392 heads and crankshaft

Found some 392 hemi heads that are complete from rockers to valves that need redone and also a 392 crankshaft that just needs a light polishing. The owner told me to make him an offer, what do you guys think would be a fair price?

 

btt

 

$1.63 a pound

 

First question - do you have an immediate need for the parts or are you planning to flip them for profit? Does the money really matter to him? Does he buy and sell parts a lot? Two very different seller attitudes. If he thinks they'll go to a good home and he's doing you a favor, that'll drastically affect his pricing models. I'm sometimes in the business, but I've given good deals to someone who was trying hard on a limited budget.

Which leads to the second question. Is selling fun for him? Does he like to win? It's a very difficult negotiation when both buyer and seller either don't know what the parts are worth or both subscribe to the concept that "He who makes the first offer loses."

Sometimes, just throw it back to him, "I dunno. Whaddaya thinks fair?"

Bottom line - there's no right answer without knowing both parties and both attitudes and both needs.



jack vines

 

I would pay $300 for a good crank, but only because I have everything else except the crank. (and it would be for spectulation only)

Covers are selling for $100 and up.
Heads are at least $300
Rockers are $100 and up.

It all depends what the other guy has, and has a need for.

A rebuildable 392 will bring $2500 to $3000.

 

Yeah tough call as Jack notes.
As cores, the rockers will bring $100 each side, and the heads should bring $150 each. The crank is a minimum $800 in my shop.
You can always use ebay sales as a guide.

...individual results will vary...

.

 

I think he knows what he wants for them. If he doesnt he isn't really planning on selling them.

Ask him what he's got in them and offer him another 30% if he doesn't know what he wants for them. 30% is fair profit.

 

I am just going to keep quiet.

 

You sure everything is for a 392? I have gone to see many "392's" that were Dodge and Desotos in reality.

 

I've driven a long way to look at 426 Hemi parts that wound up being 300-cube Dodge early Hemi parts.

 

Yea I went to look at a Hemi powered Windsor ('56) that actually had a poly in it.

 

One of my favorite stories is about going to check out a 392 that a kid had for sale. I get to the house and all I see is a 53 DeSoto sedan, so I ask "where is the 392"? In the car he says, pointing to the DeSoto. He had found the tag on the firewall and next to the 'paint code' was stamped '392'....

.

 

Now that is priceless.

I bought and sold (in a matter of about 20 minutes) a '57 Stude Hawk when I was in highschool. It had a packard hemi in it.

Yea I know that packard didn't make hemis, but it said packard on the rocker covers. Someone did a good job of lettering them.