budget build vs big build

[peppers]

was talking about the old days with my buddy from childhood. we both got into cars about the same time. while i went to school for automotive he did backyard work. we always had fun just throwing combos together and hitting the track to see what we did.
one of the big differences was i had a shop available to me at school so either doing the work or having a fellow student do it to clean up a block and assemble the engine was cheap for me. he would usually buy swap meet or junkyard engines and leave the rotating assembly.
so now 20 years later Ive been out of the industry a while and most of my tools went along the way to pay for kids and a house. he still builds his engines the way he used to and has some hits and some misses.

ill be doing a full drivetrain for my malibu. at the same time I'm renovating my house. so I'm leaning to keeping an eye on craigslist or junkyard for a complete big block, and then put some of my touches to it. seems odd not stripping and going from scratch.
how do some of you guys like to do your engines? some pros and cons i may have missed in the years absent from the craft.

 

[Bar50]

Depends on your skill level and tools.

If you have most of the basics, pull a 1996-99 Vortec 350 from a salvage($250-300). Pop it apart for fresh rings, bearings, and gaskets. Add an oil pump and a cam (LT4 Hot Cam works great $180). Reuse the roller lifters. Grab a new HEI distributor. Buy a new or used vortec carb intake. You will also need an electric fuel pump. Use Flowtech F11104 long tube headers.


If you want to go big block, I totally get it. Same thing 98-2000 454 Vortec ($250 from a pullapart, 600 on Craigslist). Add a 270 HR cam from Comp. Reuse the roller lifters. It should have vortec 7400 heads that will be close to 9-1 compression. Add an oval port intake. It will need rings, bearings, oil pump and gaskets as well. 2455 Hooker headers with some dents. Score some fans from a Dodge Intrepid. CC162 aluminum radiator.

Pick a trans. Buy a G-force crossmember that matches

Pick a carb.

Then save up money for a 9 inch, everything else is a waste. If you NEVER plan to lean on it hard, buy 28 spline axles for a G-body 8.5 and a 28 spline posi unit from a 93-02 F-body.

 

[motorheadmike]

I have never built a new engine/one from scratch. I always use a known good short/long block and build from there; tends to be more cost effective. My favourite thing to do is to optimize the OEM product and uncork the potential before throwing money and parts at it. But, I am weird like that.

 

[peppers]

where do you guys find these yards with such cheap engines? i live close to a track and prices for everything are crazy. just found a 454 with 83k still in the truck guy wants $1800 and i have to pull it. i love the nostalgia of a carb but i think in all honesty I'm looking at the edelbrock pro flo 3 xt system.

 

[L67ss]

Are there no picknpulls there?

 

[peppers]

Not that I know of. Lots of yards closed and we're replaced with houses. The 2 I know were pick and pull you now go to the office and tell them what you want and then come back later for it. No more walking the yard

 

[V8 Rumble]

I redid my engine a couple of years ago. I Bought a rotating assembly from eagle for $650, sbc 350 engine block cleaned and honed for 250. Splurged on some used fast burn heads $650 and a vortec manifold $219.

You can buy a short block for that price. But then still have to buy everything else. I think I did pretty good. I assembled the engine and it's been running like a champ thankfully and it pulls strong.

I was going to do Vortec block but I think I did pretty good with my combo with price and parts.

In summary you can still get some good deals and build a budget engine.

 

[L67ss]

Where are you located?

 

[pagrunt]

I found my L48 350 on CL, got an *ss load of extras + a folding engine hoist for $400. Even with sending it to the machine shop to looked over & clean up work, picking up some needed parts I'm still a good bit under a grand in cost. Local CL had a fair amount of small block at the time & a killer deal on a 396 that I missed out from my own fault.