A "Crate" Alternative

Dart re-engineers the small-block Ford and Chevy for the next century of performance enthusiasts.

Looking for a custom engine that beats any crate engine you can buy? This Dart Chevy engine package is the perfect combination of durable components and the right aftermarket pieces to deliver the performance required.

When Dart’s founder, Richard Maskin, decided to create the ultimate small-block for Ford and Chevy fans, he did a significant amount of research combined with personal racing experience – signature ingredients used in the creation of all his engine products. Maskin incorporated the best features of the factory produced small-block Chevy and Ford engines and “fixed” those problems uncovered during his 50 years of experience. The result was the Dart SHP engine that makes it easy for the street enthusiast to purchase a highly advanced engine at a reasonable cost.

The root cause for the SHP engine design was simple. Although GM and Ford produced millions of small-blocks, finding a good used block today has become very difficult. Even if you can find a usable core, the economics of rebuilding and blueprinting a junkyard block doesn’t make sense. By the time a customer buys a used block and has it cleaned, pressure checked, decked, bored, and honed with a torque plate, the cost is higher than a brand-new SHP block that’s already machined to precise tolerances. Just finish honing the cylinders in an SHP block and it’s ready to assemble. In addition, the SHP block is stronger than a production block and has performance features that simply aren’t available in a stock casting.

But the real beauty of the SHP block is that it provides the ultimate building block for performance. Unlike crate engines, which are simple cookie cutter packages that provide nothing special, the SHP block can be outfitted with a host of different pieces to develop more power and durability than crate engines. For those builders looking for an affordable head start in the process, Dart SHP short blocks are plate honed for optimum cylinder sealing and feature forged 4340 steel I-beam connecting rods, forged pistons with full floating pins, Hastings piston rings, Clevite bearings, and coated cam bearings. Dart SHP engine assemblies include externally balanced cast-steel crankshafts, which can be upgraded to forged 4340 steel for extra durability.

Dart offers one Chevrolet casting with a choice of 4.00-inch or 4.125-inch cylinder bores. Every SHP block has 2.45-inch (350-type) main bearings. By producing only two part numbers that cover 95 percent of the high-performance small-block market, Dart was able to keep the price affordable. The cylinder walls in SHP blocks are siamesed, and the minimum wall thickness is 0.230-inch at a 4.185-inch bore diameter. In addition, through testing conducted with their Pro Stock engines, Dart learned that a big cylinder bore really delivered improved breathing by un-shrouding the valves.

For engine builders looking for a complete package beyond just the short block, Dart engineers have come up with a tried and true combination that makes it easy to achieve high power and torque performance results. Dart SHP top-end kits include a choice of Iron Eagle or PRO 1 aluminum cylinder heads with stainless steel valves and dual valve springs, a single- or dual-plane intake manifold, valve covers, fasteners, gaskets, and spark plugs.

SHP Ford engine combinations deliver serious horsepower for the street or drag strip.

The Dart SHP block, short block and top end kits for Ford and Chevrolet give anyone working on a budget a brand-new, high-value high strength block with features that aren’t available in any production engine. When you look at the real cost of rebuilding a junkyard block or buying a crate motor, there is no question that you get better quality and more bang for the buck with a Special High Performance (SHP) block engine assembly from Dart.