an organization that keeps track of the approximate value of a vehicle while defining the words excellent, good, fair, and poor. Whether you are buying or selling, it is best to arrive at a common understanding of the vehicle’s condition.

The Blue Book defines “excellent” as a vehicle that looks great and is in excellent mechanical condition requiring no reconditioning. “Good” is defined as a condition in which a vehicle is free of any major defects while the paint, body, and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. If rust is a problem, it should be very minimal, and a deduction should be made to compensate for it. KBB defines “fair” as a vehicle that has some mechanical or cosmetic defects but is still in safe running condition. The paint, body, and/or interior may also need work. The lowest rating the KBB offers is “poor,” which is defined as a vehicle with severe mechanical and/or cosmetic defects that may or may not be in running condition. For a more in-depth definition of these terms, visit the Kelly Blue Book Web site at www.kbb.com.

If you are in the market for a third- or fourth-generation Camaro, Carfax (www.carfax.com) is an Internet-based company that helps the average consumer identify important problems an inexperienced buyer may not catch. Carfax conducts extensive consumer research about what people fear most when purchasing a used car, which it uses to inform and aid consumers. This site caters to vehicles from ’81 to present.

Last time, we left off with the Camaro running 15.39 at 87.28 mph after we added ported World Products S/R Torquer heads and an emissions-legal Crane hydraulic roller camshaft. We improved the e.t. over 0.40 second, but frankly we were disappointed that the Camaro didn’t run quicker. It was at this point that we decided to get serious.

Our pocket-change performer Camaro is back. After a quick hiatus that Tim Moore spent thrashing on a new motor, we’re now quicker, faster, and more powerful than before. We’ve got a lot to cover in this installment, so let’s jump right into the gritty details.

At the close of Part IV, we had just finished assembling the Slover’s-ported World Products S/R Torquer 305 heads. Combined with the new Crane hydraulic roller camshaft, we anticipated pulling off some better numbers at the dragstrip.

Moore decided the job would be easier if he pulled the engine out of the car. Once the greasy monster was on a stand, we decided that since the engine was stripped down to a mere short-block, it was the perfect time for a quick rebuild. Moore decided our budget could afford new pistons, rings, bearings, and some machine work if we kept the tricks to a minimum. That’s where our plans went awry.

The first task was to clean and Magnaflux the block at Jim Grubbs Motorsports (JGM). That’s when the JGM crew discovered the cracked block. So then it was off to find another block. Fortunately, we found a clean, standard bore, roller-cam 305 block for $75 and were soon back at JGM’s machine room. Our good fortune continued, because our original engine had been rebuilt, using 0.030-over pistons. So we decided to bore and hone the block to fit the existing pistons.

We then hustled over to Performance Automotive Warehouse (PAW) where we picked up a Deluxe Engine Rebuild kit that included a set of 0.010-under rod and main bearings, Hastings 5/64-inch rings, a timing chain and gear set, and a complete ROL gasket set. To this we added a set of cam bearings and a freeze-plug set. Moore also discovered a few wasted rocker arms, but rather than buy a whole new set, he scrounged the four we needed from a friend. All this set us back over $500, including the machine work, but we felt that we had a better chance to make more power if the engine could seal up the additional air we intended to stuff into the cylinders. Besides, how often is it that you can rebuild an engine for around $500?

Since most budget artists don’t degree the camshaft, we decided to do the same and just aligned the marks on the timing gears and bolted it together along with the used lifters that Moore disassembled and cleaned. One advantage of roller lifters is that if they are in good shape, you can reuse them on a new cam without damage to the cam. The only other addition was purchasing a set of steel-shim Fel-Pro head gaskets, because the S/R Torquer heads require a 4-inch bore gasket as opposed to the gasket designed for the 305’s smaller 3.736-inch bore.

In our last exciting episode, we left our hero 305 Camaro dangling from the 15-second dragstrip cliff, waiting to be rescued with an influx of high-performance parts. So far, our little Camaro has responded to every component we’ve bolted on. While it’s still only a 15.80/86-mph car, at least it improves every time we bolt on a few more parts. Now it’s time to get serious.

Power comes from airflow, and we’re dealing with a weak 305 with restrictive heads and a tiny cam. We’ve enhanced the inlet and exhaust sides to uncork as much power as the stock motor can provide. So the next obvious step is to add better cylinder heads and a performance camshaft. Another important factor is emissions legality. The iron Vortec casting would be an excellent choice, but the Vortec heads do not include an exhaust-heat crossover passage. Since most small-blocks tap into that passage for exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR), this factor eliminates the Vortec as a legal choice.

Heads Up

Of course, our squeeze-it-’til-it-screams budget also constrained us from choosing a thumper aluminum head like the new 180cc Air Flow Research head. We considered a pair of alloy factory TPI heads since they are plentiful, relatively cheap, and lighter than iron. Unfortunately, these heads barely flow more than the stock iron 305 castings so the performance gain would be minimal. Further headhunting finally led us to a set of World Products S/R Torquer heads.

World Products has been casting iron heads for well over a decade, creating stock replacement (S/R) iron heads for the small-block Chevy. The S/R Torquer is a similar casting with better intake and exhaust ports and larger valves. Originally configured for 350ci engines, World also offers an S/R Torquer 305 with a smaller 58cc chamber and 1.94/1.50-inch valves compared to the stock 305ci 1.84-/1.50-inch valve complement.

Stock small-block Chevy iron heads generally fall in the 155-160cc intake port volume range with the aluminum TPI heads measuring around 163 cc. The S/R Torquer pumps the intake port volume up to 170 cc, which is relatively large for a 305ci engine. Add to this the stainless Manley valves, a 0.100-inch larger intake valve, and a good 3-angle valve job and you have the makings of a great combination.

We decided that while the S/R Torquer heads are an excellent investment, we’d spend a little more money and really make these heads romp. While we could have cheated and performed the head porting ourselves and saved the cash, we assumed that not everyone can execute a good pocket-port effort. So we took the heads to Slover’s Porting Service in North Hollywood and paid them the going rate of $120 for a basic pocket-porting job. Tim then lapped the valves and used his own valve grinding machine to perform a slight 30-degree back-cut to the intake valve in an effort to increase low-lift flow.

Third-generation Camaros make wonderful budget builders, because you can buy them dirt-cheap. If you’ve just joined our performance buildup, this is the third part of a multi-part performance construction project where we started with a basic carbureted LG-4 305ci small-block with a TH700-R4 and a lazy 2.73 rear gear. The best part is that our pal Tim Moore bought this jewel for a paltry $271. Up to this point, we’ve added an intake manifold, a dual-snorkel air cleaner, a stronger mechanical fuel pump, and an after-cat exhaust. The Camaro responded with minor e.t. and speed improvements, but what it really needed was headers and a gear.

It’s tough to make power if the air and fuel gets in but can’t get out. Last month, we added an intake manifold and air cleaner, enhanced with a larger after-cat Flowmaster exhaust system. Unfortunately, our little 305ci engine was still trying to exhale through stock iron exhaust manifolds, a 2-¼-inch Y-pipe, and the stock replacement catalytic converter. The first order of business was a set of headers. We searched through several header kits and settled on Edelbrock’s 1-5/8-inch headers for the early third-gen Camaros.

The headers are completely smog-legal since they retain the original air injection reaction (A.I.R.) fittings to inject fresh air into the exhaust to help reduce hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Car-owner Tim Moore reported that he had to move the steering column to fit the driver-side header in place. The passenger-side pipes also required some finesse to install.

The final part of the job involved some modification to the Y-pipe. We ordered the headers for a standard 305 Camaro, not the High Output (H.O.). The H.O. systems use a larger 3-inch catalytic converter, which dictates using a 3-inch Y-pipe from the headers to the catalytic converter. Since we ordered the smaller header system before we realized that we needed a 3-inch catalytic converter, Tim decided to modify the existing Y-pipe to increase it to the 3-inch size. The easier thing to do would probably be to order the H.O. headers and exhaust, and the whole system would bolt together.

We also needed a larger catalytic converter to help this engine breathe. These early systems used a single catalytic converter, so a larger 3-inch converter is essential for better breathing. DynoMax offers several universal high-performance catalytic converters, and we selected the 3-inch inlet and outlet converter. Once the converter was in place, the entire header and new converter conversion operation required the better part of eight hours to complete. Since Tim was able to do the work himself, we didn’t have to pay for labor, but you could expect to pay over $400 for a muffler shop to perform this task.

Before we moved on to the gears and Posi, we decided to test the Camaro at Los Angeles County Raceway (LACR) to evaluate the performance improvement. We were expecting around a half-second improvement and hoped we might see more. LACR offers a Wednesday night test night, so we bopped up to the high desert. Even though this was an evening excursion, the air was still plenty thin with a density altitude of 4,400 feet (see “Altitude Adjustment” for more information on density altitude). At first, the Camaro was hesitant to deliver, but with a cooler engine and a higher shift rpm of 6,300 rpm, the Camaro responded with a corrected 16.29/86.59-mph pass that was a 0.46-second and 2.3-mph improvement over the previous test.

Buying a musclecar can be a thrilling experience. You have several thousand dollars saved up, know just what you want, and have a great vision of how that next Chevrolet is going to look and run. You’ve put a lot of thought and bench-racing time into getting to this point. Buying the car is the easy part, right? Well, maybe not. With most musclecars over 30 years old, the possibilities of hidden flaws, rust, frame damage, or substandard bodywork runs high. But armed with good information and rational thinking, your next Chevrolet can fulfill those tremendous plans.

Get the full scoop in the sidebars below.

The adventures of CHP’s fire-breathing 17-second 305ci ’87 Camaro continue. We last left our hero Tim Moore contemplating how to push the budget Camaro into the 16s. For those of you attending this party for the first time, we introduced the My Generation Camaro in the previous intallment (see links below). Tim discovered this 305ci, TH700-R4 automatic-equipped Camaro at an auction for the incredible price of $271. After bolting on a new catalytic converter, wires, and assorted minor pieces, he had a great Camaro for a touch over $1,200.

We cruised the Camaro up to the track to baseline its performance. To no one’s surprise, it ran a paltry 17.45 at 78.64 mph corrected to sea level from the 3,000-foot altitude at Los Angeles Country Raceway. Exhaust modifications are always a good place to start, so we installed a Flowmaster 2-¼-inch after-cat exhaust system. We also bumped the timing slightly from a stock 0 degrees to 6 degrees before top dead center (BTDC).

In theory, this should have pumped some steroids into the Camaro’s performance program, but when we went back to the track it only ran two-tenths and almost 2 mph quicker. At first this was disheartening, but then we talked to Flowmaster’s Kevin McClelland, who has a wealth of experience with these cars. He explained that our stock fuel delivery system was weak, so when we added the better exhaust, the engine probably went lean. This would also explain why a richer metering rod change had no effect on performance.

This ’87 was the last year for carburetors on third-generation Camaros. It employs a small electric in-tank pump that pushes fuel up to an engine-driven mechanical pump. Even this combination of electro-mechanical pumping action is insufficient, so that’s where we went next. We bolted on a stronger Holley mechanical pump to ensure the feedback Q-jet carb had plenty of fuel.

Now that we had opened up the exhaust and improved the fuel delivery system, the next step was to swap the intake manifold. Edelbrock has the widest assortment of emissions-legal manifolds, including a Performer EGR intake for these late-model small-blocks that require a different intake manifold pattern for the middle four bolts. Tim swapped the intake on in a couple of hours.

To recap, so far we’ve added a K&N filter, a Performer intake manifold, more ignition timing, a performance fuel pump, a stock replacement 2-¼-inch catalytic converter, and a Flowmaster after-cat exhaust. Those were all positive things. Unfortunately, we were still burdened with the incredibly tall 2.73 rear gear that was certainly going to prevent the car from going quick in the quarter.

We also decided to keep track of the weather on each trip to the dragstrip since, as the summer months progress, hotter test days will detract from the Camaro’s performance. Helmet City was kind enough to send along a completely automated PerformAire weather station that will accurately track the atmospheric conditions during testing.

Let's face it. The time is ripe for a 305ci third-generation Camaro. Chevy built about a billion of these third-generation Camaros between 1982 and 1992. The eldest of this generation Camaro is almost 20 years old now, and that makes them both plentiful and incredibly affordable. There are tons of replacement and hi-po parts available. If you are resourceful, it’s possible to build a 14-second dragstrip car out of an early third-gen Camaro without selling your soul to the devil (save that for something really important).

Chevy High Performance has been looking for a third-gen Camaro for quite awhile, but the moon and stars never seemed to be properly aligned—until associate Tim Moore ran across the third-gen Camaro deal of the century. At a recent salvage auction, Tim bought this fairly straight, carbureted 305ci ’87 Camaro with a TH700-R4 and 2.73 gears for a meager $271! That’s right—less than your sister’s latest telephone bill. When Tim told us about his acquisition, our 4.10 gears started to turn.

The Camaro needed some work. First, Tim replaced a couple of dead plug wires. Then he discovered the catalytic converter was plugged when the engine wouldn’t run over 2,000 rpm in any gear. A quick call to CarSound for a stock replacement catalytic converter got the Camaro up and running, and with a few more dollars for smog and safety inspections and new plates, Tim was driving his resurrected Camaro for just over $500.

The Plan

Given the nature of hot rodders, we couldn’t stand the thought of leaving this little cruiser alone. So we formulated a simple performance plan—go faster for the least money. The goal for this Camaro is to push it until the Camaro either runs quick or blows up. This won’t be just a junkyard adventure, but we will use the resources of recycled auto parts when they serve a purpose. When it comes to performance, we’re going to source out the best way to get there for the least amount of money.

The first thing we had to do was baseline the Camaro so we would have a starting point from which to judge our efforts. The Camaro accompanied the rest of the competitors during the 0-100-0 Shootout, but the Camaro was on the track for only three baseline runs. The combination of 150,000 miles on the stock Q-jetted 305 and a 2.73 gear didn’t help acceleration, where the Z28 attained a stunning 17.45 at 78.64 mph. This is about what we expected.

Prior experience has taught us that enhancing the exhaust side of things has always been a great place to start with virtually any V-8 car, no matter how anemic the engine may be. We had already installed a new catalytic converter, so the next step was a better after-cat system. We looked into several after-cat systems from DynoMax and Edelbrock, but finally landed on Flowmaster’s exhaust system. All these systems offer a similar performance advantage, so we went with the most cost-conscious system.

Imagine how intensely boring this world would be if everyone had the same taste in cars. What if everyone drove refrigerator-white Yugos? Even Pro Street '69 Camaros would be a magnificent yawn because they'd all be the same. Thank- fully, the world is full of enthusiasts like Terry Stevens, who lives on a farm on Sugar Maple Lane in North Carolina and pilots a 757 for The Friendly Skies. He also happens to fervently believe that a '78 Caprice four-door is more than a toaster oven on wheels.

If you have been reading Chevy High Performance for the last year, you have seen the stories documenting the progression of my latest project, a '69 Chevy Camaro dubbed "The Thrasher." The name comes from my willingess to run my cars hard and take abuse without failure. Just before writing this last installment, I put the first few miles on the car and my initial impression is that this is the best Camaro I've ever built. It's powerful, smooth, and more than willing to hammer through a corner or smoke the tires into Third gear. I plan on enjoying the Thrasher for quite a while, and I hope you have been able to avoid at least one car-building snafu or improve the performance of your Chevy by employing some of the ideas presented in this buildup.

Editor's Note: This is the fourth installment in CHP over the last few months from Mark Stielow, the builder of many badboy, Pro Touring-type '67-'69 Camaros. He's building a new '69 Camaro, the Thrasher, and is showing us how he created these super-performing ponycars. This month's story details building a minimum restriction, but maximum quiet, Borla exhaust system and how he modified the stock dashboard to accept aftermarket Auto Meter gauges.

Editor's Note: This is the fifth installment in CHP from Mark Stielow, builder of many Pro Touring-type '67-'69 Camaros. He's building this '69 Camaro, the Thrasher to illustrate what it takes to create a show-stopping, super-performing ponycar. This month's story details body prep and paint, what materials he uses, and how he goes about getting the job done in a timely fashion--if you've ever had your car painted, you know it can be tough to get your car back in the same season it went into the paint shop!

Editor's Note: Doing the same thing multiple times, and using your experiences to develop a better way every time, is what engineering is all about. It is this type of development that has allowed Mark Stielow to raise the bar on '67-'69 Camaro performance with every Camaro he builds. He has developed and built enough bad-boy Camaros to field an entire race-day lineup. The '69 "Thrasher" Camaro he is currently building revolves around the chassis and suspension. Having driven his last car with these modifications, it's obvious he knows what to do and that these changes work to improve the handling dramatically on early Camaros. Enjoy.

I like broad powerbands because there is nothing better for street driving or endurance racing, which is what I like to do. For killer performance, you need a thumper engine. While work on the Thrasher continues, we assembled a 406ci small-block that was tasked to deliver both killer power and acceptable street manners.

Editor's note: If you don't know the name Mark Stielow, you will after reading the next few articles on what it takes to transform a first-generation Camaro into a Pro Touring performance car. And he should know. Among the many Camaros Stielow has constructed, two should be very familiar to our readers. In his first serious effort, Stielow built a white '69 Camaro that integrated numerous OEM components and won Car Craft's Real Street Eliminator back in 1993. Being a young man with limited means and many ideas, Stielow sold the white car and followed it up with a spectacular red '67 Camaro powered by a GTP engine, which won Hot Rod's Hot Rod of the Year in 1996.