EngineLabs

For decades, building custom components for a performance engine followed one of two paths. You’re either busting out the cutting wheel, sheet metal brake, and welder, or loading up raw material into the milling machine. Whether it was an intake manifold, an oil pan, a set of turbo headers or an intercooler, there was almost always a skilled fabricator standing behind every masterpiece. But now, there’s also 3D printing. There will always be value in old-school fabrication skills.

“Wanda” is the nickname of a 1962 Daimler SP250 that competes in vintage road racing events. The name was bestowed upon her as the SP250’s grille looks quite like the mouth of a fish. And many of us remember the classic comedy, “A Fish Called Wanda.” Despite being called the ugliest car at its 1959 debut at the New York Auto Show, there was one very endearing aspect to the SP250; under the hood (or “bonnet”) was a unique 2.5-liter V8 with aluminum hemispherical cylinder heads.

It’s easy to overlook the oil pan. For many enthusiasts, it’s little more than the thing that keeps oil from spilling all over your garage floor. But as horsepower climbs, cornering loads increase, or a car starts seeing regular track duty, the oil pan becomes one of the most important components in the entire lubrication system. That’s because an oil pan does far more than simply store oil. It also has to control where it all goes under acceleration, braking, and cornering.

If you’re a fan of Mustangs or even if you’re not, we’re taking a look at the results of a journey Austin Atwood has been on for the last few years. Pull up a chair, and grab some popcorn because this is kind of cool. There must be an abnormal gene that explains why we decide to start drag racing. If you’re involved in the sport at all, you understand the late nights and expense. Atwood’s Mustang is a 1994 GT chassis with a 408 SBF, TH-400 automatic, and a good-sized turbo. What could go wrong?

For more than 50 years, SCAT Crankshafts has been winning races and putting smiles on the faces of horsepower freaks around the world. And now the company is entering a new era. SCAT recently relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations from its longtime home in Redondo Beach, California, to a new facility in Oxnard, CA. While moving a manufacturing operation is never a small undertaking, this wasn’t simply a matter of loading machines onto trucks and changing the address on the website.

Few things influence engine performance characteristics as much as the camshaft’s lift and duration. When selecting a custom cam, there are several key points to consider. Bobby Biancaniello and the crew at Cam Motion have the experience and expertise you can count on. They will help you make an optimized choice, reviewing your engine’s setup, suggesting the best cam for maximum power. Have you ever wondered why one engine may idle smoothly and produce good torque at a lower RPM?

An upcoming collaboration between Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) addresses a persistent talent shortage in the specialized automotive workforce by establishing a direct connection between local students and active aftermarket manufacturers. Staging the upcoming Career Fair inside the Detroit SEMA Garage, the two organizations plan to highlight regional engineering talent directly in front of hometown businesses.

With EngineLabs spread across so many different outlets — The website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, the twice-weekly newsletter, and Lab Notes — it can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the EngineLabs world. So, we’re bringing you a new installment, known as Tech Talk. Here, we’ll discuss popular articles of the month, some quick news, a weird engine, a few project updates, and more. So read on, or watch the video above to stay up to date on the latest goings on.

When we talk about ARP fasteners, it’s usually in reference to a highly advanced engine platform that is pushing the limits of physics, and as such, requires the highest grade of fasteners to keep everything together under such mechanical duress. But, that overlooks some of ARP’s core business, which is taking care of vintage engine enthusiasts with both upgraded and just hard-to-find hardware kits. ARP’s latest batch of part numbers highlights this commitment to powerplants of yesteryear.

At the risk of starting an internet fight of epic proportions, we’re going to tackle one of the largest debates the automotive world has ever seen: motor vs. engine. While it might seem as easy as simply picking up a dictionary, the chances are, you couldn’t find a good, old-fashioned, 1,000-page brick within 30 seconds in this day and age. That issue has created some issues in and of itself in this debate.