History Is it time to start hoarding older motors and trans

The thought of doing this popped up in my mind the other day since none of the big three motors made today are what I want to even work with, now with the EPA forcing older junkyards out of business and high scrap prices is it time to start collecting all the older motors that can be found. In another 10 years just how many of the older motors that can be used in our projects will be able to be found,just look at what is on the road and not many of the 80s on back RWD cars are still on the road. For those who live where the weather is nice most of the year might not have to worry about it but for those of us who live in the rust belt might have to start thinking about stashing some of the parts we will need in a few years as they might be gone before we know it,I am thinking about building something or using the box off a box truck to start putting parts in for future projects.

 

Yes.
As an example, how many flatheads were made and how hard is it to find a good one now?

 

455 Ponchos are scarce. Keep a network list for others who may want the stuff you come across that is OT-ish or higher priced than you like. A local guy has collected 20 283's the last 10 years without lifting a finger. All ran when pulled. Word get around, they come to you.

 

Most of the people that have any of this stuff, usually don't just scrap it.

 

I am going to keep what I can from now on and just scrap what is definately junk,I might not be doing much in 10 years due to age and health issues but it scares me to think that there might not be much of the good parts left to work with.

 

Keeping older engine is a very good idea. I probably have 40 or 50 engines put up from Jaguar, to Bentley to Chevy, to Ford, even several Flatheads, Mopar, Buick and Pontiac. Maybe even some other ones. Every think I have can be bought. Give me a call with what you might be looking for.
Ron 1-864-313-2908 cell

 

I've been gathering up Pontiac 389's and 421's

 

All depends on space. Can they be kept indoors?
Guy I know was "saving" engines but they all sat outdoors covered by tarps.
In 5 years of our summers and winters they were a mess.

 

We thought the same thing 20 years ago.

I have several sbc & sbf sitting around but haven't used any of them,,someday... HRP

 

If you have the space to hide them fine, most people don't have the room or ability to move them around. Lots more money to be made collecting lighter and cleaner stuff. Bob

 

YES - I have been doing it for years. The only problem I am having is that I can't seem to hold onto them for very long. Soon as people find out what you got, they start pestering you for it. BUT - I guess this is why you would do this...lol.

 

I have a couple of inline flat heads that I was storing inside. They weren't locked up and supposedly ran when pulled. A Supersonic Six and a Supersonic Four with trannies attached. No one was interested in them, so I moved them out side to the scrap pile. I had few people that wanted me to pick parts off them and ship them but I don't think they wanted to pay for my time and effort.

 

.......Nobody wants them until you throw them away!

 

I really thought this was a good idea at one time. Now I am tripping over Hemis that I cannot sell. At one time I had 3 55-56 F-100s all disassembled and could sell very few parts from them. This was before the hamb site became known to me or even e-bay. I gave away what I could and junked most of the rest. I still have a few f-100 parts and have them sitting around also. Had I known about the intertnet as I do today I may have done better with the F-100 stuff, but it does not seem to be much help with the hemis. At least scrap prices are high for iron if it comes to
that point.

 

Thanks for spamming us with a classified ad as your first post.

As Parts dawg mentioned. Proper inside storage is a factor.
Rather than "save the world", I'd say save what interests YOU ( whether it's a 283 or Hemi) and what you may intend to use for a future project, rather than hoping to turn a profit off cores in 10 years.

 

.....Kinda strange that he doesn't say anything for 5 years, then suddenly decides to jump into the thread. Must have been in a coma!

 

I sent you a PM - my uncle has a '65 date-coded 389 that was originally in a '65 GTO - it is for sale. All the machine work is already done and I think he also has all the new parts to assemble it with. Engine is located in West Virginia. I do not know if it was a tri-power or a single 4-barrel originally.

 

I know storing them outside even covered up is not good on them,no matter what they seem to get water in them. I am thinking about building a little shed on the back of my garage to put a few motors that I think I will use in or the box off a box truck. I just do not want to wake up and realize what I want is no longer available or too expensive.

 

Twenty years ago, I decided to put a few big mopars away, just because I like them. It always seems that the projects I find don't match the engines I have, so it's off to the junk yard for the right engine.

 

Yes it does seem like when you keep parts you can never find a car to put them in but if no one saves them they are gone forever,I want to keep a few 302s and 351-Ws along with a few 350 to 455 Olds and possibly a 472 or 500 caddy. I have no desire to keep a sbc as they can go extinct but will keep a few stovebolt sixes since I do like them and a couple 350 to 455 Buicks would be nice to have too.

 

I was collecting Nailheads for my 41 buick project but then someone wanted it more then me so now I stuck with 2 Nailheads and a 292 y block from my newest project ! I would love to get rid of all of them, I getting to Damn old for to much hoarding !

 

I have a deal with a local scrap yard for flatheads. They will usually get five or six a month. I have to pay scrap price for them.

 

I have one so far. I don't have room for too many. I have 5.0L ford roller short block. I know its off topic but it can be dressed like a 289. these roller cam blocks are becoming more desirable and harder to find.

 

If nothing else, having old motors around makes me feel good. Never going to get rich. But I still like it.

 

I started hoarding (such a misunderstood word) Big Block Chevy's years ago. I'd buy anything that had one if cheap enough, and junk the remains. I put them in anything and everything that I could. They DO look good under the hood of about everything...but after a while, I figured out I wasn't going to live long enough to use them all. Sold off a bunch, still have a dozen or so left.

 

I just sold 2 on friday to 2 different guys.
One was a sbc 350 and the other a 6cylinder FWD.
want some more ? Have a chevy 305, vortec 350, 307

 

In my stash I have 3, 283s, the original 350 out of my old 74 'vette, a finished, running 370 Pontiac engine and a '59 Pontiac 389/ 4 speed I'm saving for a 57 Pontiac tudor build if I ever find one I can afford.
Oh, and my rebuilt 2.8 GM V/6 to be mounted behind the cab of my chopped/narrowed 36 ford pickup
Transmission stash consists of 3, B/W T-5s from 85 camaros with v/6's, an S-10 trans, a Saginaw 4 speed with Hurst linkage and the heavy duty B/W, T-85 three speed trans harvested from a 59 Pontiac ambulance. Yes, I did grab the stick bellhousing/clutch/starter/flywheel that went with it and I already had the complete stick setup for a Pontiac motor in a 57 GMC..enough junk to keep me busy 'till I croak!

 

I am not just holding hemis I have a 65 283 out of an Impala, also a 69 model 350 Chevy crate motor that went from the crate to a 64 Chevelle oval racer, never on the street, and one 59L flathead? Not to forget the stock 4 cylinder in my model A and a stock 65 Chevy 6 cylinder pickup motor. Too much stuff!

 

I started saving the 385 series ford engines back when they could be had for $150 to $300 with transmissions attached. Today they are not hard to find but the price is up considerably.

 

So far I have 2 Y blocks,a 272 and a 292 and two 55 to 62 235s and a 351-C. If something happens to my crown vic daily driver there will be a roller cam 302.