kwikperf.com Blog

Here’s one of at least 13 questions and it’s one you might not think of–

Do you have the patience?

This is related to the one about having the time but there’s also another side to the patience issue.

There are going to be lots of challenges come up, lots of problems to solve. And just when you think you have one figured out, something else pops up that un-figures out the last one. You’ll need a healthy dose of patience to work through those frustrations.

Here’s an example: Ken designed an alternator/power steering pump bracket for my Chevy LS engine to mount the Chevy alternator and my BMW PS pump. He drew it up in a fancy CAD program and I carved it out of a hunk of aluminum. Since Ken had access to GM CAD drawings, we knew it would fit the engine. But, he didn’t have any BMW CAD files so guess what? The bracket rubbed on one of the unibody frame rails. No problem I said. My trusty grinder will excise the offending material. Problem solved.

Until later.

We got the AC compressor bracket prototype built and it fit great. But, when we stood back and looked at the engine with all the brackets in place it just didn’t look right. The alternator/PS pump bracket mounted everything lower than the AC compressor. It was functional but it looked unbalanced.

Here’s where the patience issue comes in. Do we say, “Good enough is good enough. It’s functional and no one else will ever notice or care. Let’s get on with other stuff”?

Nope. Patience my dear fellow. If we don’t change it, it will bug me forever.

So, we start over on the driver’s side bracket and move everything up so it looks balanced with the passenger side. I’ll tell you, making a second prototype is not nearly as much fun for me as making the first one. But, the end result is worth it.

Here’s where the time issue we talked about last time and the patience issue come together. One of the ways to shorten the total time for your project is to do something, even a small something, regularly. Do some little thing every day if you can. At the same time, don’t get in a hurry. Focus on that one little thing. Enjoy the moment. Get into it. Hey, maybe it’s a Zen thing–becoming one with the metal–or something like that. Try to enjoy the fact that you’re making that bracket for a second time and make it the best bracket you possibly can and get satisfaction in that moment. String enough of those together and you’ll have a finished project. You’ll enjoy the journey AND the destination.

Here’s another of at least 13 questions you should ask yourself before starting an engine swap project.

Do you have the time?

This is just like the money question. Everything takes twice as long as you think it will.

If your daily driver ‘88 Chevy pickup is about to puke its 350 on the street and you think it would be cool as well as practical to swap in an LS1 over the weekend, I have a newsflash–you’ll be hitchin’ a ride with your friends for a while.

Just making or buying engine mounts and getting the engine in the car is the quick and easy part. What takes up time are all the little things. Like spending a few hours with the shop manual tracing electrical circuits. Finding a place to mount some electrical relays. Convincing the auto parts guy to let you paw through his whole stock of radiator hoses to find that one special bend you need.

Most of us also have other things to do once in a while. Taking the kids to baseball practice. Fixing stuff around the house. Oh, and you’ll probably have a job (see the question about money again). So it’s a balancing act. Finding time for your life AND finding time for your project. Be prepared for one or the other to suffer from time to time.

Here’s some personal experience to make the point. I started my latest project a little over a year ago. I’m putting an all-aluminum 5.3 LS-series V8 in a 1987 BMW 535iS. At the same time, I decided to shoot sort of a video diary of the project. That meant I had to learn how to edit video. And learn how to post it on the internet (look for Geezer’s Garage on YouTube). And then I decided I should have some kind of web site where I could post pictures and stuff. More learning curve. And then I ran into the AC compressor issue so Ken and Kenny and I started developing an AC compressor bracket package. It looked good enough we decided to turn it into a product and sell it here on our web site. Oh, and I have a day job. And a 1-hour commute each way. And I became a grandfather for the first time last summer. And freezing rain has my shop door frozen shut right now. Are you starting to see a problem Bucky? Yep, my original target date for being on the street got pushed back a little.

In spite of all that, the project still moves forward. I’ll share some tips later about how to avoid getting stuck and stalled but let me put a plug in here for our little company–one of our goals for Ken, Kenny and I being in business is to help guys speed up their engine swap projects. We solve some of those gritty little issues for you–like the AC compressor bracket. Instead of spending hours hacking away at a chunk of aluminum, let Kwik Performance send you a bracket package that bolts on in minutes. Then you can spend your time on the stuff you can’t buy. OK, end of commercial. More later.

We’ve identified at least 13 questions you should ask yourself before you start an engine swap project. Here’s another one:

Do you have or can you get the money?

Every law of the universe you’ve ever heard of will perch and defecate on your engine swap project. Murphy’s Law, The Peter Principle, The Law of Unintended Consequences and most importantly, the law of, Everything Costs Twice as Much as You Think It Will.

The $2000 or $4000 or $6000 you’ll spend for the engine and transmission? Just the beginning. One of my buddies believes there’s a law called, “The $200 Law”. Driveshaft? $200. Radiator? $200. Belts and hoses? $200. AC compressor? $200.

Maybe you can get set up with AutoZone or NAPA with a direct-deposit account. Just have your paycheck sent directly to them and get parts until it runs out.

Part of the reason my buddies and I formed Kwik Performance, Inc. came from our desire to save money on our own street rod and muscle car projects but still have stuff that worked really well and looked good at the same time. Not show quality. We don’t need no stinkin’ polished billet. But parts that looked sturdy and professional. That looked like they might have come from the factory. We first made those kinds of parts for ourselves, then we made them for our friends and now we make them for guys we’d like to have as friends.

I’m not bringing up the harsh financial reality to dissuade you from starting an engine swap, I’m just saying, be ready to invest more than you might think. If you’re having trouble making the rent payment, maybe you ought to wait.