I had a friend who knows I'm into old junk tell me the other day about someone he knows that has a couple of 50's 4-speed slant-pan hydromatic transmissions - supposedly stock but are in good shape/re-worked (I think probably cleaned and just new gaskets - no real info on that one so figure they're stock). I think one is a cadillac and the other an olds. From what 3rd hand info I know they're just transmissions - no shifter or linkage or any other parts with them. I was wondering what they might be worth and if I should pick them up if they're cheap enough to build a cool trans for a traditional rod - similar to the B&M "HydroStick" or if they're not even worth messing with and stick with modern transmissions.... If I pick them up I'd probably be willing to haul one to springfield / HAMB drags if anyone is interested.
If they're clean, nice, and documented, they're probably worth $500 to the guy who needs one. A rebuild would be three times that easy, so it may be worth the gamble on an unknown or one that's been sitting a long time. I'd go up to $100 on them no problem just to try to flip.
Hey guys, Looking for a Dipstick & Tube or just the Tube with the big nut on it for a SlantPan Hydro. Any body??? My Regards Ken in Seattle, Wa. E-mail = [email protected]
And yet, for some reason, when I put all my stock cores up for 50 bucks apiece, I only sold a couple. Which is why most of the rest of my stock trannies are getting sent to China this month, along with several pallets of parts... too bad. But, the scrap places are ready buyers and they purchase hassle-free. I say, they are only worth what someone is willing to pay in any given moment. TIMING IS EVERYTHING. That is, whether or not there's someone in your area looking for one right then. Doesn't mean that 5 years prior, someone didn't pay a whole lot to get one, or that 5 years later, someone won't pay a lot to get one. What matters is, what can you get for it when you want to move it, and whether or not you have the option to stash it away for a couple more years to see if someone else has begun searching for one. Not everyone has that option. Kind of reminds me of a guy I once hunted down who had a large collection of early Olds racing stuff... Hilborn's, B&M hydrostick's, all manner of early Olds equip.... but in the early '80's he just couldn't find a buyer, so it all got scrapped out. When he told me that, I thought he was an idiot. But I now understand. When the stuff needs to go, and the scrap dealer is the high bidder, then that's where it has to go. Yet, when someone needs a part bad enough, they really ought to be willing to pay more than scrap... right? But there's that pesky thing about TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Ken-- hopefully I might be able to find that dipstick tube for you, when I load up all the parts and take to the scrapper. If you find another one, don't hesitate to grab it.
Blowenolds, Thanks for the offer, but it looks like I found one from our friends at Ross Racing in Ohio 1-330-544-4466. Tony & Ross the father are two of the most incredible people around when it comes to building all kinds of Olds and other race engines. Regards MAGOOZ
The Jalopy Journal
