Went to the local swap meet today and ran across a recently running 454 with a 400 turbo attached for $500.00 all complete and original.
It is tightly date coded at 1972....oval port not a real desirable motor and it had a bolt on yoke dubbing it as a truck motor.

3999289 is the casting , anyway I gave him the 500 even though I don't need it and was hoping to turn a buck and now I'm not so sure.

Anybody seeing these sell for more in your area ? and yes I been watching junk bay ....o i mean E-bay:D

pretty good deal if the TH400 came with it good job man:thumbsup:

see after 71 the horsepower was lowered because of the new "standards" so the engine isnt that desirable i could be bored out but the tranny is a good tranny if it hasnt been beat to death 70 454 are very very desirable just to let you know

a running 454 and tranny for 500 bucks is a great deal. you can get a slip on yoke, I think dennys driveshaft has them, it would make a low buck big block car. Id check the head casting numbers, you may have 049 or 781s on it. sure its a 8 to 1 motor, but its got cubic inches! Jim

thanks for the input guys...these blocks are getting harder to find unmolested even if it is a lower hp. motor. Who knows it may find its way into my sons 67 chevy C-10 custom.

assuming that you had two 454 motors, one being date coded 1970, and the other 1972, and assuming they both needed to be rebuilt, and you didn't care about matching numbers, then couldn't you just build them the same? I guess I don't understand the premium paying for a 1970 motor, unless you needed it for a correct restoration on a 1970 car.

I think any complete (no windows in the block BS) 454 and 400 trans is worth 500.00 I'd bought and if it does by some chance have the good ovals, even better!!!

UPDATE... I took a good look at that motor today and this is what I found ..... new valve springs, Mallory steel rockers and guide plates. (did not pull the head) I pulled the oil pan and was very clean & full of oil, also noted a new oil pump. I can see hone marks in the cylinders and the pistons look new , are stamped .030 and almost seem chrome in color if that means anything ? Also seems to have new rods and the ARP style bolts. crank is cast & cant tell much about the cam. The CWB code shoes to be 250hp. 73 velle.

Whats the cheapest way to up the hp. from the stock 250 to at least 400 on these?

By the way the head casting #'s are 353049 .....whats so good about these 049 heads Jim?
I looked em up seems 400-402 motors only? I guess I dont get that.

UPDATE... I took a good look at that motor today and this is what I found ..... new valve springs, Mallory steel rockers and guide plates. (did not pull the head) I pulled the oil pan and was very clean & full of oil, also noted a new oil pump. I can see hone marks in the cylinders and the pistons look new , are stamped .030 and almost seem chrome in color if that means anything ? Also seems to have new rods and the ARP style bolts. crank is cast & cant tell much about the cam. The CWB code shoes to be 250hp. 73 velle.

Whats the cheapest way to up the hp. from the stock 250 to at least 400 on these?

Looks like you got a smokin deal for 500 bucks. I'm not too sure you can call how old things like valve springs are by looking at them though. Is it 2 or 4 bolt mains? Cheapest way to get 400hp is to change the carb, intake, cam and exhaust. Easy 400.

well I guess that was just an observation based on the visual condition, lets just say they look far better than any upper mileage small blocks I ever took apart.
It is a 2 bolt block. Thanks for the input