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1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Fat Fendered and Classic Ford Trucks

FLATTIE PRICE

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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 07:58 PM
  #1  
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FLATTIE PRICE

Been looking for a spare to get working on. This one is as close to my house as I have seen in years. Guy said it ran good when he pulled it and was stored in good conditions

... 1953 FORD V8 FLATHEAD ENGINE COMPLETE NICE!: eBay Motors (item 250686505716 end time Sep-01-10 13:29:28 PDT)

Any thoughts on price ? Kind of stiff to me but getting closer. Was at $1100
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 08:18 PM
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Too high to me. $500 for an old runner is about what I would pay. $100 for an unknown that's been sitting.
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 09:27 PM
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E-bay lie #237 (from The Bob Jones list of E-bay lessons learned) "was running when parked"

I agree with HAVI-that is way high. Offer him $350 cash! I'll bet he'll take it

53 Flathead has a little more (10) HP than your 51 but the clutch and flywheel covers are completely different.

Ah but here is the "food for thought" That engine with the clutch arrangement on it will support an overdrive transmission if you were to modify your clutch pedals with a pull cable!

Tell him you want the bell housing in the deal too! No deal without it!
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 09:44 PM
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I've seen many accounts of guys buying a "runner" flattie that turned out to have a fatal crack in the block after they pulled it apart for a rebuild. IMO, a torn down engine or even a bare block is worth more than a complete engine because it can be inspected. Flatties are far too prone to cracking and fatal block damage to pay much for one just because the seller claims that it ran fine. I'd never pay more than about $200 for a complete engine - regardless what the seller says about it.
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:05 PM
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I would agree. I bought 6 engines all had death cracks in them. I finally settled on a 226 flathead 6 in my build ran great, but not a lot of speed out of it. I have the 7th in my garage tearing it down, but I am not counting on it till its dipped and magnifluxed.
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:11 PM
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My my, aren't we all cynics?! There are plenty of guys who value flatheads and know they are worth good money if not thrown out behind the barn for 20 yrs. If the guy is close, see if you can take a carb over and run it, or at least do a compression test on it.

It's a car engine, so it will require a fair amount of work to use it in a truck... you could switch over most of the parts from your existing engine.
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:18 PM
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just buying a 53 motor for 300 bucks with carb to E-brake compleat motor trans with a PTO on the side..deals are out there...
 
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Julies Cool F1
E-bay lie #237 (from The Bob Jones list of E-bay lessons learned) "was running when parked"

I agree with HAVI-that is way high. Offer him $350 cash! I'll bet he'll take it

53 Flathead has a little more (10) HP than your 51 but the clutch and flywheel covers are completely different.

Ah but here is the "food for thought" That engine with the clutch arrangement on it will support an overdrive transmission if you were to modify your clutch pedals with a pull cable!

Tell him you want the bell housing in the deal too! No deal without it!


If you think about it EVERYTHING "ran when parked" haha If I were you I would go pull the heads and check for cracks. I have a flathead with two major cracks that was a runner and i did the "lock-n-stich" and put block sealer in it and it never leaked.
 
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 09:34 AM
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As has been stated, too much money for a flathead you can't see. Flatheads will run, and maybe not leak with a cylinder to valve crack, esp. with the use of a sealer. That being said, if you were to rebuild it, you would want to fix it using the aforementioned "lock-n-stitch", or if you know a cast iron welder, which is not real cheap, plus add in the machine work, etc. A proven crack free block may be cheaper in the long run.
 
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 01:10 PM
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2-300 bucks here too . i got a spare late flatty { using the eab heads on my 8bs to bump the compression } and it's apart , no cracks etc. and one of these millennia i want to build a " hot rod " flatty for myself wether it goes in my 53 or the customline or ??????? i sold three early blocks , checked out , no cracks , good cranks and rods , and a froze up 37 21 stud for 150 each , with the 21 stud being a freebie as he bought them all . with the notoriety of nasty cracks etc. and an unknown history noone is willing to go out on a limb for one .............
 
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 03:24 PM
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Guaranteed Cracks

The local boys I buy from sell every flathead with the description "Cracked Ford V-8 motor". Keeps customers from coming back to complain.
 
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 05:35 PM
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I know everyone is saying $100-300 and I agree, if you cant see it running in person, compression check in person, and oil pressure check in person I would think in that price range. "IF" and only "IF" I were to try to sell my flathead and trans I would ask something like $1500 mainly because I wouldn't really want to sell it lol. I got lucky with the one that came in my 51, highest compression reading was 110 and the lowest was 95. The oil pressure was 49 psi (on a video), and it runs great. I have videos of it running and me driving it. Watching a video of those things being checked and it being driven would make me feel better about spending that much for one.
 
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by reed1951
I know everyone is saying $100-300 and I agree, if you cant see it running in person, compression check in person, and oil pressure check in person I would think in that price range. "IF" and only "IF" I were to try to sell my flathead and trans I would ask something like $1500 mainly because I wouldn't really want to sell it lol. I got lucky with the one that came in my 51, highest compression reading was 110 and the lowest was 95. The oil pressure was 49 psi (on a video), and it runs great. I have videos of it running and me driving it. Watching a video of those things being checked and it being driven would make me feel better about spending that much for one.
Exactly, I had your engine in mind when I posted earlier. If you'll sell that "ran when pulled", probably cracked to hell, unverified engine for $300, let me know ASAP! Are you going to sell it?
 
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