$$ Questions on my engine

[Cbarton]

So I've been off the list for over a year......Bought a Porsche and playing with that sucked up most of my time and mod money lately......set the Mustang aside for a while....but now I'm back and I am finally motivated to pull my Mustang out of storage and finish it......all that's left is ordering a new radiator (Ron Davis) for the new motor and R&R ing the motor to install the 427 Stroker I've had sitting for over a year......

The motor that I initially built and installed in the car is as follows.....

Rebuilt 302 flat top pistons / Cast crank
Edelbrock Alloy heads
Strong cam...don't have the specs handy
Edelbrock 600 carb and performer manifold
JBA shorties
MSD, Accell
FMS Valve covers, etc....

The motor sounds AWESOME, runs well...had it on a dyno and it made aprox 180hp at the wheels...but the carb came off a junker and has never even been adjusted.....the consensus during the dyno runs was there was a LOT of HP to be had with tuning......but it runs just fine.....

I've driven less than 3000 miles since this motor was completely rebuilt.....I want to sell it "In the car" meaning ......I know it's worth a lot more when someone can see it and drive it...vrs buying a motor that's sitting in the corner of the garage. This is one of the things that has sorta kept me from getting on with the engine swap...

Here's my question.....

What do you guys think it's worth? In the car......running and driving great...vrs out of the car?

Thanks

Chris

 

[1966conv]

Are you going to sell it as a complete long block with the Dizzy included. Pretty much everything you described?

Is it a roller 302?

As a runing motor, where they can check compression and check for leaks etc, seeing the aluminum heads, intake and such. I think it's worth more than $2500, but I don't think you'll be able to get that much from it.

 

[Cbarton]

No it's a solid lifter motor....but Yes, that's the plan....sell it complete......the new motor is already complete, tuned and ready to drop in....ideally I want someone to look at it and then I can have my mechanic pull it and someone could pick it up......I figure that's the best way to buy a motor and as such for me to get top dollar....I was also figureing $2000-2500 but if I pull the motor and try to sell it....I was thinking probably best I could get was $1000-1500...figured if I end up pulling it before a sale...I guess I could videotape it running and driving etc....

Chris

Are you going to sell it as a complete long block with the Dizzy included. Pretty much everything you described?

Is it a roller 302?

As a runing motor, where they can check compression and check for leaks etc, seeing the aluminum heads, intake and such. I think it's worth more than $2500, but I don't think you'll be able to get that much from it.

 

[Max Power]

I'll be blunt, please don't take it personally:

1. "In" the car doesn't mean as much if , as you say, the thing doesn't have a good tune on it. 180hp to the rears is not very impressive in or out of the car.

2. You are affording a 427 in a 65 fastback, and you spent the last year buying and modding a Porsche, and you are worried about a couple hundred dollars difference in value? Seriously? Grandpa used to say: "You're jumping over dollars to pick up dimes".

 

[Cbarton]

I don't take it personally........but I couldn't disagree more......Iam doing it as a favor to the buyer as well.......What would YOU pay for a motor sitting on a garage floor? I probably wouldn't pay over $1000 and that's ONLY cause it has alloy heads AND I wouldn't necessarily be comfortable trusting a strangers word......you NEVER really know what you're getting.......but I KNOW that this motor starts and runs great all day long.....so IMO whoever buys this is getting a REALLY good deal...and I know as buyer.....I couldn't be more thrilled to buy a motor that I can inspect and drive before I buy........that kind of opportunity doesn't come along often.......especially one with 2500 ish miles on it.........and it's NOT slow....doesn't spin the tires in second by any means....but I would say it's as quick as a stock rebuild at LEAST.....I mean what does that work out to.....220ish hp at the crank? I'm just being honest and relaying what the dyno guy told me...he also quoted me 500+ to extract that last 25-50 hp (his words) out of it.....(dyno time and carb tuning) I don't want to spend any more on it as it's coming out.....but the parts are all there.....and I we're not talking about a couple of hundred bucks difference here......more like $1000-$1500......

I've got a lot going on.....I run a business, went through a divorce in the last year, got a new girlfriend....renting a condo and had to put the mustang in storage...so it's been "out of sight, out of mind" for a while....bought the P-Car and that's been great for a year......but now I am getting ready to buy a house soon...and will have room for the mustang...so I am feeling motivated.....but dont want to lose my ASS on this engine.....am I cheap? No, but obviously not in a big hurry either....

Chris

I'll be blunt, please don't take it personally:

1. "In" the car doesn't mean as much if , as you say, the thing doesn't have a good tune on it. 180hp to the rears is not very impressive in or out of the car.

2. You are affording a 427 in a 65 fastback, and you spent the last year buying and modding a Porsche, and you are worried about a couple hundred dollars difference in value? Seriously? Grandpa used to say: "You're jumping over dollars to pick up dimes".

 

[Max Power]

Unfortunately, you may lose money on the engine regardless. It is really difficult to get a premium or even what you have invested for a used engine. And sometimes hearing it running doesn't prove that it was put together with longevity in mind. It could be .060 over, it could be sleeved, it could have bearing clearance issues, there are a whole host of hidden gremlins that could be lurking inside of what sounds like a perfectly running engine. It's just the same as buying a used car, the buyer never really knows for sure.

While what you may be asking may be worth it, after all $2000-$2500 "should" be what people are willing to pay, I have found that it is difficult to get people to pay for unknowns when the price is near what they can do themselves. I built a 400+ hp 393 for $3500. I am sure a 302 with the basic bolt-ons can be built from scratch for somewhere near what you are asking.

I hope you can recoup your investment, but I think it will be a little bit of a stretch to get $2000-$2500, regardless of if it is running in a car or not.

Best of luck!

 

[bnickel]

i have to agree with Max on this one. 180hp RWHP isn't much. if i were to buy the engine i'd likely go through it anyway regardless whether it's running or not, just because the engine is running doesn't necessarily mean it was put together right, which i'm sure it was but i truct no one when it comes to buying a used engine, trans or otherwise. sorry, but that's my opinion

 

[Cbarton]

I understand what you're saying....you ALWAYS lose money on this kind of thing.....Iam well aware of that......of course keep in mind.....I have all reciepts for the engine work.....no surprises here....local, respected engine builder....and I'm not trying to get what I have invested......hoping for closer to HALF of what I spent on it....which is somewhere north of $3500.....but......you're probably right.....I'll probably end up pulling it out, sitting it in the corner....if I can't find a local buyer.....if I do I'll video a couple of minutes of it running and driving and just put it aside.....never no when you'll run into a buyer or end up needing a spare motor......haha......


Chris

Unfortunately, you may lose money on the engine regardless. It is really difficult to get a premium or even what you have invested for a used engine. And sometimes hearing it running doesn't prove that it was put together with longevity in mind. It could be .060 over, it could be sleeved, it could have bearing clearance issues, there are a whole host of hidden gremlins that could be lurking inside of what sounds like a perfectly running engine. It's just the same as buying a used car, the buyer never really knows for sure.

While what you may be asking may be worth it, after all $2000-$2500 "should" be what people are willing to pay, I have found that it is difficult to get people to pay for unknowns when the price is near what they can do themselves. I built a 400+ hp 393 for $3500. I am sure a 302 with the basic bolt-ons can be built from scratch for somewhere near what you are asking.

I hope you can recoup your investment, but I think it will be a little bit of a stretch to get $2000-$2500, regardless of if it is running in a car or not.

Best of luck!