Want to save money? Don't "Overbuild" your car!!

I see a lot of Classic Musclecar projects in magazines and I'm amazed at the overkill on some of the parts used. You have to realize the magazines have to test and try to sell the parts of their advertisers to stay in business. But I think they go too far sometimes. For example-every single one always has a Wildwood, Baer, or Brembo 4-wheel disc brake system worthy of a Nascar Nextel cup or Formula 1 car. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety. However, the magazines go overboard here. For example-"Project Talledega" Popular Hot Rodding's Nascar-themed 1975 Chevelle Laguna has a Wildwood 4-wheel disc setup. Why?  1975 Chevelles had power front disc brakes with 11 inch rotors  standard. This excellent factory system isn't adequate to stop the car safely on a daily basis or on a weekend trip to the drags? Come on.  Another one, Project Olds- a 1965 Cutlass has-the same 4-wheel disc setup as the Laguna.  I understand wanting to upgrade the 65 models 4-wheel drum system, even if the car is  just a weekend cruiser. However, it would be a lot cheaper to go to a junkyard and get 70-81 Firebird or Camaro spindles, calipers, rotors, and master cylinder and power booster. This system will bolt on, lower the front end and inch and make the car stop at least as well as a '70's GM A or F body with factory front disc brakes. Or 69-72 A body-( Which includes Monte Carlos and Gran Prix's ) setups will bolt on, as will 69-74 Nova disc brake setups. Any of these systems will work on any 64-72 GM A body, and be way cheaper than a 4 wheel Brembo or Baer setup. Now if your autocrossing or hot-lapping at Laguna Seca, the stock system will get overheated, and fade, but how many of us are doing that with our musclecars?  If I want to go autocrossing or slalom, I think I'd buy a Mazda Miata, or a Nissan 350Z , or a '90's Trans-Am or Corvette instead of a 4,000 lb 1960's GM A body!!  # 2 A lot of these magazine project cars, regardless of make or model have Currie 9 inch Ford rear ends. Again, overkill. If you have a 600 hp big block with a stick and your dropping the clutch at 5,000 rpm, on wrinklewall slicks bolted to the rims, yes, there's a chance of driveline breakage. But since most of these cars have automatic transmissions and street tires, it's a waste. The tires will spin before anything breaks. Honestly-I have never seen someone without slicks and a MONSTER motor break a GM 10 bolt or Chrysler 8 3/4, of Ford 8.8 rear ( which will fit in '60's Mustangs and Cougars ).  # 3 A lot of them have aftermarket subframes and rack and pinion steering.  Again-why?  70-81 Camaros and Firebirds had excellent recirculating-ball power steering systems. The 14:1 and 12.7:1 Z/28 and WS6 Trans-Am steering boxes were raved about for awesome road feel and response by magazine writers of the day, and these boxes will also literally bolt into any GM A or G body from 1964-87. Summitt Racing sells new or rebuilt replacements very reasonably. Car and Driver had late '70's T/A's pulling .85g on the skidpad, on 225/70SR15 Goodyear Polysteel Radials. For comparison, that's what Road and Track said both the 2010 Camaro SS and the 2010 Challenger SRT8 recorded, with 245/45ZR20 tires!  Imagine what the 70's car could do with modern tires?  So the argument of improving handling, is debatable. However the cost of parts and labor is huge, for a negligible gain in performance. # 4 Overbuilding engines. Reagrdless of Marque- these "experts" give you a list of "Gotta Haves." You "gotta have" a 4-bolt main block, a steel crank, screw in studs in the heads, roller rockers, etc, etc. If your building a Nascar engine that has to turn 7800 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona, yes, you need all the beef you can get. But for a STREET engine that will never see the high side of 6,000 rpm, and then only at a monthly trip to the drags, forget it. As long as rpms don't go over 6,500 two-bolt main blocks are fine. Cast cranks are fine, and in 30+ years of circle-track "street stock" and "Hobby Stock" racing, I have NEVER seen a stud pull out of a head, and these engines are far more abused than the one in your "pride and joy" will be. Even under these ultra stressful racing conditions, 90% of bottom end failure occurs at the rod bolt.  So chrome-moly rod bolts and a high-volume oil pump are good insurance. But instead of a bunch of un-needed machine work and beefy parts, spend your money on heads, cams, carbs and intakes, exhaust, and other ugrades that give you a lot of "bang for the buck".  "4-bolt mains" doesn't make the car go faster. # 5 Overdrive transmissions. Whether stick or automatic, all these magazine cars have overdrive transmissions. Yes, they help gas mileage by reducing freeway cruising rpm, and their ultra-low 1st gears help off-the-line performance. But their outrageously expensive. One Mopar automatic overdrive conversion cost $5,500!! Even the simplest one-a Tremec 5 or six-speed manual for GM applications starts at $2,700!  That's a lot of money for not a lot of gain, especially if your car already had a 4-speed, or a Turbo 350 or 400, or a Torqueflite.  These magazine cars option lists sound impressive, but they drive the build cost way up, and don't always deliver performance gains commesurate with the dollar outlay. Think carefully before you spring for a magazine car's "Gotta Have."  Mastermind