Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
#2624416
02/21/19 09:56 PM
02/21/19 09:56 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 33 Naperville, IL
TamrazsParts
OP
member
|
OP
member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 33
Naperville, IL
|
Hey there! Need some advice.
30 year Mopar veteran. Grew up in Chicago and used to have all of my engine work done through a local shop that has long been out of business.
I have a great shop (on 63rd and New England) that doesn't really do performance work per se, so mostly I have them prep the block, and I build the rest. Budget Engine (aka Chicago Engines, Call Glenn - $350 bore and hone - the work is the best price I've seen. Done 20 of them in as many years...
Here is the problem:
Called Hughes Engines (they build my last race motor 20 years ago) Best engine I ever ran....however...recently, I called to arrange labor bid/costing for my short block (400/512/270TF head) combo project suddenly became a 15K crate engine build with a totally different outcome. Great crew, but they don't take orders the way you want them, and they seem to choose what they want for work. And I don't want to refinance my house.
Muscle Motors, Michigan - Talked to Eric Budden there. Seems nice, got a good price on the rotating assembly. Research shows they went under 2 years ago. Is that true? The website is still up.
Indy Cylinder Head - absolute nightmare reviews. Would chance buying their long blocks, but they still sell everything via PDF catalog. What is this 2003?
Ray Barton - website is black-flagged for virus...no SSL on the site. Really? I expect more for a guy who builds the fastest Hemi's I'd heard of.
PER Race Engines, Plainfield - Drive by on a Friday at 2 p.m. to stop in and talk about the build. Not very friendly, guys points me to the front office....nobody there. Called them...Monday, guy who answers says "we don't do old Mopar" - which is good, given a friend also told me that he had them do a long block 540 Chevy...and when he got the engine back...changed the oil pan...and in the process, found 3 main bolts hand tight. Explanation? Hard times...we had some night crews working late. Scratch that one!
Built-rite engines - great guys...did some work with them in 2012. 3 weeks is actually 3-4 months...and I was still over budget because they didn't realize piston/rod assembly I used then would work. I was referred there from a Chevy friend...and that chevy friend has had his engine goto pieces 4 times. It has been sleeved twice, and its world products block from like 2005. So I'm gun shy
So who is within 250 miles of Chicago and still does decent Long block assembly for older Mopars.
Conclusion: What the hell is happening to these shops? No wonder my other plan is to dump the old [censored] and buy a Challenger like everyone else. Then at least I can call Arrington and build something modern.
Thanks for any insights you can provide.
chuck@tamrazs.com
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624419
02/21/19 10:01 PM
02/21/19 10:01 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,201 Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,201
Park Forest, IL
|
Opel Engineering up in Streamwood.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624437
02/21/19 10:24 PM
02/21/19 10:24 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,278 Morrow, OH
markz528
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,278
Morrow, OH
|
Muscle Motors, Michigan - Talked to Eric Budden there. Seems nice, got a good price on the rotating assembly. Research shows they went under 2 years ago. Is that true? The website is still up.
They only sell parts now. No longer do machining or assembly. Right at your 250 miles is Bischoff Engine Services (BES) in Indiana - Tony Bischoff knows how to make hp on any motor. He ended up fixing my "the block" that MM totally screwed up. Street/Strip 505 with OOTB TrickFlow 270 heads made 713 HP and 707 torque with a Dwayne Porter spec'd cam. I can't say enough good things about BES. They are my type of machine shop and I am very difficult to please. Not the cheapest though.....
67 Coronet 500 9.610 @ 139.20 mph 67 Coronet 500 (street car) 14.82 @ 94 mph 69 GTX (clone) - build in progress......
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624450
02/21/19 10:39 PM
02/21/19 10:39 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,378 Las Vegas
Al_Alguire
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,378
Las Vegas
|
IMO just find a GOOD MACHINE SHOP. Round is round, square is square, flat is flat. Find someone who builds engines in the area you are looking to target and talk to them. BES is one of the better shops in the country IMO. Be hard pressed to find better. They are "close" to you why bother with a "Mopar" shop when you have one of the nest in your backyard
"I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know."
"It's never wrong to do the right thing"
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: cudaboy]
#2624459
02/21/19 10:52 PM
02/21/19 10:52 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,212 QLD Australia
Keith Black®
pro stock
|
pro stock
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,212
QLD Australia
|
Maybe outside of 250 miles, but what about Best Machine?
Dennis x 2. Best Machine.
-------------------------------- Darren Beale Keith Black Racing Engines®
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624472
02/21/19 11:19 PM
02/21/19 11:19 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,723 Portage,michigan
B3422W5
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,723
Portage,michigan
|
Valley performance and machine Ionia Mi Great guys. Mopar shop
69 Dart GTS A4 Silver All steel, flat factory hood, 3360race weight 418 BPE factory replacement headed stroker, 565 lift solid cam Best so far, low 10.30’s 1/4 1.41 best 60 foot 6.56 at 104.17
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: Aspen7695]
#2624484
02/21/19 11:37 PM
02/21/19 11:37 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,849
fullmetaljacket
master
|
master
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,849
|
xx3 Best Machine. They will talk with you through the build and get the numbers right and transparent the first time. Clean, knowledgeable Mopar shop with a in-house dyno mill to trigger your motor before it leaves the premises. I lug all the way from New York for them. Way over 250 miles, but I also go to Detroit a few times a year.
Last edited by fullmetaljacket; 02/22/19 10:59 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624511
02/22/19 12:19 AM
02/22/19 12:19 AM
|
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 89 Cedar Rapids, IA
69Mcode440
member
|
member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 89
Cedar Rapids, IA
|
Call Dave Bruns, Mid America racing Engines, Washington, Ia. 319-653-6282. He does lots of Mopar, machine work or full build. He has a dyno also.
Mike 69 440 Cuda 71 Dart drag car 70 Duster drag car Best et 9.32, 145.9 mph 2019 Ram 2500 4x4
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624568
02/22/19 02:39 AM
02/22/19 02:39 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,486 SoCal
Brian Hafliger
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,486
SoCal
|
Hey there! Need some advice.
30 year Mopar veteran. Grew up in Chicago and used to have all of my engine work done through a local shop that has long been out of business.
I have a great shop (on 63rd and New England) that doesn't really do performance work per se, so mostly I have them prep the block, and I build the rest. Budget Engine (aka Chicago Engines, Call Glenn - $350 bore and hone - the work is the best price I've seen. Done 20 of them in as many years...
Here is the problem:
Called Hughes Engines (they build my last race motor 20 years ago) Best engine I ever ran....however...recently, I called to arrange labor bid/costing for my short block (400/512/270TF head) combo project suddenly became a 15K crate engine build with a totally different outcome. Great crew, but they don't take orders the way you want them, and they seem to choose what they want for work. And I don't want to refinance my house.
Muscle Motors, Michigan - Talked to Eric Budden there. Seems nice, got a good price on the rotating assembly. Research shows they went under 2 years ago. Is that true? The website is still up.
Indy Cylinder Head - absolute nightmare reviews. Would chance buying their long blocks, but they still sell everything via PDF catalog. What is this 2003?
Ray Barton - website is black-flagged for virus...no SSL on the site. Really? I expect more for a guy who builds the fastest Hemi's I'd heard of.
PER Race Engines, Plainfield - Drive by on a Friday at 2 p.m. to stop in and talk about the build. Not very friendly, guys points me to the front office....nobody there. Called them...Monday, guy who answers says "we don't do old Mopar" - which is good, given a friend also told me that he had them do a long block 540 Chevy...and when he got the engine back...changed the oil pan...and in the process, found 3 main bolts hand tight. Explanation? Hard times...we had some night crews working late. Scratch that one!
Built-rite engines - great guys...did some work with them in 2012. 3 weeks is actually 3-4 months...and I was still over budget because they didn't realize piston/rod assembly I used then would work. I was referred there from a Chevy friend...and that chevy friend has had his engine goto pieces 4 times. It has been sleeved twice, and its world products block from like 2005. So I'm gun shy
So who is within 250 miles of Chicago and still does decent Long block assembly for older Mopars.
Conclusion: What the hell is happening to these shops? No wonder my other plan is to dump the old [censored] and buy a Challenger like everyone else. Then at least I can call Arrington and build something modern.
Thanks for any insights you can provide.
chuck@tamrazs.com
What do you think a stroker 400 with TF heads that makes good power, and lasts for years should cost?
Brian Hafliger
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: dthemi]
#2624641
02/22/19 12:26 PM
02/22/19 12:26 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12,589 Great Neck,LI,new york
hemi-itis
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12,589
Great Neck,LI,new york
|
I mean no offense by saying this, but the labor rate you must charge to keep smart, and capable guys dictates 15,000 dollar short blocks. 6 out of ten "race shops" shouldn't build law mower engines. Either they don't know, don't care, or they need to steal to support racing, or drugs/lifestyle. SAD but too TRUE! How many of us have been in machine shop or chassis prison!
HEMI-ITIS has no cure. My condition is fully BLOWN!!
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: TamrazsParts]
#2624650
02/22/19 12:45 PM
02/22/19 12:45 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 350 Mequon, WI
gzig5
enthusiast
|
enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 350
Mequon, WI
|
I was planning to use Kilpatrick Engine and Trans in Waukesha, WI. http://www.kilpatrickengine.com/I don't have any direct experience other than they seem to have done a good job on my 727TF at a good price. I've not been able to find anything negative and folks I've have talked to that used him were happy. He speaks Mopar, runs a sub 7 second 63 Polara, and seemed to have a well equipped shop.
|
|
|
Re: Mopar Engine Builders - who is actually out there
[Re: Al_Alguire]
#2624673
02/22/19 01:46 PM
02/22/19 01:46 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,042 MN
JERICOGTX
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,042
MN
|
IMO just find a GOOD MACHINE SHOP. Round is round, square is square, flat is flat. When I first got into this, I asked my machinist if he knew Mopars. He said "It's a chunk of iron, it doesn't know what it is". I've never questioned him again, and never had a problem with his work.
69 GTX
68 Road Runner
|
|
|
|
|