On May 5th, 2000, I bought the '66 396 big block you see in the pictures below. I bought it from a guy who's had this engine in storage since 1972 when he wrecked the Chevelle it came in. Luckily he cared enough for the engine to turn it over a few times a year to prevent lock up. Some friends and I tore it apart and were very pleased to find it in very good shape. A few regular rebuild items such as gaskets, a valve job, a carberator rebuild, and some new lifters should take care of all the necessary precautions. I can hardly wait to get this baby on the road.
Update 6/22/00: So far so good... Got everything but the heads cleaned and painted. Chevy engine orange has never looked so cool! At this time we have half the cylinders in and ready. We should get the remainder of the short block finished next week. The drop-in date is still a few weeks off, maybe more. I'm planning to paint the engine bay once we pull the 350. By the end of the summer, the engine bay will be the nicest part of the car! |
