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".
__________________
|