do they make lt1 aftermarket engine blocks?
03-14-2012, 10:48 PM
#21
Our crappy ~4.060 max bore size leaves us with tiny valves and small heads, and an average max ci of 396-410 cubes. More is possible, but you may have to try more then one block to get a usable one, and you wont want to boost or spray it.
Hello 700NA HP pump gas monster.
Yes, I am still mad at Dart too, and do not plan on buying anything from them after that stunt. I have no problems that they decided not to make it, and understand the reason was because of distributers not ordering any, but I feel "used" for being led on for so long then just dropped.
Looks like we need to clamor and complain to distributers, the production company. Can't say I'd bite day one now or make a preorder, since years have passed and I dont have the same play money I used to, but if I big bore LT1 block was developed for under 2K I would definitely buy it within a year, take that as a fact.
Last edited by Puck; 03-14-2012 at 10:55 PM.
03-15-2012, 05:49 AM
#23
1 thing that really pissed me off about Dart was that they kept using the excuses of "we talked to our suppliers and they had no interest, blah blah". Then you go and look in their catalog online and here they had a big run of Honda 4-cyl aftermarket blocks that are now discontinued. 99% of the Honda boys out there run stock blocks because they are very robust. So what kind of market was there for an aftermarket Honda block at a price point of $2500?????????? Yet Dart had no problem tooling up and producing that financial disaster.
03-15-2012, 07:02 AM
#24
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They do 409 stuff because Bill Mitchell was a 409 pioneer way back in the day. I'm sure his sentimental value had a lot to do with it. How many 409 cars do you see out there vs LT1 cars? FWIW i'm pretty sure the tooling or molds for the GM Raceshop blocks are still around somewhere. I can't see why they would have scrapped them. Keep it under $2500 and I will buy one tomorrow.
1 thing that really pissed me off about Dart was that they kept using the excuses of "we talked to our suppliers and they had no interest, blah blah". Then you go and look in their catalog online and here they had a big run of Honda 4-cyl aftermarket blocks that are now discontinued. 99% of the Honda boys out there run stock blocks because they are very robust. So what kind of market was there for an aftermarket Honda block at a price point of $2500?????????? Yet Dart had no problem tooling up and producing that financial disaster.
1 thing that really pissed me off about Dart was that they kept using the excuses of "we talked to our suppliers and they had no interest, blah blah". Then you go and look in their catalog online and here they had a big run of Honda 4-cyl aftermarket blocks that are now discontinued. 99% of the Honda boys out there run stock blocks because they are very robust. So what kind of market was there for an aftermarket Honda block at a price point of $2500?????????? Yet Dart had no problem tooling up and producing that financial disaster.
Lol sounds like dart stepped in a pile of s with that honda block.
03-15-2012, 08:49 AM
#25
When I talked to Dart. They said 300k for R&D to get the block produced.. At 2000 a block they need to sell 150 blocks!!!! I would put 2k in a Dart acct to get mine!!! Maybe someone with more pull could set that up!! I would love a 427 LTX with some 230+ intake runners & a 200+ shot 1st stage & 300+ 2nd stage! But Itll never happen unless people put up the money. And still might not then. ******* LoL Im stuck with a 396 till then.
03-15-2012, 08:53 AM
#26
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It's really not all that tough to figure out. The demand for Honda/Accura aftermarket parts is far stronger than a GM block that had a five year run and has been pretty much forgotten. They can afford to take a gamble on a strong aftermarket following, which is still very active for Honda owners. Why would Dart want to invest the kind of R&D it would take to tool an aftermarket LT1 block when there would be absolutely no way they could recoup the cost and make a profit? Sure, there would be many who would say "BAW GAWD I BUY ONE NOW!" but when it came down to it, maybe 10% of those willing to commit would actually follow through.
03-29-2012, 12:11 AM
#29
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i'd buy the block and would slide the best internals money could buy inside it with some 235cc fully ported heads or would go to 2.2 or 18* race heads..... single turbo with all the fixins.....
7's wouldn't be very hard.... instead of knocking the bearings out of a stock block that's filled every other pass..
7's wouldn't be very hard.... instead of knocking the bearings out of a stock block that's filled every other pass..
10-15-2012, 03:21 PM
#30
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First Post long time lurker, first time poster, but I absolutely would take one right now.
Additionally, I noticed someone made the LS1 is a cheaper way to go argument a few posts back, and speaking to that, that actually may be a viable argument now as the floor seems to have recently dropped out of the LS1 F-body market I found a few low mileage (70-80k miles) examples in the last couple of weeks in the 7 to 9 k range.
HOWEVER, When I was looking around for an F-body 6 months ago, I got approved for a 7k loan which I was willing to augment a little bit, and I really shopped around for a while. At 7 to 8k, all of the LS1s I was looking at were 140k plus mile ragged out cars with issues, and I was getting ready to give up and look into something else (like a WRX.......ew) and then on a whim I just started looking around at the older cars, and low and behold, I found a 60k original mile LT1 94 T/A hardtop for 5k. I took the full value of my loan out, and I was able to put money into an EWP and a set of Grotyohann long tubes that somebody had never installed, as well as a few other goodies. Performancewise I was starting off on equal footing to a stock LS1, and at that price point, I had a much much nicer car.
I also looked around at LS1 swaps, and blocks, and heads and motors, and at the end of the day the LS1 stuff just is not very cheap. The LS1 has way more potential, and as you spend more coin, the performance difference between an LS1 and an LT1 becomes a wider and wider gap, but in a month or so, My car will have AFR LT4 heads, an LT4 intake manifold, and a cam LLoyd Elliot spec'ed out for my car, along with the previously installed longtubes and EWP, and PCM for less is tuning it. For right around a 9k investment, I find it hard to believe that there are many low mile LS1 cars for sale that will be at that price point.
Having said that, This post was not intended to start a flame war by any means, I recognize I made the very unpopular argument of the "Buy a cheaper car and put the difference saved into the performance", but I do feel that when we're considering whether or not there is a market for an LT1 block, I believe that it is the guys who are also making that argument that are the target audience. I was just pointing out my opinion on why I think there is a market for these blocks, and how I personally ended up with an LT1 car as opposed to an LS1 car. At the end of the day, I am aggrivated by the fact that If I'd waited another 6 months, I could have had an LS1 car, but after purchasing the LT1, I thought it was a really fun car, and it actually ended up exceeding my expectations.
If one of these blocks did become available, I'd be happy to buy one to build a big cube shortblock for myself, just to keep myself out ahead of an LS1 car for as long as I can.
Additionally, I noticed someone made the LS1 is a cheaper way to go argument a few posts back, and speaking to that, that actually may be a viable argument now as the floor seems to have recently dropped out of the LS1 F-body market I found a few low mileage (70-80k miles) examples in the last couple of weeks in the 7 to 9 k range.
HOWEVER, When I was looking around for an F-body 6 months ago, I got approved for a 7k loan which I was willing to augment a little bit, and I really shopped around for a while. At 7 to 8k, all of the LS1s I was looking at were 140k plus mile ragged out cars with issues, and I was getting ready to give up and look into something else (like a WRX.......ew) and then on a whim I just started looking around at the older cars, and low and behold, I found a 60k original mile LT1 94 T/A hardtop for 5k. I took the full value of my loan out, and I was able to put money into an EWP and a set of Grotyohann long tubes that somebody had never installed, as well as a few other goodies. Performancewise I was starting off on equal footing to a stock LS1, and at that price point, I had a much much nicer car.
I also looked around at LS1 swaps, and blocks, and heads and motors, and at the end of the day the LS1 stuff just is not very cheap. The LS1 has way more potential, and as you spend more coin, the performance difference between an LS1 and an LT1 becomes a wider and wider gap, but in a month or so, My car will have AFR LT4 heads, an LT4 intake manifold, and a cam LLoyd Elliot spec'ed out for my car, along with the previously installed longtubes and EWP, and PCM for less is tuning it. For right around a 9k investment, I find it hard to believe that there are many low mile LS1 cars for sale that will be at that price point.
Having said that, This post was not intended to start a flame war by any means, I recognize I made the very unpopular argument of the "Buy a cheaper car and put the difference saved into the performance", but I do feel that when we're considering whether or not there is a market for an LT1 block, I believe that it is the guys who are also making that argument that are the target audience. I was just pointing out my opinion on why I think there is a market for these blocks, and how I personally ended up with an LT1 car as opposed to an LS1 car. At the end of the day, I am aggrivated by the fact that If I'd waited another 6 months, I could have had an LS1 car, but after purchasing the LT1, I thought it was a really fun car, and it actually ended up exceeding my expectations.
If one of these blocks did become available, I'd be happy to buy one to build a big cube shortblock for myself, just to keep myself out ahead of an LS1 car for as long as I can.
10-17-2012, 02:17 AM
#32
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I took a lot of ridicule for my choice to build a lt1... I looked into the swap and I couldn't have done a ls swap for what it cost for my build. If I can keep the car from breaking I will be way a head of the game and way a head of a lot of ls cars.
10-17-2012, 03:48 PM
#34
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not going to happen. people are not willing to put there money were there mouth is. i was willing to push and make it happen but its obvious most people want to sit on there pity pots are cry about what they don't have rather than do something about it.
10-17-2012, 04:44 PM
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10-17-2012, 07:14 PM
#37
LoL If they would price an Iron block like a SHP block Id be game Hell Ive even thought about World Products or Proform makin big bore blocks As long as theyd handle more than a stock block I called Skoggin Dickey when they were supposed to be takin orders but they dropped the ball on that too Ive thought about the Brodix block But I want an Iron block Guess Im just stuck with a 396 or 398 LoL The way I see it Whats another 2k when my shortblock is already an LT4 block with a Callies Dragonslayer crank, Howards Billet rods & custom JE nitrous pistons Plus my Dart Pro 1s 
Id drop 2k for a 427 in a heartbeat My build will be sweet regardless
Id drop 2k for a 427 in a heartbeat My build will be sweet regardless 