318 with 675/318 or 974/360 heads Cam Recommendations

Understood totally how it works... I've run my business for 16 years. The local shops here buy used equipment or modify a lot of their equipment; my most favorite shop bought used Serdi capable equipment out of a NASCAR operation. The seat of their operations around Charlotte makes it practical to go pick it up. I've seen the owner and head machinist make a lot of his special tools for special jobs.

On the other hand, a shop in the next county up with one of the late/great fancy automated block machine charges a TON for block work.... no doubt they have the big bill to pay off.

For the OP, things out in the northern Rockies are not cheap for all sorts of stuff; housing costs are a lot higher than in southern Appalachians for example. And with shops few and far between, it is less of a price competitive situation, and I bet the work quantity is 'thinner' out there too. It is what it is in your locale.