Rebuilding a classic roadster used to be a breeze.
Even at your local junk yard, classic beauties were easy to find.
Sure they had weeds leaping up all around them and they looked like rotting rust buckets.
But any kid or grease monkey who knew even a little about car repair, could take that downtrodden little roadster, and turn it into a piece of gold.
Nowadays, classic car restoration has become big business for an elusive few who are still keeping the skill set alive.
And thanks to recent TV shows like Monster Garage, there has been some renewed interest in the art.
But this brings us to the challenge.
Let us take, for example, the classic Chevrolet.
Say you're looking to buy a block from one of the smaller models.
Now this would lead you on quite a hunt.
Other old school engines are even harder to find.
Since the urban junk yard has come to be considered a think of the past, we'll need to get a bit creative.
Initially in your search, it's usually beneficial to have a huge network of other car enthusiasts who you can ask for the piece you desire.
The bigger the network, the better.
You might be surprised just how often this works.
Often people who swear that the piece you are looking for does not exist, will magically seem to be able to produce it if pressed just a little harder.
Second, don't be afraid to use that magic internet device known as Craigslist.
I know some car restore buddies who work almost exclusively via this service.
And, they are making quite a good living at it too.
Watch out for spammers and swindlers, but you should be happy to know that Craigslist has, in many ways, become the status quo for auto parts.
Third, don't be afraid to peruse your local auto trader.
Often you will find classic cars for sale that are actually, though not cosmetically in working order, have working order engines.