1967 Pontiac 326????

my wife has a 1967 Pontiac Lemans we are thinking about restoring in the next few years. car has been restored once but due to neglect and everyday driving for a few years it needs redone. the engine in it is a Pontiac 350. The original engine was a Pontiac 326 . Here is my question. I know where i can get a 326 engine that is locked up. Barring a block that is not salvagable, is there any issues with the old 326 engines that make them not worth restoring the car to the original factory engine??????

Reply to
Donny Nelms
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Reply to
Joseph Roche

Donny,

The only way this could be worth the money is if you want to return the car to absolute stock condition and the rest of the car is in good enough condition to get you there. As you may or may not know Pontiac did not serial number their blocks before 1968. Still, to get your car back to a "codes matching" condition you would need to find not just a 326 block but one with the correct code and time stamps for your car.

The difference between a 350 and 326 engine besides stampings and codes is the bore size. If you take a used 326 and bore it .060 you end up with a

350 cubic inch engine.

If your current motor is in good shape and just needs a refresh you will save a lot of money doing a rebuild on it rather than chasing after the questionable 326. Chances are if it has been locked up for a long time you will find other problems that will either make the block unusable or not worth the money to fix.

Doing a quality rebuild with the right parts (right compression, right cylinder heads and exhaust, reasonable cam, correct CFM carb, good spark) will make you much happier than blowing a wad to go back to original and not get the performance you expected.

Regards,

Steve '71 LeMans Sport 455

Reply to
Prodigy

In pontiacs the blocks are all the same size on the outside. Any motor from a 326 to a 455 wiull be a straight bolt in no mods( i'm not sure about the

Reply to
Bryan Lee

thanks for the info guys ...i know where a 326 is that is locked up but i think i may just try and rebuild the Pontiac 350 i have. It ran hot one day and burped water once and has never burped water anymore. It still runs hot on the guage but doesn't burp water. It was my wife's high school car her dad built and they said they have checked several things but have never found any reason for it to run hot. No water in oil,changed thermostat, checked heads stuff like that. Maybe something as simple as a collapsed hose or partical blocked radiator.

Reply to
Donny Nelms

forget that 326, you can buy a brand new 326 factory direct for $1,500. or order a rebuild from GRAND AUTO or KRAGENS ect...$850 if yu want a junk yard motor get a chevy 305, $400 maybe you can get that old 326 and exchange it for a rebuild save $100.

Reply to
GREASY DICK

Unless you`re going for concours judging at an all Pontiac show,I would stick with the 350.The engines are identical in appearance and the only way one would know if an enthusiast checked the casting dates and the two letter block code found on the block below the front of the pass.side cyl head. As far as running hot ,dont forget you have a

40 year old radiator.My `66 GTO always ran hot until I had the radiator redone.
Reply to
Philip Wagner

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Ask around the message forums or check the classifieds database. You might find people who would give you a good 326 block for the price of shipping!

Reply to
Brian Bohn

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