I saw local ad for a 383 long block at a real nice price. The list of internals was good quality stuff: scat crank, Eagle h-beam rods Ross pistons with gapless rings, comp cams solid roller with roller rockers and stud girdle on 195 AFR heads.
I’m a little nervous about buying a motor I can’t hear run.
So for peace of mind I was thinking of figuring into it the cost of having a good performance builder take it apart, check everything, maybe drop in some new mains, button it back up, add a intake and carb and dyno it. Question is, what do you think a shop might charge for all that?
I’m thinking I could still come in way under the cost of a blueprint crate, and have a real stout bottom end.

 

Ever watch the People's Court and hear Marilyn Milian use the phrase "lo barato sale caro"?

 

I'm really certain that different shops would charge different prices.
Simply pick up the phone and call a couple engine building shops and ask for a quote. Get maybe 5 quotes if you can in your area. Discard the lowest quote no matter what they have to say. Then you will have a good idea of cost in your area.

 

Define what a real nice price is. Current scrap iron prices are around $0.09 lb.

 

the shop's answer will be... "how much ya got?" if the engine is cheaper than the heads usual price, buy it. google the teardown and do it yourself. then you can see what is good or not so good so the shop can't get creative on you. you know, sell you the crank you just handed them. stuff like that. i have seen so much really evil stuff done to people at repair shops. no it is not all of them, but...

 

I took a risk like this and bought a $300 short block 355 9 years ago that was supposedly a fresh rebuild with less than 1000 miles...

Upon buying it I gave the seller the intentions that I was buying it regardless and planning on pulling it apart. He must have felt guilty because he then gave me more free parts he had laying around his shop, he also was a little more forthcoming about the history of the engine and that it was pulled from a 76 c20 pickup where the owner wanted a 383 instead a year after he rebuilt this, he took it in as partial labor trade. He explained that one of the rings broke and he had replaced them and checked the block over but the truck owner decided on the 383 at this time instead... What he missed was, there were pieces that made it into a couple main bearings and grooving the journals..It was still a great freshly machined 4 bolt (high nickel if you believe in that) block with new flat top .30 over pistons.

I ended up watching a lot of you tube videos to get up the confidence to tear it down, rehone, replace the crank with a scat unit, replace the bearings, check tolerances with plastigauge (thats actually pretty easy) and assemble the entire engine. I got lucky and the result was the confidence to do the body, paint and mechanical repairs and upgrades that followed. I later put in a retro roller cam and just a couple weeks ago I installed some cheap ebay bare castings I ported and assembled and I am very happy with the power at this point. There are more updates to the car in the works but point it had I not taken the risk to learn what I did with checking and rebuilding the engine I likely would have had to rely on others for much more of the build and I likely would have lost interest and sold the car had I not found enjoyment in the new hobby of working on it.

 

every job you do, the tools and parts are way less than paying the guy. and at the end you still have the tools. and you know one (at least) more system in your car. and you can pound your chest... Me Tarzan! Me build!!

 

what is the real nice price ? you can pick up a Jegs or Summit catalog and add up the individual pieces but the block will need clearance for the stroker crank and then torque plate bored and honed for over sized pistons , you could also use Skip White engines as a price guide line.
Another thought is there any nice 400SBC in the neighbor hood ? 406 = 400 +.030 with good rod and pistons will be that much more power than a 383 with some nice AFR heads

 

$1,500. I don't think it's a scam artist, either. The location is a 20 minute drive from me.

It leaves an awful lot of money to spend at the builder before I get close to a crate 383 motor price, providing those nice parts are what he says they are, and they aren't trashed.

My problem is I'm stingy and have to convince myself to spend the money. I don't need the motor, I've got a decent running 300hp crate motor right now, just dreaming about more zap under the pedal.
Motor will be changed/replaced/updated when I do the restomod in a few years, so I was just thinking of grabbing good deals on stuff as they come along, in preparation for the build.

I am a little afraid of doing it myself. I've rebuilt a few small and big blocks 30 years ago, but it's been so long I'm afraid of messing something up and blowing my investment. That stingy thing, again.

I dunno.
I think I'll probably pass on this one so if someone wants to take a crack at it, PM me and I'll give you the link.

Hey, there is a guy on Facebook selling drop out 2017 Camaro LT-1 motor with harness for less than a grand, think he's legit? Bahahaha!

 

anything on fb. hit is this still available? if you get an email address in response, scam.

 

If it's not in a car will he flip it over and inspect the mains while you are there?

Also bring a scope
So you can take a look at the cylinder walls.