Machine work

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65Valiant_NC

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I called various machine shops to get my 340 bored and the most common responses I got were "not interested" or "if it was an LS I would do it". Does the boring machine care what block it is? Is the economy so good they can pick and choose? Anyone else had this issue but it doesn't have to be specific to machining. I finally got the block bored, etc but this blew me away.
 
You got it bored. Great. By someone that knew their stuff.
Different story for the LS guys.

Remember, its a machine shop. They probably dont know where to get deck plates...
 
Find someone good. If they don't have a torque plate for your block go elsewhere. Chevy guys can be jerks.
 
66fs said:
Find someone good. If they don't have a torque plate for your block go elsewhere. Chevy guys can be jerks.
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The shop was great and could do anything. Are we losing talented people that service gear heads like us? This goes for paint and body......list goes on and on.
 
Yep, It`s been pick and choose around here for awhile.
I`ve been in the market for a good mechanic shop for my more modern junk, I don`t feel like messin with, still looking...
 
Good machinists are a dying breed, just like welders, body and paint or pick just about any blue collar trade.
I don't see it getting any better, very few young want to learn or get their hands dirty.
The guys doing engine work demand a premium price for premium work.
The guys turning work away, charge too much for the knowledge they have, that is building weedeater engines
I think if a Fabo member is looking for a machinist or engine builder, you shouldn't have to look far.
There are plenty on this site at shops across the country.
 
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Dying breed is right, went to pick up my 340 recently and had to pay for it across the street because the owner sold out to another business located there. I guess he quit/retired/moved on. I must have been one of his last customers. Don't know where I will go next time (this was in Salinas, California).
 
We've lost almost all the speed shops in my area as well as most of the machine shops. Thank god the one I use is still hanging in there. Its run by the son now because his dad passed away. It really bothers me when I think of what used to be around vs what's left.
 
One of the issues , but not the only one , is our throw away society . "Just get another one ". Another is pure economics . If you want to start an auto machine shop that provides full service you need $500,000 for start up costs . Still another is talent . If you have an established machine shop , how do you deal with the fact that after 30 years "who will stand in our stead ". Again, the customers who want everything but don't want to pay for it . I know some pretty grouchy machinists out there who have done what the customer wants and the customer gets a bad result and blames the shop . the local engine shops in my area can do chevies, fords , Hondas and toys . Gootta go far to get a Mopar shop . IMO
 
I’ve used to work at an engine shop in Phoenix that mainly did Chevys and ford engines but rarely did mopars. I was one of there engine builders, didn’t do the boring machining part, and I wondered why we were not building any mopar engines so I asked the owner and his response was he didn’t care for them, they didn’t sell like the chevys and fords did and that they were a pain in the *** to build and expensive. I was like really? I guess they don’t want to go out of there comfort zone to build something different but I was able to build 2 mopar engines a 318 and 360 for 2 customers in the 2 years I’ve worked there. Convinced the owner we needed to do some mopar engines because I was getting burnt out on building Chevy engines.
 
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dibbons said:
Dying breed is right, went to pick up my 340 recently and had to pay for it across the street because the owner sold out to another business located there. I guess he quit/retired/moved on. I must have been one of his last customers. Don't know where I will go next time (this was in Salinas, California).
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Was that engine shop Midway Engine Rebuilders?
 
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The people that own the machine shop I go to would more than likely (very politely) turn away the human than a motor. I know Ted's a Ford guy, but the last time I was there he was all jazzed up about some very old jaguar motors he was rebuilding...
 
fishmens67 said:
Good machinists are a dying breed, just like welders, body and paint or pick just about any blue collar trade.
.
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I tried finding a "body" shop in my area, to do some minor rust and dent repair and a complete paint job, on my 88 Diplomat. Just about every shop I went to said "we're a collision shop, we don't do work like that". There are restoration/custom shops in my area, that would do it, but I can't afford 10 grand for a daily driver. Finally found a shop, that would do it, for just under $3,000. We'll see how it turns out.
 
I think this goes for a lot of automotive positions I have been a painter in a body shop for 21 years now. I am 39 and the youngest guy in the current shop I work in if that tells you anything. Lots of chain body shops offer free tools and training now for a contract of employment... Also signing bonuses. Thing I don't get is if you're a good painter or body man you can make close to a 100k a year if you bust your butt... Who wouldn't want that?

As far as engine machinining I have a local shop here... I wanted a 440 built years ago as I'm not an engine guy and they said they would do all the machine work but do not assemble engines! That's all I needed to hear... Never went back.
 
65Valiant_NC said:
I called various machine shops to get my 340 bored and the most common responses I got were "not interested" or "if it was an LS I would do it". Does the boring machine care what block it is? Is the economy so good they can pick and choose? Anyone else had this issue but it doesn't have to be specific to machining. I finally got the block bored, etc but this blew me away.
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I was blown away by the best machine shop in the area , telling me that they couldn`t check cyl wall thickness when I had my 440 block done .
 
Too bad you don't live a little closer. We have a few top notch machine shops that work on anything and 3 or 4 that are Mopar specific.
 
toolmanmike said:
Too bad you don't live a little closer. We have a few top notch machine shops that work on anything and 3 or 4 that are Mopar specific.
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Sorry I'm late on this comment because I have been working a lot but I did call Tim Sloan. He used to drag race with my dad and said he could help me out. When I called back to set up dropping stuff off I had to leave a message and then it turned into 5 messages with no response. I took that as he didn't need my money so I used another shop.
 
I had a similar experience. I called about 5 different machinist out of the yellow pages one guy was too busy for a street engine (race engine builder) one guy was renovating his shop and was like a year waiting period. Two wouldn't answer the phone and failed too return messages. One guy wouldn't give me a price and acted like I was completely ridiculous ridiculous for wanting a price before the work was done. He said oh we will price it when you pick it up. I was like no i want to know before hand he was like well it depends. Depends on what? It just depends........ wtf im no machinist and I dont know the process but im pretty sure the process is the same every time. All I want is a block bored .030 over how much is that? Depends......CLICK!
finally found a guy who is the fabricator engineer at the plant I work for him his dad and son build engines. He is super cool and helpful seems like s really stand up guy. I told him what I needed and he gave me an estimate and he gave me advice and helped me with my cam selection and valve spring selection. And he didnt turn his nose up when I told him i was doing a budget build street car engine. Most these guys want to build 5-10k race engines.
 
dartfreak75 said:
I had a similar experience. I called about 5 different machinist out of the yellow pages one guy was too busy for a street engine (race engine builder) one guy was renovating his shop and was like a year waiting period. Two wouldn't answer the phone and failed too return messages. One guy wouldn't give me a price and acted like I was completely ridiculous ridiculous for wanting a price before the work was done. He said oh we will price it when you pick it up. I was like no i want to know before hand he was like well it depends. Depends on what? It just depends........ wtf im no machinist and I dont know the process but im pretty sure the process is the same every time. All I want is a block bored .030 over how much is that? Depends......CLICK!
finally found a guy who is the fabricator engineer at the plant I work for him his dad and son build engines. He is super cool and helpful seems like s really stand up guy. I told him what I needed and he gave me an estimate and he gave me advice and helped me with my cam selection and valve spring selection. And he didnt turn his nose up when I told him i was doing a budget build street car engine. Most these guys want to build 5-10k race engines.
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It's people (like the guy you found) that not only keep the hobby going but, I bet you're more than willing to tell your other buddies about him. My family ran a metal fab shop in Long Beach until my Dad passed away, he never advertised, hell he didn't even have a business card but, the shop was always busy with orders. Glad you found someone to help you out.
 
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