Has ANYONE driven their 350 with the aluminum heads?

Considering they cannot produce product to sell, it's seems insane to blame the buyers standing by with cash in hand.

 

Thats true of a lot of their stock, but they've had a couple pallets of 350 heads for the last five years... they do need machined, but I'd bet they would get to work if they orders.

 

Last I seen , Jay was running 4.30 gears .

 

AFAIK, they are still in desperate need of talented, qualified machinist /'s, that want to work. So, no heads to sell.

 

I'm pretty sure the guys that are capable are also being offered more $$ to machine other less difficult things .

 

My old timer friend here local was paid over a million $ to machine a few thousand little aluminum slide things for AFL.....I'm sure that's just a drop in the bucket of available jobs that have nothing to do with automotive parts

 

And I bet outsourcing it to an outside well staffed company isn't cost effective.....so they just sit and get built one set a time

 

Well, it did take an exceedingly long time to get them to market. The first real thread was in 2003 and it talked about deliver in 2004. First raw castings appeared in April 2016. First prototype heads on Mike, Jr's engine was in what, 2019?. Missed it by well over a decade and at double the original estimated price. Then, there wasn't much supply as wait times were in the multiple months. Also, I didn't even own a 350 when all this started so I feel no blame or guilt in the scenario.

 

I'd train Tim, Sherry and anyone else there, to program & run the cnc. Machines have to run to make money.

 

Your right I yelled about this more than anybody, after all I was only one of a few that even attempted to hot rod a 350, but I lost my good job and it took me 10 years to regain my pay. So that killed it for me until now.
Didn't someone buy 2 sets and was sending them to their special head porter, where is that one at collecting dust?
Where are all those 455 guys that said they were going to build a 350 when the heads come out don't see any of that.

That list for heads is a heck of a lot bigger than heads that were made or wanted afterwards and plus it took almost 20 freakin years to get them made.
How many did they build, only ones they took orders in for? If they did not sell I never heard them complain about it only from members.

There was a few of us that had ported irons and expected these to go past that which they did not unless you spent another $700 to get them past the ported irons.
That brings that total to $3,500 see the dilemma in this? At this price point you are going to want to port more than this since the first porting is cleaning up and evening it out. Spend that much 35-4g might as well pump it to 11-5-12 comp and let it rip would be my plan but I need the ported heads

I guess what we really need to know is how many 455 guys bought aluminum heads then went and spent another grand to have them ported to take a healthy cam

I got cash for some ported 350 alum heads anybody? Do we have any bare sets of 350 heads should have some of those.

 

Wonder if they’ll have a clearance sale???

 

The delay actually worked in my favor. I’m also lucky with the timing of my build, any later and Covid may of put it on the back burner.

 

yep I expect a good runner, I think C did damage all over

 

The only reason I got my Rover heads is I was willing to take a bare set. Just guides and seats installed. Mike T is working 7 days a week to try and get stuff out the door.

 

TA shot themselves in the foot with the 350 head imo...we've all talked about this b4 but they are a one size kinda fits all product that out of the box just isn't nothing to get excited about....and $1500 in porting later you have a moderate performance head...for $4500.....yea no thanks

 

Well said!
When I put my 2 grand deposit down, I also opted for the 2.02 intake valve, level 2 or 3 porting, plus cutting .030 of the surface.
It would have been almost 5 grand all in.
Tim called after a year “ You still want these heads?”
I said “yes”…………. His statement above did not evoke much confidence tho.
TA drug their feet too long on these, people lost interest, spent the money elsewhere, and mostly, like myself, had PLENTY of time to realize “this is stupid money for small gains”
If you don’t get the dog outside quick enough it will poop in the house.

 

x2, Gessler level 3 ported and built TA Stage 1 SE aluminum heads for my 462.

That was 2006. Total cost delivered to me was $2995.00

Devon

 

Mark you are dead on...you let me think about my stupid decision long enough....I'll change my mind! Ha

 

Yes and no.
TA just took too long to get these to market, BUT I’m sure alot of circumstances were beyond their control, I’m sure we’ll never know exactly.
Initially there was a lot of excitement from 350 guys, me included, but a lot of Buick people have moved on since the announcement of the heads way back when, so the original 350 guys that were pumped have moved on, I’m one of the long timers here I guess (22 years)
I’m still in the 350 Buick and overall Buick game, but I have moved on also, I TRIED to buy a set with all the bells and whistles, but time moved on, and so did I
I like driving my GS, going to the track and having fun.
Big blocks have better potential to be quicker than stock, BUT going 13.35 with a 1.85 60’ is NOTHING for a big block with add ons, but for a 350 in a full weight GS with 3.42 gear it’s not bad