What's the appeal of an aluminum engine block?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

Why not just take a cast iron block, smooth out the rough edges on the outside, powder coat it aluminum, and voila! You have an aluminum engine that most people won't have a clue as to what it really is!

So let me get this right.

First, find a good cast iron block, which ain't easy, then smooth out the rough edges on the outside, then powder coast the block in aluminum and then you have what? A silver looking anvil that you have just spent hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars on before machine work.

Sounds like a great plan. I'm sure someone out there has done it.