Does this sound Kosher??

[johnnyseville]

Just came back from looking at a 1970 Superbird 440-6 , 4spd, Dana.  Very nice car, last restored in the 90's, still looks very good.  Last registered in 1999.  Occasionally driven, with Dealer Plates.  Now the odd thing.  The original motor is not in the car, he has the matching block in his garage.  His story is he bought it with a non matching engine, but later on he located the original one, but never put it in because he basically laid it up for the most part.  Sound logical?  Never run across something like this, don't know what to make of it.  I have some ideas in my head, but would like to hear your input, thanks.

[62 Max]

If he has the original block I can understand that,if he acquired the block after restoration i can see him not wanting to take it apart again,let the next owner do it.

[rob-dirt]

if its not broke don't fix it -   keep the bock off to the side and you will always have it miss a gear and blow it up you might have a rod threw the side of the block and their go,s your # match block

[Beep Beep Dave]

Did you take pics of the stamped and cast numbers on the block in question?

Dave

[JB400]

Sounds like a good idea to me.  Why risk ruining your number matching car when you  are out enjoying it.  Enjoy the car yet still have the satisfaction of knowing it could be put back factory original.  If it was me, I'd be driving it right now, while getting the parts to put the original block back together again.

[pettybird]

nascarxx29 and I reunited a car with its block years after it was together...

[Charger RT]

my 68 R/T does not have the numbers matching block or 4 speed in it and I had them when I dropped the current engine and trans in it.
Tim

[johnnyseville]

nascarxx29 and I reunited a car with its block years after it was together...

That's one of the things that bothers me.  Once an engine is gone, the chances are nil you will get it again, IMO, either because it was blown and junked and melted down, or its in someones else's car and they do not even know the Vin anyway or could care less.  I was looking for a matching number setup, and he said  it was such, but got there and saw this.  Its at a real good price, even for non matching, so hate to turn it down.  I put a $200 deposit on it, to lock it in, but don't care if I loose the money.

[Dr V]

I guess its entirely possible for a block to show up and be reunited with a car.   If the original didnt look like it was stamped last week then buy it....  That car has some good luck with it.

[johnnyseville]

I guess its entirely possible for a block to show up and be reunited with a car.   If the original didnt look like it was stamped last week then buy it....  That car has some good luck with it.

That's what I was thinking...

[hemi68charger]

If he has the original block I can understand that,if he acquired the block after restoration i can see him not wanting to take it apart again,let the next owner do it.

I once had a '70 v-code Charger R/T project and it came with the original block ( bare block with nothing else ). I don't think it's a problem. If it were me and the car was nice and you wanted it, I'd buy it and build up the short block and put the other components from the running motor on it. Vaaroom Vaaroom......

[pettybird]

nascarxx29 and I reunited a car with its block years after it was together...

That's one of the things that bothers me.  Once an engine is gone, the chances are nil you will get it again, IMO, either because it was blown and junked and melted down, or its in someones else's car and they do not even know the Vin anyway or could care less.  I was looking for a matching number setup, and he said  it was such, but got there and saw this.  Its at a real good price, even for non matching, so hate to turn it down.  I put a $200 deposit on it, to lock it in, but don't care if I loose the money.

It's a weird story.  The 'bird is Glen Peters' old Petty clone bird, and 25-30 years ago a guy bought the motor out of it for his Challenger R/T.  The 'bird was really rough, so it was no big deal at the time.  It got restored, though, and a 440 was installed.  The guy with the Challenger walked into Best of Show Automotive a couple years back when I was working there, and we got to talking about wing cars (imagine that.)  He mentioned the story, and that the bird was white.  I put 2+2 together after asking if it had dealer air, and we got the guy in touch with the current owner of the 'bird.  They made a very fair deal, and it's now #'s matching. 

It's a long shot but it can happen.  Worst case, buy the car assuming it's not matching and if the motor turns out proper, it's a bonus.

[odcics2]

So, a bare block only??   If it was at least a short block, that would be a big deal.  But block only?
If you ever get it running you will have "other", non original parts in it and it will bug you to no end!!!            

[Dave Kanofsky]

A friend of mine has a '70 HemiCuda that he bought with a NOM, but was able to find and buy the #'s motor years later!  The #'s motor is sitting next to the car since it runs fine with the NOM m otor.  It can happen...

[maxwellwedge]

If I had a car missing stuff I would gladly welcome a rusty fender tag, half of a Broadcast sheet and certainly a bare matching block. Everything helps!

[tan top]

 dont sound that iffy , totally plausible ,  guy restoring his car  , then the matching motor turns up  sometime after ,   i would do the same , just leave the  matching  numbers block  on a pallet in the garage ,   

having said that though , we all know  how criminal minded  people can be & the value in having your matching # motor  no telling if someone restamped it to sell to the car owner , 

take a good look at the stamping & casting date , & assembly date

[Aero426]

Glen beating the car like a rented donkey at Road America, 1998.    Glen did a nice job on this car.  



Below, these were new brake pads earlier in the day.

[pettybird]

nice!  I want to get Marty better sorted and get out to do stuff like that.

[nascarxx29]

The guy who bought my friends daytona had owned Glen Peters Superbird .And that shared info and Petty bird and this board made a longshot engine reuniting possible
So its possible

[Dino]

People on this board have said they would consider pulling the matching block. storing it, and sticking in something else to preserve the original engine.  If that is true then this sounds very plausable to me.

[1970Moparmann]

People on this board have said they would consider pulling the matching block. storing it, and sticking in something else to preserve the original engine.  If that is true then this sounds very plausable to me.

[SBBob]

I don't see a problem.  Galen found my matching tranny.  My original owner lost his left leg and they installed a 727 so he could still drive it. 

[69 DAYTONA]

...many years ago a friend of mine bought a 69 HEMI Road Runner with the wrong motor (383)...after a lot of detective work, tracking the cars ownership backwards until he found where the car and motor were separated (when gas hit 50 cents a gallon), then following the engine forward...after leaving the Road Runner it was in 2 different cars, a boat and when he finally located the original HEMI, it was in a tow truck that was operating at a service station just a few blocks from his house...he had to buy them another engine to replace the engine in the tow truck, but they were very easy to work with

...friend of mine found the original 340 engine to his Duster in a barn he was cleaning out from an estate sale...he took home some car parts and a few weeks later discovered the matching numbers on the block...no idea how the cars motor ended up in a country barn

[rnjump]

  Enough about the block, did you get the car bought?  This crowd wants pictures!!!

[Dr V]

  Enough about the block, did you get the car bought?  This crowd wants pictures!!!

Amen, we wanna know.  Did you grab it??