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[Lizzie Zoom]

There is a 3.2 57k mile complete engine for sale at £140.

It is described as "cheap to repair" after the cam belt failed at low revs.  Now, would this be a good buy to:

                           a) Repair (Thinking that this may not be minor damage at all!)

                                                                   or

                           b) Keeping for spares (Everything is still on the engine)

                              What do you think ?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Price is reasonable but, it will have bent the valves.

Is it an Omega one or a Vectra?

[Lizzie Zoom]

Price is reasonable but, it will have bent the valves.

Is it an Omega one or a Vectra?

Omega

[Nick W]

Only worth buying if you have an actual use for it. The cheap fix will entail some valves, head gasket set, timing belt, several hours work, and maybe new valve guides. Or another pair of heads.


The inlet manifolds etc aren't a wear part, although the exhausts are worth something.


Don't forget, it's heavy and takes a lot of space.


So I don't think it's worth buying.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Thanks Nick.

It was just a thought for spare parts perhaps.  But it is up in Nottingham and I would have to have it transported down to me; more expense that I would have factored in.  Now I think I will leave alone.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Thanks Nick.

It was just a thought for spare parts perhaps.  But it is up in Nottingham and I would have to have it transported down to me; more expense that I would have factored in.  Now I think I will leave alone.

After saying all that, I have now a quote for sending the engine down to me; £55.

So for £195 I could have a whole 3.2 engine for spare parts.  Is it worth while??  Decisions, decisions.

PS I have been informed the "COIL PACKS AND ECU ARE NOT IN THIS SALE"

 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I would haggle.V6 engines are hard to sell as they are rarely needed. I almost couldnt give them away, so Serek used to take them off my hands and export them. Your really just buying a bottom end, which in normal use wont let go for 300,000 miles or so. So its unlikely you will ever need it.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I would haggle.V6 engines are hard to sell as they are rarely needed. I almost couldnt give them away, so Serek used to take them off my hands and export them. Your really just buying a bottom end, which in normal use wont let go for 300,000 miles or so. So its unlikely you will ever need it.

Thanks Migv6.  That's sounds like very good advice, and with what others have said I will not be proceeding with this one.  Storage alone is a problem anyway, and as you hint, what am I going to be buying that I will actually need.  Not a lot in essence!

Thanks again

[Shackeng]

And what evidence would you have of the 57K? As although it is possible a cambelt went at that mileage, it smells fishy. In a 57k car with bent valves only, it would have been worth repairing, yet the engine was either exchanged or the car scrapped. Hmmmmm

[Doctor Gollum]

You can/could buy a brand new crate engine from Vauxhall for less than £2k...

[Lizzie Zoom]

And what evidence would you have of the 57K? As although it is possible a cambelt went at that mileage, it smells fishy. In a 57k car with bent valves only, it would have been worth repairing, yet the engine was either exchanged or the car scrapped. Hmmmmm

It was scrapped by Omega52 in Nottingham, and I have purchased bits from that car, including items that are painted the same colour as mine, Z594.  He has proved to be a reputable dealer, and the condition of the parts I have bought from this 52 plate car are mint; at the same level as my low mileage beastie. Everything, including pictures, I have seen supports a low mileage car. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

You can/could buy a brand new crate engine from Vauxhall for less than £2k...

The same dealer has a mint fully working 3.2 for £385

[Shackeng]

And what evidence would you have of the 57K? As although it is possible a cambelt went at that mileage, it smells fishy. In a 57k car with bent valves only, it would have been worth repairing, yet the engine was either exchanged or the car scrapped. Hmmmmm

It was scrapped by Omega52 in Nottingham, and I have purchased bits from that car, including items that are painted the same colour as mine, Z594.  He has proved to be a reputable dealer, and the condition of the parts I have bought from this 52 plate car are mint; at the same level as my low mileage beastie. Everything, including pictures, I have seen supports a low mileage car. 

Fair enough, I can understand a dealer (or RoBG ) willing to break a low mileage car to get the price for the parts. But if you or I were faced with bent valves on our immaculate low mileage Elites, what would we do? I would repair mine.

[Kevin Wood]

Had we ever had a member who'd managed to wear out a V6 block it might well have been worth keeping. To my knowledge, we haven't.

That said, I'm now starting to picture it in the Westfield's engine bay...

[Marks DTM Calib]

Always thought a V6 would make a decent enough kit car lump.....3.0 ECU being pretty easy to get working