Issues & advice on selling price.

Heya guys, been a couple weeks since I was last on.

In my last thread I'd mentioned that the 302 in my Comet was ticking. I pulled the valve covers .. and nothing's wrong under there. So I've got a massive problem that I cannot fix. Definitely not in my apartment complex, that is.

I've also got a 1974 Maverick with a 250 that runs very strong, I've been using it as daily transportation. The tires are pretty much bald, but they've been holding air, the AC isn't terribly cold, and there's a small (very) amount of rust on the car, mainly on the passenger side door. The dash/guages are good, the dash pad needs to be replaced, the back seat is okay but it's the wrong color, and the front seats need to be reupholstered. Besides that, it's just about ready to rock. Like I said, I've been driving it pretty much every day.

The Comet has pretty decent paint, some dings here and there, nothing huge, and a rust hole behind the rear-passenger wheel in the trunk. The 302 ran awesome up until this started happening. The front seats need reupholstered but the interior is almost perfect besides. The hood isn't in fantastic shape and there are some minor flaws (cosmetic) all the way around. No power steering, brakes, or anything else "power" of the sort.

Both run/drive fantastically (besides the rod knocking in the Comet.) What do you guys think each would pull? I'm heartbroken about the Comet, it was my baby, but I just don't have the money for this right now, and once I sell the Maverick I'm out of daily transportation (I can make due.)


Also, if anyone knows a good (reputable) place that can replace my engine, please let me know -- a ballpark price wouldn't hurt, either. I've got everything there, 4bbl carb, intake, electronic ignition, the works -- the engine was a beauty.


Give me some advice, and as always, thanks guys.

 

Ballpark to pay somebody to replace your motor and/or fix your motor: I would say $3000+.

 

Wow. Now I'm really upset that I don't still live in the same town as my dad. I simply don't, and won't, have that much money in the near future. I've got a shadetree mechanic that'll do the swap for $500, but he IS a shadetree mechanic and parts still aren't cheap.

I'm seriously thinking it's time just to dump both and get the rest of my financials figured out with something more reliable.

What a friggin' month.

 

Why don't you take both cars to a shop and have them swap the motors? I mean, if you want to keep the comet but can't afford a new engine, throw the 302 in to the '74, pop the 250 into the Comet, sell the '74 and drive the Comet. I don't know if that would really work, just a thought...

 

I thought about it but decided I'd rather have a 302 or nothing in the Comet. Stupid emotional pride, I'm sure, but it's justified in my mind.

 

I don't see why that wouldn't work. Both engines will bolt up to the existing trannys. You'll just need the proper mounts and may also want to swap the radiators. I think the radiator hoses mount in different locations. That may be affordable for you and you can still keep one of them. It would be a shame to dump them both.

 

But maybe down the road you could afford to replace the six with another 302.

 

The thing is, I really don't care too much for the Maverick and it's definitely the engine that I don't care for. The Comet was a quick, fun car where as the Maverick was obviously not intended to be quick.

If I have to sell the Comet then I'm going to beef up the Maverick or just sell it and get a Ranchero or an El Camino (I love cartrucks.)

I really don't want to sell the Comet, I don't care if I sell the Maverick -- I'm not attached.

 

It still wouldn't be the "orange bomber," as most liked to call it. It's an emotional attachment more than anything, and if I'm going to break it off then I might as well dump both. I planned on making the Maverick into a respectable daily driver while the Comet got real beefy and I'm just not able to switch mindsets.

 

I can see where you're coming from; I totally understand you not wanting to drive a watered down "Orange Bomber" around. It's just a bummer to have to sell both cars...

 

You can't be sure that the Comet has a rod knock.
You say its ticking. The ticking isn't coming from the valves so what in the engine can tick? Does it do it all the time? only under moderate load, only when getting on it?, at an idle when it is in gear?

1 timing chain - loose and worn will sometimes tick - $19 - $35 and a few hours of work
2 Cracked tranny flex-plate (flywheel) they can make a ticking sound but it usually stops in gear and under load. cheap fix.
3 contamination in a cylinder - some carb cleaner and a set of plugs one hour making smoke.
4 a cracked piston skirt - replace one piston, a gasket set and bearings for the rods - This will take some work but it can be done without pulling the motor. Not cheap but less that $200
5 a rod bearing bad - this can be fixed in the car IF the crank is not damaged too bad. Clean the crank up with emery cloth and replace the bearings. Cheaper than replacing the piston but it will take a lot of work.

My point is that you don't have to replace the engine or even rebuild it completely. You can patch it and it will run for a long time if you just take care of it. I know - I had an oil pump drive shaft break on me and when I was replacing the bearings (under the car-in the rain) #4 main cap came off in two pieces. I cleaned it up with some tolulene and slobered some epoxy where it broke, put a bearing on it and put it up and torqued it down. It is still in that 289 and was running fine the last time I heard it. (it ran fine with no noise for the two years that I ran it and I ran it hard.
If you are going to sell it then don't bother unless you can sleep well knowing that you patched it. You could get a lot more money for a running car than you can if its not running. You can also enjoy driving it for years if you patch it and then when you are ready you can fix it right.

 

You epoxied up a broken main cap? holy crap
Your prob related to a guy I know thats welded up a 440 block w/ a frying pan, quick steeled some lifters and countless other crap.

Anyways... he has points. It may be something fairly cheap to replace.
Maybe the tick is a vacume leak also? been known to make a "tick" or two

 

there is one other thing you may want to check. if the exhaust manifold gasket is leaking at the manifold or head you will hear a tick noise when that cylinder opens the exh valve. you can find those by placing your hand near where they meet on the cylinder that is ticking....

 

Does the car run OK ... Is it just ticking? Probably a bad lifter ... Pour a bottle of the Gunk engine cleaner in there and see it if unsticks ....

 

oh yeah, i forgot that one too. you can even back off the bolt a little and let it pump back up if you figure out which one.