eBay Mystery: Why All The LS Blocks and Strange Manifolds?

Engine shops are known to liquidate inventories or suffer bankruptcy and forced to auction off all the parts, so a collection of auto parts such as this found currently on eBay is not uncommon. There are starters, wiring harnesses, camshafts, connecting rods, alternators, flywheels, throttle bodies and more. But what caught our eye are the pallets of LS engine blocks and unique intake-manifold castings. Not that we have 40 grand to spend on a roomful of parts, but what are a few tons of unused alloy doing in Oklahoma?

Looking closer at the grainy photos pulled from the eBay listing, it’s obvious the blocks are LS models, but they’re missing the main caps. Also, the iron cylinder liners appear somewhat rusty. The manifolds are another story. They’re not designed for any GM car or truck that we recognize.

EngineLabs was unsuccessful in reaching someone in charge at the eBay seller, so we asked one of our knowledgeable engine-building friends in the area. He is aware of this collection, noting that, “These have been around for a while.”

The fact that the collection is in Oklahoma may lend a clue to the history of the pieces. Mercury Marine used to have an assembly plant in Stillwater, but it was closed a couple years ago. Seasoned Chevy enthusiasts will remember that the Stillwater plant was home to the 4-cam LT5 engine that came out in the original ZR-1 Corvette. Lotus Engineering designed the LT5, but Mercury Marine was chosen to build it.

Our source in the area suggests that the blocks could have been rejected during quality control inspection, and that’s why the caps were removed. He also theorizes that the manifolds were early marine castings, but the design later changed. 

So, what we have is mostly speculation. There are parts in the listing that appear useable, but we yearn for a closer look at the blocks and manifolds, plus more background info.