I need a quick answer for a motor

[jwd]

I don't know about SC but in my area, a good running 351W is worth no more than $500. I picked up mine for $50. It was a standard bore with new heads. I rebuilt the motor and sold the heads for $100.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by jwd

I don't know about SC but in my area, a good running 351W is worth no more than $500. I picked up mine for $50. It was a standard bore with new heads. I rebuilt the motor and sold the heads for $100.

If it's in decent shape, a couple of hundred bucks doesn't matter -- that coming from an FE man... (just add another zero) On some of our cars, stuffing a 385 series under the hood can hamper your foot boxes, so keep that in mind if you go with the 460.

[ENTDOC]

in my experience, you will spend more on the rebuild and replacing old worn out parts than you would on a nice short block or long block. I think a motor like that will likely cause you headaches.

[Ron61]

Another thing to think of. If you already have your transmission and bell housing and it is for an FE engine, the 385 series won't bolt up to it. They have a different bolt pattern. A friend of mine got caught in that trap when he bought a 429 to replace a 390. By the time he got the correct bell housing and had everything straight, he had spent way more than he gained.

Ron

[Madmiles442]

Originally Posted by ENTDOC

in my experience, you will spend more on the rebuild and replacing old worn out parts than you would on a nice short block or long block. I think a motor like that will likely cause you headaches.

I second that

[Ronbo]

Unless you have one heck of a garage (and know how to do it), the machine shop will be doing 90% of the work on the block.

Hot tank, crack checking, line honing, bore honing, resurface the decks, balancing, ect.

Not to mention ring gapping, oil clearance adjustments, end play...

If the machine shop screws up a "crate" short block, they'll screw up your stuff.

Once you start pricing stuff, you'll find assembly (which you may not do right) is a fraction of the engine's cost. Sorry, but asking the difference between a Merc and a Ford motor tells me you may be better off having a pro handle it. There's lots of stuff to be done wrong or missed that'll cost you down the road.