Thread: G3 Hemi in 37 Dodge coupe

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"…..Back to the old engine concept, there is a 340 for sale, $1000, in need of overhaul. How much does it cost to go through one properly?......”


That’s really kind of a hard question to answer with any authority. Of course a lot will depend on the condition of the engine and how much actually needs replaced. It is possible (but highly unlikely) that it could get by with a valve job, cylinder hone and new rings and bearings…….much more likely is that it will need bored and new pistons, crank ground, rods resized, new cam, lifters springs and cam bearings, valve guides, valves, possibly hardened seats, and a few other odds and ends that are probably slipping my mind. The cost of machine work varies so much from location to location and shop to shop that I would be afraid to guess on that aspect. Locally, and depending on how much the engine needs it could run anywhere from $1000 on the low end to $3500 on the high end.

When dealing with any engine that is a pull out (you can’t hear it run and do basic tests on it) you are dealing with a pig in a poke. If someone “claims” to have an old high performance engine for sale, absolutely verify that it is in fact what he claims it is. I have personally seen so many alleged “Corvette” motors that turned out to be anything from 307s to 350 2bbls, 383s sold as 440s, 396s claimed to be 454 and on and on. Make sure before you hand any money over that it’s not a 318 or 360.

Then there is also the question of is the engine is actually rebuildable. I often spend some time in a friend’s machine shop and have seen a whole bunch of engines that someone has bought off Craigs list that turned out to have cracked heads or blocks (some repairable some not).

Finally as for that thousand dollar 340 specifically. Admittedly I don’t live in your area so I don’t really have much of an idea on what things go for locally. The 340s were a good engine and made a nice reputation for themselves back in the day, relatively speaking they were also made in low numbers, so you would be buying some bragging rights. That being said, unless I was doing a restoration on a desirable car that originally had a 340 in it and really needed a 340 to complete the project I would only pay about ½ of that asking price.

Just like the Small Block Chevys, regardless of the displacement a Small Block Mopar engine visually looks just like any other Small Block Mopar. As your still in the shopping stage, I think I would expand my search a bit and also include 360s, which I suspect you will find are much more available and would be a lot cheaper on your pocket book to rebuild due to the cost difference in parts. The added 20 cubic inches and bottom end torque they help provide are also an added plus. Hell you can always say it’s a 360 Magnum when you’re done LOL.


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