I am going to run into autozone, napa, federated parts, and our local gearhead shop tomorrow. Hopefully I can find this stuff. I'd like all new for both rear ends actually.

BTW, I went into our local gearhead shop and inquired about machine work. They apparently clean their blocks and stuff with high pressure hot water... I would rather that they were boiled or bead blasted or whatever it is. He also said that they don't magnaflux, they pressure test. How could you pressure test a block??? I think I'll go someplace else, sounds like a shady operation, heck, I have a pressure washer at home, I can do that much at least.

I'd like to find a cheap motor to drop in the car, not sure if it is going to be realistic or not. Seems like running motors go for $400 and up, probably rightly so. It is looking like I could throw my 327 together pretty cheap and hope for the best.

 

I think you should listen to your gut feeling about that machine shop. Any shop that doesn't hot tank and magniflux should be questioned. I'm sure you could pressure test each cylinder, and the wet system, but not much will take the place of magnifluxing to find tiny cracks that might not show with pressure.
Washing with a pressure washer can be very effective, and I always wash my blocks after getting them back anyway, just to ensure there's no crud left sitting in the bottoms of the water jackets. I didn't wash my 427 when it was done because I asked the shop and they told me they do that also before installing the soft plugs. Saved me a step.
I think you should also go forward with 327 build too. It's not that much more time, it will save you money, and you really don't need this as transportation, so no reason to rush things. Besides the 327 is just an awesome engine, and you'll be very happy with it when it's done!

 

I got this 327 for $20 out of the scrap pile at the storage place, someone left it in a shed and they were going to toss it. It seems clean, cylinders look good, no sludge in it, no rust, I am tempted to go with it like it is. I have a Comp Cams XE268H cam I got for free. I have some camel hump 2.02/1.60 heads that I trades stuff for. I've got the old school Holley Street Contender 300-36 intake, old school M/T valve covers, I would need a gasket kit, lifters and rods, timing chain and gears and a carb, I could be running with that.

 

Rods? Push rods or connecting rods? If that's all you need you can get by REALLY cheap if it doesn't need a bore! You could open it up and check the wear for a ridge in the bore. Check the pistons to see if they are stock bore, or have the size stamped on top. Check the crank to determine if it's been turned and what size journals. Then just get the cheaper re-ring engine kit that's only $158. Still would need a $99 cam kit, and the timing chain kit. You could be running for very little money at all!

 

Push rods. Does the cam kit come with a cam? What is it? Pistons are stock bore I think, I don't feel a ridge on the top either.

 

When you put your new leaf spring pads in i would go with u-bolts on both sides instaed of using those t-bolts,just a little extra support there the t-bolts just dont seem like they would hold up to well with more power than a stock motor.

 

That is not a bad idea, I'll look into that. The only thing I can see is that the brake like attaches to the axle housing right about there.

 

The cam kit that Summit sells is a cam and lifters, nothing else. I put one in my car back 11 yrs. ago. They are sold under Summit brand, but are made by Comp Cams. Great product for very litle money!

 

I need lifters, I am tempted to just pick up a kit, I'll have to look into it.

 

If you need lifters, then you need a cam. Never install either without the other. New cam with used lifters, or used cam with new lifters; either will immediately wear the other to match, so both have to be replaced as a kit.