Oftentimes the adage “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” holds a certain degree of merit. No more is this true at automotive swap meets. The aged and brittle plastic center console that your muscle car no longer requires as you’re looking to jettison some unwanted weight or looking to install a trick aftermarket floor shifter could rightfully be the answered prayers of a someone desperate for that exact piece. And other times, trash is simply trash…

Take for instance this sad and sorry Keith Black HEMI block and mismatched head set. The complete package – in better form – would be the ideal lightweight combination for the would-be street/strip Mopar or a daring competitive drag racer on a tight budget. But as you can well see, this elephant has long since made its way to the graveyard.

We spotted this wounded HEMI at this past Saturday’s Fall Fling. Talking with the vendor, he explained that the windowed block and welded-up heads were better left as decorative pieces than trying to pay for the machine necessary to bring these back to working order. A retired fireman, he hated to see this awesome motor in such disrepair but felt that the damage to the engine bordered on irreversible.

The block had indeed been windowed by a wayward connecting rod. Unfortunately, damage to the skirt only scratches the surface. Amazingly, in capable hands, this aluminum block and even the heads are salvageable. As the seller noted, it would take a whole bunch of expensive shop time to get it right, but it is doable. Unfortunately for him, he had neither the money nor patience to spend, and reclaimed his parts before further work could be done.

The package had also included a pair of aluminum heads – one a dual-plug Keith Black head which suffered severe bowl damage, and the other from Mopar Performance. Both featured raised exhaust ports and water jacketing, making them – at least, at one time – candidates for street worthiness.

Since publishing this news feature earlier today, members of the performance community YellowBullet.com have voiced that this engine and the work conducted is only “half way done” and shouldn’t reflect poorly on the machine shop. And we agree. Rather, these images should illustrate just how extensive a mechanical failure truly can be. Below are a lot more pictures to make you would-be HEMI owners cringe at the horror.