Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hello all,

Dunno if this happens to all of you, but in NJ, seeing an aircooled VW is as rare as seeing Bigfoot strolling down the street. So whenever I'm out and about in my normal routine, I'm stopped by everyone whose father/uncle/grandma/college roommate/spiritual guru/ex-girlfriend/neighbor/etc owned a bus and am regaled with stories of adventures long past. And, just as often, someone approaches me because they have a rusted body of a bus or bug in their backyard that they want to sell (or give away) and they don't know what to do with it.

So recently, a guy in town stopped me at the hardware store and said he had an engine out of a 73 or 74 Karmann Ghia that has been sitting in his garage for 10 years collecting dust that he wanted to get rid of. I haven't seen it yet, but it got me thinking: would it be worth it to have a spare engine to cannibalize for parts?

My current engine is a 71 dual port. I assume a 73 or 74 Karmann Ghia engine would have enough compatible parts to make it worth storing in the basement, right? What would such an engine be worth?

Thoughts?

James

It's worth a lot to me. Just putting a new long block together now and finding and acquiring all external parts is a chore. Tin, thermostat, fuel pump studs, push rods and spacer, just everything. It's nice to have those parts around.

So, ballpark, how much would an engine be worth if its history is unknown? I don't know if it turns over or has a knock or anything. All I know is that it's out of a Ghia and has been sitting for 10 years. Probably has its carb, dizzy, alternator, etc. $500? More? Less?

Maybe I'm answering my own question, but here's what's out on the market:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=1985788

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=2079400

James

appetite wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:46 pm

So, ballpark, how much would an engine be worth if its history is unknown? I don't know if it turns over or has a knock or anything. All I know is that it's out of a Ghia and has been sitting for 10 years. Probably has its carb, dizzy, alternator, etc. $500? More? Less?

Maybe I'm answering my own question, but here's what's out on the market:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=1985788

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=2079400

James

People are maddening. "Complete engine" means what, exactly?

My opinion, unless he has receipts and paperwork that document the engines history or you can fire it up on the garage floor and do a compression check, it's a core. The other factor here is the sheet metal tin, heater box, muffler and other ancillaries bolted to the long block could be rusted out junk. You said you're in New Jersey so I would assume exposure to salt/snow.

So, I wouldn't gamble more than $100 on an unknown complete engine. Hell, it could be a GEX engine too! :)

Those are absurdly high prices for extremely dubious-looking engine has-beens that obviously do not run, and about which
the sellers obviously know little or nothing (ignoring the possibility of active dishonesty here, as unaccustomed to that as I am).
Barring a close-up examination to see what is actually usable (if anything), I would not offer more that $50. or so.

A spare, reliably running engine down in the basement would be immensely more valuable than any pile-o-parts core engine, and worth
investing some coin for. Engines will never get any cheaper. Your current engine will not last forever.

Thanks all. I will go over and take a look at the engine and report back.

kreemoweet wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:28 pm

..... I would not offer more that $50. or so.....

Metal scrap value is around $100.. I sold a toasted Type IV long block abt 10 years ago (it was advertised as such) for $100. Although....I really wish I would have kept the dizzy....