"Patrick P. Castronovo" wrote:
>
> Now see, instead of that edelbrock carb, you could have gone for the efi,
> and maybe thrown in a turbo for good measure. $2500 to rebuild the engine.
> My Machinist rebuilt my 302 mustang motor for $600. I guess the rest is in
> the add on components, and boring and Pistons.
> I still think it depends on who's doing the work.
> Pat
The main difference in these two figures is the specific engine. The 215
Buick/Rover V8 is a relatively rare bird, especially here in the US, whereas a
302 is as common as dishwater. Ford small block parts are easy to find and
cheap. The engine is cast iron and easier to machine (okay perhaps not easier as
much as just more familiar to the machinist). Setups are much quicker because
they work on the 302 all the time and have the tooling and setups all worked
out. Setups are a major part of the time (read cost) for any machining
operation, and in this case familiarity breeds lower costs. Just because they
are both V8 motors does not make them equivalent in costs of rebuilding, any
more than a Chevy V8 and a Porsche V8 would cost the same. $2500 for a 215
rebuild is a very fair price. It's best to think of the 215 as a foreign V8
rather than an American V8, then its costs make more sense. After all, its been
almost 40 years since that engine was made here in the US!
But given that your machinist did not include boring and pistons in what you
thought was a rebuild, I'd say some of the reason for the low cost of your
"rebuild" was either an issue of semantics or substandard work (for clarity, it
sounds like you did not get a rebuild, it sounds as if it was *at best* a
freshen-up, and that is always much less expensive than an honest rebuild). On a
1500 Roadster there can be a reason to reuse the pistons, but on a Ford small
block, where new pistons are sooo cheap, it's just poor craftsmanship to do so
if you are actually rebuilding the motor (or at least are telling your customer
you are doing a rebuild).
--
Marc Sayer
82 280ZXT
71 FJ510
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