Can somebody tell me What price I should list my flathead engine for it was fully restored less than 3 months ago and I have all the receipts ..I'm turning the car into a driver
Thanks
Hi Steve,
I think a properly rebuilt 36 flathead would make the car a great driver, I have a 38 and drive it all the time goes anywhere. I will say that its not great for long highway drives at70 or more, that what I bought the 68 for.
I would think $1,500.00 would be a fair price although I would guess you have more than that into it. JMO, Marty
Ouch. Yes bought 10k.
Your on a very narrow market there Steve as the 36 was one year only and will not fit other years as you know.
Your right. I forgot ..well i need to hope for another idiot like me
I don't know what engine you are putting in the but as far as the engine is concerned it may be worth more saving it for a future restoration of the car.
If it were me I would put the engine into the 36. Just like Marty said, if you don't like taking it on long drives then just get something else for that. I love driving mine around and would take it anywhere including long drives.
Steve, If I remember, and please correct me if I don't recall, when you bought the car there was an issue with the engine and you considered replacing it with a late model engine and then got a later flathead engine to rebuild and substitute for the '36 engine. The reason I bring this up is because of what Steve P mentions about a thin market for a one year only engine. If in fact your newly rebuilt, restored engine is a later year flathead it expands the market. I sold a rebuilt '41 engine for $6K and as you know that is still less than the cost to rebuild. Let us know the specifics and also all of the work done and I think that will help in accessing the value and saleability. Harry
Good memory..that deal fell through and I was able to restore the original
I agree with Gary Steve, I would hang on to that engine for a future purchaser. My 36 has a later engine and it took me 13 years to find a 36 motor. I never intend to install it but it will always stay with the car. One day in the future these cars may aspire to such value and rarity that they must be original, or maybe you find a buyer who would not buy it unless the original engine was available.
Many times in the past I have seen very rare cars converted to rods or had their engines changed and its a nightmare trying to find the original parts, as it was with me and my 36.
I believe you convinced me..furthermore the modification I'm doing is mostly underneath..brakes suspension etc...there will be no cutting ..so the next owner could put it back in without much trouble..I'm even leaving the stick shift in place..so you're right I'll never find that again..this is why I love this site..thanks all...now if somebody comes by and offers me 10k..well then :)
Steve,
I applaud your decision to keep it stock.
Minor reversible modifications are a good idea.
The first thing I did on my Cadillac and LaSalle was to install dual master cylinders. Safety trumps authenticity in my book. Seat belts are next by the way.
I wholeheartedly agree on safety trumping authenticity. Especially when it comes to brakes. The seatbelts I have a small problem with. The problem, if you inspect how the rear seat seatback is attached, in a collision there is a high likelyhood that the seat back will come off it's mounts. I am not sure what can be done or if having seat belts would help the rear seat passengers or hurt them. With seat belts, the seat back mounting has to be reinforced as well.
I put seat belts in the back to placate my wife for when the grandkids are in the car. But I am always VERY careful and even more so when they are riding with us. One can never win though, the first thing she asked is "where are the shoulder belts?" WHAT!?!? NO! Mine have the clips so I can take them in and out as needed.
Finally, and in keeping with this thread subject, I am very happy you are staying with the original engine. You will be happy, just make sure your ground wires are all solid. You can never have enough grounds on these cars.
The main problem with the highway friendliness of the Series 75 & 85 ('36 & '37) cars is the 4.60:1 rear axle ratio. I'm not aware of any easy solution like a center section swap. The alternatives are a ring and pinion change, overdrive unit or fabrication to accept another rear end. There was a run of ring and pinion sets done a number of years ago which sold at that time for in the $1700 range with installation & set up at about the same price. An overdrive unit cost and installlation is about $4000. Harry