[dragracerx2813]

Originally Posted by mike leech

Well that just won't happen. And the price on blocks is kept lower by competition. If one of the suppliers stopped the price would likely go up.

I know! But I can dream. I am having sticker shock on prices of Pontiac parts.

When I had money to race , I was running a Sbc. Now that I have no money I am trying to run Pontiac. I guess I am doing this backwards.

[hp 400 dave]

I don't understand the cheaper block talk. How much less will make it affordable? It can't be expected to be any more than $1,500 less. Run a stock block for a couple more seasons or sit out awhile and save the cash. Diluting an already small market could lead to vendors stopping production of proven and needed products due to declining sales. Stock blocks can hold over 650hp and are still around. My 2 cents anyway.

[JSPONT]

Originally Posted by hp 400 dave

I don't understand the cheaper block talk. How much less will make it affordable? It can't be expected to be any more than $1,500 less. Run a stock block for a couple more seasons or sit out awhile and save the cash. Diluting an already small market could lead to vendors stopping production of proven and needed products due to declining sales. Stock blocks can hold over 650hp and are still around. My 2 cents anyway.

Problem is you pay big for aftermarket blocks, then you bring them to a machine shop and spend another 1500- 2000 to get it ready.
I just looked at one in my machine shop, looks beautiful and will be good when done, but its costing the owner another $1500.
Even if they could make a bolt in besides the piston bore would help.

[dragracerx2813]

Originally Posted by JSPONT

Problem is you pay big for aftermarket blocks, then you bring them to a machine shop and spend another 1500- 2000 to get it ready.
I just looked at one in my machine shop, looks beautiful and will be good when done, but its costing the owner another $1500.
Even if they could make a bolt in besides the piston bore would help.

In comparison , how much machine work would you have to do a Bbc Dart block?

[Anderson Port Development]

Originally Posted by dragracerx2813

In comparison , how much machine work would you have to do a Bbc Dart block?

... we've done many Dart SBC blocks that needed nothing at all ...

[dragracerx2813]

Originally Posted by Anderson Port Development

... we've done many Dart SBC blocks that needed nothing at all ...

That was my point. You spend under2k and don't have to do anything . The Pontiac block you spend 3300 and it needs 1500 to 2000 for machine work. That is a lot of money for a block. To bad Dart doesn't make a Pontiac block.

[mgarblik]

I have no doubt you have handled many more aftermarket blocks than I have and I have never built a Dart SBC. But I have built several Merlins. Nice block but needed all the same stuff as an IA II. Line hone, square deck, de-burr, oil passage clean up, and plate hone. Same with Ford Motorsports blocks, big and small block. The aftermarket Ford FE blocks, the most comparable to a Pontiac in my opinion. Of the two FE brands I have used, no comparison VS the quality of an IA II. One of the Fe's had a breech through the oil passage to water that had to have a long thinwall tube installed to patch. These are 3K+ blocks like a Pontiac. Highly mass produced aftermarket blocks will likely be slightly better than the niche blocks because machining is done on newer, more accurate, faster CNC machining centers. Niche blocks are often run during non-peak times on older. slower machines. Fewer choices in machining options, while we don't like it, keeps the price where it is now. Having tons of little sub-programs and no 2 blocks alike type of production, will increase prices.

Originally Posted by Anderson Port Development

... we've done many Dart SBC blocks that needed nothing at all ...

[Anderson Port Development]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I have no doubt you have handled many more aftermarket blocks than I have and I have never built a Dart SBC. But I have built several Merlins. Nice block but needed all the same stuff as an IA II. Line hone, square deck, de-burr, oil passage clean up, and plate hone. Same with Ford Motorsports blocks, big and small block. The aftermarket Ford FE blocks, the most comparable to a Pontiac in my opinion. Of the two FE brands I have used, no comparison VS the quality of an IA II. One of the Fe's had a breech through the oil passage to water that had to have a long thinwall tube installed to patch. These are 3K+ blocks like a Pontiac. Highly mass produced aftermarket blocks will likely be slightly better than the niche blocks because machining is done on newer, more accurate, faster CNC machining centers. Niche blocks are often run during non-peak times on older. slower machines. Fewer choices in machining options, while we don't like it, keeps the price where it is now. Having tons of little sub-programs and no 2 blocks alike type of production, will increase prices.

... yes, the lowest price version would be the standard Base Pontiac version, so the extra/different machining options would increase price certainly, but these would be options that simply are not availabe yet, so they certainly would carry a price increase ...

[Anderson Port Development]

Originally Posted by JSPONT

Problem is you pay big for aftermarket blocks, then you bring them to a machine shop and spend another 1500- 2000 to get it ready.
I just looked at one in my machine shop, looks beautiful and will be good when done, but its costing the owner another $1500.
Even if they could make a bolt in besides the piston bore would help.

... so now you're looking at $4600-$4700 range correct ?? ...

... just look at other aftermarket block Iron offerings, and compare ... not just price either, we can do better, IMO ...

[hp 400 dave]

So let's make the cheaper overseas block and fill it with the cheaper overseas crank and rods. Let's talk about how much you saved when the crank breaks and takes out the block. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. What was the point of this? Oh yeah, a high horsepower race engine. Sounds like a good investment.

[Anderson Port Development]

Originally Posted by hp 400 dave

So let's make the cheaper overseas block and fill it with the cheaper overseas crank and rods. Let's talk about how much you saved when the crank breaks and takes out the block. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. What was the point of this? Oh yeah, a high horsepower race engine. Sounds like a good investment.

... WHOA, slow down dave, it was never stated this was to be an over seas block, in fact quite the opposite, it was to be a stellar piece, because honestly from the manufacture aspect, blocks are dumb parts, for someone with CAD capability and high level casting & tooling capability it's not impossible ...

... and as for my stroker kits, they will be the highest quality non-billet forgings on the market ...

... pricing will be very favorable as well ...

[hp 400 dave]

I like my parts made in the ole USA

[455firebird1969]

Originally Posted by dragracerx2813

I know! But I can dream. I am having sticker shock on prices of Pontiac parts.

When I had money to race , I was running a Sbc. Now that I have no money I am trying to run Pontiac. I guess I am doing this backwards.

No, running a Pontiac is a good thing. Those chebbie's are dime a dozen.

[dragracerx2813]

Originally Posted by 455firebird1969

No, running a Pontiac is a good thing. Those chebbie's are dime a dozen.

Thats why everything is cheap for them.

I do like having the only Pontiac at the track.