Long time no speakke

project74

project74

Trying to find my weed and
Hi folks. Been a while since I've been here. Last 6 months has been a real brain f***. Got separated, found a new place to live, moving, broke etc. Have really missed this place and wanted to at least drop in and say hi. Thank god I managed to hold onto the Fury in the separation agreement or I really would have gone nuts so to speak :D Actually had a need of some of your valued opinions on something as well.

Needless to say, during the breakup money got really tight. Had to sell the 440 I had to raise some cash. Well yesterday I happened to be talking to a fellow who knew/knows a lot of the old direct connection guys around the Detroit area. Back in the day when D/C went down he bought a whole slew of stuff directly from Chrysler. One of the things he happens to have is a '76 400 short block, brand new still coated in cosmoline in the crate. Since I'm back in a position to start searching for another big block we got to talking. Said maybe the time has come to let it go and told me he'd take $500 for it. Would just like to know if you guys think this would be a good deal to pick up on. When I say new, I mean new. Never installed, painted or even built to completion. Good foundation for a nice build?

Thanks for listening to my babble and when my computer arrives in a couple weeks, hope I can frequent here more often again. Miss those Jass stories.
 
Hey Good to see you again...noticed that you had not been around for a while. Glad you held onto the fury, I still miss my old 70 Sport fury, what a great car.

As for the NOS 400 block for $500...I don't think you can go wrong for that price. It would cost you more to buy a used 400 block and have it cleaned, checked and machined. Sounds like a great place to start for a stroker motor???
 
but wouldnt it need machined anyway?...shrug..out this way getting ahold of a complete block would be a walk in the park for half that

glad your big D went as good as mine lol
 
Haven't hit the big D yet 69. Here they make you wait 1 year and call it a non-contested thing. Cheaper that way.

On the topic of the engine, it's not just a block. Crank, rods, pistons and cam all new and assembled right from the factory in '76. Figured a quick teardown to check clearances and such, maybe a little chamfer job here and there and she'd be good to go. Obviously a cam upgrade and a better piston would be in the mix but don't know where I'd find a completely new shortblock for this kind of coin anywhere else. Just wish I could afford one of those 451 stroker kits and really have some fun :(
 
oh a complete set ready to roll hell yeah ..i wouldnt have even blinked and simply bought it at that price....and im not one to even consider running a BB....at that price id find something to stuff it in LOL

1 year...LAME....90 days unless you both sign a waiver at which point its litteraly a 2week thing(by the time the judge signs it your done)..here anyway..and anything "forgotten" or not claimed by that point stays in whoevers hands its currently in
 
I'd probably pass on the shortblock. Here's why: It won't really be a $500 shortblock. The cam and pistons will be the first to go for a decent build, so add whatever those will cost. Also add the cost of getting other dimensions checked. This is assuming that no boring or honing is necessary for the new pistons. Boring is unlikely if they're properly sized-honing might be needed. Lastly, the block isn't seasoned, since it was never used. Conventional wisdom has it that blocks are subject to more dimensional changes before they're seasoned. I personally have 400 blocks just about falling out of trees. I've literally been given 2 of them, and I don't think I've ever paid as much as $200 for a complete engine, including heads and manifolds. The idea of a new 400 sounds neat, but from a technical standpoint there's just no purpose.
 
welcome back project74.

Have not really looked around for 400's or too many big blocks for that matter, but some do pop up on kijiji.ca from time to time.
 
Thanks for the welcomes guys :)

Wondered about that whole "seasoned" block thing. Is it that big of a factor in a decent street motor? Figure I can pry this setup for about $400 and if I could push 350-400 hp on my tight budget I'd be more than happy.
 
Forgot to mention, already have all the peripherals like intake, hp exhaust manifolds, oil pan, p/s setup etc so I'm already a bit ahead of the game.
 
Personally I'd say leave the short block alone, other then checking things out. A decent set of heads and a cam, and then all your HP stuff and drop it in the hole. I thought it was just a bare block, for a complete short block for that price I would have been up to the bank machine and back with no delay... ;)
 
Apparently there's a wide variation in how much big block chryslers are worth, depending on location. Being new, that shortblock may be worth the asking price. I wouldn't pay it myself, but I can see how the allure of it being new might cause some people to value it. I'm convinced that block seasoning is real-at least one legendary great (Smokey Yunick, I can't remember for sure) has explained it, as well as mopar. Hell, mopar performance has a recommended procedure involving an oven at specific temperatures for specific time to imitate the effects of years of daily driving. It's intended to be used on new blocks before assembly. The purpose is to cause the slight dimensional changes to go on and happen before machining is done so that there will be fewer changes in dimensions after the engine is built, presumably causing better ring sealing and perhaps less friction on the crankshaft. At the power level you're shooting for, I don't think it would be a big deal either way, but all else being equal, a seasoned block would probably make slightly more power after some time had passed since the engine build.
 
i haave to wonder on the whole seasoned thing...so does this mean rebuilding say..a 100k+ mile motor would be better than say a 40k mile motor?...obviously your going to have more ridge to ream and more chances at things being out of round etc..
 
I dunno about 40k vs 100k-I have no idea if 40k is enough heating and cooling cycles to stabilize the block.
 
If I was building a race motor I could completely see the whole seasoned thing. A solid street engine should be fine though. These engines put out many thousands of fun filled miles when our cars were new. Like I said, with a goal of 350-400 hp I'm hoping the new block thing isn't a detriment.
 
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