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2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  Night Wolf 
#1 ·
Sitting in the back yard at my grandparents house is a 65 Sedan-Deville with the 429 in it. It has 140,000 miles on it. I was wondering if that is considered Toast for that old of a engine. All it needs is a set of tires and a good cleaning. It runs and idles fine, but I didnt know if a 140,000 on a engine back then was bad or not. I know now you can put 300,000 on one and be okay. They kept up with oil changes and stuff, but they really didnt put that many miles on it after 120,000. In fact, in 1985 it had 139,850 and now it has 140,213. So it hasnt had that many miles on it in a while. I wonder if it could take everyday driving or even weekend driving of lets say a few hundred miles both way.

Thanks

Blaze
 
#2 ·
the 429 is kinda an odd-ball in the bunch... but still a good enigne...

140k dosn't seem bad... hell, if it runs good, then that answered your question, right?

Only thing that would be a problem is the crappy oil in the 60's and 70's... it probably really loaded the inside of the engine up with gunk... that and leaded gas... but if the maintenace was kept up, you shoudl be fine...

I am not familer with the 429 (which, IIRC is a bigger 331/390) but I know the 368/425/472/500 big blocks were reliable to no end... I have heard references a while ago nicknaming the 429 "the oil burner" but I haven't heard anything really bad about them...

go for it :) :thumbsup:
 
#3 ·
They used Royal Triton oil. There is still a case in the trunk. When that became unavailable they switched to Valvoline. The royal oil was purple. Ask your grandpa or somebody about it. Mine said it was the best oil made. It was high detergent. The head is as clean as can be. I just didnt know if 140 was wore out on these or not.
Thanks for the reply
Blaze
 
#4 ·
well, it means what "wore out" means.....

.... 140k on one car can mean it is ready for the crusher... 140k on another car can mean it is mint, while it can mean it is starting a new life on even another car...

... if you are concerned with the enigne...

does it smoke? any strange noises? run good? burn oil? etc... naturally it will need a full tune up, maybe even the carb rebuilt... if it has been sitting for 15 years... that really isn't good for the enigne, I would do a fresh oil change before running it much more etc...

When I look at an engine... first, just look at it... then I remove the oil fill cap, inspect the inside of the valve cover... is it clean? alot of build up on the rocker arms and heads? that will show you how most of the inside of the enigne is... although if it is gunked up alot.. it may still run fine... I know the enigne in my '79 is gunked up alot... has 86k orignal miles too.. I find that strange.. but none the less....when you drian the oil, take note of what it looks like.. it'll probably be dirty.. but if there are no metal shavings or any other foreign debris, it should be fine...

I would also do a tranny fluid and filter change... then a normal full tune-up... maybe change the igniiton to HEI in the future...
 
#5 ·
well if you are going to invest any effort into the car when you change the oil for the first time get a can of B12 chemtool and add about half of it to the crankcase let the car idle for about 5 min the drain the oil and replace the filter that B12 will disolve all the crusted burt oil sluge and grime in the oil system that should help But if you don't wont to invest any time or money in the car how much would you want for it?
 
#6 ·
You gotta take an old car like that at face value. I mean, you must know it's going to have it's issues from time to time. Do a compression test if it makes you feel better. I suspect a lot of guys, myself included, would jump right on it. :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
Im sure it will be okay. The engine has no sludge that I can see, I put new valve covers gaskets on it. I already changed the oil. It does need a tune-up bad. It sits there and idles perfectly. I have not seen if its drives yet. It will go into gear and reverse. I drove it from the yard to the garage and thats where it sits. I havent got it on the highway. It would tires before I could do that. Im going to tune it up completely this weekend. I just didnt know if it was like the old old cars where you had to grind the valves and replace the bearings at 50,000 miles or so. Im going to have to rebuild the carb. The interior is immaculate and the outside just needs paint. All the chrome, emblems and such are there which is a plus. It has every option you could get, cruise, auto climate control, power antenna. windows, locks, seats. The antennae and locks, windows all work. In my opinion its worth it. I might just get it going and then sell it to someone with the means to paint it and stuff, I really dont know.

Thanks

Blaze
 
#8 ·
Where are ya at? I wouldn't mind taking on another project!
 
#10 ·
K, I'll pass...too far to get it out here in Cali. I do envy you for your fireworks though!!! :)
 
#11 ·
That valve grinding etc. was in the really old cars, like pre-war vintage. I was looking through an old garage trade magazine from 1940, man those old cars were a never ending pit of things to tend to. I wouldn't have wanted to drive them.
 
#12 ·
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