A few questions for the pro engine builders out there...

If I had built that motor exactly the way he thought he wanted it, he would have been disappointed, and my reputation would have been damaged.

That's it!

Its hard for anyone to really know what they want until they have tried it. If you get something that is a pig to drive under 3,000rpm, can't idle below 1500 and has nothing to its name other than a wicked idle, 'X00 hp' boast factor and a 20k pricetag... then you're probably going to be very unhappy if you're driving the thing regularly and expect it to behave like a factory car.

I'm not a pro anything, but have advised a lot of people on builds/combos, especially my Dad, everything from Toyota 3SGE 2.0L motors right up to the 408ci stroked Cleveland in his F350 - its not any one part that is critical, its the combination, and a lot of people forget that and can't see the forest for the trees... they forget the overall picture and narrow down what they want to 'crazy idle!' and 'X00hp!' because in their minds that is something that is cool.

I reckon the coolest things around (worth paying for even) are the sleepers of the engine world; those nicely, tightly build things that don't make a big fuss, breathe through well-quietened pipes and get driven daily in a beat-up old car or truck... but if you put your foot down in them they SCOOT!

- boingk