So my cousin was going to get into rodding and bought a crosley 4 banger with an empty ****** case, he needs cash and wants 300 for it. Ive NO USE for this engine, but shes a sweet looking little girl. Now im getting ideas of a mini speedster and what not. Is a crosley engine that turns over worth this? Even if i just buy it to get it running for resale? Theres no intake or exhaust on this btw.
There were two Crosley blocks, one was cast iron the other one was a bunch of plates fused together somehow. The cast iron one is pretty good, the other one, not so much. I had one years ago where the PO tried to repair the fused block with Black Magic body filler. Don
Well this is the cast iron block. It turns over, has a distributor and finned aluminum cam cover. Thats it. It would look cool in a rod, but ive already got three projects going on at once right now.
It all depends on how much you want to fool with an engine that might be harder to find parts for than a little more common one. I bet there are Crosley clubs and forums where you could get most of the help you would need, and maybe parts too. The HotShot was their little sportscar, I always wanted one. I had 3 Crosleys at one time, two sedans and a station wagon. I was about 12 at the time. Don
The Copper Brazed 45-49 motor was pretty remarkable - the block only weighed 14-15 lbs. Compete motor with flywheel etc was 133 lbs. They would go 60,000 miles no problem, but that's because they made no power (26 HP) and were only 44 Cubic Inches. They also sounded like a clattery diesel as the block didn't dampen any sound. The cast Iron blocks were introduced in 49 and continued til 52. They were a little quieter. there were hop up parts for them, and in Europe, even double overhead cam conversions. Some made as much as 85 HP and even had custom made Aluminum "Big Blocks" that made them 59 cubic inches. But for a Hot Rod, they are pretty much worthless and I wouldn't give more than about $50.00 for a running one.
"there were hop up parts for them, and in Europe, even overhead cam conversion" I thought they were all overhead cam??????
Back in the day all the guys racing 3/4 midgets used that Crosley motor. Not so today. $300......ah, no. P***.
FWIW I sold a complete engine that ran good last Febuary for $800 when I first got it it was missing a starter and flywheel, took forever to find one.....At that price and it missing the intake and exhaust i'd stay away.
The Crosley engines were pretty genius for what they were, but you are looking at something designed to power a 1200 pound car along very slowly. That said, they can be hopped up (the shift mark on most Crosley-powered racers is at 8000 RPM!) if you've got the inclination. There is plenty of parts support out there, and there is some speed equipment as well. As far as value?... most non-running engines go for under $250. The finned valve cover might indicate that it's got some speed parts in it, or it might just be that somebody swapped the valve cover off a boat motor. Are the fins higher on one end than the other? if so, it's a cover off a boat motor. There are some awesome little cars running with Crosley power, everything from Italian sportscars to rail dragsters to Bonneville cars.
Not much to add, but I first saw these motors in a big pile along the side of a guys house around 1972. I thought they were pretty neat, and asked him what they were for. He said he raced them in speedboats up in Seattle in the 60's.
A big no to the price and the low HP...and I think you have to remove the cam to adjust the valves...and most need adjusting that I have listened to.
Well thanks for the info guys, I guess ill p*** on it, unless hes willing to take like 100 for it. Then it could go from gathering dust in his storage shed to gathering dust in my garage. To answer crosleykook, the valve cover has low fins the same height all the way across, but is well.. a mudball of grease. I doubt it would have been hopped up if the guy let it get that bad. I think he must have just swapped a cool valve cover onto it at some point.
I would like to find one of those motors to put in a old Sears lawn tractor I have but would not give that much for one that is not complete and cant hear run but I am a cheap ***.
If you decide to do something with it, I have a hot rod street cam on the shelf ready to go....cheap. SOLD
If you are talking of the V8 that was featured in sept 1954 Car craft? There have been others, I can't remember if any were complete enough to may have been running or all were works in progress..Other than ***eol there have been some Flat 8's....
We used to race against a Crosley dragster with our Sparks/Model B dragster, he was hard to beat at 1/8 mile. There's a guy in the Lancaster, CA area that has 2 of the V8's.
I have read that a 6cyl [one bank of the x-24 mock-up] was built for testing but was evolved down to [de-volved?] the 44" 4 cyl...
Possible to get a hold of the guy in CA? I'd love to see some pics of what he's got; I think there maybe more than one version of the V8's..Pretty sure also more versions of the Flat eight other than what ***eol built, I got some pics some wheres....
Not true- you just remove the cam cover and adjust the valves with shims. old Jaguars have more or less the same arrangement.
Yes but the early ones did not [not sure if pre car application or in car use when they started adjustables] and some of the racers prferred to adjust with out the shims to avoid the possibility of the shims working out..Fascinating little engine and car, eh? Just missed getting an Isky cam..
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