Hi Ty,
Just a few thoughts based on my own experience and feelings about my '37 75. (By the way, I have the trunk floor photos and templates if you still need them):
My '37 75 came with, like virtually every remaining '36 or '37 here in Oz, a "tank" engine. About 15 years ago I had that tank engine comprehensively re-built. New sleeve in one badly rusted cylinder, re-bored, new pistons, rings, piston pins, crankshaft ground, new big end and rod bearings, camshaft ground and the whole block faced to the heads and tunnel bored. New valve seats, valves and valve gear, all ready to go back together when I found someone silly enough to repair the damage and rust in the body. Didn't happen that way - I eventually bought another 75 series body on Ebay, brought it over here and was amazed and delighted to find that it came with an original numbered '37 75 series engine, albeit in need of work.
I say amazed and delighted because these motors simply don't exist here - it was too easy and too cheap after WW2 to buy a tank engine and drop it in than do any work to these engines so the chances of me ever finding the or an original engine are zilch!
As a consequence, I now have a fully re-built tank (which, by the way, other than for the engine number and the ribs cast on the ends of the block, is almost indistinguishable from the real '37) and an original engine in need of work. There is simply "no contest" as to which engine I will install in the car because of the originality and the substantial effect it will have on the value of the car when it is finished. I have no idea what it cost to re-build the "tank" all that time ago but it isn't really relevant. I will have the original re-built and then sell the "tank" for whatever I can get for it to fund the work on the '37.
So in your case, for the same reasons, I would, as long as it is the original engine for your car and not an earlier "swap", stay with that engine. I know this doesn't answer your question but I guess that's because I am presuming to tell you that it's the wrong question.
It seems to me that ther will be some net cash difference in the transaction you are contemplating - i.e., that you are going to have to "top up" the purchase price of the new engine over and above the proceeds of the sale of your existing engine. Your question is really aimed at finding out what that "top up" will be before you move on the new engine - wise move!
Perhaps you should also take the car to a reasonable but reliable engine re-builder near your home for an opinion on what might be required. I could have stopped my re-builder at several stages during the re-build of the "tank" because there is work that HAS to be done (given the miles we will ever do in these cars - heads and valves, maybe rings and bearings) and work that isn't essential. I have found that the "might-as-well-do-it-all-while-you-have-it-apart" argument adds $$$$$ to the costs of this work when the attitude in your case maybe should be "how-much-do-I-want-to-spend-and-what-essential-work-can-I-get-for-those-dollars?"
Notwithstanding the relative rarity here of my '37 engine, like you, I have kids at university (2) and new grandkids (2) and that means I do not have unlimited funds to re-build an original V12 (or V8 for that matter) to factory spec. or better.
Just a thought or two for you to chew on....
Regards,
John Tozer
#7946
