As you know, I picked up a 41 Plymouth Bus. coupe. The car came with a rebuilt - low milage 392 Hemi w/ orignial trans and several other bell housings. Here is my delima...Personnally, I know Hemi's are a real traditional motor to run, very cool and lots of power, but expensive too...but since purchasing these items, I have been hit up numerous times to sell the motor. ONe guy has even hit me up for $6000 (motor only), ~or~ trade for a fresh, no milage motor and trans...and ~or~ other sorts of weird trades. Should I sell it or keep it? What would you do? I paid 1/3 of the $6000 for the car and motor and tons of parts. I dont mind to run the Hemi, but I also like Nailheads, Rockets and Y-blocks too. A motor is a motor, as long as it runs and looks good . I guess really it doesnt matter....
got a y-block for ya but it comes with a whole car! j/k sent ya some pics i dont know if it worked let me know
Depends ultimately what you want, personally I'd sell and go with another nostalgic type motor. Thats big change ($) and if it helps you along faster in the build process, I'd do it.
Sell it. If its not that super important to you to have a Hemi, then sell/trade it for a fresh setup that is cheaper and easier to repair if it breaks and pocket some cash as well. Dont overthink it too much. Sounds like you have a great opportunity to take advantage of a cool score. Go with it. Joe
gotta agree if there some one stupid anuf to give you 6K for a motor worth half that at best sell it & build something else sense your not intoo them old hemis much if you have to ask a Qs like this
Let's see..... sell the engine, then have $0 in the car, AND still have 4K in my pocket... or.... have 2K in my project with a kick *** engine that I really didn't care TOO much about.... I've lost enough $$ on old cars to turn down a profit anymore. My decision would be easy. JH
Honestly...it really doesnt matter to me...Im into the nastalgia of the hobbie. Motor is a motor....Schitt!, if the motor came with a fresh Nailhead ~or~ Rocket and trans, I would still have the same warm/fuzzy feeling inside... What do I really want...a motor that runs good w/ a multiple deuce carb setup!!!...and reliable ...that is it...anything but a SBC
So you have a Plymouth and a low mileage 392 and you have to ask. Run the damn thing. There is not a better motor for that Plymouth than a Hemi. You have one and may not be able to replace it. If you do the research on the other bellhousings you may be able to recoup some money from them, but run the damn Hemi....
That IS....a Dilemma....I will say this....from experience...IF the motor is what you think-Id say -SELL- it for sure -thats more than enough money to qualify as crazy cash... .BUT -on the other side of the coin IS IT REALLY a perfect engine? that would put you in hot water if it sells and turns out to be not what it was represented as.....then you would have to make it good.I know -Iknow.....But seriously that amount these days would probably result in him starting some legal action [Just a su****ion anyways ]-GOOD LUCK!
If your like me, by the time you pick the perfect replacement engine and do it up right you'll end up with more money in it than you profited from selling the motor, and you might as well have just left it alone. Unless you drop in a plain old running sbc and drive it, but that's no fun.
i'd run it, if you get tired of it you can always get your money.its like dirt they ain't making any more, jhmo
Any other situation, I'd say sell it, profit is sweet and cars for free are so much more fun than cars you have tons of cash tied up in, But I read the story about your car and the history behind it. Sure, it wasn't a famous car, but it was a hot rod from way back in the day and the guy always ran a Hemi in it. It's not that difficult to build a car that looks period, but to have one that's been a hot rod almost all it's life, it'd be kind of a shame to sell that motor off just to be into the car for less money. Imagine yourself at a car show telling the story. You tell people about your great find and how it came with a sweet Hemi and how it was an old hot rod from way back in the day. Then you pop the hood and there's a cheapie small block Chevy/Dodge/Ford in it that had no history with it. Sure, the nailhead or rocket would be a cool motor too, but the car has real history with the Hemi and it's just another recently put together car with any other motor than the one that came with it. What if someone talked your ear off for half an hour about the sweet old Deuce with a twin carb flatty in it that he bought, and then you go to see it and the flathead was replaced? If you can afford to keep it, you'll be preserving a really neat old rod, just the way the original owner kept it. That is a really neat car, by the way. I have a '40 Chrysler and I love the pre-war Mopars.
how do you feel about going fast? with 6k, you could build a small block chevy that would shut down any hemi (even the real ones) and still have 2k left over. consider that you could have a faster engine, recoup your investment, and still break even. it wouldn't take much to doll up the small block to look the part. depends on what you like....
Well if it was ME, I'd run it. I think old Hemis are cool as **** and this car has some hot rod history with a Hemi in it. But you don't seem that attached to it and that kind of cash could go a long way towards making this car what you want. But like someone else said earlier, you'd have to replace it and unless you have a motor that is ready to run and be reliable, you need to consider those costs that would off set any profit. You said this was rebuilt with low miles on it. I don't think $6K is huge numbers for a fresh Hemi, ***uming its a real strong runner. What I mean is if you were to have that same motor built by a shop, you'd probably be in to it that much or close anyway, when everything is considered. A built Y block or rocket motor would be less, but not enough in my mind to warrant dumping a vintage Hemi to pocket a couple grand.
Id would sell the hemi for 6k, then you can just build and inexpensive sbc and just as much fun with it and still got cash in the pocket...is it even an open hood car? if ya got a hood on you got no choice just sell it. If a hemi means that much to you, that would be a diffrent story
SquaBlow, you have a good point...it would seem wierd to tell the story and you open the hood to find something different under the hood. Ill have to sleep on it...alot of great ideas and points given. So much it makes my head spin.. But that's what makes this site cool. I think my biggest concern is the cost of the motor if anything goes wrong w/ it. I did some searching on the NET and OMG the price is double on everything...makes building a flatty cheap. I dont know much about Hemi's, except they are cool and were the heart of alot of Drag cars in the 60's.(neighbor is an old So. Cal drag racer from the day) The motor is prestine in alot of ways and was well taken care of. To cruise it would lengthen its life span, to pop the hood would open alot of eyes. I will say, I like to put the "OMG" look on the local "Gold Chainers" faces. Its cool to be the young guy w/ the cool "schitt."
I'm glad to see you consider it more. How many chances you gonna have to own a hot rod with a Hemi in it? This one was practically given to you. Besides, if you sell it now, you'll have to change your signature!
**** man... sell the 392 for $6k and with that money ill sell you a 331 chrysler hemi for $400... win/win situation.
Leave the hemi in it, drive it and have fun doin' it. Sounds like a killer car engine combo. If you're like me, you'll sell the engine and then flop **** around for a couple of years before ya' find time to build and install a replacement. To build a Buick or Cad won't be cheap either. A good one will probably cost ya' a couple of of K's. So your profit is diluted and you've been without the fun of driving a neat car for awhile. The fun and pleasure of driving a hot rod is worth something. Or, take your time building a replacement engine, then swap it out for the hemi and then take the hemi profit and buy something neat. Although, the 6k hemi buyer will probably be long gone! But like one HAMBer said, "they're not making them anymore". So, a replacement buyer will probably be waiting in line for the same money. "Please take a number", "Next buyer please!!!".
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