What should I pay for a good running lightly modified complete 1951 Merc engine and 3 speed overdrive???? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It depends on a lot of different things. I recently bought a good running stock 1950 flathead with a 5 speed conversion with clutch and pressure plate for $1600. Saw video of it in the car running prior to buying. I also had a 1950 flathead rebuilt completely with some mild hop up work and it cost me over $3k. Was bored 3/16 over, 4 inch crank, and I provided all the rebuild parts like heads, pistons, rings, oil pump, timing gear, valve guides, and so on... One thing is how long has it been up for sale. If there isn't much of a market for it in your area you might be able to get it a little cheaper than if it were in an area where they are more in demand. Also, I have a 50 3 speed over drive tranny sitting on the shelf and so far nobody has any interest in it so that might be a non factor in negotiating the price. Hope this helps some.
Good 4" Merc crank's were running about $400 bucks for awhile.....flathead's are not cheap to build.....a good running Merc motor is what he said.....
The first of August I paid 700 dollars for a Stock 1951 Merc . powerplant. With Merc a matic trans I saw it drive . The guy is sub framing and installing late 4. 6 FI engine. I felt like I hit a bases loaded home run.
I saw that he said a good running merc motor. I was trying to give him a frame work with prices from buying used to getting one built. I have bought flatheads from $100 for parts engines to $250 for a stock runner. As I said price depends on a lot of things. If the guy wants $3500 for it then you might as well have your own built the way you want it. If he wants $1000 for it thats a different story...
It's always a shot in the dark. What if the crank is worn and has already been ground .030 already? Need to pay as little as possible unless it can be opened up and inspected.
Being able to ride in or drive the car it is in before buying it adds value or tells you that something isn't right. Compression test results that show the compression is up to specs and even is worth a lot, The engine having been in the same rig running and driving regularly is worth something. DocumPervoentation on reasonably recent work is good ( Was rebuilt in 1955 adds no value) performance pieces add value if they are in good shape. Rare pieces add more. I paid 450 for an 8BA that had been in a Jeep wagon that was used as a Huntin rig for years until someone broke the trans. Engine ran and ran good when I bought it and had good antifreeze in it. It even came with the bellhousing and Ford truck hogshead that I bought the Dwight Bond adapter for. I've spent far more than that for the parts I bought to put on it since then.
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