Sell or pickle motor

[Glenfield]

This is a subjective Q. I should be able to answer it myself, but I’ve lost capacity for independent thought.

I have a new 3.4L motor. Plan is to swap it into my 911SC and pickle my existing motor. Car doesn’t need anything to receive the motor, but the engine swap will lead me to tick off some wants to be the best version of itself. Think ‘74 Carrera MFI, SCRS gear ratios and LSD and carbon bits from Jonny once he pulls his finger out . Once done, I can’t see myself re-installing the original motor unless compelled to do so (move to CA or registration issues back in Australia).

So, do I pickle the motor and leave option open to reinstall or use in another car? Who knows when / if this will happen and worry about gaskets etc over time.

Or, do I sell it now when it’s a known, good motor? Motor was rebuilt 6000 miles ago with all the performance and reliability upgrades for an SC.

Don’t need the dollaridoos and have the space. I’m torn between the sadness of separating a motor from its mum AND letting a beautiful thing sit on the shelf.

Cheers,
Tom

[Racerbvd]

Pickle and keep them together.

[G450X]

They bring good coin these days, but if you don’t need the money, pull it and store it. Prep it for long term storage to prevent issues when it’s needed.

[nickelplated5s]

Keep it. # match could be worth quite a bit down the road.

[jhynesrockmtn]

If it is numbers matching to the car and you don't need the $s for other stuff, keep it. A future owner may want it, or you may want to put the car back to stock, sell it on and use that new motor in a different car.

[Glenfield]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Going to put motor on shelf and do my best to preserve it while it’s out of use. Will get to work on rebuilding goodwill balance with wife so I can rebuild motor as a heated up 3L, and find an early car to drop it into.

Found a great Grady Clay post on preserving old motors which I will dig up and leave here for posterity.

[Glenfield]

Here it is: https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/265681-spare-motor-storage-what-do.html

If I can do 20% of that, I’ll be happy.

[Matt Monson]

Grady was meticulous.

[Glenfield]

Thanks for the counsel above. Have been marinating on it a bit more and may be having a change of heart.

I’ve committed to build the best version of a G-body. For me, that’s a Carrera MFI in appearance and weight with SCRS-like gearing. Carrera side-script from Greg Pantelis, fuchs wheels finished in matching gold and a motor dressed to look like an SCRS 80% of the way there (sans MFI). Tasty photos below.

Having spare motor on the shelf is a hedge but a hedge on what? I can’t see myself going back to the CIS motor in this car. It’s alluring to think I’ll buy a second car and use the CIS motor, but hard to see that happening. One car is tricky enough with kids and hobbies.

If sky falls in and I had to sell, or if I decide I wanted to get into a new car altogether, I can’t say that I’d be better off with a stock SC vs what I’m contemplating above (+ $$ from CIS motor). I don’t need the cash but don’t want to be even more economically irrational than I’m already being.

Why not wait to sell motor? As a buyer, I’d get a lot of confidence in knowing that I was buying a freshly rebuilt motor that had just been removed from car versus one that’s sat on a shelf with unknown prep and storage conditions. I’d pay a premium for that.

Above is my stream of consciousness. It’s partly catharsis saying out loud, but would also love any reaction to above. Either to save me from me or help me push the boat out and get this spare motor to a loving home.

[Macroni]

Keep given where you are in life... you will always be able to unload.