Good advice Bill. I can do the mechanical work but need to find the time. We are busy fixing up a foreclosure house we bought last spring so that takes up all of our evenings and weekends. Good news is that we have garage space now. Seems like a fine project for the rainy winter ahead.
One thing I am finding is the broad range of definitions for "fresh" or "crate" motors on Craigslist. To me, a crate motor is a new, virgin engine that has never been rebuilt. Doesn't seem to mean the same to other folks as they are advertising .060 over crate motors. Oh well...
The term crate motor means that it was originally bought as a crate motor. People continue to use that term no matter how many vehicles it has been in or how many times it has been rebuilt, so as you say it can be misleading.
If you're looking for a crate motor, talk to your local GM dealer, you should be able to get a crate motor with all new parts and 300 HP for around the $2000 range. I wouldn't get a crate motor from anywhere else. You just have to take it back for them to set the timing and then you have a warranty on your brand new engine.
