TO THE SPEC

Shop notes · muscle DIY

Muscle coupe under a single bay light

Work order · five tickets

Muscle car DIY, written like a shop ticket

Repair and customization for people who actually turn wrenches. Numbers that came from a book. No Haynes fanfic. No “120 all around.”

Five-lug star pattern diagram
WO-001 · Repair

Don’t warp the rotor

Factory wheel torque, dry threads, star pattern, and why an impact is not a torque wrench.

 Oil fill with filter, not dipstick min-max
WO-002 · Repair

How many quarts it actually takes

With-filter drain-and-refill in US quarts. Why a Camaro 6.2 really is 10 quarts, not a bad conversion.

 Harmonic balancer timing marks
WO-003 · Tune

Time a small-block without guessing

Initial on the decal, vacuum unplugged, then check total. The 8° in the drawing is a mark, not a universal spec.

 Drum versus disc brake diagram
WO-004 · Customize

Drum-to-disc: what has to match

Spindle, bolt pattern, master, prop valve, parking brake. Calipers alone do not make it stop straight.

 TH350, TH400, and 4L60E on a bench
WO-005 · Customize

TH350, TH400, or 4L60E

Pick the automatic that matches the engine and the way you drive. TV cable, electronics, and coolers.