History

History of Build and Tune

The history of build and tune started when I was 2-3 years old. My dad took me along to machine, welding and fabrication shops. I remember a trip to Gasoline Alley in New Jersey, in 1957. We had a 41 Lincoln crankshaft balanced there.

At 13, I was building shifter go karts with motorcycle engines.

When I was 15, I started building a 1932 Ford Hot Rod from the ground up. I built the frame, suspension and motor mounts. I installed the body on the frame. In eleventh grade I doing engine work on 396 Chevelles, my 58 409 Impala and small block engines.

When I was 20, I built a twin turbo 454 Big Block Chevy with equal length headers and dual 750 Holley carburetors. I installed this engine and a Funny Car Turbo 400 in a 1960 Corvette. I made 860 lbs. of torque at 2800 rpm and 860 hp at 6000 rpm – all using stock Chevy parts.

The new frame had a narrowed 9-inch Ford rear end with a 4 link coil over and would take 15 x 32 slicks under the stock wheel well opening. I also built another frame for the Corvette.

More projects include major body building on a 1941 Lincoln, a 1958 409 Impala Convertible, and an altered wheel base 1968 Barracuda, three Kelmark V.W frames, a chopped top 1987 X.J.S. Jaguar, a 1930 Franklin shutter grill, and a 1953 Buick door resection.

It is hard to pick a most memorable project after 40 years of work – I guess my best repair is the P6 Pontiac head, and my favorite welding job is the 1953 Buick door. The Franklin shutter grill was also a very nice job.

To this day, I enjoy doing something that has never been done before. Every job is an adventure. I am happy to build, rebuild or repair whatever you have, want, or need to make your car complete.