I'm in the process of moving stuff, cleaning out stuff, and a bit of downsizing. This Buick motor will be up for sale, just not sure what's a fair pricepoint. It's a runner. Has correct intake, correct carbs, and what I believe is a wildcat air cleaner...don't know. Carbs are fresh. I just cleaned and painted the engine. No dents in pan. I don't have the fuel lines, linkage or kickdown switch. I do have the distributor. I also have the pulleys, and brackets for power steering and AC. Have the AC compressor also and power steering pump. Not sure what I should ask for this, thinking around $4000??? Any insight would be appreciated.
What's "it's a runner" mean? Have you been inside it? Heard it run? Compression or leak down test? Is it just an aerosol overhaul? Either way, I'm sure the intake, carbs and air cleaner gotta be worth a few bucks....and I would imagine a 425 core has some value too - if it's a known good engine I'd say your estimate is fair....if it's unknown - significantly less
I agree with above, without a compression test, leak down test and known oil pressure to me I'd value it as a flip of the coin motor and honestly I wouldn't be interested in it at that price point. Too many what if's to place that much value on it for me. One of the main reasons is the cost to rebuild one of those should the motor actually needing rebuilt due to say.. blowby or oil consumption or smoking, burnt valve etc, all of a sudden I've paid a lot of money for a core plus the added cost of having to rebuild. ...
Without hearing it run or no paperwork on the rebuild it is just a core motor with the added valve covers, intake, carbs, and air cleaners. Has the timing gear been replaced? They came with nylon cam gears that shed teeth.
I’d put her on a run stand, with radiator, fire it up, burn some paint off and prove it runs and can hold pressure at 180 degrees. Show oil pressure, no water in the oil, or oil in the water, she don’t smoke. Nice piece of history. You can also warm your burrito, while you demonstrate she’s worth your price.
^^^^ x2. 425 blocks, without sonic testing, are only safe for a .030" overbore. If already there and has blowby, it would need to be sleeved. Also check the block for a crack just behind the starter. $4K is a fair price if the motor is in really good condition. $5K for a rebuild on this-
Hello, In 1963, our dad got a dark green 63 Buick Riviera Sedan. It was next in his line up of Buick Sedans that go back to 1941. Every 4 years he bought a new Buick. He was not a mechanical person and just drove it to work in downtown Los Angeles from our homes in Long Beach. Not that far, but not close, either. As teenagers, we rode in his 57 Buick Roadmaster and it was the last family road trip sedan. We were now starting to drive and were too big to sit in the rear seat on those all over California family vacations. But, our dad’s fascination of Buicks was evident, but it just went over our heads. Buicks were not for teenagers, at the time. Of all the Buicks he has/had owned, the Riviera was the best one, by far. Lots of power, that included a new 425 motor. No, not the dual quad motor, but just the stock version. After finding our he could have ordered a dual quad version, we wished he had. Then the Riviera would have been a lot quicker and a cool teenage cruiser. But, it was his car and we all were happy. Jnaki 1963 was the first year for the 425 in a Riviera. It had some power, but it was a Buick that weighed 4000 lbs vs 3500 lbs for the 58 Impala. Hard to overcome the weight difference in performance. YRMV $4000 for your Buick motor seems questionable. New Buick motors are around $5k so, there is that. Yes, that dual quad set up would up the price, but what else?
The Jalopy Journal
