It's okay to "Run what you brung" if your budget is tight....

I talk to a lot of people who lament that their car isn't a premium model and that they don't really have the money to swap engines or do a full boat restoration. You don't have to. Every car doesn't have to be a frame-off resto with every nut and bolt replaced whether it needs it or not. Have you heard the term "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  I've touched on it before but I'll say it again. I see people spending thousands of dollars replacing parts that don't need to be replaced, which drives the cost of the project way up, but doesn't get you any more money at re-sale time. I've seen people replace the radiator when it didn't leak and the car wasn't overheating. I've seen them replace the power steering pump when it wasn't leaking and wasn't making noise, and worked perfectly. I've seen them replace the alternator and starter when the car started perfectly and the battery charged perfectly. I've seen them replace rotors, drums, pads,shoes, hardware,calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinders and boosters needlessly. I'm all for safety-but if you drive the car and it stops perfectly with no pedal vibration,doesn't pull left or right, the condition of the pads etc, is good and the hoses aren't leaking, then leave it alone! I've seen people strip an entire interior, when all the car needed was the driver's bucket seat recovered. That's insane. Don't do it. As for other mods-again-I've said it before-every car doesn't have to have a 500 hp fire-breathing monster. If you've got a Firebird with a 350 Pontiac, don't despair that you can't find or afford to swap in a 400 or 455. 350s respond well to basic hot-rod tricks-4bbl carb and intake, headers and / or dual exhausts, mild cam upgrade,etc. You can make 325-350 hp and 400 lbs of torque pretty easy and cheaply. That's enough to give you some exciting street performance and put you solidly in the 13s with proper gearing and traction. Chargers and Satellites with 318s can be nice drivers, but their too heavy for serious performance with the small engine. They really do need a 383 / 400 / 440 to really rock. However if you have a light car-i.e.-Duster, Dart, or Challenger / Barracuda-318 Mopars car really rock with a 4bbl carb and intake, headers, and a mild cam. Remember-"Magnum" heads will bolt up to earlier blocks, you just need a "Magnum" compatible intake, which Edelbrock makes. Ditto for Fords-if you have a light car like an early Mustang or Cougar, a Falcon or a Maverick-a 289 / 302 can make some serious power for low bucks.  If you have a '60's or '70's Cutlass with a 350 don't despair and search the galaxy for a 455. As anyone who's ever seen or driven a W31 will tell you, a 350 Cutlass can kick ass with the right equipment. Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" package on a 350 Olds. Writers spout numbers flippantly-but 400 honest hp will make any street car an absolute rocket.  GM played musical engines in the late '70's because of smog laws. If you have a Firebird with a 350 Chevy-then you basically have a Camaro. There's more speed equipment for a small-block Chevy than anything else on the planet. If you have a T/A or Formula with a 403 Olds-anything that fits a 350 Olds will fit a 403. If you have an '80's Camaro / Firebird and can't afford to swap in a 350-305s respond well to intake, exhaust and mild cam upgrades. My cousin had a 305 Camaro that was pretty damn quick with the Edelbrock Performer intake, matching cam and Hedman shorty headers. And don't forget mechanical advantage. Most '70's cars have salt-flats gearing. Replacing the 2.41:1 or 2.80:1 gears with something in the 3.23-3.73 range will give you a stunning improvement in acceleration without hurting drivability or freeway cruising rpm too much. So don't despair-you can make your base-model a fun ride for low bucks.  Mastermind