1979 L-82 motor ,whats it worth???
 

I have a 79 L82 with 70,000 miles on it ,the car caught on fire so the spark plugs are gone ,valve covers need to be replaced ,gonna need a new carb,cause im sure water got down the carb from the firemen spraying down the car,everything else looks ok,the motor ran very well before the fire didnt use or leak any oil.I talked to a friend that races cars ,and he said more than likley nothing is wrong with the motor,pull the motor out drain the oil ,and then tip the motor upside down and let any water that was in there to run out,does anybody have any idea what this motor is worth like it sits, thanks for the help!!! Bill

Maybe I am wrong but I believe there is more to out to save the motor than just flipping it over and pouring out the water. There is some things that you can run through it to remove what is left of the water after out is poured out, to prevent damage but this needs to be done right after it happened to prevent the rust.

There will be a lot of unknowns inside the engine now and to me would be no more than a core to tear apart and rebuild which even that I would probably pass on since there are better options out there to start with.

Maybe someone would want the heads to upgrade their l48 but other than that I don't know what kind of value you could put on it .

Sorry for typos it is the stupid smart phone

Do you still have the car? If the car burned to the ground, it's obviously a moot point, but if you have the car the engine will always be worth the most to the owner of that car.

The motor is not worth much if it is not original to the car AND you want to restore it or preserve the ability to preserve.

By any measure, as relates to that engine, there are far more cost effective ways of powering your 79; in terms of money, time and performance.

Make sure the fifth digit of your VIN is a 4, if it is an 8, you have an L-48 in L-82 clothing.

Andy

L-48 to L-82
 

L-48 in L-82 clothing... that's my '79. The guy tried to sell it as an L-82, but the info was right there in the VIN. So, to upgrade... all I would have to do is change the heads?

Sorry, but the L82 used a bigger cam, and flat-top pistons for more static compression ratio. 4 bolt mains, forged internals, etc.. The larger valve heads were just a small part of the L82 package.


Scott

yes I still have the car ,had it for 18 yrs ,didnt burn down to the ground ,and I know for a fact that it is a L82,I have had corvettes for forty yrs now ,and also have dealt with them that long yes it is a L82 have a good week!!!

From the sounds of what you have said, it is worth about $500 to the owner of the car it matches and about $150-$200 to anyone else.

Regardless of the "bigger cam, bigger valves, etc." description, it is a moot point when we are talking 8.5:1 or 9:1 and only about 195 vs 225 hp. The L82 cam is a good cam, and a nice one for most street 350s, but it doesn't make the motor worth a huge sum.

thanks guys for the responces!!