69 Z28/RS Restoration question (DZ content)

[camaro69_guy]

Hi, this is my first post here but you guys seem very knowledgable on these cars so here goes.

I have a '69 Z28/RS of which I am the 3rd owner.  I have owned it since '97, and my uncle owned it since ~1980 before me.  When my uncle purchased the vehicle from TX the block cracked in cold weather while being shipped up to Seattle.  He just threw it away .  This means there is no way I can ever build this car as "numbers matching".

I am aware of a few options so let me list my goals here first.
1. I am doing a resto of the body/paint/interior right now, but have already used some aftermarket body panels.
2. I intend to drive this car, not daily, but its not going to be a garage/trailer queen.  I will drive it on the street, and likely drive it hard now and again.
3. It will probably go to local shows, but I don't plan on "competeing" in shows.

So my question is about locating a 302 to put in this car.  I can build one from most any smallblock block and the correct crank/heads/cam and get basically the factory performance out of the engine.  This option wouldnt cost too much money as far as I can figure.  I was thinking it would be nice to get an original DZ motor though for that period authentic feel.  Since I cannot make it numbers matching (due to that block being cracked and long since thrown away).

1. Is there any more value in having the DZ motor as apposed to building a 302 from other parts?
2. Is there any more value in finding a correctly dated block, eg. Oct 69 like my car's build date vs Dec 68 (still a 69 model year DZ engine)?
3. Is there anything I am unaware of that I could do to make it as close to numbers matching as possible that would make it worth more as a package?

Thanks guys!

[tmodel66]

You might consider finding a 302 CE block that is date coded to your car. Value added? Who knows but that's what most folks are doing to try to make it "Period Correct".

[camaro69_guy]

Hmm, that is an interesting idea I hadn't thought of.  Is there a reason the date code on a CE motor would matter?  It seems like the CE motor would imply replacement due to breaking the orignial, this would surely happen after the car had been sold and driven for some length of time?

[tom]

CE date would be after production date.

[tmodel66]

CE date would be after production date.

Yes definite date after production. Any car could have a CE block with a close date and would seem more "Correct" because the numbers wouldn't match  yet the date of the engine would be close. Key word here is Date on the engine.

[sd1968z28]

i have a CE 302 69 style.  pulled it from my 68z when i put the original engine back in.  maybe 500 miles on it.

[tom]

Date of the engine would not have to be close, but should be after production, and within warranty period.

[sd1968z28]

my CE9B359  has a date code C309 what does that mean?

[JohnZ]

my CE9B359  has a date code C309 what does that mean?

If the C 30 9 is the block casting date, that's March 30, 1969. The "CE" stamp should have two more digits.

[sd1968z28]

i haven't looked at the engine in a while, took those numbers off jerrys cert.

[L78 steve]

I found a correct date DZ block. That's all you can see from under the hood. Vin is impossible to read anyhow.

[sam]

I put a correct dated 4 bolt block in my Z and just built a real 302 to spec. Nothing different in the blocks from DZ or just a 4 bolt block of that era I believe.