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1969 WL 428 - Chcago Area
Looking for the WL block from my Dad's 69 GP.
The car was sold to Ross Schneider in Bensenville, IL in the fall of 84. The drivetrain was pulled and the car scrapped in the fall of 85. Ross had the engine until the mid-90s; while he was talking to someone at a cruise-in he mentioned he had the engine, complete. Ross at that time lived in Addison, IL. The engine was probably sold with the Camaro Muncie 4spd that my Dad had put in the GP. The 3spd top-loader (the GP's original trans) might also have been included in the sale. Any leads would be appreicated. I do have the VIN for confirmation, but I figured just finding another WL block (142 built) would be enough! |
Hi Joe
Mid 90s - your way ahead of me. Good luck on the search & I'll keep an eye out for yours as well. |
Spring is on the way - check your stashes!
I did have a guy at the St Charles IL Pontiac show in 2013 say that he would find out from a good friend if he had such a block, but he didn't show up at the 2014 show and he didn't give me his contact info. He had a light green 69 Firebird. I still think this block is out there somewhere. |
Find it!!!
KV |
Hiya Keith! Hope you are well!
More info; we sold the car (69 GP) to Ross Schneider in 1984; he was a GTO guy and while he pulled the engine (and trans) and scrapped the car in 1985 - he never put the engine in anything. I tracked Ross down in the mid-90s and he still had it. I told him to keep my contact info someplace with easy access, like the front of his refrigerator. I should have moved on it then. Some time later he was at a local cruise in (somewhere in the western suburbs of Chicago) and got to talking to some Pontiac guys. He thought one of them had a green 69 Firebird - like my contact at the St. Charles shows. (That is why I inquired with Firebird guy at that show, he stated he had a friend with a bunch of Pontiac parts including blocks & engines.) At any rate, Ross had these guys over to his house in Addison IL. They came with a truck and bought everything he had. Ross didn't have any contact info for them. This would have been anywhere from 1995 through 1997. When I called Ross again that is when he told me he sold everything. We knew the entire history on the engine - it had 80K on it and nothing done to it except for pushrods and timing chain. So, this would have probably been a complete engine - carb to pan, with a stick-shift numbered Quadrajet, chrome valve covers and air cleaner lid, #48 heads, etc. Any leads would be appreciated. This was the first Pontiac engine I ever got to do any work on! |
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I would do a wanted ad on Chicago CL. Can't hurt.
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That is a shame it is gone. I don't have a WL block, but if you have no luck, I might have a spare 428 from a 69 Bonneville.
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ck67goat -Thanks, but my goal is to find THE engine that was in the 69 Model J that was sold in 1984 and then scrapped in 1985. I keep the VIN memorized - and written down.
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Curious
I have to ask ,, what is so special about the WL 428 block ?? I'm not up on the 428 block so please don't think I'm to big of a dummy for asking. I've been around lots of Pontiac's but don't know much about the 428's. Most knowledge is for the 400 & 455. So whats up with it. :rolleyes:
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1969 428 WL engine code, 390hp manual trans. 10.75 - 1 cr.
GP engine. most likely had Ram Air manifolds. |
There were only 142 code WL blocks cast in 1969. They were only used in GP's that year with manual transmissions - 119 went in production cars and the rest, I assume, must have been for "projected warranty" issues. There were 94 cars built with the M20 wide-ratio 4spd (my current car is one of these, albeit without the original trans), 22 were built with the special order M21 close ratio 4spd; this also mandated a 3.90:1 axle. There were 3 built with no transmission option, which meant they had the M13 Dearborn (Ford) top-loader 3spd. The specific engine I am looking for is from 1 of the 3 cars.
Having a spare engine with the same block code is a "nice to have". My reasoning is also due to the fact that I am looking for that specific engine, as when we sold the car we knew the entire history on that engine. It was available in the mid-90s from Ross Schneider in Addison, IL - he is who bought the 3spd GP we had and while he planned to but the engine in a GTO, that never happened. I have memories of working on THAT specific engine; rebuilding the carb with my dad, polishing the valve covers and air cleaner lid, etc. Learning stick-shift driving. (I drove the car twice.) Basically, it's a link to my past - as well as being a back-up to what I currently have. One can easily build any of the more common 428s to be a 428 HO, so please understand WHY I am searching for this particular engine. |
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Yes - all 69 GPs with the 428 HO had the long branch manifolds. I have the Ram Air Restorations reproductions on my car, as the originals are rather pitted and one of the ears for an exhaust pipe bolt (there are only 2 bolts) is broken.
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I was reading another thread where Cliff R. mentioned he had a 390 HP 428 block in his car now. post number 8 here http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=788120
probably wouldn't hurt to shoot him a pm or something, just to ask. |
here's a car listed with a '69 390 HP 428 backed by a 4 speed.
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/5723176648.html |
I think that engine is from a GP, I bought a few parts of what was left of it. I think I have the trans for the GP parted out a long time ago...I bought the trans in about 2003 or so. was a close ratio car I think...A GTO guy had it and parted the car before I could save the whole thing. I just heard of it too late
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TTT
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TTT - still looking. Recently found (in Smoke Signals) a 69 Model J 3spd 400 car.
I also have the goofy idea of building a clone of what we had, but I would want a 3spd car to start with. |
If it is a burgundy car, I know it. I have pictures of it from about two years ago.
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