Watching this video will make you laugh, but the context of the video is something that engine builders have to go through on a daily basis. Dealing with customers is probably the hardest part of the business; you have to be able to read a potential client to determine if the engine you are going to build is what he really wants.

Another factor the builder deals with is when the client tries to tell the builder how to do the work and supplies the parts that he thinks belongs in his engine. Being a good judge of character and knowing what the customer really wants is key. If a guy comes in with an ’89 Camaro with a 305 and it has 100k miles on it and says, “It runs in the 10’s now but I need you to build me a stroker motor that will go in the 8’s and I want to run 93 octane and go on the highway,” then you need to cut your losses and send him on his way.

That type of customer you can never make happy and he doesn’t have a clear perception of what it takes to build an 8-second car and probably never will. On the same token, you need to be able to deliver the goods when a veteran Super Gas racer needs an engine and he surely knows what to expect from a good 700-horsepower engine. The same techniques apply when doing a street rod engine and a stock rebuild. In essence, a good reputable builder has to be able to read into a customer, get good input from him and determine what fits the bill.