We’ve worked on this clean 1970 Pontiac GTO several times here at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop, and this time, we installed a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed manual transmission from Modern Driveline, complete with a hydraulic clutch and a Hurst shifter.
In the past, we’ve removed, resealed, and detailed the Ram Air III 400 cubic inch V8 engine, and upgraded it with a March serpentine accessory drive system.
The owner Mo is a US Army Veteran and has become a great friend of our team. He and his wife really enjoy Classics and Muscle Cars, and we appreciate them as customers, friends, and general positive role models for the car hobby.
We invite you to contact the V8 Speed and Resto Shop anytime at 314.783.8325 for a Coyote swap or restoration for your classic car, truck, or muscle car.
The V8 Speed & Resto Shop is a full-service classic car and muscle car restoration service ready to perform everything from simple maintenance on vintage cars to full frame-off restorations and modifications. Whether you are seeking a stock restoration, a pro-touring muscle car, or a custom restomod, the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in Red Bud, IL, can help. Contact us today to put the V8 crew to work for you. Transport services are available.
V8 Speed & Resto Shop 817 S. Main Street Red Bud,IL 62278 314.783.8325 https://www.v8speedshop.com resto@v8speedshop.com
Jason “Sarge” Beebe joined V8 Speed and Resto Shop as a shop assistant, starting with humble tasks like sweeping floors and organizing parts. We first met Sarge at a Scott Air Force Base job fair for recent U.S. Air Force retirees, unaware of the depth of his experience as a C-130 Loadmaster or his lifelong passion for restoring Muscle Cars, a craft he honed alongside his father and brother—both Air Force veterans.
Sarge’s organizational prowess transformed our “Lumber Yard” parts warehouse, streamlining operations across our six-building campus. His leadership and knack for bringing out the best in people helped develop our Parts On Demand system, boosting efficiency and reducing time spent locating parts. Beyond his technical skills, Sarge’s warmth and dedication left a lasting mark on our team.
Growing up, Sarge was immersed in the world of Muscle Cars, learning from his father, a talented restorer who built an array of iconic vehicles. Sarge fondly recalls assembling a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS model as a child, a dream that became reality when he and his family restored a real Chevelle when he was just 14. His Dad’s 1973 Camaro Z/28 lives on as well, now owned by his Uncle.
After a distinguished Air Force career that took him around the globe, Sarge brought his discipline, passion, and love for cool cars to V8 Speed and Resto Shop. As he steps into retirement, we celebrate his contributions and wish him endless joy with his family and his beloved Chevelle.
Thank you, Sarge, for setting our parts team and facility up for lasting success. Here’s to your next adventure!
Join us as we welcome Hot Rod and Custom Car legend Ziggy Sadler to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop Team! Ziggy lived the enthusiast car culture in Australia for decades and recently came to the USA to join Team V8. We met at the SEMA Show as a judge for the Mother’s Shine Award and have been friends for nearly 20 years. We learn about Ziggy’s experience and chat about the importance of design, plus Mike “Q-Ball” Clarke’s 2 year V8 anniversary, the 9 year anniversary of the V8 Radio Podcast, Automotive Trivia, and much more on this Gonzo episode!
Please subscribe, and check out the V8 Speed and Resto Shop:
Join hosts Kevin Oeste and guest Mike “Q-Ball” Clarke on this episode of the V8 Radio Podcast as they dive into the excitement of the upcoming Street Machine Nationals event, chat about your car’s legacy, design a fantasy desert cruiser, share riveting automotive trivia, and have a few laughs along the way. Tune in for an engaging mix of car talk and fun—don’t forget to listen and subscribe today!
Are Your Wishes Known For Your Classic Car, Truck, Motorcycle, Or Other Vehicle Property?
Thinking about the legacy of our classic cars is not a topic often discussed, but why not make it easy for heirs to do what’s best for them and the vehicle should something happen to you? We’ve created a FREE downloadable guide (below) to help you document your car’s details, history, and your wishes for its future. From VIN numbers and special features to personal stories and key contacts, this guide ensures your family or heirs know exactly what your car means and how to handle it—whether they keep it as a family heirloom car or sell it to someone who’ll value it as much as you do.
In this video, you’ll learn:
Why documenting your car’s history and value is critical
How to share personal stories to keep memories alive
Tips for identifying trusted resources (friends, clubs, shops) to guide your heirs
Options for selling or passing on your car to maximize its value
How to include your wishes in your estate planning for peace of mind
Watch The Video: What Happens To Your Collector Car If Something Happens To You?
Download and print the document. Fill out the appropriate sections and then provide a copy of this sheet to your attorney for inclusion in your estate documents or will. This is not a legal document, but rather a planning tool to help beneficiaries make informed choices about how to handle the wishes of a classic car owner.
As always, we’re happy to help at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop to answer questions, perform maintenance, or even restore a prized family heirloom to keep or sell. Reach us anytime:
From stock rebuilds to high performance, the V8 Speed and Resto Engine Machine Shop is fully equipped to do it all – in house.
The V8 Speed and Resto Engine Machine Shop is a full-service facility handling all aspects of original and high performance engine rebuilding for classic cars, muscle cars, hot rods, and other enthusiast vehicles.
Complete Engine Detailing and Appearance Restoration, Painting, and Custom Finishes
Photo Documentation of the Reconditioning Process
The Art Of Power
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop is not only home to an award winning restoration shop complete with mechanical, fabrication, body, paint, and interior departments, but also a complete, in-house engine machine center capable of refreshing original as well as building complete custom high performance engines.
We tailor each engine to the unique specifications of the customer. Whether it’s a meticulous, 100% concours-correct restoration or a high-performance engine for the street or track, our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional results. Our in-house engine machine shop and world-class fabrication, body, and paint departments enable us to create engines that meet the highest standards of quality and performance, including custom designs for one-of-a-kind vehicles.
Ready To Rock
Our goals include making the engine building and installation experience as enjoyable as possible by including many elements often overlooked in traditional rebuilds, such as the starter, engine mounts, linkages, and fasteners. Our process includes running the engine and verifying proper oil pressure, cooling system function, ignition timing, carburetor or fuel injection settings, and providing the customer with video footage of the engine running demonstrating leak free performance. We also provide a-la-carte engine machine services, such as flywheel surfacing, valve jobs, block boring, parts cleaning, and more.
Our Process
The process begins by our team learning all we can about the performance and appearance aspirations of the customer and the engine. Many questions are asked and answered, including intended usage, power desired, appearance desired, custom aspects, and more. Once the usage and performance targets are determined, a build plan is drafted to select the required parts and components required to meet the goals of the project. We work only with top manufacturers and reputable companies to source the parts required to build a performance engine.
Next, each engine is carefully cleaned, disassembled, measured, and analyzed before the machining and reassembly processes begin. This allows us to evaluate the condition of each component and decide the best course of action to achieve the customer’s goals. New parts are proposed and ordered, and the machining process begins. Machining tolerances are corrected to factory “blueprint” specs. Once machining and assembly are complete, each engine is run on our test station to ensure proper and leak-free performance. Optionally, engines can be run, tested, and tuned on our dynamometer as well. From there, engines progress to our world-class body and paint shop for proper polish, colors, and finishes. Accessory brackets are restored and installed, and custom parts are completed and the engine final assembly is completed. The end result is a ready-to-install engine that delivers performance and aesthetics worthy of a concourse restoration or a full custom build.
Our customer experience and machine shop team will bring you along for the full experience through photo updates and videos of milestone moments, including video of the machining process, first start ups, and dyno tuning sessions.
ENGINE PACKAGES
CLASSIC RENEWAL SERIES
Original Looks With Fresh New Performance
This package renews your vehicle with a correct appearing engine, with performance restored to as-new. This can be the original, numbers matching engine the car was born with, or if not available, a correct replacement. Our team restores the original engine to have the correct finish, color, and internal specifications. Rebuilding focuses on conservative machine work to preserve as much of the original block and cylinder head material as possible. Classic Renewal Series engines can be expected to make a similar power level to the original, but with blueprinted machine work, and all new internal wear parts like bearings, rings, and any other parts requiring replacement such as camshaft, lifters, oil pump, timing set, and gaskets. Cylinder heads are cleaned and inspected, and machined as needed with a new valve job, springs, seals, and rocker arms. The carburetor and distributor are rebuilt and tuned to match the engine. Research to correct previous modifications and to obtain factory original or NOS parts is also part of this package.
Classic Renewal Series engines utilize all the original and correct equipment, including the front accessory drive system, carburetor, ignition system, spark, plugs, plug wires, sensors, connectors, and wiring. The accessory drive brackets and components are restored and installed with correct belts, hoses, and fluids.
The Classic Renewal Series is the perfect option for a correct restoration or an original surviving vehicle that needs an engine refresh. We can even work to preserve the original paint on the engine block, intake, manifold, and valve covers where possible.
This series pairs well with the Day Two Period Correct appearance packages, which rely on authentic performance parts matched to the time period of the engine. For example, should the customer seek a “Day Two” appearance featuring as-then-available performance parts, valve covers, and other items to reflect the look of a 1968 Camaro back in 1968, our team will locate and install proper examples of these vintage speed parts.
RESTO MOD SERIES
Familiar Appearance, Modern Technology And Performance
When you open the hood, Resto Mod engines lead people to believe that there’s not much difference from the original… until you take them for a ride! This series delivers an engine that appears to be mostly factory correct and original, but is hiding modern technology and performance modifications under the skin. Once the architecture, performance, and appearance plan is hatched, our team goes to work amassing the parts. The original or a replacement block is used, cleaned, and machined for proper tolerances. A stroker crankshaft may be added, along with custom pistons featuring ceramic coatings and upgraded ring packages. The block might be treated to a hydraulic roller camshaft conversion. A double roller timing chain, improved oil pump, new gaskets, roller rockers with modern springs, and other improved performance parts are used throughout. Modern, high-performance aluminum cylinder heads, and an aluminum intake manifold are used to reduce weight and increase performance, all while being painted to match the original finish of the cast-iron pieces. Original cast-iron heads can be machined and improved through porting and valve improvements for a completely stealth appearance. Performance exhaust manifolds or headers are treated to high-temp ceramic coatings for heat management and appearance. An electronic ignition system hidden under a stock appearing distributor or other electronic ignition system is utilized. This engine can be expected to make 50 to 100 more horsepower over stock and sometimes far beyond that.
This is a great option for a person who wants to truly drive and enjoy their classic vehicle while retaining a familiar appearance under the hood. Our team couples these engines with an optimal, modern serpentine accessory drive system incorporating the proper water pump and power accessory units to ensure smooth and trouble free operation under the hood. These engines may be carbureted or rely on any number of electronic fuel injection systems, ranging from throttle body style to multi point with injector bosses machine into the intake manifold. All the components, including the front accessory drive are color-matched in our paint shop to achieve the desired appearance. The engine is test run to verify leak-free performance, and dyno tuning is also an option. These engines are built to drop in, ready to go in your hot rod, street machine, Pro-Touring car, truck, or street cruiser!
STREET PERFORMANCE SERIES
Let’s Have Some Fun!
The Street performance series is a fully custom built engine that can be of a different architecture than what originally came in the car, or a highly modified version of the original. For example, this could be a modified modern LS engine fitted with a performance camshaft, improved cylinder heads, supercharger, and the accompanying electronics to make it sing. Or, it may be a vintage Ford FE series engine that has been bored, stroked, and treated to premium forged internals, block oiling modifications, high-tech coatings, a roller camshaft, cross-bolt main cap modifications, and more. Our team works with the customer to custom design an engine that delivers the performance desired, targeting horsepower levels, torque, torque curves, transmission, and gear type, sanctioning body rules, and more. These engines feature a variety of exterior finish choices, from clear coated raw aluminum to painted finishes and ceramics. Each is seasoned on our engine testing fixture, dyno tuned, leak checked, painted and detailed, and ready to install.
CUSTOM SERIES
A One-Of-A-Kind Power Plant Designed To Stand Out. Or Not.
Our top offering is a fully custom built engine, both inside and out, featuring the elements from the STREET PERFORMANCE SERIES but adding a custom designed appearance to match your high-end, custom built car or truck. CUSTOM SERIES engines are nice enough to bring home the cup at the big shows, but also deliver power and performance on the street or track.
These engines can be of any architecture, deliver performance from smooth and quiet to extreme, utilizing superchargers, turbochargers, stack injection, multiple carburetors, vintage or modern induction… the sky’s the limit. They feature custom exterior components, like valve or coil covers, air intake systems, brackets, housings, and accessory drive systems. Custom Series engines flaunt the details, like deburred blocks and heads, custom mixed paint with gloss or satin finishes to match the other colors and finishes on the car, custom fabrication, and more. Our world class body and paint team can match any color or finish desired. We deliver an engine that has been designed, engineered, broken in, dyno tuned, leak checked, cleaned, prepped, and painted to show ready condition, ready to install in your show car or truck.
Selected Services – Not A Comprehensive List
Disassembly
Hot Tank Cleaning
Shot Tumbler Parts Cleaning
Magnaflux Crack Detection
Measuring / Dimensioning
Engine Design / Parts Selection
Blueprinting
Deburring
Block Surfacing
Block Boring
Block HoningAlign Honing
Cylinder Head Surfacing
Valve Seat Refacing
Valve Guide Replacement
Valve Grinding
Connecting Rod Reconditioning
Piston Installation
Crankshaft Grinding
Crankshaft Balancing
Cam Bearing Installation
Complete Engine Assembly
Custom Paint / Finishes
Test Run / Leak Check
Engine Dyno Tuning (3Q 2025)
Installation / In-Car Tuning
And Many More Engine Building Services
LET’S DO THIS!
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop Engine Machine Shop is our in-house engine lab where we control every aspect of the engine building process. This allows us to keep stringent quality control standards along with our focus on the customer experience for a smooth and rewarding engine building journey. Contact us today to chat about your special car and start the plan for your custom engine experience!
The Top 10 According To Performance Car Magazines of 1971!
Get ready for a thrilling ride as Muscle Car of the Week dives into the quickest muscle cars of 1971! 🚗💨 In this episode, we’re counting down the top 10 fastest cars based on published quarter-mile times from magazines like Hot Rod, Car and Driver, and Super Stock. From the iconic Plymouth Duster 340 to the powerful Pontiac Trans Am 455 HO, we’re showcasing the legends that ruled the dragstrip in ’71. 🏁
Join us as we explore the horsepower, rear gears, and performance stats of these classic muscle cars, including the Plymouth Cuda, Ford Mustang Mach 1, Chevrolet Corvette, and more. Did your favorite make the list? Drop your thoughts, stories, or debates in the comments below! 💬 Don’t forget to subscribe for more muscle car action and check out our previous episodes on the quickest cars of 1969 and 1970. 🔔
And just like in our Quickest of ‘69 and 1970 videos, We didn’t actually test these cars ourselves, but we’re utilizing the published test results from performance car magazines from 1971 for these numbers. We all know there are stories of these same cars going much faster on better tires, with hot tunes, better drivers, and all that, but again, we’re sticking to the printed articles by the top car magazines of the day. OK? Ready? Let’s GO!
10 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 – April, 1971 Super Street Cars Magazine – 340ci/275hp, 3spd auto, 3.91, 1/4 mile – 14.26 @ 98.30mph
9 1971 Plymouth Cuda 340 – January, 1971 Hot Rod Magazine – 340ci/275hp, 4spd, 3.55, 1/4 mile – 14.18 @ 100.33mph
Most repair shops won’t touch your classic car, but at V8 Speed and Resto Shop, we specialize in classic car repair and upgrades. These prized machines often present challenges that demand rare skills—expertise that chain repair and tire shops often lack. They don’t have the time to diagnose, research, and properly fix a vintage car or truck. That’s where we come in. Of course, we perform complete restorations and custom builds, but we also perform all kinds of repairs and upgrades.
Here’s Why:
At the V8 Speed and Resto Shop, we can make your classic, hot rod, or muscle car safer, faster, and more fun to drive.
And, we even build Custom Engines at our in-house Machine Shop.
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop does all the things to make your classic car, muscle car, hot rod, or custom be everything you’ve dreamed up. We’re making appointments now, so click to contact us at v8speedshop.com today to take your ride to the next level!
At V8 Speed and Resto Shop, we focus exclusively on specialty cars and trucks. Whether it’s renewing and restoring original equipment or upgrading with modern drivelines and performance enhancements, we’re here to boost enjoyment and safety. From simple carburetor tuning and maintenance to full custom builds, our dedicated team of professionals has the experience, tools, and know-how to make your classic safer, faster, and more fun to drive.
Ready to give your prized classic the care it deserves? We’re booking appointments now! Visit us at v8speedshop.com to schedule your service today. When chain shops turn you away, turn to V8 Speed and Resto Shop. From minor repairs to complete restorations, we’re excited to get you back behind the wheel, enjoying your classic once again. See you here!
We’re working on a cool 1938 Chevy pickup truck rat rod bobber that rolled into our fab shop with a chopped cab, a tubular chassis, zoomie pipes, and a vision to blend vintage patina with a solid foundation. At V8 Speed and Resto Shop, we’re connecting the dots to make this 1938 Chevy rat rod safe, stylish, and a total blast to drive!
1938 Chevy Hot Rod Intro Video
Key Highlights:
New dropped axle and hairpin suspension for smooth handling.
Disc brakes for reliable stopping power.
Focus on safety and functionality while maintaining the raw, vintage look.
Discussion of top chop techniques and resources.
The importance of stance in hot rod builds.
Builder’s Resource: “How to Chop Tops” by Tony Thacker
(Check out our Bonneville Up to Speed podcast for an interview with Tony!)
Chopping tops is an art, and the book “How to Chop Tops” by Tony Thacker is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to lower the lid on their Hot Rod or Kustom. Check our Bonneville Up Top Speed Podcast for an interview with the man himself!
