8BA tooling.

T

Tod

Well-known member
I will be starting to cut new 8BA tooling soon. Just for the sake of reference, how many people here think they might want a block when I have them available?


Tod
 
I don't think this board is a fair representation of the potential market for a new block. We are primarily a bunch of old farts that already have (at least I do) a couple of completed engines and a couple of more good blocks "under the bench". I think the primary demand for these is going to be younger guys building "high-end" rods and, excuse the expression, "gold-chainers" trying to one-up each other. I would also expect a good part of the demand will be from the foreign market; Europeans, the Japanese, and yes, even Russians and the Chinese. Another factor that might come into play is whether some of the sanctioning organizations will allow these in competition. (The SCTA doesn't allow French blocks, the last I heard.)

I think that there will be sufficient demand for these, but you may not be getting the best indication of what it would be from here.
 
Actually, allot depends on the finished price of the new block and what it offers. Usable blocks are getting harder to find, and when you do find a block the cost of checking it out and machining it brings the price up. I see no reason why you couldn'r supply a block with a finished size of 3 5/16, That way a stock ford 3 3/4 crank would give 265 ci and reduce the cost of a total rebuild. At present the cost of rebuilding a stock engine is getting over 4K$ and that isn't going to get amy lower. The Major reason why Flathead have lost their favor in the street rod circle is labor cost of preparing the old block.
 
My personal thought is that anything under 3 k should be marketable. Some talked about prepping an old block but remember Todd is designing a new block with a few improvements that cannot be done on an old block. You also have the added security of not running on 80 year old cast iron. How much is a French block and those still need work done to them.
 
If the block comes with 3 5/16 bore and can take 3 3/8 without any issues and improved flow in the intake exhaust so there is no need to start porting, beefier main caps then the price will be very competitive.
What kind of warranty will there be on them ?
 
I am interested but it may have to sit for a while before I would be able to build it up. If it stays in that range, the price will be OK. If it goes too far out I'd have to think longer and harder about it. Shipping will be up there too but in bare form it shouldn't be too bad in effort or price. It will really be nice to see one built up & running and find out what all has to be done to get it there.
 
Hey Tod: I'm most certainly interested - depending on what cubic inches the block can support (with thick enough cylinder walls), the strength of the main webbing and main caps and the overall ports.

I'm getting ready to build a pretty bad-*** Ardun - would love to use one of your blocks as the foundation for it (obviously it has it's own ports). I will PM you, want to run something else by you . . . don't need to bother everybody with my hair-brained ideas! LOL
 
So they would be priced below the cost of the French block which I think are now going for 3995? They'll sell!
 
I would be interested if the actual cost stays in the range you mention, and if it happens within the next few years, otherwise I'll be too far over the hill to think about building any more engines. I had always hoped that Mark Kirby would get his dream FH block into production, but that's probably never going to happen.
 
I would be interested, if all goes well, and if it were available within the next few years. None of us are getting any younger.
 
I can't afford one at present. However, I would assemble one at no labor charge in stock form, if I could dyno it.
 
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