In: My classic '57 Bel Air.
Out: It still has no heat or windshield wipers after 12 years of driving.
In: Girlfriend buying you a windshield wiper kit for Christmas.
Rod Man
In: Owning a '73 Laguna.
In: Liking it, even though it's a four-door.
In: Being the second owner.
Out: It has a wussy 145hp 350.
In: Your wife buying you parts to replace some broken switches.
In: Your wife helping install said switches.
Out: One of them is the wrong piece.
In: I love my wife.
In: Installing your first set of headers by yourself.
Out: Just because they fit your car doesn't mean that they fit easily.
Out: Not having a garage to use for the installation.
Out: The apartment complex you live at forbids any wrenching in the parking lot.
In: Doing it in the parking lot anyway.
In: Being in the U.S. Coast Guard.
In: All the other people serving in the military.
Out: The 10 drug-runners we busted last patrol in the south Caribbean, and the 8,800 pounds of cocaine that they had with them.
Phillip Nelson
Via e-mail
Motivated
I grew up in a family where it wasn't necessary to learn about cars to keep them running, so I never developed much interest in engines or cars. Then one day a kid stopped by peddling magazine subscriptions. My wife bought me a three-year subscription to some magazine that never arrived. After calling them, she chose Hot Rod instead. Sometime between now and then I started really reading those magazines and realized that I needed more information. So Car Craft was the obvious choice. Now I read my magazines cover to cover within a few days. I've bought two of David Vizard's books and am really becoming an enthusiast. Currently, since it is my first project, I am going to rebuild a V-6. In Vizard's books, he says it's not worth building anything smaller than a 350. Could you please drop a line on some V-6s and any places that are good aftermarket supply shops for them? I see plenty of V-8 stuff in Jeg's, Summit, and the PAW catalogs, but I've never seen V-6 cylinder heads for sale in any of these.
Jason Gary
Houston, TX