I just bought a 1979 350 SS el camino. I believe the engine has been replaced. The valve covers say Mr Goodwrench 350. It also has what looks to be a factory aluminum intake manifold. You can tell by looking at it that some of the wires are mislocated...things are just messed up.
Is there somewhere I can go to get a picture of what that engine looked like when it was new? I just want to put things back in the right order.
Thanks for your help in advance.

I may be wrong, but I dont believe that they came with 350s in that year. You are lucky if your 305 was replaced with a 350.

Actually I looked at another site that all the engines that were put into El Caminos in any one year. According to that site..79 was the last year gasoline 350's were put into them...after that anything with that many
cubic inches was a diesel.
I just want it to look factory when someone raises the hood.

I learned something. :D

So did I...I learned that you guys on this site are really great.
Thanks for all your wisdom...all of you!

Its been replaced with a new crate engine from Chevy, its a good engine. It will have 4 bolt mains, tame hydraulic cam, smaller valves, etc. Its the basic replacement long block they sell over the counter for around $1400 now. If its black I am 99.99999% sure its that engine. Supposed to make 250 HP with a four barrel carb and headers as is, putting a better cam and intake will raise it even more. Here is a link to summitracing, they sell them to, this should be your engine:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=NAL%2D10067353&autoview=sku

Large engine picture:

http://store.summitracing.com/largeimage.asp?part=NAL-10067353&Prod=GM+Performance+Parts+350+C%2EI%2ED%2E+250+HP+ Engine+Assemblies&img=nal-10067353.jpg

Oh yeah, the original 350 LM1's were painted a light blue, my 81 Z28 had the LM1 350.

MarkZ is correct, if you want to try to restore it to look like it is original you will have to repaint it blue. This is correct for the late 70's early 80's Chevy engines. They painted the entire engine including valve covers & intake manifold, so if you want a real sleeper paint it the correct Chevy blue and no one will know that it is not the stock low HP 350 from 1979.
Dave

Engine color is a good thing to check first. I would still take it and have it checked out at a machine shop. That would tell you what it is and what might be wrong with it. Just because it it might be a 350 doesn't mean it is and if it is that doesn't mean it is a good 350 with four bolt mains and all of the good stuff it needs to run like a dog.

If you can get the casting numbers on the block you can find out for sure what it is.

I think this is what they looked like.
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/6603/enginebbt7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Oops, that is a Mustang engine not an El Camino. sorry

Aah the old Merlin...although i'd rather go with the early Allison V12 in my El Camino! more HP below 10,000 feet lol