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So, lots of good news. I was laid off last time I posted an update. I'm back to work, hired in fully to Ford just like Pap was and just like my Dad is. With that, the engine is *finally* going to a builder, hopefully this weekend.

Just for fun, even though it's of course not the #s matching engine, I got the codes off the back of the block




E 7 73 I assume means May 7th, 1973. I know 3998289 is the casting number. I don't know what the T14 is. I'm assuming T is Tonawanda.

I also grabbed the date codes off the heads. One is F 18 9 so June 18th 1969, the other is I 12 9 so Sep 12th 1969 if I understood them right.

Okay this looked way worse on the borescope.

Clues say my 68 is an L78. But no solid proof. I keep hoping paperwork or the block will show up. It used to be on my mind a lot. Now it really doesn't matter.

Exactly where I'm at. I'd be stoked if my original PoP or block turned up, but would I trip over myself to change the car up/ change my plans? Naw, I like what it already has/had... Though if the transmission popped up, on the other hand, I would probably... pun aside, change gears.

Well, no pictures but my buddy brought a borescope over. Cylinder walls... do not look good. Whether or not they can just be honed or need to be bored (and whether or not it's already over-bored) I cannot tell. Suffice to say, setback further. Money was too tight to tear into it anyway...

Well, it sure has been a long time. Hell, I was fresh out of high school the last time I posted here. I don't even know where to begin. Well, okay, we'll start here; The car's now in my name. Unfortunately, we lost Pappaw in 2022 due to a heart attack caused by lung cancer. My last conversation with him, mere minutes before he passed, was confirming the small block in his (now my) garage was in fact a 383 stroker. The whole family said for that brief moment, his voice was stronger than it'd been in some time. He also told my aunt Amy that he was never able to mess with this car and sort it out, and it was my car to fix. I miss him every single day.

As for the car, well... It's languishing. Badly.



The engine, as probably anyone who heard it, me included knew, ate the cam. I blame it on an oil change in 2015. Not long after, the car began knocking. Dad and I didn't know much about the car, and neither of us knew about ZDDP or why it would matter, so... yeah.



I've since got the oil pan off- a Milodon pan, nice- and confirmed the presence of glitter. I also got the timing cover off and found an old Comp 300H, instead of the 305H I was told it had. By a miracle, I found an NOS one on eBay that night, so it'll be running the same grind. Unfortunately, the brakes never got fixed, either, so it still needs to be swapped to discs when the engine goes back in. Which, speaking of, is going to a bare block... eventually. I was going to start here soon but I got laid off, so... no money. Again.

When it DOES go back together, I have a little surprise for it. No more Flowmasters.



(These were a truly idiotic purchase. I had no money at the time and basically bankrupted myself over them two years ago. Young and dumb, I can be.



In the last ten years, I've had the traction bars redone, put more stickers in the windows, and dressed up the engine bay for motivation with M/T valve covers and Accel wires. Inside, I put a RetroSound radio and speakers in it. Yeah, literally nothing of note, I know. It was that old sillyness of 'well, it doesn't cost too much, and it helps give me an image of what I'm going for.' It should be noted these (windows stickers excluded) were also done before Pap left us and it was still assumed he'd be having the repairs done. I never pushed him on it, though. Never felt right to do so.


OH, by the by, the guy who put this 454 in it said he sold off the original 396 and 4 speed. So, if anyone out there has a block and 4 speed with the partial VIN 399642, you have my car's original stuff. I'd love to know if it's still out there 40 years later, but even if I had the money I don't think I'd want them back (well, maybe the transmission- that clutch pedal still gives me ideas...)


(I'm not sure now if General Discussion is the best place for this thread. I wouldn't really call it a restoration, since for the most part, I don't really intend to go back to factory anything, except the brakes will be the factory style discs... that this car never came with, and maybe rear springs if I get around to replacing them. Whatever the mods feel is the right place for a build thread, basically. If that's still right here, then fair enough!)

There are engine pics, scroll down to the main portion of the ad, and under the picture on the left you'll see a button labelled "View All Images".
Click that, and another page opens up with more pictures.

My memory is shockingly bad. I remember what happened exactly, I just can't remember if the whole axle was replaced or just the axle. As for the vin and trim tag, I haven't but I should.

Actually, I just remembered. The axle's been replaced. The car had the brakes catch fire in 2014 and it destroyed the axle. At least from memory that's what happened.

Never looked. Previous owner told me it has 3.73s though.

It's been quite a while since I updated this.

Since I last posted, it's gotten a Holley 650 Double Pumper, new HiJackers in the rear, the rabbit stickers in the windows, and I've felt it launch in first for the first time. It's. An. Animal!
I ordered the NCRS report, it was ordered by Fairchild Chevrolet in Lakewood, Ohio. Seems to be a dead end, as the first location is gone, and the second one is still a Chevy dealer, but no longer Fairchild.

Right now, the car's down with a brake pulling issue, and needs a shifter cable. It's going into the shop later this week.

I saw another thread about the same thing and it seemed okay so I thought I'd give it a shot. Looking for info on my Grandfather's '68. 8N399642. I've been told by a previous owner (not the orig.) it was an L78 car. The 396 and Muncie (No idea if it was an M21 or M22) are long gone (same owner put a 454 and TH400 in it) and I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about it. Don't know the name, but he said he got it from his father's cousin in Vinton, Ohio.

Thanks,

Joe.

Hang on, the ad says LS motor, then also says numbers matching. What? Que? I don't think they had T10s either, did they?

It's been edited. Still spelled Hurst wrong, but now I can at least get the gist of it.

Kurt, would you like me to PM you the VIN? I'm a little reserved about giving it out though.

No, those were long gone. He bought it in '03. The owner in the 80s raced it. Motor is 10.25:1 compression, dome forged pistons, Comp Cams Magnum Hydraulic Flat tappet (.575 lift, .305 duration). Edelbrock C427X intake, Accel distributor with MSD cap and wires. Holley 750 vac secondary. Headers leading to Flowmasters. 3.73 gear. I'd love to know more, but the POP is also long gone.