318 question

I was at the local pick a part yesterday and found a 318 in a 1980ish truck the intake was off and the block was clean to the piont of it look like to had jusst came from a machine shop. the question I have is that it had a metal plate which ran the length of the block and looked like it held the lifters in place. I have not seen this before and was wondering if this was a block I should snatch up or not?
Any ideas would be a hellp, I really don't need the engiine but if it was a block worth saving I will.