Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Engines - 454s, 396s, 350s, etc.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Here's what I brought home in the first load (except the tunnel ram, I already had that and set it on there because it looks cool )

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Quite a haul!

Derek69SS · Founding Member

BLyke wrote:
Quite a haul!

This was the first load of many! There's still about 25 more engines to bring home, and shelves full of parts, stuff in the rafters, a shipping container, etc. TONS of stuff.

I'd guess I got less than 10% of it home so far.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

So did you bid and win on everything that was there?

Derek69SS · Founding Member

It's an estate that I made an offer to clean out the place. Too much stuff for the family to deal with, but not really enough valuable stuff for an auction. I have about 6 weeks to get it all out, and anything I leave behind will be scrapped. There's a few things they haven't decided if they want to sell yet, but possibly more stuff to buy in the near future when they decide what to do with the truck, tractors, a couple cars, and can access a storage unit off-site. I've bought out a few collections like this when I was buying/selling Model T parts in the past, but never this much stuff at once. Biggest haul at once before was 3 trailer loads. This will probably be closer to 10 or 12.

I'll make some money on it and gain some good stuff for my own use, but it will be a LOT of work that will take all summer to sell off what I don't need or want.

I'm hoping to find some good rare part numbers on things like the pile of distributors, carburetors, etc but I got the majority of the obvious high-value parts home already to make sure they didn't wander off from someone with sticky fingers.

The black 454 pictured turns over and has a 69 Corvette 390hp 427 intake on it.
The orange 454 has un-modified 69 dated L88 heads.
The 3 bare blocks are all '69 dated 427s (one 335hp impala, one 390hp impala, and one CE warranty replacement)
There is a pair of January '70 dated LS6 heads and a pair of '68 dated L78 heads.

I'll be bringing 2 more loads home on Saturday.

-- Edited by Derek69SS on Thursday 6th of April 2023 01:17:52 PM

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Hopefully it all works out for you, will Cale be getting a BB upgrade for the 55 out of this?

Larry Lucast · Active Member

That happened to me about 20 years ago. A Corvette parts store closed, leaving the owner with a bunch of parts. I bought the whole inventory, but needed to get it out quickly. I rented a U-Haul enclosed truck and, with the help of several friends, piled it full. Rented a storage unit and we piled it all in there. Then I set up shelves in my garage and sorted parts into them. There were a few rare and valuable parts, but mostly stock restoration parts.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Cale will get to pick out a SB. We're hoping to find something like a decent 4bbl 327 or 350 that's not real high performance, but not a total dog either.

Bobs_Place · Vice President

Derek69SS wrote:
Cale will get to pick out a SB. We're hoping to find something like a decent 4bbl 327 or 350 that's not real high performance, but not a total dog either.

Save out a big block for later??? Maybe?????

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Very interesting. Congratulations. Might there be a 66 alternator fan Blade? Are there any 66 holly carbs for parts?

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Cale has his eyes on a 69 Impala 265hp 396 for his car... I might give it to him for all the work he's done helping, along with a Saginaw 4spd would be a good beginner drivetrain to get started on. There's still a few SBs I haven't looked at yet, but got most of the heavy stuff home today.

All the carbs and alternators went into totes and I haven't looked at them yet. Been focused on the big stuff first while some helpers loaded that stuff.

I did find a 68 Chevelle 12-bolt housing today. Carrier and axles are gone but it's coded for 3.31 posi.

Also got 6 short tail TH400s and have one more to grab next time.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

I got most everything home now except the 4 cars. (2 70-72 Novas, 2 late-70s Camaros)

2 396s
3 427s
1 427 tall deck
6 454s

6 350s
1 400
2 90s LT1 350s

6 Muncies
8 TH400s

1 12-bolt Chevelle rear

1 set '70 dated LS6 heads
1 set '69 dated L88 Alum heads
1 set '68 dated rectangle port heads
Many sets of SBC heads (mostly 70s/80s stuff)

Many sets of BBC and SBC exhaust manifolds, many sets of pulleys, water pumps, alternators, PS pumps, brackets.

3 sets 15" ralley wheels, 3 sets Pontiac ralleys, 2 sets 71+ Chevelle/Camaro SS wheels, 2 sets 69-70 Chevelle SS wheels,

1 pair 70 Chevelle bucket seats
1 single Chevelle bucket
~20 Holley carbs
~75 Quadrajets

TONS in the literal sense! :)

-- Edited by Derek69SS on Monday 24th of April 2023 11:34:26 AM

ghaasl · Active Member

I may be interested in a vacuum secondary Holley and perhaps 2 of the Rallye wheels if they’re 8” wide. Still debating between rebuilding my 10 bolt or upgrading.

-- Edited by ghaasl on Saturday 29th of April 2023 09:20:30 AM

Lost in the 60s · President

Derek69SS wrote:
Cale has his eyes on a 69 Impala 265hp 396 for his car... I might give it to him for all the work he's done helping, along with a Saginaw 4spd would be a good beginner drivetrain to get started on. There's still a few SBs I haven't looked at yet, but got most of the heavy stuff home today.

All the carbs and alternators went into totes and I haven't looked at them yet. Been focused on the big stuff first while some helpers loaded that stuff.

I did find a 68 Chevelle 12-bolt housing today. Carrier and axles are gone but it's coded for 3.31 posi.

Also got 6 short tail TH400s and have one more to grab next time.

A big block is a tight fit in the tri-fives and the springs would not like all the extra weight. A 275-300/327 or 295-300/350 is still a better choice, to me. The Saginaw will put up with the sbc better than the torque of a BB too. You KNOW the son of a race car owner/driver is going to test the tires traction ability...

The 12 bolt would be suspect for damage, being the good stuff was removed. Is there a way for you to check for bent axle tubes ? Are the carrier caps on ?

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Derek. Was it all Chevrolet stuff that was there? Any Pontiac engines?

Derek69SS · Founding Member

There are 2 15x8 ralleys, but I don't have them home yet.

The 396 needs a rebuild, so he's leaning towards using the 70 265hp 400 sbc now. Easy fit, and cheaper. Also probably more power than any of the 70s smog era 454s I got.

The 12-bolt does have caps. I suspected someone just needed a 3-series posi carrier, and took it apart for that.

There were a few Buick/Olds/Pontiac parts in the mix, but almost all Chevy. Got a couple pairs of Pontiac heads and some intakes. There's a complete Pontiac engine still there, but I didn't offer anything for it. It had a 2bbl on it so I figured it wasn't anything of value.

-- Edited by Derek69SS on Saturday 29th of April 2023 07:20:56 PM

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Today I hauled home a late 70s Camaro and a 72 Nova SS 350 4spd (Saginaw)
Still 2 more cars to haul out and a few more piles of parts.

Lost in the 60s · President

Check the code on the block of the Pontiac engine. They did market 2 barrel 389 and 400's. Most any REAL Pontiac engine is worth keeping alive. They are hard to find and still sought after by the Poncho people.
Yes, the posi may well have been robbed for a different model axle use.

ghaasl · Active Member

Derek-

When you get the 15x8 wheels home, let me know what you’d like to get for them and I’ll see what I can swing. Great haul!

Derek69SS · Founding Member

I have everything home, and my shop is a disaster.
I'm getting ready to bring a load of stuff up to the GM swap on Sunday.

427s are all at a machine shop getting inspected, along with the pair of 70 LS6 heads
A few 454s and all the smallblocks are available.

68 396 is on hold for now waiting for potential purchase of a '68 SS car with the wrong engine in it that might be worth more sold with the correct stuff. I'm looking at that Sunday after the swap. My parts are all a few months too early for that car, but everything is correct otherwise to put it back to stock.

I have sold both Novas, both Camaros, 13 automatic transmissions, a 454, a 396, and the Chevelle 12-bolt.

67 C-30 is for sale also, need to free up some cash!

Derek69SS · Founding Member

2 of the 454s I was planning to sell are also on hold temporarily also... need to figure out which ones and how many I plan to keep.

73 truck and 74 Impala 454s I didn't think would be anything special, but they both have earlier closed chamber heads to bump up the compression, and bigger cams in them, so I might hang onto those to put in something fun since they'll have some power to play with, without having to spend a lot to build one.

Bill Leigh · Member

Hey Derek, do you have an aluminum lower profile BBC intake manifold with Oval ports? Performer or such. need hood clearance for the cowl air cleaner.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

I have a 69 Corvette 390hp 427 intake. It's very low. Might work for you with a spread-bore/holley adapter. Here's a picture of the same thing I snagged off ebay... mine is same casting number, and I'll have it with me at the swap meet on Sunday.

The only other aluminum ones I have are a Performer RPM (same as you have) and a few different rectangle port intakes.

Picture 1 of 19

-- Edited by Derek69SS on Thursday 1st of June 2023 08:44:01 AM

Derek69SS · Founding Member

I have mostly thinned down this hoard, but picked up another 10 engines...

Several 350 bare blocks. $200ea
a fresh complete built 350 with camel-hump heads, 11:1 compression, and a circle-track cam that still has assembly lube on it. $1200
A '72 LS3 402 that is stuck $300 with 292 heads, $150 for the short block.

Also, several SB cranks, lots of rods and piston sets, etc...

2 TH400s $250ea
2 TH350s $150ea
3 Saginaw 3spds $50ea

'66 12-bolt 3.31 posi $1500

'72 SS tach dash, 5500 redline $1200