Aluminum heads and blocks

threeimpalas

 
Supporting Member 1
I sent Bob a PM earlier this week asking about the status. Here's what he told me.

region rat said:
... I did finally get correct flow #'s.They did 308@900 lift. We are doing a ported version that will go 370+. For now I got a guy to do them by hand. Might go cnc later...

...Also. the patterns for the block could b done in a couple months...
 

1958 delivery

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I don't remember if I was reading an older post or a new one, but didn't they estimate the price for the heads to be in the $4000 range? Ouch!
 

Ronnie Russell

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Supporting Member 2
The last I heard was $2,500 bare----$3,000 ready to run. If that is correct, I think that is a very fair price. We should know something soon. I realize many are tired of hearing that, but things are getting done.
 

Skip FIx

Well Known Member
Definitely a fair price. Average plain jane Edebrocks are around $2K for a Pontiac plus any porting. The Pontiac Tiger racing heads are $5500 complete!
 

Ronnie Russell

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Supporting Member 2
I think there may have been a typo in region rats post. I think it should say 308@ .600 ......... Please correct me if I'm wrong, Bob.
 

Rockfish39

 
Supporting Member 1
Ronnie, for comparison sake, would you happen to know what stock 690s flow at??? How about 817's??? Thanks!
 

Ronnie Russell

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Supporting Member 2
First of all, ooops, my mistake..... 300@.600 308@.900 Rock, Showcars cat. list the 690s at 260. Not sure if that is accurate or not. In a different thread we have been discussing this and petepedlar has offered to flow all of them in the future. It will be interesting to get numbers from the same source on all the heads. If the 260 figure is accurate, that would make Bob's 300 a significant gain, not to mention tthe advantage of lower weight. :)
 

Ronnie Russell

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Supporting Member 2
1958 delivery, #690s are selling on e-bay for $2,500 bare. $1,000 more to put them into shape. Screw-in studs, p.c. seals, new springs, stainless valves, etc. And much, much more if you pay someone for bowl work. $3,000 for a set of ready to run , brand new aluminum heads seems very reasonable to most of us. Does this mean you are having second thoughts about playing our game?? It's just money, gotta spend it on something. Vrooooom Vrooom . 409s , yeah!!
 

threeimpalas

 
Supporting Member 1
$2500-3000 seems like a fair price for a set of what will be "rare" ready-to-run aluminum heads produced by a small shop for a low demand engine.

AFR, TrickFlow, etc, heads for the LSx engines are in the same $$$ range, even though the production volume is higher and the potential market is much larger.
 

1958 delivery

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
1958 delivery, #690s are selling on e-bay for $2,500 bare. $1,000 more to put them into shape. Screw-in studs, p.c. seals, new springs, stainless valves, etc. And much, much more if you pay someone for bowl work. $3,000 for a set of ready to run , brand new aluminum heads seems very reasonable to most of us. Does this mean you are having second thoughts about playing our game?? It's just money, gotta spend it on something. Vrooooom Vrooom . 409s , yeah!!



I hadn't realized 409 heads were going for so much. I checked and they seem to be about $2K used around here. Yes, another $1000 or more to prep them right. So might as well spend the $3-4K for new alum.
 
Just for comparison...
The heads on my Stocker, measured at .510" lift... flowed 288 / 212
I've never checked at higher lift, because that's all the lift I can use. :dunno
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
Curt Harvey listed the High Performance 409 head at 255/260 cfm out of the box in 2000. He did not give lift #s. Aubreys figure of 288 is very impressive. Aubrey, did you use some Smokey yunick magic to achive those numbers :eek:
 

jim_ss409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
These new heads are good news for those of us that just want to go a little faster. And I think the price range is about right for low production parts.

At the big convention, I remember Lamar Walden saying something about 280 cfm or so is about the most he's seen from 690/583 heads. So Aubrey's obviously done a good job porting those heads.:cheers

An article I read with Curt Harvey as the source says that stock Z-11 style heads flow about 300 cfm.
 
Lamar Walden's aluminum Z-11 heads..

Checked Lamar Walden's price on his web site and his aluminum Z-11 heads are $5999.00 complete. Of course I had a set of these heads about 10 years ago on a 482 blower motor that Lamar built. You could drop an egg through the intake ports! He also built my original Z-11 motor in the 80's that was raced in the "Living Legend" at many Super Chevy events. At an invitation only deal held at Milian, MI I beat the the Ford club's fastest T-Bolt in the final running a 10:80! Never got ask back! Actually, the picture on my profile page was taken at Milian that same weekend; look close at the front wheels.

Might check out you 409 guys at this years Norwalk show, I think around July1st.

Wild Bill Burge
"The Living legend"
 

jim_ss409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Bill, It'd be great to see you again.:beerbang I wish I was there to see you beat that Thunderbolt.:beerbang
Do you know who has your old car now?
 
Aubreys figure of 288 is very impressive. Aubrey, did you use some Smokey yunick magic to achive those numbers :eek:


sshh:p ...
Not really, Fat. Gotta watch what you do with these things.... especially since the intake doesn't even need to be removed in order to see down some of the ports.
Mostly a REALLY fancy 3rd angle into the bowl. Valves also have a "creative" seat. In the exhaust port, the valve guide boss has been "spot faced"... which milled away a bit of the obstruction. I'm sure that's where most of the improvement came from in the exhaust.
Not much is really gained from porting, when measured at such low lift.
 
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