Buying a used engine on eBay. Good idea, or always bad?!
 

I've been looking into putting a 5.3 V8 Chevrolet engine into my 928 just to spite the non believers. After hitting the junk yard district in south Phoenix it seems all the yards want 1000$ for a complete pullout mileage unknown, plus core, and tax. Seems ridiculously high so after getting burned by a couple yards that recanted their deals with me. I decided to hit up the evilBay. Anyways I found a pullout for about half of the mean price locally, and bought it. Did I just shoot myself in the foot!? I plan to upgrade cam/springs/rockers, and head gasket for mild boost.

it's a better chance than using an established business like motormeister. (may they rest in pieces, sharp, jagged, uncomfortable pieces.)

You will not know until you install it and try to fire it up. Small block Chevy engines are plentiful. I can't imagine you can't find one locally. I guess it is too late now since you have one. Good luck.

a junk yard wants a core? really?

More and more junkyards are asking for a core because they want to either raise the weight of the scrap they sell or keep your core charge. Back in the day the only scrapping that happened at junkyards was the car rusting into the ground. Now once the vehicles look pretty cleaned off they sell them for scrap.

I'm going to put a 5.3 into an old Chevy truck.

Probably do what I did with the 911- Buy a wreck from an insurance auction. Having the complete vehicle means having the brain, all the sensors, about everything needed for the swap.

Also lots of parts to sell. Quite a bit of the 911 parts car was disbursed at John Walker's swap Meet.

Dan, that is the best way to do it

when I need an engine/trans I find it's easier to buy an older or wrecked vehicle, pull what I need and sell the rest for scrap. I get entire drivetrain and everything else I could need for less than a junkyard transmission.

^^^

Excellent idea. Try before you buy. In the Chevy world, there are always people ready to buy your engineless car. With lucky timing, you can have your buyer drive it before you pull the engine so they'll feel comfortable paying a bit more than something they know less about.

Which is normally what I do as well, but the market of used vehicles and especially wrecked or mechanical flawed vehicles here are inflated due to the amount of latino yards/repair shops here.

Think of the pawn stars episode where one guy tried to pawn a carerra engine...

bought an 88 chevy truck for $500. 350/350 turbo. paperwork in glovebox showed it to be an advance auto short block with 17k miles according to odometer when I pulled engine and trans and dropped it in my 37 chevy. drove the truck around for 3 weeks before pulling it apart. gave the rest to a friend to rebuild his truck. win/win

Seriously, and the yards wanted between 100-300$ for a core. Gone of the days of the 35$ core you get from a u-pull-it yard.

cash for clunkers took a big chunk of good parts off the market also

That just doesn't exist here. For example I'm looking for a engine for my sister's XJ and local jeeps that barely run are going for more then a grand. Rebuilt long blocks are 1,500$.

damn, I can you an entire jeep for $500, friend just sold jeep with 350/350 auto $1400. buyer drove it away

It is definitely a risk. I got my 911 off ebay and it was pretty much as described. Not great, but good, fairly solid with some leaks. It is a crap shoot but for US makers I would do it.

Good luck on your install, post your work on this thread so we can followup it.