From:	Sebastian Wiers <seb@***.RIPCO.COM>
Subject:	Re: Customizing Engines
Date:	Thu, 17 Aug 1995 17:17:59 -0500

>
> Robert Schaftlein writes:
>
> > Is one level of staging +5/+15 ??
>
> For custom engines each level of increase provides +10/+30.
>
> > Is the maximum speed increase +50% ??
>
> 50% of the original, yes.
>
> > If this is so why would you bother customizing your engine when you can
> > get a high performance one without the chance of failure...
>
[B> Cost mainly. Customisation is +25% engine cost for the first increase, then
> +15% for subsequent increases (for an IC engine, the only way real riggers
> go). A high performance engine is +200%, a tad more. Plus a customised
> engine has all sorts of stylish blowers and such hanging off it, something a
> high-performance engine likely doesn't (I'd say a high performance engine
> was one with superior tolerances and fineness on the machining - there's a
> technical name for that, but not being a rev-head myself I don't know it,
> but it's supposed to improve performance quite nicely, and be pretty costly).
>
This last bit is called Blue printing- It involves disasssembling the engine
and machining all tolerances to be as LOOSE as possible, decreasing internal
friction. This does of course shorten engine life, but it raises redline and
torque. A high performance engine, on the other hand, has better heads,
tougher components, etc. The HO option on most cars indicates stock versions
of such options. Blueprinting can be combined withj most other engine
improvements, but probably is reflected by the custom engine mods.