Quote Originally Posted by stylingZ
On ebay there is a Dart "Big M" kit for a 598cid BBC #59865DBK for $3,700 which includes 1 Big M sportsman block, cam bearings, rod bearings, main bearings, freeze plugs, forged crankshaft, H beam connecting rods, forged pistons & plasma moly piston rings. Included with this auction is free shipping to any business with a loading dock. I am considering this, but I have no idea if this kit is way cheap or what? Perhaps Eric or Pat might provide some insight?
All the Dart blocks come a little tall.
Most of the time they require you to deck them to square them or we deck them to a certain height.
The lifter bores are always to tight and need at least .001-.002 honed out of them.
They will also need just a little bit of line honing done to them.
The cylinders come with a rough finish on them and will need a good final hone on them.
You will need to do all the rod prep both big and small ends of the rods.
You will also have to file fit the piston rings.
You will also have to do an int. balance job.
They don't come with any of the dowels either,such as for the heads,oil pump,timing cover or dowel for the crank or tranny alignment dowels.
When I do any prep on the Dart blocks the customer has to pay between $600 and $750.
This would include all the block work above and any of the balance work.
One of the best street 598's I did will run on pump gas has a hyd. roller cam,335 cc's AFR heads and two stages of nitrous oxide.
The engine will idle at about 900 rpm's.
When he hits the old N20 button you had better hold on.
He has this in a 1972 Nova with a Ford 9 3.70 gears and min-tubs with a 12 inch drag radial.
The car "hooks -up " and goes very straight.
The car is in gray primer and looks like total $hit.
Those poor guys with their ZO6 vette's don't have much of a chance.