This arguement never has any substance. It is mostly people who build engines over the telephone that talk about the cost comparison.

I had an ole truck blew the 360 up. Put an equal 440 in it used the same thermoquad carb. Yes, the BB was king but the truck weight 5,300#.

I raced what every looser wanted to say was a high dollar small block in KOS. I had less money in my engine than any big block racer in KOS. There was only one Big Block in KOS I didn't beat in KOS with this engine. Mike Robbins he had the same displacement in a BB. He treed me both times and the margin of victory was in the thousandts. I later broke his record after he sold his car. I have a large respect for their combo and their driving and tuning capabilities.

I run a shorter stroke engine now that unfortuneately the cost ran a little higher but still less than most BB's built with the same intent. IMO it runs pretty sorry. But, I out MPH the big blocks in the same realm of competition. A NA SB spinner is harder to find the right combo on converter and gear ratio to make the car work and right now I am in left feild.

Alluminum blocks can be bought for SB and they have many more advantages than the ones offered for BB's. Last time I checked the price was within a few $100. I wouldn't have one as I don't feel I can give up the strength in the bores and sacrifice HP. With a BB I would defineately run an alluminum block. Need to make up for the extra 200# somewhere. But, A big block would be my choice in a no penalty for displacement class.

You see no small blocks in the SSAA classes because the heads you would need to run are illegal. I think Hemis are king and should be in that class.

I like small blocks in my car. Of course a 655" predator headed engine would be fine too.

It just depends on what you are doing and what the rules are.

And the price arguement fails. A year ago you could by used P7R5 engines with all the latest trick parts very cheap. Before that you could by a W9 R3 craftsman truck engine as cheap as $5,000. Give Indy a call and see how far you would get with that money building a BB and then watch that small block wear you out.

Again I am not wanting to take sides and if you like running your BB Mopar great. If the small block is your choice that kool to. But, This daily BS arguement about money. The reason your phone call tells you a small block cost to much is because you are talking to a crook that wants to screw you over. If these guys would work a volume approach like many of the successfull BB mopar engine builders the results would be a lot different.

Leon