Engine Rebuild Ideas

[Pseudonym]

Hi guys, I have a 74 C-Supreme with the 350. Yesterday I decided to go to Firestone and have them do a full vehicle check, just to get a grasp on what should be pursued first as far as restoration goes. The guy tells me that the car has a killer oil leak (hasn't leaked more than a few drops so far :confused:) because the oil pan was damaged. He recommended just rebuilding the whole engine if I was going to get a new pan.

I was (and still am) planning to rebuild the engine in February if all goes as planned financially, but was wondering if anyone had any specific ideas on what part combinations would go well on the rebuild (what headers to use, good carbs, cams, etc). I'm open to any ideas at this point, as long as it stays naturally aspirated and the original 350 is used.

Also, the car only has 81xxx miles (though to odo. turns at will now :D), and in its previously ownership was driven by a sweet old lady. Therefore the TH-350 was not exactly abused. Would anyone recommend leaving it in its orginal state for at least a while after the rebuild? Because as much as I want to rebuild this engine, I do not want to drive it home and blow the tranny up in the first week.

Thanks for any help!
JM

[jslabotsky]

IMO a slow oil leak is no reason to start a full rebuild. Drives me crazy when people say stuff like that. If the pan truly is damaged, it can easily be replaced with junk yard pan for next to nothing.

[HURSTOLDS_75]

Sounds like firestone is trying to rip you off, they must think you are a little old sweet lady.

[Pseudonym]

no kidding. they've definitely tried to rip me off many times before.
Since I was going to rebuild soon anyways, I figured I'd just go with the flow.

[damaged442]

Do not get any work done on your car by a shop like Firestone. You are better off doing it yourself, even if you don't know ANYTHING!!!

I have thought about rebuilding both of my cars for, well, 17 years with my 77 and 9 years with my 442. I have great delusions of grandeur every spring when I take them out. They go away every fall and I say to myself, i'll get to one next year. Yeah, needless to say, I just keep driving them. Rolled 145,000 miles on the 77 and 100,000 on the 442 this summer. They both run great, they just tend to "mark their territory" a bit here and there. Know what? They'll get rebuilt, someday! In the meantime, just drive it!! If stuff is going to break, it'll break.

[Pseudonym]

haha oh man, I would be afraid to go get work like that done at Firestone. I'd get the car back in no better condition with thousands of dollars in labor! Thankfully the two guys who were talking to me were fellow Cutlass owners (one a 72 and the other a 73. the 73 was an S but I don't know what model the 72 was). They recommended I go to a shop in the countryside that has been around for a good 20 years, and is run by a grandfather, son and grandson. After looking around the shop, and looking at a 72 350 they built, I'm liking what I'm seeing (their website is rebelrebuilders.com).

I would love to do the work myself, but I would never be able to finish! This project by the way, is a collaborative effort between my father and myself. So while a rebuild isn't really necessary, we both just want to have it done so we can have a little fun on the country backroads :D