Here's the story...
My friend has an old GMC Jimmy (the big kind, like the K5 Blazer). He told me he is going to put a 454 in it. He seems very serious about doing this, and has offered me his previous engine.

I don't know much about it, except it is a Gen I 350, has a cam (unsure of cam specs), and is fuel injected (don't know what type of FI...TPI?). This is NOT a carbed motor.

At first, I kind of laughed...I mean, I don't hear many people swapping Gen I SBCs into their 4th gens, it is mostly LT1s and LS1s. I told him I would need a new trans. He said he would give me his 700-R4 as part of the deal. He said everything for $400 (if he is serious about the $400...the WOW! )

Now I start to think seriously...would a Gen I SBC and 700-R4 auto trans be a good idea? Or should I not go for it? I don't have much mechanical experience. The thing that really got me going was the price. Would a Gen I SBC be a direct fit (a la LT1?), or would I have to do some fabbing?

Hell, I am tempted to just buy the engine from it and use it as a guiney pig to teal down and rebuild the engine for fun, just so I can get some sort of mechanical experience...after all, it is only $400.

 

the Gen 1 and 700r4 would NOT be a direct fit. You'll be looking at a different length for the driveshaft, different computer, motor mounts, trans crossmember and mounts, accessories and brackets, ignition system, and the list goes on.

 

You also forgot that your father would kill you if you brought home and engine and transmission to just tear down. Spend the 400 on a 50 shot of nitrous and let me install it