My 305 is somewhere between tired and dead on both top and bottom ends so I'm going to replace it. Dependability is important to me so I won't be visiting the junkyard. The car is a 38 Chrysler, a 3600 lb cruiser. We're not trying to win any races, just want to get on the freeway without forcing it. I'm thinking on getting the basic GM #10067353 260 hp, 350 torque crate motor. With all new bolt-ons, Performer intake & carb etc. it costs around $2k and comes with the GM warranty. But I'm a sucker for a deal. For a few hundred more ( and the few hundred isn't an issue)there are several rebuilders on Ebay and elsewhere that offer a substantially higher spec (at least according to their ads) engine. Here's an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEV...ewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8055277152QQrdZ1 Warranty...well it'll be a pain in the ass if I have to warranty anything whether through GM or some shop in Arizona, or anywhere else. Just reading this over it sounds like I ought to just get the GM crate engine, but anybody have any advice to offer?
Read this post by RaceFab..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100490 I have purchased 4 or 5 General Motors crate engine without a single problem or issue. Never needed the warranty... but it was there...... I am afraid of the eBay engine guys....if they are that good......why do they go to eBay ??? Most good engine builders are too busy to play on eBay......just my 2 cents.. I would love to have a RaceFab built engine....done the way he did the engine in the thread....
I just sold an old camaro with a new 260 HP engine from GM. It was nice having something with all new parts. That motor moved that 4000 lb Camaro around very well. Not a bad way to go. I'm looking for a new engine for my A, but think I will go with a late model salvage this time. I've purchased several from collision cars with low miles that have worked out well. I think the best out there right now, IMO, is the last of the 5.7 liter roller cam engines that came in the GM 2500 & 3500 pickups, as late as 1999 & 2000 from what I read. The 1 pc rear seal and roller valvetrain make it really reliable and give you a bunch of free horsepower. With a little cam or boost in compression, they are good for over 300 hp and won't strees the parts.
The GM crate motors are excellent motors IF you want to drop that much money on a basic motor, Ive always taken the other route where Ill buy a rebuildable 350 and have a shop I trust and know rebuild it for me to the specs I would like to see, and usually its always cost alot less than if i were to buy a brand new crate. I would be very cautious about buying a rebuilt one over ebay unless you knew a few guys that have used them and recommend them. just my 2 cents, good luck! sean
You can still get the basic long block for around $1300 I believe. Just bolt on your intake, dizzy, alt/starter etc from your 305 and go!
Me and Merc helped a guy chasing an internet engine purchase. Turns out he was one of about 10 people who got screwed on engines from a guy that appeared to be legit. The last motor I built (383ci SBC) was in line with what Racefab did and I don't regret the extra expence a bit. Local machine shop with plenty of talent and integrity. good luck.
I usually rebuild my own motors after getting them back from the machine shop, but the last two motors I bought were the 260 hp GM crates and they are great. When I figure in my time and machining costs for a rebuild versus a crate, it comes out the same.
If it were me, and moving that heavy car around was the goal, and the budget was what you're allowing...I'd look for a good, rebuildable 400 small block (Chevy!) and have someone of Fred's (Racefab) caliber do a good rebuild on it. Nothing fancy, just a stock type rebuild with a Comp Cams X-treme 4x4 hydraulic cam kit, Performer RPM intake manifold, Holley 750 vcuum secondaries electric choke carb, and HEI distributor. It'll make excellent low end power (what you need!) and will last you for YEARS!
GM really has their shit together with their crate motor program. Buy the crate motor that you want. You can trust the specs. and the warrenty is bulletproof on the GM crate motors at your local dealer. Kind of hard to beat. Screw ebay.
I've done several crate motors.......the last one they caught me a little by suprise......they wanted the core and wanted it in the crate with the sheet metal on it. Other than that, I've not had a problem with them.
poke around circle track guys, they always know a good, fast machinist or have a line on a hot 350. the ads in circle track mag always have low prices on longblocks too. midwest motorsports has stuff on consignment, maybe in cali there is a similar place?
Along the lines of the ebay guys I'm going to give you the same advice that my old man gave me when i was too young to understand. " There are no honest mechanics." The old man was a UAW Automotive machinist, owned more than one speed shop over the years and retired with more than 40 years under his belt. Note: this quote is no reflection on Fred or even my old man. What was his point? If you don't know the mechanic personally don't trust him. Actually his other point was that I should build my own engines, but that was perosnal between me and the Old Man. I'm not a real big crate motor guy myself, but I haven't heard anything but good about the GM crate program.
Im running a GM crate 350 that I got from summit (yeah I know Summit) but its all new nothing is used or rebuilt!!
I agree with the rest of the guys here- motors are very very very hard to shop for without disassembling it and seeing how it was built. Anybody can hot tank a motor, assemble it, and it'll probably run, but without knowing somebody's reputation, not just from reviews on eBay (you'll never get a long term reliability review), you just can't trust them. I went the crate 350 route from Happy Herbie's House of Heaps (the Chevy dealer here), and that's withstood plenty of abuse in our bucket. I believe it is Sallee's Chevy that lists all the GM motors at a discount, but then there's still shipping. Any GM dealer should sell at least the basic 350 long block with just a core charge.
I think it's impossible to build a good quality 350 for less then a crate motor. I built one a few years back, had a good 010 bare block, no hardware or covers, pans, etc. bought new Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, com cam roller rockers...................had $6000 in it before it was over. I ended up with a good strong engine, but it was costly. The other side of the coin, my Brother bought a 315 H.P. 350 from Pace Chevrolet, he liked everything but grinding off the "Made In Mexico" casting!
I just put the 260 hp crate engine (10067353) in my daily driver. I did a lot of searching, and Summit had the best price. It was $1359 + $100 shipping. No core or core charge required. My local dealer wanted about $2000 + $100 core charge + tax. My friend who WORKS THERE was quoted a price of only $100 less. Needless the dealer did not get my money or my friend's. I am really pleased with it so far. It replaced a 305 in a full size Chevy pickup, and moves it along nicely. New is really hard to beat. Slonaker
The way I look at it, a small profit would be better than none. Apparently they don't see it that way. My buddy is a mechanic there. You would think they woul have done better than that for him... Slonaker
I've been a mechanic for a long time, run my own shop since the late 70's (thanks a lot PorknBeaner). I tell my customers that if they want a stock 350 type engine that I can't build them one as cheap as they can buy the crate engine. If they want a hot rod engine, I'll build it for them but no stockers. Scoggin Dickey in Lubbock is hard to beat on prices.
WOW- Thanks for all the input. It seems I hit on the one topic that (almost) everybody agrees on. I guess I'm buyin' a new crate engine.
i've used 9 of the goodwrench 260 hp engines , and never had a problem put a bigger cam , a set of headers , and a dual plain intake on it and they will really go
wow, thanks for the kudos guys... most everyone knows that I am not a big fan of crate motors...I have torn enough of them apart and seen what was inside......then you get into a war of words with the manufacture......"actual power" "advertised power"....."actual compression".... "advertised compression". I think crate motors are a great deal if you are replacing a stock power plant....but if you are looking to put a hot rod motor in your ride you are better off to build one to your specs....I have guys bring them to me after they get them, to change the cam...carb..etc....they would be better off building what they wanted...... If you get a crate motor.make sure you know the complete deal on the core they expect...does it have to have all the sheet metal on it?......do you have to pay to ship it back to them? also the warranties are usually void if you unbolt something...... if you change cam.....carb..intake etc ..you have no warranty any more....read the fine print. Fred
i know that gm has the best motor, but for the money i bought a recon from advance auto 2 years ago for $800 with core. long block 350 still runs great.
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