Thread: 52 Ford 239 Flathead factory motor and tranny value...

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I have this motor and tranny from my 52, it is the factory motor has less than 100k miles on it, runs but not good. Been sitting for a VERY long time. Anyways, whats it worth? Ballpark figure.

Unfortunately, not as much as they were worth at one time. For a while, flatheads were bringing good money, but I've seen running engines go for as little as several hundred dollars lately. The main problem is that they are just so expensive to properly rebuild, and finding a qualified machinist is not as easy as finding one to do something like a sbc.

I would simply put it on Ebay with the stipulation it must be picked up or the buyer must arrange his own shipping. Put a reserve on it at what you can live with, and see what the traffic will bear.

Don

I bought a low miler that had been taken out of a 52 truck back in 52 and kept by the service manager from the dealer for $300---wasn't stuck, turned over smoothly--and it was a 256

If that motor is from a truck, it, like Jerry said, is a 255/6 and is basically a Merc engine with the 4" stroke crank rather then the 3-3/4" stroke 239cid Ford. The bigger engine is worth a bit more then a standard engine as it will go to the fabled 296 cid more easily (3/8 x 3/8). The bigger engine will have heads that have 8CM or something similar while the 239 will be 8BA

Personally, I wouldn't buy any flathead motor until the crank, rods and block were magnafluxed, unless I could get it for cheap, like the other fellows said, $200-$300.

Originally Posted by Bumps52Ford

I have this motor and tranny from my 52, it is the factory motor has less than 100k miles on it, runs but not good. Been sitting for a VERY long time. Anyways, whats it worth? Ballpark figure.

You're in SOCAL - I'd contact H&H Flatheads and ask them what they'll give for a running unit. It'll be wholesale, but might be the best you can do.
http://flatheads-forever.com/

Contact Us
4451 Ramsdell Avenue
La Cresenta, CA 91214

Tel: (818) 248-2371
Fax: (818) 248-0161

Email: handhflatheads@hotmail.com

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Personally, I wouldn't buy any flathead motor until the crank, rods and block were magnafluxed, unless I could get it for cheap, like the other fellows said, $200-$300.

Crank and rods wouldn't worry me as much as the block. The '49-'53 did have a lot better cooling then the 59A-B engines. Regardless, the center two cylinders on each side present the biggest problem with a single exhaust port right through the center of the block causing cracks in those two exhaust valve seats right into the cylinder walls as well as into the water passages. Now, the cylinder wall cracks are reasonably easy to fix - only cost lots of bucks to sleeve. The seat and top deck cracks are tough with probably a metal stitch and/or weld.

Rods - rebuilts are available fairly reasonably tho the originals can also be rebuilt if the engine is stock. Cranks on a stock engine are again, like the rods are seldom hurt. As a stock engine, these seldom saw much more then 4500 rpm - they couldn't - limited by air flow in and out.

Above is why a stock flathead can get real expensive even before modifications and speed parts and a very good reason why an unknown engine isn't worth a whole lot.

Originally Posted by rspears

You're in SOCAL - I'd contact H&H Flatheads and ask them what they'll give for a running unit. It'll be wholesale, but might be the best you can do.
http://flatheads-forever.com/

Contact Us
4451 Ramsdell Avenue
La Cresenta, CA 91214

Tel: (818) 248-2371
Fax: (818) 248-0161

Email: handhflatheads@hotmail.com

I will be calling them as soon as I get the vehicle down here. Thanks for the information.

Just got the pickup, truck only has 56K ORIGINAL miles. Factory motor and all. Extremeky rough shape buy hey, its in the family.

Originally Posted by Bumps52Ford

Just got the pickup, truck only has 56K ORIGINAL miles. Factory motor and all. Extremeky rough shape buy hey, its in the family.

I'd be tempted to hot rod the flathead if it really only has 56K miles. Just curious, how do you know the odometer hasn't rolled over once or twice in the almost 60 years?

I have the title from when my grandpa bought it in 1971 and it says 53,xxx. I know 100% my grandpa never drove it. Highly unlikely the guy before my grandpa put 153K on it back then. Anything is possible but I would say highly unlikely.

It's probably correct at 56,000, cars back then just didn't get driven as much as we do today. My 47 Ford had only 50,000 on it, and lots of the cars I had back then had similar mileage. I think it is only in later years that we began driving our cars as much as we do and as far as we do. Back then we usually lived in small towns and didn't commute as many miles daily for work and errands like today.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

It's probably correct at 56,000, cars back then just didn't get driven as much as we do today. My 47 Ford had only 50,000 on it, and lots of the cars I had back then had similar mileage. I think it is only in later years that we began driving our cars as much as we do and as far as we do. Back then we usually lived in small towns and didn't commute as many miles daily for work and errands like today.

Don

Thats what I thought, 56k seems low but if it was 156K that would be crazy crazy high.

Common enough for flathead trucks to have 150K miles on them around here. The plus side is, they had a new engine at 100K so the one in there now is pretty good. I have a granary full of them! One has only a few thou on it, the rear end blew and the truck got junked just after the new engine went in.