[Tony Smith]

You're not a spoil sport, you're just pointing out the facts.

I don't think any of us are hoping for a fire breathing race engine, but are certainly aiming for reliability and a possible increase in efficiency. While it's certainly true that the military just threw the engines back together when they got tired, in some cases (ie Nth Africa Carrier engines), that was as often as every 1000 miles. By taking a little care in the rebuild, we're hoping for good longevity.

Also, in my case especially, you can't always buy NOS standard parts at the time you want it. I couldn't get new Mushroom head valves anywhere, so had to resort to 8BA or Chev valves. Finding a set of second-hand but still new-in-the-box Manley valves off e-bay meant that I not only saved a few bucks, but got a purported performance gain in the bargain. I searched high and low for new 8BA lifters and couldn't find a supplier. Used, worn ones were all I could get. They would do the job, I suppose, but I wanted new parts and adjustables made sense.