Who has spent the most?
Registered User
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 799
From: Redmond, WA
OK, OK... 
Keep in mind that this doesn't include the low-mile (108!!) '94 LT1 crate motor (a warranty take-out and repair) that I bought early on for test fitting and engine cradle fabrication and then parted out at a loss. Or the Eagle 383 cast crankshaft I bought when I first had the bright idea to build a stroker engine.
And it doesn't include all the off-the-shelf parts that I bought and then traded or sold at a loss when I was first planning to build a 396; another LT1 engine core, a Cola crankshaft, Eagle rods, SRP pistons, AFR 195cc heads, a CC306, Crane lifters, Crane valvesprings and retainers, and then a Cam Motion solid roller, Crane lifters, and AFR valve springs and retainers, two sets of extended length AFR valves, a set of 36 lb. injectors, a Holley 58mm throttle body, a GM PCM, LT1 Edit, a custom harness, a Cloyes timing set, a Canton oil pump, and three sets of valve covers... don't ask.
It does include my engine electronics (SEFI-8LO, eDist, LS1 coil packs, cam sync, crank sensor and harnesses) and my McLeod street twin... but no accessories or starter, fuel lines or fittings, or exhaust. It does cover the final tuning session on the dyno and shipping fees once it's completed.
My invoice at B&B Racing is at ~$22,000 and that doesn't include the parts I sent down to Mark; a $2,900 Crower ultralight crankshaft, $2,150 custom Crower Maxi-light rods, the $1,100 Crower shaft rockers, the MSD 50 lb. injectors, AZS&M 1300cfm Monoblade TB, Comp Cams Pacaloy springs, AFR Ti retainers and locks, Canton oil pan and pick-up, FAST SEFI-8LO and harness, Cloyes timing set, or Oliver main caps, and a few other odds and ends.
With the last $4k check I sent to Mark, the total for my "current" 396 just crept over $34,000, according to my calculations.
Keep in mind that this doesn't include the low-mile (108!!) '94 LT1 crate motor (a warranty take-out and repair) that I bought early on for test fitting and engine cradle fabrication and then parted out at a loss. Or the Eagle 383 cast crankshaft I bought when I first had the bright idea to build a stroker engine.
And it doesn't include all the off-the-shelf parts that I bought and then traded or sold at a loss when I was first planning to build a 396; another LT1 engine core, a Cola crankshaft, Eagle rods, SRP pistons, AFR 195cc heads, a CC306, Crane lifters, Crane valvesprings and retainers, and then a Cam Motion solid roller, Crane lifters, and AFR valve springs and retainers, two sets of extended length AFR valves, a set of 36 lb. injectors, a Holley 58mm throttle body, a GM PCM, LT1 Edit, a custom harness, a Cloyes timing set, a Canton oil pump, and three sets of valve covers... don't ask.
It does include my engine electronics (SEFI-8LO, eDist, LS1 coil packs, cam sync, crank sensor and harnesses) and my McLeod street twin... but no accessories or starter, fuel lines or fittings, or exhaust. It does cover the final tuning session on the dyno and shipping fees once it's completed.
My invoice at B&B Racing is at ~$22,000 and that doesn't include the parts I sent down to Mark; a $2,900 Crower ultralight crankshaft, $2,150 custom Crower Maxi-light rods, the $1,100 Crower shaft rockers, the MSD 50 lb. injectors, AZS&M 1300cfm Monoblade TB, Comp Cams Pacaloy springs, AFR Ti retainers and locks, Canton oil pan and pick-up, FAST SEFI-8LO and harness, Cloyes timing set, or Oliver main caps, and a few other odds and ends.
With the last $4k check I sent to Mark, the total for my "current" 396 just crept over $34,000, according to my calculations.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 1969
Posts: 10,745
From: Buffalo, New York
Originally posted by jimlab
OK, OK...
Keep in mind that this doesn't include the low-mile (108!!) '94 LT1 crate motor (a warranty take-out and repair) that I bought early on for test fitting and engine cradle fabrication and then parted out at a loss. Or the Eagle 383 cast crankshaft I bought when I first had the bright idea to build a stroker engine.
And it doesn't include all the off-the-shelf parts that I bought and then traded or sold at a loss when I was first planning to build a 396; another LT1 engine core, a Cola crankshaft, Eagle rods, SRP pistons, AFR 195cc heads, a CC306, Crane lifters, Crane valvesprings and retainers, and then a Cam Motion solid roller, Crane lifters, and AFR valve springs and retainers, two sets of extended length AFR valves, a set of 36 lb. injectors, a Holley 58mm throttle body, a GM PCM, LT1 Edit, a custom harness, a Cloyes timing set, a Canton oil pump, and three sets of valve covers... don't ask.
It does include my engine electronics (SEFI-8LO, eDist, LS1 coil packs, cam sync, crank sensor and harnesses) and my McLeod street twin... but no accessories or starter, fuel lines or fittings, or exhaust. It does cover the final tuning session on the dyno and shipping fees once it's completed.
My invoice at B&B Racing is at ~$22,000 and that doesn't include the parts I sent down to Mark; a $2,900 Crower ultralight crankshaft, $2,150 custom Crower Maxi-light rods, the $1,100 Crower shaft rockers, the MSD 50 lb. injectors, AZS&M 1300cfm Monoblade TB, Comp Cams Pacaloy springs, AFR Ti retainers and locks, Canton oil pan and pick-up, FAST SEFI-8LO and harness, Cloyes timing set, or Oliver main caps, and a few other odds and ends.
With the last $4k check I sent to Mark, the total for my "current" 396 just crept over $34,000, according to my calculations.
OK, OK...
Keep in mind that this doesn't include the low-mile (108!!) '94 LT1 crate motor (a warranty take-out and repair) that I bought early on for test fitting and engine cradle fabrication and then parted out at a loss. Or the Eagle 383 cast crankshaft I bought when I first had the bright idea to build a stroker engine.
And it doesn't include all the off-the-shelf parts that I bought and then traded or sold at a loss when I was first planning to build a 396; another LT1 engine core, a Cola crankshaft, Eagle rods, SRP pistons, AFR 195cc heads, a CC306, Crane lifters, Crane valvesprings and retainers, and then a Cam Motion solid roller, Crane lifters, and AFR valve springs and retainers, two sets of extended length AFR valves, a set of 36 lb. injectors, a Holley 58mm throttle body, a GM PCM, LT1 Edit, a custom harness, a Cloyes timing set, a Canton oil pump, and three sets of valve covers... don't ask.
It does include my engine electronics (SEFI-8LO, eDist, LS1 coil packs, cam sync, crank sensor and harnesses) and my McLeod street twin... but no accessories or starter, fuel lines or fittings, or exhaust. It does cover the final tuning session on the dyno and shipping fees once it's completed.
My invoice at B&B Racing is at ~$22,000 and that doesn't include the parts I sent down to Mark; a $2,900 Crower ultralight crankshaft, $2,150 custom Crower Maxi-light rods, the $1,100 Crower shaft rockers, the MSD 50 lb. injectors, AZS&M 1300cfm Monoblade TB, Comp Cams Pacaloy springs, AFR Ti retainers and locks, Canton oil pan and pick-up, FAST SEFI-8LO and harness, Cloyes timing set, or Oliver main caps, and a few other odds and ends.
With the last $4k check I sent to Mark, the total for my "current" 396 just crept over $34,000, according to my calculations.
Rich Krause
Registered User
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 939
From: Lowcountry
Jeez Jimlab... that's only a couple years salary for me... before taxes It's going to be the meanest RX7 though, probably one of the meanest cars on the planet!
I won't calculate it all but I guestimate it around $4k and change for every mod and $12k for the car itself when I graduated HS ('98). After financing the car will be closer to $15k
I buy and sell used when I can or otherwise GP things so it's not all bad. Like others, I've done all my own work.
It's going to be the meanest RX7 though, probably one of the meanest cars on the planet!I won't calculate it all but I guestimate it around $4k and change for every mod and $12k for the car itself when I graduated HS ('98). After financing the car will be closer to $15k
I buy and sell used when I can or otherwise GP things so it's not all bad. Like others, I've done all my own work.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 128
From: Tx
The question is, "Who has spent the most".... well I've got about 18k of my own dollars in my 434.
To give you an idea of where the other costs come in... I did all the machine work, I built the intake manifold, which has since been changed to an IR setup with custom throttle bodies of my own design. The headers for the SB2 heads were built by myself as was the rest of the exhaust system. Oil pan, custom.... cylinder head porting, done in-shop.... pistons, custom per my spec and CNC machined in my shop. So, most of the work into my car is more my own labor than anything else. I'm not happy with many of the components on the market today, so instead of buying something and modifying it... I just build what I want. If you have the resources this is great but that's why I got into this business in the first place.
To recreate this motor for someone interested (exact same componentry) you'd be looking at about 40k+, as most of this is "custom" work. You could do the same for about 25k if you're good at finding bargains and can do a bit of fabrication and buildup work on your own.
I actually had a wild idea here a year or so ago... to build a kit so someone could swap the 1st gen small-block into the 4th gen F-body. Everything needed to do the swap was going to be in the kit. 18º, 15º, 14º, Canted valve.... whatever cylinder head you could want, I could build an intake for no problem. Well... I finally came to the realization that not too many people were willing to spend that kind of money. jimlab is one of the few, as we can all see from his experience.
Having a rock-solid naturally aspirated engine that'll put down 650 rwhp, idle in traffic, pull enough vacuum to power your accessories and will hold together for 3 years or more is something everyone wants but no so many can afford. There are cheaper ways to do it and everyone has their preference. I get to work with turbo motors all day... it's a bit more challenging making the power n/a though and that's always been, in my opinion, the mark of a talented engine builder. I'm still working my way to that end.
Take care,
Chuck Riddeck
Progressive Race Engine Development
To give you an idea of where the other costs come in... I did all the machine work, I built the intake manifold, which has since been changed to an IR setup with custom throttle bodies of my own design. The headers for the SB2 heads were built by myself as was the rest of the exhaust system. Oil pan, custom.... cylinder head porting, done in-shop.... pistons, custom per my spec and CNC machined in my shop. So, most of the work into my car is more my own labor than anything else. I'm not happy with many of the components on the market today, so instead of buying something and modifying it... I just build what I want. If you have the resources this is great but that's why I got into this business in the first place.
To recreate this motor for someone interested (exact same componentry) you'd be looking at about 40k+, as most of this is "custom" work. You could do the same for about 25k if you're good at finding bargains and can do a bit of fabrication and buildup work on your own.
I actually had a wild idea here a year or so ago... to build a kit so someone could swap the 1st gen small-block into the 4th gen F-body. Everything needed to do the swap was going to be in the kit. 18º, 15º, 14º, Canted valve.... whatever cylinder head you could want, I could build an intake for no problem. Well... I finally came to the realization that not too many people were willing to spend that kind of money.
jimlab is one of the few, as we can all see from his experience. Having a rock-solid naturally aspirated engine that'll put down 650 rwhp, idle in traffic, pull enough vacuum to power your accessories and will hold together for 3 years or more is something everyone wants but no so many can afford. There are cheaper ways to do it and everyone has their preference. I get to work with turbo motors all day... it's a bit more challenging making the power n/a though and that's always been, in my opinion, the mark of a talented engine builder. I'm still working my way to that end.
Take care,
Chuck Riddeck
Progressive Race Engine Development
Super Moderator
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 4,060
From: Inverness, FL
Originally posted by Mr. Horsepower
I get to work with turbo motors all day... it's a bit more challenging making the power n/a though and that's always been, in my opinion, the mark of a talented engine builder. I'm still working my way to that end.
I get to work with turbo motors all day... it's a bit more challenging making the power n/a though and that's always been, in my opinion, the mark of a talented engine builder. I'm still working my way to that end.
Banned
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,505
From: looking for a flow bench so Brook and I can race
Originally posted by 95TA8280
I'm sorry for starting this depressing thread.........
But who else has lists? I MIGHT throw in some NOS, which will add up a little
I'm sorry for starting this depressing thread.........
But who else has lists? I MIGHT throw in some NOS, which will add up a little
theres another $1500 to add
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 198
From: Austin, TX
thinking
I honestly never thought to add it up until now:
Car cost: $13,500
Borla (used but like new): $295
Random Tech Y-pipe (used but like new): $300
Zexel rear: $450
Spohn Adj LCAs: $150
Relocation Brackets: $70
3200 Vig (used but like new): $500
Nitto DRs: $400
$15,652. Not bad. I'm stopping there. Yeah, right. I should get the award for most used parts.
Car cost: $13,500
Borla (used but like new): $295
Random Tech Y-pipe (used but like new): $300
Zexel rear: $450
Spohn Adj LCAs: $150
Relocation Brackets: $70
3200 Vig (used but like new): $500
Nitto DRs: $400
$15,652. Not bad. I'm stopping there. Yeah, right. I should get the award for most used parts.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 856
From: Denver
8k in motor/blower 5k for car2-3k in others. I dont mind the money i spend on my car at all. I rather spend it there than with my buddies at the bar every other night. Its simple you did not just go and buy all those mods at one time. When you have some extra cash you buy a mod they add up and now you have a fast car.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 284
From: Tampa, FL USA
You mean i am not alone :P
I keep my list of parts/mods in excel..Total rebuild for my 383 $11,452.00 That's just parts and the machine shop labor. Pulling the motor and most of the other labor is done by me. Add to that the fact that it has not been driven since feb 2002 when I started this project with a budget of $6000.00. Hah what was I thinking!!! 
Throw in the years worth of payments and insurance another $4500.00 AND to add insult to injury, I have been driving a '92 RS with a 3.1L V6
Throw in the years worth of payments and insurance another $4500.00 AND to add insult to injury, I have been driving a '92 RS with a 3.1L V6