Half the crowd cheers, half winces — and both sides have a point.

At this point, mixing and matching the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers' V-8 powerplants, both internally and across all brands of vehicles—engine-swapping, if you will—is a tried-and-true practice.

"I've got a '68 Valiant with a blowed engine, and a '54 Jimmy pickup with a busted rear but a real good motor. …" We shouldn't have to tell you this is the wrong reason to attempt an engine swap, but ...