Over priced rebuild ?

[Jerry Hall]

Not knowing what needs done and just a phone call, I'm surprised they put a price on it. I never have a real idea of costs until the block is bare and the knowledge of what I found on teardown. I guarantee they'll probably rebuild it for that, but it will be their budget build. Using the best parts and doing everything to precision will cost. We do everything except the machine work and after the block is cleaned, magnafluxed and sonic checked, we make all the decisions on parts, and machine work. That said my basically stock builds including head work run 4-6K. Two things you have to pay for are quality parts and machine work.

 

[Photon440]

To add salt to our wounds in the Mopar world, You can buy a NEW 350 Chebby engine complete starting at about $3000. No boring, hot tanking, installing cam bearings, mains and rods bearings, new rings, new cam, new valves, springs and the list goes on. Too bad we are so dedicated to Mopar, because it's in our DNA. I wouldn't have it any other way. Mopar engine or no engine!

Well if you re-use your old intake manifold, you can come close... https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/hpe-hp73/make/dodge?retaillocation=int

 

[oldkimmer]

????

That’s 1 reason the Hemi is such a popular swap. It will be less than 5 years when the wedges will be a after thought. Kim

 

[Kern Dog]

I posted question marks because I didn't understand what he meant. Same goes for your post.
My experience with HDMI refers to TVs.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Match motor to car unless wanting to change suspension, structure & drivetrain: then theres ecm/ecu not matching BB 727 & torque conveter; Carberate a modern HEMI need to look at cam setup, etc. Cost would ACTUALLY be lower to rebuild the 383. Costs in MA, CT, SE NY, LI, NJ & CA a heck of a lot higher then costs in FL, midwest and TX most definately

 

[oldkimmer]

I posted question marks because I didn't understand what he meant. Same goes for your post.
My experience with HDMI refers to TVs.

Dam auto correct. Kim

 

[Kern Dog]

I built my 383 myself.
The block is original to the car. I paid $600 to have it bored, honed, hot tanked, cam plugs installed and pistons hung on the rods. Oh yeah, a valve job on a set of heads that were recently rebuilt, just to cover the bases.
$400 for pistons and rings, $100 for gaskets, $200 for oil pump, RTV, plugs and valley pan. $200 for the cam and lifters. $330 for the intake. Water pump, fuel pump and fuel filter bring to total to around $2000. I'm reusing old valve covers, a low mile timing set and motor mounts. Ooops, add in another $200 for cam, rod and main bearings!
Headers were free, carburetor too.

 

[F4R/T]

My 440 cost me almost 4500 not including cam and lifters.
Bore, square the block, freeze plugs, cam bearings, seal kit, bolt kit for resto purposes, turn crank, balance rotating assembly, assemble long block, new valve springs, valves, valve seats ( hardened ), valve guides, repair a few exhaust studs, pistons were forged, recondition the rods and new bolts, oil pump, timing set , degree cam etc
Extras: Mr Six Pack cam and lifters 400ish
Carb— part number date correct and resto adds another grand
Distrubutor is another 500 with resto purchase and the list keeps going
I think a quality rebuild is an easy 4-6 grand and I was happy with mine, rebuilder is a good friends cousin and I got to see it all the way thru and I trust his work so I keep my money with friends. Times have changed and good machine shops are priceless for us car guys... otherwise it’s replace the unit and go no more rebuilds it’s faster to replace.. another friends shop got out of building engines due to crate motors taking over and nobody wanted to pay..

 

[Polara383500]

????

Know what I was saying was for $2800 I can get a hemi engine and then I have another $2700 to do whatever I need to get it to work in the car if I was going to go that route

 

[gkent]

.

 

[yella71]

Know what I was saying was for $2800 I can get a hemi engine and then I have another $2700 to do whatever I need to get it to work in the car if I was going to go that route

Do that and see how far 2700 gets you to install the hemi in the car and running and driving and done. make sure you list every little thing and don't forget to include your time as its worth money also, right? It can be a nice little read for all the rest of us........inquiring minds want to know. Lets start the list of conversion parts, complete exhaust, trans, EFI conversion , or hemi carb conversion, fuel pump and wiring maybe tank or modification , motor mounts.... Did i mis anything?

 

[451Mopar]

I call a machine shop today! The guy on the phone said he would do a complete rebuild heads and all which would go back stock accept a cam 5500$ In my eyes I find that highly over priced!! What are you thoughts? Love to hear responds!

Sounds reasonable depending on what all they are doing, and the quality of the parts used?

If they are just boring / honing the block without torque plates, and replacing the pistons with cheap replacement cast pistons, and maybe turning the crank, minimal valve guide work, and reusing the stock valves, then the price is likely high.

If they are machining the block to align hone the main caps, deck the square the block surface, hone with torque plates, replace rod bolts and re-size the rods, turn and balance the crank, replace valve guides, use new valves, install hardened exhaust seats, surface the heads, multi-angle valve job, use a higher quality piston and rings,... Then the price may be low?

And that doesn't get into the cost/quality of many of the smaller items (although not inexpensive) like bearings, piston rings, timing chain sets, gaskets, core plugs,..

 

[Durandal25]

I live in Southern California. Had a really well-known small engine shop rebuild my 1969 383 completely. All new pistons, all new bearings, new cam all the balancing basically everything you need to rebuild the bottom end and refurbish the heads. Hot tank. I ended up paying between five and $7000 With all parts and labor. I had them reassemble the lower end and I built the upper. When I look over the price sheet it makes sense with how expensive parts can be.

....holy crap. I assemble my engines, but the machine work and parts were like $1600. Magnaflux, tanking, decking, heads and other stuff. Yikes.

 

[tonysrt]

Know what I was saying was for $2800 I can get a hemi engine and then I have another $2700 to do whatever I need to get it to work in the car if I was going to go that route

I think you may be a little light, dollar wise, in the gen 3 conversion. You need the computer which is about 1500, headers, exhaust system, motor mounts and adapter for tranny. I would do it in a heartbeat if it wasn't so expensive. And the other factor is if it doesn't run with the computer where do you begin to troubleshoot. At least old school, look in carb for gas and check for spark. Bingo we have liftoff.

 

[BAFRAID]

....holy crap. I assemble my engines, but the machine work and parts were like $1600. Magnaflux, tanking, decking, heads and other stuff. Yikes.

I know doing stuff for ourselves is MUCH less expensive. My parts were expensive also.
Auto tech pistons $954
Howard’s cam $175
All valve stuff $350
PRW rocker arm set up $520
Misc/bearings $220
Hot tank $280
Maybe just Commifornia
Pays to know how to do things and to teach ourselves. Thats why besides engine and tranny my resto is ALL MY WORK.

 

[BAFRAID]

This equals to 1,140.76$ in todays money.
That said i already had a shop telling me it would be 10 grand if i should ever need my 440 rebuilt. Yeah sounds fair...

I know some of it takes large machinery and you need a place to keep that. I saw all the equipment to grind valves and rebuild heads out an estate sale recently. Probably could’ve got it for 100 bucks if I had somewhere to put it

 

[Durandal25]

I built my 383 myself.
The block is original to the car. I paid $600 to have it bored, honed, hot tanked, cam plugs installed and pistons hung on the rods. Oh yeah, a valve job on a set of heads that were recently rebuilt, just to cover the bases.
$400 for pistons and rings, $100 for gaskets, $200 for oil pump, RTV, plugs and valley pan. $200 for the cam and lifters. $330 for the intake. Water pump, fuel pump and fuel filter bring to total to around $2000. I'm reusing old valve covers, a low mile timing set and motor mounts. Ooops, add in another $200 for cam, rod and main bearings!
Headers were free, carburetor too.

View attachment 1060886 View attachment 1060887 View attachment 1060888

....engine looks fantastic sir. I'm sure it runs as good as it looks.

 

[zyzzyx]

One thing to realize, is that alot of automotive machine shops have gone out of business
since I was a 20 year old. Their equipment was paid off and they owned the buildings.
Nowadays, no one owns ****, the equipment costs a fortune because there are less
re-builders out there, and not everyone re-builds engines like they used to back in the
60's or 70's. All this ads up to prices going through the roof. My Grandson will probably
do an electric swap on my GTX in twenty years! Pistons? Ha! They don't make those
anymore!

 

[Jerry Hall]

One thing to realize, is that alot of automotive machine shops have gone out of business
since I was a 20 year old. Their equipment was paid off and they owned the buildings.
Nowadays, no one owns ****, the equipment costs a fortune because there are less
re-builders out there, and not everyone re-builds engines like they used to back in the
60's or 70's. All this ads up to prices going through the roof. My Grandson will probably
do an electric swap on my GTX in twenty years! Pistons? Ha! They don't make those
anymore!

I'm waiting for the hovercraft conversion.

 

[PRHeads]

If you’re dropping off a “complete” engine with all the tin to the machine shop, and want it rebuilt, and reassembled to the same point as you dropped it off......$5500 is not way out of line, depending on where in the country you’re located.

The best way to save money on these jobs is learn to do much of the manual labor that doesn’t require a bunch of specialized equipment yourself.

Time is money........ the more labor the machine shop does, the more it costs.