rebuild or buy this?

[73SWBBB]

Some of you have been a great help in my engine pulling endeavor. While im waiting for to go pick up my engine hoist I'm learning the true cost of rebuilding or just buying an engine. I have the opportunity to pick up a freshly built 454, 40 over with flat top pistons, 262 comp cam, edlebrock intake pretty much ready to drop in combined with the parts from my other engine. The guy wants 1500 and the best estimate I have gotten to get my engine rebuilt (with the false idea of not needing any major parts replaced) was 1850. I just don't know much about the numbers here like 262, 40 over and flat top pistons. Any insight on this?

[beastie_3]

how sure are you that 454 is  built well? Does it come with a warranty?

[73SWBBB]

No warrantee its sitting in a garage bagged up, I think he said he had a build sheet. Guy said it was built by a shop but thats about all I know. A friend of his got hard up and he pretty much aquired it from what it sounds like.

[big bear]

well,  im a huge fan of the 454 and part of me says do it  do it !! haha  but, you really dont have any important info on it you know ?  kinda risky ? it may be a 5000 dollar motor  then again may be a 20 dollar motor.  id say 1850 is a rather expensive risk.

[Psycho71]

So, another $350 to get a little peace of mind that it has been done right? A small price to pay IMO, in the long run. The $1500 motor may be a good deal, and may not. I'd rebuild if it were me. But that's me. I always seem to lose on the deals that seem too good to be true.

[beastie_3]

The 1850 could very well go up too. If you were to build an engine, how would you (as in what parts to use)? Stock? Performance? What parts would you put on it?

[Irish_Alley]

to rebuild a engine yourself re-ring kit 150 cam if needed idk another 150. but a 454 thats 40 tells me it probably had a hard life or they wanted just to make more power. get someone to help you rebuild your 350 be cheaper and i forget who it was but someone just posted not to long ago about how a "shop" rebuilt a sb and he had to tell them what to do. imo i would trust it unless you know where it came from and could trust them

[73SWBBB]

Thats kind of my point. I really just want to get this truck back on the road. If I were to build the one I have I would want to do a little more than just stock. However it does have roller rockers, speed inc lifters, dont know what kind of cam/pistons/rods yet. The heads are an old set of merlin heads with the marking 1-043 on them. I dont know if those are worth hanging onto and getting machined. The options are endless and I know this is kind of an open ended thread. Im just trying to figure out what I have, if its worth rebuilding, or for the sake of getting back on the road just buy something already done.  

[73SWBBB]

Its a 454 that I currently have now.

[Irish_Alley]

oh in that case i would def build yours up. so you know what your getting.

[royo]

I would put a starter on the new one and run a compession test on it .  If not look in the cylinders with a flash light check it out. spin the motor over look at the rockers to see if the cam is good

[Skunksmash]

Just my humble opinion, but these trucks don't need more than a 350 to make good power, and get decent gas mileage. If it was me, I'd probably just skip the 454 and go with a 350 instead. Cheaper to deal with.