So I found this motor and was wondering does this 302 look good enough it looks like a steal but idk.

https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/pts/6143512292.html

 

You would want to do a compression and maybe leak-down test, but it sounds like they didn't do the lifter preload adjustment, so that will need done. It sure looks good on the outside, although the valve cover appears dented. And I think I see paint in some of the spark plug threads...



If the guy seems to know what he's doing and has some history of the motor, it might be a good buy. The '70s blocks are beefier than the '80s and later blocks, so that is a plus. But those dawn-of-the-smog-era heads and dished pistons leave lots of room for improvement.
Here's the numbers apparently:



If you're in a large city, you might be able to get an Explorer 5.0/302 for near the same price, and have an inherently more powerful engine.

 

It seemed like a good deal to me the engine stand alone I could seek for $100 bucks and make my money back parting the rest of the motor if it is crap but yeah I guess ur right

 

Probably not a bad deal. Don't let me talk you out of it unless you really don't want it.
Make sure the bottom end is good, and throw some Explorer heads, and a good aftermarket intake with your favorite carburetor, maybe a cam, and then some headers, and you'd have a super solid 302.
That block is good, because it will withstand more power than a typical '80s Mustang 5.0 light-casting block.
But I don't know about those pistons, they look like compression killers to me, but I'm more 'used to' seeing the later pistons which look flatter and have smaller valve reliefs.

But if you wanted to do a compression test before buying it, you'll need to do the lifter preload adjustment, which really isn't all that hard if you have a book, a torque wrench, and find true TDC...

 

The old krylon rebuild....