[bmpmdf]

baer454, Explain the 2 times the cost to me for building a Pontiac over the cost of a chevy. Where did you get that? Cam and Valvetrain parts should be the same cost as the companies sell them for the same price to warehouses, stores, etc., pistons may be more, but not more than 100 bucks, the intake will be more if you buy it new compared to sbc, but not when compared to bbc. Headers are not much more than a sbc, while a bbc and the rest is a wash regardless of engine brand.

Have A Great Day

[80TA]

I had a 77 bandit in 78 with a 400 of course and have had several 400s since.I never did have a 455.Would have liked to.I have also had lots of small block chevies and one big block supercharged one.No complaints there either.

I have a 400 pontiac in my current 80 but I am still putting in a 454 that I have picked up for cheap.Its a 95 engine and has factory 4 bolt mains ,one piece oil pan seal.Besides the fact that I have already some big block parts to install on it I have one main reason for going to it.
The 455 and 400 pontiacs don't look intimidating .The valve covers like the mopar 440s and 383 are too darn small.The two meanest most intimidating engines out there are the old hemi and the big block chev.Now I am not arguing that the pontiacs can't be made to run as good or better than my 454.But sorry they just don't look as mean.
Its a kinda stupid reason maybe but its my main reason.The the small block chevy don't look like much of a motor either but it has the advantage of tons and tons of pretty cheap new and used parts avialability for it.And my ls1 and lt1 cars go pretty darn good.
And guys pontiac hasn't been making pontiac engines since 82 so whats the big deal?

80TAWS6,400,edelbrock carb,accel wires,dual exhaust,dynomax mufflers,3.42 strange gears,turbo 400,B&M converter/shift kit/etc., polygraphite everywhere,draglites.
14.24 at 97.40mph 2.21 60ft tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.
99TAWS6 ..lots of mods.13.35 at 109 2.27 60ft tazzo vpc.
96 Z28 camaro vert,14.66 at 98.3 with 2.47 60ft

[krisr]

Don't know how it works over there, but over here in Australia, last year my dad and myself had our motors rebuilt. Dads was an SBC350, mine was a 389. Our rebuilds were pretty much identical work wise except I had already had my pistons/bores done, bearings, cam and 1.5 gasket kits (had 1/2 a set left over from an old 455 build + beyond)

Dad's motor needed EVERYTHING, rebore, rings, bearings, springs, gasket kit, vales.. the lot..

Dad spent $2000 to get his finished, home, running. Remember its a stock motor +0.035 with a mild cam, nothing else.

I spent $2000 to get just the short block done! Where I did stuff up was trying to find rings for a 389 +0.040 in this country!, I should have had the bores machined the extra few thou and gone a std 400 bore and bought new pistons & rings. Dare say it would have worked out the same price!. Anyhow after I had the heads cleaned up, new springs, new valves, each seat has been replaced with a hardened insert as they have been pounded to nothing (1966 heads), my bill came to $1200 for the heads. $3200 all up for my engine before I spent any extras on valve covers etc.. This is for a stock 389 +0.040 with a similar grind cam to a RA3.

Honestly the 389 smokes his into the ground, but when the topic is dollar for dollar rebuilds in my opinion a chev is cheaper due to the scale of parts out there for the Brand-X market. Standard performance wise, ofcourse the characteristics of the Pontiac motor will eat chevs for breakfast (remember I said standard). But to do the things I would like to do, fuel injection & turbocharging, it leaves me thinking as I can do it with a chev for half the price as everything is just there for it! Especially a crate all alloy LS1 or something along those lines....

Its an interesting topic, but yeah thats my 0.02c on it

[Banditone]

80 TA--Heres a AWESOME PIC OF A PONTIAC ENGINE .

[azbirds]

O.K.,so I'm convinced...I'm going to sell my Ram Air V......It just doesn't look Impressive enough..maybe I'll have some valve covers made that make it look wider,bigger and bad to the bone.

[bmpmdf]

You want to know how to make more money on those late night money runs? Use a Pontiac engine. Show up with a bbc or bbf or bbm, and no one but the high dollar 2+stages of nos guys want to race you. Show up with a Pontiac engine, use painted valve covers, (works even when you stacked two to make a tall valve cover), start collecting the bucks by beating the smarta$$$ chevy boys. Not that I know about that recently, but I claim the Fifth on some younger years.