What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Maybe coffee tables?

The motor in my Town Sedan was in really bad shape, (water had gotten it it and the cam/lifters we’re stuck) so I bought another motor that was free in hopes of making one good one. The second came out of a truck, was well worn, and needed a complete rebuild including pistons etc.

In the meantime we found a third motor that had been rebuilt years ago but not run. The babbit looked good, the cylinder walls were great, the valve seats looked correct, and the price was less than a new set of pistons. It is now in my A and running great.

Someday Model A blocks of any shape will be hard to find but I now have two of them with cranks, heads, oil pans, etc. taking up room in the garage.

What is the best way to find a good home for them?

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

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Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

I bought two engines a few years ago a few hundred feet from your house.They were in the little brown house that was next to the school,that the school bought and demolished when old Tom died.Tom's boys had taken them out of A's in the late 50's to build hot rods.They were good runners at the time,so they put them under the benches in Tom's shop.The man handling the sale of the junk said to give him $100.and take both engine and transmission units,plus anything else I found in the shed.Unless somebody needs something,they won't pay much for it.I'm still looking at the pair of engines I bought still sitting in my shed.When the local scrap boys find anything they think might be A they bring it to me.Engines,no trans,$15.With trans they want $25.I just pay their price,and sometimes I give the iron back to them a year later because there was a reason it was scrapped to begin with.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Dropped off my hot rod Model A motor and two old motors at Bert’s last week. According to engine builder Dave, they get one rebuildable block out of 10 cores. Don’t even ask what a B core is worth! Not sure if I would scrap A engines until I was positive they were NG.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

In 1989 I had a disaster B block rebuild that I tried... This was a full pressure drilled crank with a STANDARD sized "C" crank.
Long story short it has several cracks in deck around valves (repairs attempted several times with lock stitch) and I was told that block is junk. Well I had 3 times the going rate for a rebuild in this engine And just could not bring myself to junk it.

Recently I was told that although there are cracks they are in areas that will NOT affect use with an Overhead valve Miller. So it is good that I did not listen to the experts who told me block was junk!

Maybe the guy saying block was junk was going to use it with his Miller!!!

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

The drawing of A block is in some book I have. For Dad's Day I got a small 3-D printer. If I learn how to use it, maybe some day I'll make a wax mold, and take it to be cast. Any thoughts????

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Re-home them, eventually. If swap meets are your thing you could take them to swapmeets to see if ther's a buyer.

Amazing how many people tell me something is junk & i fix it anyway.
Most of them call me liars. But i show them, they don't accept it, car runs like a sewing machine whether they like it or not.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

If the blocks are good (not cracked) call a rebuilder and sell them to him. A complete, solid block has got to be worth at least $100.
2. Sell one and rebuild one for a spare.
3. sell them both.
4. If you find a crack in one or both. Sell them for what you can get, acknowledging the crack. There are still many parts inside.
Terry

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Put an old non rebuildable block on your porch or in your yard and stick 4 flower pots in it. Vuala, yard art!

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Not my kind of fun Bill, but hey, maybe they could resurrect this place and send criminals there for "rehabilitation". Bet that none of them would want to come back to that place again.......

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Stack them up, make the world's tallest model A engine totem pole. People will come from all over for a glimpse of your marvel!

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

You can take it to the swap meet at the dragway,last Sunday of the month.you will either find somebody that needs something from your engines,or bring them home again.I have no idea what it costs for a spot there now.They don't seem to be a popular item there to sell.All the rod buys bring them there,hoping to get more than scrap price.I got a couple from there last year.My friend made an offer on some body parts there,they said they would take his offer if he hauled the two engines away .So,he stopped here and we unloaded them with the forklift.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Reject blocks and other parts could be cleaned , painted and used for museum display , it wouldn't need to run. Parts of reject blocks could have sections cut away to expose internal dimensions, this can come in handy before enlarging intake or exhaust ports . This type exercise would help prevent grinding away too much material on a good engine that was being ported and polished . Besides all other possibilities , Those old blocks are just too purty to throw away. If push comes to shove , most anything can be fixed if needed bad enough .

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Good afternoon...If you have a block that appears in good shape for re-building, check with the major suppliers who do sell rebuilt engines as well as the re-builders who advertise in the Model A magazines and those who advertise in Hemmings. Someone who rebuilds will be interested. The deal might well be 'Ship it to me and if it is re-buildable I'll make you an offer'. Ernie in Arizona

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

I hung on to my cracked block for several years. I recently gave it away for a machine shop to practice on. Hopefully some good will come of it for out Model A community here. We don't have anyone locally that does machining on Model A blocks. Several that do V8's but none that do Model A's.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Used blocks which are found to be junk can in many cases be used for practice using your boring bar. Learning to sleeve an engine block or experience in setting the cutters is better than wrecking a good block because you didn't have enough knowledge.

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

That's like using SCRAP WOOD, for woodworking practice!
Bill Sawdust

Re: What to do with old Model A blocks?
 

Geeeze! I was hopeing someone would tell me how to sell the blocks for $1500 each.
It looks as if I need to keep them for a few years so I need help in finding a place to hid them.

They will not fit under the bed or in the bedroom closet.
I considered under the kitchen sink until my wife out what I was attempting to do.
She also caught me measuring the space in the trunk of her car.

There is space above the rafters in the garage but I can’t figure out an easy way to raise them that high.

Help! Help! What can I Do?