I'm interested in the following and I was wondering if someone could give me a ballpark cost including installation on my 72. I'd like to get a rebuild at a quality engine shop of a 454. HAve it bored out. New pistons, cam...the works. I'd be looking for something with approximately 450-500hp, 500 ft*lbs torque. Headers also. My current tranny I think is OK as well as my rearend. What could I expect to pay for that setup plus installation? Thanks

I don't know prices in your area, but if you're having all the work done, you'll be better off with a 454/425 crate from GM. With proper carb and headers, you'd be approaching your goal.

I priced out the the 454 crates and they are all around $5-6K. I was hoping to get my hands on a 454 block, have it bored out, rebuilt, and have it installed for under $5k. Am I way off base? I saw a couple of companies selling rebuilt engines on EBAY that were 450-500hp and they were selling for around $3500-$4k. Are these junk?

I will vouch for the GM crate motors as well. Just search through and read the horror and grief stories from people who had thier motors "built". For the power level you wish to attain a crate motor from GM should easily do the trick and come with a warranty too. All completely brand new parts, too.

It seems the least inconvenient & most assured way of securing what you want is in buying a GM crate motor. I think their a bit pricy but they do drastically reduce part scrounging & fear of bad product as the GM motors have a warranty. However, I gaurantee you could build a better performing engine for less money but again you have all the hassle and usually a very limited warrante.
I require my doing the break in on the motor if someone expects a limited warrantee, if they take it and run it's only good till they leave the shop (excluding obvious srcew-up's on my part) though very infrequent it does sometimes happen.

I do not feel a shop can afford to fully back a motor that is being used by a novice or a ignorant/destructive motorhead. No insult intended. When someone you usually do not know or especially ones you do know (Negative)takes the motor you have absolutely no idea what they are going to do or not going to do.

If you want real security buy a crate motor, if you want something you can say you built or had built for your rod find a reputable shop in your area which you don't indicate! Shop rate in my area runs $65-85 and I could give you a ball park figure for a very basic rebuild (no sleeves line boring, extra head work/parts etc..) of aprox $500 in block work, $90 valve job with tanking and $1750-1950 in internal parts which would include: forged pistons, solid roller w/lifters, roller rockers, Victor jr.intake & 850 CFM Holley and $350 for installation in a stock framed 72 Chevelle. So I wolud say $3000-3500, could get you what you seek. If you bulid it & install it yourself you could save $1000-1200. THis is not a Quote!

I have between $3800 and $4000 in my 496 that I assembled that per D2K should put out right at 550hp at 5500rpm.. I call her my great big "tow-truck" motor!!

But I have to admit that since I had NEVER done a BB, that it has been a hassle installing it b/c a SB drops right in where a SB came out!! (You know, spread the headers and lift and drop)...

No big deal at all but be forewarned...

pdq67

I would imagine you could get a short block build for between $2000 and $2500, after that it would be what you want to put into it. One argument for going this route would be learning how these things work. I look at it like a hobby, if I don't have something to work on, i'm not spending time on what I like doing the most. I bought a complete motor off of ebay for $1500 including shipping half way accross the country, then just took it apart down to the short block, installed a different cam, and built it like I wanted. I ended up with about $6500 in it, but a good chunk of that was the $2000 pulley set-up from Street & Performance. Now that I have it back together, i've had a couple of things i've had to shake out, but overall if I had it to do again, I would do the same thing.

$2000 PULLEY setup?
they better be made out of gold plated titanium..

pdq? what are you installing it in? I've swapped big blocks into a 66 Chevelle,68 Camaro and my current 72 Chevelle,all used to have smallblocks, twas a piece of cake,the hardest part was finding power steering brackets for my 72, and now it doesnt even have power steering anymore,the steering box is there,just no pump.

I just saw this so my reply is a little late.
I had a 4 bolt main 496 long block build,roller rockers comp cam 9.5 to 1,iron heads 2.19 and 1.88 and paid $3500 included shipping.It was a great deal and it made my car move like it is on fire. Anyway the 454 was a few hundred cheaper but if you go big go bigger!! I had to wait 2 months for it but it was worth the wait!!

I built my 454 for $2500,and that included the core.
Peformance in signature.
With 3.31's I'm expecting 12.8X's or better once dialed in with new gears.
It probably makes an honest 450 HP and over 500 ft./lbs. of torque
And this motor is stock,built to 1970 LS5 specs,2.06/1.72 valves,unported closed chamber heads,.100 domed pistons,no roller rockers,stock oil pan,etc.
Just a non-stock cam,intake,and headers.
Keep in mind it weighs 3,945 lbs. w/me
If you lived in CT,I'd build you one and install it,and you'd have money left out of your 5K budget for sure :D
It didn't come with a warranty,but mine has performed flawlessly for the last 2.5 years and over 10K miles.
It still has the "original" spark plugs I put in it when I installed the motor :D

i thought i would chime in here as well my 396 bbc has right at 2200 bucks in with with all of its current parts. that price includes belts,hoses,pulley brackets,water pump,everything thats under the hood. from air cleaner to oil pan. the entire car with battery ,new tires rims and all that including interior and stereo everything there is right at 4800 bucks.

the only thing it lacks is the paint job now.

with 105.93 mph being the fastest i have on a time slip i think thats pretty stout for a daily driver. according to several caculators it putting down 360 hp to the ground which is about 450+ hp at the flexplate.

i put right at 3500 bucks into my 468 and that has been good enough for 126 mph blast down the 1/4 mile and it was built with alot of used parts. and with the race weight of 3600lbs its right at 562 hp to the ground. which is probly about the 650 hp range at flexplate.