427 Ford Torn Apart - Classic Muscle Car Engine 

I miss the days when "A mans word was his bond" and no contract was more powerful than a Handshake. I needed a new car one time and went to look at 62 Pontiac which was in the paper. I was the 1st to look at it, and it was in mint condition. The owner wanted $500 and all I had on me was $5, so I gave him that as a deposit along with a handshake and a promise to return the following day. When I returned the next day there were people crawling all over the car. The owner informed me he had been offered $1100 for the car, so I said "I guess our deal is off then?". He said "No way, a deal is a deal. We shook on it!"

had my 393 stroker built 3 times before I found a real race car engine builder. Upon disassembly the first two times, it was much like that ford 427. this last guy , a real pro. A racing engine builder. I helped him and watched and learned. When you run across a real engine builder, like nite and day. They know so many things. tricks of the trade. This guy was about 70 yo. A walking engine encyclopedia . He's forgot more than most will ever know. He was like Nick. The few.

My long dead father always said in his business life the poor people are far more honest than the rich people, love the content 👍.

Anyone else get to watching Nick's videos and lose all track of time and before you know it the whole day has slipped away? I usually save it for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday during NASCAR, but here I am today 3 videos later...AGAIN😀😁😅😂🤣🤣🤣

I thoroughly enjoy watching people like Nick do what they do best. His seemingly endless knowledge of these vintage american cars is strangely comforting and insanely impressive.

Stories like that remind me of my father he would trust people and the ones you thought would pay would jip you in a heartbeat, those who had a hard time would always pay up no matter what. You are a good person Nick,may you be blessed.

About your story Nick. I have been that guy who has said to stop work on my car because i had a hard time for paying for the work. But the shop foreman asked me when is your payday. I said the 10th. We will fix the car anyway so you can get home but on your payday you come by and pay the bill. And so i did because i expect people to pay me when i cook their meals. :)

The difference between Nick and other builders is his generosity, honesty and attention to detail. How many of us have lost money to clowns who talk bull then do a crap job. Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

I started watching your channel because I love engines. Then I realized that you are Greek. My grandfather was Greek and he was a mechanic. But I also appreciate your knowledge and really enjoy your channel.

I heard those words over 40 years ago. I heard those same words from Pete that you said as you tore down that "rebuilt" unknown Ford 427. Pete my friend, mentor and boss was there looking over my shoulder as I tore down the Ford 427 side oiler that came from a tail wrecked Galaxy 500. It was in great shape we bored it .10 over to clean it up, I matched the ports from the intake to the huge tunnel ports heads. We put in 10:1 forged pistons, and a slightly hotter cam and using an aluminum single quad intake manifold. We made 2" headers to save a little weight and let it breathe easier. I bought the car as soon as it was declared a total loss from the owners insurance company. That Galaxy still had some very good parts and I was building my beautiful wifes 62' Thunderbird, I made up my mind that each part had to be as good as it could be. The C6 transmission out of the Galaxy was in good shape. Even the the 8" rear axle was useable. All the parts were there, waiting for me to put them to good use. Pete taught that "Good use". It needed to have the transmission tunnel re shaped and slightly widened to handle the C6. There was Pete again as I was about to fire up the plasma cutter. "Nope... Not yet Kid... first we measure the Galaxies tranny tunnel...we cut out the Galaxy tunnel and fit it to the T bird" With a tape measure, and careful and expert experience, we did the work a few hours after the shop closed for the day. Pete was always there... Guiding my hand. I tell you this Nick because because you like Pete always try to do the "right thing". Pete was a great guy, but sometimes he was "to nice" and he was taken advantage of. Luckily I was not that nice back then. I made sure Pete and the shop were paid what "we" were due. That "we" meant that the family that "we" built at that shop was a serious thing to "us". Petes generosity was always there for me, he taught me the way of the muscle car. That "way" will never die as long as "we" pass on that knowledge to the next one that will use it the "good way" Carry on Nick. T.

When ever I did a Ford engine, my customer was always welcome to watch my work. I always enjoyed their company. They bought lunch, beer, ran to get parts, gave me a tip. One customer invited me over for a barbaque, pool party. I never hid anything and if something did go wrong, we worked it out. I did an engine for a geek that worked at micro soft. He watched most of everything I did. He wanted to learn how to change oil. I showed him. Well he called me next month and said his motor blew up after he changed oil. I came over and found he didn't take the gasket ring off of the old filter and left it stuck to the block. He put the new filter on. It had two rubber gaskets. Well he drove down the road one of the gaskets blew off and all the oil pumped out and bent some rods. After I showed him what happened he even remembered me telling him to make sure the gasket ring comes off with the filter. Did the engine again. That's the way it is sometimes. Should U say he's stupid? No. Its part of learning.

Sometimes life happens. I've been taken before but there are still honest people around. Good on you for trusting that man who lost his job and proved to you he was a man.

Being a "Nice guy" pays off in the end. God knows what you are like ane will reward you for the whole thing.

In the early 1970s i used to build side oilers for oval track racing. I have probably forgotten more than i knew about them. Since new components were getting very scarce at the time and the after market was very limited and expensive we found a source that had a small supply of used Cobra LeMans parts. They were impressive looking parts with all the proven modifications already done. We used "high riser' heads with a single Holley until availability dried up. To make power and torque where we needed it with those heads we had to turn the engines to 7000 rpm. We won a bunch of races and a championship but those engines were high maintenance and we exploded more than a couple. When you put one finger in a hole to stop a leak 3 more appeared. At one point we had a bad machinist who caused problems for us as well. We completed the end of the last season of our program with a 428 scj and actually won a race with it. It ran surprisingly well with the LeMans cam. I still have a piston with a valve stuck through it as a reminder of how it was. Mostly great memories though and i was so proud to be able to compete and win in a sea of Chervrolets.

Reminds me of back in the day. Our neighbour bought an Olds 442 with the 455. He wanted to race our 440 Magnum Challenger. He couldn't figure out why it wasn't faster. Until he discovered it actually had a 400! LOL. He would have lost anyway. Keep up the good work Nick!

Manny is 100% correct Nick. When you look at what you have...business, employes, family, house, cars...These are important, but the most important thing is integrity. Many people struggle with that. Many people are flawed, but if they know they are, and try to be a better person, thats good. Thats a bit of integrity. If you do bad things to people, one day you will be looking into an abyss of pain. If you help people, the word gets around and you find you are surrounded with other good people who also help people. Its the case of being a giver or a taker. You have 108,000 people out there who approve of you and subscribe. If anything happened to you or your business, and word got out, the street outside in both directions as far as you could see, would be full of people who would want to help you in some way. And they are from all over the world. They are your cyber world. But they are people...real people. You earned every one of them. One day, a massive dividend will come you. Who knows how...but it will. Just don't work too hard. Look after your health and stick around. We all need you as a role model. Steve from Sydney, Australia.

That's why I always try and stay away from buying "built engines." I'd rather do it myself and make sure it's done right.

Cross bolted main caps - A man's engine those FEs!

Georgey...should have a segment called..Nick's Stories...just like this one..it is entertaining a gives one to ponder life and people and cars..maybe we all can learn something as we enjoy the yarns..

We have a mechanic like Nick in Oklahoma City. The sad story is that NOW, most only see green. The good ones deserve all the business, the one here in Oklahoma City has done ALL my business for the last 21 years and EVERY person I send to him are his customers for life. GREAT videosNick.

That 427 is like a 360 Dodge I just pulled apart. Two of them. First came out of the truck for a freeze plug at the back of the block. Decided to freshen it up and found it .030 bore and .020 crank and very worn out. Heads were junk too. Bought a used replacement engine to find out the heads had all the bronze exhaust guide inserts moving with the valves. Block was standard bore but worn out. You just don’t know until it’s torn apart

I have seen a new crank from the manufacturer come through with a corkscrew mark in a rod journal. Called the tech line and was asked for the build number an the tag. Engineering had determined that the crank polished smoothly and the groove would not cause a bearing or oil control issue. The engine was assembled and reinstalled in the customers car and never had an issue. That gouge that Nick found should not have been overlooked. Great video

Nick! You have a heart of gold! To bad a couple of bad apples spoil the barrel. Keep doing what you are doing Nick! Your good stories out weigh the bad ones. Manny is a wise man Nick,as well as a good friend. Like how you teach the other guys that work for you! Golden Nick. There learning from the best!!

That was very nice of you Nick to finish the car and let him take it, best part he was honest and came back and payed you. You are a nice and decent man, the people that count will always remember that. Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year Nick..

The moral of this story; There is a big difference between 'moral obligation' and 'ethical integrity'. In fact, they are diametrically apposed. Nick, you seem to have found the perfect balance between both.... It's called "Honour" !!! 🤓

Could listen to those stories all day, feel like being There with you Guys.. live and learn hey Nick..Manny has a great view of it all.. people come and go, mates are there for you..

Proves there are still good people in this world. I have met good and not so good.

The average person has no idea how difficult it is to run your own business and deal with the public. You run a great business Nick and you’re a great business man.

“You can’t kick yourself for somebody else’s weak character. You’re not that person.” That, my friends, is wisdom.

One of the best car channels (together with uncle tony) on RU-vid. Always enjoy the authentic atmosphere in that place

A man is only as good as his word.

Nick I ran into a friend of mine's little brother and my friend had just passed away. I asked him how he was doing he said not so good. I reached in my wallet and I gave him $100 bill. He looked at me and said thank you. I forgot about it and 18 years later he paid me back. This blew my mind. He said he really needed it and not everybody's like that. Being good for the sake of good in the moment- that's cool..

Nick in life there are all kinds of people, however you are a true genuine good person and good will come back your way.

Nick your story of the man you trusted & he came back to pay reminds me of a man i worked for. His name was Jimmy Pappas. Back in 1980 a lady came in the garage a bit upset, She had forgot her wallet at home. She was from Maine & she was in Peabody mass. She was headed to see a family member in the hospital Boston & almost out of gas. Jimmy filled her tank & said just pay me back. She sent a check by the end of the week with a great Thank you note, She called Gulf & told the story. Jimmy got a plaque from Gulf To thank him.

I rebuilt the engine in my first car when I was 17. First one I did. I so real proud, drove it for about 2 miles then the con rod came out the case and dropped all the oil out. Its never happened again!

When I as in high school, I worked at a Sears catalog store. This guy ordered a 302 Ford crankshaft. He picked it up. He comes back an hour later covered in oil and grease. He sits this dirty crankshaft box on the counter. He opens it up and say there's a used crank in the box, I want my money back. I tell my manager, you know what's going on here. My manager asked if I had opened the box before he took it, I said no, he said give him his money back. My manager said we couldn't prove he was lying. In a totally different case, some lady was picking up a Nintendo Game System when they first came out. She had been waiting about three months for this, and was so happy when she picked it up, right before Christmas. She comes back an hour later looking like she wanted to cry. I asked what was wrong, she says look in the box. There were a bunch of books from the Bronx Library in the box. I show my manager. He asked if I opened it before she took it, I said no, and that it was wrapped in the warehouse paper like it should have. I told him I believed her, he said ask if she wanted her money back or wait for a new one to come in. Think she opted to wait for a new one. My boss contacted the regional office to report this. Long story short, a few months later the FBI, Philly PD, and other agencies arrested everyone on the warehouse dock. Someone had been sending goods to an abandon house and rewrapping packages with the warehouse supplies they brought there after they stole the contents of the packages, and put books or rocks in the boxes and weighed them down to the ounce of what they should have weighed. I think that lady got her Nintendo in time for Xmas. I recall, we stayed open late so she could pick it up. She was very happy.

I once had a high perf VW engine built many years ago and lost my job after I got the engine back and paid him partially. I moved to another city for work and felt guilty for several years. I finally made it right with him and I blew his mind that I paid up after so much time. Sure felt good.

If I ever need a build it's going here, I don't care the cost...this man gets it, so refreshing, thanks for this and new sub!

Another great video. That 427 Ford reminded me of a couple little snowmobile engines I bought at swap meets through the years, that the guy would say it’s all fine.....ready to go. Hey, the price was right so I took it home anyway. We all do that. I would tear the engine down and burst out laughing about 11:00 at night over their definition of “Fine.” All the fine details people skip over and wonder why their machine leaves them stranded with a long walk home, and they blame the machine. Little or big, all engines have the same basic problems.

Nick I know u are a mopar guy but I am very glad u (& ur team) are working on that 427 ford. Obviously u are a competent, test proven engine builder & are very capable of handling it. But it is a shame that someone put it together & sold it the way it is. & I would have to look it up to be sure but I do believe some early top oiler 427's did have some cast cranks

Keep your head up nick you are a great mechanic your reward will be worth more than the crankshaft

The exhaust story was great nick, you are one hell of a human being.

I try to put money down on a job, or work it out in advance. One place I had the engine pulled and installed and rented a bench from a shop. I did all my engine work and paid for shop fees like cleaning the block. I'm an engine guy and lost use of my legs. The work, along for doing some tig welding for some suspension components, it impressed everyone enough to get me employee pricing. I brought friends in to them because I cant stand or move for diagnosing but can direct people on it. I, most times, wont pick up anything worked on until I pay it off or they tell me to take it. Even then I like a simple contract to be sure I pay them off. My dad had a welding and auto shop. He put extra into everything and rarely charged enough money to cover the bills. He was a nice guy and worked hard, but knew he was often the only place people could afford. Most were in worse shape than us financially. But he never forgot those to lazy to pay or that just stiffed him. I'm trying to get an engine and auto transmission shop going. I can already rebuild ford and g. 2 and 3 speed automatic transmissions, I'm learning the gm 700r4 now, and then the aod Ford. Then go to the electronic variants up to 6 speed. My project 68 galaxie will get a new 10 speed with 2 custom modes which will make cruising in an engine over 600hp and 600lb ft of torque all below 6200rpm, itll be a nice cruiser that keeps a nearly all stock appearance, 2 door sedan. I updated to a gm a/c and completely LED lit. I'm working on modifying a 99 crown Victoria to fit under the 68 galaxie, so I'll gain easier access to rack and pinion steering and a much stronger frame. It's a hassle but I know they reallly shaved weight down with the frame, leading to rusting and failures. Itll also work with the ferofluid suspension from hotchkiss I found. In my experience itll keep the car level and stable all through even the tightest on ramp. She will be about 3400lbs when done. Should be like a rocket in town and those long drives home to see dad and my sisters family. The outside has so little chrome and inside is grey and black, all ducting is upgraded, put in aluminum almost everywhere it was safe, fuel tank is as good as a fuel cell, and I have both trunk and hood releases are operated by customized remote trunk release levers mounted under the drivers side of the seat. Hidden power ports for 12v. No ash trays and it rides on 8 inch wide aluminum wheels, no tires yet til its further along. 4 wheel disc brakes. The hearing in the axle is 3.25:1 with a solid tru trac to keep it under control. Once the gal is dressed respectively I'll see if I can send Nick and crew a video. Doing this on disability is a freakish challenge. I may send something earlier. Its going to be .mostly murdered out black with a few touches. Not sure about a g Hood scoop yet. Transmission has me pumped. I'm liking the economy setup which is still leaving power to spare, plus having 3 overdrive gears and the "play" mode takes it higher. I'm not worried about racing guys, but I might take some stoplight challenges. I'm excited!

I love how you take the time to pass on your trade to the younger technician.

30 years ago i saw how crucial it is for some machined parts to be absolutely perfect, one tiny flaw or speck of dirt and you cant even spin the crank

Nick, I enjoy to hear stories about your experiences because I too have these stories and have found out that anyone who does honest business has these stories. I let a man take a car I put a engine in and leave his other car for a minor repair. After finishing the other car he snuck up to my shop and took it with paying. I haven't seen him since. I too am a nice guy with people but have changed the way I interact with customers over the years. Now I make sure to get a parts deposit from EVERYONE.

Life’s lessons, as told by a man with much wisdom, our friend Nick, I’m sure the guy you helped never forgot, and the thief who stole from you didn’t prosper, they usually get it back in spades, the guy upstairs don’t like ugly, but good stories for the holiday season, maybe a tradition in Nicks house, or Nicks Garage, where we get to be this great and generous mans family, now back to work, that Ford Motor is a mess, wanna see how that runs when your done

I cant help but imaging how different my life would've turned out, if i'd had someone like Nick to work with, and learn from. You younger fellas really should be paying attention to him. He's the real deal for sure. Hard to find that kind of knowledge these day.

Nick, Back in 76 I got taken by a guy who sold me a 327 out of the back of his pickup truck to replace a worn 305 engine in my 70 Camaro. When I pulled the heads I found a cylinder with a big hole in it. I had no way to go back to him because he was headed home the next day after getting out of the Air Force. What a jerk that guy was screwing a fellow airman like that. Lesson learned the hard way for me. I was too trusting. I didn't think people were like that when I was young and dumb.

No better way to get your work week started Then a new episode of nicks garage.

Nick you probably know this but I thought i'd pass it on just in case. Those spacers on the 6 cross bolts for the center 3 mains are machined for that spot only. Keep track of where they go and don't mix them up. You can damage the crank if you put the spacers back in the wrong spots.

It's rare to find a man like you Nick, your attention to detail set a standard that few hold today. Thanks for all your video's, A fan all the way from Sydney, Cape Breton

Dr,Nick,that was a good story about that guy who did come back and pay you after one year,the other guy with the trans am,all I can say is he probably got it down the road,stay warm Nick.

Nick you are the salt of the earth to do that type of repair and allow the guy to take the car with not even a down payment truly a Class Act

Vasilli scooting backwards on the stool was funny.

Car Guys like nick are so few far and between. It’s going to suck when this generation is gone

When I worked At a garage, my boss was a jerk, wish I had a boss like Nick.

The two center rod journals. What the hell! Wow. I have done poor man rebuilds when broke I would have never used that . Glad Nick tore it down.

Had a similar customer. I worked on his Explorer for pennies just to keep them. I mean modifying their HVAC so they had heat and give them my test parts to save them money. So they wore out their clutch in their car. Clearly a case of driver wear. I couldn't the bill down so he complained to the owner behind my back. The owner stood by me and said I had given him the clutch under warranty which we didn't have to and only charged him the diag fee to remove the trans and we were willing to take payments on the bill. Guy took the car and said he would pay something the following Monday but never showed. I had to get the car off my lift and there's no point in putting it back together still broke but being a nice guy can bite you back luckily it was only labor and not actual parts we had to buy. Our parts guy heard what happened and covered the warranty..

Love the Aussie flag you have hanging in the workshop...even better, I was suprised to see the state flag for South Australia right next to it, bloody cool.

That 427 needs a few things but be thankful it doesn't have some of the stuff I've run across. One for sale around here had two sleeves, not that big a deal except they were almost a quarter inch smaller bore. The thing was using two 4.05" bore 390 pistons and six 4.263", .030 over 427 pistons! That block is a marine one, can tell by the brass screw in core plugs. A decent block, I run one in my race car.

Swap that cast crank out for a steel one ☺ Also I there's a few tricks to modifying the oiling system so that it gets more oil up top which is why the side oilers were better but still a nice motor

That's a shame, someone did that half ass job on that motor, at least it will be done right now. Great video.

I live in south Mississippi and I would gladly let Nick build my engines... Great guy and knowledgeable

Does not matter what job you do someone will always want to brag about how they ripped you off , Karma gets them all in the end . Always love the content you and your crew put out thanks guys. Steve Melbourne Australia

For those pondering the cast crank in the 427, I have a Ford Performance Engines book from the 70's that states "All pre '65 FE cranks are cast iron, including those for 390, 406, and early 427 versions....the only note-able cranks in the early FE line were the High Performance 390/ 406 units (C3AZ-6303-C) which had grooved main bearing journals for increased lubrication, as well as a larger harmonic balancer for high rpm use....". The book also says the steel cranks (C5AZ-6303-C) were installed in the later 65 - 67 427's, and the truck 391 cranks (C4TZ-6303-G) were steel but had a larger diameter snout and different balancing. The early cast 427's used C4AZ-6303-H. The wide journal steel cranks mentioned in the comments (C9AZ-6303-D) were for NASCAR use with special rods, bearings, and balance....

I've been on the other side of that scenario: I had a car I damaged the engine, and could not pay for it and lost the care entirely. [sad eyes] It was a 77 Newport with a perfect body, perfect glass, perfect interior, and I broke the motor somehow, could not find the cause of the oil pressure drop and had it send out because I was homeless. I figure its punishment for me being a complete fool and damaging the engine the way I did. I just hope the car did not end up in a masher some place. I hope it found a good home.

nice to see something not old being worked on

Nick just stick with your integrity it will never let you down. Keep up with the good work. And MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MANY GOD BLESS YOU.

Awesome video, I have rebuilt a few engines and have learned that I need to spend a bit more time watching you and your mechanics at work. Thank you for spending the time to show us your years of experience and help us back yard DIY guys to use a few tricks to make our projects last and work well so we can spin a few tires instead of bearings and cranks. A Merry Christmas to you and your family Nick and of course your staff and to all your customers the very best.

Thanks for the info Nick I was under the impression all 427 Ford FE motors had Forge cranks. Only the side oilers maybe? Just did a rebuild on my 69' Firebird 400 and that was the first part from Ohio cranks. A stock stroke forging. Motor had been apart before and typical of the cast stock piece had been cut .020 first time and looked like an old taxi cab piece now. Worn so bad I can't get beari gs so went the bucks for ALL forgings for the internals. Looking forward to spring time and the next " Nick's Garage vid"!

The engine absolutely has a cast crank. It’s an engine specifically built for Chris-Craft. It’s a Side Oiler casting, drilled as a Top Oiler. Has cast crank, probably 3/8 rods (possibly 13/32). I’m sure if you look at oil galley ridge on side of block it’s mostly machined away. Also... 1968 W code 427s had cast cranks and hydraulic lifters, but they were side-oilers

Westers Garage in Tilley AB is fixing cars at no charge if you're a single mother from Dec 1 to Dec 20th. Good will goes a long way to helping people.

That guy who did him dirty that guy didn't have no word ! He could have talk to him or gave him payment or just wait until he had enough money to pay for the job! I would have loved for him to be my teacher and my personal machanic !

HELLO NICK !!!!! my name is DavidB.Nance i watch every monday when you post the latest ! i am age 58 , amopar guy ny neabor (back in 1980 had a CHALLENGER R/t 440 ,727 trans , when it got Loose he totaled it , so i bouight the engine &trans for $200 it had 62 K miles on the engine ! at the time i was building a 28 ford roadster street rod SO the 440&727 went into my 28 ford roadster ! YEA ! , my mentor at the time cecil Hicks race cars ( cecil nick name was butch) you look just like him !! but he was allmost 7 feet tall ! , i was still in high school at that time 78,79 ,1980 + or - some time I WENT TO HIS RACE CAR SHOP EACH DAY AFTER SCHOOL FOR" NO PAY" i wanted to LEARN from him !!! and i did , in his day be built the altered type drag cars , that turned into funny cars then went to PRO STOCK vegas then monza's, his famious car was "the alabamian" he also did QTR midgets , frount ends for snowmobiles ( we lived in alabama?) when he was a kid he had a 28 roadster pickup with a fuelie 283 vette engine in it ( in 1980 he sold it for $5000 with all steel body & highly modifyed 283 still in it !) butch could build anything ! , i looked up to him so much ! at one time he drag raced a car with a full TILT chev six with six carbs it had a tach that would stop at the highest rpm reached it HIT 9800 rpms ! butch helped me rebuild that 440 for my roadster , he was a friend of herb mcanldle ! the dodge engine expert who sold out to hughes , butch sent to him for my cam/lifters/springs for my 440 it was my 1st V-8 rebuild i turned all wrenches as he told me what to do , honeing,polish crank in a HUGE lathe he had ! he made me reuse the mains because they were runnin so true , yet new rod bearings, torquer intake open plenem, unilite dist , it was my 1st car engine rebuild !! i still have the roadster to this day ! butch passed on before i was able to say THANKS for all i learned from him ! you remind me of him & look like him too , i raced open mod go-karts for MANY YEARS never missing a weekend at the track !!!!! also i have had a 1948 chev sence i was age 14 ! it was a DRIVER !!! it is on the 3rd resto now ! , i plan to send a flag a alabama flag or i want to send a confederate stars and bars BUT not sure u- tube will let you display it ? it still makes black folks mad ? SO let me know if you can fly the stars & bars , it was on the gen lee on TV ? LOVE YOUR SHOW & TEAM ! tons more to say ,ask ect. i am rebuilding a olds 403 for the last car dad bouight before passin on (1984) dad was WW-II & korean war vet ) what cam do i need the 403 old is like the 350 you did on your show it has same stroke as the olds 350s yet HUGE 4 inch 380 thou bore at 30 over , they call it a small bloc ? also i still have the air cleaner off the 440 CH.R-T if you know of someone who needs one , i hope you have time to reply to my email i know you are VERY BUSY so no rush David B. Nance 7802 cadillac dr se Huntsville alabama 35802 ph 256-881-3254 keep up the great work & show ps i am a heli arc man by trade (TiG welder) Dave's welding service

Sounds like me. I'm always the nice guy,always helping people, doing things cheap to help others out. I definitely know how he feels. Have had people screw me in similar ways, for sure...but I never waiver. I'm still that nice guy, that's my reputation. When someone says my name, it's always followed with..."he is the most honest mechanic your will ever meet". But I am cautious and hold no grudges...

Whenever I can scratch the money up I am going to pull Father & Sons 73 Challenger to Nick's garage and bring it alive one day before I kick the bucket LOL

Nick you are good hearted and natured like your friend stated. That's a great trait this day in age. People could learn simple life lessons from you. Letting that gentlemen pay you when he had money was a gamble and it paid off in trust,you sir are a GREAT man. Cheers and Best wishes BeepBeep

The spot on the crank looks like rust putting. I see it all the time in Marine engines.

What a disgraceful build of a legendary engine to screw one together in THAT CONDITION! Just a disgrace. You’ll make’er right and have her singing a gorgeous tune in no time, I’m sure. Great bunch a guys you are. Wished I lived near ya and could get my Mustang to your shop. Let ya see it and the 347 I built for her. Bless y’all, Merry Christmas!

This earth need more people like NICK.

I pray that Nick's Garage stays on RU-vid for us! (Unlike Roadkill)

I miss my Chevy van! Those pre-95 vans were the best looking!

the first scene looks funny when someone is walking towards the white dodge, and it slowly backs up out of the garage, almost like someone is shooing it off (get out of here we don't want you!)

Nick, I wish you and all you shop personnel a very Merry Christmas. Not many shops left like this. Just good honest repair work. One of a kind.

Looks like a backyard rebuild aye! Nick I'm sure after you finish with it though it will be better than perfect! Thanks for sharing bro.

Nobody can know everything, but Nick sure come close!

I've driven cab part time for years. I've found out that most people are honest. I knew a guy that ran a hot dog cart. He'd have lots of high school kids coming around. There'd always be a kid that didn't have any money so he'd give them a freebie unit they could pay. He said he only got ripped off once.

The very next day I found my tool to push out the piston & rod assembly.

NICK! Yet another example of Nick's integrity and character in the story he tells. At this stage in life, that sort of thing is CRITICAL to me and something I look for in others - and I knew from the get-go when Nick started this channel that he had both in bushel baskets full. Add Video Dude's great work to the mix (that view up the bore to Nick was COOL!) and it's easily the best channel of its' kind on RU-vid, week in and week out. What's not to like? -Ed on the Ridge

Integrity is the biggest part of Courage, which is the biggest part of Valor!

I'd be really disappointed in the Trans Am guy who skipped on his bill. Maybe, he had financial issues, or whatever, but you just don't do that. Especially to a guy like Nick. He's top shelf, unlike some customers. It's OK to come in, hat in hand and admit you are having problems. Work it out and be a man, don't just drive off. Nick may be connected, if ya know what I mean :) That knock on your door might not be Avon.

The tires and stance on that red 68' Charger is sweet.

The vortec heads alone are a huge difference. Slide a Z28 roller cam in the truck and you will notice a difference sitting behind the wheel. My current Frankenstein 350 in my 64 Bel Air has a short block out of a 90 suburban that hit a tree and then was torched by the owner to cover up something in the interior. No idea the mileage or much else as the rear bumper was the only thing not burnt. Stock tbi heads were pulled off after doing a leak down and pulling the pan to see if the engine was a decent candidate for a quick swap out. A pair of new 305 heads (old dealer stock) were port matched, bowl clean up with a 3 angle valve job. I went with a roller cam as the block already had the spider provisions for a roller set up. At the moment, I can't recall the specs at the moment for the cam but one used in the a tune port Z28 works well for a bunch of low end torque for a bigger car. After my 3.36 gears decided to spit out a pinion gear tooth cruising down the road on the way home, gears got changed out to 3.73s which is night and day. Car weighs 3860 lbs with a spare, full tank and complete interior which will be relevant later. Mated to a 700R4, Bella now gets a bit rowdy when the Dodge Bros start picking on her. Sorry Nick but Bella is a magnet for anything with a Hemi for some reason. Unless the driver is good, the only car I've encountered that just barely started pulling away from me was a SRT8 Challenger from the 375hp era. I have yet to run the drag strip but have run an app a few times using GPS to get a 13.9 qtr. I have yet to check it since boxing in the rear control arms and changing the driveshaft angles from the 3+ degrees due to the rear pinion being out of spec. Been a fun mild street car that has gotten 21mpg on the freeway going to Charlotte Motor Speedway car show and gets driven more than it sits. Oh, intake is an Edelbrock with a 600 AFB. Just some thoughts I'd put out there for future S10 upgrades that show up in your shop.

Wonderful attention to detail AND a deep pride in what he’s doing. THAT is the guy I want wrenching on my car, though I doubt I could swing getting my Falcon all the way up to him as well as the cost of what all needs doing.....dammit.

Probably not a scratch. I've disassembled engines which had been sitting in damp climates and found corrosion like that on the crank especially if it wasn't cleared correctly. Nonetheless...so long as you've got it apart, might as well turn the crank too. Also, when I balance a motor, I use a sharpie and write things on the piston so there'd be no doubt if someone took it apart prior to it running.

If that 427 wasn't run I'd not be surprised to find that the builder didn't gap the rings properly either.

A Nick check the knurls on the crank make sure they're going the right way because people picked up these boat engines up many of them were reverse rotation and it'll keep pulling the oil out of the motor

Life sucks when you lose faith in humanity so power to ya Nick!

Giasou Nikola, Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. You are a natural, you just like to help people nothing wrong with that. It's in your DNA, & I can vouch for that first hand. I bet we all have stories similar to yours, but the good outweigh the bad, & the guy who short changed you on the crankshaft changeover Karma has a way of catching up with these people. Maybe he may of just seen your video & he gets that guilty feeling & repays his debt to you. It is obviously on your mind & it will be a good thing if this person if he is still alive was to do this. See everyone comes to Nick for there engines. Doctor Nikola Engine Surgeon in the house. You do what you do best, you are trustworthy, honest & a straight shooter why wouldn't people come to you, I would. All the best, it was an absolutely pleasure talking to you the other day on your Saint Name Day, Mario & I ended up till 4 am watching back episode especially the 1968 Hemi Charger going to South Australia, the owner of the Charger, John is in the same car club as Mario. Your number 1 Fan in Australia Hlias Kats from Melbourne Australia ☺ 👍