Hi,
I am a total newbie, so forgive any repeated question. I searched and could not find any info on my question. I recently bought a 67 with a NOM (someone put a 68 302 in it). The engine is blown, so I am going to put in a 383 engine. I am not going to try and restore it to the original 327. I want to put a nice reliable strong engine in it, but I want it to look awesome when you lift the hood.
So, my question is, do any of you have any suggestions on what would look nice visually. I am debating on the aluminum valve covers with the chrome extras, but I am not sure if that will look all that great vs all chrome (maybe with red accents). If you have suggestions, can you let me know and also tell me where I should go to buy the dress kit?
I will be restoring the body and interior to its original colors. It is Marlboro Maroon with vinyl white interior.

Thanks so much for looking.

 

Stock outside chrome under the hood



PML valve covers

 

That is beautiful ... Thank you.

 

For what it's worth, if you want your car to look awsome, put it back to factory stock, use factory type aluminum valve covers & manifold, factory exhaust manifolds & factory ignition wire covers, etc. In my humble opinion, nothing looks better or as classy as the factory set up & your car doesn't look like it was put together by a juvenile delinquent with more money than brains. (as for the above photos, Rob Magnano your car is really nice, but not to my taste, no insults were intended)

 

You are only limited by your imagination and your budget. There are many, many ways to go. Personally I prefer a nice, clean stock look. I've done the "show car" thing on a few cars I built and it looks good when it's all new and shiny but it requires a lot of work to keep it that way. Nothing is sadder than rusty chrome. Go online and look at what Jeg's or Summit has to offer and find something that strikes your eye.

 

Thank you for the replies. Feedback like this is exactly why I posted. I wanted to consider everything (i.e. rust on chrome, upkeep, and true aficionado's opinions on keeping things real). I realize a simple answer would be "just do a search on the internet"; however, as I said, I am very new, purchased a 327 67 that needs a lot of work, and I want to do it right the first time. Thank you.

 

Post some pics

Who's stroker motor are you going with?

 

Here are pics of the car. I literally bought it two months ago. The last pic is of the engine stamp. I have not yet purchased the 383. I plan on buying it from Orange Engine rebuilding. They said they can put whatever I want on it; which led me to this post.


http://www.orange-engine.com/

 

The body looks to be intact, just make sure the frame & birdcage are solid before doing anything else. I bought my motor from a rebuilder in Pheonix, AZ, I paid 2K including shipping, it was built to 65 L79 specs & it runs like a bear, good luck with your build & don't be afraid to ask for help here.


[QUOTE=Bulldog1008;1592859674]Here are pics of the car. I literally bought it two months ago. The last pic is of the engine stamp. I have not yet purchased the 383. I plan on buying it from Orange Engine rebuilding. They said they can put whatever I want on it; which led me to this post.

 

You say you want to do it right the fast time... CHEAPER ISN'T BETTER!
Do your homework! AND take your time. It will save you a ton more money in the end. Any place will sell you what you want, but a good machine shop will tell you what you need! And ask questions too.

And reliability is more important than a 25 extra hp, simple win in the long run.

 

Thank you both!

 

Moving from Parts For Sale to General discussion.

 

PM sent.

 

[QUOTE=VetteZr;1592859991]The body looks to be intact, just make sure the frame & birdcage are solid before doing anything else. I bought my motor from a rebuilder in Pheonix, AZ, I paid 2K including shipping, it was built to 65 L79 specs & it runs like a bear, good luck with your build & don't be afraid to ask for help here.


Looking for a motor. Were did you buy it in AZ?

 

My .02

You have some good bones under that hood to work with and not break the bank. I would be thinking more about reliability than HP because a good built 350 will push that car faster than you will want to drive it.

I would rebuild what you have into a 350 cu in, get a working PVC system on the car (search the forum) and spend the hot rod dollars at Long Island Corvette Supply for correct engine items (Corvette Bling).

If you don't already have one buy a AIM for this car and read it cover to cover.

Lastly, lose the headers. Ram Horn Exhaust is what you want.

Good Luck.

 

Welcome to the CF! For starters the block in the car could be a "68 327 or a '69-'79 350 depending on bore. How badly is it, as you say, "blown"? If it not structurally blown, you have the basis of a good rebuild that can generate enough torque and HP too scare you. A quality rebuild will be in the range $3000-$5000, depending on some parts and machine work. Make sure you visit more than one machine shop. Look for organization, cleanliness and the kind of rebuilds they do. Get everything in writing! Otherwise, it don't mean S___T! The manifold is aluminum dated 1968. That and the valve covers are good basic low maintenance items. They canbe refinished and look new again. The carb looks to be an Edelbrock. The plug wires lok new and are good quality. Never bunch wires together. Use specific separators. Look on the left front mounting pad of the carb for a four digit number. Tell us what it is. Those carbs are completely reliable. Does the distributor have a vacuum advance on it? If not, it's incorrect. If you intend to drive this car and not let it SIT, keep everything simple. Do you have a AIM and Chassis Service Manual? Do you have a working budget? Don't be surprised at $5000 and up for paint and minimal body work. Bumper rechroming, $1000. Whenever you take anything apart or off of the car, take pics, label and bag it. Consider a new engine wire harness. It looks like bubba may have played in the engine bay. Dennis

 

I personally like the looks of polished aluminum on the alternator and the OEM valve covers. A raw aluminum finish on the intake manifold, thermostat housing, aluminum cylinder heads and water pump (if you're using an aluminum one) looks great as does a really nicely painted engine block, one where the color and gloss really show. High gloss black on the pulleys and brackets look good too, just a really nicely finished and clean mill. I would forego the underhood airbrushed mural.

Ray

 

Thank you again for the feedback. This is more than I had hoped. I am going to absorb all of the discussion over the next few days to consider. I am pretty sure it is a 68 because that is what is stamped on the intake (you can see the date slightly in one of the pics)- but, they could have put a different intake on the block. The engine has a thrown rod through the oil pan. I like the idea of rebuilding it, but since there are no matching numbers, I thought a crate engine would be better. But, that could be my naiveness talking.

 

Thank you for all of these questions. I am going to take the time to comprehend some of your questions, because to be honest, some of what you asked is greek to me. I have no idea what a vacuum advance is ... but, I will do my research to find out - thanks again. I do appreciate all of the comments.

 

Being honest about your short comings will serve you well as you take on this project. Ask all the questions you want. Dennis