Ok so when we last left the paintman he was just about ready to pull the motor out send it off for a rebuild. Well.......................Sometimes when you take 1 step forward and then 2 steps back it works out better in the end
So as the story goes, when I originally decided to ditch the V8 and go with an inline 6, I had planned on a 292. After searching around for about 6 months I couldn't find anything locally, and didn't want to buy one from the other side of the planet because of the shipping cost involved. I decided to make one last attempt at finding a 292 by putting an add in the wanted section of the local racing publication. Well within the first day of the add running I had 2 calls. The first one was from a guy about 4 hours away in Northern NY with a 292 that was kind of old and nasty and had been sitting outside for the last 30 years or so. He said I could have it for $250. I told him I would pass on it because it would cost me $400 in gas to get up their and back.
About an hour later a guy called from Reading Pa which is about an hour away from me. So here's where the story gets intriguing. Him and his father owned a towing and auto repair business together. They also own one of the best dirt modified teams here in the North East. He told me he has a 292 that he has had sitting around since his father died 4 years ago. This motor was rebuilt by the same motor shop that does all their big block motors for their race car. Apparently the father was planning on putting it in his street rod but had gotten into this big legal battle with the motor shop over the price he was quoted and what he was finally charged. As the story goes, the father was quoted 2K for the rebuild but when it was done the motor shop wanted 4K.
From what I could gather this legal fight took nearly 2 years and cost him more than what the motor was worth. Finally after the 2 year battle the judge decided that $2,500 was a fair price for the father to pay. The son went on to tell me that after the father spent all this time and money on the motor he just lost all interest in his street rod and the motor has sat in the back corner of the shop for the last 2 years. Unfortunately the father passed away about 6 months ago and the son just wants to unload the business.
The son told me that he knew for sure that the bottom end has been completely balanced and line bored, and new 30 over pistons had been installed. the head has also been rebuilt, although its just stock.
So long story short, after handing the son $500, I came home with a completely rebuilt 292 still on the pallet and in the shrink wrap! And I already have a buyer for my 250. Now the only problem is as most of you know the 292 and 250 are slightly different so I will have to move the passenger side motor mount, but thats no biggy. check it!
Yea I know there just stock cast dish pistons, but I don't think I should complain.
