Fox Why I Should Not Do A Solid Lifter High Compression Motor

cleanLX said:

I get the super cheap builds that last for a while, but they are not my cup of tea.
90 passes sounds like a lot to some possibly, but I had more than that running sportsman my first year, and I didn't make every race.
It seems many of the stories of cheap thrown together stellar performers have similar a fate, when folks are honest.
I appreciate your honesty.
At the other end of the spectrum;
Guy I know well, friend if you will, he and I used to race with nearly every weekend. He built a solid roller naturally aspirated Dart 347 back before folks started the 363 craze. All top notch machine work, top notch internals, quality heads, carb, worked over C4 and it all sits in a 79 pace car. (I'm sure I can get details if anyone really needs them) Same shop that built his motor later built mine... one of the reasons I chose that shop is because of the following...
His car has been running 10.teens @ 130mph for 13 or more years... in crappy Phoenix AZ air. It's a solid 9 second car in mine shaft that is the north-east. It's got a little more in it, but he was not shelling out the $ in safety to run 9's (chassis certs, cage certs, chute, comp license etc).
I bet over a 5 year period we probably made 6 passes per track outing, 25(or more) weeks out of the 52 weeks in a year. It's very safe to say the car has well over 1000 passes on it.
He still runs it (not as often as we used to), and the car is still dead reliable and consistent running 10.teens and bringing home the goods in the local bracket series.

Like I said, I get the super cheap builds, but I'm more of a commitment guy.
I'm not judging which way is better/worse, right/wrong... either way done well are very impressiv to me.
To each his own.

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Boosted92LX said:

I know people who have literally spent over 20k on an engine from a reputable race engine builder, and scattered it down the track.. I can only imagine how sick they were. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter how "committed " you are, chit happens. Spending a ton of cash doesn't mean your motor is going to last forever if you beat on it. I've had slapped together junk that SHOULD have exited the car, and I sold it because i wanted something new, after beating on it for a couple of years ruthlessly. I can see your point, and there is something to the addage "You get what you pay for," but there's another that goes "More bang for the buck." I think anyone who does this thing we do can expect to lunch an engine anytime.. But if you are going to risk it, why wouldn't you want to kick the guy's ass next to you, and still have money in your pocket to celebrate while making your house payment?

To each his own I guess..

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