CA. 400 block source?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,062
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
CA. 400 block source?
Still looking for one. Either the ones I find are junk, or they want a fortune for some greasy old block I have to pull myself and hope its good.
ANyone know of any suppliers? Maybe a shop that has excess cores laying around? They are getting scarce, but they aren't that rare.
Thanks in advance!
ANyone know of any suppliers? Maybe a shop that has excess cores laying around? They are getting scarce, but they aren't that rare.
Thanks in advance!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,889
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley Calif.
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Having just been through this, here's what I'd recommend:
Short of getting one from a known source (like CFI's above), I'd research the local machine shops in your area for somebody you can trust to do the cleaning, mag, 4 bolt mains (if applicable), clearancing, etc. I'd approach them and talk about your idea for the buildup and I bet you'll find a good block right there and then! It's amazing what these guys have laying around & to them, they're a dime a dozen.
I was just BS'ing with a guy a couple weeks ago when I got back from Mexico, and mentioned I wanted to get another good 400 core and he sent me out to a trailer in the back and told me to take my pick......geeze, there were 6 or 7 of 'em in there! I'll end up paying him 150 bucks for a good clean, magged 400 virgin "511" casting 
Short of getting one from a known source (like CFI's above), I'd research the local machine shops in your area for somebody you can trust to do the cleaning, mag, 4 bolt mains (if applicable), clearancing, etc. I'd approach them and talk about your idea for the buildup and I bet you'll find a good block right there and then! It's amazing what these guys have laying around & to them, they're a dime a dozen.
I was just BS'ing with a guy a couple weeks ago when I got back from Mexico, and mentioned I wanted to get another good 400 core and he sent me out to a trailer in the back and told me to take my pick......geeze, there were 6 or 7 of 'em in there! I'll end up paying him 150 bucks for a good clean, magged 400 virgin "511" casting
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
U make me sick. 
"told me to take my pick......geeze, there were 6 or 7 of 'em in there! I'll end up paying him 150 bucks for a good clean, magged 400 virgin "511" casting"
Well if i could find those deals i'd make several hundred bucks every 6 weeks at the Pomona swapmeet.
Don't know what'a 511 block is but realy, would buy one like that no matter how many other projects i had inline or how low on cash.
Heck i can imagine room for at least three 400" blocks with internal combos of 3 different strokes and just fill'm with internals as i found parts/money. Ok now u got me dreaming when its time to get back to the wheezer 350". 
Anyways my pick-ur-own type boneyard tour late last year found at least a couple 400" mtrs in each boneyard here in the LA basin area - $200 pull urself.
cardo0
"told me to take my pick......geeze, there were 6 or 7 of 'em in there! I'll end up paying him 150 bucks for a good clean, magged 400 virgin "511" casting"
Well if i could find those deals i'd make several hundred bucks every 6 weeks at the Pomona swapmeet.
Don't know what'a 511 block is but realy, would buy one like that no matter how many other projects i had inline or how low on cash.Heck i can imagine room for at least three 400" blocks with internal combos of 3 different strokes and just fill'm with internals as i found parts/money.
Ok now u got me dreaming when its time to get back to the wheezer 350". Anyways my pick-ur-own type boneyard tour late last year found at least a couple 400" mtrs in each boneyard here in the LA basin area - $200 pull urself.
cardo0
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,889
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley Calif.
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Originally Posted by cardo0
U make me sick.
I know...........it was like I was high or in a dream state or something 
I was tryin' my best to act natural......like that stuff happens everyday........
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by Caboboy
I was tryin' my best to act natural......like that stuff happens everyday........
Originally Posted by Caboboy
I was just BS'ing with a guy a couple weeks ago when I got back from Mexico, and mentioned I wanted to get another good 400 core and he sent me out to a trailer in the back and told me to take my pick......geeze, there were 6 or 7 of 'em in there!
Years back, I wanted a 454 to replace the 400 in my pick up. My budget was tiny. I kept asking around, and was even offered some decent deals. One day I turned around and a running 1973 Corvette 454 with a TH400 almost bit me in the behind. The price was a lot better than just, decent. Not free, but very reasonable.
RACE ON!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 1
From: OKC Oklahoma
I'm building a 395 small block. It's a 3.875 stroke in a 350 block. The rotatiing assembly cost me $1225, but it could have been $1125, had I not purchased more expensive (read: unnecessary) connecting rods. That's 11 cubic inches shy of a 400, but it's not as common as one or a 383 either. For that price I got a forged Eagle crank, 6 inch Eagle rods and good rings and bearings(not cheap crap). Anyway, I'm pretty sure I won't be intimidated by almost any street 400. Message me if you want more details. It's a nice alternative to a 400. As far as the pistons, I got the very first set of Keith Blacks for this application. Well, the application is for a 3.48 stroke with 6.2 rods which should work, provided the skirts aren't too long. The other alternative is SRP PN 144995 which is twice the price of the Keith Blacks, but still at only $1375 for a NICE rotating assembly, you would be alot more happy than stressing over finding a USEABLE 400 block. Trust me, I've done it more than once.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
The 395 sounds interesting....At least I'd have a roller block -Something to think about.
CFI, i have some time off in July. Maybe its time for a road trip..
CFI, i have some time off in July. Maybe its time for a road trip..
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Might want to look into the difference between buying a old 400ci block and having all the cleaning, checking, clearancing if nessessary, boring and honing done and buying a new aftermarket already machined block 
One gear at a time
Joined: Aug 2003
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CI 8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09
You may want to give a call to Steve Van Duyne (760) 535-8778. He's doing a 62 327 block andconverting it to 4 bolt mains for me. Unfortunately, he's in the Vista area. It's a bit of a drive, but he does make delivery runs throughout LA. He had several last time I checked. Another you could try is Greg Jacobson (818) 612-1441; he just opened a machine shop in Palmdale, and happens to be one of the best head porters around. Tell either of them Wes referred you.
If you're interested in a stroker, I have a later model roller cam 4 bolt main shortblock. I bought it to run it in my '59, but found a scratch in one of the cylinders when I pulled a head. It should clean-up .040 or .060" over. I don't have garage space, so if you want it to use, it's yours. Wes
If you're interested in a stroker, I have a later model roller cam 4 bolt main shortblock. I bought it to run it in my '59, but found a scratch in one of the cylinders when I pulled a head. It should clean-up .040 or .060" over. I don't have garage space, so if you want it to use, it's yours. Wes
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
There's stuff in the local paper, just a PITA to get ahold of them and read between the liones when asking questions. Hopefully something turns up soon. If not, (hopefully) at the end of summer I'll order up a shortblock from Larry's in Montebello for $1600 and call it a day. If I can, I'd rather build one myself. Thanks for the responses 
