What will the olds community pay for a complete engine making over 520 hp ? Complete from carb to headers, starter to water pump. I've been advertising my backup engine for a while and really just can't get the lack of interest. Supply the fuel pump and go. I've sold more than a few olds engines and it seems that the more hp you offer the worse offers you get. Why? Want to pay 7k for 500hp on ebay? I'm just a bit frustrated. Have a very nice mill and am getting iron head , low compression prices thrown my way.

 

Paying anything more than core prices for an engine is an exercise in trust. The more heavily modified (and expensive) the engine is, the more trust the buyer needs. How does he know that you and your engine builder know what you're doing? Do you offer a legitimate warranty? Do you have a history of selling engines which are reliable and perform well?

I'm not busting your chops -- just giving you the buyer's point of view.

 

Most of-not all- the engines I have sold I have taken the buyer for a spin in my delta so they can assess how it performs. If it comes to that I will do that very thing.Put it in my delta and advertise it as -come and drive before you buy-. BUT, would that even be enough? Is a road test enough to ease concerns? I need to sell this thing to finish my new engine but I am not going to sell it for cheap money just to "move on". Ideas?

 

I think it comes down to trust as well as guys want THEIR combination, their cam choice etc.
jmo

 

If I was in the market for an engine I wouldn't be interested in considering an engine that was still in the car. That means the engine has to be removed before I can purchase it. Even for an old school Oldsmobile this would take the better part of an afternoon.

If you're trying to sell the engine without any luck post some videos on-line of the engine idling and do a video of a compression test. Maybe that would help?

 

I think its because you are in the mild build price range @ $6100. The buyer would be more inclined to go with something with a warranty. The other issue is you have not posted what the compression rating is on the one your selling and people need to know if it will run on pump gas. I think if you could set it up on a stand and show it running it would be easier to sell. Personally, if I were looking for a performance engine that could be dropped right in and the headers are for an A body, yours is a no brainer.

 

So is there any type of consensus about how to sell such an engine? I've heard every type of answer, and 6100 is what i'm asking. Not what I will take. Building this engine-as complete as it is- would cost WAY more then what I'm asking. But the point is, how to sell it. I can install it in my car and have customer drive it, with it out I can't really do much other than take pieces off for inspection. Having no run stand. ???? Now what?

 

i think the average car enthusiasts like to build their own or be a part of with their engine builder to build and design their own, then theres the ones that go strictly crate engines with a warranty threw a reputable company, and those companys are hard to find that know anything about oldsmobiles, I built a 427 Chevy years ago that i had 8000 bucks into it, it was broke in and that was it and when divorce hit it went for 3500 bucks and that then was the going rate for a used engine at the time, i think where your problem selling it will be finding a guy that cant quite afford a crate engine and the guy that cant build his own, sad to say is you might take a loss on it not because it's an inferior product or anything like that but just because theres no good resale on an engine no matter how little used/run time it has, once its started its kind of like driving a new car off the lot, your gonna loose money unless that engine catches someones eye and they just have to have it. now the tricky part iis just stubling in to this person

 

Where does someone get a crate 520 hp olds engine with a warranty? I'm just at a loss as to the warranty question. I can and will back up the trouble free aspect of this engine. But will that do anything? Obviously I'd like to sell this locally-as I have with my other engines. Never an issue. I'd just like to get a real world idea what this engine is worth.

 

That my friend will happen when you accept an offer to buy and you have cash in fist.

 

Patience is what it took to sell mine, granted mine was just a stock 1972 350 and I was asking $850, but 10 guys come to look and say it's a rip off for a low compression motor and offer me $250. Then 3 weeks of advertising and a guy comes, I start it, take him for a ride, we haggle, he pays me $750, I pull it that night and he picked it up the next morning. I have noticed, at least with the lower price motors, people want to hear it run, and even then there are plenty of guys who want it for free