Going price for ls engines?

[redbull396]

Looking for a transplant for my 67 camaro build, and engine prices are ALL over the place. I know I can get a 5.3 or LQ4/9 for under 2k, but all are super high miles, and look like they've been in a barn for 5 years. I don't want a 5.3 or 5.7. An iron block 6.0 would be fine, but again, they all have 100k+ miles.
What I am looking for is an alum ls2 or 3. I know miles, shape of engine is all subjective, accessories, etc., also is part of the equation.
I have found a nicely modded Jeremy Formato built ls2 out of a C6, heads, cam, FAST intake, low mile engine. The owner replaced it with a crate ls7. I have spoken to the owner, and everything seems legit. He is just selling the engine tho, no harness, pcm, or accessories.
With out divulging the asking price, what would an engine like this go for, or any clean ls2 or ls3? Let me know what yall think, I have my mind made up to finally bite the bullet and buy something. Thanks!

[rchaskin]

It primarily depends if it was on the dyno with Cleetus pushing the load pedal and James spraying n2o into the throttle body...LOL
Sorry, I had to....

In all seriousness, here is a link to a parts line that I find very useful for seeing actual prices for actual motors.
http://www.car-part.com/

You can search for engines by car model, and see the mileage.

[silvermonte]

This isnt what you are looking for but on the local craigslist for a 5.3 with 150k-200k miles is around $800 or so, and a iron 6.0 with 200k miles goes for about $1500 in my neck of the woods in Iowa

[redbull396]

It primarily depends if it was on the dyno with Cleetus pushing the load pedal and James spraying n2o into the throttle body...LOL
Sorry, I had to....

In all seriousness, here is a link to a parts line that I find very useful for seeing actual prices for actual motors.
http://www.car-part.com/

You can search for engines by car model, and see the mileage.

Very cool data base, thanks.

- - - Updated - - -

This isnt what you are looking for but on the local craigslist for a 5.3 with 150k-200k miles is around $800 or so, and a iron 6.0 with 200k miles goes for about $1500 in my neck of the woods in Iowa

Close to the same around here. 5.3's actually a little less than that.

[mike@sim-seats]

I sold a running/driving 2002 trans am (LS1/M6) with ~130k miles on it for $3500 a year ago. I currently have a 2002 Camaro, also LS1/M6, that I would sell for the same.

[79 Camaro]

Car-part is a great web site. Keep in mind that the core charge fee is very much a negotiation cost. Most big salvage operations don't rebuild engines. It's just a opportunity to add margin to their sales. Always say I don't have core give me your best price. Also have them send the engine/car/truck serial number and then go down to the local GM dealership to see what really came in and the service history.

[redbull396]

So what I’ve found is an 06 Corvette ls2 built by Tony Mamo. Just under 50k miles for $4500. No acc, harness, or pcm tho. Put down 480 whp thru an A6.
Thoughts?

[dhutton]

Seems high to me. At some point it would make more sense to go new LS3 480hp. LS2 engines don’t have a lot of market appeal imho.

Don

[BMR Sales]

Seems like you could go LS3 - I got my LS3/TR6060 for under $7k and it had about 20,000 miles on it.

LS1/2 have an appeal for some Transplants (Imports), but to a much smaller audience and for less $$$

[redbull396]

I thought it was priced high as well, but the owner is not firm on price, have not discussed what would buy it yet however.
The attractive part is, it meets the power goal I'm looking for, was built right with great parts, and is alum block. The unattractive part is having to purchase all the accessories to make it work, looking at another 2k most likely for harness, pcm, and accessories (that's purchasing new, and not used).
What would be a better price? 4? 3500ish?

Again, this is a 500whp, with a M6, low mile alum block engine. He will also proved me with the orig Mamo tune as well.

[CarlC]

Agreed on the costs for the accessory drive, ecm, wiring, small parts, etc. It's often the cost of the accessories that outpaces the engine. It may seem like more money, but often purchasing what you really want with everything attached ends up being less expensive in time an $.

To keep costs down a rework of the original wiring harness can be done. It's time consuming work, but you will know it inside-out once done and save a lot of cash.

[BMR Sales]

Agreed on the accessories, Heck the Drive Junky System I'm selling cost me $2800, the Wiring Harness & ECU was $1400 and then you still have hundreds of $$ to spend on the small stuff. Finding a Engine is the easy part!

[AU Doc]

From my experience in finding an engine, the market on these has become pretty efficient, and pricing takes into account the miles, accessories, harnesses, generation, etc. The junkyards are mostly in the know, now, so you'll have a hard time finding a deal there. eBay is the same. If you're willing to spend the time, you might find a deal on CL or FB Marketplace.

You can still find good deals, but you either have to get really lucky, or do a ton of leg work, or possibly both.

So, if I had it to do again I'd start with Car-Part, and look to see how much a corvette LS3 with the accessories costs. Then decide if the price difference was worth the miles vs. a crate engine.

[redbull396]

Car-Part doesn't have any crazy good deals, higher mile ls3's complete are around $5500, and thats 100k plus miles. Lower mile dropouts are 7500 and up. Ls2's aren't much less tbh.
I've scoured corvetteforum, ls1 tech, CL, Facebook, and others for months now.
Some of the facebook sales sites have some decent prices on things, BUT, that's such a gamble to me. Any used engine is for that matter.
I'm gonna see if I can get this Mamo built ls2 for 3500ish. Like I said, it's already built right, and putting down way more power than a stock ls3, and quite honestly, only 20-30 hp shy of what a max effort NA ls3 will do.
I could go cheap route on accessories and buy used to save some money, but that's a gamble as well. Wiring, harness is what it is, will go thru PCI, or PTI, what ever it is?

[c4racer2]

Who would pay $5500 for a 100K mi LS3 when a crate brand new one is $1500 more ?
That’s a no brainer in my book.

[AU Doc]

Who would pay $5500 for a 100K mi LS3 when a crate brand new one is $1500 more ?
That’s a no brainer in my book.

Exactly!

[redbull396]

I agree, used prices are ridiculous. 7k for a crate motor doesn’t include the 2+k in harness, acc, pcm, etc tho. I can see where someone on a budget would buy a complete dropout that has everything for that.

[65 drop top]

Who would pay $5500 for a 100K mi LS3 when a crate brand new one is $1500 more ?
That’s a no brainer in my book.

Same thought here. A crate motor was a no brainer for me.

[Zachalanche]

Stumbled across this the other day:
http://bdturnkeyengines.com
Engines are used, but they test, and dyno them in some cases. They can even provide a custom tune. For a modest build this seems like a decent deal in the 3-4k range. Truthfully you can get a hold of an old truck vortec engine for less, but it can be a crap shoot.

[AU Doc]

Who would pay $5500 for a 100K mi LS3 when a crate brand new one is $1500 more ?
That’s a no brainer in my book.

Exactly!

I agree, used prices are ridiculous. 7k for a crate motor doesn’t include the 2+k in harness, acc, pcm, etc tho. I can see where someone on a budget would buy a complete dropout that has everything for that.

I should walk my comment back a bit. Used market pricing seems to have pushed up to the point that it makes the decision very difficult. It usually comes down to the accessories, ecm, and wiring. You can typically get a used engine with all those extras for a little less than a crate engine. Sometimes you can even get them with a transmission. So on the surface it looks like a $1,500 difference, but once you start adding up all the other costs, it's quite a bit more.

So I'd say slight edge to buying used.

However, then you factor in the risk of getting someone else's junk, plus the labor of reworking the harness, having the ECM flashed, etc., now you're maybe leaning back towards a crate engine.

It's not an easy decision.