Where would you buy a Chevy 350 from????

After all the work and time I've put into my 54 Lincoln Ive decided that the 317 Y-block just dosent have what I'm looking for as far as power and driveability. I drive a lot and Ive decided to go with a standard Chevy 350. They are plentiful and they dress up nice. Parts everywhere. The power is there and I also already have a 700r4 in the car so the install shouldnt be too hard. There are so many places to find a complete motor. Where have you guys used and had good luck? Im located in So cal so local is great, but not %100 necessary. I'm looking for a good deal, but not the cheapest, bottom of the bucket deal. I want reliability. I want to drive my car like a mad bastard.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

P.S. If anyone wants a good running, cool looking 317 Y-block with a 700r4 Wicap adaptor and starter For a hot rod let me know.

 

your local GM dealer.that way you will get a brand new motor not a rebuild.

-danny

 

I've had this site bookmarked for years, I don't know anything about them (or even if they are still around... the site hasn't been updated in a long time from the looks of it) except I got the link from the HAMB.

http://www.socalengines.com/

 

Depends on what your looking for. Cheap, I've found deals in the recycler. Moderate with power, try the P.A.W. catalog. Build to suit. For the same price as P.A.W., I went to Speedomotive and got a crate engine balanced and blueprinted for cheaper than I can build. Expensive, Edelbrock crate engine come with a warranty. Also GM ZZ3 and ZZ4 are good buys but kinda pricey......

 

I just bought a GM performance crate engine from a dealership. it's a thing of beauty and has a 2 year warranty. Not cheap, but you know the old saying.

 

I ordered mine from Prestige High Performance in Phoenix. No tax, plus shipping wasnt that bad at all. I am so happy with what came to my door when it was delivered. An awsome package deal for an awsome price. I ordered the 350/408 package but they have others. I havent installed it yet, but damn is it a nice setup. All for under $3500... www.prestigehighperformance.com

 

I see them in the pennysaver, craigs list every so often. Also try your local auto mechanic, you would be suprised how many engines they have laying around.

 

From the website linked above...

"The FACTORY extracts engines from vehicles cosmetically damaged in transit"

I've personally never heard of this. I worked at a GM dealership for 6 years and they wouldn't even replace a fender if a chain fell on it (they'd just bondo/repaint) So I can't see a "cosmetically damaged in transit" engine being removed from a new car because a valve cover or oil pan got scratched.

 

As far as the GM crate motors being "pricy" think again. Yu can't take a core engine to a machine shop, have them do the reconditioning machine work, buy the parts, and assemble the engine for what GM charges. With the GM you get a 24 mo. warrenty, zero at the machine shop. Better price/guarentee, it's a win/win in my book.
Or, you could pick up a used engine that you know nothing about and usually the seller doesn't either regardless of what he tells you. And again no guarentee.

Frank

 

My 50 chevy came with a 300 hp 350 rebuilt engine from ATK I think they call it the vc01 performance 350, has 4 bolt main 9.5-1comp and mild cam. They were available from trak auto in the day. I heard they are decent engines. My papers say it was $1300 about 10 years ago, I think they are still available. It sure roasts the tires off my chevy and gets almost 20 mpg.

 

That was for the SoCalEngines, maybe that is why they might not be in business anymore!!! hahaha

 

When I saw "Where would you buy a Chevy 350 from????" and opened this thread, I thought it was a trick question...like "When did you stop beating your wife?"

 

I've rebuilt several small blocks over the last several years, it's just not cost effective. next engine I buy will most likely be from GM for anything mild; someone aftermarket for anything forced induction or high perf.

look at the replacement long block for 96-99 GM trucks. vortec heads, pretty decent pistons, good con-rods, 1 piece rear main seal and a hydraulic roller cam. did I mention a 1 piece rear seal?

Try Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center www.sdpc2000.com they're the largest GM/GMPP dealer in the western states, I believe they're in AZ. see how much that'll cost through them, delivered and then go check out your local GM dealers. I think local would be ideal for warranty and they may not charge you freight.

Summit is also a GM dealer so you can get the whole lineup from them, too, from the GM Goodwrench reman 80's engines all the way to a new LS7. I'd stay away from the Goodwrench reman 80's 350's, we had one that was junk in 35k miles in an 84 'burb we used to have, know several others that had problems with those engines, too. Basically the whole valvetrain blows goats, they use cheap pistons and the con-rods are questionable...but other than that....

IMO, you get a whole lot for what you spend on a brand new crate engine from GM...everything's brand new at a price comparable to a rebuilt engine where you don't know if the block has been overheated or how many heat cycles it's seen.

 

just information....
Probly not after they get to the dealership, but if they are damaged in transit, they cant be sold as new....a school i used to go to gave us brand new toyotas/lexuses (lexusis, lexi?) that were damaged in shipment (supposedly we got the second hybrid in the country), but when we were done fixing them, they were inspected and destroyed....we werent allowed to keep any part of it and they werent allowed to sell any part either....

 

if you have alot of racing locally we are big for dirt track, try your local machine shop.If its a good machine shop you can get a good motor and not have to worry about where its coming from. Local shops should have a million small blocks laying around. they are usually cleaned properly and machine properly before they put them togeter as well.

 

http://www.smedingperformance.com/350Magnum.htm

I see them at the NorCal Goodguys. They build them, run them for 30 minutes, tune them up and ship them. I plan to get one soon.

 

here's a good one:
http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/crateengines/GMPerformanceParts350ci330hp350HOEngine.aspx

2,500 for a long block, 3,600 for complete engine from air filter to oil pan or 4,600 for a turnkey including all of the necessary accessories and a serpentine accessory drive system, starter, plug wires. everything brand spankin new.
4,600 may seem expensive for a 'crate engine' but when you add up all the accessories it comes with and factor in that EVERYTHING is brand new, I don't think you can touch that price anywhere else.

 

Your friendly GM dealership has what you need, with a warranty to boot.

 

Gm crate engine if its going to be a mild street engine. I bought one for my 37 Ford, put a 268 Comp cam in it, and it has been trouble free. On the other hand I rebuilt the 327 in my roadster not long ago, and it cost about the same for me to build it, but I had to haul it back and forth to the machine shop, do all the work, and no warranty either. I only went that route because its a 340hp corvette block and heads and was worth saving.

 

Hey Joe,

I think you've gotten plenty of responses on where to get a SBC, but before you tear out the Y block that Fits in there perfectly. I want to warn you that if the car has the origional frame in the front a SBC is a pain in the Ars! I'm speaking from Experience. PM me if you want.

Actually, I think I talked to you before, I remember seeing your car in person any way.

BYC

 

i got a 290 hp. crate motor from jim pace in ohio about 6yrs ago 4 bolt mains runs great crate motors best way to go

 

IF you know a good machine shop and have had work done there before and you are comfortable with them - have them build you whatever you want.

If you don't know your local machine shop then buy from GM. Price vs. quality is hard to beat.

 

GMPP all the way for a mild 350. They have an excellent 290hp 350. And if you want a little more the 330hp 350 HO is an excellent deal.

I have a connection at a high volume midwest Chevy dealer thru their parts manager (friend of a friend deal). He claimed that their 350HO cost was more than Jim Pace's advertised price. I ended up buying thru Pace for the same price (with delivery factored in) and saved the local guy's favor for another day.

 

This ought to liven up the forum!!!

A few guys here in Indy use Autozone engines. A 4 bolt main 350 with a three year warranty is usually 1000-1200 bucks. Install the cam ya want etc and live happily ever after.

 

How about a 351 Windsor for the Lincoln? Would'nt that make more sense? They are cheap, plentiful and have an excellent torque curve stock. I remember when Ford was still in the marine engine business that the Ford 351W was the overwhelming favorite for waterski towboats. Distinctly I remember the reason was because the Ford produced the meatiest torque curve in the low and midranges.(the dealership I worked for sidelined in skiboats) Would'nt that be a boon for getting your Lincoln down the road quickly?


P.S. put me in line for the 317.

 

hey barn yard what problems would he have? I have a 390 in mine and thinking about going the same way?As far 350s crate is the way to go

 

I've actually heard those twilight Zone engines are pretty decent from a few of my buddies.

 

I had great luck with scoggin-dikey (don't think I spelled it right). My buddy works the parts counter at a local chevy dealer and and the price I paid was a couple hundred less than he could get it. I had to go to a wharehouse in the City of Industry to pick it up. The complete engine was cheaper than a rebuild, with me doing the assembly, and it was brand new! For a hassle free daily driver I think crate engines are a great deal.

 

close enough...it's Scoggin-Dickey. I've ordered a fair amount of parts from them and spent quite a bit of time on the phone with their tech department, they were very helpful and the guys I talked to were knowledgeable. It's a BIG plus to have good tech support.

 

Dunno about LA but locally here I bought a 57,000 mile 350 for $525 in the truck and drove it home.

30,000 miles later with only oil changes it still runs great, and I'm not gentle on the truck it's in.

I don't see me even spending the $1200 on the Autozone motor if I can buy a running beater that doesn't have a crapload of miles on it.

Cars cosmetically damaged in transit means they have minor to severe body damage. It would appear this firm had rights to purchase and salvage such vehicles. GM does donate to auto schools some vehicles which per the donation cannot ever be titled or registered, nor can the parts from the vehicle be used on another vehicle. Those vehicles must be scrapped when they are no longer useful. That's a liability thing. But vehicles that are too badly damaged to donate away, for instance something that was in a train wreck, may be simply sold as scrap - it would all depend on who's liable and what insurance pays for it as to where the ultimate destination would be.

When I went to a college here, they got one brand new Chevy 4x4 pickup donated because it had 2 or 3 scrape marks on the roof from some kind of rubber feet probably on a truck trailer ramp that wasn't adjusted quite high enough. The marks weren't even noticeable unless you got up in the bed or something so you could look down on it. There was a bit of a dent to the scrapes, but you could have gotten away with filler on them.