Quote:
Originally Posted by Hydroglen
I have rebuilt a number of engines and I find little difference in the end cost, so I am surprised by some of the numbers quoted for engine work.
Perhaps in Canada we are lucky in that regard. Specific items may cost more, but the total seems to average out. I am listing the 6 cyl engines to keep the oranges in line......Bentley Mk V1 a few years ago and more currently Alfa 6C, Hotchkiss, Hudson and Jaguar.
By rebuilding I am including: Regrinding / chroming the crank, bearings or
babitting, valves, new pistons/rings, balancing all components, block and
head resurfacing + gaskets. This work is on my cars and the crank work is
done by a shop that I am very happy with.
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Dorien,
I must admit I wasn't comparing engines of an equal size, I was simply compairing the V8 Bristol with contemporary 4 seater cars in a similar price bracket, which in the 1970's was probably the cost of the average semi detached house, or maybe 2 depending on where you lived.
The engine bay is definitely where the difference lies. For example an Italian V12 or an Aston V8 is bound to cost considerably more to rebuild than a Chrysler V8, because they are more complex engines with many more parts, and the ancillaries are more costly. Replacement or rebuilding of 4 or 6 twin choke Webers compared with one quad choke Carter, which you wouldn't even bother rebuilding because a replacement is so cheap.
The Astons have 4 cam shafts, wet liners and extremely high tolerances, so it would be foolish to buy liner and piston sets and bearings from anyone else but Aston Martin. I know someone who ignored that advice on a 6 cyl Aston engine and had to have the engine rebuilt a second time. He used Aston parts the second time.
Obviously on some of the cars you are talking about, original parts are not available, which is why the costs are very similar, but when you are using original proprietary parts the costs differences can be huge.
As an example, when I was having the valve clearances changed on my V8 Aston, the work was done by a local Ferrari/Lambo/Maser specialist and when he saw the shims he thought they were very similar to Alfa shims which were about one fifth of the cost of shims from Aston. After checking with Aston specialist Richard Williams in the UK (who was very kind to provide some free advice via email) we went ahead and used the Alfa shims, saving a considerable amount of money.
I sold it not long after that and the idiot who bought it immediately replaced the nicely patinated leather upholstery ...