A local bodyshop in my home town has a small block buick,it's either a 300 or a 340,it's been stored inside for years.Engine has never been apart. I was just wondering if i should try to latch on to the thing or not.Any demand for them?What are they worth?I know they'd sell it............Thanks,Jeff
I don't think you would find a whole lot of demand for it, but there are guys running 340's still. Personally, I wouldn't bother with it unless I could use it myself, or knew someone that would buy it from me.
I'll be honest with you, I think the 300/340 motors are great. I have one in my 1964 Skylark and love it. So much so that I'm selling most of my Nailhead and big block stuff just to concentrate on the little guys. Heck, somebody has to run against Sean Etson someday. There are plenty o' speed parts for them. A stock aluminum or cast iron 4V manifold will work to 5000 rpm, plenty for a street car or even a weekend warrior. If you want more RPM, you can get rods made by Oliver for 7000+ duty. Sean Etson has "the secret" when it comes to intake manifolds. Roller Rockers are available from T&D, Offenhauser has polished finned valve covers, Poston has headers, Badger and Venolia have pistons, T/A has the oil pump deluxe. Cams are plentiful in stock to solid lifter full-race grinds. Many 350 parts can be used as well. On top of that...you won't have to swap out an existing 8.20"-8.25" rear end to handle the power, like you will for any serious pounding from a 400-455. That's 2-grand in your pocket. If you're looking for a nice street motor that's different than most Buick cars and easy on the transmission (T300 or TH350) and rear end...think about the 300-340.
I didn't mean to imply the 300/340 weren't good motors. But if you don't have a car to put it in, or know someone who will buy it from you, why mess with it?
I knew a guy that had a mild 300 in an MG. Now you talk about a fun, cheap car........................:grin:
I sometimes get proposals from people trying to unload 340's. The prices range from $150 to $350 for running 340's. The sellers usually seem to have little hope of finding buyers.
Jeff, You should be able to identify the difference between the 300 and 340... If I'm not mistaken, the 340 is the same "physical" size as a 350, that is, the valve covers are the same distance "apart"... Where the 300 is a little narrower. The 340's intake manifold will look almost square,,, about the same length as width... The 300 will have a long narrow intake. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I remember. If it's a 300 with a manual tranny flywheel still on the engine, I might have a mild interest in it...........Just because I dont have one [you know me,,, always collecting parts]
