Welcome and always hang onto the original block anyways! Just clean it up and set it on an engine stand with a nice new paint job and keep it.You can always say you have the matching numbers engine block! You also might want to check at some REPUTABLE engine repair shops maybe the other shop just didn't feel comfortable messing with it. By the way threr are some really wonderful people on this site and one or two not so wonderful! LOL I will let them guess who they are!
