The original engine came along with my car when I bought it. I have taken the intake, timing chain cover, and oil pan off the engine and had them bead blasted. I didn't take the heads off, just cleaned the block and heads with a drill and wire brush. I just finished priming and painting the engine and have it back together.

Since the engine will need rebuilding if I ever decide to put it in the car, should I fill it with oil or just leave it dry?

http://www.C3VR.com/member_pages/8301_8400/8356/S3010125 engine.jpg 

 i would not "fill it with oil" but I would coat it with something like stp or simular product, you may also wish to look into one of the air vacuum bags for storage..rd

should I fill it with oil or just leave it dry?

Jim, put it on ebay ?
nownownow, there whe go again.....

salute buddy !

BArry, I  better hold on to it. I might want to play with those NCRS guys someday. I don't think they would like the 383 and especially the NOS system. Other than that, I'd be all matching numbers.

YEAH , NCRS... with all respect Jim , this is fine and for a happy few of us but it's another way of enjoying the cars. I want tho drive them.
I have a life wishdom as follows ( perhaps difficult to translate ) :

life is as a merry-go-round ,
once you're able tho reach the "free ride price"
you're to old to sit on it....

Barry, I have a friend that's big in the NCRS society. He has a couple of midyears but the bulk of his cars are C3, mostly 69s, 70s and 71s. I have NEVER seen him drive one of them, other than to drive it in an enclosed trailer to carry it to an NCRS event or to carry them to the corvette museum to put on display for a year.

Like yourself, I could care less about owning a car that I couldn't drive. Unlike us, their gratification comes from winning those prestigious awards such as the Top Flight, McLennan Mark Of Excellence and  the Duntov Award.

Now for all you NCRS guys, I luv ya too but I think you should remember what Duntov said...."trailers were made for horses...corvettes were made to be driven."

Barry I don't think you're on any merry-go-round. I think you're riding the gravy train.

Actually you want to mist an engine before storing it for a long period of time.  You can remove the spark plugs and put some oil in the cylinders, then turn the engine to coat the cylinders well.  Mist some oil into the intake to prevent rust in the intake and at the back of the valves.   These areas are normally washed with gasoline, and do not have a coating to prevent rust.

If the engine can be cranked, just disable the ignition and spray a mist of oil down the intake and it will do the job.

It's not necessary to fill it with oil, but should you choose to do so there is no possibility of internal rust or corrosion.  You can store it for decades this way.

If you have any bare metal you have cleaned, be sure to mist that with oil as well.

Spray it down with fogging oil inside and out and then wrap it up in a plastic bag.

Thanks guys....I did oil the bottom of the intake, inside the oil pan, and back of the timing chain cover. I also shot some oil  in each cylinder with the plugs out.

Ken, I don't think you looked at my pic. The engine is on a motor stand and was taken out of the car in 2000 when the guy I purchased the car from started the restoration. I just cleaned it up and painted it for "appearance" sake.

No, I didn't look at the pic.  I'll have to do that.

That being the case, once it's coated wrap it in plastic and put it some where dry.  It will be fine.