68 340 engine or good block wanted

I see several guys mentioning PURCHASE DATE and engine date codes. the PRODUCTION DATE is the one that matters. normal production times would indicate that your engine should probably be at least 2-3 months before the production date on the car. cars can sit for months before being shipped to a dealer, traded among dealers, or left sitting on a dealers lot for a long time, so the retail sale date is meaningless for date coding parts.
Jim, parts cost what you have to pay for them. you are the only one that can decide if the block you are looking at is worth it TO YOU.
it would be pretty easy to make a couple phone calls to determine the value of the machine work and powder coating is worth in your area. add what locating the block and shipping would cost you to that, and see if the difference is worth you not having to haul it to the machine shop, powder coater, etc. if your answer is yes, then buy it. i would verify that the machine work was done by a reputable shop, and that it was magnafluxed and tested ok. if you can't verify this, have it taken to a shop you know and have it checked. (have the seller take it to your shop before purchase, agree that you will pay for checking and purchase it ONLY if it passes)
also remember that .040 over is max bore for these, so if it is bored .030 or .040, you won't be able to rebuild it again without sleeving it, which gets expensive. i would say that you could easilly spend 200-300 plus shipping for a block that still needs to be machined etc. some powder coaters have a $200 minimum, but a block may only be 80-100 bucks of it. you might be able to do a block, valve covers, timing cover, oil pan, etc for 200 (or maybe not?) but also keep in mind you likely won't be able to match the powder coating perfectly with paint or powder from another company.
hope this helps, Doug