Sometimes it's best to "Run what you brung".... Or maybe get a different car!

A lot of people "Bite off more than they can chew" when buying or building a musclecar project, and often it's the fault of enthusiast magazines. The buff mags all sprout how "easy" it is to swap engines, trannys, suspension pieces, etc. But not everyone has a state of the art shop and an unlimited bankroll like these magazine projects. For example-yes, it's possible to put a 460 based 514 stroker motor in a Fox-bodied Mustang, but not's easy, cheap, or even necessary. I know "5.0" Mustang guys that run 10 second 1/4s with 302s, or 302 based 347s, either normally aspirated or with a blower or nitrous. If you have a Firebird with a Chevy engine-quite a few were built from 1977-81 because of emissions laws-it would be a lot cheaper and easier to just hop up the engine in the car, or replace it with another, more powerful, Chevy engine than it would be to convert it back to "Real" Pontiac power. Here's why -Chevrolet and BOP engines have different bellhousing bolt patterns. So the 1st and largest expense is going to be another transmission.  Secondly, the starter, water pump, fuel pump, alternator and power steering brackets are all different. Yeah, your buddy may have a 400 Pontiac block "laying around" that he'll sell you for a couple hundred bucks, but does it have the distributor, intake and exhaust manifolds, valve covers, oil pan, timing covers, flexplate, balancer, etc?  All that stuff adds up quick. On the other hand let's say you have the money to build a 1970 Hemi Challenger clone. 15 grand for a Mopar Performance Crate Hemi is planned for. Even if you have 50 or 60K in it when your done, that's still better than the 250 on up originals are bringing, right? Right. Except when searching for basic material, even though your replacing a lot of stuff, you'd be better off starting with a 383 version than a six-cylinder or 318 model. Here's why-the 383 model is going to have a big-block K-member, front disc brakes, a 727 Torqueflite tranny, and an 8.75 rear end. The six cylinder / 318 model is going to have the wrong K-member that will need to be raplaced with the Big-block member, it will have a 904 trans that will neither bolt up to or hold up to a 426 Hemi. It will have six-cylinder torsion bars that will have to be upgraded, and an 8.25 rear and small-block springs that won't hold up. The radiator will have to be replaced, and the base model will more than likely have 4-wheel drum brakes, that will need to upgraded. See what I'm saying?  Hope this helps everyone out.  Mastermind