572 indy built hemi crate

I am thinking about ordering indys 572 crate hemi, it would be a upgrade from the 500 hp hemi i have now. I know indy has had a bad rep , and im wondering if things have improved since the owner ship has changed? 19 grand is a lot to spend and I have been screwed in the past and really dont want to go down that road again. Also has any one actually purchased this crate and what is your experience with it? Is it truly streetable or is that what they tell you to get you to buy it? I know barton is the guy to go to on these motors but he wants 25 k for a 650 hp motor and thats a little out of my range. Thank you kindly for your input.

You will be even further out fixing all the mistakes.

Okay. You know Indy has had 'issues'. And you know that Barton is one of the go-to guys for Hemis.

And now you want to know if it is okay to buy the Indy because it's cheaper? By 6 thousand dollars? Don't you want to know how they saved the 6 grand?

All the people at Indy have changed, as have the owners.
Dont think its fair to compare the Wheatcrafts to the old owner.

I would give Indy a shot for sure. With the new ownership there has been a ton of turnover, from the foundry being used to the people doing the work. They also have a new block desing in the works that should be debuted soon. I say give Charli a call and let the Wheatcrafts build you a nice bullet

I imagine the new owner's will put out a better product.
But since it looks like you have pulled your old "500hp" hemi, just have it upgraded (rebuilt with more HP in mind).
That should save you lots of money using your block, heads, rockers, intake, etc.

On your deal I would use a 4.375 stroke crank with BB Chevy journals and 7.100 long BB Chevy type H beam or I beam roods with a good custom piston at what ever oversize you want to go to, I would make it the smallest bore that will straighten the cylinders up
A 4.280 bore with a 4.375 stroke at 10.25 to 1 compression should make 1.20+ HP per C.I. on pump gas all day long with a decent camshaft, not a all out drag race cam
I made a all iron stock street hemi casting pump gas street Hemi motor years ago with a Mopar 4.125 stoke with a 4.280 bore with less than 10.50 to 1 compression for a customer, it made over 650 HP with a set of stock 1967 carbs and intake

What size cam?
What was done to the heads, any porting or casting cleanup? Stock valve size?
What ring lineup?

I dont know where you live, but if I was going to do what you are thinking, I'd call Bob George Racing, they are just south of Pittsburg, PA. Those fellows will do you right. They are members here.

I don't remember the grind on that cam now, (that was back in the late 1990s) it was a solid lifter lifter custom ground for a pump gas street motor. The heads where some new Mopar replacement castings (1980s to 1993 or so)that the customer had, he had bought out a B.K Dodge dealership inventory of D.C. parts before I met him. He was a successful SO CA lawyer working in L.A, CA. He had earned his way through college and law school working in a body shop part time and really liked Mopars He bought every Hi Po part he could get
The pistons where cut for stock 5/64 rings, not low tension oil rings per his instructions I'm thinking it was right at 10.5 to 1 compression ratio, a tad high for today pump gas
That motor out performed (HP per C.I.) another bigger C.I. aluminum Dart headed 526 C.I motor with a stock OEM X ram with a set of John Bauman prepped SS carbs. that I assembled for him That was embarrassing I still don't know why

I have had bad luck with their blocks....The quality of the machining was really bad where it really had to be right. If they have hired a new machinist or two and check what they make before they either assemble it or sell it to you, that would be a big plus.....That's my complaint...

Make of list of parts and ask about each part. I know there has been problems with Indy blocks. I believe it was moving around but this motor was not ordinary 650 HP motor it had twice that HP. It also has the tops parts in it and raced NSS. One thing building these motors is not a cheap thing to do, it takes good parts. I like the Stage V Heads there are different ones to choice from and with that you have different choices in intakes. I like the Ray Barton Oil bar oiling set up also. I have seen all this stuff last and last in Nss Racing. If a build is a lot of money do it over a couple of years. Phone FHO, RBE or Saquash on Moparts and talk to them about a build and what they have had success with. All should be up on what is currently available.

Should save you a ton of money just upgrading what you have already. Having your heads ported, a new cam, and possibly an intake/carb change can get you 100+ hp easily depending on what you have already.

The reports of the work coming out of INDY are night and Day from the previous owner. Can't hold the old owners reputation against the Wheatcrafts. They actually care, and are diehard Mopar racers.

I talked to Ken yesterday, he seems to doing fine. He can build you a good engine if he has good parts to work with. I have no idea on pricing, turn around times and stuff like that so you'll have to do your homework. If it was my money I'd chat with Ken at Indy and talk to Chuck at Best and maybe chat with Tim at FHO or Bob George and come to a conclusion. They can all build you a good engine, it just depends on who has time or the parts on hand or who you click with.

Yeah, no worries.....

I guess no one is paying attention to some posts here. Indy is under new ownership, new people casting the blocks and new people machining the stuff. This is NOT the old Indy cylinder head. Call Charli and talk to her.

Yes new owners at Indy, but I like the Keith Black new Hemi Block. It has things I will be using on the next build.Talking Aluminum Blocks only.

Hopefully your planning on having that hole repaired, if there is no other damage to the block, and reusing it
That is, easier repairing them, one of the advantages of aluminum blocks