Creativeindy

I was telling Scott Winn about this last week when I was over at his house picking some stuff up and I joked about finding something like this. So the short of it is a friend of a friend has 4 blocks laying in a wooded area of his old body shop that his father had bought years ago. He said his father told him he paid over 1500 a piece for 2 of the 455's 1k for a third and 500 for the last motor. He said he wanted them hauled out of the lot as it was sold and either someone get them that could use them or they would get hauled off to dumps. He remembered seeing all my progress on my facebook so he called me and offered them to me.

I had previously arranged to buy all 4 of them for 500.00 sight unseen. I figured worst case I have 4 455 blocks I could resell to get my 500 back. This was 2 weeks back when we made the sight unseen deal. However I was told last night I could just HAVE them if I get them out by this coming Sunday. Was told the property was sold and that the agreement was that all the old parts would be removed. My buddy said that hes been trying to get them sold and everyone he has offered them up to drags their *** on getting them picked up including me. He said in the spirit of getting them hauled away they were mine at no cost but I HAD to get them out by Sunday or it was my ***. He pulled the wont be my friend any more card. So I kinda got lucky in that I got lazy and ended up getting them for free because of being lazy. So for ***** and giggles I went over on lunch to see what kind of man pays 4500 20 years back for 4 used blocks that may or may not be any good.

Apparantly these were the last of the parts and complete. I guess about 3 months ago the place looked like a salvage yard with tons and tons of blocks, heads, water pumps, just **** every where. Keep in mind when I arrived I seen that everyone of the motors is complete longblocks with transmissions attached. Only thing missing on each is the carbs except for one motor is complete top to bottom everything. I will post pictures as soon as I get them moved. This is a pretty open place with no security and I don't want someone local reading this putting 2 and 2 together from pictures and going over and snatching my goodies until I get them moved.

Yep, It appears I am one lucky sum bitch.

Block #1 (cant see block letter as weeds grown all over it grease and corrosion) DEFINITLY has F heads and DEFINITLY has a W30 Intake. Bad part is intake is severely corroded and possibly cracked but can't be sure on crack as it's corroded from elements. Had notched valve covers and even original alternator and water pump. Hooked up to a 4 speed transmission.

Block #2 is what appears to be F block F heads edelbrock intake, sheet metal valve covers, msd dist and ignition box laying on top of engine mated to a 4 speed transmission. Water pump is broken cracked across front and freeze plug on right side is blown out. Possible block cracked.

Block #3 Cant see block casting letter due to weeds and grease. Heads appear to be D. I only say D due to the fact the casting number says 400370
and when I googled it from phone it came up with D heads from a 400 to 455. I cant see the actual letter as it's covered in mud and corrosion from laying on it's side int the mud. I need to confirm this more on if this is D heads on 455 or 400 as I found conflicting information. It's mated to a automatic transmission either a 350 or 400. It sppears to be stock with no major damage outside of right side valve cover dented from what I guess is they tossed it off truck into dirt.

Block #4 is actually a 350 block with #5 heads. It's mated to a 4 speed as well however the transmission looks to be cracked. It does have complete carb with a dual snorkel style breather still attached.

Most of the blocks are laying on thier sides so rain has not been going inside them. However it looks like someone pushed them over sometime AFTER they laid there possibly after someone stole tjhe carbs. From what I was told the carbs were aftermarket on 2 of the engines. Inside the intakes is corrosion on the aluminum and rust in the other so at one time rain was able to sit in them.

I am hoping to go over tonight and yank at a minimum the heads off of the engines and the Intakes as these are the most valuable part of them outside of the transmissions after I confirm what type the 4 speeds are. I'm super stoked and kinda bumed at same time. Can't believe these were allowed to layout and just rot like this. Buddy said his dad used to own a body shop and restored many cars and back in the day ran a automotive "Parts" pawn shop type deal. Sounded like a chop shop to me but who knows. I guess If you needed cash bring your parts in and he would buy them. Again, sounds like a chop shop type arrangement. Said at one time they had close to 50 complete blocks laying around from Hemi's to these 455's. There is an original 60's era Hemi back in farther into the woods however it's riddled with bullet holes. I see a few bullet scars on some of the Olds blocks. I am praying none of the bullets went into heads or through blocks. He said they only shot at the junk stuff in the woods during dear season to sight in guns. Not sure I quite believe that LOL

Hopefully the heads are salvagable and possibly the blocks as well. I have a feeling though once I get them up in the air on the trailer I will find bullet holes, mice infestations, and other crap. I am really hoping the intake is savable. I will snag some pics as I get them moved. I don't want to take the chance of someone on here from Indy recognizing the area and going over and snagging these. Not saying someone would be that low or dirty but never know. The area these are at is pretty well known and by a well known area that most everyone in Indy has been to often.

GAOldsman

Wow some guys have all the luck

Indy_68_S

Awesome. Great score ! More Olds parts in Indy, yay !

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Clearly i'm living in the wrong place.

Good find.

Creativeindy

Yes, it's an awesome find but knowing my luck and the way it runs watch me pull these out and they will have bullt holes going through them. That would be the way my luck runs. HAHA Got my fingers crossed though.

Seff

We need pictures as soon as it's feasible. Just sayin'. :P

sammy

x2!

cdoering

I would be interested in getting a set of the F heads and W30 block, prefer 1970 block. Let me know Chris 314-495-1700

thanks

jensenracing77

I would be VERY interested in the VIN numbers stamped in them. both of my W-30s are missing the original engines and one originally came from the Indianapolis area. i just hope you can still read the numbers.

great find! i bet your PM box is full by morning.

lunaboy

I would be very interested in pics of this grave yard of w30 455s setting in the mud & weeds. Please get some shots before you pull them if you can. Cool story. Like Jensenracing says he for one is seeking correct drivetrain and there has to be others out there that need a correct w30 heart. I would also post the vin block # here when you get the grease scapped off.

tru-blue 442

Nice Friggi'n Score!
It's nice to see some of the rare parts
come back from the dead!

cdoering

Let me know if u want to sell any parts

Chris 314-495-1700

Creativeindy

Yea I grabbed some shots of everything in mud before I was quickly held captive ARRRRG. Whoever on here knows of the engines and were they are located and tried to be slick "Tried" being the key word I just want to say your plan failed and it was only a minor inconvenience.

Had a nice run in with the law tonight when attempting to go through everything thats there and what has bullet holes and what is salvageable. Apparantly someone on this forum knows where these blocks are sitting cause I no longer get over there after work to see about pulling heads and Sheriff shows up demanding to know what I am doing. He places me in handcuffs while he searched my truck and person. Then kept me in cuffs until he could verify what I was doing and if I had permission since I was carrying 2 guns on my person. He said someone had alerted them earlier today that there was a guy attempting to steal parts from a deceased mans shop and that the property was in probate and some other crap.

I explained what was going on that I infact know the owner, went to school with him, was in the military with him and was his best man at his wedding. I explained yes his father did die but he was an only child and inherited all the land and body shop. I told him we worked out a deal and I was going to pay him but he said just to go on over and get them don't worry about money he just needs the area behind shop cleared before closing as part of the terms of sale. The cop thought I was bullshitting him and kept say "yea", "uh huh", "Sure" and crap like that.

After only 3 calls I was able to get ahold of Bobby who's anniversary is today. Needless to day he was more pissed off about this than me. We got everything worked out easily enough. In the end he asked how the Sheriff was led to be involved. We thought perhaps a nosey neighbor or someone thinking I really was trying to take crap. Sherrif said that they had a report around 2 that someone had been to the yard and scoped out the shop and had broken in the door once already and that the same truck had been lurking for the past few weeks. I was like I never broke in I have a key and the gate code. I also said as far as lurking this is the first time I have been to the shop in over 3 months that the reason I got the engines for free was because I was lazy in getting by to get them.

He said the person told them that they knew from an internet site like facebook that I would be back and claimed to have posted I had found a stash of engines and was going to steal them. So they sat and waited for me and sure enough I came over after work. Only wrong part of the Sheriff story was that the man who called in didn't find out via facebook he foud out via ClassicOldsmobile forums as I only posted here today. The only other person who knew about this deal prior to today was Scott and he only knew I was buying 4 engines sight unseen for 500.00. Scott also didn;t know where I was getting these engines from exactly. He didn't know what I was getting anymore than I did. I told Scott about what I found later in the day after whoever called so I can rule him out. Besides, hes an awesome guy and friend, he wouldn't do crap like this. We deduced it was someone on this forum who knows where the blocks are and didn't want me getting them. Or possibly a lurker who knows of the blocks and put 2 and 2 together. LOL Bastages!@! Last time I post my awesome finds online! HAHA

Creativeindy

NP Eric. As soon as I get over this weekend and get them loaded they will be in my garage going through a nice steam pressure cleaning. I'll keep ya updated. How kick *** would that be if I had a block to a persons car on here that was removed 20 years ago! That would be the story of the century. Man discovers missing W30 block after 20 years news at 11! HAHA

From what I understand it's possible. I remember reading the story of the Chevelle that the guy found the missing numbers block from his 69. It was out for over 30 years and he found it by chance at a swap meet in Tenn. I'll see if I can dig the article up.

jensenracing77

i would rather see that story than one saying.. Man in jail for stealing engines. what did the cop say after he found out you were honest?

Creativeindy

Nothing really. After Bobby showed up he THEN apologized for the trouble. We BS a couple mins about the engines, he slipped in mud and went down on a knee. He was trying to get back to see the hemi motor with holes as he owns a Coronet or some crap. Said take care and off he drove. He was a complete dick at first. It kinda pisses me off thinking about it after the fact. A cop "Hears" mind you over a telephone about something someone else read on the internet. Then he takes it as fact and puts all the guilt on me to prove what and why I am there. Treated me like a criminal and for what? Some tools form of jealousy? Wasn't enough I had the gate code, the building key and the alarm code for the shop I had to disturb my buddy on his annerversary to prove I am allowed to be there. What is the world coming too? LOL

Anyways not a big deal it all worked out in the end. A score of the magnitude is worth a headache I guess.

RetroRanger

the whole thing seems weird...

the cop was just doing his job, someone gave them a tip...seemed to be credible expecially when you showed up he had to go thru the motions to ensure you were legit...after all if you were a thief you would say nah its cool my buddy owns this stuff said I could take it

now that the smoke is cleared, what if the perp felt it was safe to head back there because the PD had already cleared the alleged thief and everything was OK ?

BIGJERR

I wouldnt of said a word till I hade that iron gold in my garage........I would try to snag tghe blocks also but that just me......Hire a flatbed with a wench and pull them on and strap them down......Gold I tell ya......

64Rocket

Don't waste anymore time. Get them things on a trailer and head for your garage.
Get them tore down and list what is good and repairable.
If they have been sitting outside for any length of time, water does tremendous damage. No matter how much they have been covered, water will find it's way in.

Get it done !!!

Gene

p/s what a great score

MDchanic

It would be interesting for an Admin. or a Mod. to go through the IP addresses that accessed this page after the OP's first post and before the time of the police call, and see how many and which ones are local to Indianpolis (in their copious free time, of course ), to try to find the person who tried to set the OP up.
Since it was fairly ham-handed, odds are whoever it was didn't use a VPN or similar cloaking.

- Eric

Mike77

The lesson to learn. Don't be shouting out you found rare parts and hint at where they are BEFORE you have them in your possesion. It's like saying there's a $100.00 bill laying on the corner of Main street, between 2nd Ave and 6th Ave. and I am going to go pick it up next week. so don't nobody touch it! Money makes people do strange things.

Mike

Creativeindy

Was excited bro, but correct. Lesson learned LOL

Creativeindy

Me and Bob discussed this very topic tthis morning at breakfast. So a neighbor is a classic car guy whos has a couple Oldsmobiles. Apparantly him and his dad used to drink together all the time at the shop and work on restoring a few cars here and there and selling them.

From what I can gather or my theroy is he seen me circumvent the front gate and go around to the back through the corn field and go to the area where parts were the first day I went to look at them. I had to go this way becuse I didn't have the keys or code with me as I was at work and I went over on a spur of moment from the office. More than likely he saw me do this, wasn't sure what I was actually doing but that I probably should not be there and called the cops. Since hes an Olds guy it's possible he either is a member on here or definitly reads these forums. Apparantly he owns a 69 and a 72. His 72 is a 442 and I have in fact seen it out in front of his house before, nice car.

We have come to the conclusion that he was either trying to start trouble for me because he doesn't get along with bob over some stuff he claimed Clarence(bobs dead father) supposedly "verbally" left this fella including a huge matco tool chest. Bob refused to give this guy the tools or anything else he claimed that clarence left him and I dont blame him. He had no proof, wasn't in the will and not a single person knew about this deal but this fella and supposedly clarence. *Rolls Eyes*

I personally don't know **** about that crap. I knew clarence, talked to him in passing when I would hang out but I never was all buddy buddy with him just his son for many years. I always thought clarence was a mean old drunk who would sooner smack his son in the head than teach him the correct way to do something. His dad was always nice to me but would treat bob like **** in front of me. It was one of those cliche your buddy is settled with a good job why can't you be more like him and step up to the plate type deals everytime I would go around when we were younger.

Either way, it's over and done with and the motors were supposed to have been moved inside last night with a skid steer. We were afraid the jackass would try and snag them himself late at night. I have the guys name but I honestly hate to just throw it out there unless I know for sure he in fact did this out of spite and not just because he was trying to be protective. I probably should just stop by his house and speak with him and find out for myself. Like I said, his beef with bob doesn't have **** to do with me so he shouldn't be upset with me. Either way, whats done is done. I will get them this weekend on the trailer and to my house. I will get them degreased and cleaned and get the vins for the W30 block. Deep inside I am hopefull it's someones long since removed original block on here. Would make for an awesome car story to tell.

tru-blue 442

Hope it all works out well in the end for you
and your friend. AND some of the guys here as well!
I will be following the thread. Best of luck, Adam.

MDchanic

It has been observed that knocking on the doors of people who have called the cops on you can complicate your life unnecessarily.

- Eric

f-85

WOW what a find! That kicks A$$!!! I hope maybe one matches Eric,s W30s!

Creativeindy

LOL!!!
Yea well, hes a 70? year old man...unless his guns (both types)are bigger than mine, I wont worry to much. Now I say this and knowing my luck this old *** man will come out and knock the **** out of me. I have known some pretty strong old geezers.

All jokes aside, i'm not to worried about it. Whenever I go by on nice days he has his garage open and the black 72 outside. I am going to stop by and ask about his car and introduce myself officially and see if he is the one who called. So if your reading this ya old fart, don't shoot me if I stop by. I come bearing limited Oldsmobile knowledge and lots of Oldsmobile love! HA

gearheads78

Great story but as you have found out its a small world especially with the web. You said yourself that other people had been offered the deal and were dragging their feet. You get on here and post about your find. One of those people could have seen it and realized how bad they screwed up not going to get them.

Let this a lesson to anyone. Never ever show your hand to ANYONE till the dealin' is done.

Keep us in the loop after it all yours.

67442nut

I wouldn't take the "D" head engines too lightly.
If I'm not mistaken, "D" heads were only on '68-'69 W-30.
Those heads are nearly as valuable as the "F" heads.

tru-blue 442

X2.

jensenracing77

and 69 H/O

64Rocket

Well , what is the latest update and the pic's of your score ??

Gene

Rickman48

C'mon, it's been over a week!!!
What's going on??

Octania

Indeed.

Parts of that rarity, and factory W30 blocks, I would keep even if broken, cracked, bullet holes, etc.

If just for an example of a real one... with correct size stamp near cylinder, etc.

If you find cracked broken pieces, at least offer 'em up to collectors for metal price before sending off to be made into refrigerators, eh?

sicky olds

And 68 H/O on either non air or the air cars... cant remember which, i wanna say Air car.