Used Engine Prices-Am I That Far Outta Touch

Called a neighboring state bone yard in search of a 312 Y block engine.

The usual "yeah we got plenty of them" response.

How much is the next question.

$500.00-$900.00 pulled.

WTF-Am I outta touch or is this reality for engine prices these days?

I would hate to see a BBC price.Whats this stuff going for these days?

Oldmics

 

Y block, Hemi, nailhead, flathead $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

The metal is worth a hondo, they could toss it in the smelter and still win.

 

How many other places did you call that said "Sure, come pick one out."?

JH

 

Around here the Y blocks, Nailheads, Flatties, and even the old Rockets are hard to find and when you do find them if they know what it is you end up paying dearly for it, then you get to drop another bundle rebuilding them.

 

Wait to find a whole rig with a motor in it. Being patient always lands me the deal I want, plus you might be able to use some of the other stuff. Then s**** the rest. Prices are up! Pete.

 

312 motors are worth more than smaller displacement y-blocks to be sure, but 500.00 for a core!? is that with a garentee of no cracks? possibly equiped with a gold plated johnson rod?

 

You havn"t been engine shopping lately huh?

 

A local yard here was $400 pulled for any old V8, seemed fair to me. 312's are more expensive/valuable than the smaller Y blocks, as was mentioned.

If you want to go cheaper, you can probably find a running (or at least, turning over) parts car with a 292 in it and pull the motor/part out the rest to recoup the investment. But I highly doubt any junkyards are going to have a big selection of 50+ year old engines and manpower to pull them out for you for $200 each. Junkyards have a ton of regulations and ******** on them now, it's pricey to run one and they gotta make money.

 

No guarantee and you know where the gold plated rod ends up

Oldmics

 

A real junkyard usually will include a warranty with that price. They won't pay to R&R it if it's bad but they usually will get you a good usable engine to replace a bad one. So it's not really a pig in a poke. If you are just buying a core engine to rebuild, tell them that. Ask if they can test run it for you. They probably won't but they might let you test fire it before you plunk down the cash.

If you get a good usable engine for that price, I think it would be a good price. You will probably get a 292 and not a 312 so ask for one. You can't rebuild a free engine for anywhere near that.

If you get a junkyard engine get it fired up and tested as soon as you can. If you wait a year to get it running any warranty will probably be gone and you are stuck if it turns out to be bad. Junk yards are used to selling used engines to shops that get the engines running in a few days.

There is a big difference in price for a core engine for rebuilding and a good usable used engine.

 

I agree with waiting to find a whole rig thing I bought a running driving 62 buick last week with a 401 nailhead for $500

 

if that's a running complete motor those prices don't sound bad at all

 

Any yard that is worth a damn will guarantee their cores to be rebuildable. i.e. no cracks or internal damage that renders a core useless for rebuilding. And yes there were many times we had to pull a core more than once to satisfy a customer. If the yard won't agree to that you better move on.

 

Ya might wanna look in HAMB Cl***ifieds...... I don't know much about Y-block stuff but it can't hurt to look............... Illinois & guy claims its "running".....

 

That sounds reasonable for a runner. It is not like you are looking for a Chevy 350 either, so price is higher.

 

I just spent 300 on a busted up POS 8ba. Live and learn sometimes the hard way.

 

I've got a nice complete 364 nailhead in the cl***ifieds right now for 300 pulled with and engine stand. For another 350 you can have a NOS offy 3 x 2 intake and 3 carbs. Hell of a deal.

 

I took $250 for the 292 outta Dad's '57 this summer. Nobody wanted it. Smoked a bit (rings) but was complete and untouched. Had to beg and plead for the guy to take the trans, too.

I may have a line on a pair of 312's, one short and one long block, here in Pittsburgh.
PM if interested.

 

i picked up 64 f100 with a 292/ 3speed that turns over for $300 i thought it was a fair deal

 

Bottom line is your in a fairly large city, almost considered the North East, and your pricing a quite highly sought after piece of history. Look at the locations of some of the other post's, the south, mid-west, and things are priced acordingly. Just like a used car, you buy from a dealer, it's this price, the same car from a private sale is CONSIDERABLY less. BDM

 

I think bulldogmafia has hit the nail on the head.

I"m looking basically for a rebuildable core.

Your not gonna find a good boneyard engine thats 50+ years old.And I"m NOT paying $500.00 plus for a core to rebuild.292s are pleantyfull but require too much machine work to turn the block into a 312 (for my taste anyways).

Looks like a road trip to find something worthy.

I just went thru the same sort of thing trying to find a 348/409 for a buddy.Had to go to Ohio for something reasonable.

Anybody got any lines on any real 312s-please send me a P.M. and thanks to all who have already done so.

Oldmics

 

Knew a guy who complained about the $400 price on a nailhead once.Kept saying he could buy one for less.He found one 3 states away for $250.Of course he never mentions the fuel costs and time spent finding the "bargain" engine or going and getting it.He was over the $400 by the time he was done just counting food,fuel and lodging and I dont believe in saying that the money spent on getting it didnt count as it was a adventure.Money spent is money spent.

 

x2 what bottom feeder pete said, a car is always worth less than the sum of its parts when bought individually. grab a whole car yank what you need and sell the rest for a profit.