[hollywoodbob]

I am trying to find out what horsepower enging my friend has. It is a 396 chevy motor in a 1968 Chevelle. The numbers match. I know that if it was a 325 horsepower it would have a quadrajet carberator, but it has a dual feed holley. I also know that the 375 horsepower motors had a solid lifter cam. With out taking the motor apart I would like to know how to tell the difference between a 375 hp and 350 hp motor. Did all 375 hp motors come with an aluminum intake manifold. This motor has a cast iron intake with a dual feed holley. Could someone tell me a way of telling the hp of this engine? The number on the block is
#T0328ED 18B180922. Thanks in advance

[MusclecarNut]

ed=325hp/396

[302 Z28]

To my knowledge, all 375hp 396's came with a GM aluminum intake and dual feed Holley carb.

Vince

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

all 375 hp motors had aluminum rectangular port intakes, in 1966 chevy produced a 360 hp small port big block in the chevelle ss, this motor had a hotter cam and a cast iron holley pattern intake, sounds like your friends engine is a combination of older parts, the iron intake will only fit the lower hp. oval port heads. the aluminum intake will fit either set of heads with the right gasket combination.

[Vern Bradford]

Yo Bob,
You're kidding about the aluminum heads, right?
Vern Bradford

[hollywoodbob]

Vern, go back and read my question again. You will see that I DID NOT mention anything about aluminum heads, I said that I thought all 375 horspower motors had AN aluminum "INTAKE MANIFOLD".

I am not trying to be smart with you, but you need to read the question as it is written not how you think it is written.

If you don't have an answer, then don't replly.

All you did with your reply was waste yours and my time. It had nothing to do with the question.

[Vern Bradford]

Bob...Dude... I am trying to help you.If you notice there was another Bob who posted here. This Bob said ALL 375 horse 396's had aluminum heads. He is incorrect. When you ask a question on a BB please take the time to read the responses carefully. Now that that is out of the way I will tell you the way to spot a 375 horse 396 with out takong it apart. Bob... are you listening? Two ways; (1) look at the oil filter area, if there are two plugs screwed in the block just above the oil filter this is a 375 horse block. The plugs are for an oil cooler. (2) ALL 375 horse motors came with rectuclar port heads. The way to tell a rectular port head is a small half circle is cast (embossed) in the end of the head much the same way that small block heads are coded.
Vern Bradford

[hollywoodbob]

Vern, I do appreciate your help.

First, I didn't interrupt the other Bob's answer the way you did. After going back and reading it again, I see no where in his answer that he mentions that all 396/375 engines have aluminum heads. Maybe we are both interrupting his response differently. I only see that he mentioned that an aluminum intake will work on both aluminum or cast iron heads.

Since this motor is the original motor and I know it is because the girl that owns it is a friend and bought the car in 1968 and is thinking about selling it, I am trying to find out if her X husband did any changes to the motor. She had originally told me that it was a 325 hp engine. After I lifted the hood, I immediately seen the dual feed holley and I know that only the 350 and 375 hp motors came with the holley. She doesn't know if he changed the carb or not.

You ought to see this car. Everything is original except the rims, her X painted the block black, he put on a set of headers, and added a Holley Air Cleaner.

It has been stored ever since her divorce and hasn't even been started for the last 14 years. The original paint still looks good, the vinyl top is in excellent shape as is the interior with the bench seat. And to top that off, she has all the original paper work, even the window sticker when she ordered it.

The reason I am trying to find out which of the 3 hp motors she has is to know how much over $20,000 it is worth. She did have a car collector come up and offer her $19,000 cash, with no bickering. I am somewhat of a motor head but without taking off the rocker covers and check the valve lash to see if it has a hydraulic or solid lifter cam, I was hoping to find an answer in this forum.

I will check on the holes by the oil filter. At least that will narrow it down to either a 350 hp or that the quadrajet was replaced with a holley.

According to one of the answers on this post, since the letters ED is stamped on the front of the block, it could possibly be a 325 hp with the quadrajet swapped out for the dual feed holley.

Once again, thanks for your help and I will definitely check out your suggestions.

[Vern Bradford]

Bob,
I do apoligize to Both Bob's, I was reading his answear wrong. I do hope that I was some help though.
If I were your friend I would take the 19K.
Vern

[hollywoodbob]

Vern, no problem. I will be at her house tomorrow checking on your 2 answers. I really appreciate the help.

I forgot to tell you that the gentlemen that offered her the money has 15 cars now. All are completely stock. He left the offer open because he knows the car is worth more.

The reason we are checking is that a car that is in the shape that this one is in goes for more. My cousin sold his 1969 Chevelle 396/325 for $17,000 and he had to replace both full quarter panels and this car is original and solid.

This type of car is very rare, being of original owner, paint, interior and so forth. On a scale of 1 to 10, it is probably a 9. No bondo either, very solid. It doesn't need any body work, not even a paint job.

Plus, she has never even advertised it. This gentlemen found out by word of mouth. I can tell you that this car will go for $23,000 or more.

Thanks for the info. When it sells, I will post the price she got in the same forum with the same heading. It may be a few months though, because we are going to pull the motor, repaint it factory orange, put the stock exhaust manifolds and stock rims on and then give it a good cleaning.

Once again, I "Really Appreciate" your help.

[Vern Bradford]

Hey Hollywoodbob,
You know that big blocks and small blocks were painted different shades of Chevrolet Orange, right?
Why don't you post a picture, I would love to see it.

Vern

[hollywoodbob]

Hey Vern, I didn't know that, so thanks for telling me.

We will be pulling it out of the garage in the next week or two, as soon as I told her I have time. We are going to clean it all up.

I didn't know that I could post pictures in this forum. Now that you told me, I will surely do that. Hopefully sometime next week.

Thanks for the info on the paint. When we paint it I will make sure that I get the Big Block paint.

Hollywood Bob
www.hollywoodbobsplace.com

[Vern Bradford]

10-4 Hollywood. The bigblock "Orange" is almost red. While the small block is truely orange.
Later,
Vern