good motor choice?

[GMCBubba]

i am looking to replace my tired 305 with a 350. i have a line on a motor from craigslist for $200. it's a 1998 L31 350 with vortec heads. already has an intake for a carburetor (i'm not ready to try my hand at fuel injection) and is supposedly in good condition. is this a good choice for a motor? is there anything i need to think about or things i need to be wary of with this motor?

[streetstar]

Its still a small block -- so its mileage would be helpful, --- i've torn down motors with 200,000 miles that looked pristine, and others with much less that looked like hammered dog meat.

Pop the valve covers off and see how grungy it is --- if it has thick built up deposits, somebody has abused the maintenance schedule

At $200.00, you have to assume it is basically a rebuildable core and consider it a bonus if it runs

[cdowns]

i think those dont have mechanical fuel pumps so you'd need a fuel delivery system// like he said a rebuildable core is what you'd be paying for,i wouldnt expect too much from a $200motor

[chevychase]

Agree 100% with the above. Between the heads and intake you pretty much got your $200 right there. The vortec heads are popular for decent performance and good flow, plus the intake is there already. I'd do a mild rebuild on the motor and run the $%&@ out of it!

[Billla]

Many of these fuel injected, roller cam engines show little or no bore wear even after 100K+ miles. The fact that someone's already had their hands in it is a bit of a concern - but IMHO worth the risk at that price. Worst case it's a good roller-cam, Vortec-head foundation for a really nice build. I'd hit it at that price