Why do engines cost so much?

[Crossbones]

Aren't they mostly made of aluminum? Isn't aluminum cheap?

[hucktyson]

Andy duram ..... he came along and took engines from the high 30’s to the mid 50’s instantly , and the other big time builders who actual have reputations for power and reliability said fu&& that this new nobody isn’t charging more than me so they all jacked Up their prices ...

[hucktyson]

Similar to if I found out some other deck builder was charging more than me when I know I’m the best I would immediately raise prices ..

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Aren't they mostly made of aluminum? Isn't aluminum cheap?

I think it started when Roush came into the game. And Roush still wasn’t satisfied with how much money they were making, so they quit building them and just supplied the parts. Jay D!ckens went to Roush for a bit till he quit building them. Once they started only supplying the parts, Andy Durham, who I’m sure was with Roush, seen an opportunity to split off, started building them.

All the builders are to blame, just as the racers are, and the sanctions. But, people will charge what others are willing to pay, until there is not enough people left for them to turn a nice profit.

[zyoung25]

In 2012, I had a friend that was interested in buying a brand new R/Y 415. They told him 38k for a Ford out the door, and 33k for a bowtie. I'm not so sure that R/Y or Durham are the ones to point the fingers at exactly. Andy worked for R/Y, and just took over the engine side once they decided to get away from the building. At that time they were right with all of the other top builders price wise. He called several different builders, and settled for Moss engine, which is local to us.

[EvelB7]

Before R/Y Childress came in (just before his grandkids started running supers), R/Y not far behind them. Initially the plan was to get rid of used stuff, quickly figured out that used cup 358's were not winners and decided to 'step it up'. The kits are not cheap, Durham is not making the fortune everyone believes. In the end, everyone wants an edge or the best and it costs money-unfortunately you will never stop progress (or the ability to buy it).

[kazual]

Supply and demand. See it in an industry I am more familiar with, people saying so and so is making a fortune and is greedy. Truth is if there is an opportunity for big profits then someone new will come in and do it better / cheaper.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Aluminum is cheap. You can go buy a block, heads, intake. Then what do you do with it ? Durham is getting the big bucks because he is getting HP, durability, and so much more. He has a package that works really well together. Pro power seems to have made great strides in getting there powerplants in line with durhams. Not long ok, pro power was known for blowing up motors. Durham is not making a fortune, that is funny. A friend of mine were I am from drives one of the nascrap haulers for Hendrick motorsports. He had told me the Labonte's brothers wanted Hendrick motorsports to get into building motors that they would race and become the distribution arm for these motors. I asked one time whatever became of that, and he made comment that you hear so many rumors. We've all been there.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Aluminum is cheap. You can go buy a block, heads, intake. Then what do you do with it ? Durham is getting the big bucks because he is getting HP, durability, and so much more. He has a package that works really well together. Pro power seems to have made great strides in getting there powerplants in line with durhams. Not long ok, pro power was known for blowing up motors. Durham is not making a fortune, that is funny. A friend of mine were I am from drives one of the nascrap haulers for Hendrick motorsports. He had told me the Labonte's brothers wanted Hendrick motorsports to get into building motors that they would race and become the distribution arm for these motors. I asked one time whatever became of that, and he made comment that you hear so many rumors. We've all been there.

Bobby blows a pro power every week.

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

Tmac has good luck w propower and he has been using them for yrs

[waaac77]

There will always be teams trying to get an advantage and think up a new way to get an advantage which is the way it should be but when they don’t enforce rules you have a huge mess which is where we’re at now. Couldn’t they make rules and if they enforce them to the letter of the law would help costs? Seems like all any major company (especially the entertainment business) cares about when they reach a high level of success is gouge the fans for all their money they can get while it’s hot. i.e. NASCAR, NFL, etc... I get that but if you’re just conceding long term sustainability for your company because it drives people away and not just regular people the ones who care and love the sport the most. I’m surprised people in charge of these things don’t look at the long term and just live in the now. That’s how these things spiral out of control.

[bleedblue55]

Bobby blows a pro power every week.

Bobby will be on the receiving end this weekend with Huck providing the power.

[Kromulous]

Titanium Rods, about 5k a set. Modern crankshafts that around 42-44lbs add a lot complexity to the forgings, and machining. Plus some better materials, some of the new cranks are around 4k plus.

Castings for Blocks and Heads are cheap by comparison but there putting more time in the ports, machining and design. Its not easy to flow 450 cfm and make it have a decent power curve.

Heck some of the new Lifter designs are $1500 to 2k a set. Shaft Rockers, Belt Drives everything has been optimized.

All in a quest for less failures,but it seems lately that they have passed a threshold...

[MI Dirt Fan]

I saw an interview with Jay D!ckens , might have been on YouTube. He said they spend almost 40 hrs if not more on the motor before assembling it.

[dirty-white-boy]

Why didn't my new Ford Fusion cost what my Pinto did 25 years ago. Why is milk so expensive? Why is gas over $3 a gallon?

Why do DLM races still pay 10k to win today like they did 30 years ago while everything around them as skyrocketed in price? hmmmmm

[usac7]

Had an uncle who quit Late Model racing a while back. He said the cost of engines were way out of hand and the little guy just could not compete.

That was in 1976 and the cost he was complaining about was $7,000

For giggles, I looked up on the interweb the annual rate of inflation for the US, I then started with $7,000 and multiplied it by the inflation rate for each year, I came to around $35,000 and I did it around 10 years ago when top of the line engines were $30K to $35K

$30,000 for an engine seemed really high until I did that.

[MI Dirt Fan]

Why didn't my new Ford Fusion cost what my Pinto did 25 years ago. Why is milk so expensive? Why is gas over $3 a gallon?

Why do DLM races still pay 10k to win today like they did 30 years ago while everything around them as skyrocketed in price? hmmmmm

Gas is over $3 a gallon?

[waaac77]

In the late 90s gas was around $1.00 per gallon and I could get a carton of cigs for $25-$30

[Clayton_Wetter]

In the late 90s gas was around $1.00 per gallon and I could get a carton of cigs for $25-$30

Wow, you actually made a post that was not about attacking blackford!!!!! hahahahaaaa

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Why didn't my new Ford Fusion cost what my Pinto did 25 years ago. Why is milk so expensive? Why is gas over $3 a gallon?

Why do DLM races still pay 10k to win today like they did 30 years ago while everything around them as skyrocketed in price? hmmmmm

I don't know why milk is expensive. We have more than we can sell.

Fusion vs Pinto? A whole lot of government mandated items and lots of tech trinkets have been added.