I've been offered an original 289 block for $100.... is it worth it?
It's just a plain, 2-bolt main, american-cast 289 block... I don't know the exact condition because I haven't looked at it yet, was wondering if it was really worth it. (Especially when I can have a 289 longblock for $600 or a 5.0 HO longblock for $550, I'd really rather build my own engine than buy a junkyard longblock... but the cost difference is considerable.)
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
A new 302 block from Ford ran about 300 bucks last I saw. At 100 bucks the 289 block isn't bad if it's not cracked or worn out. See if they will sonic test it for you or at least give you your money back (get it in writting) if it is cracked. Measure the bores if you can before you buy. SB Fords can only be bored .040 over. Be sure it doesn't have a previous overbore on it if it does pass on it and pop for the new block.
I've been offered an original 289 block for $100.... is it worth it?
It's just a plain, 2-bolt main, american-cast 289 block... I don't know the exact condition because I haven't looked at it yet, was wondering if it was really worth it. (Especially when I can have a 289 longblock for $600 or a 5.0 HO longblock for $550, I'd really rather build my own engine than buy a junkyard longblock... but the cost difference is considerable.)
where do you get the 289 longblock for $600 . price i got was $1566.88 with my engine.
where do you get the 289 longblock for $600 . price i got was $1566.88 with my engine.
Used pullout from Action Auto Recyclers in Temple, Texas. I know a few of the guys there pretty well (have bought parts from them for years, and even sold them parts back when I worked at a parts store). The $600 was complete from intake manifold (2bbl) to oil pan, with a 30-day guarantee. My plan would be to run it in my Mustang II until I saved up to build it exactly how I wanted, then pull it, build it, and drop it back in. If I just bought the bare block (different source, friend of a reputable friend with amazing connections) it'd sit on my engine stand while I gathered parts and my II would keep its four-banger until I had the 289 in question built. If I buy the used 5.0HO pullout from Action, I'll just put AFR 165 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, a Weiand intake, Headman headers, and Edelbrock carb and be sitting on nearly 400hp with fantastic street manners (basically an Edelbrock-carbureted version of the 400hp 302 from Car Craft Magazine a year or so ago)
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
I had a 78 King Cobra II w/ a bored .040 289. This was a bad motha. 10,000 rpm miss shifts and still runnin. If you are building a car that holds a 289 then thats a great buy, but have it tested first.
The price doesn't sound too bad to me, but have you checked all possible sources or are you mainly just comparing it to the salvage yard you mention? I recently procured a complete AOD from a '93 Mustang GT and a 5.0L roller-cam short-block out of an early '90s F-150 for $130...granted, I have to drive about 3 hours to get them, but for the price I couldn't say no. Plus, as you mention, I like to build my own engines the way I want them...
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"How much horsepower is enough?"
To quote John D. Rockefeller when he was asked the same question about money, "Just a little bit more."
Check the block over for any visible signs of problems, stripped threads, snapped off studs, cracks, chips, etc. Also check in the valley to see if the 289 is a 289 block or a 302 block. I have three 289 engine's here in my garage, and the one had 289 intake and heads on a 302 block. But check everything over, crank caps, cam races, lifter races, etc.
What would you pay for a 289 block? 
