Power is what hot rodding is all about. The classic approach is to take a stock or near-stock engine and tweak it until it thumps. But what should you do first? There are literally hundreds of roads to choose from, but a little forethought and planning will create an efficient route that makes more sense than just throwing parts at it.
These 10 steps are not cast in stone, and you dont necessarily have to follow them in the precise order theyre presented here. They are also composed with an eye toward accomplishing the easier aspects first, with the more difficult steps left for when youve gained experience.
If there is one point that cant be overstressed, its that testing and tuning can make a huge difference in performance. Each change, such as exhaust, intake manifold, carburetor or ignition, requires retuning to determine optimal jetting and timing for your engine combination. That may sound like a lot of work, and it is. But it is the best and only way to extract maximum power from your engine. Tuning isnt expensive, but it is time-consuming. So be prepared to spend time tinkering.
Get the skinny from the sidebars below.