Rebuild or Sell As a Core

[gbutler911]

I just bought an SC that has broken head studs, I believe. It's an 83 with engine number 64D2571. I have pictures from the seller that show it underwent a rebuild several years ago but no documentation what was actually done. My ultimate goal for the car does not involve this engine so I'm trying to evaluate selling as a core vs. rebuilding and selling it. Can anyone share some advice? What's a rebuild cost these days to take it to a 3.0, or even a 3.2? What could I sell it for afterward? Or should I just sell it as is and let a buyer build it as they see fit? Thanks for any suggestions/information.

[Flat6pac]

Your cost to rebuild will pull past the retail sale value because you can’t build to the expections of the potential buyer
Core value now are extremely high
Bruce

[Matt Monson]

You never recover the labor on resale. The only way to make any money on it is as a core.

[Cairo94507]

Sell as a core and let the new owner build to their specs and satisfaction.

[Amstaff]

Doing it myself my 3.0 rebuild set me back about 10k

[mepstein]

Unless you are a pro, you won't make money rebuilding an engine. People don't pay amatures for their labor and you are probably not getting parts at wholesale. You are probably not going to offer a warranty.

If it broke head studs after a rebuild a couple years ago, what else was done wrong. It's a very suspect core at best.

[Mark Henry]

I build custom engines, I don't build them on speculation.
I build on the customers core or one I get for them.

I had a run on VW T4 stock engines, just one of those years, so I thought let's put a 2.0 in stock.
4 years later and it's still sitting on the shelf. If it was a porsche engine that would be a lot of cash tied up.


The 3.0 core is worth a good chunk of no hassle, strap it to the skid, cash.