Junkyard 360 found...should I pass on a modded motor? pic..

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I can buy complete but ruff bodied runners for way less than that. It all depends on how many of those cars/trucks/vans/motor homes are still floating around in your area.
 
MRGTX said:
Great info and opinions, guys...all greatly appreciated.

The motor comes with a 6 month guarantee. They're pretty confident that its a solid runner.

Is that really a 2bbl manifold? Come to think of it, my 318 intake looks very similar.
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6 month money back, or 'any piece of sh*t motor we have here in this fine yard'?

Sounds like a good way to keep you in the casino. Please pass on this man, get a Magnum.
 
Good point. I once bought some Yamaha bike parts from a yard in Spokane, "yep you can bring 'em back." Somehow I missed TRADES ONLY and they freekin never did seem to have anything I really needed that I could "trade" for.
 
I'd at least pull a valve cover. You might be surprised.
 
$580, not $850. I would bet the holley is a square bore and it has an adapter plate to mate it to the spread bore intake manifold. Lots of good advice here etc, but honestly it is really hard to tell from 2 pictures. If it is not too far from you it is worth seeing first hand, hearing it run, pulling a valve cover, check the oil for water and the water for oil, and if it is all good offer like $350 or $400 and tell him he can keep the holley and rusty headers - they are no good for a car anyway. You can also bargain and tell him that you also have to change the oil pan and pump pick up to car style (center sump). And have a look at the casting numbers and or stampings to verify that it is a 360. It could very well be a 318, or heck, who knows, maybe back in the day someone swapped a 340 in there - you just never know until you look.
 
Thanks again for all of the input. Just an update.

I got a hold of one of the guys at the junk yard who knew a bit more about the motor...still didn't know that much. It's pretty clear that when buying a motor, the person selling it invariably pleads ignorance!

It's a reasonably fresh rebuild- supposedly stock but he didn't have any details on the rebuild.

The guy drove the truck (currently containing the motor) in about six months back, the motor ran "fine" didn't smoke. Supposedly, the truck was a restoration in progress and the guy gave up. who knows...

They verified that it was a 360 based on the casting numbers (I'd check for myself, obviously)

The guy claimed that there was no way to mount a 4bbl on a 2bbl manifold (ok...) I told them I wouldn't want that carb anyway but he said it would make no difference in the price.

6 month guarantee, price (now quoted as $575...whatever) sounds pretty firm.

Ugh...if there were more motors to choose from, I would probably walk but I'm giving this some serious thought, mostly because of the guarantee and my urgency to get the car on the road by spring. :rolleyes:
 
again, i would seriously pass....they are waitin for someone like you...you will find a better one. give it some time...
 
Go to the yard and pull the dipstick and look at the oil. Open the radiator and look at the coolant. Pull the plugs and note what each cylinder plug looks like.

Have them start it up and let it warm up to operating temperature. Look for smoke, water vapor, etc. and listen for knocking etc.

Have them drive it around the yard to verify that it is in "good running order". Listen for knocking, pinging, noises with the motor under load.

Shut the motor down. Pull the dipstick and look at the oil. Open the radiator and look at the coolant. Pull a valve cover and look for sludge/old oil. Pull the plugs and note what each cylinder plug looks like.

Offer them what you think is fair.
 
i took a gamble on one of those freash rebuilds once, mine paid off in a 79 dodge 4x4 headers eddy intake and carb, fired it up and no smoke at all but i got lucky till i sold it
 
For that price try to get the tranny and converter and engine pulled as a package. Easy enough to check the engine and tranny fluids. Try turning the engine over with a socket on the crank if they won't let you hotwire it and start it.
 
if it comes with a six month warrentee look at inventory on it do like rick said see what you can bundle with it get it home and get the head off drain the pan or drop it for a better look then try too shoot some monkey pisss in it turn by hand might have to sit a day in piss get her to roll then throwa mic at it see what you got if still looking good slam it back together and try to fire if not banging and grinding it might be worth what you got into it stripp and have cleaned and magged then you know what you got or get it slammed back together and take it back if its buildable seee what bore you have to deal with i have all newnos and used rods and all kinds of pistons for it airgaps carbs pick up a cam seee what you want to built you get a good posi you scored good block and parts scored with that kinda warrentee get it in wrighting i cant see where you can loose but time it works for you or he takes it back thats what i am always looking for loook me up for parts i neeed 4.030 pistons kb107 +.030and i can get back at it
 
get that in writing and add up the inventory you can get him to thro in and jump on it you"ll know in a few week nights if it going back or gettn tore down to get magged
 
There's not a yard in the nation that can't get a carbureted engine running on it's pan to check the oil pressure witha hand held gage. If it's in the truck it's even easier. It's not a bad price if it's a runing 360, even in stock form. At least in my opinion anyway.
 
so whatever happened with this? did you buy it? was it a turd?
 
360 engines are REALLY expensive in Australia.

Like $600 for a bare block expensive. ($1200-$1500 for a runner is normal.)
 
Wow that's crazy I spent 800 on mine it was full rebuilt 1991 360 with all the paper work carb to oil pan complete
 
jhaas said:
so whatever happened with this? did you buy it? was it a turd?
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Hey, guys. I passed on this one.

I ended up buying a lightly used "Magnum 300" 5.9L crate motor from a forum member.

Hopefully ready to install soon... some work and family problems in the past two months have set me back.
 
MRGTX said:
Hey, guys. I passed on this one.
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Well played I say.
And I have no problem buying bone yard motors......as cores.
Even being sold as a runner , a quick glance doesn't scream " maintenance " to me. It says " rode hard and hung up wet ".
If the trans and rear , provided it was something decent , came with it then 575.00 is close.
I'd have tried to get the whole truck for that and scrapped what was left for the 100.00 or so that it should bring.
 
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