Brand new 4G32 DOHC engine

[Smithy]

Hi guys/gals-I may have stumbled across the find of the century. I have located a brand new in the crate 4G32 DOHC engine including twin carbies and manifold,distributor,alternator,exhaust manifold etc. The engine is located in asia and he wants $5000 US for it. I imagine an enthusiast doing a restoration to a GTO or FTO would pay much more than that for it? I am actually going to look at it next week and may buy it and re-sell it but just wondering what price would someone be willing to pay on the worldwide market? It was apparently replaced under warranty on a GTO-MR but was never installed and has sat in a shed for last 39yrs. I found it quite by accident while talking to a guy about accomodation. It has never been advertised outside of asia so what is its true worth?

[dirtjockey]

Does the engine even run? does it need to be stripped & rebuilt? - no matter how well it's been sealed it could still be full of rust. You could pay $5000 for a boat anchor as you suddenly discover the need for a component which can't be replaced. It would be ideal for a car we are close to finishing a ground up rebuild on - but in reality I would sooner see it as a very big gamble and unless it were a proven commodity would pay bugger all for it.

[Smithy]

Yes well I was actually going there for a holiday anyway so it is well worth looking at. I dont know the full story yet if it has been just sitting or if it has been turned over at all in that time. I'm hoping the rest of the car is still around.

[woops]

I think the best market for the engine wouldn't be Australia but more so the Japanese Market. They are willing to pay a fair bit more for history and quality then us. The last few second hand twin cam 4g32 engines which I have seen sell in Australia have been for about the $1000 to $2000 in think from memory. I'd say that a brand new DOHC engine might sell for the $5000 to the right buyer but i wouldn't think anyone without a GTO would be willing to spend that much.

Maybe even NZ might be an option as they have the gto there in pretty good supply too. Although they have the GTO selling for about $5000 for a complete car with the 2L astron or the sohc 4g32. Except they have got a few economy problems at the moment so it would end up being more like $6300 and not too many people would be willing to spend that. You may just find the right buyer with a GTO MR looking for a replacement engine but it may take a while to make money from it.

[Nath76LA]

Maybe even NZ might be an option as they have the gto there in pretty good supply too. Although they have the GTO selling for about $5000 for a complete car with the 2L astron or the sohc 4g32.

All GTO's sold in NZ were 4G52's.

[Torana68]

probably worth 2K US if you want to sell for profit, 5K plus freight and hassles? you can get a complete reasonable MR for 10K in Japan, an engine might find a home with some nutty Japanese collector but the market is limited. Some in the US think they have found a gold mine with old stuff but it doesnt sell . As stated you might get 2K here but they are not really usefull as (also previously stated) you cant even buy gaskets for them.......would be cool in an early Galant but for 5K US and freight I could build a pretty good 4G63 or a full on 4G32 big valves and all....
P.S Id be wary of the story , an engine is usually stripped for inspection not just changed out , its then repaired in the dealer. A replacement is usualy ordered only when an engine explodes and its not repairable. Im also thinking all in the US are accounted for and have their engines (engine). It could be one of the thousands of engines exported used out of japan in the later 70's

[Smithy]

Well I am here in the philippines on holiday and I got a call from the guy who had the twin cam engine for sale. To cut a long story short it is sold and will be on its way back to japan as we speak. He was actually given $6000 US if he could get it shipped immediately. Must have been a collector I guess. I got a little more info on the engine.It was not a warranty replacement but was ordered in as a complete spare engine for a circuit race car of the time. The car got written off in an accident in the early 70's and the engine got stored somewhere and forgotten about. Only after the owner passed away was it discovered.It was a relative selling it. It was actually a factory race prepared engine-or so he was told from the japanese buyer after he checked the engine no's. I probably wouldn't have bought it but I wanted to look and take some pics.