Anyone have experience with serpentine belt kits from Vintage Air or LMC?

[hpcgmc]

I'm researching my engine build. I'm not much of a motor guy, so don't have any experience with pulleys, brackets, etc. As I research this, it seems there are lots of options, and lots of mistakes to be made if you get the wrong brackets, pulleys, etc. I plan to purchase a $1500.00 350 crate engine from Summit.

I see both LMC and Vintage Air have serpentine belt kits that include water pump, alternator, brackets, power steering pump, etc. However, the aren't cheap! $1800 for LMC and $2000 for Vintage Air. That said, it would be worth a few hundred dollars extra to just bolt everything together and be done with it, versus 20 trips to parts stores and junkyards because I mismeasured by 1/4" (which I'm prone to do). An added bonus is that the engine compartment should look very clean with the serpentine belt and all matching brackets.

I'm under the impression that LMC sacrifices quality for price. I've always heard Vintage Air is very good quality, so I'm a little swayed towards Vintage Air already. What do you guys think?

If there are other, less expensive options, please let me know.

Here's LMC: http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.aspx?Page=127

Here's Vintage Air: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-174008/overview/

[hpcgmc]

Here's another option - a V belt kit. Not sure I need all the bling of the polished aluminum, but the price is pretty good at $1,425.00.
http://rockyhinge.com/store/product80.html

[GoaterAz]

I can only recommend what I am going with, the Vintage Air in Black Hardcoat.

This picture sealed the deal, this is Olrosa's 'Betty'...I swear I'm 1,800 views of his 40k haha.

[swamp rat]

If you search the parts for sale thread there is a guy there that is taking sirpentine setups off of later model chevys and he can blast and paint if desired, doing this conversion you would need a reversed direction water pump

[bgood70]

You may also look at March Performance systems http://www.marchperf.com/gallery_chevysmall.html they have complete kits and good customer support. You will need to know if you have long or short water pump this will be important.

[71meangreenc10]

You can save a lot of $$$ going the GM way, if you want. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=468729&page=2 I went to a junk yard, pulled everything (you need a special tool to get the PS pulley off to get that bracket) powder coating was $200. I paid $25 for all the items to include all the core parts on a drag a part day. Dont forget to take the studs also out of the heads. 4.3s have the same set up as the 5.7's in those years.

Smitty

[Sammys70]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mch-21695-08

this is what I did, cheapest that I could find that was new
21695-09 is chrome
went with electric fans so the long water pump not a problem

[hpcgmc]

Great ideas guys, thanks. I really like the $689 March one via Summit and would probably have bought it, but have decided to go a different route. I found a shop a couple hours away that sells used LS motors that are almost drop in kits for a great price. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the LS motor as soon as my cab repairs are completed.