rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
My best buddy, Brian was willed a 79 Chrysler 300 in 1988 or thereabouts. If you're not familiar, think of a limited production, luxury, 2dr police pkg Cordoba. After a few years, he decided he wanted to freshen-up, and de-smog his E58 360. He commissioned a friend of his in this teeny town about a 100 miles away to build him a new short block. When he was ready, we drove the 300 over, pulled the old engine, swapped the heads, which had already been rebuilt, and installed the "new" engine into the 300, and drove it home. He left the OEM short block, to be picked up later. Over 10 years passed, and I ended up buying the 300 and all his accumulated 300 parts, including the original short block. I tried contacting the builder, Jeff, but it was difficult because Jeff had changed his phone number, address, moved about 30 miles further away. Coincidentally my daughter had married a gentleman whose grandfather had lived in the same little town for the last 50 years of his life, and willed his beachfront property to the 3 grandchildren. So at least, once a year I'd travel over to this same small town for a get together. About every other year, I'd try to connect up with Jeff, to pick up this short block, but I could never make one on one contact. This last weekend, I got frustrated, and just started driving up and dowe the streets, until I saw a large pole building garage/equipment shed that looked kinda familiar. I stopped and talked with the owner, and he said this was Jeff's old garage. I asked if he had left a 360 short block behind. He said, "yeah. he left a lot of stuff behind." He looked around some and found a short block on a pallet. He asked if it was turquoise, I said, yup. He was very cooperative, and forklifted it down, loaded it into the trunk of my intrepid, and I finally have the numbers -matching engine block back! Now if I can figure out how to get it out of my trunk. But one problem at a time.
Good story. Glad it worked out in the end.
