I tried the basement but didn't get any help, so here goes:

Some guy wants to sell me a b18c1 longblock with everything but the exhaust manifold, fuel rail and alternator for $1000. The motor has a spun bearing, but he assures me the head is good. It also comes with a p30 ecu.

I don't care about the bearing, because I'll be rebuilding the motor anyway, and the ecu should work fine for me since I'll likely be using hondata or equivalent. Is this a good deal?

 

What are your plans?

 

right now the plan for the block is looking like:

sleeved and bored to 85 or 86mm, balanced/knife-edged LS crank, lengthened rods (IB), 11.5:1 pistons with raised wrist pins. I haven't made any final decisions about the head yet, but probably nothing too extravagant.

I'm looking to go with a b18c block rather than an LS/B20 one mainly for the oil squirters and girdle. I figure if this is a pretty good deal, I might as well jump on it. I suspect it will probably take me the better part of a year to raise enough dough to finish the buildup.

 

I would go for it. Assuming you have the tons of money it requires for your plans.

 

I don't yet. I only have enough for the block at the moment, but I'm gonna buy up the parts as I can afford them over the course of the next year or so. I anticipate earning a pretty big chunk of change next may/june.

 

I've never been one to go forward with a purchase like that with the thought that I will get the rest of the parts later on to finish the expensive project. What I've always found happens is I get half of the parts and then get sidetracked and end up selling them for less than I paid for them in the first place, and walla, I've lost money and never built what I was trying to build.

I'd say back off, save your money and put something together (an engine) for the most part at once. You don't have to do everything at once of course, but at least try to get it drivable at once, otherwise you're likely to just have a $1000.00 paperweight that you auction off for $500.00 in a year.

 

I've been planning this build for a long time, and I'm sure plans will not change significantly. I'm not going to give up on the project (at my income, all of my projects have been gradual, and I haven't given up on any), and 1 year is a long estimate; it might be as soon as a few months.

What I'm asking is whether or not $1000 is a fair price. If its a good deal, I shouldn't pass it up, because regardless, I know I'll need that block.

 

I say get it man.

 

this happened to me, im still trying to sell half... the first half, i broke dead even on....

but if you're serious about building, you are disciplined, etc yeah its a good deal as far as im concerned... go with it....

 

Purely speaking of the money issue, $1000 is a fair price. You might want to make sure it's all clear and on the up and up though. You can contact your local Police Department and run the VIN#/Engine Block# and they will check it in the Stolen Vehicle System and Automated Property System to see if it's stolen or not.

If you are confident it's not, then go for it. The last thing you'd want though is a nice, finished, engine.... and have it turn out to be stolen so you don't get to keep it anyway, you know?