New casted SBC engines are being pumped out as new crate engines by the thousands.Is any one casting new blocks for the flat head v-8 engines.? With all the interest in them and the fact they are so nolstalgic one would think someone would being casting them or is someone doing it I haven't heard about ? Gene
probably because the machinery to m*** produce the final product are not in existence. machining a one off block is a lot different than doing 100's economically.
It would be cheaper to buy any of the "French" flathead blocks on the market at $1500-3000 than it would be to cast a whole new one, which I would expect to be in the $5k range. Maybe when that supply dries up, in a decade or two, a new block might become feasible, especially if 3D printing technology and the like can drop prototyping and machining costs.
What "all the" interest?? The interest in Ford Flathead is purely nostalgia, whereas, SBCs are not only nostalgia, but are continually being used for everyday drivers and they span from Hot Rods of the 50s and 60s to the Muscle Cars of the 60s and 70s. In short, the market isn't there for crate motor flatheads.
Saw new blocks advertised not too long ago, shortly after I picked mine up. Can't find the same site but they were just shy of $3k. http://www.motorcityspeedequipment.com/content.asp?page_id=newblock edit....it was an ebay listing for new French blocks. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-S...m3a74566bce:m:m3NDM6ypyRSXycwUnmIaiyg&vxp=mtr
Also, keep in mind that a flathead block is a lot more complicated to cast than a modern engine. All of the valves and ports must be included in that casting. That is why it was such a marvellous accomplishment when Henry Ford and his engineers managed to cast a flathead v-8 engine block in a single casting for the first time.
There was supposedly an aluminum flathead block in the prototype stages several years ago, but, after much hype, there has been no new information released. I would have thought if there was anything new the HAMB would be a**** the first to hear about it, as it is the obvious target audience, aside from the FORD BARN.
You can buy a new "flathead" block. Except it's for Ardun heads and can not be used as a flathead. Contact Paramount Forge.
God....I hate to do this and be branded a grammar Nazi, but here goes. The past tense of cast is cast. You never hear of "casted iron", it's cast iron. Sorry....flame away. I deserve it
Yes..But been dormant for a while...http://www.motorcityspeedequipment.com/content.asp?page_id=newblock
In 1999 or so(maybe 2000) the original French flatheads arrived from France into Galveston,Tx and then by truck to College Station,Tx.I used to buy long blocks from the original importer for $2200 and sell them at swap meets in Texas for $2500 and make an easy 300 per transaction. 15 or so years later, the "new" owners are selling bare blocks for around $3,000 or so and I am sure the long blocks are much more also. At one time, the original importer had approx. 250 short blocks and about 400 bare blocks. I know because I was there!
The Jalopy Journal
