1970 Cuda 440 motor

[74Satellite]

One of the supervisors here are work has a complete running 440 that he pulled out of his 1970 'cuda that he wants to sell. How much should I look at spending on this thing? Nothing wrong with the engine, he just got his hands on a 1970 426 Hemi that he put in the car instead. I am going to look at it in the next couple days. I am going to pull a valve cover to check for sludge and also check the oil for water. Is there anything else I should check for and how much should I be willing to pay before walking away?

 

[74Satellite]

oh and if I end up getting it, it will not be for the Satty, its going to go into my '73 roadrunner drag car.

 

[696pack]

For your situation it is only worth what ever a core long block is worth in you area. Check with a local machine shop that buys, builds and resells engines for their input.

If this is the original engine for the sellers car, it SHOULD have more value to him to simply keep for the day that he sells the car. The likelyhood is that if he sells it, the new buyer would certainly assign more value to this engine than anyone else.

Then you have the value associated with the casting and assembly dates that may have value to others that have a car that these dates fit, if they are looking for a replacement. See below for more on this.


All you have to do is look at judging manuals for old cars that HAVE a written judging manual. In these cases you will find that for O.E.M. judging, the car will score progessively higher with each of the following:

1. Correct casting numbered block

2. Correct casting date in relationship to the estimated build time of the subject car.

3. correct stamped dates, V.I.N. (and codes for h.p./options when this applies)

We all know that the higher a car scores in judged competition, the more money it will bring compared to a like type car that scores lower.

Therefore, the date code correct engine WILL have an effect on the cars value.

 

[74Satellite]

Its the original engine for his Cuda, but he says that he never intends to sell the car and if he ever did that he is pretty sure that the prospective buyer would rather have the Hemi anyways. He needs some cash and wants to sell the motor. I just want to know what to look for to make sure i am not getting a boat anchor and how much I should pay as he hasnt mentioned a price yet.

 

[69 Runner]

Around here a standard bore bare block will bring around $300 +/- Heads are about $100 a pair. Intake will be worthless if you're gonna make a racer out of it.

So if you have a racer in mind and are gonna bust this thing down before using it, then it's only worth core money. Maybe $500. I'm laying odds the thought of it being the original motor for his Cuda affects what he thinks it's worth and tells you $1000-1200

 

[74Satellite]

For $1000+ he can keep it. I was thinking around $400-$500 since I will have to do a ton of work to it. Ill see if I can get some numbers/pictures of it when I go take a look at it this week.

 

[69 Runner]

I could be wrong. It's definitely worth MORE to someone interested in using it "as is" than someone looking to build it in to something else.

 

[74Satellite]

True, I didnt think about that...he did state that it runs excellent with no leaks or anything and that the only reason he took it out was to put in the '70 dated Hemi engine. He was keeping it on the shelf for a future project. But he needs some money now and heard I was building a roadrunner for the strip and said that he'd sell it to me. That I could "Drop it in and go"

so he might be thinking more money......

 

[74Satellite]

I went and looked at the motor and here are the pictures...it is not the original motor to the Cuda even though the Cuda is an original 440 car. This particular engine was built in 1967 which would also signify a forged/steel crank. He still hasn't told me a price...what do you think would be a good price to pay for this motor. What I see is what I get to include the valve covers (I took them off for the pics).





















This last picture is what it looked like before he pulled it out of the 'cuda.

How much should I offer for this engine?

 

[69 Runner]

It's a 68....or to be more precise it was originally from a 68 model car. Casting date is 10/6/67 with an assembly date of 11/6/67. Still if you're planning on NOT using it as is, then it's a CORE motor and worth less. But I doubt he is gonna look at it like that. I'd try to get him to cough up a price first.

 

[74Satellite]

I was finally able to get him to give me a price, he said it was rebuilt 500 miles ago, had a 3 angle valve job was bored .030 over and was balanced with new bearings and all new gaskets. He states that it is a 6-pack motor with the HD 6-pack rods. Said it will need nothing done to it at all just repaint it and stick it in a car and go.

Now for the Price, I was thinking $1500 he said to add a thousand to that. He wants $2,500 for the engine. Said he has receipts totalling over $3800 and that I could not reproduce this motor for less than $2500.

What do you guys think? Pony up the cash or walk away?

 

[shadango]

I dont know nothing about the engine ....or if its a good deal...

But why is it that the most favorite saying out there , when a seller is trying to sell something is "You cant build it that cheap!"....seems to be a favorite of 440 folks......at least from what I have seen lately in my searching....

LOL

If you trust him and his builder, maybe its worth it.....Does he have actual receipts to show you what was done and what is in that beast??

Turn it around on him...offer less and say that if he lowers the price you will take it off his hands...other wise he just has an engine sitting in his shop that he wont use for a while.....and Hemi's arent cheap.....he could probably use the extra cash...LOL

 

[69 Runner]

That does NOT look like a six pack balancer to me. If it has the 70/71 "six pack" rods in it, then he spent a TON of money trying to have it balanced without the correct matching balancer.

And like I said, that is a 1968 motor. Therefore it is NOT a "six pack" motor. He might have had it built with the other rods (69 six packs did NOT have the bigger rods), and he obviously has a six pack intake and carbs on it, but that doesn't make it a "six pack" motor.

Did I say that isn't a "six pack" motor?:rolling:

 

[74Satellite]

So do I spend the $2500 on it or do I walk away and look for a 383?

 

[69 Runner]

IF the motor is ultimately what you want, and IF you know it's a good motor, then maybe so. Cause you probably will spend more than $2500 building one.

BUT......

if it ISN'T what you ultimately want, then I'd say pass. unless you get the intake and carbs in that price as well

 

[daredevil]

theres better deals out there but if you had a 68 coronet that would be the cats meow

 

[5.7 hemi]

Thats alot of money for a fake six pack.

 

[71gtx]

That does NOT look like a six pack balancer to me. If it has the 70/71 "six pack" rods in it, then he spent a TON of money trying to have it balanced without the correct matching balancer.

And like I said, that is a 1968 motor. Therefore it is NOT a "six pack" motor. He might have had it built with the other rods (69 six packs did NOT have the bigger rods), and he obviously has a six pack intake and carbs on it, but that doesn't make it a "six pack" motor.

Did I say that isn't a "six pack" motor?:rolling:

70 71 damper #3512017, commonly known as a "six-pack" damper. t

Even though these dampers have an elliptical weight, These dampers were used with steel cranks and "six pack" (2951908 casting #) rods. The extra weight is to offset the added weight of the extra metal in the rods and pistons. Another important fact is that even though six pack rods continued to be used up until 1975 in HP and truck 440's with steel cranks, they did NOT use this damper. As , any 72-75 steel crank 440 (with either six pack or standard rods) would have come with the 3614371 damper. :yes:

 

[69 Runner]

Ok whatever. It still isn't a six pack motor

 

[5.7 hemi]

Clone, copycat, imposter, or whatever you would like to call it, it's your dough do what you want with it as long as you don't pass it off as a "real six pack". But by all means have fun with it, kicking chevy *** and eating fords.