I have a 94 with 120K and a smoked head gasket. I have asked a couple local shops for the cost to go 355 with me purchasing all the parts, bring them the short block, they would just r&r and bore the block. I am getting prices of 2500-3000. Add the kit and the gaskets and I am around 4K. Asked to go with a stock bore they said it would save about $300.00. Does that seem right? I was thinking a backyard rebuild would be around $500.00 plus parts and the work to convert it to a 355 about $1200.00 (add the rebuild kit and gaskets) about $2100. Am I way off?

 

I built a fully forged 383 for 3.5k

Assuming you take the motor out and apart.

Machine work $500

the rest is up to your master plan.

If you just get the motor punched .030 over, you need new pistons, rings, bearings, and I would get rods. Cast iron cranks are pretty stout. You can reuse it, but I would go with a new 383 crank myself.

factor in too since you have the motor out, might as well get new water pump, timing chain, push rods, valve springs premium head gaskets. etc.

Don't rush, if you need to wait then wait.

 

I just had a full rebuild on a stock lt1 motor. 1,775 was that price for me. I also had to have a new block which cost me 200. The heads were redone and full gasket set came with it. Also had the tranny rebuilt for $939. Had a 2000 stall put in it "it was free". All in all i paid 4000 to have it all done and put it back in. Not bad if you ask me.

 

My 383 cost me around $4,000 for the entire bottom end, total.

 

I paid $1380 for all the machining work and to install the new parts I took care of everything else.

 

That price seems high to me also.

 

My machine bill was $1057.00 and I provided ALL parts

Things I got done are:

align bore
bore over .030"
hot tank
balance assembly
resurface flywheel
install pistons on rods
check for wrist pin clearance
instal cam bearings
install freeze plugs

 

ah yes the cost of doing business on the cape sucks don't it! can I ask what places you brought it to? def bring it off cape, check out slowhawk> http://www.slowhawkperformance.com/ he's a sponsor on here.

 

This is for a stock rebuild. $1720.15. I took the intake off and the machine shop tore the rest of the engine down. That included a valve job and putting the engine back together minus the intake. New parts were three valve guides, cam bearings, freeze plugs, oil pump, timing set, new lifters and a re ring kit. Of course, they cleaned everything up, magnetically inspected block and heads for cracks and reconditioned the old parts and painted the engine. That engine had 157,000 miles on it and blown head gaskets.

 

You can get a new stock short block for $900... Might be your best bet

 

my bill from the machine shop was $3,404 but they got us pistons bearings rings and gaskets. so id say my bottom end was about $4500. not just a simple rebuild though

 

I just crossed the $4k mark on my 370 build, i provided the forged crank rods and pistons and i paid $1200 for the machine shop to balance my rotating assembly, bore, hone, align hone, clean, deck .008, new cam bearings and freeze plugs and they supplied the main and rod bearings and assembled the short block. Not a bad price if you ask me.

 

Im in the middle of my build, 355 Scat rods Mahl forged pistons, stock balanced corvette crank arp hardware, Clevite bearings, LE2 H,C,I package 58mm TB but im not adding it up till im done. Dont want to cry just yet

 

my cast 383 cost over $2k for everything with me and my friends doing the clearancing, assembly and install. that's including h/c/i btw

 

professionally built short block here, spent right at $4750.00. forged crank, h-beams, 4 bolt conversion, je pistons w/tool steel pins, hellfire rings, balanced, machine work and assembled.