1969 KC Chevelle L78 block found???

[carnut4life]

Bought a set of rectangular port head today in St Louis, MO and the guy had a C 21 9 dated 3955272 396 block that he hadn't put up for sale yet so I picked it up while I was there. It's a 4 bolt 396 from 1969 Chevelle with the big plug above the oil filter and the VIN 19K446050 stamped above the oil filter. The block has been decked so there is no code stamped on the engine pad but I think its a 69 L78/89 block. Please feel free to pass this along to all the Chevelle sites out there, I don't know where else to post this since I'm a Camaro guy. I'd love to reunite the block with the car if it's still out there and am not really interested in selling it to anyone else at this time. Call or email with questions. Thanks, Chad 641-660-4019

[PeteLeathersac]

136379K446050
136679K446050
136809K446050

Good luck reuniting car and engine.
Welcome aboard Chad!
<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif
~ Pete

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

What about the lowly 300 Deluxe SS 396

134279K446050
134379K446050

Ryan

[carnut4life]

Thanks guys. Forgot to mention it in the first post but the engine is standard bore with sleeves in #4 and #5 cylinders. The guy I bought it from bought the block and the heads as a package deal at a garage sale in St Louis a couple years ago from a old man who said they were in his garage when he moved into the house and had no idea wheat they were??? Hopefully the VIN info will make it to the other Chevelle sites out there and be reunited with the car if its still out there. Probably a long shot but ya gotta try. Happy hunting!

[SS69chevelle]

Checked my list and have no info on the chevelle, added the info in the event it shows up in the future. The Chevelle should be a 06A build (June 1969 first week). Thanks for sharing the info.

[carnut4life]

According to a member of the site the car was registered in MO in 1988 and was a regular two door hardtop SS 396. If it ever turns up I'll make the owner a smoking deal on his original block.

[carnut4life]

Thanks to a couple different members on this site I found the owner of this L78 Chevelle! He's a nice guy from Kansas City that has owned it since 1980 I've been in contact with him for over a year and have been trying to convince him that I'll make him a heck of a deal for his block and just want it reunited with the car it was born with. Unfortunately, he officially told me Saturday that he isn't interested in getting his #'s matching block back :( Who would of thought??? Thanks to those who helped me track him down, wish there was a happier ending to this thread.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Dick move on his part!!!

Ryan

[carnut4life]

I'm really disappointed, thought I was doing a good car deed. I paid $400 for the block and heads and told him that's all I wanted for it. I'll probably sell the heads and drop the block off in his yard the next time I go to Kansas City, then it will be on him to get rid of it. Doubt anyone else would want a .125" block with a couple sleeves and I don't have it in me to just throw it out. I originally thought the block was standard bore but it had been bored out to a 427 at some point in the past so I kind of get him not wanting it. But, it's still his original block, I'd want mine even if it had a hole in it!

[chevyman0429]

Man I wish I could find one of the original blocks of one of my 69 SS I'd pay top dollar even f the block was junk just to have the original!

[L72copocamaro]

I'm really disappointed, thought I was doing a good car deed. I paid $400 for the block and heads and told him that's all I wanted for it. I'll probably sell the heads and drop the block off in his yard the next time I go to Kansas City, then it will be on him to get rid of it. Doubt anyone else would want a .125" block with a couple sleeves and I don't have it in me to just throw it out. I originally thought the block was standard bore but it had been bored out to a 427 at some point in the past so I kind of get him not wanting it. But, it's still his original block, I'd want mine even if it had a hole in it!


Sounds like you were more than fair with him. Hard to believe he didn't want it.

[Postsedan]

It's a thrill to be able to find and buy back your original engine......I was able to do just that on my former 1969 SS396 L34 Chevelle :-)

Dan

[iluv69s]

It's a thrill to be able to find and buy back your original engine......I was able to do just that on my former 1969 SS396 L34 Chevelle :-)

Dan

400 bucks ?? with the heads?? and he did not want them? ayayay.

what an idiot !

[scuncio]

I had a similar experience trying to reunite a mint LS6 engine with its original triple black SS454 body, but ultimately the body sold to a new owner who couldn't wait to get his hands on it. I would just stash it away for now. You're doing a good thing.

[jer]

I also had the opportunity to return a L89 engine to it's original engine bay in a '69 vette. The owner didn't want to hear of it...because it HAD the original engine. HMMMM>

[big gear head]

I've got a '70 L78 block and crank and a '70 LS5 block, crank and heads that I'd like to get back to the original cars, if they still exist. I have no idea how to find the cars.

[Jonesy]

I've got a '70 L78 block and crank and a '70 LS5 block, crank and heads that I'd like to get back to the original cars, if they still exist. I have no idea how to find the cars.

Yep, what are the partial VIN's stamped on them?

[big gear head]

I had them on a note, but that was years ago. I'll have to dig them out again.

[Bill Pritchard]

Hopefully that guy doesn't have any kids so that his complete lack of intelligence isn't passed on. Even if it has no meaning to him, it certainly might to the next caretaker of that car.

[carnut4life]

I'll get the block back to him eventually, I figure it's worthless to anyone on earth but him since it's been bored .125". A friend of mine suggested I make a flower pot out of it, think I'll use that when I drop it off for him..lol..

[WILMASBOYL78]

No good deed goes unpunished :smirk:

[Bigjohn396]

When I found out my block was out there I was all over it thanks to this site about two years ago I was able to get it andbring it back home 1968ss/rs 396-l78 #124378n413883 thanks again for all who helped👍 👍

[66 L78 ragtop]

I have reunited 5 blocks with their original cars including 2 LS6 blocks, an L88 and a 66 L78.

I didn't profit a penny. It was fulling to get the cars and their engines back together.

[scuncio]

That is very cool of you.

[Xplantdad]

I have reunited 5 blocks with their original cars including 2 LS6 blocks, an L88 and a 66 L78.

I didn't profit a penny. It was fulling to get the cars and their engines back together.

Way to go Orlando!

[firstgenaddict]

Did you try to buy the car?

[carnut4life]

No, I have too many cars already(according to everyone else). Was just hoping to do a good deed for a fellow enthusiast and reunite the car and block. I still have every intention of getting the block back "home", now its just a matter of when I'll do it and how much it will cost me to get it back with the car. Hopefully if I drop it off at his house for free he'll realize how lucky he is to have something most of us only dream of getting back and decide to keep it for a future owner.

[DW31S]

Some people just don't "Get It", fortunately you do. Maybe it is his pride, you know just like the other story about the car that allegedly HAD the original engine in it. Maybe this guy has been spouting off to everyone that HIS car HAS the original engine in it and doesn't want egg on his face when all his cruise night buddies found out he was, in fact, incorrect. Maybe he thinks you're trying to sell him a "bill of goods", although free is hard to pass up.
If the cylinder walls will clean up, and a line bore will clean things up, I think that block IS still usable, but financially it wouldn't make sense to anyone other than the owner of the car where it belongs. I'm gonna go with my assumption that the guy has been telling everyone since 1980 that his car is "numbers matching".