Someone locally has a 454 engine for sale, he e-mailed me I guess it's in a 1988 Chevy van, I hate vans more than anything :D It's still in, which is good and bad, I can hear it (It will come appart anyways) should I bother getting stats on it?

if your going to stroke it any way then that block will work just fine

I wouldn't spend much on it. If you are building a 496 about the only "big" part you will use is the block. You might look for a bare 454 block and see if they will throw in some of the small parts ie timing chain cover, oil pan etc. I have seen bare 454 block go for about 250 around here, but have not checked prices in a while.

Yeah im keeping my eye out for just a block. This guy wants to sell the whole van, Eff that :D It would sit until I pulled it, and then donate the rest probably, too much work. I need to go to pick n' pull

The good thing about the van is the block is probably good if it still runs ( and probably untouched). It is hard to eyeball a block and tell if it is good. But the van is a lot more work than just the block.

More than likely the 454 in the Van could have a TH400 behind it. Depending on price of other parts you sell off, you could be into the block just some labor.

I may be all wet, but don't vans and trucks use a slightly differnt length TH400?

Originally posted by DaleP:
I may be all wet, but don't vans and trucks use a slightly differnt length TH400? Not sure which ones do. I have 2 short shaft TH400s that came out of trucks. It could be a long shaft, but since it would be trading stock (he was goin manual) around here a TH400 is a TH400 for core pricing from what I have seen.

Pnut,

I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. I checked out your site and your progress. You are going the whole custom route with your car, more streetrod than hot rod. Why not go the crate motor route? From a personal standpoint, I am giving up on searching out a rebuildable core and going all through that. From the questions you have asked and the info you have shared, you should buy a complete crate motor (or at least a shortblock) and be done with it. You have a small block in the car now. Why not look a big inch aluminum head small block? 427 - 434 incher. Not trying to tell you what to do, but you have already headed off on a non-traditional direction with your car, why not continue there?

One reason is b/c a 496 can make 550hp plumb easy and by not too much more larger stuff like cam, carb. and intake can make above say 625 and still not be maxxed out...

I know the big motor is heavy, but it CAN make some GOOD grunt to move itself around VERY well!!

pdq67