Engines Archives

What We’re Reading, December 2019

2020 is right around the corner, and we’re busily scanning the web for relevant news from the car industry. We hope you’ll remember us for your remanufactured needs in the coming year!

Winter Tire Performance Can Vary Greatly

By Brian Silvestro, Popular Mechanics

When it comes to winter tires, you might think they all perform similarly. But really, they’re like to every other tire, in that rubber compound can change performance drastically, regardless of tread pattern. Read more…

Chevy Suburban Turns 85 in 2020

By Sven Gustafson, AutoBlog

Let us take a moment to ponder the Chevrolet Suburban. When it first launched as a mammoth eight-seater with removable seats, folding second-row seats and a 60-horsepower inline-six, the U.S. was in the grips of the Great Depression. America’s entry into World War II was still six years away, and motion pictures were offered in color for the first time. The Chevy Suburban has since survived all the subsequent wars that Congress never formally declared, America’s changing cultural mores and consumer preferences, the oil crisis of the ‘70s and having its name borrowed by several other automakers, including sister brand GMC.

And with the 2020 model year, the venerable people-mover turns an astonishing 85 years old.

Dogs in Cars, Getting There Safely

By Norman Mayersohn, The New York Times

Recent studies have confirmed what many of us already knew: Having a dog in the family is good for your health. Let’s expand that — dogs can make car trips better, too. Read more…

Electric Ford F150 Confirmed for Michigan Assembly

By Bengt Halvorson, Green Car Reports

In November, the United Auto Workers ratified a four-year contract with Ford—one that included an agreement to invest more than $6 billion in U.S. plants and, as was reported then, included plans to keep high-visibility electrification plans for the F-150 in Michigan. Read more…

Jeep Museum Is Coming to Toledo, Ohio, Where One Belongs

By Colin Beresford, Car and Driver

Toledo and Jeep go together like off-roading and Jeep. So it’s about time Toledo, Ohio, gets its own Jeep museum. A nonprofit organization has formed and is announcing it will open a 56,000-square-foot museum called “The Jeep Experience,” which will tell the storied legacy of the American nameplate. Read more…

New Study Shows Just How Bad Vehicle Hacking has Gotten

By Kyle Hyatt, Road Show By CNET

For many people around the world, a large portion of their lives is lived online. Not in some kind of Second Life-Matrix hellscape, but they conduct business, maintain personal relationships, manage their money, buy stuff and even get their car news using the internet.

This has been amazing for convenience, but that convenience has outpaced security, and so we hear about companies being hacked on a near-daily basis. This problem is increasingly spilling over into our vehicles, which have become increasingly attractive targets to hackers as they’ve gotten more technologically sophisticated.

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What We’re Reading, November 2019

It’s been a busy month with SEMA, the L.A. Auto Show, and the debut of the Mustang Mach E, but our gearheads took a few minutes between order fulfillment to read online industry articles.

2021 Chevy Trailblazer debuts at LA Auto Show

By Steven Ewing, Road Show by CNET

We’re having a bit of deja vu. Back in May, Chevrolet showed the 2021 Trailblazer after sister brand Buick debuted its platform-mate, the Encore GX. And now, following the US-spec Encore GX’s announcement on Tuesday, Chevrolet has announced more details about the 2021 Trailblazer, which is on hand at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2021 Trailblazer slots between the Trax and Equinox in Chevy’s crossover lineup, and definitely takes a lot of design influence from the larger Blazer SUV. We don’t know exactly how much it’ll cost just yet, Chevy only saying the Trailblazer will be priced “under $20,000,” according to a statement.

34 Ways to Soup Up your Current Car with Tech

By Eric Griffith and Alex Colon, PC Magazine

For those of us with older cars, we’re stuck with incredible phones while driving vehicles that won’t talk to them, charge them, or display what we want to see from them. And that’s just the start. Modern high-tech cars should be laden with tech safety features, methods of connecting to the outside world, full diagnostics, and ways to keep passengers entertained.

There is a massive aftermarket of gadgets and add-ons that work with just about any existing vehicle on the road today. Here’s our deep dive into the tech you can add to your old jalopy to make it feel a bit more Tesla-esque.

Is Chevy’s 1988 Full-Size Pickup Secretly a Sports Truck?

By MÁTÉ PETRÁNY, Road & Track

For 1988, General Motors came out with a radically redesigned full-size pickup line known as the GMT400 platform. The truck GMC dubbed the Sierra was also available at Chevrolet as the Silverado, the Scottsdale, or the top-of-the-line Cheyenne. And at $13,319 with all the bells and whistles, the long-wheelbase Cheyenne was an impressive truck for its time.

Watch a Souped-Up Mail Truck Do Some Epic Burnouts

By Brian Silvestro, Popular Mechanics

LS swaps are a dime a dozen, so it’s not often one catches our eye like this one has. One man decided it would be a good idea to drop a 6.0-liter V-8 into a decommissioned Grumman LLV USPS mail delivery truck and turn it into a full-on burnout machine. We’re in love.

It took David Stacy, the builder, over two years to find a mail truck for sale suitable for the swap.

GM and Lordstown Motors Both Say Their Electric Pickups Are Coming Soon

By Colin Beresford, Car and Driver

Just a couple of weeks after Lordstown Motors acquired GM’s Lordstown plant in Ohio, it has announced that it is accepting $1000 deposits as preorders for the 2021 Lordstown Endurance electric pickup truck.

It’s entirely possible that would make it the first electric pickup truck on the market—but not the last, as General Motors, Tesla, and Ford are all preparing their own entries in the new market segment.

AMC’s First-Ever Mid-Engine Prototype Is Finally Getting the Restoration it Deserves

By Brian Silvestro, Road & Track

Back in the late 1960s, AMC thought it would be a good idea to break into the high performance sector with an exotic mid-engine supercar. Dubbed the AMX/3, it would compete against some of Europe’s finest exotics, packing a massive American V-8 and stunning looks. Except it wouldn’t, because the project was canceled before production ever started.

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Which is your Favorite Remanufactured Engine?

What's your favorite remanufactured engine?

We can appreciate want over need. Sometimes you need a new reman engine for your car, truck, or boat. Sometimes you just want something newer, better, more powerful. So we looked to reddit where totally_not_griffin asked r/cars redditors about their favorite engines.

No, I’m not talking about some absolutely insane 28.3L four banger (yes, that actually exists). I’m talking about a practical engine that you think is one of the best out there. Here’s some factors to base it on:

Reliability: Does it start in the first crank, even if it’s zero degrees? Has it passed 200K miles? Have you found an engine that has sat abandoned for years, yet fires up with minor tweaks?

Power and Fuel Economy: These two are grouped because it’s easy to have an engine with plenty of power, but fuel economy will suffer. The reverse also applies. Is there an engine that can do both?

Type of Engine: How many cylinders do you think is sweet spot? V6 or straight 6? Turbocharged, supercharged, or naturally aspirated? Why?

halcykhan was brief and direct in responding.

Gas: 300 I6 Ford
Diesel: 12v 5.9 Cummins
Have had both in farm trucks. It’s hard to beat the reliability, simplicity, and usable power band of those straight sixes

Reddit user Wogachino‘s a fan of the LS3, citing

[it’s] super easy to work on, reliable and cheap to make power. My 550whp SS is my daily, work commuter and hasn’t skipped a beat in 20k kms with weekly drag strip sessions and once a month roll racing.

We sell a number of LS3’s and can agree with some of these points!

Kayonetheus was more of a HEMI fan, and everyone loves a solid HEMI!

6.4L hemi is probably my favorite. That sound and feel is unbeatable imo. And with the upgraded internals over the 5.7L hemi, (which is already a dang reliable engine.) it would be super reliable for an engine. Mpg though, well… Lets not talk about that.

No, we won’t talk about MPG if we’re talking about ideal engines, though we’re always fans of saving a few bucks here and there — especially with a new, reman engine!

Drando_HS actually prefers

the 5.7L Hemi over the 6.4L. Mainly because I’m getting 25mpg on mid-grade gasoline in my Charger while still making great horsepower. And apparently you can make it go up to 400hp with little to no hits to you MPG.

Our favorite response to this reddit question, though, was Funderstruck‘s.

The Big Block Chevy. Yeah, the LS might be better for fuel economy, but the big block can have MPI as well, which narrows the gap a bit at least… The big block just has an old school cool to it as well. And with the massive aftermarket, it can do anything you want it to.

We’re fans of the Chevy engines as well! And we’ve sold a number of them over the years. They’re reliable and carry the right power for your needs.

Of course, we’re biased when we say that our favorite engine is your next, new remanufactured engine. (Don’t blame us for the cheesy product plugs. We’re here for a reason!)

Bottom line, the team at Gearhead Engines will save you time and money, and we have FAST delivery with nationwide, unlimited mileage warranties.

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What We’re Reading, October 2019

Here’s a sample of the industry articles we’ve read this month. Of course, if you’re in the market for a new, remanufactured engine, transmission, differential, or heads, you know you can trust in Gearhead Engines!

Mustang, Camaro, Challenger: Muscle Cars Across The Years

By Nelson Ireson, Motor Authority

Muscle cars have an interesting dynamic amongst car enthusiasts. For some, the heavy, big-power, anything-but-subtle looks, and often low-tech engineering are the antithesis of what it means to build a performance car. For others, the raw, unfiltered nature and rubber-laying potential of the muscle car outweighs (or erases) the drawbacks.

This V-8-Swapped Fiero Is the Perfect Budget C8 Corvette Alternative

By Brian Silvestro, Road and Track

Interested in owning a car like the new mid-engine C8 Corvette, but don’t want to drop $60,000 on a new car? We feel you. This V-8-swapped 1987 Pontiac Fiero is the perfect alternative…

The engine is an LT1 taken out of a 1996 Corvette with around 25,000 miles on the clock. The car has done 10,000 further miles since the swap, meaning the powertrain still has incredibly low miles. Moreover, the seller claims all of the relevant gaskets and seals have been replaced, and the heads have been rebuilt.

15 of the Greatest Automotive Instrument Clusters of All Time

By Bryan Campbell, Gear Patrol

As a driver, there are few parts of a car you look at more than the instrument cluster. Your attention there is divided among occasional glances at the speedometer and tach, and if you’re really fancy, navigation instructions… But the dials on some cars are so pretty they deserve a more extended gaze.

These are 15 of the best automotive instrument clusters of all time.

Ford hopes ‘Mustang-inspired’ SUV will shock Tesla, electric vehicle world

By Chris Woodyard, USA Today

Ford Motor has made it official: it’s going to unveil a “Mustang-inspired” electric SUV next month.

“We’ve busted the myth that electric vehicles have to be boring,” the automaker says in a statement.

In showing a drawing of the roofline and hints as to the look of the front of the new vehicle – yeah, it sort of looks like the current Mustang – Ford appears to be taking direct aim at electric-car leader Tesla.

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Why Buy Reman Products?

Why Buy Remanufactured Products from Gearhead Engines

You’re in the market for a replacement engine for your car, truck, or SUV, and you’re weighing your options. New engines are great, but pricey. You want to restore your car to its former glory — but you want it to be cost-effective and a good decision as well.

Should you buy remanufactured? Rebuilt? A salvage engine?

The answer is for us is always going to be the same. Buy remanufactured, the choice four out of five of our professional installation shops make.

But why?

Don’t let your car break down twice!

When you’re researching options, investing money, waiting for shipping, and then paying someone to install your remanufactured engine, you’d better be sure it’s going to work well. Going through that effort only to have your engine fail would be horrible.

…there’s really no functional difference between reman and new… other than price and our multi-year, unlimited mileage warranties.

Rebuilt and salvaged engines are taken from vehicles that have been sitting for an unknown amount of time and then “repaired.” Rebuilt engines are sometimes just brought to “running condition,” but that method is not always going to take the manufacturer’s OE specifications and updates into account. Your reman engine is often better-than-new because of the attention our technicians give to the machining process, taking advantage of the latest improvements. Reman products are also less likely to fail.

We know that there’s really no functional difference between remanufactured and new… other than price and our multi-year, unlimited mileage warranties.

Quality Matters

Quality engine remanufacturers produce engines to standards that meet or exceed the manufacturer’s original OE specifications. Because of the knowledge and experience gained in the years since the engine was designed and built, a remanufactured engine includes those improvements. It’s machined from the core product to be better.

In addition to the OE updates that correct errors or anomalies in the original build, all of the engines wear parts are replaced, and they pass and/or exceed every single test a new engine does.

This high level of quality is another reason we back our engines with industry-leading warranties.

Buying remanufactured is economically sound

The useful life of cars, trucks, and SUVs has been increasing for a number of years. In fact, IHS Markit data shows that the average age/usefulness of cars and trucks will exceed 12 years in the next decade.

That means the average car on the road will have been built in the 2007-2008 model years. That’s some longevity and return on investment!

This is great news for consumers, who get more use out of their vehicles. But even with that longevity, car owners often want and need to keep their current cars or trucks on the road, but problems do happen.

Even today, the primary cause of engine failure is the level of ongoing maintenance or critical sub-component failure. This means a vehicle with a failed engine likely has many more serviceable years, and it’s much more cost effective to extend the life of your car, truck, or SUV with a remanufactured product.

Remanufactured engines reuse the solid core of these “failed” engines in order to save you money without sacrificing power or quality. In result, remanufactured engines can cost 25-50 percent less than domestically made new replacement products.

Remanufactured is an eco-friendly solution

A good description of ecological sustainability is “meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of the future.”

Choosing remanufactured engines conserves natural resources by recapturing much of the original material, the product core, and then machining it to include better updates using less energy. The end result is a product that’s really better-than-new in a number of cases.

At Gearhead Engines, we take this a step further and operate in an eco-neutral manner. We use toxic-free cleaning solutions rather than harsh chemical solvents, and we process all emissions to release no harmful byproducts into the air or water.

In addition, whenever possible, we ship our remanufactured products in reusable, eco-friendly shipping crates. This ensures both a secure shipment to you and the return of your core, and our eco crates prevent any leaking or spillage of fluids during storage or shipment.

Bottom line. Buying remanufactured is a good, reliable, sound investment. Buy from Gearhead Engines today!

BROWSE OUR PRODUCT CATALOG TODAY!

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Why We Love the Chevy 350 Engine

Gearheads love the Chevy 350 engine and so do we

The Chevy 350 engine is one of the most popular and perhaps legendary engines in automotive history. Introduced in the 1967 Camaro, it went on to power a whole range of classic Chevys, including the Impala, El Camino, Chevelle, and Nova.

Your friends — the really serious gearheads, the ones you know you can trust — choose the Chevy 350 to build everything from tractors to boats to hotrods.

Five Reasons Why

If you’re interested in premium engines, you’ll love the Chevy 350. Here are five reasons why:

It’s an outstanding value

The Chevy 350 was designed by engineers. It’s not ostentatious, not foreign, not designed to impress — it’s just a popular, reliable engine for a reasonable price. Sure, it’s not as exciting as some of the fancier engines on the market, but if you want the most performance for your dollar, you won’t go wrong with the Chevy 350.

It’s got all the power you want

The next time you’re at a hot-rod show, take a look at the engines. You’ll see something very familiar — the Chevy 350. It’s an incredibly popular choice among hot rodders and for good reason. Plenty of Chevy 350s put out more than 300 horsepower. Combine that with the 350’s light weight and you have one very fast engine.

It’s one of the most reliable engines ever

Even if you drive in tough conditions, the Chevy 350 remains very dependable and keeps running. It’s been around since 1967, and Chevy was making small-block engines long before then. Everything about the Chevy 350 stands the test of time.

You can find parts for it anywhere

Touching on Chevy’s small-block lineup, Motor Trend points out, “It’s possible to swap a set of heads from a 1990 Vortec truck engine onto the original ’55 265. I doubt there’s an engine ever built… that you could swap parts from engines 45 years apart.”

You’re not just looking for a show car—you’re looking for something you can drive to the show and home again. That’s why the 350’s reliability is so great.

But let’s face it: engines wear down. You’re going to want the engine with parts readily available, not the engine that leaves you stranded by the roadside.

It’s as American as apple pie

OK, so we’re talking about an engine that’s powerful, reliable, and easy to maintain, all for a great price. All of that’s accurate, but it’s not the whole story. What really sets the Chevy 350 apart is something intangible: the engine’s rich tradition.

When you choose the 350, you’re joining a community of motorists that spans decades. A community that includes hot rodders, commuters, farmers, and everyone in between. A community of gearheads who care about performance, not hype.

The Chevy 350 is one of the all-time great American engines. For us at least, that means something.

Get the Best Engine for Your Dollar

Gearhead Engines offers a wide range of Chevy 350 engines. If you’re on the market for an engine, you owe it to yourself browse our catalog of Chevy 350s right now.

Our Chevy 350s are professionally remanufactured to OE specs or better, which makes them literally better than new, and… four out of five professional installers go with reman. They know it’s how you get the best engine for your dollar. Now you can, too.

When you consider buying a Chevy 350,
remember to GO with Gearhead Engines and More.

BROWSE OUR CHEVY 350 ENGINES

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Why is my Car Smoking?

Diagnosing the smoke from your engine helps keep it running smoothly

Your car, truck, or SUV engine is the evolutionary result of over a century of refinement and fine-tuning – a perfected recipe. Today’s manufacturers continue to use tried-and-tested methods, although with more technology crammed in.

This doesn’t stop cars today throwing temper tantrums occasionally. On top of this, the extra tech makes diagnosing potential issues that much harder.

One of the more common engine issues you can face today is uncharacteristic smoke – either from the front or out of the exhaust. To top it off, your thermostat may still show a normal reading. So, what’s going on?

Black smoke from exhaust

Black smoke from the exhaust is a fairly common sight on the roads. Often accompanied by a noticeable gas smell or sometimes a rotten egg smell, it may mean your engine is wasting excess fuel by running too rich (a higher ratio of gas to air during the combustion process). Besides your engine working at a poor efficiency, it can suggest more serious issues such as a blockage in the air intake or a broken spark plug.

Blue smoke from exhaust

Blue smoke is unmistakably oil burning in your combustion chamber – you certainly won’t mistake the smell for something different. Blue smoke is most commonly caused by worn piston rings, and if left unattended, could leave your oil levels critically low.

White smoke from exhaust

Blue smoke is most commonly caused by worn piston rings, and if left unattended, could leave your oil levels critically low.

Excessive white smoke often suggests water is entering places in your engine where it shouldn’t be. Water leaks are sometimes attributed to a broken head gasket, which is fixable, but like everything else, drastically lowers the efficiency of your engine.

Oily-smelling smoke from under the hood

Oil is burning on the outside of your engine – likely on the hot metal surfaces of the block itself. That could mean a leak, which again may lower your engine oil levels if left unattended and cause potential damage. It could also be spilled oil from the last time you had your oil changed. In any case, be careful as burning oil can potentially damage important rubber and plastic in the engine bay.

Electrical smoke

The smell of burning electronics is impossible to miss. Play close attention to your alternator – it could be moments away from problems.

Other smoke from the engine bay

Your engine bay plays host to a lot of fluids. If the smoke isn’t oily or electrical, check the reservoirs for your power steering fluid, coolant, brake fluid, etc. A loss of any of these liquids could be critical if left unattended.

Smoke when your engine isn’t overheating isn’t always a big problem, but it’s something you should never ignore. It could be a sign of a more serious underlying issue that’s been unnoticed for a long period of time and could lead to problems with your engine.

Avoiding the Worst Case

Should the worst absolutely happen, it’s good to know your pride and joy doesn’t have to go to scrap. Gearhead Engines supplies professionally remanufactured engines, cylinder heads, transmissions, and more to give a new lease on life for your car, truck, or SUV.

Of course, Gearhead Engines stands by our remanufactured transmissions with a nationwide, fully-transferable, 3-year, unlimited mile warranty and offers no-fault protection add-ons that extend that coverage.

BROWSE OUR PRODUCT CATALOG TODAY!

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Six Ways to Get the Best Reman Deal

Get the BEST deal on Gearhead remanufactured products

When you’re shopping for a replacement engine, transmission, cylinder heads, etc., it’s important to make sure you’re comparing products “apples to apples.” As you make up your mind, here are six details you won’t want to overlook.

Is it just rebuilt, or is it fully remanufactured?

Reman products are more accurately compared with new.

Rebuilt products are basically products that have had some new parts installed. They still may retain a number of used components, and they’ve had little (if any) machine work done.

On the other hand, remanufactured products are more accurately compared with new – and sometimes better than new. They’re built using all-new components, and they’re machined to current OE specifications or better. Nothing is left untouched.

How complete is a remanufactured build?

Does the engine include things like timing components and gasket sets? Gearhead remanufactured engines do.

Are you getting all the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) updates?

These updates are improvements to the original design issued by the OE manufacturers. Gearhead remanufactured products include every TSB update.

Have the products been tested? How well?

Every product from Gearhead Engines comes sim-tested to verify proper function and performance.

Do remanufactured products come with warranties? How good are they?

This is important, because warranties can vary hugely between companies. Gearhead remanufactured product warranties are trusted and dependable and range from 12 months to three years with no-fault protection add-ons in some cases. Be sure check out our warranties and feel free to ask if you have additional questions.

What about shipping?

Gearhead Engines charges a low, FLAT shipping fee with every product, and we’ll always pick up the core for return FREE of charge.

BROWSE OUR PRODUCT CATALOG TODAY!

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Should You Repair Your Vehicle? or Replace It?

Should You Repair Your Truck or Replace It with a Gearhead Engine

This is a great question — one we hear dozens of times each month.

When you’re staring at a repair bill that could run to several thousand dollars, you want to know that it’s a good investment.

The one thing we stress more than anything else is this:

Don’t focus on the value of your vehicle!

Unless you just want a new and potentially higher car payment, what matters is the cost of repairing your vehicle vs. the cost of replacing it with a vehicle that’s comparable.

Here’s What We Mean

Can John find a replacement vehicle that’s in better shape, with lower miles and a new engine, for less than $2,500?

John has a Ford F-Series pickup with a V8 engine and 130,000 miles. It’s got a Kelly Blue Book of $2,000, but it’s going to cost John $2,500 to have a replacement engine installed.

Should John repair it or replace it?

At first glance it seems like a no-brainer. John’s truck isn’t worth $2,500, so why spend that much on it?

The reality is that the $2,000 value assumes the engine is good. It isn’t, so John’s pickup is actually worth a fraction of that value.

The Smart Move

You’d be surprised how many of our customers buy engines for used vehicles they purchased within the last year.

Can John find a replacement vehicle that’s in better shape, with lower miles and a new engine, for less than $2,500? Probably not.

The smart move is investing that $2,500 in the vehicle he has, not risking the money on a potentially problematic used vehicle or purchasing a vehicle new. This isn’t even taking into account the fact that John has maintained his truck for years, knows it inside and out, and has recently purchased a nice new set of tires.

These are all very good reasons to keep what he has, not replace it with something he doesn’t know.

Don’t get stuck in this situation

Gearhead remanufactured engines come with a nationwide, fully-transferable, 3-year, unlimited mile warranty. Our no-fault protection add-ons guarantee your investment more additional value.

And we offer an valued Premium Engine Install Kit to ensure all of the parts connecting with your engine are new and warrantied for 12 months. After all, you’re about to install a new, precision-machined Gearhead Engine. The best thing you can do is make sure your engine’s supporting parts are fresh and ready-to-go.

BROWSE OUR PRODUCT CATALOG TODAY!

Should you buy remanufactured? Rebuilt? A salvage engine?

Don’t let your car break down twice!

Quality Matters

Buying remanufactured is economically sound

Remanufactured is an eco-friendly solution

Bottom line. Buying remanufactured is a good, reliable, sound investment. Buy from Gearhead Engines today!

Five Reasons Why

Get the Best Engine for Your Dollar

When you consider buying a Chevy 350, remember to GO with Gearhead Engines and More.

Black smoke from exhaust

Blue smoke from exhaust

White smoke from exhaust

Oily-smelling smoke from under the hood

Electrical smoke

Other smoke from the engine bay

Avoiding the Worst Case

Is it just rebuilt, or is it fully remanufactured?

How complete is a remanufactured build?

Are you getting all the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) updates?

Have the products been tested? How well?

Do remanufactured products come with warranties? How good are they?

What about shipping?

Don’t focus on the value of your vehicle!

Here’s What We Mean

The Smart Move

Don’t get stuck in this situation

When you consider buying a Chevy 350,
remember to GO with Gearhead Engines and More.