By this date, I had decided, belatedly, to treat the engine to a series of performance improvements that would substantially enhance its horsepower and torque output – – this decision reflected the change of direction with the car’s “restoration.” This required tearing some part of the engine back down, to permit the heads to be treated to further performance work, the installation of a fresh much-higher lift cam by Chris Nelson (I sold the first cam to a restorer) specially-ground to essentially match the famed ‘57 “blower” cam, and the use of a John Mummert aluminum intake (Photo: Modified 14) manifold. Additionally, I sent out a box full of engine parts to be chrome-plated (including the valley cover, oil pan, fan, fill tube, pulleys and a few other parts), and pulled out some reproduction aluminum T-Bird valve covers that I purchased decades ago when they were affordable. These changes, of course, reflected the decision to do some very mild custom bodywork to the front clip (limited to removing emblems and welding up seams) and elsewhere on the body – a mild custom car required a warmed-over engine!