Well, I'd keep asking around your area. There is stuff out there, but not advertised. this 56 parts car was less than 10 miles from here. Taking a whole car is not fun. Parting it out is a ton of work to get the price down on just the motor that you wanted.
I still have my feelers out if ya know what I mean. there is a show and swap meet around here next weekend, so maybe I will trip over something there. Looking and looking, something will pop......just talk to the guy with the 303 olds and trans that are rebuilt and asking 600, should see pictures today.....didnt think that was a bad price for a fresh motor and trans.
That's a great price if it is a decent rebuild. Times have changed, just 15 years ago there were plenty of old yards here. Then overnight, they were all gone. My first Olds project was in 65 as a 13 yr old. My Dad gave me his tired 57 88 2dr post as a field car. It had bad lifters. Some kid at school had an Honest Charley catalog that had obsolete McGurk solids on sale for $9.69 ! Like an idiot, I put those in, but had to buy some crusty old magnesium rockers and chromed valve covers from a local Olds guy. It sure did not last too long before it ate the bottoms off of half the lifters hey, what did I know? So, I bought a 57 S88 parts car with a nice motor/bad trans, for $10 plus $5 for the 20 mile tow. A chainfall hanging off an oak tree to do the swap. A 56 got junked in a field 1 mile away with 4 new WWW Firestones, so I carried tools and a jack to get them. Took all day to roll them uphill to our house. The good old days
That is a cool step back in time..... I figured for 600 "if like you say" its a decent rebuild it is a real solid start! I am hoping it is something good!!!
well here is a picture of one of the 394's i have checked on, guy is not sure if free or froze and wants 394 bucks for motor an trans.... I looks to be the high compression model that I was looking for, but told him that I cant make give an answer until i Know if it rolls over or not......I think thats fair, whats your thoughts?
Looks like you are trying to copy a pic from your email. That link needs to end in .jpg to work. Can you open the pic in your mail, then right click to get a window that says "save this pic"? You need to send it to your "pictures" then uplink from there. I just keep trying stuff till it works
Working It looks like it was blowing a little oil, but could be just ancient gaskets. The block side looks fairly clean, but the back of the motor is wet, too. Still could be just gaskets. I'd be looking at that one for $400? if it turns over. I can't find anything over a 324 in my area.
He said it has sat in a garage the whole time with the plucgs in it and also air cleaner being left on also and has oil in pan. Asking $394.00 for complete motor and trans......he must have a sense of humor asking 394.......for the works
If it's not many hours away, take a look at the plugs to see if it was an oil eater. It would have lumpy blackish carbon build up on some plugs. If they look good and it turns over... ... with all the plugs out and turning the crank bolt back and forth to hear a rod clunking If it was parked with a rod knock, you should hear it. If you knew what to feel for, you can also see how much timing chain slop there is. Probably will have slop in the chain if it's over 40-50k
Found the online article on rebuilding Hydamatics by Doc Frohmader: http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=47&SID=60&CID=17 Its one of the best articles on rebuilding hydros I have seen.
not only did the front cover change in 1963/1964.. actually an older front cover do fit but.. on the last 394 blocks probally all with the alloy front cover?, the block is lacking the passenger side bolt hole on the block so eventhough you would fit hurst type of engine mounts you cant bolt one side properly to the block
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