WIW 78 440 727 truck motor and tranny

[hawkeye]

Have a chance to buy 78 440 truck motor with 727 tranny.  Both have been rebuilt within the last 20k miles and work good.  Looking for something reliable, not wild ass for a 68 charger.   Figured I could just put new cam, carb and manifold and have something that would work.   Guy wants 1K, I offered $750.  Any thoughts?

[Cooter]

Low compression. Be careful on cam choice. That engine was rated at 255 hp.
a 318 makes almost as much.

[moparsr2fast]

  See if you can verify what parts went into the motor. They may have bored/honed the block and used decent pistons. Can't beat the price otherwise 

[Daytona R/T SE]

The original 440 truck exhaust manifolds have value to the truck guys.

[John_Kunkel]

Depending on what kind of truck it came from, the transmission might have a tailshaft/housing that isn't usable in a car.

[hawkeye]

Depending on what kind of truck it came from, the transmission might have a tailshaft/housing that isn't usable in a car.

Can you just swap the tailshaft/housing from a car 727 or is there more to it?

[cudaken]

Have you heard the engine run? I like the fact it has 20,000 miles on it, normally if they are rebuild wrong they go boom in the first 5,000 miles.

If you where to install the steel shim head gasket and have the heads shaved you could get compression up to a round 8 to 1. Set the ignition up right, stock magnum cam, (degree in), headers or magnum exhaust manifolds good mid range intake and 650 Holley you will have a easy to drive and fun 440.

If I knew where it was, I jump on it. 

Cuda Ken

[tcs69rt]

Last summer I picked up the same year motor and trans for $800 in Denver, they wanted $1200. That price seems to be in the ball park, Good Luck!  TC

[John_Kunkel]

Can you just swap the tailshaft/housing from a car 727 or is there more to it?

Yes, but it requires complete disassembly. If you're gonna take it that far down might as well overhaul it.