i found a garage full of old speed parts and also a bunch of flatheads .im buying a 40 ford project and a 55 rust free california pick up,as part of the deal i have to buy all the flatheads and old parts.im wondering if anyone here can use some flatheads and what they are worth.the six i saw looked to be machined and painted.the guy who owned the stuff was a machinist,and am assuming he did the work.the pick up is going to be sold for $2500 as i dont want it but have to buy it as part of the deal to get the 40.im picking up the stuff on 4/23.im in il. near the chicago area and would like to sell them to hamb members for local pickup as i think the shipping cost would be huge on a flathead block.im going to post the stuff for sale in the classifieds once i pick up.im thinking around $300 per block plus shipping? does this sound fair for a bare block.i will also list the casting numbers later.
Sounds about right to me. Any heads,maniforlds or cams ect. to be sold? A list of what you want to get rid of would be great. Jim
They are not worth anything if you have them. Worth a lot if you don't. They are apparently made of platinum if you want to rebuild them.
You just bought a gold mine. Why don't you offer it on the classifieds and say you're taking bids on each piece. There are guys on here that think the stuff is gold. Let them worry about how to get it home.
ill post the block numbers when i get them home next week.there is so much stuff to go through and my problem is storing and identifying the stuff.i know there are some hemi heads but from older desoto engines,and a 4 deuce flathead intake,and a 60s hilborn mechanical injector set up,etc.once i get it sorted out ill post it up here first,i just want the 40 ford,its back halfed with a 9 in. and 15 in wide tires and to make it really neat is a 427 dual four barrel out of a 67 galaxie 500.its a project car with a good start.
post pictures!!!!!! im near chicago i would be interested if the price is right. also, it depends on what blocks theres basically 3 diff blocks, prewar ones are worth more to resto guys, post war with the long bell on the back the "59" series, and the short bell 49 and up 8BA. thats for fords. they are worth more if they are merc engines because they have bigger bore? and 4 inch cranks. it all depends on what shape that particular block is in really. if theres any cracks on the head surface ect ect. and also what kind of deal you want to give someone. you trying to get rich, or are you trying to help a fellow hotrodder out you know?
I have a similar question: got an 8BA block that LOOKS ok, PO swears its good, but you know how that goes. Are folks generally willing to pay extra for a block that's been magnafluxed? Not trying to get rich here, just trying to recoup the cost of magnafluxing...
This is the criteria I use for identifying the flathead motors. Thought you might find it useful for a first cut. Charlie Stephens Identification of the early flatheads is best approached in terms of the block. There is an unbelievable amount of interchangeability for the accessories over the years. Count the number of head studs. If there are 17 studs it is a V8 60 used in vehicles between 1937 and 1940. This engine was also used in the French built Simca in the sixties but I don’t know what occurred between these two periods. Look for casting numbers and stamped steel water jackets in the side of the block. Post what you find and someone can probably further identify the engine If there are 21 studs the block was built 1932 to 1938. The transition to 24 studs was late in 1938. Check the water petcocks on the front of the block next to where the lower hose from the radiator enters either an inlet fitting (1936 and earlier) or the water pump (1937 and later). It the petcocks point straight down it is a 1932 block. If the block is not a 1932 next look for a vent from the crankcase area out through the front corner of the oil pan. If there is no vent the block is 1933-34. If there is a vent it is 1935 or later. As a matter of interest, the 1936 engines were the first to use insert bearings. Both insert and babbitt bearings were used throughout 1936. The insert bearing engines can be identified by LB cast at the top of the left front face of the block or by the letters LB stamped into the surface where the intake manifold attaches. Some engines were not stamped and in other cases people tried to inflate the price of their blocks by stamping LB into them when they were sold. Be careful. Now check for the location of the water pumps. If the water pumps mount on the block the engine is 1937 or later. All engines beginning in 1937 were inserts. Frequently you will encounter a 1937 block with factory block off plates held on by two bolts over the water pump passage at the front of the block as it was common for Ford dealers to install this engine as a replacement in the earlier cars. Of course there will be slight transition periods at model change over with the older blocks usually going into the commercial vehicles. There may be subtle differences between the 1933-34 and the 1935-36 engines but I am knowledgeable enough about these years to know what they are. The casting numbers on the flywheel housing will also help identify the exact year of the engine. Post what you find and someone can probably further identify the engine. If there are 24 studs the engine was produced between late 1938 and 1953 (1954 in Canada. If the distributor is mounted on the front of the block the engine is late 1938 through 1948 (1947 for trucks). If the distributor comes up at an angle and appears more like a modern distributor it is a 1949 (1948 for truck) through 1953 (1954 in Canada). The casting numbers on the flywheel housing will further identify the exact year of the engine. Post what you find and someone can probably further identify the engine. There are a lot of additional foreign and industrial applications of these engines but the preceding covers the domestic automobile production.
Wow! Way to go Charlie Stephens. That was the most informative paragraph I have ever read. This will be printed out and saved in my files for sure. Thanks!!
the problem with flatheads is what you dont see.....cracks and thin cylinder walls, i dont know if left over blocks from a machinist is a good sign or not....look for cracks at the valves running to the cylinder if you have them the block is not really any good.
I pay $100.00 per flathead unless you can confirm that there are no cracks in the block and the cylinders are good to rebuild. even a running flathead could be full of cracks.
When I sell a Flathead I take it to the machine shop to get magnafluxed. If it's a good block you pay the bill plus the my cost for the block, if it's bad I'll pay the bill and take the block back and dig out another. As far as what they are worth, don't be greedy when you don't know what they are or if they are any good. For blocks like that I've paid anywhere from $0 (my favorite) to $500 for a completely assembled engine that I knew had a 4" crank.
im going to keep emails sent about the blocks and parts,and will respond to all when i get the stuff home.and no im not trying to get rich.my flathead in my merc is done and i want to finish the 40 ford i am buying from the woman.the problem is i had to buy everything in the 2 garages and get the garages cleaned up for her so she could sell the house.i have no where to put the stuff since the ford is a project that the owner never finished and those parts alone are going to take up what room i have.i just figured i could help out someone here on the hamb.if i cant find homes for them they wont last long outside under a tarp.plus i get enough excersize at work and didnt want to haul the blocks home.all i know is the guy hoarded parts for years and she said when he got bored he would go into the shop and rebuild engines for friends and to sell at swapmeets.
i am in norhtern illinois and can help I.D. the stuff its not something i would be interested in buying per say (more of a banger guy) but i could put a yeatr and price on it tk
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