Engine replacement for kit car

scimmy · Post by **scimmy** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:56 pm

Ok this isn't strictly Scimitar specific but still involving an Essex engine, or rather replacing one (possibly for another) for my late father's E-Type kit car.

I had a chap come on buy the fibreglass hardtop which came with the e-type kitcar, which I decided to sell as it wasn't needed (£200 he gave me, which is a steal considering genuine factory e type hardtops to for about a grand upwards depending on condition). He owns one of these e-type kit cars himself, albeit his is in a bad state body wise, though it is currently now having a partial respray and having the engine sorted. To try and cut a long story short, as we chatted about my kit car i explained that the engine was likely seized, he advised me it would best to put in a new engine if I'm wanting to sell (which I do), otherwise id get very little for it. He said tha he knows a chap who likes to do up old cars and can put in a new engine for about £200. A few days ago he messaged me saying he has had a Scimitar brought in to his garage and asked me would I like to have the Essex engine from it installed in the E-type. I am located about 90 miles from this person (in Wigan), but he said it would only cost me about £300 to get it there on a trailer (this garage is in Doncaster). He said he had his car trailered there for the same amount and he lives in Bath.

The respray he is having on his Wildcat E-Type is costing him about £300. Sounds cheap I know, but he stressed the chap doing the work is a one man garage and not some fancy restoration business.

I would really like a new engine fitted into the car, not to mention the brakes and gearbox sorting, but I'm uncertain about this offer. The chap who came to look at my car seemed genuine and wanted to help get the car back the road. Most of the people I know said it's not worth spending all that money and I should just sell as it is.

Post by **peter freeman** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:07 pm

Depends on how much you are willing to spend on the engine - chances are to start with it will need a ( steel or alloy ) timing wheel - new rubbers and core plugs although they are not expensive - I would be inclined not to buy a engine I had not heard running. Perhaps he is willing to sell it on condition that it is ok and he is going to give you your money back if it turns out to be a dog.

Post by **Coupe Racing** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:19 pm

If it's too good to be true then usually you will suffer

scimmy · Post by **scimmy** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:58 pm

I don't know for certain if the engine will be a dog, but the bloke seems to think its in good order. Why a Scimitar was brought in and the Essex taken out I don't know. Unlikely that I will see it running unless he brought the engine to mine and fitted it in. Just a pity there's no-one local to me who could find a suitable replacement engine will fit it as a reasonable cost, but most of the garages don't seem bothered about old Ford stuff. Before my dad died he used to have the same problem with local garages arsing him about and leaving the car with them for week after week, yet they could never figure out what the problems where. I haven't fitted a new battery on it as people I know have stressed that its pointless if it's seized, though there is a chance it could be resurrected somehow.

If this chap were local to me then I'd be happy to have the car sent to him and I could keep an eye on it. For all I know the car could disappear once it's trailered 90 miles away. I don't know the bloke.

scimmy ben · Post by **scimmy ben** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 3:13 am

The transport at #300 each way makes the #200 engine swap a #800 engine swap? I'd imagine that #800 would buy a better engine locally, or get the brakes done.

I think I'd confirm the state of the engine first. Can you get a socket on the crank pulley? Even if seized, there are things that can be done to get it running if your intention is just to sell.

scimmy · Post by **scimmy** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:39 am

Thanks for the link.

I suppose the transport cost would be considerably more than that £300 for a two way journey.

Looking at the link I wouldn't know where to begin.

As it was my late fathers car I had very little involvement on it, ie what precisely issues it had prior to being laid up. From what I can recall though, the engine was at least running just before he stopped using it around late 2015, deciding to use another kit car he had built for the following year. I suppose its possibly something could've fallen inside, or that parts were taken off and never put back on, causing it to seized up whilst being laid up. I really don't know the answer im afraid, only that I do know the car was a nightmare to work with due to either the gearbox or engine.

The best thing i think to do would be for me to get a local mechanic to look over jt, address what could help in freeing it up and letting them do the work, but I can imagine it would be a huge amount of money. They'd probably charge me a,fortune just to come and look at it. There's a garage only a row of houses away from me, but as I said previously local garages don't seem interested in sorting old engines out. It can't be moved as the brakes are seized, the tyres are flat (I've been told it will cost about £50 per new tyre) and there's no battery. I know that's a problem, but I keep getting advised by family members that its pointless putting on a new battery as it's seized. Every excuse under the sun.

Post by **scimjim** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:58 am

How much is it worth in its present condition?

How much is it worth in running/roadworthy condition?

The difference is how much it’s worth spending - minus a bit to make it worth your time and effort.

It’s going to need new tyres, battery and fuel pipes as well as brakes sorting all round (possibly refurb calipers and new slaves - possibly master cylinder too?), probably clutch looking at. I’d say you’re into £500/1000 without labour just for those before you even look at the engine.

If you were closer, I’d love to have a look at it (and I have a spare engine here

) - is there no one in your area that you know could look at the engine for starters?

And £300 for a respray? That would just about cover materials.

Post by **AJL Electronics** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:50 am

scimmy wrote: ↑
Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:56 pm
The respray he is having on his Wildcat E-Type is costing him about £300. Sounds cheap I know, but he stressed the chap doing the work is a one man garage and not some fancy restoration business.

£300 would maybe buy you a cheap Jawel paint kit, it certainly wouldn't cover ANY labour. A cheap fibreglass respray would be ten times that figure and a really good one, twenty times.

Post by **scimjim** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:00 pm

To answer my own questions - a quick google suggests £5k for a project and £15k for a nice one (private sales and they’re extremely rare so impossible to be accurate) so I’d be spending some money on it and probably keeping it stored properly (a project went at Bonhams in 2005 for £1650!)

scimmy · Post by **scimmy** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:46 pm

I am somewhat dubious of the respray cost, but the chap did say it wasn't a full respray only respraying what was needed and that it wasn't being stripped down to fibreglass. I agreed with him when he said people are greedy when it comes to these kinds of things, but I'm sure others on here will disagree. I would never go to one of these fancy classic resto businesses that you see advertised all over the place and in classic mags and pay silly money. I'm sure there are small firms that are looking for customers but do a much cheaper job.

The Bonham's auction Wildcat you saw at 1500 quid may be the same one as this gentelmens Wildcat; he said he's owned it for about 10 years and I think he said he saw it at an auction for around the sum.