Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

hard as hell to find around here guy want a lot for them
I had a guy in Tx give me a perfect std bore magged 509 block as "tip" yrs ago held on to it for eons..finally let it go as Id want to build something I Can twist...now Id like to have one fora milder motor.
SHP are nice but still above what i want to spend.

Back when i had mine a similar condition went for around $400 plus lots of machining.
bought a new Hecho in Mexico 350 4 bolt from PAW for $500.

Even if they did some mild crates like the goodwrench guarantee they would sell.

Let's say they are still laying around or new versions were available as originally cast.
You still have a weak, crack prone block and a ton of machine work involved. Lipstick on a pig?
If you have yesterday's pricing in mind try it with 2017 pricing and see how it adds up....or not.
Not sure how you save anything by bringing back from the dead a block that won't stand up to today's potential.

It would be pointless. Even a new 350 block is over $1000 now, from gm. An shp at 4.155 is a better option.

I'd happily pay $1500-2000 AU$ for a slightly updated GM 400 block - maybe a little tougher in the mains & deck.
Would be a great base for street engines.
An SHP is around $3400 here..........

so a 5.3 is 399 from summit and a 350 a 1000...thats insane.
GM can do better than that there are lots of guys wanting to build new Gen 1 motors the stuff out there is getting pretty old.
There is a market...

Last new block I bought was from PAW hair over 500 fora mexican 4 bolt didnt think that was too bad, new GM steel cranks 5-600. guess Im getting old

Gm does that, I don't get why, well, I do, I think its pretty shyty. 502 blocks that were $995. They got popular, and boom, $1800. That is ridiculous though when you bring up the ls 5.3 blocks, but a 6.0 iron block is $1100. They used to be $700. How is a 5.3 $399, and a 6.0 is $1100. Its the same exactly, except a bit bigger bore. Bs.

Anyone ever use a Blue print block ? Says made in USA on it and didn't look like a bad block. Weighs same as Dart SHP block.

Where I dyno they have been using some. Less than SHP.

I got new SHP for $1200. I wouldn't even think about a new stock GM block for what they cost. Joe bought one for our EMC engine cause rules said no aftermarket blocks, but new stock replacements were ok. Think it cost $800 or something like that. $400 more for new SHP ? Not much to think about there.

Randy

In North America it isn't that hard to find a used 400 but... not many are worth building up. I've got three left, all at 30 over. Core shift is wild on one to the point of it being useless. Otherwise cylinders looked perfect. The other two ended up with very thin cylinder walls at the lower end at 30 over. So thin I could break off pieces with my fingers. I was going to make a destroked 400 out of one to get around that but didn't trust the bearing spacers required to run that combo. If a good aftermarket 400 block was available at a decent price, no one would, or should, even look twice at the original gm block imo. Where's the best deal on a decent aftermarket? I can't find one at the prices others have quoted.

randy331 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2017 1:24 pm Anyone ever use a Blue print block ? Says made in USA on it and didn't look like a bad block.

Yes.!!! Good product for the price!!! Norris Marshall does a good job over there.

Dave Koehler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:45 pmLet's say they are still laying around or new versions were available as originally cast.
You still have a weak, crack prone block and a ton of machine work involved. Lipstick on a pig

You still have lots of small tracks with rules saying "stock production Chevrolet block." Which is where most of my 400 blocks went, along with the 186, 461, and 462 head castings.

Frankshaft wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:14 am Gm does that, I don't get why, well, I do, I think its pretty shyty. 502 blocks that were $995. They got popular, and boom, $1800. That is ridiculous though when you bring up the ls 5.3 blocks, but a 6.0 iron block is $1100. They used to be $700. How is a 5.3 $399, and a 6.0 is $1100. Its the same exactly, except a bit bigger bore. Bs.

I am not exactly sure on this but I believe the 502 was updated and is basically on the bowtie case, and now has provisions for fuel pump and clutch ball. I think it a modestly cheaper alternative to a race orientated build.