The high cost of building iron...

Tom Kochtanek

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
Picked up a set of 583s from Dan (Ishiftem) a few months back and dropped them off at the local machine shop, along with some ballpark specs for the build. Dan had ported them a bit prior to machining, etc.

These iron heads are destined to go atop the "Mint to Be" project, a 1961 Biscayne drag car. Bottom end will be a 422 truck block bored .100" and set up with a turned down 427 crank, BBC rods and forged Ross pistons. Have some cam specs in mind (roller cam) but haven't made that call yet.

STC_5732.JPG

The intakes are 2.25" and the exhaust 1.80". Had a lot of machine shop work done to make them bulletproof (is there such a thing?).


STA_5730.JPG

Here's the bad part (I wasn't expecting this...)

:
STA_5729.JPG
I just realized I could have purchased a pair of Bob Walla heads for what I've got into these old iron heads :).

Live and learn!

TomK
 
blkblk63ss

blkblk63ss

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 5
Tom Kochtanek said:
Picked up a set of 583s from Dan (Ishiftem) a few months back and dropped them off at the local machine shop, along with some ballpark specs for the build. Dan had ported them a bit prior to machining, etc.

These iron heads are destined to go atop the "Mint to Be" project, a 1961 Biscayne drag car. Bottom end will be a 422 truck block bored .100" and set up with a turned down 427 crank, BBC rods and forged Ross pistons. Have some cam specs in mind (roller cam) but haven't made that call yet.

View attachment 45674

The intakes are 2.25" and the exhaust 1.80". Had a lot of machine shop work done to make them bulletproof (is there such a thing?).


View attachment 45675

Here's the bad part (I wasn't expecting this...)

:
View attachment 45676
I just realized I could have purchased a pair of Bob Walla heads for what I've got into these old iron heads :).

Live and learn!

TomK
Click to expand...
Holy moly,,,,,don't show the wife!!!!!
 
Skip FIx

Skip FIx

Well Known Member
Us Pontiac guys have been figuring that for awhile also. It just depends on what you want your project to have and look "stock".
 
P

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
Can't read the bill very easy..............valve ??? and titanium retainers were $765. Were those necessary??????? Regular retainers??? Gonna be a race engine I'm assuming................
 
Tom Kochtanek

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
Yeah, that $765 line item threw me at first. That was for the springs, keepers, etc.
The valves were priced out at $400. Must have some "unobtanium" in them :).

It will be going into a race car at some point. Good thing I was sitting down when I got the bill :).

The guides are the hardened ones from Edelbrock. I'm going to ask Tony Schaffer if those are OK, if not I'll get a set from him :).

Man, it adds up, doesn't it? James and I did a "budget build" for the BA409 car and those 690s when done (same shop) cost about a third of this most recent bill. Quality parts and good labor don't come cheap, do they?

TomK
 
Jim Sullivan

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
They sure look nice and with the parts used, you should never have a problem with them.
 
409envy

409envy

Well Known Member
Tom,
All I can say is, I feel your pain. I don't have the high end stuff you have in your valve train but I was approaching $1000.00 for the "work" done to the heads and that's after paying for the cores! They do look awesome though!!! I cant wait to hear what you have cooking for cam specs... please start a thread on this motor when the time comes!
 
4speedman

4speedman

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
That is a good looking set of heads,you get what you pay for, well sometimes and this looks like the time for you.I was thinking about the bigger valves in some 690s that i have but after seeing that bill and not being a race motor that i am building maybe that's not for me.
 
Tom Kochtanek

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
James and I will keep you posted on the build of that engine. As I mentioned, it's a stroked 409 truck block, bored .100 over with a modified 427 crank. BBC rods and forged Ross pistons. The engine currently sits in my 1962 SS car, I'm building a stock stroke date coded "period correct" QB engine for that one and James and I are stealing the stroker fitted block out of that SS. It has 12,000 miles on it, so we'll be tearing it down and freshening up the bottom end then plopping those 583s on top. Cam and intake to be determined. This one will go in the 1961 Biscayne flat top, it will be strictly for racing.

We have two other 409s under construction, one is the period correct 1962 stocker mentioned above :). The other is a 409 truck block with BBC rods and KB-Icon pistons. Plans are to use the top end from the SS car on that one (583s, 881 intake, etc.). The latter will be destined for my 1962 Impala convertible project :). No time frame for any of these, we just keep whittling away :).

Cheers!
TomK
 
1964SuperStocker

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Had to give up my first born to Dave for the 690 heads today. At least the kid will learn to shoot straight. LOL! The thing about old iron is not everyone can get it to perform. Part of the fun of using old iron is to live as my gear-head forefathers lived. Grumpy didn't run BWR's or even Edlebrocks. Aluminum is sweet no matter the brand but there is nothing like old-school. If I wanted new I'd have something with an LS in it.
 
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