59* R3 Help

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Correct ^^^^^^^

Though I have not heard or seen unfinished blocks in the cam tunnel or head bolt area ever being up for sale.

There were 3 deck heights available.
Cam tunnels ranged from stock to 50 & 60 mm.
Ford mains were also an option.
 
Correct ^^^^^^^

Though I have not heard or seen unfinished blocks in the cam tunnel or head bolt area ever being up for sale.

There were 3 deck heights available.
Cam tunnels ranged from stock to 50 & 60 mm.
Ford mains were also an option.

I can’t say the names because I’ll get gigged for it but it was some people who have the ability to machine anything they want who were buying unfinished blocks.
 
Sorry to hijack this thread! But

I had a guy contact me today asking if I'm interested in his X block still in its direct connection box. I'm working on getting the part number right now. 59* unfinished 3.91 bore 9.56" deck. I have both the opportunity and cash for a change and could use some fast advise and info on this block. What is it's value? Is this an ideal block for a serious street build 750 hp? does this block have siamesed cylinders and if so is that an issue cooling on the street?Thanks guys.

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I had a guy contact me today asking if I'm interested in his R3 block still in its direct connection box. I'm working on getting the part number right now. 59* unfinished 3.91 bore 9.56" deck. I have both the opportunity and cash for a change and could use some fast advise and info on this block. What is it's value? Is this an ideal block for a serious street build 750 hp? does this block have siamesed cylinders and if so is that an issue cooling on the street?Thanks guys.

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Sorry to hijack this thread! But

I had a guy contact me today asking if I'm interested in his X block still in its direct connection box. I'm working on getting the part number right now. 59* unfinished 3.91 bore 9.56" deck. I have both the opportunity and cash for a change and could use some fast advise and info on this block. What is it's value? Is this an ideal block for a serious street build 750 hp? does this block have siamesed cylinders and if so is that an issue cooling on the street?Thanks guys.

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GET IT. DO NOT DINK AROUND.
 
Sorry to hijack this thread! But

I had a guy contact me today asking if I'm interested in his X block still in its direct connection box. I'm working on getting the part number right now. 59* unfinished 3.91 bore 9.56" deck. I have both the opportunity and cash for a change and could use some fast advise and info on this block. What is it's value? Is this an ideal block for a serious street build 750 hp? does this block have siamesed cylinders and if so is that an issue cooling on the street?Thanks guys.

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Be very careful. THere is a lot of scam's going on out there right now.
 
Be very careful. THere is a lot of scam's going on out there right now.
Thank you. I'll be driving to get it and paying cash. I just need to know how good of a deal it is. Hes asking 4500 for the block and the new big valve covers as a package. Thoughts? A new Ritter block is 3750 plus machining.
 
I can’t say the names because I’ll get gigged for it but it was some people who have the ability to machine anything they want who were buying unfinished blocks.

Completely plausible because this stuff was going to Nascar teams at the very least.
 
Completely plausible because this stuff was going to Nascar teams at the very least.

Yeah, that’s true. I didn’t hang out in that crowd so I can’t say for sure but I would think you are spot on.

Those guys will dig a booger out of a gnats nose to find .25 HP so they do what they have to.
 
Thank you. I'll be driving to get it and paying cash. I just need to know how good of a deal it is. Hes asking 4500 for the block and the new big valve covers as a package. Thoughts? A new Ritter block is 3750 plus machining.


I’m about guaranteeing you that block will need work too.
 
Yeah, that’s true. I didn’t hang out in that crowd so I can’t say for sure but I would think you are spot on.

Those guys will dig a booger out of a gnats nose to find .25 HP so they do what they have to.

They are completely "not afraid".

At the time of these blocks I believe only European F-1 racing had bigger racing budgets.

Guy told me about a chassis he built and used x-ray thickness gauges and careful sanding a grinding to get it within hundredths of the Nascar minimum tubing diameter. Got the tubing manufacture to make special dies to get the thickness closer to start too. Brought the chassis down 200 lbs. ... was for a "man in black" ;)
 
There has NEVER been a race block for any brand that doesn’t require work. To think otherwise is foolish.

I don’t under why Chrysler guys think they should be able to buy a block and not touch it.

What size should the bore be when finished?

What should the hone be for the rings you are using?

What deck height do you need?

What size does the main line need to be?

Those are a few of the things that need to be addressed with any race block, regardless of who made the block.

4500 for an X block is a giant rip off.

For that money I’d buy a Ritter block and never look back.
 
I’m about guaranteeing you that block will need work too.

Also got to wonder why it is still NOS.

This race stuff gets sorted out and picked over at factory and at dealers.

Some MP dealers measured and inspected blocks and heads pre-purchase for good racers customers. And even returned some orders to factory.

I've also heard some MP dealers would get parts that they could tell had been already sorted and checked out prior to shipment.
 
There has NEVER been a race block for any brand that doesn’t require work. To think otherwise is foolish.

I don’t under why Chrysler guys think they should be able to buy a block and not touch it.

What size should the bore be when finished?

What should the hone be for the rings you are using?

What deck height do you need?

What size does the main line need to be?

Those are a few of the things that need to be addressed with any race block, regardless of who made the block.

4500 for an X block is a giant rip off.

For that money I’d buy a Ritter block and never look back.
You always read more into something than there is. Only a fool would assume that because they mentioned that a ritter block would need more machining that he also thinks the X block would need none. Where does that come from? I just read that the Ritters need extensive machinning to get ready.

I don't know what size they are able to go that is one of my questions but I'd like to go 4.1" I'd like a std deck engine and 9.56 seems close, did they offer them this way?

The mains are 340 and that's good for me.

I am set to buy a Ritter but this came up and I wanted to know info pretty fast. 2500 max value, I appreciate the info

Thanks for the help.
 
Also got to wonder why it is still NOS.

This race stuff gets sorted out and picked over at factory and at dealers.

Some MP dealers measured and inspected blocks and heads pre-purchase for good racers customers. And even returned some orders to factory.

I've also heard some MP dealers would get parts that they could tell had been already sorted and checked out prior to shipment.

They guy who I bought mine from bought the thing new in the box in 1980. He was going to start a build at the end of the 1980 season.

Then the wife got pregnant. With TRIPLETS!!! He showed me the pictures. Three really cute kids. But they weren’t expecting that so the car sat for the next ten years.

He then decided to rebuild the 340 that was in the car and when he went to the track he just wasn’t into it as much as he was.

So he parked the car. Years later he sold the car and offered the block to the idiot who bought it and he passed on it. So it sat in the box until I bought it in 2013.

I paid 800 bucks cash money and didn’t try and beat him down one red cent.

I did promise him I would use it and not flip it for a profit so he got pictures of the full build.

One of the few times I got a smoking deal like that one in my whole life.
 
You always read more into something than there is. Only a fool would assume that because they mentioned that a ritter block would need more machining that he also thinks the X block would need none. Where does that come from? I just read that the Ritters need extensive machinning to get ready.

I don't know what size they are able to go that is one of my questions but I'd like to go 4.1" I'd like a std deck engine and 9.56 seems close, did they offer them this way?

The mains are 340 and that's good for me.

I am set to buy a Ritter but this came up and I wanted to know info pretty fast. 2500 max value, I appreciate the info

Thanks for the help.

It comes up all the time around here. And everywhere else. I didnt read anything into it. If you are an engine builder you know that’s a solid truth.

The Ritter doesn’t take any more machine than any other block.


A buddy is building a 23 degree 427 SBC. He bought a Dart block. To get steel caps and .904 lifters the block was almost the same cost as a Ritter.

On top of that, Dart only machines that block for a 3.75 stroke. So the engine builder had to do the extra clearance work.

I can say there isn’t much he hasn’t had to do on that block.

Again, they ALL need machine work and the Ritter doesn’t require any more than any other block.
 
Also got to wonder why it is still NOS.

This race stuff gets sorted out and picked over at factory and at dealers.

Some MP dealers measured and inspected blocks and heads pre-purchase for good racers customers. And even returned some orders to factory.

I've also heard some MP dealers would get parts that they could tell had been already sorted and checked out prior to shipment.


This stuff still comes up once in awhile. Someone on Facebook had around six of them mostly 48 degree short deck stuff. Some went fast and some didn’t. Friends usually tag friends that are looking. I’d heard years ago that Indy was sitting on some but I avoided that trainwreck.
 
This stuff still comes up once in awhile. Someone on Facebook had around six of them mostly 48 degree short deck stuff. Some went fast and some didn’t. Friends usually tag friends that are looking. I’d heard years ago that Indy was sitting on some but I avoided that trainwreck.

Thats interesting. If Indy has them they‘ll want a mint for them.
 
Thats interesting. If Indy has them they‘ll want a mint for them.

What I heard was they saved blocks to build and sell complete and like most of us bite off more than we can chew. Life happens and before you know it we are old and have a fortune in tools and parts.
 
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