L48
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 423
Likes: 6
L48
I’ve been looking at a 74 Vette , it has 82000 miles on the clock.. it’s a decent car, but I’m wondering about that many miles on the L 48 motor. Do any of you have one and how have they held up ? I don’t want to buy it and right away have to overhaul the engine. I just want a nice cruiser , not looking for performance.. thanks for any info...
Racer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 406
Likes: 46
From: Lebanon OH
My 79 had 132,000 miles on it before I took the car apart for restoration and 92,000 when I bought it. Initially it didn't run to well, but I made sure all the vacuum lines were good and the emission equipment functional, and I rebuilt the carburetor. After that the engine ran fine and idled great. It didn't smoke, run hot, or act up otherwise. I stayed up on maintenance and it absolutely functioned as intended all the way up to the day I pulled it out of the car.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 695
From: Danville Illinois
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
2021 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
I have an L48 75, 46000 miles, while i have done head-manifold-crab work it still runs pretty good.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Chevy V8 engines can last incredibly long. My original block/heads have 217K miles on them and still counting. It's had one major overhaul (before I owned it) and two head repair/rebuilds. I've also known of SBC engines that were worn out at 50K miles. The difference? How those engines were maintained.
If oil is changed every 3-4000 miles and coolant is changed every 3 years (or so), the engine will last a long time, if it isn't abused.
So, how do YOU know if that engine was cared for? Unless the owner has actual records/receipts of work done, you don't. Keep in mind: A seller could say anything to get their car sold. Words don't carry much weight; and the "smoother" the sales pitch, the more likely it is to be false. The best advise for a used car buyer....BUYER BEWARE. If you are convinced that the mechanical aspects of the car have been cared for, well maintained, and kept in repair, that's about as good as you can do.
If oil is changed every 3-4000 miles and coolant is changed every 3 years (or so), the engine will last a long time, if it isn't abused.
So, how do YOU know if that engine was cared for? Unless the owner has actual records/receipts of work done, you don't. Keep in mind: A seller could say anything to get their car sold. Words don't carry much weight; and the "smoother" the sales pitch, the more likely it is to be false. The best advise for a used car buyer....BUYER BEWARE. If you are convinced that the mechanical aspects of the car have been cared for, well maintained, and kept in repair, that's about as good as you can do.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,154
Likes: 69
From: Regina Sk Canada
Its an 82,000 mile 350.. Do a compression test before you buy it if he will let you? If they are all close and the lifters are not ticking? Who knows what kind of time you will get out of it. Pull out a couple of spark plugs and see what they look like as well. Pull the oil dipstick, smell it see if it smells like gas. Are the tail pipes black or grey? At 82,000 miles, things are going to start needing rebuilding and replacement. Mine had 72,000 miles on it when i bought it, and it was a stone, it smelled of oil when you drove, it the carb needed a kit. on and on. I pulled the body off the frame and started from scratch.
Last edited by Grumpy 427; Jul 19, 2018 at 12:48 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
The cheapest, easiest part of this car to deal with is the engine. Read the 10 rules before buying thread at the top of this section. Frame and bird cage. I would buy a car with no engine and good body before a great runner that had body-interior-frame issues.
