[cashflyer]

Here is a true story, but I will only hit the highpoints to make it brief.

Around 1992, I bought a 72 Dodge D100 from a farmers pasture for $200. It was cheap because the engine was missing.

At the time, I had already been tinkering with Mopars for about 7 years. I had several old engines and transmissions around the shop.

I took one of the engines that had been sitting behind the shop for "who knows how long" and put it on an engine stand. I pulled the valve covers, spark plugs, and oil pan. After the sludge had drained, I used Gunk and a power hose to wash it out.

I put the pan and covers on with new gaskets, and put it in the truck. I installed new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and carburetor. I filled it with oil, primed the carb, and started it up.

It smoked like a tire fire for about 4 months, then finally settled in. It probably had some rust on the cylinder walls, valves, etc.

It was still running good in 1995 until I ran it off a cliff and totaled it. It probably would have still been running, but the impact cracked the engine block in a few places.

I have no idea the history of that engine. I don't know how many miles it had on it. The fact that it ran at all amazed me.