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I just aquired a mexican crate motor tonight its a four bolt main chevy 350. The thing looks brand new I took the heads and oil pan off to take a closer look. It has flat top pistons and the skirts look like new. The one thing that bothers me about it is the block. The valley has some weird grinding marks on it and the holes where the lifters go in arent exactly on center where they should go I think the gring was for lifter clearance. Just curious what to think about it. LOL it was given to me and every thing looks like new allmost. Do you think I should use it? or would I be wasting money?

If it was given to you why not? If you don't I'll come and get it from ya!

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LOL I didnt say I was going to give it away!!!


How far is eagle point from ashland? My cousin lives in ashland he sold his LUV a couple of years ago at the drag strip in central point. I wonder sometimes if who ever bought it is a memeber of this site.

maybe 30 miles. Was his luv a drag truck but not a street driver? my wife saw one in Ashland on the way to one of our daughters softball games. then when she was going to show me a couple months later it was gone. She said it looked like a drag truck, (or at least a "pro street") had some fat tires on it...

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yeah it had the pro street look. It was white and he had vital signs do some graphics down the bed.

Sounds like the same truck. my wife said it was white with some graphics.
small world...

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LOL thats funny it is a small world. I got another motor tonight in trade for some old circle track parts. I havent tore into it just yet but the guy I got it from has a good reputation and is a good friend. Its a 327 suppose to put out 325-340hp. The guy that gave me a the hecho en mexico motor told me it was just all of a sudden down on power. I was noticing today when I was cleaning the remainder of the head gasket off the heads it had a blown gasket between the 2 middle cylinders on the left side so Im guessing thats what was making it lose power.

Nice! Now all you have to do is hook them in tandem like those tractor pull guys and figure out how to mount both in the luv...

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I figured I could make it four wheel drive now I can put one in the front and the other in the rear. I remember a couple three or five years ago cant remember for sure I saw a couple of datsuns at the cool april nights car cruise that had gnarly motors behind the cab with out beds. now all I gots to do is figure out how to be able to control both at the same time.

dude that would be some wicked shit!!!!!!!!

speaking of wicked I forgot to mention the 327 came out of a Boss Hoss

dude, you HAVE to put both those motor in the bed of the luv and make it a wheelstander!! that would be WICKED!!!!!

either that or just use one motor and get a toranado transaxle and put one motor in the bed. still could make a wheelstander with one healthy smallblock

you know, it would be like the "hemi under glass" but instead it would be called "smallblock in bed"

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

I wonder if that mexican motor is the same as about 20 years ago I knew people installing a "Target" motor. And 20 to 50 thousand miles the cam would go flat on them. Other than that they seemed to work good, even with high power components like manifolds, carbs., headers, and new bigger cams, and such.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

from what I understand it is a target master. I talked to my engine builder about it and he said you can tell a mexican motor from one made in the US by watching the push rods spin when its running with the valve covers off. The way every thing looks off center it wouldnt surprise me if it did eat up a lot of cams. I was also told the blocks arent as strong as the regular ones either making it not so desirable for someone that wants to make a lot of horsepower.

Hey Gabe, I saw the truck your talking about, there was a datsun (white I think, older one) and a yellow LUV with a big block behind the bed, did you see that one? They both looked killer at the show.. Saw the white datsun out at the track a month or so ago and was rather dissapointed with it's performance.. The datsun was running 11.80's I think, looked alot faster. I guess they drive them on the street too, ill try to find the pic i took of the chevy LUV. Oh and Mike D over at M/T racing (222-1125) should be able to sonic test that block and look it over if you plan to make some big power with it, or you could just put a big plate system on it for fun lol

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I dont know what I am going to do with it right now I might just let it sit for a while and see what happens with the 327 I have. I was going to start putting it in last weekend and got busy and then thought I would do it this coming weekend but the I found out I have to work out of town this weekend so who knows when I will get around to it now