"Run what you brung" is good advice.....

So often in enthusiast magazines and I'm even guilty of it occasionally-automotive writers casually say how "easy" it is to swap engines or transmissions or suspension parts. It might be easy for an ASE certified mechanic, or less difficult than doing the same job on a different make or model, but we forget that a lot of our readers aren't mechanics and replacing an engine or tranny, especially in your driveway with hand tools instead of a shop with air tools-can be a major pain in the ass.  Because of this, for some people it might be better for them to just use the engine or transmission that's already in the car. And if your buying a less than premium model-i.e.-a small-block Chevelle or a non Trans-Am Firebird for example- you may save thousands on the purchase price which will leave you money to do what you want with it.  Here's some engines that can be VERY strong on the street with minor work. # 1. Small-Block Chevy. Duh-there is probably more speed equipment for this engine series than anything else on the planet. Your need for speed is only limited by your wallet here.  # 2. 350 Pontiac. Everyone wants a 400 or 455, so you can get a 350 Firebird or LeMans a lot cheaper than one with the larger engines. Since their a small-bore / long stroke design they are not high revvers but they have a ton of torque. And they respond well to traditional hop-up mods-intake, exhaust, cam etc. Your car can go plenty fast with a 350 Poncho-fast enough that you might forget about swapping in that 400 or 455.  # 3. 350 Oldsmobile. There's a lot more '60's and '70's Cutlasses out there with 350s in them than there are 455s.  Of the "other"( i.e.-non-Chevrolet ) 350s these have the most potential. They are an oversquare ( big-bore / small stroke ) design and there was a factory high-performance version. They respond well to intake, exhaust and cam mods. You can use factory or aftermarket 455 heads on a 350, but you'd need special pistons to get any kind of compression, and the only intake you could use would be a Mondello-ported Performer RPM. Or you can get a diesel block and a custom 425 crank and have 440 inches. However, in both of those scenarios-if you have that much money and need to go that fast, why aren't you building a 455 instead of a 350?  # 4. 318 Chrysler. There's a lot more Challengers, Barracudas, Chargers and Satellites out there with 318s inder the hood than ther are anything else. Although a lot of them get bought up and have big-blocks or Hemis swapped into them, you can still buy them fairly cheap. If you have a Duster or Dart you could build a real fast sleeper with a 318. The other models are just too heavy. Don't get me wrong, a 318 Charger can be a nice driver, but you won't be throwing fear into the hearts of any big-block Chevelle owners. I know what your thinking-a 360 will bolt right in and they can be stroked to 410 inches. True-but if your going to go to the trouble of changing the engine-then I'd swap in a big-block.  # 5. 351C Ford. There's a lot more Mustangs,Torinos, and Cougars with 351s than there are with 429s. On the upside-the 2 bbl heads are better for street use anyway, and there's a ton of speed equipment available for these engines. And their incredibly tough- "Dyno" Don Nicholson and Bob Glidden ran in the 9's with their Pro Stock Mavericks and Pintos in the '70s and they used a stock crank.  # 6. 403 Oldsmobile. I mention this one because there's a lot of '77-79 Firebirds and Trans-Ams out there with this engine. I had one, and with only intake, exhaust and an axle-ratio change ( most of these had 2.56:1 gears, I'd go with 3.23:1 or 3.42:1 ) they can really rock and give those smug 400 Pontiac owners a run for the money they'll never forget. Anything that fits a 350 Olds will fit these engines, and hopping them up is a lot easier than changing it to "Real" Pontiac power.  So don't despair if your car doesn't have the biggest,baddest powerplant available in that model. You can still go fast and have fun. Mastermind