Rebuild?

[Hank5602]

I recently bought a '77 Spider a couple months ago. I picked her up cheap knowing something would probably go wrong.

The previous owner told me he did a rebuild 5 years ago on the 1800 block and head. He said they shaved the head and bored out the pistons. I ran a compression check last weekend and found that all cylinders are running pretty low. #1: 115psi #2: 90psi #3: 90psi #4 100. The plugs are black and greasy. The plugs were improperly spaced way too big. My guess it the piston rings are letting oil into the combustion chamber. Needless to say not looking good.

The engine runs fine but I would like to have a healthy and performance minded engine under the hood. So I am thinking I need to have the bottom rebuilt.

I am mechanically inclined but not to the level of rebuilding the bottom end myself. I live in Charlotte, NC and I need some direction.

Thanks,

Matt

[So Cal Mark]

I'd do a leakdown test to determine the sealing capability of the cylinders before making a decision. Unless you plan to do a full rebuild. Oil fouled plugs can be a result of worn valve guides and seals rather than rings. Even, low compression can indicate a valve timing problem