I recently purchased another 450 SLC that, body and interior wise, was in pristine condition. I was told when I looked at the car that it ran, but had an "engine tap". When I started the car, the so-called tap sounded like someone hitting the block with a hammer. I was able to purchase the car for almost nothing and brought it home. Upon removing the right side valve cover, I found the culprit--a severley worn rocker arm on the exchause valve of the number two cylinder. The lifter had worked loose, and from the oil pressure unscrewed and kept pushing the rocker arm against the camshaft. In this case, the rocker arm took 99 percent of the wear as the camshaft lobe looks very good considering the look of this rocker arm.
