| − | A lot of people choose to run the stock motor that came in the car. This would be a good idea if it's your first hot rod, if the engine in your car is still in good condition (if it even came with an engine) or if your motor and mechanical skills aren't developed enough yet to undertake an engine swap. Depending on what kind of car you're working with, the stock engine will often suffice, if the car is meant to be a daily driver or a weekend cruiser. If you're planning to build a wild custom car, strip racer, or weekend warrior, the stock engine probably won't be of any interest to you. There are many performance parts available these days for the older popular engines. Anything from Ford Flatheads, Chrysler's Hemi, Mopar Slant 6's, GM Stovebolts, Buick Nailheads, and Ford Small Blocks has a big variety of aftermarket parts available. Well, maybe not Mopar Slant 6's. Taking the stock engine and hopping it up a bit to squeeze a little bit more performance out of it is a very common thing done by a lot of people building a first time hot rod. Just by changing the exhaust, intake and camshaft, a stock boring engine can often become a neat hot rod mill with plenty of power for daily driving and weekend cruising. If your plans for your hot rod include a loud nasty fire breathing monster motor, your stock motor probably won't do a lot for you. Remember, almost every modification for performance will alter fuel consumption and/or reliability. A competition engine is not built to perform on the street as a daily driver. The more radical the modification(s)...the more maintenance is required. Use common sense and make your modifications compatible (carb, heads, cam, etc).
| + | Deciding on an engine, just open your neighbours bonnet of their car and take it |
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