Big Bloch Chevrolet complete parts list.

[robfrey]

Does anybody have a COMPLETE parts list for a v8 Chevy or for that matter any pushrod V8 done in Excel so that when I tally up total cost to build an engine, I don't miss anything?

[SPARKY]

BIG MISTAKE --- you do not want to know  how much

[Milwaukee Midget]

Unless you're looking to talk yourself out of this, I'd have to agree with Sparky.

And if you're looking to explain the expense to a spouse, well, that's just another way of talking yourself out of it.

I use the Kenmore method - As long as there's food in the fridge, I'm under budget.

Seriously, though, you could put together an Excel template by grabbing a Summit catalog, and work through it page by page.

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Rob, in 1966 I worked in a Honda shop and you could buy a new CB-450 for $999 retail. I priced all the major sub-assemblies available [no nuts or bolts] and it was ~$4500 dealer cost plus assembly labor.  So price a crate engine and multiply it by at least 9 or 10 and you should be pretty close! 

Chris, did you forgot the beer fridge? 

[Frankie7799]

I see that alot from people, not letting the spouse know how much is spent on racing. I was always upfront with my wife on the what I spent on racing. First off she runs the finances so I had to let her know how much it was to see if we had the extra money to do whatever it is I was wanting or needing to do. She was always supportive of our racing and I wouldnt have it any other way. Very rarely if ever did I get told no, we dont have the money to do something

Rob, take a look at a detailed parts list from an engine builder online ( Sonny's, Reher and Morrison etc ) to get an itemized list. Itll probably have everything but the miscellaneous fastners. Then just copy and paste it to a spread sheet.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Beer is food.



Rob, I remember in my late teens going through the J.C. Whatnot catalog, trying to figure what it would cost me to put together a Fad-T Bucket.

After about a week, I discussed it with a high school buddy, and he started asking questions like, "What about a master cylinder?", and pointing out the cost of gauges and light bulbs.  He declared my estimate wasn't even close.  Then he pointed out a Bradley GT a mutual friend of ours had built, and how every time he turned around, it was another $20 or $30.

I'm not taking anything away from your accounting skills when I say I doubt you'll ever get an estimate down to within $1000.00 of the actual cost of parts and machine work.  Things change midstream, advertised costs change or aren't even close to what you actually pay, shipping adds up, parts availability dries up, unexpected component repairs raise their ugly head. 

Any spreadsheet of this nature will probably be of great value to keep you to task, but I doubt if the numbers are likely to hold.

[SPARKY]

My eng builder suggested we get a Reher Morrison crate eng deleteing the parts we don't need  and get them to discount it for not building it
This is the best bang for the buck I have come up with.

[grumm441]

Buy a crate engine
pull it to bits
Swap out the parts you want to change
check the tolerances
weld the oil pump pickup into the oil  pump if you're not running a dry sump
put it back together
sell the extra bits on Craigslist

Or, if you pull it to bits enough times, use all the left over bits to build a spare engine
G

[kiwi belly tank]

Is a "Big Bloch" a German Chevy?
  Sid.

[tauruck]

Frey is "German" so why not?.

[robfrey]

It is important to know what a project cost before starting it. I have built engines like this before and stayed under budget. Actually, an engine, even though it has many pieces is easier to keep on budget than a chassis. It has less unknowns. Also, I have experienced a much harder time staying on budget when I try to skimp and buy slightly used parts. These decisions always seem to come back and bite me then I spend more getting caught up. More importantly, the accurate parts list will give me something much more duplicatable. This will be important if we ever land a big sponsor and need to have a couple of spare bullets in the trailer.

[Stan Back]

When I built my 28 Mercury 20-25 years ago, I thought it would be interesting to see how much I was spending on parts.  I started with a real low-buck goal and saved all the receipts.  After a few months, I kind of totaled them up and then threw them all away.  What I didn't figure, among many other things, was fasteners, supplies, etc.

I guess a lot of that could be recategorized as recreation and left off.

[Peter Jack]

This collection of replies probably illustrates that those expensive engines purchased from various engine builders are not as overpriced as they may at first appear. 

Pete

[floydjer]

My biggest fear is that when I die, Mrs. Floydjer will sell my cars and tools for what I told her I paid for them.................

[Milwaukee Midget]

This collection of replies probably illustrates that those expensive engines purchased from various engine builders are not as overpriced as they may at first appear. 

Pete

"Everybody wants to knit their own sweater".

                                                Avis Martin