I've been watching these topics/ debates going on 4 years and luckily I'm blessed with a solid matching # engine that, knock on wood, has years of fun left to go.

Now the positive and negative attributes.

1. Crate motors
Positives
a. All ready pre-built. No weeks to months toiling in the garage just to fin out you have too much lift and your cam lobes are wiped.
b. All ready pre-fired and possibly dynoed so you get a turn-key engine with no worries, drop in and go.
c. HP and torque figures that are unbelievable. GS3 was talking recently about a 383 stroker from AR that had 527 plus HP on pump gas!! Not many if anyone here has those figures with their 396/427/454. Keep in mind I have not seen the dyno sheets so this is purely speculation and I'm doubtful until I see it on paper. So what does AR have the golden key to horsepower or is there something to the saying "keep it to the professionals"

d. Too expensive
e. NOM
f. unsure of workmanship and nasty legal issues if youi get a bad motor
g. and again expensive

Rebuild your block or rebuild Matching #
Positives
a. Original drivetrain equals greater value
b. Rebuild your motor to your specs. Someone like Norval William falls into this class and I would rather have him build me a motor than 90% of the fly-by-night CO. out there.
c. build in increments as you can afford instead of plunking down $4000 plus at one time.
Negatives
d. Time, time time time. If your make 100K a year your time is probably more valuably spent at work then in the garage I understand that.
e. Unsure if you did it right and no one to blame if you blow your new motor becuase you did not tighten down your caps. Ask me how I know.
f. garage becomes a tomb for mortially wounded C3 while wife becomes more agitated by the day.
g. Your $1500 heads don't give you the performance you thought you would get so another $1800 goes out for new heads, crate motors tell you up front.
h. Oh did I mention time.

I don't know there are so many variables. For my 68 it's simple. It's a complete matching #'s ride so it would retain the original block but I'd let the professionals figure a way to get me 400HP at the wheels If my car was not matching #'s I'd be calling GS3 and getting all the info from him and AR's website.

Your thoughts.

 

Changing motors out depends on your personal situation. If there is any chance you may have to sell it(loss of job, divorce, etc) then for resale it makes sense to retain the major components in the car. Make bolt-on changes that can be undone relatively easily so either you or the potential buyer can make the changes back to stock without a big hassle.
In my previous 71, I swapped out the entire drivetrain and put in a built 383, Super T-10, and big block rear diff. I had all the original parts to put it back to stock. I had to sell it 4 years ago and had trouble selling it even though it was restored and had two complete drivetrains. The guy that bought it got a heck of a deal.
And if you are going to change out your motor, I believe in selecting all the components you want and using a very reputable machine shop. Do plenty of research...primarily on cam choice.
That's my .02

Greg

 

I went with a crate engine.

 

I just had that delima, thought about a crate motor since it's a NOM any way.. However I bought the car for the looks stock looking motor and all.. However now inside it is anything but stock. 327 Block bored to .040 over, 350 crank machined mains, forged pistons, midlift cam.. nothing radical, roller rockers etc.. best 2500 I have ever spent.. Put a BG SD on top of it with a Mallory.. Starts at will runs great and 1500 less than a crate motor.. Now did I get a good builder.. yep.. or at least yet to be determined.. Highly recommended.. Also the Drags went down at Rockingham last weekend and there were more than a few RV's with trailers behind them at his shop picking up some last minute bits... Just my .02... Dave..

 

I had a lot of fun picking every part, bolt and nut on my 406 over the last year. It would have been a lot of money to spend all at once but because I had all the time I wanted ( still have a good motor in the Vette now ) so I was able to search for parts a good prices, stole a couple of high prices items off ebay.

I looked at crate motors etc. and while they seem OK I can see now where they save money on their motors, you won't get a $5000 motor for $3000 you'll gt a $3000 motor :lol:
Not to say there is anything wrong with them as some have had good luck but others have had to ship em 1000 miles back.

Whether you put it together yourself or have someone do it, stay local. :D

 

I rebuilt. There will not be a next time for me, but if there were; it would be a crate engine. It is a much easier way to go.

 

I'm with you whether it's the original L-79 or a whole new block.

 

Well since I'm picking up my early 70's 4 bolt block tomorrow, I guess I fall into the build it yourself group.

But my play fund is always empty, so I hope to have it ready to bolt in by may 17th, 2031. :D
Good thing the original motor still runs good. :thumbs:

 

Desertdawg---you finally going for that BB?? :lol:

I opted for the assemble it yourself route. I really liked the crate motors but couldn't afford the huge one-time cash outlay. I no longer use credit cards, except for emergencies, so it had to be cash. My play money fund didn't total $6,800 which was the price on the ZZ502 at the time. It's taken me over 2 years to get the engine to a point where it's almost ready to drop. This allowed me to buy the pieces as I could afford them.

Hindsight being 20-20 and I had the cash(or could pay off in 30 days) I woulda opted for the ZZ502.

 

I was going to rebuild my NOM but then I started sourcing parts and saw the ads for crate engines. I went......hummmm, maybe that’s what I should do. That’s what I did and have never regretted it. Will I ever rebuild an engine on my own.....probably. Will I ever buy another crate engine....probably.

1. Old engine out on Friday night after work.
2. Swap everything and install on Saturday.
3. Fire up, tune and drive on Sunday.

Take your original engine and get a stand then preserve it and wrap it in plastic. Your car will not go down in value because you still have the original engine and you can't throw a rod through its block sitting in the garage.

Just my .02

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:
Same thing I did...same reasons

 

I always rebuilt until my last swap. I walked into a Chevrolet dealership and walked out with an engine. Unless something really profound happens in my life, I'll never rebuild my own again. Too time consuming and too many things to go wrong with machine work.

CRATE, CRATE, CRATE.

 

There really isnt any Correct answer to this. You hit on most of the points, time vs. money often being the key issue.

I for one have always built my own engines, they have always worked (knock on wood) and never given me any problems. However almost universally that has been simply because either ..

A> Crate motors were unavailable or...
b> Crate motors were too expensive.

As for who to blame if they blow up on you...I dont worry about that...there is no guarantee that a crate motor wont detonate on you when you fire it up....sure, there is a warantee, but that doesnt reduce the possibility, it only reduces the fiscal pain when that happens.

I enjoy the process of building the engine, which is part of why I'm in this hobby, for me, there is little joy in just pulling out the checkbook and letting others do the work...YMMV




[Modified by fauxrs, 7:38 AM 4/27/2004]

 

I went the rebuild route. Time was not a problem since I really enjoy quality garage time and an engine on a stand is a great conversation piece between friends. :cheers: