so, it seems as though this "junk motor" is an up and down issue...

so four of the pistons have been worked gently out of the block, and they look good enough to use...slight pitting, but they are aluminum, so no rust damage. since things are "looking up" with the pistons, my dad called me with the numbers on the pistons and the brand, so i called federal mogul and ran the numbers by them...they are 13.28 to 1 compression pistons. So, if he can get them all out without damage, or at least enough of them that buying one or two would make a full set, they will go into the mirada, which would give the mirada a hell of a kick. so even though the engine is damaged, the block might be useable, and the pistons are looking decent. well, he got the crank and a few of the rods out, and he couldnt find the part number anywhere in his list of 340 part numbers...he was glancing over another list, and he came across the part numbers in a 360 list, then read into it...the junk motor isnt a 340, its actually a 364 stroker motor. which now means that if the other pistons come out and we use them, the mirada stands to get ALOT of power out of this junk motor...and the demon will get the hand-me-downs from the mirada...which were good enough to run the mirada into the mid 12s with big gears and stall...