Regarding 455 Stage 2 heads.

I figured I'd come to the best source I know regarding this subject. It came to my attention a while ago that 5 sets of Stage 2 heads managed to find it's way over here to northern Sweden, and I may have tracked down a pair that is unmolested, never mounted, literally out of the box and I was wondering what the value of them would be around?

They were apparently purchased mid to late 70's by a man who wanted them for his 67' Skylark GS with a 455 in it. They sat around for quite some time and when he later decided to rip the engine apart and update it with the heads, he just stopped for some reason so both the car and the heads have been literally just laying around since the mid 80's.


Any help regarding the matter is greatly appreciated, thanks for your time.



Also if I do manage to get a chance to meet up with the old man I'll be sure to snap a ton of pictures. He's apparently a bit finnicky so it looks like I'll be in for some negotiation.

 

Condition will help. Laying around...inside a climate controlled building I hope? No rust? Early heads had some casting issues.

If they are pristine, ready to run heads, put em on ebay and see what they fetch. Really hard to put a number on them, depends on whos got the cash and who wants them the most.

 

What I do know about the old man is that he loved his cars, so I am fairly sure it's all been kept in good order. I have yet to see them, only recently got the information that they existed through my father. Will try to get a hold of the old man in the coming weeks and see if I can set up a meeting or something and take a look at them.


Yeah, you do have a point there. Like all 'specialty' items, you just have to hope that there's a demand for what you're supplying. If anything I might just end up keeping them and try to find a good home for them.

 

Wow,you really think so?
I guess I missed the boat.I'm down to my last set sitting on a shelf,I sold one set about 10 years ago for $2500, and another set,vertical boss,
3 years ago for $6000. I hope they're worth half that,since they've been run, and I'd consider selling them.
gary

 

Gary,

Jason only thinks that because he does not want to buy them.. we all know that he would "do the guy a favor" and haul them away for a couple hundred... if he was interested.. p


Seriously, if they are STG 2 Iron heads, in near perfect unused condition, a ready to run set would be worth as much as someone is willing to pay, but my asking price would start at 10K for the pair, 8K if they are castings that need to be machined and built.

I can tell you that there are guys who have paid good money for old race car parts, that are pretty used up.. so something pristine is going to command a premium to someone in the know.

This is a STG 2 iron head..



JW

 

Show off!

 

Jim is pretty spot on.

With that being said, I have two sets. A pre-production or prototype set and an untouched pristine production set...hell I have two sets of the complete Stage2 package. And right now I would not sell either set of heads for 10K.

But I guess I'm a bit under different circumstances.

PS- about 10 years ago I sold a junk set for I think 2k. Before that I sent them to Indy cylinder head for an estimate for repair under Mike at TA's advice. And they said 5 to 6k to repair. Mike and Indy said "they would come out looking like new with nothing ever being done." Now these had places where there were casting missing, cracks, and even a rocker shaft stand broken off, just to give you an idea of how bad they were.

 

Ya, like that's mine... I would like to have a set of aluminum ones, let alone iron... :ball:

As always, somebody else's toys..:TU:

I would have to get a different job to even think about affording the stuff that passes thru my hands all the time... speaking of that, time to go back out to work on the latest Tomahawk..

JW

 

Really appreciate the replies, guys.

My whole family basically lives and breathes Buick, and as much as I'd love to own a pair of Stage 2 heads, I might end up just not using them for 10 - 15 years if at all.
At that point I'd rather see them land in the hands of someone who uses them or atleast takes care of them instead of the heads just laying around in a garage in northern Sweden.

I'll look into getting a hold of the old man ASAP.

 

Well get me a set if you get them cheap. I've been wanting a set ever since I seen Freds. And will use them as soon as I get them and some headers to fit!!!!!ray::laugh::3gears:

 

I purchased a set of iron Stage IIs some years ago from Jim Burek, most everyone remembers him I think. Regardless. I have spent some bucks making them as good as possible, that includes epoxy in the runners as they were very porous, after extensive porting. I've run them both in my drag car and now in a 65 GS...I was offered 6K a while back and turned it down....How do you measure what they are worth?

Len

 

When I hit the lottery I will buy all that Buick fast parts I can get! The Rate I'm going I might never build a Buick real race car but I won't quit dreaming about it!