What do you think the market is like for the aussie heads? I have a chance to take an order of heads. I am curious if they would sell.

 

Do you mean Aussie Iron heads? There are a couple of sets on Ebay now, watch a couple of days to see how many bids they get, and what price they get.

 

Tim, I was considering buying a batch of heads and reselling them. They sell for about $300 a pair on ebay. I think the deal was that I could have purchased 10 pairs for about $1200. It's not pure profit because not all the heads will be worth selling.

I think it would be worth doing something like buying heads, refitting them with 460 valves, 2.09"/1.65", doing a pocket porting job to help the airflow numbers, and selling them as high performance replacements for American 2V heads.

There are several sellers of Oz heads on ebay, so it would be a good idea to have something to stand out from the crowd.

BTW, you can get iron 4bbl intakes that fit to 2v heads from Australia, too. I have two. They have Rochester spreadbore throttle patterns, or the usual Holley pattern. Obviously, they're for Cleveland blocks.

 

there are guys knocking each other over out there to outbid themselves for CRACKED HEADS! a cost effective ready to install package with 1 piece stainless valves and a fair set of springs good to a moderate would be great. i have an itch to set up my engine to run the new E85 fuel and the aussie 2V quench heads would be part of the package.

 

I think a low buck alloy head with closed chambers and 2V ports and stainless valves set up for adj rockers would be a goood seller. even if they were iron I think they would sell good. I also think you should market a piston that will give good quinch and a respectable com ratio for a mild build that wouldn't send the dcr through the roof with cams smaller than say a comp cams 268H. A head, cam and piston package, that recomends a carb and manifold would be ideal. could even put it together as a rebuild kit that uses the customers block, rod, and crank, with a predetermined out put level, for each combo with a dyno sheet. My 2cents.

 

Kopfenjager, I could not have put that any better. There are alot of guys out there looking for the extra pwer, but don't know what parts to put together. I think it's pretty obvious that Aussie heads work pretty well when joined with the proper parts combo. I think Tim's project 400 engine speaks for itself. I think a combo. of the right parts, including heads would sell prety well, because without the proper DCR, one could end up building himself a high dollar grenade instead of a hi power engine.

 

Thanks guys, yes I think they are still a good choice.

 

I watch these heads often, I hardly ever see them get a bid. Do they ever sell? The ones that have a bid are from a private bidder, Probably setup to drive the price up.

 

Don't waste your time unless you are going to sell them as fully prepped and ready to bolt on. I've watched those heads on e-Bay and those are usually posted by the same seller with very few if any bids.

I bring a 40' container in from Oz once a year and at $8000 in shipping it is hard to make any money off the stuff that is why I only bring in things for me and my friends....nothing is for e-bay. As for the heads, we get them shipped up once and a while but it is getting really hard to get good heads from down there. One in 2 to 1 in 3 heads are trashed. Most have the seats beat out of them due to running them on Unleaded for many 10's of 1000's of Kms OR they are cracked.

As for the intakes, the early 1970's 4bbl intakes were for Autolite squarebore carbs while the later 1976-1983 intakes were for Carter Thermoquads. The intakes are about as good as an Edelbrock Performer. I switched from a spreadbore with a Redline 2" adaptor/spacer to a performer with a 2" spacer. I was using a Carter 625 AFB (302C w/mild cam) and could not tell ANY difference in performance. The stocker is pretty good but a bit heavy.

 

Tim,

I disagree with Falcon...at least recently on ebay- my experience. ( of course they may only be selling really well because i am in the market and they will be giving the heads away once i do not want any- dowty luck)

I've been following the aussie iron on ebay for some time- 1 year - and they average out at about 380 a set plus shipping. I recently bought a pair for 335.00 but over paid- $85 -to have them shipped 600 miles and they were not magged but guaranteed- if they suck I guess I'll have to pay shipping x2 again- not happy with that deal!!!

Folks are building the heads and selling them on ebay for 900+ and they haven't even hardened the exhause seat! i asked. They sell very well from what I have seen except the 900 sets.

I would do it myself- the cracked heads are typically ok as they can get 'drip cracks' on the top of the water journals that are very small and can be brazed most of the time. I would have no problem running those as long as i didn't have to sink a bunch of extra $$$ getting both of the seats hardened - which i do for propane (to do it right). That is why the cracked ones still sell for $100/set on ebay.

Mr. Falcon. let me introduce myself as one of your new friends who really likes aussie heads.........

 

as an example...check out item #8010960765. bid is at 380...33 bids and 15 hours left!

also...if you get a system down for porting like powerheads.....chaching$