1969 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate

Very high option - but if you want maximum value, replace the flippin wood grain!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Chevr...te-/173286872104?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

 

And, according to the 1969 Chevy catalog, there was no 400 V8 engine in 1969.

 

Well, if that's what's in there now, he can forget about asking for that much money, unless the buyer is either uninformed or doesen't care. I wonder why GM didn't keep their engine options simpler to decide on. To decide over seven different engine options which include 3 differing small blocks and three differing big blocks is sort of confusing, to say the least

 

The engine's definitely a small-block. You COULD get a small-block 400 in the 1970 model year. One thing I would do is verify what engine is in this wagon. The seller COULD have simply put a '400' air cleaner on a 350 or even a 327 Unfor......

One hitch..... The VIN decodes as the wagon being built in St. Therese, Quebec, so it could be a Canadian-sold vehicle, which might have had different engine options than the U.S. Unfortunately, the VIN doesn't indicate which engine should be in the wagon, only that it's a V8.

 

I don't see what the big deal is if it has a 400 even though as mentioned the 400 didn't come out until 1970. It's not like you are going to greatly increase the value of the car if you have a matching numbers 350 versus a later model 400 in there. In fact I'd rather have the 400 anyway. A set of Vortec heads and a mild cam will yield a very strong running engine. I'd be more concerned about the rust you can see starting to blister up in several of the pictures.

 

I congratulate you on your eyesight. I can't discern any bubbling. The obviously very recent paint job makes me nervous, though.

In some cars a numbers matching engine does increase the value, sometimes significantly. I don't know if the Kingswood Estate is one of these.

As for the 400, it is my understanding that it's not particularly well thought of. The increase in bore required to reach that displacement came at the expense of compromising the cooling passages. Supposedly, if you overheat a Chevy 400, you'll warp the heads. Most Chevy people prefer the 350 and use a stroker kit if they need more displacement. I do suspect that most of the ill feeling towards the 400 is based on its limited suitability for high performance applications and that for stock street uses it does just fine. It was kept in production too long to have been all that terrible.

I see the listing was ended as no longer available. Presumably, the car was sold locally.

 

We'll see if it actually sold. It was on HMN a long time with one really bad photo.

 

It would depend on if the buyer planned on flipping it on someone who places a value on having it all original. Not that this is a typical vehicle of which full originality would be in demand, besides some museum

As long as it's not the ultimate 427 option, it doesen't matter which small block is in there. Having a different one in there besides what was original could be a factor which will determine what a potential buyer is about to pay

 

I know it's not particularly important as to which engine is in the wagon, but I would certainly want to know, before I bought it. And since the 400 didn't come in a new U.S. version big Chevy in '69 (as far as we know), the block should be checked and verified. Or if the seller has some documentation on it, that would suffice.

 

Doesen't the V.I.N. betray the engine size?

 

Not in 69 only I6 or V8, also I am having trouble loading pictures this morning, are we sure its a 69? 1970 models look very similar don't they?

 

It's definitely a '69. Even has the covered lights option on the front.

 

The taillights alone betray this as a '69. The ad now says it's ended. Are we to understand that it has changed hands for only one dollar?

 

My eyesight is terrible. If you go to the original listing and scroll down and look through all of his pictures he shows several areas where rust is clearly starting to sprout. Not terrible, but if you just look at the overall pictures you wouldn't think this car had any rust.

This isn't a '71 Hemi Cuda. A numbers matching drivetrain doesn't mean anything (at least to me) in this car.

Keep telling everyone that info on the 400. It will keep prices low for me. In all seriousness, that is mostly lore and wives tales. Sure if you put the engine together with regular 350 head gaskets and/or heads without the steam holes drilled then you will have problems. If properly assembled with the correct parts it is no more prone to overheating than any other SBC. I've built a 383 (the right way with the 5.70" rods) and it is a fine engine, but given the choice between building a stroker 383 and a 400 (even the stock short rod 400) I'd take the 400 anyday. Why give up 20 cubes? The 400 was built primarily as a smog engine and never had a high performance variant which is why I suppose some may look down on it.

It would be easy enough to verify the engine size by either checking the casting number on the LH rear of the block by the bellhousing and/or the numbers stamped on the pad on the front RH of the engine by the cylinder head if they haven't been machined off.