[HWYSTR455]

Couple conditions when it comes to this, one, when you talk to people about a 'good' machine shop, you need to make sure they're knowledgeable, in machine work, and assembly. Otherwise, even a marginal build will be the best build experience they've ever had. One of the biggest issue I see in general is cam selection. How heads are prepared is another.

Second, it's a lot different having machine work done and then you personally do the assembly. Doing so, you need to have the appropriate tools, and CHECK EVERYTHING with scrutiny, during assembly. If there's an issue, you take it back to be corrected before you move on with the assembly.

Around me, there's literally no one left for Pontiacs, they either don't have the appropriate equipment (torque plates, etc), or insist on doing the assembly. And I've tried them all pretty much, gave up. And the ones that can are usually very expensive, or have a backlog of years.

Machine shops, with proper equipment and skilled staff, that are specifically knowledgeable in Pontiacs, are a dying breed.

'Builders' are generally focused on one or two particular brands, and rarely are with BOP brands. The machining process is basically the same, but the assembly is more specific.

The objective I would say is to eliminate as much risk as possible with the initial selection of a builder and/or a machine shop, but even the specific ones can make mistakes.

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