I hear ya....... but......
Even if you put the numerous Chevy block suppliers aside.........there’s the fact that you can get Pontiac blocks from two different sources.
Butler sells iron blocks for $3495 and aluminum blocks for $4495.
Kauffman sells their iron block for $3195, aluminum for $4795.
The Pontiac market is strong enough to support two suppliers of iron blocks, but the Mopar market isn’t strong enough to support any?
Well, I suppose if the iron block price is $5000 they probably won’t sell too many.
I don’t ever remember there being a “surplus” of mega blocks or world blocks available, even when they were in production.
They sold every one they made available.
If they weren’t making money on them...... add a few hundred bucks to the price.
I feel that if “affordable & available” blocks aren’t offered to the people interested in building mid to upper-mid level motors(700-1000hp) you’re going to see the support pieces for that performance level of the BB Mopar platform dry up in the not too distant future.
I’d say that Callie’s not offering the forged cranks for them anymore was the first indicator of that trend.
It’s like when TF came out their BB heads and a bunch of people were crying because it wasn’t a racy enough piece.
Not too many head manufacturers are going to build heads for a platform that has no blocks to use them on.
If I were looking to build a 800-1000hp motor, I wouldn’t be too keen on spending $7495 for a block, and having to wait 6-12 months to get it.
I’d just build something else and go racing.
IMO, this is in the classic Mopar performance tradition of not “getting it”.........
Let’s announce a new high end crate motor at the SEMA show........ but no price.
And two months later........ still no price.
All that big build up prior to the announcement....... and then not being able to take advantage of the excitement of the moment by actually selling them right then and there(or within days afterward).
They should have had a price, and had some special SEMA offer where you got some sort of perk for being one of the first 50 sold.
Mopar Performance....... the new slogan should be, “The Performance Group that doesn’t get it”.
