By Dave Chapman

RIVERVIEW — In the 1960s, horsepower was what muscle cars were all about. Downriver Kruzers car club member Mike Lane’s 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 has more than enough under its hood. In the past, there was even more horsepower when he was running the dual quads on top of a tunnel ram manifold.

Lane was very happy with the horsepower the setup put out and the way the car looked. He even won some awards for how good the engine looked. The problem was the amount of time and effort to keep the engine clean. Lane drives his car, and whenever it got caught in the rain, it would take him hours to clean the engine to his high standards.

To make his car more cruise-friendly, he replaced the tunnel ram manifold with a much more hood-friendly one so that he can drive his car rain or shine without spending days cleaning the engine.

If you would like to see or talk to Lane, he will be hanging out at the Lung and Sleep Disorders Center, 18025 Fort St., Riverview, at Cruisin’ Downriver on June 30.