If swiftune could make a aluminium a series block it would be amazing
A close friend of mine looked in to it not too long ago. Having them cast, particularly in an aluminium alloy wasn't too dear, in fact, almost around the same money that you'd pay for a complete second hand 1275 
but the cost of machining was estimated to be about 1/2 the numbers that Cooperman has mentioned here a few times. Mind you, with volume, costs come down.
None less, I do also have it on good authority that new blocks will soon become available once more, though I don't think they be hitting the supermarket shelves this year, but next.
