Guest polarity Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 just curious if anyone knows why places that advertise 'great engines at great prices' seem to cost the same or more than a crate motor (which from what i've read on this board is pretty much as good as it gets) I cant seem to find a 350 for less than $1200 anywhere.. Some input would be great to know where you guys found your motors and what you paid (or what I should expect to pay. I even called about getting a 350 from a junk yard (about $250) and having someone rebuild it (they said $600 parts plus another $400 labor) Any ideas? Is rebuilding an engine hard, maybe with a book I could do it? Thanks Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 Hey Polariaty, Rebuilding an engine isnt brain surgery, a book will help. The key to build an engine is knowing what you want, and how to match all the parts to get the smoker of your dreams. Only after matching the carbs, intake, cam, heads, block and exhaust will you be able to get the bang for the buck!!! Doing an engine for the 1/4 mile is way different than one for the road courses. Planning is the key to success!!!! The cost is never cheap, but in the long, you are further ahead to spend a few more bucks now and get a good mill that will take the s--- you plan to dish out!! NEVER waiver from your conviction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest polarity Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 I'll ask this too, are there any hybrid members in the Mississippi area? Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 BYE FAR THE CHEAPEST DEAL is a basic crate 350, it will cost about $1500 plus a few extra parts like water pump, starter, carb.,exhaust,dist,etc. installed your looking at $2500 minimum ,YOUR KIDDING YOURSELF IF YOU THINK YOULL BE DRIVEING A CORRECTLY REBUILT/NEWLY REBUILT ENGINE FOR LESS, yes it can be done but if you count the time and machine shop and parts costs on a junkyard rebuild your going to find that either you have not done everything rebuilt back to new condition or you did all the work yourself. http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=prod_detail&catid=128&pid=110 now on the plus side, rebuilding it yourself allows for much better parts to be used and better high performance parts that boost the hp but the price will go up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 I bought a running 1973 Monte Carlo with a 350 SBC equipped with the Edelbrock Performer package for $450.00 and drove it about 2000 miles to discover it was a non oil burner and reliable.. The motor is out now and I am detailing it. The 350 turbo tranny was exchanged for a 2004R. I have a another junk 350 SBC and the 2004R that is being trial fitted to the Fat Boy project.I would note that my experience in hoisting engines centered around 4 cylinder Datsun L 20 B motors and the extra weight of these SBC 350's takes some getting used to.My old faithful cherry picker was balanced inadequetely to safely hoist a SBC and was replaced by a new one more suited to the task. Because of finances I have to nickle and dime to pay for my parts and do all the work myself which is labor intensive. It is fortunate that I have accumulated an incredible amount of hand and power tools to work with over the years. No matter what you do..... IT COSTS in time,money,tool expenditures and/or labor.If I had the cash flow, someonelse would have finished my project long ago but what would I dream about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 Tomahawk, Even when you have the money for someone else to do it - where do you find them? This is such a specialized swap that few will undertake it. The guy I'm working with told me up front he expects to take a bath on the number of hours he puts in versus what he'll get paid. Only reason he's willing to do it is because its the DFW area and he's thinking long term. He's been at it for 10 weeks now and managed to pull the Datsun stuff, sketch up some motor & transmission mounts, and start looking for a good T-56. This is definitely a when-I-have-some-time project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest polarity Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 I have someone who is rather skilled with motors willing to help me with all of this project (I'm sure he knows how to rebuild a motor) but am I really looking at a minimum of $600 in parts to rebuild? I'm sure I could pickup the motor for $250 from a local salvage yard and I might get it this weekend if I hear good things about rebuilding one. When it comes to labor I'm looking to learn with this project, I have no intentions of paying anyone (besides the guy who is helping me he wants the tranny out of my 280ZX for his 240Z) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 If you are going to do it yourself, you can get parts a lot cheaper than that. Northernautoparts.com has a complete high perf SBC rebuild kit with hypereutectic pistons for $300 including a Crane cam and lifters. $450 will get you forged pistons. There are two ways to rebuild an engine, the right way and the cheap way. To do it right, you want to replace rod bolts and resize rods, bore, hone, square the decks, etc. Then there is the take it apart and put rings and bearings in it with a dingle berry hone. This sort of rebuild can be done for $200, but to do it right with the cheap rebuild kit will be nearly $1000. Vat, $50, Bore & hone @$15 a hole=$120, surface the deck $100($50 side), rebuild rods including bolts, $150 3 angle valve job, seats, guides, and springs another $300. I'd buy the Vortecs here for $425. Add an aluminum intake, some gasket sealer and paint and you're around $1200 with a pretty darn good motor. But don't fail to figure in things like ignition, exhuast, carburetor, accessories, balancer since likely the old one is about cooked. These can easily double the amount you figured for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 I went the "build it yourself" route, knowing that there was no way that I could build it cheaper than I could just buy a 383 (factory GM or any number of builders). With the cost of specialized tools, minor supplies, etc, I've gone way over budget. On the other hand, that wasn't the point. I've learned so much by doing it myself, and my confidence with SBC's has gone way up. I wouldn't do it any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 This is something, I should not let get around but bears illustrating about costs and "labor of love". "Detailing" my $450.00 car engine will cost over $200.00 in shiney stuff. I always wanted a chrome oil pan and I will have a chrome oil pan to match all the other non-essential plated or coated parts.If I could get the heads and block shiney easily I would not settle for paint.It is an addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgeezer Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 This is one of the few swaps I could recommend to a second year shop class (Do shop classes still exit in high school?). If one sticks to the program and JTR book this could be an 80 hour and $500 swap, other than the engine and transmission. Get that out of a well used but drivable chevy. Your local "white pages" or shopping market advertising will eventually have the ideal donor @ something less than $1,000.00. Transportation chevys are cheap. Don't get hooked on speed and you'll be okay. Also, don't ask me why I've been working on my toy for three years. I didn't do it, but you can. The key is preparation, focus on the work, and a carbed small block that you can hear run b/4 you dump the cash. Be happy with a simple 90mph 1/4 and don't listen to the small voices that whisper in your ear that with just a "little extra" you can break 100mph. GW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 Now : Z Geezer, is that "$500.00" SBC JTR swap come with a 2 barrell carburator? My swap started out at "$500.00" but I wanted the 4 barrell and the and the and the andthe and the the and ad tuyswnchjdhdskdhjfdkdhj and everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviatorx Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 I have to agree with Phantom - The owner of a reputable local restoration shop said this to me when I was discussing my swap: "I'd never do it unless the customer had set up a seperate bank account for the project, and he gave me the ATM card!" I don't think anyone would like to count up the hours spent in doing a conversion and then trying to correlate the $$cash flow$$ required. I believe we all do things like this for the satisfaction attained in the final product. That's what makes it a labor of love ....(?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 Phantom and Aviatorx hit the nail on the head! It's a labor of love with a little maddening hate sprinkled in for those moments when not a darn thing can go right. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fast Frog Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 Right on Mike!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 280ZXT83 Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 If your looking for reference material, I would recommend: How to build the Smallblock Chevrolet by Larry Atherton and Larry Schreib. It's about $20 and takes you from the original removal to re-installation and engine break-in. I've not seen any of the JTR books or other conversion materials, so I don't know what they offer along these lines. Anybody? This is purely a chevrolet book, and does not reference any "Z" stuff, but a great resource. I was not able to ignore those little x-tra Horsepower voices whispering to me in the night, so I've got about $3000 tied up in my motor and it's not even off the stand yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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