Looking for a Pontiac 301

[Oldie85]

I just recently got the news that my 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ is going to need a new engine or I can get the current engine machined. The crank in the engine that connects the harmonic balancer broke into pieces when I started it up, the other day. I reached out to Summit and priced a new 350 crate engine with all the dressings along with the 350 transmission and drive axle that I would need if I do a swap. I'm unfortunately not in that ball game to budget all those parts I would need not along the labor cost that it would to do this swap. I wanted to get some advice as to where I could probably grab a good deal on a 301 or what my G-Body guys would do in this type of situation.

 

[Local Hero]

I think I would find a good used Pontiac 350 or 400 before I'd spend any effort on the 301. When I was looking to freshen up the engine in my 77 Grand Prix (understood it's the different body style) I found around here anyway, Oldsmobile engine were far more plentiful than Pontiacs. So I did a super budget rebuild on an Olds 350 and swapped that into my Pontiac in a weekend. They both use the same bellhousing on the transmission. It was an easy swap and ran great.

When the rest of the car rotted away around it, I kept the Olds engine since I also have a pair of mid-70s Delta 88s.

 

[lilbowtie]

Ditto Hero - the 301 will be hard to find and I have replaced several that had broken cranks (bent wire) any of the Pontiac v-8's will go in there.

 

[85ss/85gn]

Where are you located? Have a 78 grand prix with a running 301

 

[81cutlass]

Ditto on swapping to a larger displacement Pontiac engine.

At least in my CL search radius (upper midwest) there is at least a dozen 350, 400, and 455 pontiac engines for $100 to $1500 ranging in displacements, rebuilders to good runners, and 70's smog to 60's HiPo options.

As long as you don't go really early engines like 421's, the mounts are all the same.

I have resisted buying a few cheap 301 GP's over the years simply because the plethora of affordable big cube running pontiac motors that pop up.

 

[Oldie85]

Thanks for everyone's insight and feedback thus far. I'm in the Maryland area and called around to a couple of local junk yards and came up with no 350 or 400 Pontiac blocks thus far. Most of the salvage yards around in my area just don't have the older body vehicles from back in the day.

 

[fleming442]

Thanks for everyone's insight and feedback thus far. I'm in the Maryland area and called around to a couple of local junk yards and came up with no 350 or 400 Pontiac blocks thus far. Most of the salvage yards around in my area just don't have the older body vehicles from back in the day.

Where in MD? I know a few Pontiac guys; we could probably come up with something. I'm near Frederick.

 

[Local Hero]

Thanks for everyone's insight and feedback thus far. I'm in the Maryland area and called around to a couple of local junk yards and came up with no 350 or 400 Pontiac blocks thus far. Most of the salvage yards around in my area just don't have the older body vehicles from back in the day.

You won't find that kind of stuff in your run of the mill junkyards anymore. You need to search Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. I got that 350 Olds I mentioned for $250 intake to pan and it included all the front accessories and exhaust manifolds and even flexplate on Craigslist about 30 miles from me. All I did on it was open it up, check everything out, clean up the piston ring grooves, replaced the oil pump and put it back together with all new gaskets and threw the Pontiac Q-Jet on top.

 

[Oldie85]

Where in MD? I know a few Pontiac guys; we could probably come up with something. I'm near Frederick.

I'm over in the Pasadena area.

 

[fleming442]

I'm over in the Pasadena area.

Interested in a 75 400? I have to see if he sold it yet.