Way, way back when Elvis first made an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show I was a radio announcer in North Bay Ontario. No disc jockeys in those days, folks... we covered everything from funeral announcements to local hit parades. Already a sports car enthusiast, in my spare moments at the station I attempted to build a 1/43 model Ferrari from a kit. I've always been a klutz with my hands so the mini Ferrari had a short life.

Thus you can imagine how awe-struck I was when learning of a near-finished 1/6th scale Chevrolet 327 cu. in. V-8 that actually runs! It was built by Jim Moyer, whose hobby is building miniature engines. Based on a 1964 365 hp Corvette, measurements have been taken from an actual engine. The head and block began as billet aluminum, painstakingly machined on a Bridgeport-style mill. The 5-main crank has real babbit bearings, while the cam is a scale 30-30 Duntov.

Jim's Web site explains that dies were developed for stamping out the front cover, oil pan and rockers. The pistons and water pump housing are cast aluminum and the valve covers are going to be investment-cast. Since this engine is a runner, there is spark ignition, a pressurized oil system, and a cooling system just like its big brother. As of now, the engine has been completed to the point that it will run for brief periods. Jim says that "several things have yet to be finished including the water pump/radiator, valve covers and carburetor to make this a full-time running engine."

My thanks to one-time race buddy and former car mag associate Diana Carter for making me aware of this story. Forty-five years after working together and with no further contact, we both ended up on Canada's west coast Vancouver Island, Diana in Ladysmith BC and me in Sidney BC, where the weather is similar to Seattle but with less rain. I tried selling a film script but somehow "Sleepless in Sidney" didn't quite make the cut.