I just bought a 68 highboy and to my suprise it has a big block 385 series engine swapped into it, I wa's wondering if anyone has any information based on what I know (wich isn't much) except that it has D0VE-C heads and "D3VF A18" on the intake. I was wondering if anyone could tell the year range of the engine, and how I can tell if it's a 429 or 460, also info on starters would be greatly appriciated as the one that's on it doesn't meet up with the flywheel. I can get engine block numbers tomorrow if they help

 

The 385 engines where available in 1968. Your casting numbers would suggest a 1970 or later engine.

 

Casting # for the block is behind the starter. The first letter tells what decade and the number is the year in that decade.... C 8 would be 1968, D1 would be 1971 and so on.
To find out 460 or 429 you can pull a spark plug and measure the stroke. Put a small dowel in at tdc and mark roll the engine over to bdc and mark again. Measure the diff to get the stroke. 429 = 3.59 and a 460 is 3.85...... Good luck on your project and let us know how it's going. Lots of pictures is always nice!!!!!

 

Thank's a lot, the whole 385 series big block in it kinda thew me for a loop as I have 4 ford's with FE blocks sitting around it, so my knowledge was based around those engines

 

Block casting number prefix: C8VE = 1968 429/460 / C9VE = 1969 429/460 / D0VE = 1970 429/460 / D1VE = 1971/73 429 & 1971/78 460, some 1979 460 / D9TE = Some 1979 460, 1980/97 460.