gleninsandiego

I have a 1969 4 speed with a matching number 350 cubic inch 350hp. The car needs a total restoration and is a basket case. It does have a good frame and body. I got the car to do a resto mod on. I plan on upgrading the engine (more power, possible EFI), 5 speed trans, performance suspension etc.

I am wondering what to do with the original engine. It is hard to image rebuilding this one with 11 to 1 compression with today's gas and I want even more power. Should I keep it for a future owner even if the rest of the car is going to be modded?? (I don't have any storage room). Does it make sense to mod the engine just to keep the original block in the car?

Thoughts?

69Vett

number matching motor Not in the car useless, number matching motor in car priceless.
I am finishing a ground up restoration, car was burnt up completely.
kept the block heads and intake, replace everything else, stuff some HP inside.
make it appear stock on the outside. Hp on the inside.

Krystal

It can't possibly be THAT HARD to find the storage space. A small block is ....well......small in actual size.

Mean-while.....a small block '69 may not be worth a whole lot today.......but what if 10 years from now the price explodes to the upside for a matching #s '69?

AT that point you'll be kicking yourself if you've blown the motor up and it's not salvagable..........I'd find the space and do the big build up on another engine.

Then there is an argument you may or may not buy into......but it goes like this.

All older Corvettes are now pretty much a piece of history.......and you the current owner are really just the current custodian of that history. It's your car and it's well within your right to make the argument that if you want to you could take the car to the crusher and smash it flat if that were your choice...........but I'd argue that there is a really good chance your near 50 year old car will out live you and me.

Don't all of us have at least some responsibility to keep the potential all originals in the realm of all original? .......and if you really want to upgrade the car to a more modern set up....... shouldn't you at least do all you can to retain the ability to restore to original in the future?

Dynra Rockets

Not true. Aluminum heads with a decent chamber shape/squish, and a decent modern camshaft you can run 11:1 all day long. Lots of recipes on the interweb about combinations, ignition curves and cam timing to make 11:1 work well.

Yes.

Put your original heads in a box in the garage to give to a future owner, paint the new aluminum heads orange and no one will notice.

I have 58cc aluminum heads with a .015 head gasket on my original 4 eyebrow flattops so I am somewhere around 11:1. I run 93 and have no ping at all.

Alan 71

Hi gw,
I would encourage you to keep as much of the engine intact as you think is original to the engine.
Things like heads, intake, carb, exhaust manifolds, starter, fuel pump, water pump and fan clutch, distributor for example have part numbers and date codes that make them appropriate for certain engines and certain cars.
If those parts are original, the same person who is interested in the block will be interested in them also.
If storage is an issue…it's certainly up to you what you do.
Regards,
Alan

7T1vette

Keep the block; have it machined for 4-bolt mains. REQUIRE IN WRITING THAT THE MACHINE SHOP NOT MACHINE OFF THE I.D. STAMPING ON THE PAD.

Put a nice cam with roller rockers and compatible aluminum heads with no more than 11:1 CR. Pistons and rods as appropriate for the build. It will make plenty of power using the original block if it has no functional cracks/flaws.

gleninsandiego

How much power is plenty of power?

Thanks

leadfoot4

I was talking with a long-time friend of mine, just yesterday, who raced both a Corvette and a Z/28 Camaro, in SCCA racing, back in the 60s. We were talking about the mechanical failures that a couple of his engines suffered while on the track, and how he simply took the OE engines, the ones that were damaged, and took them to the scrap yard.....and in hindsight, how much he regretted those decisions.

I'm talking about an original 1963, 327 Fuel Injected small block, the OE engine to his Z06 split window, as well as an OE, "DZ code", 302, from his 1967 Z/28. Even damaged, those engines would be worth a lot of money, as "display pieces", sitting next to the now restored race cars.

OP, if I were you, I'd remove the OE engine, bag it up, and keep it. Get a complete "crate motor" from GMPP, and put it in your car, if you're looking for a more contemporary, more powerful engine. This would be a LOT easier, and you'll retain the value of your car.

7T1vette

Around 400, depending on what you use in the build. If you want more, you could put nitrous on it (for the short power bursts). You could install a turbo or blower on it, if you wanted (lower CR heads/pistons).

Fundamentally speaking, the BLOCK is not the limiting factor. You can pay big buck$ for a crate engine with power; or you can properly prepare your block and build it however you want. And it will still 'show' as an original block car.

If you don't want to risk the original block with the extra power, bag it.

76strokervette

I am with the bag it and save it for the collector value group.
You can buy a fully prepped block from summit cheaper than you can have the original machined. Plus you have the option of the step nosed cam if you so desire along with the dog bones for the factory hydraulic roller lifters.You can also go with a 383 and pick the head of your choice and really open up the power potential.
The biggest variables are how much power and the budget.
Let the fun begin.

Tiger Joe

IMO the value of the original numbers matching engine also depends on the originality of the car.


you said you want to do a resto-mod, so my question would be how much of your plan will be irreversible? if things can be unbolted and returned to stock, then the original engine would have value. but if flare the wheel wells out and slap big tires and custom rear suspension on the car, well then originality is not really a concern anymore

gleninsandiego

Thanks for all the replies. From the variety of answers you can see why I asked the question. LOL

For what it is worth the body is going to stay stock, but other items, not so much.

At this point at minimum I will find a place to store the engine. Beyond that I am still pondering. Crate engines are indeed relatively cheap. I had a zz383 gm crate engine in a 63 convertible that was a lot of fun

LT1M21Vette

Coffee table!

Sell the car, comes with this piece of furniture.

gleninsandiego

Ha ha ha

cv67

Who cares ?
Noone marries a perfect 9.6 and neglects her to wonder what the next guy thinks. maybe during the 80s this would make sense not now

Plenty of butts for ea seat.
id gladly pay more for more CI and NEW.

Guys never overthink anything

mod the chit out of it an have a good time man.

Mr. Orange

I bought my flared C3 in 1989 and set aside the original small block to put some hp in the car. I sure thought back then that an original 69 vert would be worth alot more by now especially considering inflation. C2 market much different than C3 and how long before the demographics give way that support all 60's era cars?

cv67

It might make it worth a lil more.....it may not do anything more than make it a lil bonus incentive to buy. Most extra spares never make their way in the car

If youve already has a ZZ383 go get a 400ci sbc step it up!! Youll never be happy with a 350 now
Live for today do you not take care of your woman so the next guy can have someone untouched? Right...who gaf?

Yup...running 11.5:1 with a late 90s era aluminum head. Tons of overlap, granted but still its doable. No need to run low compression anymore they dont have that throttle snap and crackle that "sounds just right" when youre WOT

OldCarBum

It depends on how rare your car is and how much of your car is actually still all original or numbers matching.
If you start doing some research and find your model with the options included is rare, keep it as original as possible.
If you want to build a hot rod and your model is rare, sell this one to someone who wants to do a full OEM restoration and purchase one that is a common model.
When I purchased my '73 454 the prior owner swore it was all original.
Once I started getting into the car I found the calipers, rotors, PS pump, ignition, carb and some suspension parts, were not OEM.
My block, heads, TH400, and rear end are all original numbers matching, but the original sable interior is now black.
Right now my plan is to keep the original block in the car and throw in some additional hp and maybe even an OD tranny.

Kacyc3

$40-$90 will get you a cart that you can bolt a complete small block to and you can roll it uner your work bench in the garage..I have a bbc with heads on one under my bench. You could rebuild the original and risk windowing the block, scaring the cylinders require a bore if salvageable or even sleeve it but once its machined it only looks original.

Buy a 350 vortec so you have all the factory pieces for a hyd. roller cam, has the bolt conf. for the timing cover that has crank sensor for MPI build to your taste. Original in good condition is worth more to numbers guys than one that has been modified. This is probably most ecnomical as the vortec block swaps everything from the SBC, a LS or BBC nothing transfers an you have a bigger pile of original parts to store, more work to do the swap and buyers might not want be interested it due to work of removing LS or BBC

gleninsandiego

Well today the engine in question came our of the car.







nasty nasty nasty