[maxepr]

Any Idea what a 69 350 HO WN engine would be worth? 48 heads, date codes all close including intake . complete block 0079.. has balancer minus distributer... I'm sure it needs freshening up.... Any ideas? Thanks. Ron

[nytrainer]

To the right person who needs a 350 HO for a '69 Firebird maybe $750 ish? The money is in the 48 heads. IIRC true 350 HO 48 heads had a smaller combustion chamber than the 48's that came on the 400 (64 vs.72). The block is really nothing special aside from the WN designating a 350 HO.
If I didn't have the original 350 HO engine in my '68 convertible I'm not sure I'd be looking for one because at that point I'd probably go 455. 350 HO's have surprising power and I'm a big fan but rebuild costs basically being the same as a 400-455 make it hard to get the same money as a 400-455 that needs a rebuild.
Anyway that's all I got to say about that lol
Forrest

[thews]

I have 2 WN engines.

#1) I paid $1K for the complete short block, 48 heads, intake and carb (all numbers matching)... It was a great deal.

#2) I found a bare block and I bought it for $500 plus shipping. No caps, crank nothing... just the block. I have 2 other sets of #48's and they sell between $500 and $800 on eBay. You can find more expensive ones, but I wouldn't pay much more unless they were completely rebuilt with receipts.

To answer your question, it really comes down to how much you'll sell it for and who needs it. They only made 2500 WN engines, so not many people need them. I've found parts I needed before, but if the person who owns them wants top dollar, it's just not worth it. It's never going to be the exact "numbers matching" engine, but having the correct parts on a stock rare car is very cool. .

I have 2 69 350HO convertibles and I can't find an XC engine. It has a rebuilt 1968 400 in it, so it doesn't need an engine. I'd like it to be a numbers matching XC. Good luck

[maxepr]

Thanks Thews.

[3tas4me]

Originally Posted by thews

I have 2 WN engines.

#1) I paid $1K for the complete short block, 48 heads, intake and carb (all numbers matching)... It was a great deal.

#2) I found a bare block and I bought it for $500 plus shipping. No caps, crank nothing... just the block. I have 2 other sets of #48's and they sell between $500 and $800 on eBay. You can find more expensive ones, but I wouldn't pay much more unless they were completely rebuilt with receipts.

To answer your question, it really comes down to how much you'll sell it for and who needs it. They only made 2500 WN engines, so not many people need them. I've found parts I needed before, but if the person who owns them wants top dollar, it's just not worth it. It's never going to be the exact "numbers matching" engine, but having the correct parts on a stock rare car is very cool. .

I have 2 69 350HO convertibles and I can't find an XC engine. It has a rebuilt 1968 400 in it, so it doesn't need an engine. I'd like it to be a numbers matching XC. Good luck

Sounds like you have some experience with the 350 HO engine. That '68 vert I bought last fall is a real 350 HO 4-speed. Original block and heads are still in the car although it isn't running. How do these compare to the 400? Got the PHS on my car and it has the Safe T Track rear with standard gears (3.55?). By the PHS, it appears whoever ordered it ordered it as a performance car with the 350 instead of a 400.

[nytrainer]

Originally Posted by 3tas4me

Sounds like you have some experience with the 350 HO engine. That '68 vert I bought last fall is a real 350 HO 4-speed. Original block and heads are still in the car although it isn't running. How do these compare to the 400? Got the PHS on my car and it has the Safe T Track rear with standard gears (3.55?). By the PHS, it appears whoever ordered it ordered it as a performance car with the 350 instead of a 400.

I'll jump in on an answer. I know my '68 Lemans 350 HO 4 spd vert is 1 of 176 (they lumped all manuals together so no actual # of 3 spd vs. 4 spd) and I would imagine production numbers for a Firebird with the 350 HO 4 spd is similarly low. Having original drivetrain is extra nice and IMO is worth rebuilding even though the rebuild costs may be the same for a similar built 400-455 (which was the point I was trying to make in previous post on this thread).
As far as power I have not been disappointed in the 350 HO for a street machine. At a rated 320 HP it is only 10-15 HP less than the standard 400 Firebird (seen them rated at both 330 and 335 though the 400 have more torque).
An original drivetrain 4 spd, 350 HO Bird is a very cool car in my world. For the cost of a comparable 400 4 spd Bird vert. I'd take the 350 HO bird and keep the extra $15/20k or so.

[3tas4me]

I agree. The 350 HO is rarely seen. I saw one at the Indian Uprising last year. Everybody seems to have a 400, even if it wasn't one originally.

To answer the original question, I would think a complete 350 HO should be worth $1500 -
2000 for someone who needs one to make their car correct. Difficult part is like mentioned above, there were never many 350 HO's made to begin with.

[thews]

Originally Posted by 3tas4me

Sounds like you have some experience with the 350 HO engine. That '68 vert I bought last fall is a real 350 HO 4-speed. Original block and heads are still in the car although it isn't running. How do these compare to the 400? Got the PHS on my car and it has the Safe T Track rear with standard gears (3.55?). By the PHS, it appears whoever ordered it ordered it as a performance car with the 350 instead of a 400.

If you have the original 350HO I wouldn't even consider replacing it with a 400. The 350HO was intended for the buyer who wanted a quick car but didn't want to pay the higher insurance premiums. The thing about the 350HO's is the HP rating was close to actual, while the 400 was underrated. While the HP delta may have been 15HP on paper, the 400 is probably 30+ more. Still, the 350HO is a quick engine. If you want to go faster, then a 400 with E heads and all the bolt-on toys will get you there, but a 350HO is unique.

I don't know the rarity of the 68's. I hope that the production numbers breaking down 350HO vs. hard top and convert are published before I die, just so I know if the rumored 112 69 350HO converts is true.

My 4-speed car also has a 3:55 posi and the rear end is the only thing numbers matching. It also has PFDB, PS and a power top. Delivered in January, I'd be curious when yours was built.

As far as a 350HO difference between 68 and 69, it's huge. There really is no external way to tell a 69 350HO from a standard 350. I wish it had stripes like the 67 and 68. It's probably why they didn't sell very well, because with an additional $100 you could have the 400.

[STEELCITYFIREBIRD]

I have a set of # 48 heads, date codes "K308".
I cc'd them @ 64 or 66 cc(can't recall right now). Based on the date code and small chambers are they likely 350HO heads??

[3tas4me]

Originally Posted by thews

If you have the original 350HO I wouldn't even consider replacing it with a 400. The 350HO was intended for the buyer who wanted a quick car but didn't want to pay the higher insurance premiums. The thing about the 350HO's is the HP rating was close to actual, while the 400 was underrated. While the HP delta may have been 15HP on paper, the 400 is probably 30+ more. Still, the 350HO is a quick engine. If you want to go faster, then a 400 with E heads and all the bolt-on toys will get you there, but a 350HO is unique.

I don't know the rarity of the 68's. I hope that the production numbers breaking down 350HO vs. hard top and convert are published before I die, just so I know if the rumored 112 69 350HO converts is true.

My 4-speed car also has a 3:55 posi and the rear end is the only thing numbers matching. It also has PFDB, PS and a power top. Delivered in January, I'd be curious when yours was built.

As far as a 350HO difference between 68 and 69, it's huge. There really is no external way to tell a 69 350HO from a standard 350. I wish it had stripes like the 67 and 68. It's probably why they didn't sell very well, because with an additional $100 you could have the 400.

No plans to replace my 350 HO with anything else. I like the fact that it is a rarely seen performance engine.

[thews]

Originally Posted by STEELCITYFIREBIRD

I have a set of # 48 heads, date codes "K308".
I cc'd them @ 64 or 66 cc(can't recall right now). Based on the date code and small chambers are they likely 350HO heads??

From everything I've read the #48 is the same for both the 350 and 400. They measure from 68 to 72cc. 64-66 seems low.

[maxepr]

How do you tell the difference between the 48 350 heads and the 400 #48 heads. I have the valve covers off can't see any numbers are the drip rails hiding them?

[north]

there is disagreement about whether or not they are different. There is no factory documentation about them being different and in the 69 MPC parts catalog they list the same part number for both applications of the head. Seems very unlikely that they would produce two heads with different sized combustion chambers and give them the same part number and casting number when other heads that year which were almost the same had different numbers.

I suspect that the issue is that certain heads have been milled (as people often did in the good gas days or due to blown head gaskets) resulting in lower volume in the chamber.

[maxepr]

Thanks , somewhere along the way I thought the seats in the 350 might be 45 degrees, different than the 400 .... Darn wish I could remember where I saw that

[north]

Very early production 69 non performance heads had the different valve angle but these were only the small valve heads.

[thews]

As an FYI, my 350HO engine failed because of a blown head gasket. 400 head gaskets were used, which are not the same as 350 head gaskets. I picked up some NOS 350 head gaskets off eBay.

thread... http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...+gasket&page=3