Maybe $2,000-2,500, do you have receipts? What are you hoping to get?

Steve R

 

That is kind of what I was thinking it might be worth. Thanks. My son is thinking of selling his Camaro and has been keeping this motor to go with his Camaro. We do not have receipts only paperwork from when motor was built. A friend of mine bought this in 2004 and my son got it in 2011.

 

Does the Camaro have an engine in it?

Steve R

 

Yes it has a 400 small block.

 

I think Steve is in the ballpark. From a buyer's perspective, it depends a lot on how well it was prepped for storage. It has been sitting for almost 14 years, so it would make a big difference if it was sealed up properly or not, and what kind of environment it has been stored in. I think $2k-$2500 is fair, under the assumption that it has been stored properly and you have the paperwork to back up that it is what you say it is.

 

Start out at $2500 but dont go lower than $2000. Serious guys will want to pull a head. Dont forget that it has to compete against crate motors from Jegs and Summit. Warranty ? Theirs do...

 

396 +.030 = 402

 

Would anyone else shy away from a BBC with a flat tappet cam that has been sitting since 2004 (13 years) and presumably was never broken in?

Aren't you almost asking for a cam failure on break in if you go to start this motor up? What kind of cam lube was used....and what are the odds it's still on the cam lobes after 13 years?

Realistically, wouldn't you have to look at this motor as a parts motor at this point?

Now, if the seller wants to get this motor on a run stand, break it in, and demonstrate that everything is operable and tip top, that's another story.

Also, if the motor was never run, where are the HP and TQ numbers coming from?

I assumed "This motor was built in 2004 and has been stored since then" means the motor has never run....but perhaps I'm mistaken....or taking this too literally.

 

Thanks folks. These are the things i was wondering about also. A motor like this is kind of just a story and that is how i would look at it if I was a buyer. I am not a real motor guy and only have the story as given to me. A neighbor that I worked with bought this motor in 2004 for a 69 Camaro. The instruction sheet on how to fire it up and lube it he gave us says it was built by The Performance Engine Shop in West Babylon N.Y.
So I am not trying to sell this here but wanted your opinions. It has been stored in a garage here in Northern Calif. since 2004 and has never been fired or even taken off the shipping stand. It has always been sealed up. I have been looking at the numbers and the block alone seems to be worth a fair amount. But I would be very cautious if buying this myself as anyone should be. It may be only a parts motor. Don't know. I will not be taking it apart myself. My son has kept it for his Camaro as it would be a correct block for his car. He may sell his Camaro with out the motor so I am trying to get an idea what we might sell it for as it is. It may sit here a few more years. not really sure. Thanks everyone. Rich

 

The problem with these big block chevys now days, is that they weigh so dam much without aluminum heads. Unless you are looking for a correct motor for your car, the field that would buy them, is dwindling every day. Today, its LS this, and Modular Motor that. It seems like new parts are comming out every day for those platforms. And look at the Chryslers. Hemi this and Hemi that. The old "Dump Truck" motors still work well for Drag Racing, but lets face it. A compact, lightweight package with a turbo, or supercharger is the way of the world today. The junkyards today are full of 5.3s and 6.0s and they are relativily cheap. Modular motors too. If you walk into Chris Holbrooks shop in Livonia Mich., You will see a sea of aluminum. You cant hold onto the 60s forever. They are long gone!

 

"You cant hold onto the 60s forever. They are long gone!"


I don't know, the 60's was the best decade to grow up as a kid. I'm always trying to hold on to it and relive the dream. Cant afford the new stuff anyhow.

 

As a kid, yes. As an adult, I dunno. We still had the Draft, and we had Vietnam. As the car culture, it was the greatest. As for the draft, I think these Millinials need it more than we did. Maybe they would "Grow Up"!!

 

Who wants computers and a bunch of convoluted electronics in his '60's classic? Not me. Give me a stout SBC or BBC running a carburetor and distributor any day.

 

If you aren't a "gear head" but still have an appreciation for the looks of the classic...

My good friend "restored" his 1969 Dodge Charger R/T (factory 440/4-speed/Dana), with his dad back in the late 80's... His dad passed on in the 1990s. He also had a 1971 Dodge Demon 340 4-speed car... He had to sell the Demon, and his younger brother bought it. Now the younger brother didn't have the opportunity to work on the classics with their dad, and the older brother had moved an hour away (with a wife and kids), so the younger brother didn't have the opportunity to really "learn" to wrench on these older cars. He did some work on the Demon, but nothing major...

Last year, he cracked the block of the original 340, and decided that instead of having it rebuilt, he bought a Mopar crate modern Hemi (6.4L?)... He ended up having a shop install the engine and electronics, along with new tubular K-frame/ suspension (coil overs, etc). In the rear, he went with a multi-link/coil overs to replace the leaf springs. He is going with 16 or 17" steelies, with dog dishes...

So he has the modern drivetrain (EFI), brakes and suspension. With the looks of a classic...

Yeah, he may not be the typical guy having the modern electronics swapped in, but he still really likes the older cars...


And who wants computers? Most of us grew up with carburetors, and even if we aren't experts, many of us still feel comfortable enough to tune, adjust and "rebuild" a carb... For the younger crowd that never had the opportunity, that can be a steep, daunting curve...

But its kind of like those in the early 70's, with 15-inch wheels, a Hurst shifter, etc... I personally see nothing wrong with some modern upgrades, but I still prefer the "stock" look (or maybe the "Day Two" look...


On my '67 El Camino, it came without an engine, and IF I didn't already have the running 402, I'd probably be looking for an LS to swap... I had the 402 and most of the parts, so the Big Block won out... Ironically, going through the car, and I am 95+% sure the car was an original Big Block car... Stripped and gutted and left as a shell...

 

Like I said, the guys that would buy these motors are looking for a correct motor for their classic. And as you well know, we are a dying breed. Most kids today are not interested in these classics. Mainly because they cannot afford them. They would rather live their lives on Social Media, and video games.

 

I'm guessing most of the young crowd are not only not interested because they cannot afford them, they are not interested because they (1) know nothing about them and how to keep such cars running, and (2) they might actually have to soil their dainty hands working on one.

This, of course, is not true of all young people, as I've noted some "throwbacks" on TC...and am really happy to see them here!

 

Kids nowadays are very adaptable and can learn how to work on these
rather simple cars in short time if they wanted to. They navigate through
cell phones, computers,social media and video games with ease! I can't!
School,College,Jobs,Food,Housing, no tools, no garage, cost of materials etc...
With the COST of living there really is noway/nearly impossible
for the young guns to get started in the Classic Car world.
BUTTTT... many would love to but cant.
Have to agree most don't like to get their hands dirty!
Its great to see the young guns that do get their hands dirty...
A bit rare nowadays!

 

While I still have the original 396 from my car the Powerglide is long gone. I only kept the old 396 in case someone has some nostalgic need for it when the car is sold. I suppose a mouse quiet driver could be ok but the new cars are far superior in nearly every aspect by comparison.

 

I'll chime in with a Millennial's perspective >

From my experience, there are more of us that have the classic car itch that you might think, we are just still trying to find a way to scratch it. In my immediate circle, most of us are out of our 20's, and we all have kids, car payments, mortgages, and are stashing away money in our 401k's. At the end of the month all of that gets paid for, but even a decent driver (almost any Chevelle, 1st gen Camaro, or anything cool) is $20k these days on the low end and saving that much takes time. But the good thing is that (once again, for most in my circle) our careers are taking off, student debt is near the end of it's repayment and in general things are looking up for the forseeable future.

Fact of the matter is that this hobby has a much higher entry point in terms of $$$ than it used to. Give it time and I think you'll be surprised. And yes, we still think carburetors are cool. And no, we are not afraid to get a little 10W30 on our hands

I'll add one more thing in order to stay on topic. If I'm wrong about all of that, and this hobby dies with all you old guys, then that means I'll be able to scoop up that $2,500 big block in 10 or 15 years for $250 since no one else will want it. Sounds good to me! :thumbsup:

 

I'll more than likely pass on my '69 L78 Chevelle to my grandson. He's 6 right now but thinks old cars are really cool.

 

Seems they put more into the styling back then. Today, most cars have a generic look, with the modern upgrades. I suppose if a guy has enough capital the old school styling with the modern up grades is hard to beat, but then I always like the smell and sound of the 60's era, plus it's my era and I guess I can't let go.
I don't think I could sell it to someone who is going to change out everything to todays stuff. So it stays with me till the end, as is. THe only real upgrade was disc brakes. Boy does that sound old school or what.

 

That's why the current Challenger remains popular. Visually it appears like a continuation of the original cars, that is until you park the two next to each other.

Steve R