[sick472]

Engines and engine parts have gone up a fair amount in the last 2 years. It's a matter of shops/factories not being able to get folks to work and they raise the prices to make more with less production. Not to mention wages going up for those that will work. I looked into a crate motor for my 85 last year and decided to rebuild using my labor to pull and push the works along with a local machine shop/engine builder to put together the short block. My other option was to buy a used truck...jeez! I have a rebuilt 350, rebuilt 700R4 transmission, and rebuilt transfer case for about $6K. That beat the snot out of a crate motor OR a used truck. It's time to work for yourself if you can't be a top payer for engines or assembled parts. Supply is short and demand is normal to high...prices reflect that.

Luckily, most any shop can schuck out a good running SBC. I'm in the process of building a Pontiac 400...there's not many who can do that in an affordable manner.

A %100 increase seems high, certainly for my neck of the woods, but you may have to source a rebuildable core and go from there. Best of luck to you, you can save some coin by thinking of your time as a part time job. That's what I do.