Old Guy Says it's a Corvette SBC from Old Rod

I've been digging thru an old guy's stash of so-called hot rod parts from the 50's and 60's and see a couple of things that interest me. One is what appears to be a Ford High-clearance wheel like they used in dry lakes racing, and the other is a SBC engine that the guy said was ahead of a Ford flathead in an old hotrod. He claimed the engine was a Corvette engine, but where have we heard that before. If i can get a picture to post, I'll include a snapshot of each. The castings at the end of the heads is not one I'm familiar with (has two vertical rectangles), and the block casting number looked to be 3970010. It has a "Speed Gems" aluminum adaper bolted to the block that the old guy says was mated to a Ford 3 speed top-loader tranny. Any thots on these? Are they the real thing?

 

chevy sounds like a mid 70s 350, low compression, etc..

 

That block # was used from 1969 - 1979. Need to read the pad to see what it came out of.

 

3970010 1969-1979 used in car, truck or Vette. You're going to need more info to find out which you have. Horse power rating runs from 185 to 370.

 

Screw the Chev, get that wheel!!!!!

 

Of course...they're ALL Vettes.

 

They never claim them to be mid 80s smog 305s, even though they most likely are!

 

Yet almost every Vette I run across has a "matching numbers motor". How can this be? lol

 

Heads actually look like the could be 186 or 492 castings, which are "high performance" type heads.
But what kind of hotrodder would replace the finned aluminum valve covers with tin?

 

Just tryin' to make it old skool.

 

Somewhere Ive got some 186 and 492 heads, but those had double rounded bumps, as i recall, rather then two vertical rectangles cast into the ends.

 

My thoughts exactly.. get that wheel and it's 3 sisters!!!!

 

3970010 block was used in a ton of models including the 1969 302 Camaro, 69 vette late w/4bolt main, 69-79 truck 350 either 2 or 4 bolt main, 69-79 350 Chevelle, Nova and Camaro & Monte Carlo 2 or 4 bolt, 70-72 350 Vette all 4 bolt mains. Good luck figuring that one out! All good applications and a good block. You'll have to drop the pan if 2 or 4 bolt mains matters to you.

 

Yea, I was trying to make it 2 rounded humps.

I'd like to see the ends cleaned up and a little closer. The passenger side head almost looks like a 441 with something extra stuck on, they just have one bar.

 

Hope there's two! More desirable than the corvette that motor came from!

 

I remembered seeing those head markings before and I found this:
2 vert bars over rect [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]997[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]‘56 Corvette 2X4 bbl, 283; ‘58 pass car FI; chamber same as ‘57 270HP Corvette[/FONT]

Would have to look at casting numbers, etc to be sure.

 

I looked more closely and saw the accessory bolt holes so my previous post does not apply.

 

But they didn't have the accessory holes in the 50's

 

If the cat sez it's corvette than ya gotta believe him.

 

Does it really matter if it's not sitting in the Corvette it rolled out of the factory in?

 

Larry, you missed the cat in the first pic, looks honest to me. Corvettes were the best factory parts cars made.

 

Swish--------right over my head!


Yea, I was just thinking about the Corvette deal. I guess it's saying that you're getting all the high performance parts rolled up in one engine.

But I did own a 65 Corvette that left the factory with a 250 HP 327. So they didn't all have killer engines. It was a 4 speed car too. It had tin valve covers on it, I think I might still have them on a shelf out at the farm.

 

I'd count on it being one of those. I'm surprised everybody doesn't claim that!

 

If I see two rectangles> looks like a 388...as in 3986388 small valve low perf......

 

Damn straight, its worth a lot more...

As far as the "corvette" motor, at first I was "yea, old hot rod, coupled to a 3 speed, yea, thats possible". Then I heard 010 block, and my scepto-meter shot straight from 5 to 9...

 

I know it's hard to believe but good 350 blocks are getting hard to find.

 

hell for that matter it could even be a 327.....everyone always figures it to be a 350 if its an 010 block....305 heads......lets see, recut and played with and they crank up the compression ....can't believe that no one has posted as to which way it reads to be a for a fact 4 bolt main motor,,,,naw, I ain't saying.....depends if ya stand in front of the motor or behind it as to which way the numbers run.....fuckin adapter is worth a few bucks in itself... whats the dollar on the block and does it roll over or is it tight???

sorry guys but the chevy in me runs deep.....everyone here generally knocks em...belly button motors...ya ever look at a couple of belly buttons???they are all different.....

op dude, do yourself a favor,,,talk the old guy into letting ya pull the pan...kill the guess work....I mean, it'ld suck to pass up something that really could be a sleeper....old 327 block...302 dz crank...reworked newer heads for ease of ass holes...........

then do yourself another favor,,,double check all your hamb posted advice....it almost cost me a nice old stewart warner tach I bought ...everyone here was telling me how to wire it.....ya right..........not a one of the "advisors" was even close to the proper wiring patrtern for it...and I paid a lot for it...did my own home work, tach looks great in the fiat..and works perfect

 

ya I been sitting on a 350 4 bolter ,,stock bore,,,high nickel block,,,that only needs a hone to run stock bore slugs...for about 20 years now,,,,

good 400 blocks are getting even harder to find

 

I'd have to take a s.w.a.g. that they're hard to find cause most of them over-heated and died

 

x2, like my cousin's 78 camaro, 160 horespower with a 4 barrel