I'm looking at a 87 350 to buy and the guy says he rebuilt the engine about 3,000 miles ago into a ZZ3 crate.
Ok what is a ZZ3 and what's one run ($) and what about hp gains beond stock. he is also running a hot cam and edelbrock headers.
guy wants $3,900. car has some minor probs, nothing a few saturdays in the garage can't fix.
thanks
bikertrash

 

If he rebuilt it, it's not a ZZ3.

What pistons are in it? What heads? The HOT cam is for the LT4, not the ZZ3 (not that you couldn't put one into a ZZ3, but it's not the ZZ3 cam regardless). What intake? What distributor?

People always say stuff like that when they use one part that comes on some buzzword motor. Ignore it. "Yeah, this motor has the same AC/Delco spark plugs that GM used in the ZZ3, so whe I go to sell it, it's a ZZ3." Trust your eyes: when buying a used car, if you can't see it, it's not there. No matter how romantic the story, don't believe a single word out of the mouth of somebody selling a used car, unless you can see the evidence yourself. It's kind of like the "motor out of a Vette" thing: about half of all small block Chevy motors "came out of a [60 or 70 something] Vette". Well, even if it's true, which it's usually not, the motor doesn't absorb some kind of magical aura from having been in that chassis. There are now at least 10 times as many small blocks out there that "came out of a Vette" than there have ever been Vettes.

Get casting numbers and part numbers and receipts. See if they match ZZ3 part numbers. If they don't, then just assume it's really the motor out of a 74 Impala 2-barrel, with a different cam, intake and carb; then ask yourself if you would buy the car anyway if it had that motor instead of whatever self-gratifying BS the guy is stroking you with, because it probably does.

$3900 is an OK price for one of those cars in good shape, but if it has problems, pass.

 

I never really listen to all that stuff that someone is trying to say is in the engine. It's ok (the car) but it hasn't really rubbed me in the right way. It hasn't rubbed me wrong though. I don't know if I am going to buy it or not, I am treating it as having a stock engine anyway, car runs strong and hard, I am not about to trust a face value any way what someone says. It's rubbing me better than most cars that I have looked at but it is not the greatest. we'll see.... lets see whats wrong with it?
1. small dent rear left 1/4 panel from a rear end tap
2. intereor is tan and the seats could use alittle work.
3. t-tops leak alittle
4. heat and a/c is out

 

PAAAAAAASSSSSS!! my ***! almost 4K for a car with needed body work and no A/C and Heat?? not to mention the leaking T-tops which could cost $200 dollars in new seals. There are much better deals out there. Add up what it would cost to get that car right and then think about if it is worth it. Its probably not.

 

I've already decided...it's not worth it. guy has some one coming down from richmond (about 1hr away) today, and well I'm not about to get into a bidding war over a car that didn't tickle my funny bone.

OK so what is a ZZ3 engine again?
thanks
bikertrash