Car magazine editors are an eclectic group, the likes of which you usually don't see outside a prison or mental institution. On the planet's list of unusual occurences, a legitimate Big Foot sighting is slightly more common than seeing a car magazine editor working on his own hot rod. That's why when we have photographic evidence of such an oddity, we rushed to put it on the web.

Scott Parker was lucky enough to have his camera handy when I was caught working on Project Homewrecker, my '72 Corvette. The 383 had a pretty ugly oil leak at both the front and rear of the intake manifold and (naturally) the chrome thermostat housing was leaking coolant. With the help of co-worker Pete Epple, who was present to ensure I didn't bolt the intake back down with my hand under it, we pulled the manifold and fixed the leaks. The cause of the oil leaks? The front and rear surfaces of the intake had deep unfinished ridges where oil was able to pass no matter how much goop you squeezed on there or what kind of gasket was used. A couple of minutes with a light grinding wheel was all it took to give the surfaces a smooth finish and it solved the problem. A factory-style housing cured the coolant leak. Now I'm happy and best of all, we didn't lose any tools in the intake and unlike when I usually spin wrenches, there were no leftover parts when I was done.