5 Cheap Crate Engines You Can Get For Under $5,000

Balancing performance and price is always tricky when it comes to deciding which crate engine is the right one for your project. It's safe to assume that most enthusiasts would opt for a few extra ponies under the hood if money was no object, but in reality, every builder will have a budget to keep to, with some budgets being tighter than others. There are plenty of good value, high performance crate engines on the market for less than $10,000, but buyers with even stricter budgets aren't out of luck.

Independent engine builders and factory dealers both offer a selection of affordably priced crate engines, with some available for $5,000 or less. These five are just a small selection of what's on offer, and should provide cash-strapped builders with some ideas for what might work best to power their latest car or truck. We've included engines from GM, Ford, and HEMI, focusing on some of the most popular cheap offerings from leading retailers.

For GM enthusiasts looking for an affordably priced engine for a classic car build, the legendary Chevy 350 small block V8 engine is a natural place to start. They're easy to source, cheap to rebuild, and benefit from a large aftermarket in case you want to make further tweaks down the line. Buyers looking for a 350 small block crate engine have plenty of options, with one of the most affordable options being the ATK 7353 350 Chevy small block that's sold via JEGS.

Interested buyers have to first return an engine core to ATK, who will then rebuild the engine to better-than-new condition and can add performance components as requested. According to the JEGS listing, ATK will accept any 350 small block engine produced between 1967 and 2000, aside from '92-'97 LT1 engines. ATK says its performance tweaks can bring the engine's output up to 260 horsepower.

The listing quotes a base price of $2,599.99 for the crate engine on its own, but JEGS also offers various kits with additional components including carburetors, distributors, intake manifolds and more. Even these more complete kits remain available for less than $5,000, making the 350 small block one of the best options for buyers on particularly tight budgets.

If you're really savvy with where you shop, it's possible to get a HEMI crate engine for less than $4,000. However, the cheapest option that factory parts dealer DC Performance offers comes in at $4,495. It's the 345 Crate HEMI Long Block, and it puts out a meaty 383 horsepower. It can be ordered through a broad network of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealers around the country and it's the same engine that powers the 2015-2023 Dodge Challenger.

The listed MSRP only covers the engine itself, and not any of the accessories that buyers might end up needing to fit it into their build. However, anyone in need of those parts can also order them straight from DC Performance. For example, the dealer lists multiple engine kits for the 345 priced between $1,795 and $3,195, as well as an accessory drive kit for $644 and various other extras.

The 345 HEMI Long Block is the cheapest option, but it's far from the only crate engine available from the DC Performance catalog. At the time of writing, a selection of higher-performance alternatives are also offered, including the mighty 1,000 horsepower Hellephant engine, which costs a whopping $34,999.

Ford's small block V8 engine is steeped in history, with the 302 engine being used in a long list of both passenger cars and performance cars over the decades. The engine remains a popular option for Ford performance enthusiasts today, with the ATK High Performance Ford 302 Stage 2 long block being one of the cheapest ways to buy a new one. At the time of writing, it's available through Summit Racing for $4,210.99.

Summit says that the ATK-built engines "are designed to be perfect replacements for your old 302, but with a bit more kick." Each engine features a remanufactured block with OE connecting rods, crankshaft, and cylinder heads. ATK's tweaks push the engine's power output up to 300 horsepower — more than enough to deliver "a bit more kick" as promised.

Buyers on tighter budgets could also consider a stock-spec 302 crate engine like ATK's High Performance Ford 302 stock long block. It retails for slightly less, costing $3,998.99 at Summit Racing, and it still makes around 240 horsepower. ATK notes that the engine is based on the '80-'86 stock 302 engine, and it uses mostly OE parts.

Summit Racing also offers its own version of Chevy's LS engine. It's available for $3,849.99, and puts out an impressive 450 horsepower. The retailer's LS 5.3-liter long block engine uses a mix of OE and aftermarket parts, with OE parts including its crankshaft, connecting rods, and rocker arms. Its block is also a remanufactured OE unit.

Launched as the successor to the original Chevy small block, the LS is one of General Motors' most special engines. It's famed for being able to produce far more power than stock with only simple modifications, and benefits from a huge aftermarket that gives builders plenty of choice to put their own unique stamp on their build.

GM vehicles are the most obvious candidates for LS engine swaps, but they've also been put to use in a wide variety of other cars and trucks over the decades. Their abundant power and relatively compact size makes them suitable for a huge variety of swaps, and in some cases, boutique manufacturers have even used them in low-volume supercars. Various exotic European supercars have LS engines at their heart, including the Mazzanti Evantra and Vencer Sarthe.

Anyone looking for a Ford 351 Windsor V8 crate engine for less than $5,000 has limited options available to them. However, they aren't completely out of luck, since ATK offers an HP11 Ford 351W small block engine through JEGS for just about within budget. The engine will set them back $4,958.99, and it will deliver 390 ponies in return.

Alongside their payment for the engine, buyers have to return a core to ATK for the remanufacturing process. When they receive it back again, it will feature a mix of OE and aftermarket core parts. However, it won't come fully dressed, and so anyone without the necessary additional parts will need to factor them into the cost of their build. The engine will also come with a set of instructions detailing how to run it in, to ensure that it performs smoothly for years to come.