Hi boys,

I am thinking of purchasing a 1984 GMC Vandura 3500 Microbird-Bluebird Bus with a 5.7 L Chevy 350 small block motor. It currently has 121,000 miles. Also included is the recent work that has been done to it; including rebuilt engine heads, new intake manifold, all new gaskets (including Valve covers), rocker heads and rods, new Edlebrock carburetor, all replaced hosing, new radiator, new exhaust manifolds on both sides, new thermostat sensor, and spark plugs just replaced, and even an oil change! It is priced at $5,000.

Is this a trustworthy engine with so many miles? I am going to be converting this bus and traveling to the north west where temperatures will be colder.

Thanks so much for reading this; ANY and ALL information is welcomed here!

 

The engine is extremely popular and you could get it serviced anywhere. I would ask for some photos of the engine bay and receipts and go from there. If it seems like something you want you'll need to find a garage that has a hoist able to lift a school bus and get them to give it an inspection.

 

You could not pay me to take this dinosaur home, much less drive it further than walking distance away. A 36 yr old vehicle is the opposite of reliable. You could do A LOT LOT better for $5,000.

 

Thank you, Steve, for offering some hope and direction! I'm definitely weary with the amount of miles on it because I don't want to be rebuilding the engine.

 

Yes, the age of the engine is part of my concern as well. If this had less miles and was well maintained, is the 5.7 liter engine even worth it? Seems like the main benefit is that it would not be too hard to find parts or get work done, but other than that, do you know much about the reliability of this specific engine? Thanks!

 

I'm not an expert on those engines but many people are. If you search for "Small Block Chevy" or SBC you'll find lots of information.
I would more interested in a mechanical inspection and when the last time was that the vehicle has driven any sort of distance. If you take a vehicle that hasn't been used much and start putting major miles on it you'll have hiccups along the way with everything.

 

Concern that the motor may be the least of your worries if you are going to go road tripping.

 

Hi,

Have you ever, or do you remember driving a carbureted engine car? I have an old Corvette that can run a Quardrajet or Holley carburetor and I've enjoyed tuning both.

Yes, the 350 (5.7) is probably the most popular engine of all time and I wouldn't worry about that mileage if it was well cared for. However, carburetor parts and tuning is more of a hot rod thing now days. The thing about a carb is it the calibration is fixed. That means if you buy it, and it's tuned to perfection at sea level in the summer it will not run the same at 12k ft. in winter. Also, there is probably an electronic choke that may or may not need adjusting which means popping the dog house off.

Also, carburetors do not use a pressurized fuel system. A fuel injected system is pressurized and raises the boiling point, it can prevent fuel from boiling and vapor lock. With a carburetor, the fuel temp is a concern and summer and winter fuel are mixed differently so you may find a month or two out of the year your van runs a little funny as gas stations transition to the summer blend.

My point is, it's different from a fuel injected car that you just jump in and drive no matter the temp, altitude or fuel quality and it might be harder finding a modern "technician" with experience in this area unless he's into hot rods.

If you think working on old cars is fun, i'd say "check it out". But my experience is even simple things are harder to do on a van because of the tiny hood and access issues.

Best,
John

 

I've seen these things still going with 350,000 on them, if the motor has good compression and oil pressure that's not an issue.

$5000 seems high for it given it amounts to an old school bus. With that big flat face over the top it will get terrible fuel economy and the carburetor won't help. I think 1984 factory used the computer controlled carb system as standard.