I have a question regarding the purchase of a shortblock from AutoZone, Napa, or Discount???? Apparently my engine is garbage and Im looking for options. I have heard of people using shortblocks from the autoparts store.. and then bolting up accessories and cars running at low 11's. Has anyone heard of anyone using these shortblocks?
a little while back i saw that autozone had "grand national" replacement engines-------the store manager felt proud to make me aware of it since he knew me and saw that i was always up to the store driving a gn-------i expressed quite a bit of doubt but he insisted that it would be a "good engine" and that the company that did their engines was a quality builder-----i told him that might be true for Chevvvys and Forrrds but i seriously doubted it for a turbo V6 buick-------anyhow after he bugged me for the next several visits i finally said ok i'll buy one and have a look-------its been a while but heres what i remember-------it was a long block-----bores were .060 over------pistons were NOT turbo type -they were cast like stock but didn't have the drainback grooves like buick added to the turbo pistons-pistons also didn't have the steel reinforcements at the wrist pins or below the top ring--------rods were correct but they had an assortement of different brand bolts in them-GN's all had sps for whatever that is worth--------Crank had the correct casting #229 if i remember correctly but the rod journals didn't have fillets which as we all know triple the strength of the crank--------head gaskets were not graphite like came on GN's--------there were other issues but i don't really remember them------i wouldn't even take the time to put it in a car-------its shoved somewhere in a corner of my shop and anyone that wants to examine it is more than welcome-------and if you like what you see i am willing to let it go cheap--------its still got all the paperwork and reciepts wrapped up with it----------total yuck in my opinion..............................RC