You can melt down almost any kind of aluminum—cans, even—but a piece that has already been cast (such as a water pump, wheel, or intake manifold) will have an alloy that's better suited for casting.

Cast System: Big power and big boost put serious stress on the cylinder heads. Casting technology is rapidly evolving to meet the demand Horsepower: 2,500. Cubic inches: 430. Boost pressure: 45 psi.

From the outside, iron meteorites tend to look like formless, rusted lumps of metal, which is why museums often polish and etch sections to show their interior structure. This reveals their ...