I was wondering if any of you had any experience with Larry's Performance Shop, in Montebello CA. Their 415 stroker kit including the block seems very nice, and I wanted to know if anyone has any feedback on their work and services. It's priced at $1445 with forged pistons, recon. crank and rods, bearings, cam & lifters, gaskets, High vol. oil pump, double roller timing chain, and all parts balanced. Is this a good price and how much power will this bottom end handle?
-Thank you
-Cyrus '72 Chevelle
'76 BMW 2002

I bought a set of 2.02/1.60 SBC heads from them and wasn't happy with them. Guides were worn and the valve job had to be redone... FWIW, this was in late '94. IMO, there are plently of shops in the LA area that might be a better choice. Also, there are some good crank kit deals on ebay as well. I've had two sets of heads done by Speed-O-Motive and was happy with the work; they are currently building a 496 for me.Speed-O-Motive is a bit of a drive, but not much further than Larry's.

I will let you form your own opinion about my deal with LPS.

On my first attempt to procure an engine from LPS I ordered a track pro short block. The short block arrived about 2 weeks after the initial order was placed. Unfortunately my car got hung up in the body shop and the engine did not get installed until 11 months later. Upon initial install everything went well. After 450 miles the engine developed what sounded like a spun bearing. Upon tear down it turned out to be a wrist pin for number 5 piston had not been properly pressed in the rod and it had been riding loose in the piston and rod. After 450 miles it had worn the cylinder wall and finally worn the piston to the point that the piston cracked. I called LPS and asked if they could help me out even though I was past the 6 month warranty period. They said ship the motor back since it was only 450 miles and they would take care of it. Shipped the motor back. The turn around was supposed to be about 2 weeks. But delays came up.
1.) Backlog of builds
2.) They could not get a matching piston (KB-203)
3.) They had to sleeve the block. That would be more time.
4.) They changed shippers and were having trouble finding shipper to send it to Oregon since their shipper did not hall loads up my way.
Finally after about 8 weeks the motor was ready to ship. Said they would call with tracking info. They never called. A week goes by and I call them up and the short block is still on the dock, they haven't had time to pack it up but it should go out the next day. They again promise to call with tracking info. They don't call. I call them again and actually get a track number, but they say wait a couple days for it to show up on the shippers tracking website. I wait and then I try the tracking number. It tracks alright! except it lists an electrical motor company in South Carolina or Georgia as final destination and the current location to be in Georgia, less than a day away. I call LPS and they say it is the shipping company who messed up and the number is wrong. I go back and forth between the 2 until the package is delivered and sure enough my short block is on the east coast. The shipper says the label on the package clearly showed its destination being where it was delivered. LPS has to eat the cost of the return. It is shipped back to CA in about a week. LPS says the package is damaged and they have to tear down the short block and reclean everything. 3 weeks later this is finally done. Previously it was discussed with LPS that I was to not have to pay any shipping charges to get my motor back (since it was warrantied). Sure enough the package arrives at my parents house while I am gone. You guessed it there was $137 freight bill. Being 4 months later and not wanting to risk not ever getting it back again, I paid the bill.
I was leery about trying the motor out at this point but it checked out and we assembled the engine and installed it. It ran great! I ran the motor for 3500 miles with no problems except using almost 6 quarts of oil (about 2 qts every 1000 miles. Did a compression check and 2 cylinders were 20-30 psi lower than the other six, one of them being the sleeved one. That was it,I yanked it out and wheeled and dealed on another engine and stuffed the shortblock in a corner. The new motor I used a local machine shop and have ran the current motor 10x harder than the LPS and it still keeps on ticking. I even reused the heads I had used on the LPS motor and this current setup does not use any oil.

The above statement is true and correct and is not ment as bashing but as a statement of what happened to me.

My transaction may have been a fluke (I hope so). I have decided mail order engines are not for me.

Thanks alot for the honest help guys. I'll make sure to keep my eyes open for another shop, around here, in the L.A. area.
Thank you,
-Cyrus '72 Chevelle
'76 BMW 2002

Cyrus, there's a place called the Balance Shop in the Valley on a side street off of Reseda (7007 darby Avenue) (818) 881-9046. I've heard good things about them. I've never used them because I need a shop where I can drop off and pick-up on Saturdays. I also wanted to try Johnson Machine in Monrovia, but I couldn't make it during their business hours. FWIW, I've been happy with what Speed-O-Motive has done for me. They're just a bit of a drive.

You may want to talk to the machine shop you're going to use and ask about rotating assemblies. If they don't supply them, I'd check ebay and find a rotating assembly and ask the shop what they think about it... contents/brand/quality. I'd get the final machining and balancing done locally if I were you. Good luck.

Thanks Wes, I'll make sure to check out that place in Reseda you mentioned, and Speedomotive as well. That's pretty cool, I never knew some of the guys on this forum are from Canoga Park/Woodland Hills. You guys have been alot of help with the info and advice. Rock on Dudes.
-Cyrus '72 Chevelle
'76 BMW 2002

Cyrus, if you can make it to Flames on a Friday night, there are a lot of SCCCC members there every week. It is on Corbin just north of Nordhoff in the KMart parking lot. Gene Callahan of Canoga Park is often there in his yellow '66 convertible. Another guy named Lucky is there in a red '65 Malibu with a BB; he's usually recruiting for the SCCCC.

Yeah I'll try to head out to Flames tonight. I used to go there before but it sorta died down. I remember it was really big over the summer. My chevelle is currently not drivable as I'm doing the body work and other things as well, so I'll try to see if the rest of my friends from my car club would like to come, I'd like to meet all you guys.
-Cyrus '72 Chevelle
'76 BMW 2002