rebuilt P23 engine on eBay

[Reg Evans]

I spotted this rebuilt engine on eBay. It's too far away from me.

Here's their reply to my question about the engine number.

"reg,

the number you asked for is p23*616220 and for your info we found the manual transmission and that will be included with the engine at not extra cost, we are a large auto parts store and machine shop and we are only trying to get our money for the labor and parts we installed , customer refused to pick-up engine.

thanks,

mike "

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=ADME%3AL%3ARTQ%3AUS%3A1&viewitem=&item=230121628057&rd=1

[blueskies]

the number you asked for is p23*616220

Looks to be a truck bell housing on there, FWIW.

Pete

[Young Ed]

That sure is Pete. Too bad its not closer to me.

[Normspeed]

P23 would be a 52 Plymouth block. Sounds like someone may get a bargain there. Wonder why the owner refused to pick it up though.

[PatS....]

P23 would be a 52 Plymouth block. Sounds like someone may get a bargain there. Wonder why the owner refused to pick it up though.

Maybe a SBC snuck into the engine bay and wouldn't leave

[Reg Evans]

OR......Maybe this engine had been transplanted into his truck by a previous owner and the present owner didn't realise it was a Plymouth car engine until it was too late.

[Norm's Coupe]

They claim the engine is completely rebuilt. If it were completely rebuilt, they would normally dip the engine to get it clean. Take a look at the opening for the oil filler tube. It's full of oil stain. Also if you look at the rear of the engine there is another oil stain where the bellhousing gets bolted up to it. Another oil stain is near the opening for the oil filter line. Not saying it wasn't rebuilt, but it probably wasn't cleaned very well, which could also indicate the quality of the rebuild. Also looks like those freeze plugs have not been touched. So.......is it a deal or not??

[Jim Saraceno]

Depends on the price of the reserve. It's been my experience that when someone puts a reserve price on an item, they want too much.

[Guest 50Plymouth]

I agree about the seemingly inadequate cleaning, that was my first thought as well. One wonders why customer "refused to pick up engine" perhaps it was a payment issue ..or perhaps something more sinister?

Ryan

[Norm's Coupe]

Depends on the price of the reserve. It's been my experience that when someone puts a reserve price on an item, they want too much.

Jim, I will agree with what you say in some cases. However, it's not always the case with a reserve price in an auction. Sometimes, the seller puts a low price on something with a reserve just to get people looking at the item. The the reserve may be what the item is actually worth, or close to it. I know I have listed several things over the years with a reserve that way. However, I don't feel any of my reserves were over priced. When I do that I'm just making sure I get what it's worth or I don't have to sell it.

[Normspeed]

Looks like it was cleaned, painted and rebuilt quite a while back. The stains could just be a combination of assembly lube and shop dust. As far as reserves, I normally don't even put items with reserves on my watch list. I'd rather have a minimum bid placed on an item so I know where I stand.

[Norm's Coupe]

I don't know Norm. Take a look at the head bolts too. They look like they've been painted or something. I think the head has been off because you can see scratches on the head of the head bolts. Looks like they may have used the old head bolts when they put it back together. On an engine this old I wouldn't reuse head bolts because I'd be afraid they had already been stretched to the max in previous years.

[Normspeed]

Could be. I re-used my head bolts, so far so good.

[Reg Evans]

I asked the seller to elaborate a little mor on what had been done on the engine. Here's what he said.

"Reg,

the block was bored .030 with new piston, rings, rod, main and cam brgs, c/s was machined tp .010-.010, new oil pump, felpro gaskets, rod rebuilt and assembled, customer sold the old truck and left us holding the bad, i always require a deposit and he let that go, any other questions, please ask!!!"

Wish I was closer, My 52 Suburban could use a rebuild.

[Lou Earle]

that looks suspiously like a used car dealer's Krylon rebuild- Notice all even bolts are painted the grey. If he was serious about a quality rebuild why paint inthe water outlet to the head and on all bolts? If I were bidding I sure would want the had and pan off or better hear it run.

Lou

[Niel Hoback]

A pick-up going down the hiway in Alabama with a tarp covering something in the bed? You're gonna have to be a lot more specific than that.

you just described 90% of the traffic.

Sorry, I meant no insult, but I just can't pass up a straight line like that.

[Jim Saraceno]

I know I have listed several things over the years with a reserve that way. However, I don't feel any of my reserves were over priced. When I do that I'm just making sure I get what it's worth or I don't have to sell it.

Norm, I'm sure you are absolutely right. My statement was one of those broad generalizations that have many exceptions and I'm sure you are just one of many, however, I've run into the problem enough times that as soon as I see a reserve, I never give it a second look. I understand the theory about starting low to get people bidding on it but I also think that when you put a reserve on an item, you will also lose some bidders. I'm sure I have lost out on some good deals because of passing on reserve items.

In any case, what ever his reserve is, no one has even bid $1 yet to open up the bidding.

[martybose]

I have to agree that I don't like hidden reserve prices. If you have a minimum price that you will accept, why not just show that as the starting price?

Marty

[Norm's Coupe]

Guys, to be honest, I haven't bid on anything on Ebay in a very long, long time. I got tired of bidding on ebay a long time ago with or without a reserve. That's because the bidding always gets out of hand. Case in point those USED disc brakes that sold for close to $600 recently. If the seller doesn't over price an item, usually the bidders do. So what's the difference. I only buy on ebay when it has a Buy it Now on it, if the price is reasonable.

When I sell something there, I usually price it according to what I've seen the item going for at swap meets and ebay. Try to come up with a happy medium regardless if I put a reserve or not on it. Also, when I do list something on there I really don't care if I sell it or not. If it doesn't sell, I'll usually do one of three things with it. 1. Keep it for trading someone later. 2. Just put it back on the shelf and forget it. 3. Throw it away.

I have a real nice 40's Coke dispenser that I listed there two or three times. It's missing the handle, otherwise a nice machine. I listed it on ebay with a price well below what I've seen them go for other places simply because I'm not into collecting soda stuff. Each time I listed it, no one hit the reserve. Each time after the auction was over people sent me notes asking the reserve. I give it, then they say it's only worth what they bid. So.......let them find one for the price they wanted it for. Before I give mine away, I'll die with the thing sitting on the shelf. It don't take much room.

I also had a nice trim piece for a D24. I offered it cheap here for 90 days, no one wanted it. I put it on ebay and no one evidently wanted to pay the cheap price there either. So..........I gave it to an old Mopar vendor and told him to do what ever he wanted to do with it. The price he'll charge will probably be at least double what I was asking. I just wanted to get rid of it though and didn't want to throw it away.

I've only had about 5 or 6 transactions on ebay in the past year and most of that was to sell something.

[JerseyHarold]

Norm,

eBay isn't what it used to be. My friend currently has 109 items listed (they ran a 'cheap listing day' last week), and he only has bids on two items. My success rate has been way down lately, although I only list items occasionally. Maybe the reason you don't get bids is that people think there is something wrong with the item and the starting price is too good to be true.

[Norm's Coupe]

Norm,

eBay isn't what it used to be. My friend currently has 109 items listed (they ran a 'cheap listing day' last week), and he only has bids on two items. My success rate has been way down lately, although I only list items occasionally. Maybe the reason you don't get bids is that people think there is something wrong with the item and the starting price is too good to be true.

I wasn't complaining about getting bids in general. Actually, I've sold just about everything I've ever listed there, and sometimes the item goes for much more than it's worth. I just won't keep re listing stuff. I'm not in the parts selling business as a rule and I don't want to keep stuff I don't want or need laying around. So, if it doesn't sell after a couple of tries, I find other ways to clean out the garage. I just don't like being a parts warehouse. Also don't care for being the shipping clerk packing the stuff up when it does sell.