I like 340's. I could not resist the chance to mess around. $1,200 is not enough for me to sell one my 340 blocks. Maybe I'll get one put together some day.
Someone needs to start re-casting 340 blocks
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I like 340's. I could not resist the chance to mess around. $1,200 is not enough for me to sell one my 340 blocks. Maybe I'll get one put together some day.
It is an asking price, it's not sold for that. PLENTY of 340's for sale. So what. As said Gen3 Hemi has taken a big bite out of LA engines demand.
What is the first thing Bob Gliden did when he built the Plymouth Arrow. He cut the lifter bores out and straightened them up.
And the restoration crowd doesn't want an aftermarket block, there are always visible differences. Just like the real 426 hemis.
What is the first thing Bob Gliden did when he built the Plymouth Arrow. He cut the lifter bores out and straightened them up.
And the restoration crowd doesn't want an aftermarket block, there are always visible differences. Just like the real 426 hemis.
I don't recall, I saw it on "How Its Made" or the like TV show some time ago.
IIRC small block Ford Cleveland had smaller mains and was seen as the performance alternative to the Windsor larger mains. something about friction????
ValiantRacing
Well-Known Member
I had shop call me they were looking for a 340 block, told them i have standard bore block and main for $900 they did even think twice and said i will take it.
I have heard that with smaller bearing diameters. If it doesn't make 20-30 horse is it really worth it?
I enjoy my 2. One is a 273 and the other is a 318. I don't need to burn tires a city block to enjoy the car hobby.
famous bob
mopar misfit
more than likely charged the customer $1500) for it too !!
famous bob
mopar misfit
I imagine in an average build no, in a high rpm, in a highly competitive race class where every last hp counts probably.
junkyardhero
Well-Known Member
you hit on something very important here: breaking even isn't the same as making money!
as an exercise say, 3K price point on a 340 block you'd have to sell 100 to break even at your initial 300K investment. and what's the ROI time wise? 18mo? two years? there's better, faster money to be made with that coin. (granted 2nd run with amortized costs and built in process, but still... you clear what? 1500 on a block? so now you have to sell another 100 to bank 50%)
then, you have as @AndyF noted, if you're gonna do it why not go ahead and make it better? well, then you're in the boat of needing proprietary or specialty bits. which, that's cool if you also produce those and are seeing some dough there but a huge bummer for the guy looking to buy a repop 340 block and transfer all his stuff over and not have to drop 1500 at the machine shop and 2K for a cam & lifters.
it's a great idea, but it's 100% about volume and there's just not enough there.
if the angle already existed, MP would've covered it, made it and then backed us into the corner, knife out and demanded our wallets.
which, granted, many would've gladly opened up and let them go elbow deep in the calf skin. but that's the 1% of the 1% of dudes that are all: "i'd totally buy a 340 block if they made 'em".
and that brings us to the age old truism of: cash talks and bullshit walks.
When at some point a decent running 5.7l hemi can be swapped in for around grand it will be a no brainer for most.
famous bob
mopar misfit
If people bought the ritter aftermarket block we got now by huge demands, they could probably start producing it cheaper and might cause other companies to build a competitors but no one's gonna invest if there's no market.
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I said WHEN like at some future point. The last 360 was made 2 decades ago it's not gonna be the go to engine forever, only reason it isn't now cause the cost and added complexity not always gonna be that way.
There's no shortage of 340 blocks out there. Granted, many of them are at least .030 over but you still see std bore ones for sale. Not to mention everyone that has horded them (myself included). At some point I will decide that I dont need to keep all these blocks.
I remember the MP "resto" blocks they sold a while back. I doubt too many bought them as they were kind of pricey for a mostly stock appearing block.
I remember the MP "resto" blocks they sold a while back. I doubt too many bought them as they were kind of pricey for a mostly stock appearing block.
Not bad for an 6 year run over 50 years ago and only sold as a performance option, shows a lot of 340 cars no longer exists one way or another.
Thanks for waking this place up. It was like a Morgue around here for the last five days.
Why would I want a 340 block, when there's plenty of 383's out there. lol
Short stroke, bigger bore.
Short stroke, bigger bore.
and plenty of 360 blocks. 
DionR
Well-Known Member
The factory already did a total redesign on the SBM.
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