Buying old crap motors

**Tom Smyth** · 01-18-2023, 09:03 PM

So I still buy any inline within reason to me regardless of condition if the price is right. Latest one was laying in the mud, full of mouse nests and cockroaches. BUT it had a new Mercury wiring harness in it and a good switch box. That’s about $300 worth of good stuff for a $50 purchase price. Gotta luv it……

**rgsauger** · 01-19-2023, 12:36 AM

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

**Chaz** · 01-19-2023, 09:23 AM

Even without seeing it ...... I have to disagree !

There is much more than $300.00 dollar's worth of parts there ... for fifty bucks ..

Specialty bolts, brackets, castings and repairable castings ..

Way to keep the spirit of, build it yourself, hot-rodding, .... ALIVE

Cuz, anyone with a credit card can go down-town and get a new "imported" or "semi-imported" ... anything these days.

**1954bmw** · 01-19-2023, 09:49 AM

I'm a picture whore, so pics please, any progress on your tunnel???

**Tom Smyth** · 01-19-2023, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by 1954bmw

I'm a picture whore, so pics please, any progress on your tunnel???

tunnel is on the back burner till late Feb. had surgery on my right ankle early December and in a hard cast till then. Will be back on the tunnel as soon as possible

**Dave S** · 01-19-2023, 11:28 AM

I got lots of l6 stuff for sale.....

**Tom Smyth** · 01-19-2023, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Dave S

I got lots of l6 stuff for sale.....

how many complete motors for $50 ????

**pcrussell50** · 01-19-2023, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

So I still buy any inline within reason to me regardless of condition if the price is right. Latest one was laying in the mud, full of mouse nests and cockroaches. BUT it had a new Mercury wiring harness in it and a good switch box. That’s about $300 worth of good stuff for a $50 purchase price. Gotta luv it……

Having started boating only 12 years ago as an Evinrude V4 crossflow fanboi, I've become a crazy Mercury fan now, and when it comes to inlines and V6's I'm not sure there is such thing as an old crap Mercury. They all have value, one way or another, it seems.

-Peter

**LakeFever** · 01-19-2023, 04:00 PM

Yep a hoard of parts are required if you want to build anything good and not have a ton of downtime. I just sold off my crossflows, had four v4’s gone to a very good home i really hope the guy builds what he says hes going to with them. You guys are gonna love it!

merc v6’s i have five complete now. Two FF 2.5’s an Xr4, an Xr2 and a newer 40amp 2.0L 135. I have some lowers but will likely add to the pile over time as well. Props? Turned into a sickness i lost count lol

**Instigator** · 01-19-2023, 07:23 PM

When I lived in Fla, I found a tiny scrap/recycling yard in an industrial park in Stuart.

They had just received all the dead motor trades from a couple of local dealers.
The good for me was, they were mostly OMC loopers.

They had a pile that was 20’ dia x 10’ tall!

I was buying complete, non running motors @ .50c per lb!

Bought everyone they had.

Took one of my Merc owning buddies there, who was in town visiting, and thought his head was going to explode!

**MattGreen** · 01-19-2023, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Instigator

They had a pile that was 20’ dia x 10’ tall!

I was buying complete, non running motors @ .50c per lb!
!

Gary that is absolutely hilarious/awesome lmao. I bet you had fun with getting some of them apart though right ?
The prices of dead motors has really spiked up here too, I'm glad I hoarded as much as I did years ago lol.

Matt

**Instigator** · 01-20-2023, 06:58 AM

I was doing outside sales in the area at the time and kept a set of coveralls in the car in case they had new booty when I drive through.

Didnt last long but I probably bought 5 or 6 motors from them.

Was only one guy in their crew that spoke English so was interesting when he wasn’t there!

And yeah, the salt was part of living down there.
I can tell you that after experimentation, it took 45 mins w/a torch to get a broken head bolt out of a block!

Was always part of the looper allure to me.
$500 for a junk motor, $500 in parts, a weekend in labor and ending up w/a 300+ hp at 7k+ motor.

Originally Posted by MattGreen

Gary that is absolutely hilarious/awesome lmao. I bet you had fun with getting some of them apart though right ?
The prices of dead motors has really spiked up here too, I'm glad I hoarded as much as I did years ago lol.

Matt

**rock** · 01-20-2023, 08:12 AM

I have bought more "crap" motors than I can remember. Always a good investment if you have the space. Leaving later this morning and heading north to pick up another "crap" motor. Several years ago I thought I was done with boats so I sold a ton of stuff. Turns out I was wrong and now I again have space.

Rock