IrocRicky818

I recently bought an 86 Iroc-Z28 with no motor and no tranny with a straight body for $300! Bang for my buck huh? Well, I was wondering what was the best, most efficient, and cheapest way to build my LT1 to be a 355. It came off of my brother 97 Z28 and has roughly 90K miles on it...(btw, it blew a head gasket but block is good..)

Lawhead

iTrader: (14)

Its 100 bucks to get it bored here.

Im doing a 355 too. But pretty sure you can go to a machine shop tell them what you want and your budget and they will steer you in the right way

LVZ2881

iTrader: (4)

cheapest way to is to buy one already built. Alot of times you can buy them used for lesss than what it would cost to build yours.

gregrob

iTrader: (8)

Why would you automatically go to a 355? Bore the engine only as much as necessary to make the bores true again.

And dont get a shitty $100 bore job. That's why a lot of engines run like ****.

You need to find a machine shop that has a boring machine that has the capability to really control the taper in the bores and make them true to GM's spec or better, again. Which is not that easy to do...

I talked to a world class speed boat engine builder and he told me the one tip he could share with me is when I build and engine MAKE SURE the bores are true. That entails a shop that knows what they're doing, and has the equipment to do so...

Sublime Dak

Best and cheap don't go together.

Around here you can expect to pay around $250 for standard block prep and machining.

I would as already suggested let the machine shop steer you in the right direct, which would most likely be good Clevite bearings, stock crank turned or polished, factory rods checked, shot peened and good ARP rod bolts. As for pistons, do you plan on ever spraying this? If so I would spend your money here and go with a set of good forged pistons and good rings. Even if you never spray it, the added longevity and strength are well worth it IMHO. The the typical Melling M55HV oil pump (and required steel collared driveshaft and matching HV pickup) and good fel-pro gaskets and good ARP head bolts. If you have any money left over you cam it and do some other bolt ons, but I would focus more on building a rock solid shortblock foundation that you can grow on later without having to rebuild it again to reach your goals.

Lawhead

iTrader: (14)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8lkANO8HE8

Deff has no idea what he's doing at all.

Sublime Dak

So long as the machine shop uses a torque plate with the head gasket to be used and correct procedures are followed, unless you are building a 700hp nitrous motor, you're not going to see any gains by paying someone $500 to do a simple true and bore unless the block is really FUBAR.

IrocRicky818

I just got a quote to go .030 over (bored/honed/boiled) with pistons, piston rings, grind crank w/bearings, lifters, gaskets, oil pump, and roller rockers for $950 with one of my dads long time friends...
Coast Motor Supply in Canoga Park, Ca.

myltwon

iTrader: (1)

cost me around $400 for hot tank, bore, hone, deck, freeze plugs, etc. prices are only as high as the shop wants to charge. quality is determined by track record of the shop not their cost. plenty of shops charge up the *** for anything, doesn't mean the work is quality.

hitmanws6

iTrader: (20)

I believe mine was $650 for the bore, hone, deck, hottank, etc. I replicated the stock bottom end just with pistons for the overbore. Also ran clevite bearings, speed pro rings and ARP bolts throughout.

chevy 25

i have a 73 350 4 bolt block that i wont to get at least 400hp out of but dont have much money maybe like 3 grand or so any advise