Classic/Antique Car Repair: 1952 Pontiac straight eight rebuild cost

Question
What is a reasonable price to pay for a complete rebuild for a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain straight 8 engine. My transmission is in very good shape but the knocking continues and I want to prevent any major damage. Thank you.

Answer
A complete rebuild could run between 5 and 10 thousand dollars. The basic parts to rebuild according to severa;l suppliers is just north of $2000 not including any work that might need to be done on the crankshaft. That could be between $300 and $500. The labor is about 10 hours at $100 per hour, so another $1000. Then there is the water pump, fuel pump, plugs and wires and the labor to pull it from the chassis and reinstall. I just finished a job like that on a Ford flat head and it ran $7100.