Hey guys I was talking to the guy that I was going to have build my short block about building my 454. I told him what I wanted to do and he told me he knew of someone selling an engine almost exactly like I wanted to build. The engine builder built it for him last year and the guy wants to go bigger. I heard the engine run and it sound strong. He said that it was taken to the track about 7 or 8 times and was driven about 5000 miles on the street.

It is a 461 work over oval port heads with bigger valves. Balanced stock crank and rods. Studded rods and mains. trw forged pistons, team g-intake, roller rockers, balancer, water pump. The owner is asking $3500 and the engine builder told me it cost about $5500 to build. I have heard nothing but good things about his engines. The engine builder told me the guy ran 11.70 at 119 mph in a 3500 lbs car on street tires.

I was going to call him and tell him I wanted the engine, but i was wondering if you guys thought that it was a fair deal?

thanks
Tom

If it was me I would see if it is a four bolt main, a cast or forged crank, how much the crank has been ground down, pull the oil pan and look for any little shiny metal flakes in there or on the oil pump pickup.

Then when you have the pan off, get an engine builder to pull a couple of bearing caps and do a visual.

I did this exact check on one about six months ago, same story, same miles, gave the engine builder twenty bucks, although I knew the engine builder, but he wasn't there a half hour.

My motor had a cast crank and blueprinted, two bolt main, same miles, engine builder told me he would be proud to tell anybody that he built an engine like that.

It looked really good.

It's a mental thing, that you won't have to think about, gives you piece of mind, especially when you drop the hammer on it once in a while, you know it's good.

Be firm and fair with the guy, it's you're $3500. If he won't let you inspect it, tell him to keep it.

Otherwise when you're driving down the road and you think you hear something, or always watching that oil pressure needle, look it over, if it looks good, you got a good deal.

If this motor is out of the car, I would insist on inspecting it.

Or tell him to take it out and you will take it if it if it looks good on the bottom end, which is also a good point, you're buying it, and only looking at half of the motor.

Just an old mans two cents, good luck

Rob

thanks for all the help. I will ask if he can pull a bearing and see what it looks like.

If you've heard it run and it sounds good and tight, then $3500 is not overboard these days. 454 cores are now going for $4-500!...plus the machine work, pistons, rods, cam, crank,..then the heads and valvetrain, etc,..plus your getting some more stuff.

If it's pretty fresh and well built, why not.

Tom, I would ask him if 92 octane pump gas will work, if he's running in the 11's on a stock crank, he's got some high compression, I don't think you can make that kind of power unless it's stroked, or he's running some 488's in the rear end.

High compression and pump gas don't work.

And I think that motor still might be a good deal, these are just questions, but he might be the type of guy that doesn't want to be questioned.

Straight line 69 has a good point there to

Good luck

Rob