SS Modified

[SSGT Mustang]

Working hard definitely pays dividends. But, money will always be a factor. That's the plain truth.

My SS/BS motor cost almost $27K with a used block, crank, heads, rockers, belt drive, distributer and carb. The mook who built the motor--a very well know engine builder from down south--broke a lifter on the dyno and never bothered to tear the motor down to see/repair the damage to other components. I had to pay over $2K for a new set of Jesel lifters, and another $300 to regrind the camshaft. When he put it back on the dyno, it was at least 80 hp short of where it should have been and he was full of excuses.

Got it home, put it on a stand and eventually took it apart to find grooved cylinder walls, and two ruined pistons. The $2500 pistons and rings are now scrap. Besides, four of them were hitting the chamber, all of them had ridiculously deep and long flame grooves on the dome and valve reliefs too deep killing compression.

The engine is now being repaired by the guy I should have brought it to in the first place. Still, I'm going to have to spend at least five grand to get it fixed and dyno'd again. Now we're into the $30K range, and I'm hoping (praying) to be .60-.70 under.

Also, remember one thing. The index will change at some point. SS/BS used to be 10.0. Now it's 9.65. So, money will have to be spent to get back under again when it happens.

In the end, nobody should be deterred from building a budget engine to run in any class. With hard work and good parts selection, the car should run under the index and you can chip away at going faster over time.