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Quote:
Originally Posted by tubman
Since they haven't been "mag'd, and pressure tested", you really don't know what you have yet. I, for one, would like to know, how many of the 15 turn out good.
We have an interesting conundrum here. When the O/P comes here and asks about the value of a Mercury engine, just about everyone says to reject it out of hand, because it must be cracked. Then, as the thread matured, the same crowd seems to assume that just about any flathead block is good. My experience has been that most "field find" blocks are fatally cracked, while blocks taken out of running cars and stored inside are usually good. I do know that if I were 20 years younger "cas3" would already have my money.
Perhaps that says it all. The guys that want these are "aging out" and in the process, more and more blocks will become available. "KiWinUS" has 5, Tim and his friend may have 15. I myself still have one. In 10 more years, how many of these will be back on the market, sold by family members who have no idea of their intrinsic worth. There may also be a corresponding lack of interest in flathead-powered cars and hot rods in general and the day of the good flathead block for $100 may return. If you can wait and gamble, fine. If not, you have to pay up or wait for the inevitable drop in prices. Most of us don't have time to wait.
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KiWinUS has way more than 5 blocks. The pic is of the next 5 in line to build. I know of approximately 300 available within 2 hours of me. I know of 250 new French available as we speak. That’s just me. That’s why I believe that good blocks aren’t worth a lot. You all know what it takes to get these apart and I doubt anyone can strip them much quicker than I. Then there’s all that associated work and test processes and procedures.
I believe location is a big factor of Price along with how patient you can be. Visual appearance means nothing or where they have been stored in my experience. The last 10 I have stripped the nicer one from inside storage were junk. The raggedy Ann’s from outside are crack free. Makes no sense.