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I have a chance to buy a new, old crate motor. It's cast in 1973, but is the old big block LS6. This is a motor less accessories. Your thoughts on value.
Thanks.
So its not a numbers matching question. Most people that have one think they are worth more than building your own with newer and better parts at a cheaper cost.
450 HP in a BB is easy. 30 years of tech will do alot for a newer motor.
Those were good basic hot rod engines. I believe they used 11.0 closed chamber pistons with open chamber heads. They actually had around 10.0-10.2 compression.
7/16" rods, forged TRW pistons, pressed pins, 4 bolt mains. Heads were iron rectangular ports with 2.19/1.88 valves and back then they used the good LS-6 solid cam.
I seem to remember them selling for around $12-1500 back then. By the 80's the LS-7 and LS-6's were common for around $1800 for either one. The LS-7 had slightly better parts, but no intake manifold.
If it's NOS, it will make a killer little street deal. A little port work, and a better cam will push near 575-600 hp.
I wouldn't spend a ton for it. Definitely not more than they sold for new. They haven't appreciated considering all the new stuff out there. No reason to stay with smaller cubes unless it's a good deal. The real value of it is it has good parts and they are all new. You could move up to a 502 or a 540 if the price is crazy.
JIM
Most had a dual plane intake like a 427/425 style one.
So it's a brand new motor that has been sitting around for years and he all of a sudden adds a roller cam and rockers to sell it? Makes no sense!
Years ago we used to buy LS-7 crate motors and use them as race motors out of the box. There were lots of folks questioning them, but after disaasembling and blueprinting the first few, we tried some with nothing but a cam change and roller rockers. They lived just fine. Those suckers were very good solid engines.
But I just can't see how it is worth anything near that much money. It's not a collectors item and you can assemble a 540 with better parts for similar money. That includes new Merlin block, aluminum heads etc.