[jims69camaro]

if you are serious about building a motor or rebuilding the one you have, i would recommend some research first. if you don't have a library card, now would be a good time to sign up for one, or just use mom's credit card (with her permission, of course)

"How to Rebuild a Chevy Small Block", gregsonline.com, $16 from the website

"How to Rebuild the Small-Block Chevrolet: Stock and High-Performance Rebuilds", by Larry Atherton, Larry Schreib, $26.37 amazon.com

"How to Rebuild Your Small-Block Chevy (Paperback)", by David Vizard, $1.90 and up amazon.com

"How to Build a Small-Block Chevy for the Street", by Jim Richardson, $12.98 and up amazon.com

"Small Block Chevy Performance: 1982 And Later", by John Baechtel, Larry Atherton, $11.95 and up amazon.com

the list goes on. search terms: rebuild small block. any of the above titles would be a good starting point for your research. better to own them than have to return them to the library, in my7 opinion, but we all have to live within our means. if that means borrowing it from the library and updating every two weeks to make sure no one else wants to borrow it, then so be it.

there are books to help you with your other issues, too. just take your time and be patient and ask lots of questions. it sounds like if you just stay with your stock stuff and fix or rebuild it, you'll have enough projects to get you to the day you receive your license. also, sometimes it pays to not reinvent the wheel. for the time and trouble and expense you'd go through in rebuilding your motor, you may run across a low mile or new crate motor for much less.

and remember to take the magazine articles with a grain of salt. while they occasionally have some really good info that you can actually use, most of the time it's rehashed glitz and bling meant to sell more magazines.