Selling My Engine inquiring about price/value
Thread Starter
|
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: South East Florida
Selling My Engine inquiring about price/value
Hi guys, just wondering what your thoughts were on this subject
I am thinking about selling the flathead in my truck. I want to put some muscle in the doghouse instead of 80 horsepower or whatever the flathead produces
i know its increasing popularity, i know its a much easier engine to work on but i think i want to go ahead and sell it anyway.
my question is, what are these worth assuming isnt cracked? what if it IS? is it still worth something?
if i were to sell it, what should i ask basically. i would probably just put it on here first since there is an audience for it. i just have no idea what to ask.
thanks in advance
I am thinking about selling the flathead in my truck. I want to put some muscle in the doghouse instead of 80 horsepower or whatever the flathead produces
i know its increasing popularity, i know its a much easier engine to work on but i think i want to go ahead and sell it anyway.
my question is, what are these worth assuming isnt cracked? what if it IS? is it still worth something?
if i were to sell it, what should i ask basically. i would probably just put it on here first since there is an audience for it. i just have no idea what to ask.
thanks in advance
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,295
Likes: 1,056
From: NM
Unless you pull the heads and have the block tanked and inspected (dye or mag), to prove it is crack-free, it will likely be viewed as a crap-shoot and valued accordingly. So if it is a complete, running engine, I'd be surprised if anyone who can't witness it running would give more than $500 for it. There are a lot of "good running" flatties that have cracks that limit their usefulness for a build-up. Shipping a complete engine is real expensive, too. They aren't light!!
Thread Starter
|
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: South East Florida
what would you say is a good fair price for a "crap-shoot". say if i just want to get rid of it for some cash? non running(simply because it hasn't been tried) but it isn't locked up. . . starting to wonder how much i could get for the metal at a scrap yard
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,849
Likes: 1
From: Massillon, Ohio
I just took a bad 8RT engine to scrap yard and I got $40.00 for it. There may have been a few extra rotors in with it. I buy alot of motors off of ebay and then go after them. If it is a crap shoot I won't pay over $175.00 to $200.00. Some times they go for more but sometimes they go for less. I paid as low as $75.00 for and 8ba or 8 rt. This time of year it is really a toss up. Just my observations.
Kevin
Kevin
Thread Starter
|
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: South East Florida
thanks guys...see the reason i wanted to sell it was because i wanted to pay for the 302 im buying but as i sit here thinking about it . . . im so far away from the truck being ready crank the engine that i should just concentrate on everything else. there are so many other big projects like por-15ing it or body work or suspension that i have plenty of time before i need to worry about putting an engine in. it will just sit there in my garage. while thats not totally horrible cause i can work on it, i can also be working on the flathead in the truck now to at least LEARN how to work on an engine and get used to it so when i try to work on the 302 i have some experience behind me.
might as well just keep the one i have now and try to work on it. if i kill it, which can be professionally fixed, i can always get the 302 i want.
might as well just keep the one i have now and try to work on it. if i kill it, which can be professionally fixed, i can always get the 302 i want.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,669
Likes: 13
From: San Jose, CA
I had a (previously) running 53 Mercury flathead that I sold for $500. It had a 4" crank and no cracks between the cylinder walls on top on the right side. However, it did have cracked head bolts stuck inside the block on the right side. They cracked when I tried to remove them and the head to replace the gasket. The engine ran decently before I "broke" it.
I had a hard time selling it because I didn't want to ship it. Finally sold it to a local through word of mouth and advertising on this site and Bonusbuilt.com.
Good luck,
Ilya
P.S. Keep in mind that Merc flatheads and the 4" cranks are in more demand.
I had a hard time selling it because I didn't want to ship it. Finally sold it to a local through word of mouth and advertising on this site and Bonusbuilt.com.
Good luck,
Ilya
P.S. Keep in mind that Merc flatheads and the 4" cranks are in more demand.
Trending Topics
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: ishpeming usa
When I found my F-1, the sellers wife made me take it "all of it" or none of it.
The running when removed flathead was in his barn; I sold it for $150.00 to a third party before I even picked it up! I didn't want to deal with the cost of a flathead rebuild either, the truck would've been hard to return to stock anyway.
The running when removed flathead was in his barn; I sold it for $150.00 to a third party before I even picked it up! I didn't want to deal with the cost of a flathead rebuild either, the truck would've been hard to return to stock anyway.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 507
From: clinton,tn
the flathead that was in my 49 run's like a top.if i can't get what i want for it i am going to take my old cab and put it on my part's truck with all of my old rusty part's and make a rat rod out of it.people want you to give stuff away sometime's.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
From: HANNIBAL MO.
I sold my flathead for $200.00, a good set of rear fenders for my 48, and I get to drive my friends roadster when it's done.The motor run great and had no cracks.The motor was the one that came out of the old mercs. that everyone around here wants.
ART
ART
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 863
Likes: 2
From: Grain Valley Mo.
A friend of mine decided to build a rat-rod Model A with a flathead. He found a motor complete with tranny for $200. He tore the motor down and took it to the machine shop. Long story, short version....the machine work came to $1500. I saw a bill from Speedway Motors for $1000 (all flathead parts). He figures by the time he buys alum heads, multi-carbs and everything else he needs, he could have bought a really, really sweet crate motor from Ford Motorsports, for less money.
Thread Starter
|
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: South East Florida
a ive been looking around the web and reading this thread i cant help but think that i should get rid of this flathead yesterday . . . it seems the words flathead and economic can not be used in the same sentence when it comes to a rebuild.
so i have to take it to a machine shop or something to check for cracks? or is it something i can do at home myself?
so i have to take it to a machine shop or something to check for cracks? or is it something i can do at home myself?
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,849
Likes: 1
From: Massillon, Ohio
A machine shop will have to dip and magniflux it to be sure there are no cracks. I tear mine down to save on labor from the shop. I then take the block and let them dip and magniflux to check for cracks.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,295
Likes: 1,056
From: NM
Originally Posted by xfordman
He figures by the time he buys alum heads, multi-carbs and everything else he needs, he could have bought a really, really sweet crate motor from Ford Motorsports, for less money.
A flatty doesn't cost that much more to rebuild than any other engine. The cost to hone a cylinder is the same, to grind a crank, buy new pistons, etc. The valves are the more expensive part, (getting the clearance right) and it is just "different" than OHV's so they charge more. But it isn't that much more. My son just had a roller cam 5.0 short block built "the right way" and it cost nearly $2k.
If you want a valid comparison, compare to the cost of rebuilding a 40's Cadillac fla V8, or a Packard straight 8, but not to a high-volume crate motor with the personality of a Slant Six.....(actually less personality)