In a size large, this Gunner G1 dog crate costs $600. Empty, it weighs 72 pounds. Both numbers are approximately 10 times those of the single-wall plastic crates that you’ll find at a pet store.

For many decades, so-called crate engines—most often V-8s—have been the basis for adding more excitement or a life extension to old cars and trucks, fresh out of a shipping crate and with a minimum of ...