: Looking for my original engine block
Kevin Barry Dec 17th, 04, 8:07 PM Guys,
I know this is a long shot, but check any engine blocks you've got lying around. Im looking for the original block for my 1970 SS 396. It is a CTW coded block with the VIN being 139229.
The car is from the Athens, Tenn area and was missing the original block when I bought it. It has the rest of the numbers matching components.
I know its a long shot, but you dont know if you dont ask.
Thanks, Kevin
michael n mississippi Dec 17th, 04, 8:26 PM you been watching barret jacksons havent you? it is possiable. i succeded at the same thing a few years back. what i done i tracked everone that ever owned the 71 SS .they were very eager to talk with me, when they found out i had there old chevelle. and guess what i was told that the second owner had removed the 454 when it dropped a rod. so i made the call and yep he was a packrat. said he never got rid of anything bigblock over all the years. he gave me the engine free as long as i drove to his place and let him see the car once again. that started a great friendship. good luck GREAT THINGS DO HAPPEN for the determined.
RAT396 Dec 17th, 04, 9:36 PM there's a guy selling a CTW in the classifieds under 1970 parts...could be yours.
Chris R Dec 18th, 04, 3:24 PM This reminds me of a 70SS car I had a chance to buy about ten years ago.
It was a documented LS6, bench seat, M22, car in peices. Everything was original except the LS6 engine was gone. He was asking 3K.
Guy said that it was taken out in 1980 from a previous owner, and as I recall he said the guy wanted his wife to drive something with better gas mileage. Sold the engine to someone that raced some sort of oval track or dirt track racing or something.
He tried to track the engine down through the previous owner (whom told him about the racer guy) and came up empty.
Chris.
I guess we can always hope. I'm looking for a 70 block also. 454 CRQ 216055
L7870_cortez Dec 19th, 04, 1:01 AM I found My Original LS-6 that had not been in my El-Camino since 1975.
MIKE
Chevyboy Dec 19th, 04, 2:14 AM I tried the same thing and no luke trying to find your orginal engine is one of the hardest things you can do its like going to the bath room and hoping you lay the golden egg. But this has been a topic around the forum i believe and we have all agreed true documentation its a SS,its great to have increase the value of the car but a car the 30+ years old many people looking to buy do not really aspect the same engine to be in the car after all them years. But only trailer queens have the orginal engine in the car as they say in the show but i bet 85% of them just be restamps done at the machine shop for judging points.
Mr69 Dec 19th, 04, 2:23 AM But look if you engine find then you can get the numbers match for the car to be when the value can get up there luke if it was in someoneses garage it would be the find of the century and this is why we continue to luuk for the engine that the car came with it was when it was a new car and they sold it from the dealer and the guy bought it but then he pulled the engine for a race car 73 pinto car that was fastest car at the track so if you find my engine call me at my number 85% points to increase the value after all them years........man
I gotta go lay an egg
bcice Dec 19th, 04, 12:34 PM Originally posted by SS3964N8:
But look if you engine find then you can get the numbers match for the car to be when the value can get up there luke if it was in someoneses garage it would be the find of the century and this is why we continue to luuk for the engine that the car came with it was when it was a new car and they sold it from the dealer and the guy bought it but then he pulled the engine for a race car 73 pinto car that was fastest car at the track so if you find my engine call me at my number 85% points to increase the value after all them years........man
I gotta go lay an egg Puff puff puff, that has to be, puff puff, the longest single , puff puff sentence I have ever read!
RAT396 Dec 19th, 04, 12:58 PM Any '68 Chevelle SS/ El Camino SS owners looking for a correct 396 motor, possibly numbers matching. I have one that should be going up for sale soon(depends what shape the new block is in and how much it will take to do the swap). It is an ET 396-4 325hp TH-400 short block(no heads/manifolds). recently rebuilt and running strong in my 70 El Camino but soon to be replaced with a correct CTW block.
Deck stamp is: T0I23ET 7K18536
ACLineman Dec 19th, 04, 2:13 PM Just out of curiosity, If someone did have this running in there car, How much would you pay for it??
Just wondering..........
EddieC67ss Dec 19th, 04, 4:12 PM Could you imagine if you had a documented LS6 and someone had the original motor. That would be real interesting.
ACLineman Dec 19th, 04, 5:28 PM Kind of what I was thinking.
I have SOMEBODY'S 1969 L-78 beating in my 69 Malibu.....
EddieC67ss Dec 19th, 04, 5:53 PM I also have a standard bore LS6, just installed in my 66 for next season.
ACLineman Dec 19th, 04, 7:29 PM What displacement/ Hp is the LS6?
ACLineman Dec 19th, 04, 7:30 PM Nice ride by the way. Mine too is standard bore graemlins/thumbsup.gif
EddieC67ss Dec 19th, 04, 8:04 PM 454ci all #'s matching heads, etc. Stock except for a Roller valve train. Never owned a white car, but looks real good.
I lost track a 1970 LS-5 CRQ 10K147463 block in the Ft.Smith,Ark. area supposedly in 1984.Come home soon,Thanks
L7870_cortez Dec 19th, 04, 11:46 PM Where did it go mr?
MIKE
Chris R Dec 20th, 04, 1:52 AM This makes me think about tracking down the 71 Corvette that the LS5 short block I have in my garage came in.
Never removed it from the car, just picked up the engine itself over 10 years ago.
Chris.
1966_L78 Dec 20th, 04, 12:31 PM When I picked up my 66 SS way back in 1985, I was told the original motor went into a boat, and a crate LS7 went into the Chevelle in the 70's (more power)... By the time I got it, the LS7 was blown (with many pieces stored in the trunk), a bunch of paperwork, and a running "327" in front (I recall that turned out to be a 283). It had been raced, but not really cut up (Hurst shifter, console removed, fiberglass racing bucket seats, heater/radio removed, trunk-mount battery).
I didn't even know about matching numbers, correct SS VINs, L78/LS6, etc... It was just a 66 with a 4-speed and a 12-bolt/373 posi...
After owning it a few years, I started to learn more about Chevelles, and found (by the paperwork included with the car) that it was an original L78 car (M22 too, as I recall)... Of course, over the ensuing years, the paperwork has been lost (moved several times). I have spent years trying to track down the previous owners to try and find the engine, but no luck yet (but I have pretty much given up).
Maybe someday I will find that engine...
Mr69 Dec 21st, 04, 1:13 AM bcice,
I was trying to imitate chevyboy.
I thought his post was pretty funny. No periods, just a long, ongoing sentence, that's very hard to decipher.
Maybe he was drunk ?
Nate
fast67vellen2o Dec 22nd, 04, 3:19 PM i have someone's 69 Camaro SS 350 horse 396 engine in my 67 Chevelle
gigem Dec 22nd, 04, 3:51 PM Somewhere there is a 1990 Chevy truck rusting into the ground, wishing that the 454 in my 72 convertible was still under it's hood.
Or maybe it got crushed, melted down and made into coat hangers. And maybe part of it is hanging in my closet right now smile.gif
I do wonder whatever happened to the original 350 that came in this car though...
Hey,Mike(L7870-cortez) supposedly the engine was swapped/traded at Eddie Hunt Performance in Ft.Smith by a car dealer(Twin City Motors) in 1984.This means it was probably bored and possibly decked and could be blown up or wore out by now.Realistically i am doubtful it is still around,but it could be sitting in a basement somewhere collecting dust!! I won't hold my breath.If you run across it sometime,please let me know!! thanks
bcice Dec 22nd, 04, 11:04 PM Originally posted by SS3964N8:
bcice,
I was trying to imitate chevyboy.
I thought his post was pretty funny. No periods, just a long, ongoing sentence, that's very hard to decipher.
Maybe he was drunk ?
Nate Jeepers Nate! Don't do that to an old guy! I did not know when I was allowed to come up for air and almost had a jammer! tongue.gif
mark2002 Dec 22nd, 04, 11:31 PM I may have someone's golden egg here.....I have a complete short block sitting in my garage for years GM casting 3969854 and a 10W236740 stamp on it. Could be a 396 or 402? Match anyone's VIN?
wrencheadblues Dec 23rd, 04, 3:32 PM my extra 396 325hp 1966 reads T0208 EDH 1900-8 couldn't make out second too last number , its a suffix of edh for a 396 325hp stick 1966 , complete and stock and holley, let me know if it belongs to your car - marko- chevy1930@netzero.net
vintageracer Dec 23rd, 04, 6:40 PM I once has a 67 Corvette Coupe 427/435 HP purchased new by Porter Wagoner, the country music star. The third owner of the car removed the engine and installed in Camaro for drag racing. He told me the town and type of car it was installed in however I was never able to track in down.
One day the phone rings, the caller asks for me and wants to know if I own a 67 Corvette 427 car. I say yes and he says he has the original engine. I say really???? Where did he find it and what kind of car was it last in. He told me a Camaro and the correct city! I then calmly asked him for the casting number, casting date and block stamping. Of course he told the information. I already knew the stamping as I had the original protecto-plate which lists this information. It matched! I asked him how much he wanted for the shortblock? He calmly told me $10,000!
I immediately told the caller "I PASS, NOT INTERESTED"! He then began to tell me how foolish I was since this engine would add more than $10K to the price of the car. I told him I agree! I also told him that this engine was worth more to me than ANYONE in the world and I would not pay $10K. I politely told him that market value for what he had on the open market was $3,000. Given it was "THE" original engine for my car I would pay $4K. NO MORE!
I also thanked him for telling me the correct numbers to "RESTAMP" the other 67 427 correct dated block I had sitting in my garage!!!! Since I NOW had the proper information, MY block would become the "original block" and HE would have just another "4351" block to sell on the open market for less money! Of course, I already knew the correct block stamp since I had the original protecto-plate. The block in my garage was dated only 2 days different from the original. Pretty good guess on my part! Needless to say, he WAS NOT HAPPY with my response!!!!
I told him when he decided to get in the REAL world to call me! What he did not know was that I had recently sold the car to a good friend in NC. He was excited to hear the block existed however he also exercised restraint. He received a HUGE offer for the car from Pro-Team and was in the process of selling the car.
End result was that the ORIGINAL ENGINE DID GET REUNITED WITH THE CAR! Terry Michaelis at Pro-Team did buy the original shortlock and paid $4000 for it. He also got the "ready to be stamped but never stamped" restoration block that I am sure he sold or used in another car.
Last I heard, Bob Scorsone, a dealer in NY had the car for sale.
Patience also paid off for the search for the original engine for my 70SS 454 Convertible. After 10 years of ownership, I was able to find it in a barn in KY in the hands of a previous owner.
ALWAYS KEEP LOOKING! You never know!!!!!
ccarney69 Dec 25th, 04, 3:14 AM Is anyone looking for this one, it came from the Memphis area and is out of a 68 4 speed chevelle I was told.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/ccarney69/396375enginepad1.jpg
Chris R Dec 26th, 04, 12:05 AM You know guys. I wonder if this post may be on to something here.
What if there was a "engine search" forum or something? Many are long shots. But perhaps this may be something to consider for another forum for guys that find an old block out of a Chevelle and post it for others that may be searching for thier motor.
Im sure in all of our travels in the paper, online, E Bay. Someone may find an engine thats original for another members car.
Chris.
Chris R, I agree,something more chevelle oriented than the EBAY classifieds,(www.wantitnow.ebay.com/) but that reaches lots of homes and it is FREE!!..The post lasts 30 days.It might be a great place to sell your extra parts and possibly buy that(needle in a haystack) long shot...........Don
KEN67RAT Dec 27th, 04, 10:19 PM Originally posted by 1966_L78:
When I picked up my 66 SS way back in 1985, I was told the original motor went into a boat...You know, I bought a 66 L78 block from a guy locally. When I bought it, he told me the guy he bought it from had it in a boat.
You have about a 1 in 3000 chance smile.gif . I don't have the VIN handy, but do remember it was built at ATL.
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