Value of complete 4 bolt main 396's & 427's engines

[Shovelrick]

Guy that finished my body work, painted jambs & inside fenders and under carriage has 5 complete, never been rebuilt 4 bolt main BBC pre 1970, what would be a fair value? Im going there tomorrow to look and get #s maybe someone will see their VIN # ?

 

[cage2592]

Not knowing for sure, this is what I personally would pay.
1). 396 stock and running with all original parts I would guess $1500 (MAX). And that's if a collector wanted it and all together. In my opinion that's all the 396 would be good for is a period correct stock replacement. All mixed parts (but complete) and or hasn't ran in years but virgin block, $800-$1000.

2). 427 stock and running with all original parts I would guess $2000-$3500. This is the one to bring some more money if complete period correct. Some higher for the guys wanting a period correct 69 427 Chevelle.

But this is all about the 'right' buyer these days. What are you looking to do with them? If you take them all, you will save some money as a bundle and possibly make more when you sell them individually.

Now days its difficult to push these engines when new but period correct date codes can be bought. People just are not looking for these much. Restorations are getting slimmer every year. Its also difficult to pending the area.

I relate this to the 12 bolt rears in my area. Once sought after, but now due to cheaper and new replacements, or the people that wanted them now already have them, they just are not selling anymore. People were paying $2500 for them used. Now people are selling a complete used for $1200 or $800 for a non-posi. and they are still sitting unsold for a length of time.

At some point we have to run out of Chevelle's to restore.

Anyone else's thoughts?

 

[Shovelrick]

I'm really not that interested but thought I'd post casting & VIN #'s here and OCS maybe someone would find the missing orig engine to their car? If cheap enough maybe build another engine only not a stroker this time, maybe large bore short stroke? wonder how a 3.76 stroke 4.31 bore would run? guess that would be a 439

 

[cheveslakr]

Cage nailed it. It takes effort to sell, most sellers don't put effort into their ads or the sale. If the market would bare 3k on a rare block, and it does, you have to sell it by itself, not as a lot, multiple venues, and sit on it for possibly years to link it with that ONE buyer. Or you can sell it for 30% of market to a likely flipper that has the exposure to then turn it for max price. I've bought 2 4 bolt 427 blocks, one for core value, the other for numbers value, which was $3500 and had a sleeve. The latter was advertised for well over 2 years before I bought it.

 

[Nashville Cat]

I got a really good deal on a 4.310 bore block that was machined and ready to go for $500.
Good rotating assemblies (4.25 stroke) are $2500-$3000. So all I've ever been interested in is the block.

 

[Shovelrick]

I went to my friends house but the Bare Blocks are at another guys place so Joint Venture sale? anyway I got this list of casting #s and I can set a time to go look at the blocks, buddy said they're standard low deck un touched, couple SBC there too

 

[Shovelrick]

I got a really good deal on a 4.310 bore block that was machined and ready to go for $500.
Good rotating assemblies (4.25 stroke) are 42500-$3000. So all I've ever been interested in is the block.

When I got my "959" 1975 4 bolt ARP studded block it also was machined and ready to be built from my mechanic for $450 with a decent stand but I had a race engine shop blue print it by doing more machining (builder said things weren't perfect) for an extra $1,000 and an int balanced rotator from Wolfplace but forgot how much that was

 

[68Chevele]

To a restorer some are worth gold. I had a 68 375hp 396 short block that was a good runner with all the right parts for that year. The most I could get was $1500 for it so I took that and moved on. I still sometimes wished I had it as that 396 with some cc heads ran mid 11's many a time. There was a guy locally here that has a dis-assembled 468 and he want's $2300 for it I offered $800 for all of it as it's just a cast crank 2 bold main engine, nothing special. With the LS craze now you can't diddley for a BB or SBC these days.

 

[Shovelrick]

When I took my car to my friends shop to swap the 454 to the 489 the guys were standing out front so about a block away I slowed to around 20 mph and punched the 454, car was getting sideways till just passed the shop then backed up and pulled in, my friend Bob (mech/body guy) said I was crazy for pulling the engine out ( 86 454 cast crank & pistons, 2 bolt) and co owner of shop asked me how much for the 454 after we pulled it and since he helped and wasn't supposed to plus I tied the shop up a couple days longer ( held up paying cust.) I told him I wanted $2K rebuilt Holley 3310-1 to pan, WP to newish flex plate & 1 3/4" headers but sold to him for $1K, lot of quality parts in the engine and recently rebuilt 1969 "063" heads with bigger valve upgrade, 24,500ish miles on short block, still need to go look at the blocks at some other guys place and take pics