would it be worth it trying to restor my car back to its original I6? would that raise the value any? and how can i tell if the I6 that i have is really the original engine?

Not really, unless it is an SS or COPO car restoring it to stock won't increase retail value any, with a 6 it may actually decrease the value.

The engine identification pad is in the front of the six cylinder distributor. It will have the model code (size) and a listing of the partial VIN. The partial VIN should match the VIN on the dash. It matches the production sequence number of the car if it is numbers matching.

Big Dave

Numbers matching Collector car value is based on desireable options and the I6 is not desireable. Now if you are building the car for the purpose of being judged in the numbers catagory becouse this is what you want then the I6 is great! If your in it for the money then you would be better off making a I6 car into a hot rod. If you want something to just cruise the I6 when tuned properly can get you good fuel economy and it does have some decent power. If you are looking for bragging rights a Turbo I6 could get you some bragging rights as you blow away some V-8's.

im not in it for the money. im for the fun and love of the car. but i dont want to loose any money.

To me, this is a hobby where we stand a real good chance to lose money. The economy is pretty bad right now where it comes to toy cars. These are luxury items/toys that are not economical to restore. If you come out of this breaking even I think you're doing well.

I refuse to tally up reciepts on my projects, but I paid $600 for my 77, have about $4000 in the engine and under hood stuff (so far), over $2000 in the transmission, about $1700 in the rear end, figure another $2000 or so in springs, sway bar, shocks, brakes suspension and steering parts, still needs interior and paint and most of all assembly which will run the tab another $4000-$6000. And when it is done I'll have an $8000 car :eek: But it is all for the love of the hobby, anyway if I didn't have a car to work on the money would still have been spent on something and she would probably end of leaving when the money runs out, the car won't :D

like i said. i dont mind if i loose a couple thousand. but i dont want to loose a big amount. im tired of looking at the thing just sitting there. i want to drive it soo bad. how long does it usually take to buy a crate and install it? including new trans, rebuild carb, and some other little things?

Just bring that car up a few miles to Gainesville Fl. :D near the raceway track and you will be fixed up in no time:beers:

Figure a month if you have everything lined up. What are you thinking on the transmission? Rebuild or new?

new. i want to go either 4 or 6 speed. it has auto. which would u recomend?

converting it to manual or automatics? Just to clairify.

Just bring that car up a few miles to Gainesville Fl. :D near the raceway track and you will be fixed up in no time:beers:

are u gonna fix it for me????:yes:

Orlando Speed World races every month (it is closer to DeLand than Orlando).

I personally have owned sixes (Corvairs with four one barrels on a flat six, and early Chevy II's with in line sixes), and they were fun to drive. In my opinion the fun factor increases with displacement (up to a point, I must now point out).

A 383 or a 406 would be the most bang for the buck. Want to increase resale? Add a big block Chevy over 454 cubic inches. Also, people are like crows, they are attracted to shinny objects; so chromed parts and brushed aluminum seems to peek most peoples interest and loosen their grip on their wallet.

Big Dave

Sure, you will need to get your hands dirty also, best way to learn.

ok so which 454 is the best for the $ ?

The reason big block cars are worth more is because they cost more initially! Everything associated with a BBC costs more, parts and labor.

That being said you want a 454 out of a pick-up truck that was made before 1974 because after 1973 GM went to the Peanut head to reduce emissions. They succeeded in reducing emissions by reducing the engines ability to breathe. No one wants a peanut head which means you have to replace the heads. SBC heads run about $450 each, BBC heads run $1200; so you can see right away why a BBC car is worth more.

You will not make money putting a big block in the car. Which is why I said a 383 is the most bang for the buck. Car buyers want big engines. They want a 406 right up until they discover the added expense of there being no more 406 blocks around so you have to buy an aftermarket block to make one. Those additional 23 cubic inches cost an additional $1700. The 383 comes with a premium as well. But it is made with a 350 block which is almost as common as a V-8 block currently, but the supply is shrinking rapidly since they have been out of production for a decade or more.

To make a 383 you need a 350 block a grinder, some time and a 383 rotating assembly. The 383 rotating assembly comes in four flavors which are cast or forged, internally balanced or externally balance. The most desirable is internally balanced and all forged. Guess what! That is also the most expensive. Will the cheapest option work. Yes! Your cheapest option that will yield just as much fun as any other Nova at the cruise or car show is the 350 (look at the thread how big is my engine; you would have lots of company at the car show since statistically every one there also has a 350)

Now of the 350’s which is the most desirable? The ZZ4 GMPP crate motor (and ZZ4 ball cap) because it has all forged internals, the hottest cam you can use with a stock torque converter, and good free breathing heads and an aluminum manifold. Want to make that motor worth more and add value to the car? Add aluminum heads and chrome valve cover along with an aluminum water pump and a shiny Z/28 open element chromed air cleaner.

Big Dave

The reason big block cars are worth more is because they cost more initially! Everything associated with a BBC costs more, parts and labor.

That being said you want a 454 out of a pick-up truck that was made before 1974 because after 1973 GM went to the Peanut head to reduce emissions. They succeeded in reducing emissions by reducing the engines ability to breathe. No one wants a peanut head which means you have to replace the heads. SBC heads run about $450 each, BBC heads run $1200; so you can see right away why a BBC car is worth more.

You will not make money putting a big block in the car. Which is why I said a 383 is the most bang for the buck. Car buyers want big engines. They want a 406 right up until they discover the added expense of there being no more 406 blocks around so you have to buy an aftermarket block to make one. Those additional 23 cubic inches cost an additional $1700. The 383 comes with a premium as well. But it is made with a 350 block which is almost as common as a V-8 block currently, but the supply is shrinking rapidly since they have been out of production for a decade or more.

To make a 383 you need a 350 block a grinder, some time and a 383 rotating assembly. The 383 rotating assembly comes in four flavors which are cast or forged, internally balanced or externally balance. The most desirable is internally balanced and all forged. Guess what! That is also the most expensive. Will the cheapest option work. Yes! Your cheapest option that will yield just as much fun as any other Nova at the cruise or car show is the 350 (look at the thread how big is my engine; you would have lots of company at the car show since statistically every one there also has a 350)

Now of the 350’s which is the most desirable? The ZZ4 GMPP crate motor (and ZZ4 ball cap) because it has all forged internals, the hottest cam you can use with a stock torque converter, and good free breathing heads and an aluminum manifold. Want to make that motor worth more and add value to the car? Add aluminum heads and chrome valve cover along with an aluminum water pump and a shiny Z/28 open element chromed air cleaner.

Big Dave

^^^^What he said!^^^^:yes:

good lord. how long have u been around old cars? you seem to know just about everything about them. i want the zz4 but what can i do to stick out among the rest of the crowd of 350s?

good lord. how long have u been around old cars? you seem to know just about everything about them. i want the zz4 but what can i do to stick out among the rest of the crowd of 350s?

Yea Big Dave has always been a wealth of knowledge here and one of the guys that got this board moving.

As for making a 350 stand out, again we run into that money thing! The SBC has been done so many times it is almost impossible to come up with your own working combo. Trick components like super chargers and Turbos cost money. You can add Nos, but a lot of people here are running it so it really doesn't make your engine stand out. When you get down to standing out with your engine it costs money! Sometimes you can come up with things that will make you stand out that are less expensive than the BBC option, but they will always be more expensive than the SBC. Even a Turbo I-6 costs more than a nicely built SBC. SBC parts are cheap becouse the demand is high.

My idea for having my motor stand out is using a Pontiac 455 engine. The base here will actually cost more than a basic BBC. Buick and Olds motors are also available and you can still find good 455 cores. Problem is the demand for aftermarket performance is small, so the aftermarket parts cost more! Then you have to figure out how to mount them in your engine compartment. Lucky for 3rd gen Nova owners most of these can be bolted right in as Pontiac, Buick, Olds, and Cadillac made their own version of the X-body Nova. You just have to find one for parts, which can be the killer!

i dont think i need a 455. i guess im gonna go with the zz4