Eric76

I'm in the early stages of planning for an engine swap. Removing original L-48 to replace with....well - still working on that as well.

Wondering what does one do with the old engine? eBay? :smash:

Spook

Hey Hey Hey...

I think its probably in your best interest to store your original engine in order to have a better resell or future value if you ever decide to make it original or sell it to someone who would. This may not be an option for you but I would imagine its not that big a deal.

Spook
:reddevil

NHvette

Not much room to store engines in NY NY - but you should.
You never know if/when you might sell her, and you'll
get more with a numbers matching engine - L48 or not.

:seeya

pillowmeto

if you dont keep it i dont think it would that big of a deal though considering you have a 76 L48, not exactly a desirable option. Its not like chopping up a chrome bumper. But i have a 76 L48 and if i had the money i would store the orgional just in case, but if i didnt have much money i would sell it and put the moeny towards the new engine. Now if you had a 69 i would say you should never sell the engine away.

MAtt

Eric76

Well, unfortunately that's the problem - space to store it! Perhaps cleaned up it could make an interesting "art" piece for the living room? OK, maybe not. Might have to start visiting the family! :lolg:

Eric76

If I had a 69, I probably wouldn't be swappin' engines! :D

Stoge

I'm kind of at the same quandry with my '79 L-82. I happen to have an extra 4 bolt 350 sitting in my garage ready to be rebuilt... screaming to become a stroker motor. However ZZ4 and some other crate motors look good too.

There is only one real numbers matching engine for my car, and even though there were oh i don't know... twenty million 1979 vettes (or so it seems :crazy:), I still think it is worth it to keep the original motor around. Probably even better if it's never been rebuilt or torn into (in my case this is true... 41,000 miles on it too).

I still say hang on to it. Even if it is a L-48. ;)

Crash Dummy

Eric,

No one on E-bay is going to want your engine and crating it up & shipping it is not worth it to anyone. It's your decision, but either keep it or get rid of it. You can buy roll-around extensions you can bolt directly to the motor mounts on the engine if you have some room somewhere. I agree that you should probably keep it. I sold my '74 last weekend with an AR engine in it and the buyer wanted the original engine just in case he wanted to go back to original. Keep everything from the air cleaner/distributor to the pan if you do make some major changes.

78Vette-SA

How about I help you pull and replace yours and I'll use yours in my 63 while I am having mine rebuilt! This way here you know where it is and if you need it you can get it back. Just tossing options out there.

I'm getting ready to pull the 327/360hp Fuelie out. I don't plan to put it back in until the frame-off is completed which won't start until later next year. However, I still want to be able to drive the car next spring.

So, if your engine is in decent running shape, doesn't leak too bad, and has some life left in it, either I could buy it or we could work something out.

Joe..

Cookwithvette

Three words for you....

KILLER GO CART. :D

I have a similar situation with a "leftover" L48. I've always thought it would be cool to make a car that looks like a cross between a dragster and a coffin. Name it Dragula of course. :crazy: :lol:

78Vette-SA

I think it was George Barris who beat you to it with Grampa Munsters wheels.


or this: (Boothill Express)

Cookwithvette

Yep! The Munster Dragula was what gave me the idea.

I love that hearse! That's wicked.

SharkAttack

:iagree: - Besides, you won't get much money for it anyway.

LFZ

keep it...they make great garage space takers. i've got 2 motors on stands sitting in the corner.

74-Roadster

I guess I'm going against the grain . . . I haven't seen anyone on this forum restoring a 74, 75 or 76 L48 so what makes anyone think someone will want to in the future? If you don't have room, put it up for sale. Surely there's a teenager who needs a cheap 350 for a project. You may not get much out of it but it's a lot better than storing it for who knows how many years.

Imothph

Rebuild it for practice!. Make it a project for weekends or something, start tearing it down and who cares if it takes a while for you to get it done, It will be good practice ( assuming your not a frequent engine rebuilder) and when your done you'll either have a rebuilt stock motor for your vette if you sell it or a good tight 350 for sale.

72GACRZR

Sell it or rebuild it. These are Corvettes, not ming dynasty objects of art that set on shelves and appreciate. Sure some are that valuable, but yours isn't one of them(neither is mine). If you get a new engine and build the car the way you want it, you might keep it for the rest of your life and enjoy it. Besides if everyone keeps their '76 in original shape, they will never be able to reach that RARE status that brings the big bucks. I do agree that the chrome bumpers are starting to be desirable with the original engines(only because the midyears have all but been done over as $60K+ cars), so if it was one of them I would keep it around, but I think it will still be a few years before the soft bumpers reach collector status.

No offense to anyone, just my 2 cents