Good Evening All, 425 Nailhead question per subject title; What is/would be the value of a 1964 SuperWildcat engine....not exactly fresh but a complete good running engine, no knocks or strange sounds... dual carbs/aircleaner and all...thanks in advance. Regards, 455NGLIDE
Aluminum valve covers in good condition? Matching numbers block, manifold, carbs and distributor? Air cleaner not dented and plating in nice condition? Correct linkage, fuel and vacuum lines, brackets, etc? Could drop in and run as is? Too many variables involved to give you any more than a guess, but my guess is $2500.
Aluminum valve covers in good condition? Matching numbers block, manifold, carbs and distributor? Air cleaner not dented and plating in nice condition? Correct linkage, fuel and vacuum lines, brackets, etc? Could drop in and run as is? Too many variables involved to give you any more than a guess, but my guess is $2500. Appreciate the reply...To answer your questions" yes...yes...yes...yes...and yes. The air cleaner is not dented and will clean up quite nicely however the "SuperWilcat" sticker is long gone. The engine is in a running/registered car...fires right up on a cold start and does not knock or have a noisy valve train upon start up..does not smoke cold or warmed up. According to the owner the engine was rebuilt about 30,000 miles ago. Regards, 455NGLIDE
I am unsure on price as I have never bought an engine in running condition. However, if the engine has been rebuilt. Question #1 should be "Did they replace any of the seats in the heads?" If they installed hardened seats, that is a huge risk without knowing who the engine builder is. Hardened seats are a No-No in the Nailhead for the most part. They can be done, just have to be done very shallow. Not usually a risk folks want to take. I found out the engine in my 66 had been rebuilt when cylinder #5 filled up with water, had hardened seats, cut it out and the seat was sitting on the water jacket. No Bueno.
It will also depend on where, how long, and how aggressively you plan to market it and if you are willing to crate and ship. If you crate and ship you expand your buying pool exponentially. If someone can hear it run that helps and it sounds like you have that. If the carbs need rebuilt that can affect value because they are expensive to do right. Bottom line if its a complete oil pan to air cleaner engine ready to drop in and drive I'll estimate quite a bit more somewhere in the $3600 range should be minimum. $5k is not out of the realm of possibility if you hold out and find the right person who is after a KX coded engine with matching number carbs, if in fact it is a factory arrangement. For top dollar its all in finding the right person with excess $$$ who wants exactly what you have and doesn't want the hassle of piecing something together because what you have is not easily found. Hopefully you will get more opinions because I don't claim to be an expert on this and since we don't see a package this complete or in running condition sell, estimating is speculation based on similar but not same sale history. The more opinions the better. A picture of the engine with air cleaner and without will help. If it looks grungy thats going to be a negative. It will market a whole lot better if its a clean and tidy looking engine. Here is my rationale. Lets say someone has a 64-66 with a non-rebuildable block or maybe no engine at all. Their goal is a 425 factory dual quad arrangement. First they need to find a good short block (most likely needing rebuilt) and potentially drive a long way to get or have shipped, then hope it all checks out at the machine shop. Then begin searching and collecting parts for a matching dual quad arrangement, then have everything rebuilt. Unless they can do it themselves they'll easily be over $5k total and take months or a year to complete. From that perspective a turn-key stem to stern dual quad engine would look very attractive and could be cost justified.....and this isn't even taking into account the non-buick street rod market
Big knock on the value is it's a 64......one year only on the back carb so that takes the 65,66 guys out unless they have that carb. Good luck on the sale. Peace WildBill
I appreciate the additional info...I am not selling this engine, it will be transplanted into a very clean 64 Riviera that has no engine or transmission. The idea is to have a 64 Riv w/dual quads. Any and all info is much appreciated, and I also appreciate the selling tips ...even though I did not intend to give that impression. That being stated (its going into a 64 )..what would the value be in light of my own additional info (running,complete- to be used in a 64 etc)? Regards, 455NGLIDE
Being an Aussie, I might be missing the point here, but you want a value on an engine your not selling, why? If its going into a car, it becomes part of the cars value, but will not really jump the cars value as to the engine by itself, as in, if you have a $500 rusted out wreck and you put a $5000 engine in it, you will get offers of $3500-$4000 No one really cares what the engine is worth in a driver car, might be curious if its a blown monster motor, but most wont care Mick
Then engine is in a 64..but it is a real rust bucket-real bad,driver fender is smashed..the other car its going into is in very good shape-almost no surface rust underneath the car,let alone anywhere else on it. Apart from that the sheetmetal and moldings are in excellent condition, glass is all good too..interior is not bad at all either but has no engine or tranny. I figure it is a good candidate for a budget resto, make one car out of the two. The rust bucket has many many good parts that I plan to sell here. Regards, 455NGLIDE
Just out of interest, what is the rust bucket car? I'm after some chrome bits off a 64 full size 4 door, maybe some wheels if they were the right ones.
I agree with Mick. The Riv will not be a numbers matching car with your 425, so the engine will increase the value of the riv only to the extent that the valve covers and dual-quad manifold are desired by a potential buyer. My guess is that the good stuff might bring $1,500 or so US. The engine has 30,000 miles on it and is a crapshoot. I once bought a Nailhead that ran absolutely perfectly - no noise, smoke or anything. When I pulled it apart it had a piston so badly cracked that it was at the point of disintegration.
The engine is complete, runs and, taking a chance optimistically that there is nothing terminally wrong with it( the engine )is where I was coming from. For some reason a couple guys thought I was selling...and for some other reason a couple guys look at the negative-maybe they are looking out out for me which is a good thing. I am simply gathering info in order to make a calculated move. Judging by the price of these cars in good condition I should be OK-especially considering that I have no intention of selling the car. I always wanted a 64 and this looks like a reasonable opportunity to put a potentially very cool one together. Thanks Best Regards, 455NGLIDE
Is the rust bucket the 4spd. car that was for sale??? No,sure isn't..it is a 64 Riviera. Regards, 455NGLIDE
