426 HEMI HELP

I WANT TO BUY A 426 FROM A GUY AND I DON'T
KNOW HOW MUCH TO OFFER WHAT DO YOU THINK .
IWAS TOLD THE THING WAS REALLY DIRTY? IT MIGHT HAVE A CRACKED BLOCK . ALSO WHO HAS THE BEST AND CHEAPEST REBUILD KI FOR 426'S?

Be careful before you jump! Go to a known source and get some part number and casting numbers for Hemi blocks. You may be looking @ an old 331, 354, 371?, or a 392. I can usually tell them appart if I'm looking @ a complete engine, but not being familiar with the bare block myself, this is what I'd have to do. Cracked blocks aren't worth much more than scrap money, and old Hemis being cast iron won't bring much here either, just more than a small block! Depends on how big and where the crack is. I wouldn't advise it. However a friend of mine had a chance to buy a 409 Chevy for his '55 Chevy BelAir and it was rumored it had a cracked block. He bought it, surposedly had it welded up and it ran strong. It also rumored it's still around stored in somebody's garage. He blew off all the 442s and Chevelle 396s with a non-limited slip rear, no gears and a 6 cylinder 3-speed tranny changed over to a floor shifter.
Oh, the sweet things we use to do back when it was simple in the '60s!!! :-)

Rich