How much would you offer?

[Msbaugh440]

I've got a buddy at work that has a 77 440 motorhome. He's offered to let me cut his motor home up to get the 440 out.  It has 60k miles on it. He wants to scrap the rest. I was hoping to use basically just the block for a starting point for a 440 source stroker build.  He wants to see it go to something cool... what's a reasonable offer $ wise, considering he's a friend and he'll even help me get it out (he has a skid steer, cutting torch, and power tools that he'll let me use).

[1 Wild R/T]

I'd almost be inclined to look elsewhere....  I wouldn't want to insult him &  I wouldn't pay more than $400.... But then around here I could come up with a dozen 440 blocks tomorrow & not spend a grand for all of them....

[HP_Cuda]

yeah going rate is 400-500 bucks and as Wild said do you really want to spend a day ripping it out as well?

the 77 year had thicker main saddle supports but were mostly low compression motors.

[dodj]

Last year I bought a 440 for $400cdn. (About $325us) And it included a stand to roll it away with.

[Cuda Cody]

 

[RUNCHARGER]

In over 40 years I have never bought one but $400 sounds high to me. Pretty sure that is a cast crank too and it's a lot of work to pull it out. The trans will have good internals but may not have the car tailhousing on it.

[Cuda_mark]

@Msbaugh440 I'll take the power steering fitting from it if he's willing to sell it!!! If it's a 90 degree fitting.

[GY3R/T]

    Engines like this, i call   "Rebuildable Cores"....

[Burdar]

There was a discussion on Moparts last week about motor home engines.   They work a lot harder in a motor home then they do in a car.  60K miles in a motor home is like 120K in a car.

[tparker]

I'd almost be inclined to look elsewhere....  I wouldn't want to insult him &  I wouldn't pay more than $400.... But then around here I could come up with a dozen 440 blocks tomorrow & not spend a grand for all of them....

Thats funny. There is trim that cost more than that.

[Msbaugh440]

There was a discussion on Moparts last week about motor home engines.   They work a lot harder in a motor home then they do in a car.  60K miles in a motor home is like 120K in a car.

That makes a lot of sense to me. Plus I live in Utah, so it's seen 60k hard miles at elevation in the mountains.

[Msbaugh440]

I think I'll offer him $200 for the engine and transmission. I don't mind the hard work to get it out... it will give me practice and I'd enjoy getting it running on an engine stand as a fun project in my spare time.  Plan would be to strip it all apart and see what the cylinder walls look like. Throw away everting else including the heads and crank.

[Headjam]

  That sounds like a good plan.

[70RTSE383]

I think what you pay for a 440 core has a LOT to do with where you live. While you can find 383 engines anywhere here in SD they can be difficult to find. I got mine for $450 after driving an hour and a half to a family unloading about 30 big blocks. I found only one less expensive but it was a cast crank 77'. If your using a stroker reciprocating assy only the condition of the block makes much differance. My 440 did net me a forged crank and balancer if I go that way as well as all the factoru brackets for ac, ps and alt which I will use.

[RUNCHARGER]

A Sea body, non A/C, 440 is a treasure of brackets and pulleys as well. A MH 440 not so much.