There are times in life when you need to do a makeover to create better self esteem and to have more confidence in your life. Doing so will help you express yourself and your personality. It will also give you the confidence to tackle any obstacle or challenges that are presented to you.
The same principle applies when building a car. That is, you should have the same mentality. Once the car is completed and has been on the show circuit for a while you should think about a makeover. This is exactly what we decided to do to this classic Chevy Impala. After years of street driving, it was ready to have a weekend makeover to boost its show confidence.
To start off, the engine block was painted using Createx water-based paints. We then used a Edelbrock intake and carb combo, Proform accessories, and Zoops brackets and pulleys to finish off the project. Summit Racing's fine line of chrome starters, alternator and power steering pumps were used to give this small-block 350 a new look. Now follow along as we show you the first part of this weekend transformation.
 This small-block 350 engine...  This small-block 350 engine was screaming for a weekend makeover. |
 1. The engine was prepared...  1. The engine was prepared in order to be removed from the engine compartment. |
 2. While prepping the engine...  2. While prepping the engine for the article, we went shopping for a few things that were going to be needed for the build. |
 3. Here's a view of some...  3. Here's a view of some of the products that we intend to use for the makeover. |
 4. We used an engine hoist...  4. We used an engine hoist to pull the engine out of the engine compartment. |
 5. We used an engine stand...  5. We used an engine stand to make it easier to work on the engine while it was out of the car. |
 6. With the engine out of...  6. With the engine out of the vehicle, the engine compartment was ready to be cleaned up. |
 7. Complete disassembly of...  7. Complete disassembly of the engine was needed in order to paint the engine. |
 8. Luis removed the valve...  8. Luis removed the valve covers and intake to ensure that the paint would flow. |
 9. The heads were cleaned...  9. The heads were cleaned in order to be painted and make ready for assembly. |
 10. John took a sander to...  10. John took a sander to the engine to remove any gunk and residue from normal usage. |
 11. With the block down to...  11. With the block down to metal and ready for paint, Luis masked off the engine, leaving it ready for the next step. |
 engine a fresh new color....  engine a fresh new color.12. We used Createx water-based candy paint to give the |
 13. John used this paint...  13. John used this paint system with ease, making it look easier than it really was. |
 14. The engine was painted...  14. The engine was painted and left to dry before being reassembled. |