Mmmmmm, 3.2, Decided to do a 6 Options

[Chuck]

So, I bought my car with the intention of doing a suby swap. In fact, I even passed on some nicer, running cars, to buy this one with a bad pan, definition of a hell hole, rear inner firewall is gone at the bottom and at the top of the longs from plugged drains. Car has not been started in 15 yrs. It has the original FI but all hoses and vacuum lines had been cut. Paid $500. My brother, who is a body guy, tells me I stole it. So, I figure, keep the nice ones original and buy a rusty for a conversion. Plus, I wanted a project.

But, as I got into the car, and though I have posted on here numerous times the reasons not to do a 6; heavier, more expensive to source, install and live with, etc., etc., I have been converted. I think that deep down I always really wanted a 6 and was trying to talk myself out of it. Now, I stand by what I sadi, they are more expensive to source, live with, etc. BUT, what does rationallity have to do with Porsches? And, as my dear wife said to me when I started discussing this with: This is a "you only live once car". Bless her! I want a Porsche motor in my redheaded step child NARP Porsche. I have even purchased steel flares for it and will be selling the fiberglass ones I had purchased for it. So . . . .

I am actively looking for a 3.2 and the conversion bits. Anybody out there with parts that would like to help put another 6 on the road at a reasonable rate, please give me a shout. Open to barter or (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I did find a 3.2 with $107k on it, shortblock (owner removed the intake and ignition). Said it ran perfect, no smoking, no pulled head studs . . . he was asking $4k. I figured it should be more like $1k for that mileage and needing several thousand to replace the intake and ignition.PMOs alone would be over $3k; not sure about a stock plenum, fuel rails and computer. The hunt begins.

[LvSteveH]

The rule of thumb is that 3.2's with harness and dme start at around $5000 for high mileage, and go up from there. A typical motor with 80k miles, harness, and dme will be about $6000 to $6500. Add a little extra if it has a recent top end.

Your longblock for $4000 isn't really that far out of whack if it is documented and mechanically sound. The intake will run around $750, the harness $500, and the DME $400, and fan/alt assembly $400. So that's about $6000 if you pieced it all together. That motor complete and in good mechanical condition would probably be worth around $5750.

So if you could get the longblock (complete engine minus intake, ignition, fan etc) for $3500, then $3200 for PMO 46's, add some odds and ends and you'd have a nice six conversion for $10k. Should be around 250hp. If you go to aftermarket pistons, upgraded cams, and stiffer valve springs, 270hp is possible.

Using the stock intake and a chip will probably get up to 245hp with a good exhaust.

Hope that helps.

[jim912928]

might want to watch the classifieds on pelicans site...911 classifieds. See at least 1 3.2l with full FI/DME a month for sale.

[Chuck]

Steve,

That helps a lot. I just started looking at the 6 option so I am still trying to figure out pricing. I did see someone on another thread mention that 3.2s private party were $4-$5500 and the dismantlers, which seem high on most things, have been running $5-$6500 from what I've seen.

I had no idea what a stock FI system and DME would cost, or if I could even locate one. I did research an MDS and saw that running about $300 plus another $150-$200 for plug wires. So, I took a starting price of $4500 (my guess) and backed out $2k for the FI and $500 for ignition and a touch for mileage and that is where I arrived.

Part of the problem as well is that this motor is not located in my state and is a private party. So, I have no way of confirming what the seller is saying and little recourse in the event the motor is bad.

[Cap'n Krusty]

I have a customer with an 80K mile 3.2 for sale. She also has a 914 tranny modded for the sensors and a flywheel for the 901 installation. The Cap'n

[LvSteveH]

Your best bet is to wait for a complete motor. Even if you decide to go with carbs you can sell off the other bits to offset some of your costs. If it's out of state, make sure you have some background on the seller, i.e. ebay feedback, or other references. It's also not a bad idea to have a local mechanic stop buy and do a leakdown test. It may cost $125, but it could save a lot more.

I wouldn't really expect to pay less from a private party. If you keep an eye on ebay you'll get a pretty good idea of what they sell for. The big thing is to make sure it's complete with harness and dme if you want to use the factory injection. The nice thing about a private party is that you often have more history and information on the motor. There are some good dismantlers out there, but as a whole they don't have much history on what comes in. They will always advertise at a premium price, but chances are the actual selling prices are in line with the market.

The big thing to remember is that any time you buy a used motor you're assuming some risk. The same thing applies if something is priced well below market. Always keep in mind that you may end up doing a top end, or other substantial repairs. These are 20 to 30 year old motors, so it's only reasonable to assume they are getting tired, even if the miles are fairly low. The only truly safe bet is to have a motor rebuilt by a creditable shop that will warranty the work. Of course that will cost six or seven thousand dollars in addition to the price of a good core motor. That means around $10k to $12k for a rebuilt 3.2L.

[Chuck]

I'm hoping to get a few more opinions on the current values of 3.2s. I've been watching ebay now for a bit. There have been a couple of 3.2s on there. One was spotless. Guy had it on there with a make an offer and reserve of $4900. He did not make the reserve and it sounds like he sold it locally for about $4k. This was a complete motor with great leakdown numbers on it and was spotless. I have not seen a motor on there that has broken $4500 for a complete motor in the last month or better that I have been watching. In fact, very few motors are meeting the reserve. There is a complete 3.0 on now with a reserve of $3500 and no bids.

I've spoken with a number of people that said it used to be the case that motors went quickly and for big money. I heard the same about used 911s. However, currently, it seems that neither are getting the money they used to. Are prices on these items beginning to come down with a weaker economy/less demand? I'm still seeing the dismantlers around $5-$6,000 asking price but not seeing anything approaching that on ebay/privately. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) What are others seeing?

[iamchappy]

I agree keep an eye on the Pelican 911 classified board, there is always someone upgraded there engines and they pop up now and again.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=369001

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=367295

[Chuck]

Thanks Chappy!

[smokey]

Los Angels Porsche parts dismantlers . 6500.00 complete . Motronics and a tac . Delivered to central coast ( monterey Bay ) About 110 thousand . I did a leak down , 12/10/12/15/15/15 . Nice numbers and a 90 warenty. don welch oil tank 1000.00 . Well u get the idea . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smoke.gif) Well werth every penny .

[Chuck]

Smokey,

That is going to be a very nice ride.

[Brett W]

Look out for broken rod bolts and previous chips in the ECU. Those engines don't like to be over revved. I would go ahead and pull any 3.2 apart and reseal it, put ARP rod bolts in, and change cams to something more suited to a performance application. Plus headers will be a must. One of my customers has one in a 78 Carrera and it runs decent but leaks like a damn sieve. He is planning on a reseal this winter. He put 993 Euro headers on it. nice pieces but they require modification to fit on early cars.