[KO]

Probably more hearsay and second hand information. Where is this block? I'll buy it. Neal took his block to Jess Miller machine shop which has a block tru for Pontiacs and every dimension was right on the money from the bore centers to lifter bores and line bore it was 100% perfect. Sounds like tight wads trying to make excuses not to buy the block. How many stock blocks do have to break to justify a good one? Good used blocks are getting harder and harder to find plus caps plus gerry rig lifter brace plus machine work you're over $1500.

[Gach]

KO, that's really great, so your going to be selling these motors for 13.995, making 900 hp, were do I sigin up for one. How soon can I have my motor. Who's the we ? Why did it take this post, for you to anouce this new crate motor. So what your saying is your going to be in business of selling these new crate motors, and Neal is your advertizing.

[David Holmberg]

I know a guy that took his IA block to a prominent engine builder of all brands, They told him it was one of the best blocks they have seen. period!
Pontiac needs a better head to run with the bow tie boys. We now have a set that will flow 430+ cfm ready to bolt on for around 6K. Compare that to Sonnys BBC heads that flow 550+ @.900 lift for 9,800.00 complete.

[Gach]

KO, I hate to tell you this, but this information I posted isn't just hearsay, or second hand information, it comes from a very respected Pontiac guy, and one of the other blocks that was welded up, that info also came from another well respected Pontiac guy who post on this board, there's other blocks with problems also. Neal got a good block that's Great, and he has been good advertising for Dick, but he's only one guy, where's the rest of them. Dick stated a while back, that Kenny French was running 9.50's with his new IA block, I check, at the time he made that statement, Kenny French, never even had that block in his car. Why bull s.hit people. You can't blame a guy for wanting to check out, what he's buying, especially when he's going to lay out 3500.00.

Now if what your saying is true, about these 900 hp motors, for 13.995.00 your going to be a busy man, I know many guys out there waiting, frothing at the mouth, for such a deal. I just hope you can back up what you say about these 900 hp motors. When I and many others see this happening, you'll be a busy man trust me, allot of guys out there with the bucks, who will jump all over this
offer, and who won't have to case down blocks, wondering weather or not, the block they get will not be screwed up, or better still, some one out their we can trust, that will put out a good Wenzler head, and not phony flow numbers. or seats that won't move all around. My feelings is your not telling the whole story, I'm not just talking to bench racers, these are serious racers, I'm getting this info from.

How about trying this for a change, instead of denying all this, be honest, then no one will think, their covering up any problems. Come out and say it right up from, here's some of the problems we've run into, instead of letting some poor sucker by one, and fine out after.

Some of the decks were off .010 from end to end,

Some you couldn't put a bearing in one of the main saddles, there was no place for the bearing tab

Some of the hole's for the clutch linkage goes right into the water jacket

Some have the distributor hold down notch missing or not there at all

Some have to have the thrust bearing saddle machined in

Lifter bore area's have to be machined so the roller lifter bars didn't hit it.

Sorry I don't call this bad mouthing, I'd like to call it informing people, of what they could run into, and be ready to look for these things. It's to bad, that Dick is going to have to eat some of these blocks, but by being honest and up front, he'll sell more then he ever thought of. Guys are hearing
about these things, and are afraid, that there could be other problems. You also have to consider, their afraid, because even though their looking at one of these blocks, the don't know what to look for. If it were me with such a big investment, the first time this guy called, he wouldn't have a chance
to talk about it, he'd have another new block, sitting at his machaine shop, with no charge.

[slowbird]

Gach since he is offering to let you come and see the blocks and buy you lunch why don't you go and have a first hand look at them so you can tell all of use what you saw!

[77TA]

Not to get in the middle of anything but the big merlin is not as impressive to me as the 355cid ford windsor at 9 to 1 that pulled 710 hp at the local shop here. It was going into a Nascar Truck though"big bucks" Yates heads and stuff. Theres some neat stuff out there. I hope the pontiac eveloution continues to these levels in the future !!

[KS circutguy]

Whole story sounds the same,more bottle crap b.s.
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[zedo]

Is the glass half-full ??

Or is it half-empty ??

Why look a gift horse in the mouth.

[TinInjun]

Just a couple of quick questions. First off, If I had just spent 3500 bucks on a new block that had all these so called problems, I would have called the supplier and gotten things straightened out with him. If I was not satisfied with his actions then I myself would be trashing him and his product on these boards, not letting someone else do it for me. Second, I dout that Dick could sell 100 plus of these blocks, and have orders for many more if he was selling a piece of usless cast iron.
This whole story, of which we all have heard numerous times is getting old. Yes it could have happened, but to how many blocks, and was the problem fixed by the manufacturer? Nuf said.

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"Run wild with an Indian, not with the crowd in a Chevy"

Check out my restoration at http://members.aol.com/jetmech15/gto

[KO]

Lou, all of these problems are machining problems. Unibore does all of the final maching on the blocks. Unibore is one of the highest quality machining companies in the country. The do all the Rocket blocks, DRCE blocks,CNC Bowtie blocks, Viper blocks and others I can't remember. Like I said Neal is 900% satisfied with the block and there is no way in hell his car would run as good as it does without that block. He sold all his spare 400 and 455 blocks to pay for the IA block. Also about the Wenzler heads, Neal bougth his heads from KRE who bought them back from a customer who was unhappy. Neal bolted the heads on the car and has not had a problem since no seat problems and no performance problems. I challenge any Edelbrock head porter to provide a head that will out run these heads. BTW Neal is my younger brother and I have been his sponsor for years.

[Gach]

Well I guess we can't fault Dick for this, it's probably the Co that did the castings fault. Dick and IA should have a better quality control in place to check out the blocks first. As with any new product
there's going to be problems. I am really grateful to have this new block, available, and grateful for those who have give me this information, on problems they've had, I do plain on buying one. I have talked with Kenny French, and he claims he has gone over his block with a fine teeth comb, and found no problems. Ko, 9.00's is pretty damn impressive.

[KO]

It would appear to be a Unibore screw up. Not common but stuff happens. I would hope Dick got compensated. Hey Dick how about a raised cam short deck block?

[Rashionality]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KO:
[B]Also about the Wenzler heads, Neal bougth his heads from KRE who bought them back from a customer who was unhappy. Neal bolted the heads on the car and has not had a problem since no seat problems and no performance problems. I challenge any Edelbrock head porter to provide a head that will out run these heads.[B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I too have a set of Wenzler Heads (High Ports) that were "returned" to KRE because the previous owner "didn't like the way they looked"...I am extremely happy, I got a good deal on them, they work VERY well...I was lucky enough to have made friends with a very reputable Pontiac racer who helped me throughout the whole process of getting my @ss in a fast car...I owe that man a world of gratitude and he knows who he is...Thanks again...could not be said enough. He has done way more than just help me...I just hope that I can do more for him in the future.


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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Somewhere there's a reason why things go like they do... Somewhere there's a reason why some things just fall through... We don't always see them for what they really are... but I know there's a reason just can't see it from this far"... Dave Mustain<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Brian Baker]

Hey, KO. $13,995 for a crate motor taht'll run 9.0's sounds great, but just one question. Will there be a payment plan offered with the purchase? Some folks out there might need it.

[Gach]

Well, if Unibore screw up, they did it 5 time's, because a cretin Pontiac vender bought 5 blocks, and the all have similar problems, not good. Here's a couple other problems that were found.

The oil filter bracket wouldn't bolt onto the block. Have to either grind the block or the
bracket.

Some of the holes in the front of the motor where the timing chain cover bolts in were only tapped about 1/2" in.

I guess these block's don't get inspected before they leave Unibore, I'm sure Dick will now be all over them, after all he's not getting what he paid for.

Hum? 13.995 and 9.0's, KO, what if the driver weigh 400 lbs, could he still run 9.0's with that motor.

[Brian Baker]

Sure he could, just get the car's weight down to 2850 lbs. Jeez, any 3rd grade math teacher could figure that out.

[Gach]

Yeah Baker, your right, but I wasn't talking about Neal's car, in his case he couldn't take any weight off that car, has to weigh so many lbs per cub inch, I think it's 7lbs, per cid or did the give the Pontiac guys a weight break. Either way doesn't matter, he's flying with a Pontiac.

I was thinking of the guy who weighs 400 lbs, no motor in the world will help him go faster. Speaking of a payment plan, you could set up a weight reducing plan, for a guy like that, say 1lb less ice cream a night, and a dozen less Donuts a day, would kind of give him some incentive, while he's waiting for his motor to be done. I have a real good idea, try this, see what you think, take
some tape, and tape his mouth shut, for two hours every night, Nah he'd probably suck the ice cream through one of his nostrils, with a straw.

[Brian Baker]

I wasn't talking about Neal's car, either. I was just talking about a hypothetical guy, with a hypothetical car, as I thought you were (after all you posed the question "could a guy weighing 400 lbs. still go 9's with that motor?" No referrence to Neil or his car in that question).

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"Which personality is talking tonight?"

[Gach]

Sure it was a hypothetical question, I was just wondering how you knew what the guys car weigh. If you do the math, 2850 lbs plus 400 lbs, it equals the weight of Neal's car. or pretty close, I thought you were using the weight of Neal's car, it would be pretty obvious, I know you weren't using the weight of your car, weighs allot more then that. Really was ment as a joke, more then a
hypothetical question.

[Brian Baker]

Well, it was coincidence then. I just figured the race weight would have to be somewhere around 3200 lbs. to go 9.0's with a "900-HP engine". There are guys out there going a little bit faster with less weight and less HP, but these are tube cars (Jack Gaydosh's Firebird comes to mind, he's not making 900-HP but he's running 8.70's or better).