Hey guys, i'm william, i'm 20 and i'm finally in the market for a big block to drop into my '66 chevelle. I love this car almost as much as i love my own mother, but i have yet to develop the engine savvy to know exactly what i should be looking for. I found this ad today for a used 468 bbc, and i'd love some advice from a few more knowledgeable people on whether or not this would be as great of a buy as it seems, and if it would be worth the risk, considering that it is a used motor. I'd have to learn how to adjust lash, with the solid lifter cam, but i'd be willing and eager to learn.
Ok here's the ad:

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$2,000
BBC 468 Pump Gas Motor
10.5 TRW Pistons
GM Steel Crank
20 on Rods
20 on Mains
ARP Rod Bolts
Crane Solid Lifter Cam 680 Lift
Crane Roller Rockers & Stud Girdles
GM Lge Rectangular Port Heads
2000.00 Firm
Will Not Ship
Call Don ***-***-****
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(doesn't include intake and carb)

The ad has a big picture of the motor and it looks nice, not to mention totally badass Of course i can't tell how it runs by looking at a picture, but at least i know it would look good under the hood
It's probably also worth mentioning that the motor isn't installed in his car anymore, so i wouldn't have any way of test-driving it beforehand.
Anyway, it's located in the same town that my cousin lives in, who i go and see a couple times a year(he's got an awesome 58 'vette) So shipping isn't an issue. I'm just not sure if it's a good idea to buy a motor when i'm not sure of its condition. But with it being so cheap, it would definitely leave me with a good bit of $$ left over in case something goes wrong.
So help me out guys, what do yal think??
Should i go for it??

p.s. it'll be a 99% street-driven car, with a couple trips to the local strip a year.

I'm sure that everyone will have an opinion. I'm wondering if you are right on the lift.......680?.....on the street????? I'm not a big fan of buying motors this way. It's hard to know if the motor is hurt, specially since it sounds like racing specs. If you did buy it, are you planning on pulling it apart to see the condition of cylinders, bearings...etc???? Will he let you do that before you buy it?? It might be real tempermental for a street motor. What duration is the cam? Why is it for sale in the first place? If you have 2K to burn, you can always take a chance but if you don't know the guy......but it's always a buyer beware game!!!

Like Mr. Dubs said, buyer beware!.....I would never even think of purchasing someone elses used and possibly abused motor!!....That would be just like purchasing a strangers used underpants, you have no idea as to how they were treated in the past! ie. fart blown, skid marks etc. NOT cool!.....Make sure you have the funds for a complete overhaul of these underpants, just in case!

In your own words too.....If you have the money to fix it if something happened, then here is what you do. Find a good core motor and invest your 2K plus your money to fix it (another 1K-2K) and you will have a decent motor for 4K. You really need to decide what you want the motor to do. I was able to get away with a hone job on the walls, line hone the bearings and maybe another $800 in parts. I now have a ground-pounding, torque monster 454 for around 1,200.......and I know what's in my shorts!!!!!!

Definately decide what your plans are for the engine. 680 does sound very high for any street motor. It will have to idle high in order to stay running and more than likely, it will be a dog on the bottom end and that is where most "street" motors like to run. If you are looking for a race motor, then 680 is a pretty good place to be. Great top end, but like all said, you really don't know what the motor has been through. You would be surprised what some people will do to make a buck. First decide what you want from the engine then save your money and build one of your own. That way you know exactly what you're getting.

With the journals turned 0.020", the original factory nitriding is gone from the steel crankshaft.
Skid marks in used underpants are not a good thing.

Rectangular port heads aren't known for their street manners, either.
I'd find the parts and build one myself, I think you can do a lot better than buying someone's used-up stuff.

Save your money and build your own motor. That way you know what you have to start with and aren't taking any chances. I would save up for a ZZ454 or a ZZ502. Both would be great engines for a street car. Sometimes I wish I had bought a crate big block instead of building a 406, but I like the idea of having the same amount of power with less weight.

I agree. Here's my 468 BB that I had built. It's new from the carb to the oil pan. I have all receipts and parts lists including the dyno sheets, related to this build. Thanks to the guys at The Performance Clinic in Dayton, OH.

......and finally between the fenders of my Camaro.........

Even if it needs rebuilt, not to bad a deal. Big blocks aren't cheap to build from scratch. Have someone look at it for you with some knowledge or roll the dice.

I'd buy it. Pull the plugs and check them out. Take a compression tester with you and a long bar ratchet socket and extention. pull the dipstick and see what the oil looks like.pull the valve covers and take a peak at the pushrods and rocker arms. If the motor is god i'm sure the guy won't object to little inspection. He wants 2,000 I bet he would take 16 or 1,700 Any big block is worth that even if you have to rebuild it.

hey guys, thanks for all of your help so far, it's great to be able to talk to and get advice from a bunch of guys who i know love their cars as much as I do, and know 1000x more than I do. Sorry i didn't responded earlier, my internet was screwed up for a few days. :/

I found out that the 468 is a racing motor that was supercharged and used a Callies crank notched for the blower, both of which he's selling separately. With it being a racing motor, i would have to definitely buy a new cam for it. I'm not sure if i would need to buy new pistons or not, i don't yet understand how differently shaped pistons affect an engine except for compression ratio, and 10.5 sounds streetable enough on 93 octane, i'm assuming.
With it being a racing motor that i'd be converting to street use, would i also have to swap out rods/springs/rockers etc?

If i have the motor checked out by a reputable mechanic, and their is no major problems with the motor, but i'd have spend additional $$ to swap out the cam and everything else necessary to make it streetable, would it be worth it??
i don't mind having to make major changes to the motor, and wouldn't mind forking out a little extra hard-earned $$ for quality parts that i know will work well and last, i just dont want to end up spending as much or more than i would buying a new crate motor, ya know? If i could have this motor where i want it (500+hp,500+ft.lbs) for under 6000, including the 2g for the motor, i'm probly going to go for it, and if i can do it under 5000, i'll be taking a road trip to his house this weekend

Thank you all for your advice, i really appreciate it

.....IMHO, I think the rocker arms and the connecting rods should be ok to use. If you are concerned about them then replace them now( at least the rods because they're easier to replace if the engine is disassembled)instead of having to pull the engine and tear it back down later. You can have the connecting rods checked by any reputable machine shop.

.680" racing specs?
Close but Most big block race mtors would be way up in the .800-1" range, with over 320*
Check the motor out, $2,000 isn't that much for a well built big block like you posted.
Plan to spend upwards of 7K to get a nice big block, new.