Re: [AMC-List] 401X Race Block

[farna@xxxxxxx]

I wouldn't speculate on value either, but it could fetch $2500 IF marketed right. I think we have enough information to indicate it's the Indy program block. I know six engines were to be built for the program, and there had to be a few spares made. It's got the "Indy 500" mystique about it, so that should make it a collectors item. But as Tom knows, the bare block, even with enough pieces to put a similar engine together, may not be worth that much. This is the first Indy iron engine just j=used a couple years -- like Tom's first year effort six it might be looked on as a development mule, not worth as much as "the real thing". 

The guy who owns the AMC Indy car might be interested in it as a spare, but I doubt he's interested in giving $2500 for it -- I'm pretty sure his is the later aluminum blcok engine. If this thing just had the "flat" crank to go with it -- that would make it would easily make it twice as valuable. 

This would be the 76-77 block -- 78-79 were aluminum copies of the stock block. Both the iron and aluminum blocks were hand cast, not cast on the production line. The limit for boosted stock blocks was 209 cid with 50 inches of mercury boost (24.6 psi). This went up to 58" in 78-79 (28.5 psi). The AL engined cars ran in 80 and 81, but didn't finish due to mechanical failures. Part of the problem was the AL blocks had to be exact copies of the iron block to be certified as "stock". This led to oiling problems due to expansion and contraction. Here's a good article on the engines: http://www.geocities.com/mmbb444/page32.html

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AIM.html
(free download available!)

 -------------- Original message ----------------------

> Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 16:07:09 -0800
> From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> Oh, I won't speculate on value anymore. Evilbay type auctions breed high prices 
> for garbage [not that an X block is such!].
>   I would try and get it in a place where nuts like us could look at it and go 
> COOL!
> I don't see the point in actually building an engine with such a one off piece.
>   After all most everyone here doubted the thing even really existed! How owuld 
> you replace it if it was trashe? with such small bores, what's the point. It's 
> an oddity for sure, but that is all.
> --
> Mark Price
> markprice242ATadelphia.net
> Morgantown, WV
> 
> 
> ---- Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> wrote: 
> > On Sat, 16 Dec 2006, Nick ALFANO wrote:
> > 
> > > I am not sure where he got it from and there were no
> > > heads there yet when I looked at it.  He has grand
> > > ideas of the block being worth somewhere in the area
> > > of $2500 by itself.
> > 
> > Well I hope he doesn't do something regrettable when/if he
> > doesn't get $2500 for it. With documentation and pedigree,
> > maybe, but with no docs? No history? $2500 seems a big high,
> > even though it is really strange. I doubt I could get that for
> > my Navarro Indy six "kit", and it's got paper(s) and a hell of
> > a lot more than a single block.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Nick Alfano 
> > > Alfano Performance
> > > Kenosha, WI. 53142
> > > 262-308-1302
> > > 262-942-8271 after 6pm central and weekends
> > > 
> > > Message: 11
> > > Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:06:25 -0800 (PST)
> > > From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
> > > Subject: Re: [AMC-List] 401X Race Block
> > > To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Message-ID:
> > > <Pine.LNX.4.64.0612151105450.8539@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
> > > 
> > > On Fri, 15 Dec 2006, Nick ALFANO wrote:
> > > 
> > > > I would tend to go along with you that they didn't
> > > > really exist except I inspected it yesterday.  It
> > > does
> > > > have the 401 cast into the side of the block, there
> > > > definitely is an "X" stamped above the casting and
> > > it
> > > > is a 3.750 bore.  The water jackets are much larger
> > > > than a normal AMC V8.  Looking at the size of them,
> > > I
> > > > doubt this engine could be bored more than .060 over
> > > > the 3.750 bore.  The oil return holes in the intake
> > > > valley are plugged and it had 4 bolt mains at some
> > > > point in it's life.  The part number shows it is a
> > > 401
> > > > but the bore is definitely not.  There is also "401"
> > > > cast into the valley section of the block.  This is
> > > > not some homemade job.  It is definitely cast into
> > > the
> > > > block.  The casting marks are much more pronounced
> > > on
> > > > this block than normal.  The block has been tanked
> > > and
> > > > blasted down to a bare casting so there is no hiding
> > > > what is there. 
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