455 SD heads value
 

I've been contacted by someone who has some 73' 455 SD heads for sale. He bought them from a Pontiac performance shop in the mid 80's and they were NOS then. They were then used on a 455 HO short block for one season on a race car. They have no porting work and are complete. The date codes are K of 72". Trying to get an idea of their value.

5 - 6K.

I tend to agree with the 5-6K number. It's really a supply and demand thing. Since they are so expensive and rare, they really only have that value to someone who has a SD car they are trying to restore. With only 250 - 300 SD cars made in 73' the demand has got to be small. Anybody know of any heads that recently sold?

Any more thoughts on this? I'm trying to determine whether there's enough demand to buy them

Market is small, and for a non original car, there are much better options in Aluminum for less money.
You seem like you want to buy with some meat left on the bone. Buy at cost of new Edlebrock Round ports. Not sure they will keep up with inflation though.
Does the SD IN Australia have round ports? Thought he got it with a D port 455...

I know of someone who recently paid in the $4K range for an unmodified pair of bare heads.

FWIW, for my money, $6K would be out of range unless they were still NOS unused in their original GM boxes. But they're used now, even if just a little.

I can get them for $4000 complete, but I still think it's a gamble for something I won't be using myself. I'd buy more for possible resell if I got them.

At that price point I think it would be difficult to make any/much money on them. If it were me I would pass on that transaction.

Is K November? I thought the factory didn't use the letter I? So L would be November? Was M December? Just curious....

K is November.
K of '72 dated SD heads is what I'd be looking for if had a '73 SD car missing its original heads.

Here's a pic of a SR 400 block from eBay. Definitely an "I".

Thanks guys! Now I have to get rid of those 197 heads I bought at Norwalk because I thought they were cast on Nov 8th of 71 with a date code of L080.

When was your car built

My 71 was built in late August, I just bought those for a 455 to put in an 81 TA and thought it would be cool to have a date code on my birthday.

Yes!

I have a block, and intake cast on my exact b-day. Still looking for the heads...

I have another complete 455 (block, heads, intake) cast the day before I was born.

Fun stuff. :D

AFAIK. 1971 455 Ho Heads casing number 191 we’re only cast in early December 1970 and early Jan 1971 all other 1971 455 Ho Heads will have no casting date

I believe the earlier heads actually cast the date code under the valve cover, right where the center head bolt hole would be drilled. So when the head went in for machining, it drilled right through the date code leaving only the edges of the date code casting present.

My set of 197 heads is this generation. I have no idea when mine were cast since the letter/number combo is now gone, but I can see where it was cast. As I understand it, this was earlier in the production run. Later they went to casting the date code back in the usual spot on the rail, just below and outside the valve cover.

I'm sure OPH and others have a better understanding of these details. Hopefully they will chime in.

:)