arodenhiser

I have been talking by e-mail with a guy who is about 1 1/2hr drive from me. He has an engine for sale I am looking at. The two pics he has provided do not show the casting number on the block.

Here was his write up in the ad.

Would like to sell my 455 Rocket V8. Was pulled in working order but has been sitting for a few years. Was from a Tornado front Drive. The short block is 1974 and the top end is all 1967 so no AP gear on it. Front drive unit is still attached to the motor. I also have the original breather with 2 air horns. This would make an amazing boat motor or a car that would go like stink.
It’s been sitting for 10 years. I am sure it’s not working. It would have to be rebuilt but it’s a great place to start. The heads and valves were done just before storage. I was restoring a 1967 Tornado and ran out of money. I sold the body and kept the motor and trans..

In this first picture it really looks to me that it has #7 sbo heads on it, so I asked him about them.



He seems to have been insulted by that because responded to my email with this.

YOu might want to read the updated add. Please do not reply unless you are interested.. It is a 455... The heads are off the 1966 455... The short block... Anything under the heads and dome are 1974..

The new updated ad shows this....

Ok?? So there seems to be some confusion about this motor.. I’m a mechanic by trade and actually know what I am talking about. Someone seems to think this might be a 350.. I will not be second guessed by anyone who has no idea what they are talking about. Read the description please. GM did not put anything less than a 455 in there Tornado or Eldorado’s. The 472 was in the Cadillac power plant in the Eldorado and the 455 Rocket was the Olds power plant.. Both cars were front drive..

Here is the other picture.



Can someone please clarify this for me? Am I wrong and that does not look like a #7. From my readings a 67 or 66 BBO head should be a "B" or "C" head.

I do not want to email agin so soon and really **** him off. I actually hope I AM wrong.



Adam

Shizzy

I would walk away due to his "D.H." attitude. he can try to sell his questionable things to someone else.

TripDeuces

66-67 Toronados had 425's not 455's. So his knowledge is suspect from the get go. I'm with Shizzy, walk away from this guy

rptw32

Ask him for his phone no. and call him . Many times people read things differently than that way intended by the author.

Those are #7 heads which are Small block heads - thats no mistake.

Ask him to give you the block no. on top ledge behind the water pump
if it has a Capital F or Fa as last digit on right of number series then it's a 455 block . IF not then it's not a 455 regardless of what he thinks -
pure n simple - and he is dearly mistaken - Olds did put 350's in Toronado's in the mid- late 70's.

MDchanic

There is no doubt that that is a "7" on that head.
Also that that is a later valve cover with the "all-purpose" blue and the embossed "Oldsmobile" on it.

What IS in doubt is whether that is a big block.

I can tell a big block when looking at it dead-on by the width of the motor, without looking for the tell-tale casting bump over the timing case, and I've got to say that from the angles he took the pictures from, I can't tell at all.

Of as much concern is the "GM did not put anything less than a 455 in there Tornado or Eldorado’s. The 472 was in the Cadillac power plant in the Eldorado and the 455 Rocket was the Olds power plant..." comment from a "mechanic by trade." The Toro, as George said, had a 425 in 1967, and the Caddy had a 429.
Even more damning to his credibility, in my opinion, is the description of having "the original breather with 2 air horns." Hey, you can call the air cleaner and snorkels any darn thing you want, but a mechanic by trade would know that an air horn is the top of the carburetor, and would not use that very specific term to describe a different thing.

I'd e-mail him demanding to know why his big block has small block heads, as clearly shown in the photo that HE took, and try to really **** him off.

Don't buy it, though.

- Eric

arodenhiser

So, I responded to his last e-mail with this. He never gave me a phone to speak to him directly.

Hi,
I am interested. I just want to know what you have. I live on the other side of Halifax than you. I am trying to get information on what you have before making a 2 hr drive to buy something from you. From the pictures you have the engine has number 7 heads. These heads were used on 1971 Olds 350 a small blocks. If there is a small “A” with the 7 that I can’t see they are a 1972 small block head. A big block head should have heads with LETTERs cast into them. Oldsmobile did not make a 455 until 1968 so telling me that the heads are off a 1966 455 is wrong. In 1966 or 1967 the Oldsmobile big block was a 425. The heads used on those engines would be either a “B” or “C” casting. Would you please find the engine block casting number that is on the top of the deck. It is beside the oil fill tube and behind the water pump. No parts need to be removed to see it. This will tell for certain what block it is.

Also, for the record, regarding the engines in Toronado’s. Oldsmobile did use the 403 and 350 engines in the last half of the 1970’s. One of these could have been transplanted into the 1974 before you pulled it for your 1967. The 7 heads could be put on the 403 without performance loss. A small head on a big block will cause flow issues. I too am a mechanic who has been working on Oldsmobile V8’s for the last 15 years. I have owned 3 such cars, including the 1968 Cutlass I am currently restoring. I am not the person you describe by “I will not be second guessed by anyone who has no idea what they are talking about.” If you are not willing to answer a simple question like “what numbers and letters are cast on the engine that are in plain sight?” or if you are not interested in selling this engine/tranny assembly that’s another thing.

If it is a BBO I would happily buy it from you. If it is not, you might want to change you ad. There is no harm in finding out the truth.

Thank you for your time and I hope to hear back from you. Good day.

Adam

His responded with....

HI

As stated it's a 1974 455 short block with a set of rebuilt 1967 heads and dome.. No AP gear on it. Have a guy in Bridgewater with a 1970 Tornado that wants to buy it because he knows what it is. Sorry but I commited it to him for now. Front drive is still attached to it. I did the work myself and the pull.. If he fails to get it I will let you know...

About an hour and a half later came…..

Drop it... Consider it sold...

I hope the guy in Bridgewater knows what he is buying. I am watching all of his ads on a local internet classified site. I let you know if it is relisted differently. If it was an actual BBO with BBO heads I would have liked to get it. He wanted $300 cdn for everything pictured.

What it was, besides the 7 heads we may never know.

I tried.

Adam

Jamesbo

Sometime the best deal you make are the ones that never get done.

442_Mustang

Agreed... I would have asked him the questions and made him put his foot in his mouth just because of the uncooperative nature he shows. In just the last 2 months I know of 2 people that bought engines that were supposed to be good runners. One died on the dyno and the other was tore down after the first one bit it and they both wee assembled from junk parts for a quick sale. Moneys tight now and people are cleaning the garage and building crap with the only cost of a gasket set and some VHT paint. Buyer beware...

MDchanic

In my experience whenever someone starts telling you you don't know what you're talking about, it means he doesn't know what he's talking about.

At least he was able to find a buyer who didn't know what he was talking about either...

- Eric

cutlassefi

Here's one for you, guy had an ad for a 455 Olds. So I met him to look at it. Turns out it was a Pontiac, he swore he had just bought a water pump for it that was for an Olds. However the intake was an Edelbrock Performer and it clearly said,
"Performer Pontiac" I guess he missed that.

Walk away if you can.

arodenhiser

No worries I am not interested at all. I would like to find out what it actually was.


Adam

MDchanic

I'm guessing '71 low-compression 350 with valve covers from a later motor.

If you look closely, you can almost see the gold paint on the intake...

- Eric