Well, I can't prep any block for $400. Because by the time you have it bored, honed, cleaned, decked, main housing bores checked, line honed for alum caps(which I use), deburr it, cam bearings, plugs, chase threads, etc, you have well over $400 into it. Sure, you can do a lot of that yourself, but time is time and is not free. Whether you do it, or pay someone to do it, still requires all the same work and my time is worth something.

You might say, well I won't deck it. You could do that, but most stock blocks are terribly inconsistent from side to side, front to rear and lifter side to outside. I won't even build a stock type replacement without squaring it. Same on the line hone. I have yet to check one that met MY standards and if you put caps on, it's a must.

These days power is EASY to make. A mild cam, some decent alum head and stroker kit or not, a 600hp motor is nothing. That's EASY and most want more. So you have some nice alum heads, a 512 rotating assy, with a pretty healthy cam and get it together and think "I should really run this real easy, because I have a stock block". Whats the point in buying the GOOD parts if you can't use them to their potential. Most guys just don't think that way. We want all we can get and is generally the point of building a "good" motor.

Stock block is just a crap shoot, always has been, always will be.

Using Billy's example above. At the weight of the Gremlin, the ET and speed, they make about 900HP on both kits. So if each plate is 150ish, they are around 600hp on motor. Will that live for thousands of street miles and two Drag Weeks......sure it will. He says it has 100 track passes. OK, were those 100 passes ALL on two kits at the 900HP level.......probably not. You take that thing to the track EVERY weekend and every hit you make is on the jug on two kits, I am betting it's life would be pretty short.

Now I am NOT trying to discourage ANYBODY from building a stock block motor. It's your money and you can do as you wish. But you screw one together it makes well over 600hp, you should not be in the least bit surprised when you knock the main webs out of it.