Matching numbers block damaged

[Doright]

My matching numbers 440 is toast!
The car didn't run when I bought it and it wouldn't turn over so I figured it had thrown a rod or sucked a valve but I had no idea of which, nor did the guy I was buying it from, The car had never been torn into it had been sitting for almost 20 years.
I thought I was prepared to find what I thought would just be a rebuild I was not prepared too find complete trash . 

Well last week I pulled the boat anchor out, Eng. with the tranny got it on the floor and pulled the trany off went to unbolt the Torq converter and.... all the bolts are off of it already ? what the all 4 bolt heads were laying on the floor already completely sheered off the torq. converter! and the flex plate was all bent up? and there was a chewed up piece that semi resembled a freeze plug???  what the heck?  So I continued on fearing the worst now!  next I  tried to pull the Torq coveter off what the heck its stuck in the crank? So I pry-ed it off with the BF pry bar and thats when I see it!  the flex plate had hit the Cam journal of the block and had broke a piece out!!!!!       
Unfortunately this was not the end of the damage as I continued to pull the thing down I found the cam in 3 pieces  :puke:and both 7 & 8 Rods broke and bent in ways I thought only top fuelers could do and a piece of the pan rail had been busted out by one of the rods. even the Harmonic balancer was broke! Steel crank is repairable with some welding.

Well now I am completely devastated my matching numbers POS is just a POS now 

But all is not lost I found this place on the net and am thinking about using them to do the block repair's what do you guy's think?
http://www.castironrepair.com/ This is not welding!!!!!!!!!! they have been doing this for a very long time and I am sure they can fix the block and do all the machine work at the same time. Please check the web site out and see some of the other repair es before passing judgment.

My question to you guy's is do you think its worth the cost to repair? is it still a matching numbers combo if the block was damaged to the point of needing major repair to fix it. And if and when its ever sold do I need to divulge the fact that the block was repaired to keep the matching number combo? none of the repair es will be visable once performed and back in the car running so the only way a new owner would ever know is by doing a tear down or me telling him or her.

[pettyfan43]

Man find you another 440 and build it and let it go. Keep the original block so you have it but just build another engine. When you get the car driving, you can't see the numbers on the engine anyway. It isn't like thses cars are getting cheaper. Don't get discouraged.

Look at it this way. YOU didn't trash the engine. Somebody broke it before you got it. I know a guy with a NICE 68 R/T that decided he needed more engine, took the ORIGINAL NICE RUNNING engine apart, decided to build some kind of big stroker engine out of it and the guy at the machine shop RUINED the original block. Yep ruined by the owner because he thought he wanted a hot rod!

At least you aren't the idiot in this one!

[Doright]

I planned from the begining to build another engine for the car but wanted to keep the original on the side under a shelf in my shop so I wouldnt loose any value  on the car yes its just a 72 SE but its a sunroof car and its a U code wich I know is rare no its not a 6 pack car or an RT but it is a special car in my book, and only time will tell if the value of these cars will go hi in the future.

The broken peice in the rear, Is part of the shoulder that holds the cam plug in the block, It could be welded up im sure but im of the croud that fears welding cast Iron as it likes to crack when welded.   

[bull]

I wouldn't sweat it too much. If it's value you're worried about you're only going to lose maybe 10% due to having the wrong block. There's nothing you can do about it so why stress? Just concentrate on all the freedom you have now that you don't have to worry about numbers.

[Joshua]

I wouldn't sweat it too much. If it's value you're worried about you're only going to lose maybe 10% due to having the wrong block. There's nothing you can do about it so why stress? Just concentrate on all the freedom you have now that you don't have to worry about numbers.

with Bull.....don't sweat it.
You CAN weld cast iron (I've done it) but it's no fun....you'll have more $$$$ wasted trying to save the block than it's worth.
I'd personally throw the block away, it sucks, yes, but it's toast.....

[Big Lebowski]

  And if you ever sell it, say it comes with the original engine, in the trunk needing work.

[Brock Samson]

i assumed i wouldn't get a "good" engine when i was looking for my 440 six-pack...
cause i started with a stripped car so i wanted to start from scratch,..

but in your case i can see your dissapointment...
that's a pretty horriffic discription.

you should have seen what came out of my oil pan... 

and after the seller told me i could just bolt it right in...       

do you really think it's worth the added expense of such a repair?...
i'd just build a great motor and call it good...

[defiance]

I've got a '72 U code as well, and as much as I love my car, the value these cars gain from 'numbers matching' restoration just isn't all that great.  It's enough that if you've got a good numbers matching engine you'd want to keep it, but definitely not enough to justify a whole lot of expense to repair an original block.  I'd say tear it all down, toss the innards, coat the damaged block for preservation, put it away, and start a new one from scratch.  If in 10 years you find out that suddenly the cars are worth a fortune, you can still pull it out and fix it.  If not, you've saved some cash

Incidentally, you should be able to find a good condition bare block pretty cheap - we're talking $200 range or so.  I paid $220 delivered for mine, '68 casting never bored.  If you're not wanting to do a complete build, I've seen running 440s in the $350-500 range (though I'd always assume it needs a rebuild, regardless of what the seller tells you ).

[tan top]

yep i agree with what  (defiance) says  , at least you have your matching # 's , store it a way for a nother time ,  build up another 440 & go and shut down a few chebbys , if the motor lets go at some stage & does block damage   no biggie .

[RT]

I had a Hemi car a few years ago with a trashed numbers matching engine. I considered a costly rebuild but there were no guarantees that the engine would hold together because of the damage. I always drive my cars and the risk of destroying the original engine scared the hell out of me. Since the original is a big part of the history and value of the car, I decided to drop a crate engine in the car and store the original without a rebuild. It was a lot more fun driving that car without worrying about causing serious damage to the original engine. When I sold the car, it helped that I still had the original engine even in the damaged condition.

If you are going to drive the car, I would agree with the majority.....store the original and start from scratch with another engine. It worked for me.


RT

[tecmopar]

I'd just go ahead and build another motor for it BUT, I'd hang on to the block just because it is the original one, it won't cost yu anything to stick it in a corner somewhere and when and if you ever sell the car you can do as stated before, offer it with the original block but it needs repair work, good luck.

[Doright]

Thanks guy's thats what I will do stick it under a shelf in my shop I have had time too look it over real good and am convinced its repairable but like others have said why bother at this point I will build up my 70 block and continue with the restification of the car.

I say Restification because Im not going to restore it just make every thing work and look nice and then paint it and be done with it.
I have had time now too look the car over real good on the bottom and its been under coated every were and I feel no need to strip out that stuff its on good and doing its job. The thing is in really good shape as is.