Still more overlooked engines.....And Why....

Had some more questions on why I didn't mention certain engines as having great performance potential. They do have great potential, but the cost of buying and building one would be so prohibitive-that your better off-both in sheer dollars invested and in hp and torque made-"bang for the buck" that your better off just starting with a more plentifully available engine. Here's some examples. # 1. 400 Chevy Small-Block. No doubt that a 400 can be a HUGE power maker. Countless magazine articles over the years proved that. However, they've been out of production since 1980 and the siamesed cylinder bores can't be safely bored more than .030. And they had overheating problems when new because 400 heads which had 76cc combustion chambers and 1.94 intakes also had steam holes drilled in the heads and block for cooling. In the search for great power-geniuses would put 64cc "2.02" 350 heads on the 400 blocks which would cover the steam holes and cause them to overheat. The chance of you finding a 36+ year old block that is serviceable-i.e. hasn't already been bored .030 or more-is almost nil. And if you did-you'd have to have a machine shop custom drill the high-performance heads for the steam holes for proper cooling-which would be major league expensive. With 350s the proverbial dime a dozen,-and they don't need the steam holes-so you can bolt-on factory or aftermarket high-performace Iron or Aluminum or Vortec heads and companies like Eagle and Lunati offering stroker crank,rod and piston assemblys for as low as $399 it's much cheaper and easier to just build a 383. Or if you "gotta have" a 400-Dart offers brand-new heavy duty 400 blocks that can be safely bored to 4.165 inches and can use standard heads. Either way would be much more feasible than trying to find and build a usable 36+ year old 400 core.  # 2. 413 Chrysler. Yes-the 413 is an "RB" engine just like a 440 and heads, intakes, cams etc that fit a 440 will work on these. However-they've been out of production for over 50 years. The chance of you finding one in serviceable condition at a reasonable price is almost nil. Seriously-unless your restoring an early '60's Max Wedge car to the nth degree-your better off using a 383 / 400 or a 440., or maybe using a 360 based 408 inch Blueprint Engines crate motor stroker.  # 3. 428 Pontiac. I love 428s. They have the torque of a 455 and they rev up like a 400. However-they were only built from 1967-69 and used in "big" cars. If you have one or can buy one cheap, by all means use it. However the 455 that was used from 1970-76 is more readily available, and the 400 that was built from 1967-79 is much more plentiful and Eagle and other companies offer stroker crank kits to turn a 400 into a 433 or 461.  # 4. 428 Ford. I personally think the 428 is the best of all the Ford Performance engines. They make torque like a 460 and they'll rev to 6,500 or beyond with the right cam and valvetrain. The problem is they were only used from 1966-1970 mostly in "big" cars, cop cars and a few 1968-70 Mustangs, Cougars and Fairlane / Torinos. The chance of you finding a 46+ year old 428 in usable condition is pretty slim. If you do-the price is going to be high because of people restoring 428CJ Mustangs, Fairlanes, Torinos and Cougars, and T-Birds. If you have one in your car-or can buy one for a reaonable price I would definitely use it. But the 390s used from 1963-76 are way more plentiful and with Edelbrock heads, etc-can make just as much power for a lot less money. # 5. 427 Chevy. No one doubts the awesomeness of 427s. But they were only produced from 1966-69 in big cars and Corvettes. The low production numbers coupled with people restoring old 'Vettes and Impalas-have driven the prices into the stratosphere. The 454 used from 1970-1995 is much more prevalant. If you can't find an '80's truck in a junkyard with a 454 in it-you aren't looking past the end of your nose. And if you "Gotta Have" a 427-GMPP, Eagle and other companies sell 3.76 inch crank, rod and piston / kits along with the flywheel and balancer ( 427s are internally balanced, 454s are externally balanced )  so you can build a 427 using a 454 block.  Mastermind