My father bought a brand-new Chevy Nova in 1970. We drove it in the summer and stored it in the winter. I sold the body in the mid-1980s but kept the engine and transmission. It has sat in our garage for 35 years. It ran great when stored, and he’s always wanted to repair it and create a Nova similar to what he used to have. He isn’t sure he wants to take on the project, so he’s considering selling the engine. I’m not sure how much it’s worth, but after some investigation, these four-bolt mains appear to be extremely pricey. No idea whether that’s what this is. He also has brand new custom-manufactured length headers from Ed’s Custom Headers that he has never installed, if that says anything. Any advice on value would be appreciated.
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This is the original bill of sale. He required his mother to sign for it because he did not have enough money at the time. I don’t see a VIN mentioned anywhere. Link.
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That was a hot and rare Nova, and the engine is prized.
The L78 was marketed as having 375 HP, but it actually had more.
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My father claimed it was downrated from the factory for insurance reasons, but it actually had around 425 horsepower. Any ideas on the value range?
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Everything was working well when it was taken out of the car and stored. What do you think the transmission and headers could be worth?
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It’s a 375hp 396 Chevy.According to the CKO code.
Assembly date: March 23rd.
Highly desirable.
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I appreciate the information, but idea about the value range?
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Not a clue. But with more research.
The 375 hp 396 engine was nearly identical to the 425 hp engine used in the 1965 Corvette, but Chevy did not want to rate it as such to avoid insurance problems and corporate obligations.
It has rectangular port heads.
You may pick up a copy of Hemmings to see what they’re going for.
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That is the correct carb too… the LIST 4557… is a 1970 Camaro Chevelle 396 with a manual transmission carb…
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It will most certainly require a thorough rebuild, and depending on whether or not it has been graded, it could fetch a good price.
More investigation is required. The carburetor number corresponds to the L78 396 engine, which produces 375 horsepower. They underestimated them for insurance.
If you can find the automobile it came from and the owner is interested in reconnecting the two, you can sell it for a lot more money.
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Thank you for the information; it was absolutely not requested. It ran perfectly when it was removed from the body. Given that it has been sitting for 35 years, it should be thoroughly examined. The guy only wanted to buy my dad’s body, so he retained the rest.
I’m just wanting to get a basic estimate of what folks think it’s worth. We want to sell the engine and transmission together.
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Here’s one listed as “refurbished”—is that just a paint job? Link - $5K.
Here’s a long block, no manifolds or valve covers, for $15K: Link.
And here’s a used one for $15K with a cheap black spray paint job: Link.
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Thank you for your research on this. I tried to find some eBay listings, but I wasn’t sure what was applicable given the engine’s specifications. Are those prices exorbitant and unrealistic, or is this engine/transmission/headers genuinely worth $10-$15 thousand?