myblue91

My 91 has just ate its 2nd engine in 4 yrs!!!.This is a DD, not raced or abused. I've reached a point of NO MORE !! would I be better off selling the car as-is, or parting it out?? Thanks, Doug

robertpel9

Something deeper is wrong that is causing that. A properly maintained L98 should last eons, especially if you are not abusing it.

If you are sick of the car dump it. With a bad engine you will not get much but if all else is near perfect it will probably still be worth more than parting out unless you really want to deal with that headache

vette54728702

That is very hard decision. I'm in the process of "saving" a 2nd Corvette from being a parts car. If your 91 doesn't have it's oringal engine any longer then I bet you could get $$$ from the parts. I would bet with the current stage of the economy you won't get much for it as-is and C4's are really bottoming out right now. Does your 91 have any special options that might make it a desireable car? Either way... still not the original engine. As bad as I hate to say it, parting it out would probably bring you bigger $$.

chadihrig121

how many miles are on it? I might be interested if you want to sell it whole.

myblue91

I'm at the point where trying to rebuild/replace another engine is just nuts.Bought the car 6yrs. ago for $9500.00. Within 1 yr.had the engine rebuilt. With the R$R and the rebuild it cost about $5700.00, now looking at doing this all over again,more money,etc. maybe it's time to cut my losses and move on. It's hard to give-up the first vette!!. I'm beginning to feel better now

myblue91

It has 147xx, new tires,good paint and carpets/seats in good shape.New upper/lower ball joints,etc.,etc.

Iroc57

Only one problem
If you are sick of it now just imagine pulling it apart over the next year to sell the parts off. It is worth nothing in this market with a dead powerplant. Put a junkyard motor or whatever you can find cheap and sell it. Changing a motor is nothing compared to "parting" a car

Just my $.02 so good luck with whatever you decide

Mr Mojo

Selling as is and being upfront about it is the quickest way you'll get rid of it.

Trying to part it out will take longer, but probably get you more money, but you won't see it all at once.

Someone who is looking to build a racecar may be interested in it. Don't expect to get top dollar of course.

Joevette86

Definitely parting out for more $$$$$ but what a hassle. As long as you don't mind the tearing it up and selling on Ebay,local ads etc....

RedVette84

Might not be worth the money that you have to invest.

mackeyred96

Do you know what is wrong with the motor?????

jrzvette

You're better off selling it as is. Once you start parting it out there's no turning back. If you think it isn't worth much with a blown engine thnik about how much less you would get for it with a blown engine and no trans or rear or doors or seats, etc.

American Raven

The previous owner and milage may be what killed the first engine. The second engine, I think I'd be asking the mechanic just what "rebuilt" means to him. Also, if you don't actually see the parts being installed, you have no idea if those parts actually went in. I've seen too many rebuild shops charge top dollar for parts and either not use them or use Mexican/Indian/Chinese cheap-*** parts. There is a huge difference in quality between an actual NAPA OEM part and a Chinese knock-off.

I rebuild my own engines (except for my '78 C3, I may buy a 383 crate engine for it) and if done right both small block Chevies and small block Fords are bullet-proof and will last forever under normal driving conditions.

RetiredSFC 97

I agree with another poster. I think you may have gotten suspect craftsmanship on the rebuild. There's no other reason.

zr1fred

Parting can take years (believe it, I part them). To be brutally honest, a 91 with 150k miles is not worth (in todays market) much running anyway---good shape probably $5000-$6000. If you can get $2500 now, take it and move on. There are do it your selfers that would be interested in it, there is no way you could pay someone to do the work and come out ahead.

myblue91

Couldn't agree more. Thus, it's going to sit in the garage. I've decided not to part it out, but maybe try to pull the engine myself and learn a few things. Doug

Iroc57

That is the spirit

You may just find that you enjoy working on it more than driving it

Oh...be careful, mine started out as a straight budget build

96polovette

If I were in your shoes I would look for a good used L98 engine for around $1,000 - $1,500. I would take note of where everything connects, take lots of pictures of the car to use as a reference. Then I would just rent an engine lift and get a friend to assist you with pulling and replacing the engine for free beers. If you get it running again you will have done it for a fraction of what you paid for the rebuild. If you decide to sell it, a running car in good condition with those miles will get you maybe $5,000 - $6,000 vs. $2,000 - $2,500 for a car that needs a new engine.

96polovette

In my opinion a parts car is a badly wrecked vette or a vette that due to lack of upkeep or being beat on has gone far beyond economically feasible repairs to keep it whole. This is basically your junkyard vette that needs double or triple its value to be made into a nice car again. A vette that needs a new engine does not fall into the parts car category if everything else on the car is in good condition and the car has been kept up. Just my opinion.

JackDidley

Are you sure the L98 is dead ? These motors normally live a long time. If the crankshaft is not hurt you can repair nearly anything in that L98 and never take it out of the car.