rebuilt engine

[glickbo]

I test drove a 1967 230sl 4 speed yesterday-the car had a one inch thick folder of receipts for maintenance and it included an engine rebuild with a new block and cylinder head.  now im very pleased that the car was well taken care of but does the new engine block and cylinder head detract from the value of the car?  thanks for everyone's help-im hoping that this may be the one...

[Garry]

Matching numbers has been discussed a lot on this forum and the general opinion is that it is nice to have and can be a decider in a purchase if everything else is equal but given that there was only ever one engine size for each model, the need for matching numbers does not gain as much importance as it may on say a Mustang.

Having said that, with receipts for the engine work and knowing that it is a new block and head is a real plus in a purchase and to me would be a big decider in a purchase.  I purchased a 230SL recently knowing that the engine needed overhaul and the price reflected that. Now that the work is being done, I probably under estimated the cost by as much as 30-40%. No change out of $10k by the time it is all done, including re-plating of all parts, new head, pistons valves etc etc etc.  so a new engine capable of second or third rework is very  good and also has value.

[glickbo]

Thanks a lot, Garry-definitely makes sense-ill keep you posted on what my mechanic says this coming week

[Cees Klumper]

I would suggest you have your mechanic do the standard (compression, leakdown, ??) tests on the engine, even though it has been rebuilt/replaced. Reason being that so many things can be done sub-standard on a rebuild that the end result can still be a poorly performing engine and you want to make absolutely sure the engine is in good condition today. Good luck and keep us posted.