I purchased her almost 2 years ago. Came with a 400 small block. As soon as I changed the oil, she started smoking. Mechanic in a can strikes again. Pulled the motor to find a spun ring. But she is a true SS and just needed a new Heartbeat. So I gathered up my remaining funds and came up with 3 grand. Not much, but better than most. Pulled a SBC from the local yard, cleaned it down to the block, bored it .030 over. I built the motor after seeing the Edelbrock Performer RPM crate motor in your magazine. I found a place with a balanced rotating assembly, went with hypereutectic pistons, to help keep costs down. I also found another place who was in a price war on the internet, and picked up alum. heads and alum roller rockers with guide plates. The same 64cc chambers and 210 runners of the Edelbrock, mated them up with the Edelbrock RPM cam and intake along with fuel pump and double roller timing chain. Topped her off with a 700 DP Holley with twin 50cc accelerator pumps. Kept cool with an alum rad and elec fan. With the remaining extra couple of buck$, I put a shift kit in the th350. Runs in the high 12's. My first car was a 1974 Nova hatchback. Purchased it for $500 in my junior year of high school, 1985. Since then I have been trying to get back in a Nova and for well under $20,000, I couldn't be happier. Since then I have added new carpet, headliner and seatbelts in the back, for the kids. (8 year old daughter loves it!!) No need for A/C or power steering, just good old fashioned "Old School." Thanks for all the motivation. Paul Larcom