Last year, Chevrolet announced a one-of-a-kind program that invites avid do-it-yourselfers to the GM Performance Build Center to personally hand assemble a crate engine for their project car. Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? That's what Jeff Kasper from California thought when he found out he could assemble an LS7 crate engine for his project car, so he didn't waste any time placing his order.

"Building an engine is a time-honored tradition in hot-rodding, and this exciting new program allows enthusiasts to enjoy that magical do-it-yourself feeling," says Jim Campbell, GM U.S. VP of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. It doesn't hurt that the factory-assembled engine comes with the company's 24-month/50,000-mile limited warranty, giving the enthusiast the benefit of a worry-free experience. Campbell goes on to say, "For hands-on hot-rodders, this program truly enables them to say they did it all when it came to building their project. There's nothing else like it in the industry."¹

Kasper, who owns a new Camaro SS and a Chevrolet Volt, first became interested in assembling his own engine when Chevrolet opened up a similar program for Corvette enthusiasts. Though he wasn't in the market for a Corvette, he later found out that the program expanded to the LS9 and LS7 crate engines. After placing his order for the experience, he flew out to Detroit and was immediately immersed in the creation of his engine, from installing the crankshaft to putting the finishing touches on the intake system.

He says, "The builders there were great to work with and the whole experience was a lot of fun. It was fascinating to learn how these engines are built with a combination of hand-assembly techniques and some computer-assisted high-tech tools."² Kasper was particularly excited to hear his engine roar for the first time after he affixed his personalized name plate to it. "When the engine came to life, it was the payoff for a day's work and it was a satisfying success."³

So, how can you build your own Chevrolet crate engine? Submit your order for a personalized build experience through a local Chevy dealer like Capitol Chevrolet Cadillac, and a concierge from Chevrolet will contact you to verify participation and coordinate program details. Travel to and from Detroit are the responsibility of the customer, but the concierge arranges the engine build, lodging, dining, and transportation while in the area, as well as any other activities at the Performance Build Center.

Not interested in building an engine from scratch, but love tinkering with your project car? Remember, you can always contact Capitol Chevrolet Cadillac to order Chevy parts or chat with a member of our service team. Or stop in and see us at 2711 Mission St. SE, Salem, OR, 97302 to learn more.

Sources:
¹http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Oct/1027_enginebuild
^2,3http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Jan/0116_crate_eng