[Chaparralman1974]

1/1/2023
Resume disassembly of front clip. I was able to remove fenders, inner fenders, and trim in front on windshield. All bolts removed (where possible) were reinstalled back into the component so they would not get lost. Also began disassembly of motor components. It was discovered that the original engine block is cracked and unusable. This was a setback, but not necessarily unexpected. The block appears to be more or less split on both sides. I discovered this after trying to hook up the starter and crank the engine. It is totally locked up. The block has a 4” crack on the drivers side, and what appears to be a 6” crack on the passenger side. In any event, I called Jerry (they guy I bought it from) to see if he had another motor laying around that he would sell me. He said that he had a used 350 that he pulled from another truck about 6 months ago. Additionally, he told me that he was still trying to source some steel wheels for me. I resumed the disassembly of the motor, as at this point it just has to come out. I was able to remove all the remaining components of the front clip, the heater box, and all the engine accessories. The distributor is totally frozen into the block and the carburetor is seized up as well, but the good news is that the starter works…I even had it tested at O’reilly Auto Parts.