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Engine value

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Ozzsp250
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 12:35 am
Location: Arizona, USA

Engine value

Post by Ozzsp250 »

I've been asked to put a value on an V8 engine probably from the sedan being sold after the re-builder of the engine has passed. Unfortunately little is known of the components used and whether the missing items or at least those missing from the two attached photos show are available; i.e. the water and manifolds, the carburetors and so on.

I believe the engine is on the East Coast of the USA - trying to confirm.

Any input to value appreciated.

Dennis
Engine 1.jpg
Engine  2.jpg

tjt77
Wise Man
Wise Man
Posts: 525
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:01 pm

Re: Engine value

Post by tjt77 »

Had to determine and generally in the eye of the beholder :- as a 'guide' I recently purchased 2 complete, but fully dismantled saloon engines (with transmissions ,which i did not have room for..so left behind) that had been stripped, cleaned and inspected and everything labelled and boxed (i.e...one can see EXACTLY what one was purchasing) and I paid his asking price of $1,500 for the pair of engines with minimal wear needing light machining and one pair of heads needed waterways welding..(they came with all ancilliaries including carbs etc)
The primary issue is that with an assembled engine, you have no idea what you are purchasing ..images posted show clean and probably rebuilt engine ..Will the seller let you take heads and cam gallery cover off for inspection ? if so it will enable better idea of what you are buying. Used SP 250 engines tend to change hands at anywhere from $1,500 to $3k in USA for an 'unknown' already removed unit.. the 2 1/2 litre 4 door engines sell for less... good running ones around $2,500 if functioning 'as they should' .

given the red paint its likely that whoever rebuilt the engine had more enthusiasm than knowledge..(its a saloon engine, rather then SP250) so excercise caution.. rebuild costs ARE expensive .. welding up corroded water ways and re-sizing plus re-surfacing heads and installing guides runs about $3-400 per head in my area .. if I supply everything (new valves, guides, seals, springs etc) the tab is usually $700- 1,200 per pair from my local engine machine shop to fully restore heads ready to fit (excellent work to original factory specs..nothing they cannot achieve) camshaft welding and re-profiling is costly..although re-profiling lifters relatively easy. the issue with sourcing quality bearings remains a problem ( although king now supply rods in 'tri metal' format ..but mains still Bi metal..a few specialist suppliers still have old stocks of OEM vandervell, replacement Glacier 'LC' and occasionally 'peter hepworth' lead copper in SOME sizes..albeit at a price.) pistons are reasonable ..the rocker assemblys are time consuming to re-build and shafts hard to source ( but can be restored by specialists who grind them down,plate with hard or 'engineering' chrome and then grind back to size and clean out oil ways) . You need to budget at least $3k for parts and machining ... and most engine builders will charge $3k labor.. (average time to do everything starting with a dirty 'as removed' long block is between 40 and 85 hours.. to do it to original factory standard)
a 'freshen up' with rings and bearing on a lightly worn engine or long standing clean rebuilt can be done for about $1,000 'all in'.
I have seen people asking $5k for a supposedly 'rebuilt' engine on a pallet.. sold 'as is' though.. given the low demand, these engine are neither easy to sell or easy to find when you need one..
I hope my words can help you determine fair and reasonable value ..but its really down to several less than straighforward issues.. If you really need a replacement engine it can be costly.

Ozzsp250
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 12:35 am
Location: Arizona, USA

Re: Engine value

Post by Ozzsp250 »

I relayed your informative response to the seller's contact.

All the best for 2019

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SteveW62
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:45 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Engine value

Post by SteveW62 »

Are you sure it‘s a saloon engine tjt77 ?

I see a timing tab on the front cover & a short straight oil filler. I thought these were only on a dart engine. Admittedly I see nothing else to “identify“ its origin.

Can you please let me know, what i‘ve missed.


Thanks in advance
Steve

tjt77
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Wise Man
Posts: 525
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:01 pm

Re: Engine value

Post by tjt77 »

Steve, Im going by the oil pan or 'sump' as primary guide ... Also:- the short oil filler was standard on the 'V8 250' ('late' 67 on) as they did away with the air filter assy atop of engine in favor of simpler separate air cleaners bolted direct to carbs as a cost cutting measure (so access to oil filler improved and a short straight pipe used) ..it also has the later timing cover with spot welded marker attached to set ign timing from above.. introduced on '250'.. i.e. long after SP250 production ended..

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