This last Sat. at our car guy breakfest, one of the guys that has a tired 271hp 289, said he is going to replace it with a 302, crate motor. He said he ordered one and they told him it would be a ways out. After more comuication with Sumit's he paid for the motor in full, and was told that it would be late Sept. or early Oct. before he would get it. My ? is , are they that far behind on building motors or are the parts that hard to come by. I guess a lot of the parts could be setting off shore in Calif. I find it kind of sad that we can no longer take parts off the shelf and build a motor, or anything else. This mess is getting more screwed up everyday.
The parts are getting harder to find. When I had my stock 302 built, it took 2 weeks to get the gasket set. They were rebuilding an eco boost engine and had to bore it .040 over bc that was the only piston/rings they could find in the US. This was 6 months ago. I anticipate things being worse now.
Is the 289 a real Hi Performance 271 hp out of a K code Mustang or Fairlane, if so, what's he going to do with it.
Yes, it is a true 271. It is a 65 comet cyclone, 4 speed car. I told him that I wanted it, so will see how that goes. I keep saying No more projects, but it seems like I don't listen to myself very well.
Yeah, a buddy of mine owns an engine machine shop, even stuff like Chevy hydraulic lifters, and some engine bearings, and valve guides and bronze wrist pin bushings, stuff that was always readily available is becoming scarce. I was lucky that I was able to find a pair of aluminum Trick Flow heads for my 428 FE, Summit and Jegs have had them on backorder for months now. Even when I go grocery shopping, seems like there is always some empty shelves recently.And the prices for what is there seems to be getting higher every month.
I have both, friends of this and the other side of Detroit, and the parts availability for both is horrible today. One of my friends has been searching for an early ('55) 265 cam for 8 months now. Others have been looking for late 289 valve springs to no avail. Early hemi parts are no more. not even 0.01 OS bearings. I am currently rebuilding a 53 Buick transmission, guess what. glory days are over.
I had been restoring a 1934 Ford Phaeton from 2015 to 2020, and you could literally watch the prices increasing, items getting backordered and discontinued and companies going out of business year by year. it's a pity !
Luckily I bought most all parts that I need for my 57 Del Rio and 312, when I purchased the car 9 years ago. I am currently thinking of getting back to restoring it and no way could I afford todays prices and shipping rates. shipping has tripled in the last decade.
Last fall I posted that I am restoring a 1968 Ford F 100 4X4 for my brotherinlaw. It has a 300 6, and he had a complete rebuild, by a shop in rapid City SD. It took them about a week and a half to do this. So, all the parts they needed must have been readly available. Maybe the 6 cylinder parts are still available, not as much demand.
Some parts are interchangeable. Several years ago, I re-ringed a 300 6 cylinder. it was much cheaper to buy rings for a $hevy V-8 than for the ford. I now have std size rings for 2 more pistons that I'll never use.