So my junkman calls one night, says "found someone with a '69 Chevelle Convertible in their driveway
she has get rid of so she can repave it". Without hesitation I say "I'll take it", figure
I'll unceremoniously cut it up and sell it on ebay. I get there and the woman is talking
to her son, the owner of this beyond a parts car rust bucket. Swears it's got a "DZ302"
in it - yeah, and I've got a 13" schlong too.
Wondermotor, the 302
Yes that is garden hose holding up the flywheel of this 11:1, mechanical roller cam, 4 bolt main, steel crank ultra rare of chunk of Chevy iron. Doesn't even hold piss since the drainplug was missing. Offer them $100 for it as a *couresty*. Also told 'em I'll take the carb-to-pan, fan to tailshaft complete '70 350 behind it no charge. Calls me back 2 hours later - "it's yours".
As you can see above, the complete 350 runs perfect on the ground. Looks like it's never been
apart in it's 35 years it spent powering Grampa's caprice somewhere in upstate NY. Did toss a timing chain in, even though the factory plastic gear one only had one slight crack in it. Yanked the fresh doubleroller of Wondermotor and installed it. So much easier to do a chain out of the car on a bench. I'm sure the neighbor's enjoyed the 4:45am open exhaust "let's see if the chain is installed right" test startup.
After getting all 3 garbage cans of crap out of the car, and this thing is a crapper. Floors rotted,
top is completely gone down to the frame, no brakes (suprise), no keys (suprise), no papers (no problem just
call International Title Service). The super-high-po TH350 that leaked fluid and saved the trunk from rotting got cleaned and tossed on ebay for some unsuspecting turd to buy. Clue: never buy a used trans with a 10" stall converter unless you can drive it. BUT it does have a real Chevy 12 bolt rear (on of the few good things Chevy ever made), the frame, rockers, and trunk are SOLID since it sat in North Carolina for 16 years. Most of the electric seems ok, top moves up and down. Still had the factory bumper jack and hold down in good shape - destined for a Camaro numbnut on ebay soon.
Didn't waste any time yanking out Wondermotor:
Best we can tell, wondermotor blew
it's original timing chain due to excessive cam
walk, probably from the triple valve springs that look to have
been installed. Someone put a new chain in only to find it had bent a handful
of valves - and then it seems to have
sat just like this since some time in 1986... more $ than
brains, a beautiful thing
And watch for Wondermotor coming to a ebay auction soon! A little
Kroil freed up the cylinders nicely. Need to sand
down the marks I put on the crank turning it with a pipe wrench. Some Chevy boob
will gush jizz over this lousy excuse for a boat anchor. Just
have to wash the rat's nests out, sand off the rust, and give'er spray can
rebuild. Looks like it was runing with no windage
tray or studs for that matter. Who need's em when you've got the stock 1-7/8
single exhaust for a rev limiter?
Well, might as well drop in the complete 350:
Nothin' like a crusty motor for a crusty car. Used original h/w I'm always tripping over so you can't tell if the motor has been in there 18 years or 18 minutes. Still running on the tuneup that was on it.