The dealer I got my Chevelle from (who got it from his friend) said his friend might still have a big block with a TH400 to sell for $2500. He says he thinks it's a 396 or 402 and he thinks it's complete however he's going to call back and give me the skinny on if he's still got it or not. If everything is up to par does this sound over priced? What should I look for?

Is a 396 a kick ass screaming engine that will propel this thing into a speed demon? Or is it just the run-of-the-mill big block?

(sorry if this sounds dumb....never have owned a big block or know much on them)

Also for a 1971 model with a 350 engine with a TH350 trans what all will be required to install a big block/TH400 in this car?

Well some 396s are kick ass, some aren't.

I'd be willing to speculate, that unless you've owned a pretty hot small block, it'll out perform anything you've had before.

I really like big blocks, partly just because they don't have to be "really cammed up" to pull real hard.

That price isn't a bargin, but it all depends on the condition the engine is in, and if its original to your car...

If you have been looking and thats all that has come up than maybe you better look into it. Nothing wrong with a 396, had one in a custom 57 ford panel with 400T and it kicked Butt. But I would be looking for a 454 myself. Good luck.

$2500 is pretty steep IMHO and experience.
I built my 454 for $2500,and that included a $300 core and $100 for closed chamber heads.
Not matter what it is,I'd try to get it for less.
I've sold running 454's for $1000,plus $250-300 for a confident shifting TH400
So,unless this 396/402 has a ton of receipts and is all fresh,offer him $1500-2000 depending on what it is and waht was done.
..and way less if its just some "unknown" stocker big block that comes with an "unknown" trans,like $1000-1200

Thanx.

I've not yet heard from the guy so I dunno what's the scoop.

I want to say he thinks his friend said it as been rebuilt but I will need to talk to him to be for sure.

Now here's my question....if it has been rebuilt, even if he has receipts, how do I know for a fact it's been redone? I mean if an engine shop built it do they print the casting number and the date/suffix codes on the receipt so you can look at it and then look at the engine and say "yup, this is the one?" If not for all I know it could be for a receipt got another freshly built engine and maybe this one just looks fresh cuz he sprayed it with some $2 can of paint.

No this is not the original engine/trans for my car. It is the engine/trans he was going to put in the car before he ran short on $$ and had to sell it to get some $$. My car is a factory 350 car.

I agree I'd much rather have a 454 but I figure at least this is my first big block and it would surely have more guts than the pos 350 in my car now.

I've driven LS1/6 speed F bodies. Not sure if you could compare it to that.

So how much should I offer if I can confirm both are rebuilt? Also what's the normal going price for a big block and a TH400?

Also for a 1971 model with a 350 engine with a TH350 trans what all will be required to install a big block/TH400 in this car?

I would have a hard time paying that much for a 396/402. Perhaps if it was a L78. Maybe.

Chris.

They'll drop in as far as mounting goes,you may or may not have to shorten the driveshaft. And you'll need power steering brackets for the big block,if your car has a/c you can also use that radiator.

I just did a big block (454/Th400) swap into a 70 w 350/th350, i did have to shorten the driveshaft. You will also need a kickdown switch for the TH400. Ive never seen a machine shop stamp anything other than a crank(on the counter weight). Even if they had recipts, i'd question all or any of the work, for instance there is no way to tell for sure if cam bearings have been changed, etc, without engine disassembly. I'd assume that its not rebuilt. As for a price, i sold a rebuildable complete 454 for $400, guy jumped on it, maybe i should have asked more, but i got what i paid for it.

My dad had a 70ss with a 396 in the 11's and it didnt have all too much done to it...

Well the guy still hasn't called me so I dunno but I think I'm going to give up on him. Either it's already sold or he's not interested in selling it. But geez at least let me know something.

But....I found out today the guy that lives down the street from me has some 396/402 rebuildable cores in his garage. He has 2 1980 Malibus and a 1965 Malibu. One of the 1980 Malibus has a 1972 402 in it. He says it's stock and pushes 300 horse. anyone know if that's what a stock '72 402 pushes?

I'm going to see what he will charge for a rebuilt 402. Any ball park figure on what I should spend?

Well I went and talked to the guy tonight. He has like 5 or 6 396/402 blocks sitting in his garage.

He is going to sell me one of them for $500. It is a 1970 396 engine. He says he's already had the block checked for cracks and it checked good. But we're going to send it back to the machine shop for a .030 bore and have the heads polished and maybe put some bigger valves in.

When the block gets out of the shop we're going to buy the bottom end kit and he's going to help me assemble it. Since I've never built an engine and he's built plenty of them I figure it's a good learning experience.

He said a guesstamate machine shop price would be around $500...and that's to port and polish the heads, bore the cylinders, install cam bearings, freeze plugs, etc.

So I figure there's $1000 roughly....now I'm wondering how much the bottom end kit, the cam, intake, etc will cost? I think he said when all is said and done it will be around $2k spent.

Oh...were there any factory 402 blocks in '70? Or was it '71 when they became 402's?

70 was the first year of the 402. All the 70 and up 396 engines were actually 402 cubic inches. The 396 designation had already built a name for itself and stayed for marketing purposes.

Chris.

Ahh...that's good. Cuz this engine I may be getting I decoded as a '70 block, the suffix code is either CTW or CTY...can't remember which.

Originally posted by Chris R:
70 was the first year of the 402 Actually,late build 1969 Chevelles where the 1st to get them...earler 69 cars had a 2 letter engine suffix for the 396,and the 402 had the 3 letter suffix.

Ah cool. So now I know for a fact it is a 402 cuz it does have a 3 digit suffix code.

Only thing is does anyone sell a complete rebuild kit for a 402? I see they have it for a 396 and it's an .030 piston so that makes it a 402. But I can't seem to find a 402 kit for .030 (408).

BTW I'm looking thru Summit as I have a charge card. :cool:

Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
Ah cool. So now I know for a fact it is a 402 cuz it does have a 3 digit suffix code.

Only thing is does anyone sell a complete rebuild kit for a 402? I see they have it for a 396 and it's an .030 piston so that makes it a 402. But I can't seem to find a 402 kit for .030 (408).

BTW I'm looking thru Summit as I have a charge card. :cool: .060 over 396?