My engine in my 69 C-10 gave up the ghost a few weeks back and I have a friend that is helping me build it back. He is older and all the machine guys he used to know have shut down or retired. I know performance in Birmingham and may go with them but thought some of y'all might have some recommendations for who to use around central Al. I just need the block gone through and might need some machining on an intake for a set of double hump 202 heads we are going to put on.

If anyone has a short block 400 they want to part with hit me up also, I may be interested. Looking at all the options.

I know a guy in fultondale that builds engines in his shop. He works for precision machine on 10th ave N. His main gig is building VW engines and trans (he build my 2275 on back of my buggy) but ive seen him build couple of motors for hot rods, including his own '76 camaro he restored.

If your interested, shoot me a PM and ill pass along his info

Harold Spivey, Custom Engine Service in Selma.

Spivey does great work, but you're likely to get it back sometime in the spring of 2019.

Disappointing to hear that. I never had that problem with him. I haven't had him do any outboard blocks for me in a few years, but he could REALLY wake up a 225 ProMax block.

Oh I don't mean it in a bad way. He can build the hell out of a motor, he just takes his time and doesnt get in a hurry.

I've got a couple 350's at different performance levels ready to go
1 brand new 383 roller sho'nuff street motor ready to go
1 400 that I'm waiting on the crank (should be here Wednesday) so I can put it together that will be a 406 planned to be about 375 hp but I've got parts to go up or down with that

Howtons in Hueytown is one of the best if not the best machine shop around but as of Thursday about a 10 week wait to get a block back

Pm sent

I've got a 71 F-100 the is bare stock and runs like a top. It was my grand dads and I'm restoring it back to look like it just came off the showroom floor.

I want to get another low 70's model and rat rod it out though.

This truck is just a fun little hot rod play pretty. I want something to smoke the tires if I want to although I mainly just cruise. I still like a little getting it blown apart but it is on the stand. I'm not in a huge rush with all the holidays and all stretching me out at the moment and I'm going to use the time to do some painting and cleaning before putting it back together.

Hoggin, I may check with you but I am kind of looking forward to doing this one myself "with some help" just to see and learn how all this works.

Howtons sounds like they are pretty good. What does a block job cost, I have no idea.???

Second Howton's, they know their stuff and do great work

I don't really know exactly, my wife pays the bills and I don't remember seeing an invoice recently but it should be around $150 to vat and bore block and turn the crank.

The single most common mistake building engines is not getting the block clean, the smallest amount of dirt left in an oil port and you get more practice quickly.
Just let me know if I can be of any help.

I would add the second most common mistake is building too much engine for the application.

I bet that thing will scoot.

It does good.. itll get you in a spot you dont want to be in, lol. Motor has around 170hp in a buggy thats #1500

I would add the second most common mistake is building too much engine for the application. [/quote]

I'm not sure I've seen this one.

Should have clarified. I mean the person with a stock 289 rotating assembly with the biggest cam they can find, single plane intake, and a 850 double pumper. Then they put it in a stock mustang with stock trans and converter and want to street it. End up with nothing but problems trying to get it to run correctly. It's easy to get caught up in the horsepower race.

I have a set of double hump 202 heads going on it with roller rockers. I plan on adding a 292 cam back in it like it had, it just gives it a perfect lope sound. I already have a high rise Edelbrock torquer intake with a Holley carb sitting on it. Also have a set of headers ready to go back on it. I am thinking this should build a pretty hot motor with a set of small aluminum dometop's in it.

Thanks for the input, I think I will give Howtons a call.

Flat top pistons is the way to go with your heads if you are wanting to run pump gas. A flat top will put you right at 10.2:1 compression ratio dome top will put you well above 10.2:1 and you will buying race gas in a can. Just my 2 cents.

Educate me a little.. at 10.2:1 is that the upper end of what you can run and still get away with higher octane pump gas? Most of my engine experience is with VW and on those 10:1 is about max what you can run on pump gas but keeping timing is check is critical. The old school guys say 9.5:1 is it and then you have to run race gas. My VW motor is 12:1 and it loves 111-114 octane