As per the voting on the Project American Heroes website (www.projectamericanheroes.net), it's time to paint this Camaro red. Project American Heroes 2 will be auctioned off at the Palm Beach, Florida Barrett/Jackson Event in 2009 to some fortunate man or woman who, in all probability, has wanted a red 1969 Camaro for a very long time. All proceeds will go to the Armed Forces Foundation, the same organization with whom we partnered last year for the build of the 1957 Chevy convertible PAH 1. The success in working with the Armed Forces Foundation was a huge factor in desiring to do the sequel build for 2008.

When Pro Stock Motocycle racer Eddie Krawiec decided to build himself a street machine, the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team rider made sure the '66 Nova was going to be a cutting-edge street machine. All the best suspension goodies from Chris Alston's Chassisworks ensured "Project Getaway" would ride and handle like a champ. But what about the engine? When you earn your living accelerating to 192 mph on two wheels in under seven seconds, your hot rod has to be able to get the adrenal glands pumping in a major way.

When it comes to gears and rears, many concentrate on the high-end, bulletproof differential and axles-and for good reason. When it comes to the transfer of horsepower and torque, a vehicle's rear gear and axles can be the weakest link in the chain.

Often when thinking about fuel delivery, distribution and technology, electronics immediately come to mind. Fuel injection systems are often considered to be at the top of the technology realm, while leaving carburetors lying at the foothills, and being considered by some to be outdated technology from the dinosaur ages.

Photographers have an oft-used saying: "It's not the camera, it's the photographer." We would like to adapt that saying to the world of performance engines, ergo: "It's not the engine, it's the builder." Readers of Super Chevy magazine may already be familiar with Smeding Performance and the 572 big-block that was built for the Project American Heroes 1957 Chevy, or the more recent July 2008 cover, which featured one of Smeding's blown crate small-blocks.

As far as small-block Chevrolet engines are concerned, what could be better than the latest high flowing cylinder heads? How about the latest high flowing cylinder heads that look no different than a set of old fuelie humpers? Now were talking. I have always wanted to see Super Chevy Magazine do a story using the latest parts disguised as a retro looking engine. Well that has come to fruition. While we won't reveal the actual engine and engine build (wait for the March issue to come out), but what we can focus on the CNC transformation process.

Recently I was wasting time on the web and came across a couple of do-it- yourself BBQ sites. It looked fun and easy enough so I decided to give it a try. Westech Performance was throwing away a couple of old fuel drums and it was those High-Octane drums that ended up as my first home made Hillbilly-Q. After running to the steel yard, and hardware store, I'd say the grand total of money spent on the barrel BBQ comes out to less than 200 bucks. That includes metal, grinding wheels, paint, lumber etc.

When we started mulling over what mill to stuff under the hood of our Project American Heroes '69 Camaro, we knew it had to be something special. After all, this ride was being built as a tribute to the men and women in our armed services, so nothing wimpy or yawn-inducing would suffice. It needed to be civilized and refined when cruising, yet capable of laying some serious hurt when needed.

While many car-crazed enthusiasts enjoy spending time researching the options necessary to create the ultimate engine combination, some of us don't have the time-or we don't know how. Fortunately for us, there are top-notch manufacturers such as Trick Flow Specialties in Tallmadge, Ohio, that can ease the pain with a complete line of top-halfengine packages. Each package is available in a range of horsepower ratings, depending on your habits and what you want to achieve.

Project True Sstreet
Sometimes you have to adapt to your surroundings in order to live in comfort and achieve happiness. The same holds true for your hot rod. An ultra-stiff suspension with low profile 20-inch rubber is not going to be ideal for drag racing. On the flip side, a pair of race slicks with four-inch-wide skinnies up front is most certainly not going to be ideal for carving corners.

At the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, you won't find anybody piecing together hybrid engines, diesel mills, or powerplants fueled by used cooking grease. They're not tasked with making tree huggers happy, although the engines they turn out are surprisingly Mother Earth friendly. Their sole job is to produce the general's most powerful and extreme engines-mechanical works of art that are as powerful as they are reliable. in short, they're in the horsepower business.

With the economy of the United States in a bit (okay, more than a bit) of trouble, it is still exciting to know that some hot new crate motors and parts are coming down the line from GM Performance Parts. In a telephone conference call with Dr. Jamie Meyer from GMPP, we got the 4-1-1 on some hot new goodies from GMPP that will be debuted at the 20009 SEMA trade show in Las Vegas.

It's no secret that vintage Chevy trucks are seriously the best looking of all the US made trucks. If you don't believe just ask me. Since the age of 15 I have wanted an Apache Fleetside truck. Since we don't cover Chevy trucks in Super Chevy magazine, I will post the progress of this '58 Fleetside on the website. After removing the cab from the frame last weekend, and setting the cab and bed on jackstands, it was time to build a body cart for the cab. I wanted a mobile body cart that I can wheel the cab around on and make more room in the incredibly cramped two-car garage.

If you somehow missed last month's first installment of Project American Heroes 2, it's time to subscribe. This '69 Camaro being built in the pages of our beloved publication bears explanation. Last year, Cars Inc. and The Roadster Shop teamed up with numerous vendors to create a '57 Chevy convertible dubbed Project American Heroes.

Most of us have, at one time or another, installed an aftermarket carburetor fuel line of some sort-plus all the springs, brackets, rubber and steel hoses, and special ends. This story goes several steps above that.

Breathe Easy
As I'm sure you've heard before, the internal combustion engine is nothing more than an air pump-the more air the pump can process/move, the more power it can make. While this basic theory holds water, other contributing factors are to be considered, such as engine displacement, camshaft profile, valve size, and so on.

In the 11 years since the LS-series of small-block Chevys was introduced, they have been factory-installed in everything from Corvettes to passenger cars, trucks and SUVs. It's the latter that we want to focus our attention on in this article.

A long time ago, when our now classic Chevys were new, folks didn't know any better when it came to handling. The cars wallowed through the curves, but most cars handled poorly, so there was nothing to compare them to. Thus the term, "ignorance is bliss."

In Part One of Building a Hell-Raiser, we took a Dart Little M block and moved in a Lunati rotating assembly, Steve Morris Racing Engines camshaft and a Comp Cams belt drive.

We can just see some of the younger generation out there grinning at their older counterparts and asking, "What's a carburetor?" The mature generation turns red in the face, makes a fist and replies, "I got your carburetor right here!"

Whether you enjoy tearing up the quarter-mile, carving corners at your favorite road course, or flat out cruising the streets feeling like the "King Of The Road," crate engines have become an extremely popular, lower-cost alternative among automotive enthusiasts everywhere.

In Part 1 of Rear-Surrection, Project Getaway had its underbelly hacked from beneath to make room for the 4x2-inch pre-welded rear frame from Chris Alston's Chassisworks-with the much-appreciated assistance of Carroll's Rod and Racecraft in Spotswood, New Jersey.

With the brand-new Mark IV big-block 396 replacing the veteran 409 in February 1965, what could Chevrolet Engineering possibly pull next from it superb bag of ultra-performance tricks?

Here at Super Chevy magazine we have received numerous e-mails from readers asking how to build a straight-axle Tri-Five. It seems that over the past decade or so, the nostalgic gasser look of the '60s has returned with a vengeance.

Project American Heroes has taken on a life of its own. The build of a single '57 Chevy convertible was parlayed into a $130,000 donation to the Armed Forces Foundation at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction. But why stop there? At least that was the thinking of Super Chevy publisher Ed Zinke. Why not do a sequel?