There were just recently two brand new XE blocks for sale locally here. One was listed at $5,000 and one at $1,700. Both disappeared almost instantly from their listings. One on Long Island for $3,500, last year so there isn't even agreement on their value.
There is also a listing on Facebook for a used one that needs repair and may already be at it's maximum overbore for $1,100, that has been listed for 10 weeks or so and is languishing at that number.
I appreciate their desirability but am not sure why they would be in such demand considering racing demand for a 351c is as Drag Boss says, just a 50 year old historical artifact that has no professional value today?
Those XE blocks were $750 new from Ford Service Parts. There aren't many of them simply because production wise there was little demand for them new except for the NASCAR crowd which likely numbers in a few hundred?
There is some discussion of a high rejection rate in the racing quality necessary of the bare castings at the foundry in Geelong, Australia, for the inability to produce racing quality castings and those rejected going into production vehicles in Australia. Those finding their way into the used aftermarket. The main complaint being casting shift of the cylinders.
The blocks qualified for racing sold by Ford here all were supplied with sonic test results of the cylinder thicknesses attached to each block and documentation of who the selling Ford dealer was.
Gary Hall's choice was the aluminum Fontana block.
I appreciate the attempts of Drag Boss's videos but he just has this overwhelming tendency of entertaining himself with pointless dribble and taking forever to get to the important details. I never heard him state that he was supplying anything and Meyer completely avoids quoting block prices publically and stating details of any of his blocks.
He could say that they are improvements of the XE blocks with some additional improvements but maybe I just have difficulty in paying attention?
All an interesting phenomena. Exactly where is this expansive market for new aftermarket race quality Cleveland blocks? I missed that somehow?