Machine shops in So CaL?

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Speedotann

Speedotann

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Bakersfield, CA
Hello everyone,

I have made the decision to just go with a performance rebuild of my 360 (factory crank, rods, j-heads, .030 bore, 10:1comp, air Gap ect.) Does anyone know any machine shops that are knowledgeable, Honest and fairly priced where I can get this stuff done (block work, and short block assembled)? My guy had a stroke and retired. I have all of the parts coming from Summit. I am hoping to find somewhere in the OC area. Thanks everyone.

Brian
 
Brian,

Give Dougan's a call. They are in Riverside, roughly on Limonite by Van Buren. They are a top rate high performance machine shop. Call Ray or Jim, 1-951-681-1961.

Tell them Russ from Stick Shift recommended them. I grew up in a machine shop, and Dougan's is the only shop I'll trust to do my machine work now. I've been using them for at least fifteen years, no problems.

Russ.
 
Contemporary Auto Machine on Gothard in Huntington Beach. Real close to goldenwest college

He did all my stuff when I lived in OC
 
Thanks, I will give both a call.. I actually just moved down the street from Golden West College (Edwards/Slater), so I can actually go and talk to them. Thanks again
 
crackedback said:
Contemporary Auto Machine on Gothard in Huntington Beach. Real close to goldenwest college

He did all my stuff when I lived in OC
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I have read good reviews about this shop. The guys name is "Yo" I found out. One guy said he moved to Nor cal and cannot find that quality of work so he ships everything to this guy. Looks good so far, I am going to run down there now. Thanks
 
X100 on Yo at Contemporary Auto Machine. He is a great guy and helped me through the build process. He does really good work and makes sure it is done right.

Contemporary Auto Machine
16131 Gothard St # D
Huntington Beach, CA 92647-3650

Get Directions
(714) 842-3144
 
6dart9 said:
X100 on Yo at Contemporary Auto Machine. He is a great guy and helped me through the build process. He does really good work and makes sure it is done right.

Contemporary Auto Machine
16131 Gothard St # D
Huntington Beach, CA 92647-3650

Get Directions
(714) 842-3144
Click to expand...

Thanks again guys,

Just went to Contemporary (I live down the street), Yo is cool and knowledgeable. We talked for about a half hour about a build. For starters he said he can do all my block machining for $1200, is that a fair price? If I supply the rotating assembly, he said machining, labor, Balancing, and proper clearance would be $1800. I figure, If I get the Scat assembly price matched from Summit for $1,015 and add the 1800 to it+ other needs, like freeze plugs, dowle pins, tower shaft bushing, seals, ect... it comes out to the same price as Speed O Motive's short block 408? what would you do?

Thanks,
Brian H.
 
$600-$800 w/ studs, that should include/not limited to clean/mag, line hone for studs, square the deck, bore/hone w/torque plate, clean/oiled and in the bag.

cam bearings installed=$30-$45 + cam bearings

The rest is mock up to mark/reference rod/bore clearance, and finally clearance the block.

There will be cost in parts checking and sometimes minor refinishing, like checking all the rods -both ends clearance and then mic'ing the crank and figuring oil clearances yadda yadda

a balance is anywhere from $125-$300 depending where you go.

You can simply mock it up and clearance it yourself before you take it in.
Soap and water the block clean'ish, stick some upper bearing shells in it, a dab of grease, set the crank in, now leave the lower bearing shells dry and lay a string of plasti gauge across the main jounals and then as gently as u can..pop the main cap on and torque it down to 85lbs, then remove the main cap and check how much the plasti smushed=clearance, then [at this point get out the plasti gauge again]check the rod clearance doing the same with some tape wrapped around the small ends to not scatch bore and clank around.

Take note of the rods possible interfernce with the lower bore edge, if at all-grind for room if necessary.
 
Double M said:
Brian,

Give Dougan's a call. They are in Riverside, roughly on Limonite by Van Buren. They are a top rate high performance machine shop. Call Ray or Jim, 1-951-681-1961.

Tell them Russ from Stick Shift recommended them. I grew up in a machine shop, and Dougan's is the only shop I'll trust to do my machine work now. I've been using them for at least fifteen years, no problems.

Russ.
Click to expand...

Had 2 bad experiances at Dugans and they came highly recommended
 
Speedotann said:
Thanks again guys,

Just went to Contemporary (I live down the street), Yo is cool and knowledgeable. We talked for about a half hour about a build. For starters he said he can do all my block machining for $1200, is that a fair price? If I supply the rotating assembly, he said machining, labor, Balancing, and proper clearance would be $1800. I figure, If I get the Scat assembly price matched from Summit for $1,015 and add the 1800 to it+ other needs, like freeze plugs, dowle pins, tower shaft bushing, seals, ect... it comes out to the same price as Speed O Motive's short block 408? what would you do?

Thanks,
Brian H.
Click to expand...

Our prices for boring & finish hone, deck, mock up, hot tank & clean galleys, line hone, install cam bearings, cam bearings, and assemble short block checking clearances, file fit rings, and degree cam is 1100.00.
So if you get that for 1200 not bad. I used the balanced kit from Scat so it's already done.
 
ou812 said:
Our prices for boring & finish hone, deck, mock up, hot tank & clean galleys, line hone, install cam bearings, cam bearings, and assemble short block checking clearances, file fit rings, and degree cam is 1100.00.
So if you get that for 1200 not bad. I used the balanced kit from Scat so it's already done.
Click to expand...

$1200 for just block work. $1800 assembled if I supply rotating kit, cam, timing set, and everything in between.

I think I will come check out your shop.... Just a lil bit of a drive living in HB.


Brian Hall
 
Speedotann said:
$1200 for just block work. $1800 assembled if I supply rotating kit, cam, timing set, and everything in between.

I think I will come check out your shop.... Just a lil bit of a drive living in HB.


Brian Hall
Click to expand...

ahhhhh you live in HB....damn!! I'll trade you! Me and my wife love HB!! That's where we want to live or retire someday.
Come on down, but be warned...it's HOT out here.
Brian
 
bamacuda said:
Just avoid Shaw City in Fresno at all costs! I got ripped off for $2000.
Click to expand...
Fresno california? Why were you using a machine shop over here? I'll make sure to avoid that place though if I ever need some machine work done on my engine for sure.
 
6dart9 said:
X100 on Yo at Contemporary Auto Machine. He is a great guy and helped me through the build process. He does really good work and makes sure it is done right.

Contemporary Auto Machine
16131 Gothard St # D
Huntington Beach, CA 92647-3650

Get Directions
(714) 842-3144
Click to expand...

I have used Yo many times before, he is very honest and does hipo motors as well as stock rebuilds. The only draw back to using Contemporary is time. Its just him and one guy in there and it takes weeks sometimes months to get stuff done. I live in Costa Mesa and really haven't found a machine shop that I thought was timely, competively priced, and knowledgeable. Next motor I do I will use Indio Motor Machine.

bamacuda said:
Just avoid Shaw City in Fresno at all costs! I got ripped off for $2000.
Click to expand...

Funny you should bring that guy up. I bought a 496 Chevy from him off ebay and traveled 5 hours to pick it up. I won the auction for $2500 for a complete four bolt big block Chevy with Procomp aluminum heads, flat tappet hydraulic cam, h-beam rods, roller rockers yada yada. Well when I arrive he tells me the motor I won on ebay happens to have CNC ported heads and that would be $750 more. So I tell him that I am not interested in that I just want what was in the auction. Well he knew I was far away from home, so he told me that I can go pound sand and go home empty handed. I reluctantly agreed, they were pretty nice heads, and then he proceeds to charge me tax on the entire thing!!!! Anyways I had already paid through paypal and now I had to pay an additional $1050 in extras. That guy is a crook in my opinion. I took the motor apart the other day figuring that I was truly hosed and to my surprise it was very nice and all the measurements were spot on. Go figure.
 
When it comes to fresno, I always used Shedlers Machine in down town FresHole.

They were always good, better than densmore engines.

I heard some good things about engine masters as well, they did the machining for all auto shop [high school] projects as well.


I think if you talk to enough people.. you'll find someone who has not had a good deal with just about every shop out there.


Total Performance in lakeside is really good in some areas, but Rick [cyl head guy] is a dk lick who don't know what the hell he's talking about when It comes to mopars. That guy lost 3 jobs cause of his mouth, trying to tell one of customers that he wouldn't get anywhere near 450 hp using the R/T heads [planned on porting] that I had him buy...For the 4'' stroker I was building him, Rick didn't even flow test them, said the port finish was the worst he's seen and all the rest...
The finish was run of the mill just as rough as any cast iron head....he's a dumb *** chevy guy...he even said that hemis were garbage and 440's were the ****.
He then tried selling my guy a $2400 set of eddy heads.....Meanwhile the build was going into a 02 dakota RT 'FI' Magnum w/crane fi roller and hughes flashed ecm/u

The guy that blocks there DOES know his **** though...

There is only 1 place that will do what you want and not have it cost your 1st born, but they only do what you ask so you hav to be specific...thats Ricks machine in sante/lakeside.
But you have to bring your own torque plate, I have access to one.

Machine tech is good, but only monte is worth talking to, the others are very biased to mopars and are all pontiyack duders.
 
ou812 said:
ahhhhh you live in HB....damn!! I'll trade you! Me and my wife love HB!! That's where we want to live or retire someday.
Come on down, but be warned...it's HOT out here.
Brian
Click to expand...

Yea it is kinda nice, considering it only was like 75 yesterday... LoL... I will come down to your shop soon.... I would rather drive 120miles then have my stuff sit in a shop down the street from me for who knows how long! Thankks Brian,

Brian Hall (the other Brian "H") LoL
 
Only way to do this is get a "detailed" quote on what EXACTLY is going to be performed. Someone saying all block machining, that's pretty broad statement and it may include a potential line bore.

Brian at IMM does great work.
 
crackedback said:
Only way to do this is get a "detailed" quote on what EXACTLY is going to be performed. Someone saying all block machining, that's pretty broad statement and it may include a potential line bore.

Brian at IMM does great work.
Click to expand...

Just having to pay $1200 for prep and machine work is expendo to me.... it also seemed like he was way behind on work. Being just "Yo" and his worker kinda makes me think it will be there for a while sitting.

If I go to Brian H. I can not only bring the block to him and feel confident, but I can bring my dirt bike out there for the day and do some backflips!! LoL

Brian
 
Speedotann said:
Just having to pay $1200 for prep and machine work is expendo to me.... it also seemed like he was way behind on work. Being just "Yo" and his worker kinda makes me think it will be there for a while sitting.

If I go to Brian H. I can not only bring the block to him and feel confident, but I can bring my dirt bike out there for the day and do some backflips!! LoL

Brian
Click to expand...

Funny...hope you wear more than your speedo!!
 
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