Question for the seasoned members here

How much is my flathead engine worth? Its starts and runs great. I have it advertised for 3000 but no takers. What say all of you?

 

Is that the limited edition gold plated model?

Rich

 

You might have one to many zeros on that.

 

Advertised where? Is it low mileage? Freshly rebuilt? Polished? Ported? Balanced? Speed Equipped? Sleeved? Patched? Bored?
There are dozens of factors, but if I had to guess, $3000 is a lot of dinero to a lot of us homemade hot rod types. Someone somewhere will be all over that though.

 

I would put around 800-1500 depending on the miles and model if it's in real good shape.
If it's just a runner that needs a rebuild soon, less.
r

 

Flatheads need to be HERE to be valuable. Yours is, unfortunately, THERE.
Are its ***ets correctly advertised?? Is it a Merc, with 4" crank?? Starting and running smoothly shows for sure it isn't stuck, and of course strongly suggests that it isn't a cracked piece of s****. If these numbers are good, put them in any ads: Compression and/or leakdown tests, numbers when hot with a mechanical OP gauge, temperature after idling for a while. Good numbers in those categories will reinforce the engine's value.

 

A big handicap...many potential buyers learned all they know from "Streetrodder'; what they know is that only one flathead in every thousand isn't cracked into junk, and they can only be rebuilt by rapacious spe******ts who replace everything with expensive aftermarket equivalents. That means that certain bottom-feeding, risk-taking flatheaders make out like bandits because most customers are afraid of everything they see!

 

Wow 3 large for a flatty.... We cringe when someone wants a grand for one. 500 to 800 for a good runner is about what we pay. But we are also not in California so I don't know the going rate there.
CheaterJack ...Proud flathead owner and operator

 

I see freshly rebuilt flatheads advertsed up here for between $3,500 and $4,500. No Speed parts, just a stocker engine, but professionally built.

Flatman

 

I'd want to read $4,000.00 + worth of rebuild receipts while listening to it run.

 

Thanks for all your help and for the comments. Surely do appreciate them.

 

i gotta tell ya when i saw that ad, i literally blew coffee through my nose and soaked my screen. how crusty is it? flat motors aint gold dude

 

Put her on E-Pay, hell they sold a flashlight for 600 bucks.

 

Yea, running flatheads mean nothing. I had collected 4 running flatheads for my '41 Ford pu. Brought them to the machine shop for rebuilding. I guess I lucked out because one is usable. The 3 others all cracked into main oil galleries. They ran good though.

 

ya, you see flatheads for sale at that price but only a fool would pay that much. id bet money that they didnt fetch anywhere near $3500-$4500, IF the engines sold at all.

like fiddy said, plain jane blocks aren't gold.

 

For three grand it better have a running, driving '52 Ford on top of it.

 

Sold a nice running one last year in a 52 1 ton truck. Whole truck went down the road for $900. Those flatheads in my book are worth a lot more that what they seem to bring. I think the people that want them are going away too. The old timers that loved them are "retiring" and the love for them isn't there much anymore. Thank goodness for people on this site that keeps the flame alive for the flattys.

 

My complete, low mileage, 47 with transmission is sale pending for 1200.00.

 

I bought my last good runner with a 39 box for $1000, and I thought it was high until I saw the rebuild bills, so it was a good buy.

 

Now that the whiners have talked you down to $12.50, will you deliver to east coast?
Seriously, good Ford mechanicals are going up faster than most realize or can believe, and rebuild costs are aiding the growth on parts that are usable...before Ebay, a 39 box wasn't worth much more than the same weight of sand, and Stromberg cores were like $20...and I'm not talking about the '60's here. Virtually all good old Ford stuff is getting hard to find, and neither good nor bad repro stuff has affected that at all.

 

oops!I think you spilled your box of zeros on the add.......

 

yeah your a little too high! I sold my non-running for $600 and the guy cleaned it up nice and got it started and sold it for $1600 I bet thats around the price you can get if someone wants one bad enough.

 

I'm an old flathead guy. Also an old fart. I can purchase a nice corvette engine with trans for around $1200. I have 2 flathead mercs with 4" cranks but when I replace the flat head in my 51 merc project it will be with a more modern ford or chevy engine. I will eventually sell both flatheads to purchase one of the above engines. This statement will probably get me some flack but the ones that give me flack won't be around when the flatty overheats or gets blown away by an old lady in a ford fairlane v8 or some dude in a bubble top caprice Thanks, BOBBY FORD