I'm looking at a engine for sale and I am thinking about buying it specifically to resale and make a couple of bucks on. The problem is that I don't know enough information to make a decision on whether or not I should make the purchase. The block is casting number 3916321 (1968 427 car) with 4 bolt mains. The heads are casting number 3917215 (101cc, oval port, closed chamber, '67 - '68). The stamping on the front of the block is illegable, it looks like it starts with the letter T but it's really hard to tell. The engine runs really good as it sits. Is it worth $2,500?

Thanks!

 

Yes it is...that is an early 68 motor is it a Q jet or Tri power? At that price is has to be a Q jet as the Tri power set up will sell for 3000 alone.

 

I think the oval ports came on the 390HP and 400 HP not the 435 which has rectangular ports # 3919840 or #3919842 heads. So it is not a Tri-power motor.

Yes it's worth about $2,500 as a 390 HP motor with the date matched heads and original intake. The correct carb will add a liittle more value. The T would be for Tonawanda also correct first letter.

 

The original intake and carb have been replaced but the rest of it looks to be original. I'm not looking for a "get rich quick" kind of deal, just wondered if I might make a little cash. Thanks for the reply!

 

I did notice that the oil pan's sump is kind of long, definately longer than a 454 pickup truck oil pan. ???

 

This is what the pan and block should look like for a Corvette motor. These are the optional High Performance Miller Lite Heads.

 

That's the oil pan. OK, I just talked myself into buying it. I'll bring it home and take it apart to see what's inside. Thanks for the replies.

 

I have a BB and a miller lite You are the man.

 

I took it apart. The heads are date coded 14 days apart, May of '68. Where I expected to find the date code on the block it says HI PERF (rear of block, on top, pass. side, in between the head and the bellhousing). The casting number for the block is odd also, the numbers are not raised, they are stamped into a cast "pad" with cast in "rivets". Looking at the block from the bottom up to the bottom of the cylinders, it's definately a 427 block. Above the oil filter boss one of the normaly drilled and tapped bosses isn't drilled and the one in the picture that RobRace10 posted is drilled and tapped (the drilled and tapped hole left in the picture out of the 3 that are on RobRace10's). I forgot the casting number to the crank but it's a more common 427 forged crank. The rods are 3/8. The pistons are TRW forged, they have a bigger dome than my last 427, and I'm guessing they're 12:1ish with a 101cc head. The cylinders all measure 4.280 and look great. The block is two bolt main (bummer). The deck height is close to zero, I didn't measure it yet. The stamped numbers on the front pad (pass. side) are difficult to read at best, but they appear to be T05231 or T0523I. Do those numbers make sense to anyone? The oil pan is definately Corvette. The block was worked on in the valley area, cleaned up of casting flash and such. The crank has been balanced and shows heavy metal in it. Heads appear to be stock. The cam is a solid flat tappet. Double roller timing chain. I'm concerned if I'm going to get my money out of it due to the 2 bolt mains, but that's part of the gamble of me buying it in the first place. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to end up with the Miller light heads either.

 

Does the pan have the moving trap door and does the motor have the windage tray? I have seen other BB pans that look the same but without. My 69 427 is also a 2 bolt main, should hurt value. My date code is just a letter and 2 numbers just right of centerline on the right side of the block above the flywheel end.

The corvette pad numbers end in two letters such as IL or IM.

Your in luck because I no longer need my HP Miller lite heads so I can make you a great deal on them. Free shipping

 

That's typical. It's rare to get a pair of original heads cast on the same day.

Indicates the block is a passenger car block as opposed to a truck block.

T plant code for the Tonawanda, New York engine assembly plant. All Corvette big block engines were assembled at Tonawanda and shipped to St. Louis.

0523 date of assembly May 23. Compatible with the May casting dates on the heads. The block probably has a May casting date.

1x or Ix Alpha I and correct for 1968 Corvette big block engine identification suffixes. There should be one addtional alpha character after the I. Look for evidence of an L, M, O, Q, R, T, or U.

There should be a second number stamped on the pad with the VIN sequence of the car the engine was originally installed in.

 

The pan has some shrouding that surrounds the pickup but I don't see a moveable trap door and there is a windage tray hanging off the mains. I know where the date code on the block is supposed to be but there's nothing there.

I think the block has been decked as the numbers/letters are nearly impossible to read, pistons are really high in the holes too.

After a lot of hard work I scored one Bud Light cylinder head last night/early this morning. I need to research flow characteristics first to see if a Miller Lite head will hurt overall performance.

 

That's really helpfull information. I need to figure out how to read the letters/numbers better. I'm wondering if I can mag that area to show the numbers clearer...

 

photoshoped

 

I found the trap door in the oil pan.
The heads date codes are May '68. The block looks to me like September 12, '68. I'm not sure. But if that's the case that would make it available for a '69 car.


The casting number on the block is very odd to me. I can see where the block/mold had been ground in the area, but it isn't ground everywhere where it would need to be ground to fake what block it is, plus I can see where the numbers are stamped that a pad was held onto the mold with rivets, very odd...

It's definately a 427 block by the shape of the bottoms of the cylinders and by the bore size.

 

The 321 block is not listed as being used on 69 cars. The block numbers should be cast in not stamped as yours look to be. The head dates and block should be near each other if they were original to each other.

 

bottom line if you are looking to sell then you need to get a good deal on the engine... plus you have to somehow get it to your home/garage, store it for a while, have a cherry picker to get it in and out of your truck... then when you sell you have to strap it to a pallet and take it to a shippers to send it away.. you will be very lucky to find a buyer that will come pick it up and pay the same as if you put it up for sale nationally...
remember the buyer will have to pay shipping by several hundred $$ so this will lower the total he is willing to pay....

all this time/effort/ ebay fees or whatever wlll cut into your profit....
I just can't see you making a profit?

I bought a mostly complete big block 5 years ago for a project and it was a big hassle paying for shipping, getting the shipping company to fork lift it in my truck... taking it out of my truck bed ... it cost me 1800 total including shipping then, and i bet i could not get 2000 for it today...

good luck

 

If you don't know the details of those engines, you likely won't make any money on the deal. If it isn't exactly right, potential buyers would know it and would not buy it. Sounds like a nice idea, but the engine has likely been altered and it might cost more than you'll gain for proper research and parts procurement. And then, if it craps out on the buyer, you'll really be out! Leave this kind of stuff to the professional engine builders.

 

Thanks to all for the replies!

My apologies GDiana!