Reply to "Building an economical 351C"

Dear Jeff, I recently bought a 351 C, cobra jet spec engine. If I had been able to trade in the old block it would have cost $2100. But since my block was totaled, I had to pay $2900 for what is called a long block. That means I had to take the intake manifold and carb and distributor from the old engine and put them on this one. I could not use my old oil pan because after the old engine blew up it had a huge hole in theside so I bout a sexty dollar chrome plated oil pan. I also bought a new water pump, although I wouldn'ta had to, but did just cause it was a new motor. I bought a new starter and clutch and hydralics for the clutch. All in all another 1000 bucks in parts and do-dads. And I paid a guy 1500 bucks to take the old engine out, do all this stuff and put the new one in, put it all back together and such. So for somewhere around five grand I had a new motor and never had to lift a wrench myself. To me that was economical, to my wife it was the greates waste of money in the history of mankind. It is all in perseption I guess.