Thread: 307 from a Chevelle

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I've found a 307 out of a Chevelle/Malibu and I was wondering what to expect if I were to buy this engine. Is this a typical SBC in that everything is interchangable (283, 305, 350...).

It was running before the car was parked and the guy only wants $100 for it if I pull it out. What do you guys think?

Good deal/bad deal?

What's so great about a 307 for $100.00? That you have to pull?

if its a running 307 its a good deal. yep most of the typical stuff interchanges

Yeah, buy it.

Hey BigRed how long ago was this car parked? If it still runs, you should be able to drop a battery in it and a little fuel and start it up. If so, its worth the $100.00.

No idea how long it's been parked...I'd guess quite a while. There's a pretty large animal nest in the engine bay. Lots of pine needles and sticks. I feel that not only will I need to bring a hoist, but also a shotgun and a tetanus shot just to make sure.

The guy told me that he drove it to the spot that it now sits. "It smoked really bad, but it ran"...those would be his exact words.

Seems like a pretty good deal to me. I'm just not looking forward to getting under a car that's parked in sticker-burrs! I guess I'm spoiled...too many engine pulls on a flat, concrete shop floor...

A 307 is a 283 block with a 327 crank. You can expect to get hp comparable to a 305, but 305's have much better flowing heads, so you might want to find a pair and get rid of those restrictive 307 heads.

I sort of hate to ask this newbie question...but is a 283 block a different physical size on the outside than a 350 or is it all about bore and stroke? In other words, could this 307 (283 block) be machined to a 350?

I'm not really wanting to do that, I'm just curious if that's the case or if there are actually different blocks...

283 block is the same physical dimension as a 350 block outside. The 283 uses a 3 7/8" bore and a 3.250" 327 crank, where the 350 uses a 4.000" bore and a 3.480" 350 crank. Although there are those on this board who will argue the point, a 283 block cannot be bored to 4.000".

To give you a comparison, I bought a 4bolt main 350 short block for $50.00 from a junk yard. Didn't have to pull it, just load it up. It's been in my pickup 4x4 for about 50,000 miles now. I don't think I would go to all that trouble for a 307. Nobody wanted them back then and I doubt if anyone is standing in line for them now. It just seems like to much effort and expense for that engine.

Originally posted by BigRed
No idea how long it's been parked...I'd guess quite a while. There's a pretty large animal nest in the engine bay. Lots of pine needles and sticks. I feel that not only will I need to bring a hoist, but also a shotgun and a tetanus shot just to make sure. ..

A Shotgun??????????????? a .22 should work just fine, they're cheaper and so is the ammo. Were you planning on using a slug or bird-shot? LOL. Smoked pretty bad? it could be the rings.
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You got a good deal for a good running 350 for 50.00. Id expect to pay 300.00 or more for a complete running 350, or 150.00 or more for a runable shortblock.
or 150.00 for a complete rebuildable 350, so Id say you got a good deal.
As far as the 307 goes, if its a good running engine...or even a rebuildable, 100.00 is a decent price. especially if your doing a #s matching restoration & need a correct 307.

Like I said, it was a 350 short block, not a complete or running engine by any means. It was completely rebuild from the bottom up. Of course I had to put on the heads, manifold, fuel injection system, etc. etc. etc. But ,because its an SBC, the stuff is cheap and plentyful.

The 307 was a "compromise" engine that Chevy built in the late '60s. It had the bore of a 283 with the stroke of a 327. The idea was to keep the smaller bore for fuel economy, but increase the stroke slightly for more torque. The engine was intended for the heavier vehicles like Impalas and light-duty trucks, but GM used them in everything from Camaros to maxi-vans.

The majority of them came with small valve heads (1.75 / 1.50) and 2-barrel carb, but they can be made to run pretty good for the street. They're a pretty tough engine, too.

I took a '67 Impala with a 307 into a demo-derby many years ago. I lost the radiator early on, but kept running anyway. That little 307 never missed a beat in an event that went on seemingly forever. I ended up 2nd after the winner finally put me out by crunching the right front fender in until the inner apron sheared off the fuel pump. When I climbed out of the car, the exhaust manifolds were glowing red! A friend of mine took the engine, cleaned & painted it, changed the cam, installed a 4-barrel intake & carb, and bolted it in his T-bucket. It absolutely screamed.

For a hundred bucks, buy it. If nothing else, you can put the crank in a 350 block and have a large journal 327.

Originally posted by Rico
A Shotgun??????????????? a .22 should work just fine, they're cheaper and so is the ammo. Were you planning on using a slug or bird-shot? LOL. Smoked pretty bad? it could be the rings.

I'm from Texas...a shotgun is a small arm!!!

Yeah, I figured the smoking was the rings, so I didn't sweat that detail.

Originally posted by J. Robinson
For a hundred bucks, buy it. If nothing else, you can put the crank in a 350 block and have a large journal 327.

Thanks. I've just got to find the time to do it now. Finding a 350 around here is like mining for gold. They are either way too expensive for my application or they are seized (and probably still too expensive )

Just curious, what would be the benefits of a large journal 327 over a garden variety 350...or a garden variety 327 for that matter?



Thanks to all of you guys for your input...