Help me decide how to sell my great running motor.

Discussion in 'Street/strip 400/430/455' started by rkammer, Mar 14, 2021.

  1. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    Just want to add that my purpose in posting was to get ideas on the value of this motor as a good running carb to pan engine. I've now got some good ideas but want to add that the engine won't be available for a few months and only after it's pulled and the new motor is in and driving around. Until then, I'll continue to discuss a future sale with anyone who's interested and will also be glad to demonstrate how it runs in my GS as well as take a driving video for anyone who can't get here to drive it. I appreciate everyone's comments. :)
     
  2. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482




    I will buy all the crates you can build for 20 bucks in lumber and pay you for an hour of your time Joe..

    :D:rolleyes:


    Try more like $100 in lumber and half a day or more of your time.. I have built many crates lately because covid shut down my fastenal shipping completely for a while and now restricts me from shipping anything to the West coast.

    Here's the material list for a simple shipping crate.. Crate size for an engine is 40x36x36

    2 sheets 4x8 1/2 OSB- the 4 sides
    1 sheet 4x8 3/4 OSB- top and bottom
    6 2x3x8 lumber - inside structure to secure corners
    1 4x4x6- legs to make it forkable
    1 2x10x8 -to build the cradle the oil pan rail will sit in,
    Plus 2 ratchet strap tie downs, and screws/staples/nails...

    Let me know when I can get all that for $20...

    I charge $175 for crate building for an engine, and lose my ass on every one of them. To break even, with materials at cost, and my shop labor rate of 75/hr, I would have to charge just about $400... and that does not include my time to go get the lumber.. so add another $150 to that if we want to be realistic..

    Engine crating is a huge pain the the butt... and a huge expense for everyone... and why I spent nearly a grand here a couple years ago on 3 re-usable shipping containers, with engine transport cradles bolted to them.

    Customers then pay only the actual shipping charges, and the return charge for the crate to the shop here. Not unusual these days for the entire shipping bill to be less than what I should be charging to build a crate..

    JW
     
  3. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    OK wise guy, 30 bucks in lumber and an hour and a half!

    the point is its not an insurmountable problem. he's got a buyer practically waving cash in his face and he is tripped up over a pallet.. build it and collect your money. even if the guy in California backs out, why cut off half the country over a pallet?
     
  4. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    Hold on, Joe. l'm not tripped up over anything. First of all my motor won't even be available until Jim sends me the one he's will build for me. That will be a number months down the road. If the west coast potential buyer was the only one who wanted to buy it I'd make arrangements to get it to him. But, you aren't privy to the number of PMs I've received from east coast buyers that want me to contact them as soon as I'm ready to sell my engine. So, my initial question about the value and feasibility of selling my engine when the time comes has been pretty much answered for me. Just trying to do my homework early in the game.
     
  5. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482

    Man... your apparently not buying lumber, and should have checked before you wisecracked back to me.

    Because that requires me to do something I don't like to do.. make one of our users look foolish.

    Let's review lumber pricing in 2021.. not 1997..

    You say $30 bucks for everything?.. Sure... let's take a peek..

    4x8 OSB sheething 1/2" thick-- $29.24 Per sheet... and we need two of them.

    ttps://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/osb-sheathing/1-2-x-4-x-8-osb/1242809/p-1444422395209-c-13330.htm?tid=8493559026065972125&ipos=2

    Opps, that just doubled your cost estimate.. do I need to continue?.. I think not.. waste of my time..

    I make a big deal out of this because it is a big deal. You shoot off your mouth with unsolicited, totally inaccurate information, and then double down on it when I correct you... makes folks who don't pay attention to lumber prices think I am ripping them off with crate charges.

    And that is a real problem for me.. this is what I do for a living, so if you have no helpful accurate information, do us all a favor and zip it.

    JW
     
  6. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    Price of lumber is outrageous! I have a couple of small deck repair projects that are going to wait until next winter due to it spike. No reason for it either.
     
    knucklebusted and 12lives like this.
  7. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    pump the brakes.

    please man, clearly you missed my second response of 30 bucks and another 30 minutes was a joke!

    but glad you worked hard to prove me soo wrong.....

    edit- honestly I'm shocked you even came to this conclusion or found this to be a relevant response. i made my point clear- if you got a buyer, build the crate.. how you misconstrued my response as a serious debate on engine crate costs and construction is a bit baffling. did you not read my entire post?
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2021
  8. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482

    Joe,

    That was the tame version of that response... brakcs? hell, I had to pop the chute after I re-read the first response I typed out.. :p:D

    a joke can often do a lot of damage, when folks reading it don't realize your kidding. Happens all the time on the internet.

    I already went thru the whole LTL truckline deal.. With shipping to CA, and then shipping back to MN, he could easily be looking at 8-900 bucks...

    Bottom line, sure a guy could build a crate and get it there, but the costs would be prohibitive.

    JW
     
  9. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    i edited my response as you replied.. my point that you missed entirely or interpreted entirely wrong was to strike when the iron is hot.. the op can send your pallet back and simply build his own pallet for the engine and ship it off and never see it again, as thousands of folks have done shipping engines in the past.. while i put a 20 dollar and 1 hour time frame on the job, it was clearly a tongue and cheek response. i suppose i could have wrote, spend a few bucks and make your own but i thought my point was obvious.. if he's selling a used engine for more than core money its a wise use of his time and I'm sure he'll pass the costs to the buyer.. I'm not sure how you used this as a spring board to argue about engine pallets.. i thought the second half of my second response made this clear..
     
  10. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    Slight sidetrack to the thread here. If you guys think lumber is outrageously expensive try being in the metal business :eek:. My steel and aluminum prices for my materials has gone up 4 times since the new year, yes you read that right 4 times in 3 months. I just got my price increase of an additional 10% on certain steel and aluminum products today FML it's really hard to absorb that many increases without raising my rates. I have jobs that I've already quoted and taken deposits for that I'm now paying 25-30% more for the materials but still have to honor the original estimate. Rant over back to the OP'S intended thread purpose.
     
  11. FLGS400

    FLGS400 Gold Level Contributor

    Ray, put me in line for this when you are ready. I'm in the Tampa Bay area and would pick it up... possibly help you swap it out too.
     
    Max Damage likes this.
  12. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    I'll do that. Sent you a PM so I'll remember better.
     
  13. FLGS400

    FLGS400 Gold Level Contributor

    Got it, thank you!
     
  14. Jim Rodgers

    Jim Rodgers Well-Known Member

    If it has big valve heads I will be interested. A bore scope could tell. Let me know when you get ready.
     
  15. gs66

    gs66 Silver Level contributor

    While I’m not a mechanic or expert I can say Ray’s motor is not a $300 core motor. I drove the car and it lights up the tires with ease and goes pretty good. And I drove it before Ray did some adjustments and fine tuning. I’d be very surprised if it didn’t run high 13’s or very low 14’s on street tires. I have raced 11 to 15 second cars at the strip so I do have kind of a feel for it. If the prospective buyer can possibly do it they should drive the car. Good luck with the sale Ray.
     
    Dadrider and rkammer like this.
  16. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    Last one I shipped.
     

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    Max Damage likes this.
  17. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    Do shippers require a loading dock or can you get lift gate service?
     
  18. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    When I had my engine shipped from Quebec to Ontario I had the transport company send a truck with a lift gate to pick it up from the guys house. I then picked it up at a warehouse 40 minutes from me and they brought the crate out with a forklift and loaded into my trailer. So to answer your question, it's up to the company you use if they offer both services.
     
  19. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    an option is to hire a flatbed and use that to off load it to the ground.
     
  20. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    I do appreciate all of the info on engine shipping and other info but would like to get back to comments on my original post regarding value of my motor and if there is a market for it as more than just a core. Thanks, guys.
     

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