I am in need of a working used motor for one of my vehicles. I was originally going to rebuild, but no longer think that is a good idea. I am looking for a supplier, which offers a working used motor at a reasonable price, accepts credit card payment, and will ship to my home.
This vehicle is currently 31 years old, and the motor I need was last used during the 1995 model year. Buying from a local junkyard is not an option. Every time a car comes in with this motor, it’s either been crashed, or is beat-to-heck and super-high miles. And the full-service auto recyclers here don’t even deal with cars this old.
Anyone here have experience procuring a used motor for a vehicle this old, and has a supplier they can vouch for?
French lake auto parts is the only one I know of that deals in old cars. Fla. north of Minneapolis. Only used engine I ever bought was from a mechanic working out of his home and only diesels.
I don’t have any suggestions for used, but I wonder if you’ve also considered maybe getting a rebuilt engine from someplace like Jasper. They come with something like 3yr/36K warranties.
No experience w/any of the used-engine vendors, but I seem to recall one of our pro-mechanics here, @Nevada_545 , says he often uses LKQ for this sort of thing. Suggest to definitely at least give them a look.
French lake has cars going back to the 40s, 30s, and even older. They keep them and don’t crush them. I’ve only gotten body parts there but they have a pretty lively counter.
I also seem to recall that LKQ also had a deal with professional mechanics that in the event the motor didn’t run right after installation, they’d also rebate part of the installation cost.
But back to the point, aren’t those the same engines used in the Neons, recalled for headgasket problems? If so, I doubt there’s many left out there.
Is the engine out of the car? If so, contact a local community or technical college with an automotive program. They may be willing to repair/rebuild what you have as a training exercise at little cost to you.
The engine is already out of the car. I was originally going to rebuild it myself, but at this point, I think a working used motor would probably give a more reliable and longer-lasting result. I have been trying to find one locally for a while now, but no luck.
I know it’s not what you’re asking. But, as you say, it’s going to be a 31+ yr old engine. It will likely be “super-high” miles no matter what. And if it’s not, it wasn’t driven enough and/or has been sitting around not running for a l-o-n-g time. All of the seals and gaskets will be dried out and leaking or getting ready to leak. Good chance its full of sludge. I do hope that you find a holy grail in one way or another. But a rebuilt or rebuilt will likely work out better.
