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Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHWould you buy a low mileage engine off eBay?
Leading reported evidence
Run carfax
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Read evidence and context
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Suggestion
If you can get the donor VIN, you can run a carfax to see if the mileage is in the range of reasonable.
I heard it run, saw the car it came from, and where the damage was on the donor, I got pictures of the odometer, I ran the carfax on the donor car, and searched the 'net until I found enough to make me feel good about it.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I know eBay and these engines can be a roll of the dice, but looking for others experience with buying used engines.
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Suggestion · Original poster
One 3.4 in particular has about 20k miles and said to run excellently, but has no documentation other than external pics.
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Suggestion
I heard it run, saw the car it came from, and where the damage was on the donor, I got pictures of the odometer, I ran the carfax on the donor car, and searched the 'net until I found enough to make me feel good about it.
I heard it run, saw the car it came from, and where the damage was on the donor, I got pictures of the odometer, I ran the carfax on the donor car, and searched the 'net until I found enough to make me feel good about it.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion
I heard it run, saw the car it came from, and where the damage was on the donor, I got pictures of the odometer, I ran the carfax on the donor car, and searched the 'net until I found enough to make me feel good about it.
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Rennlist: 1 discussions
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as I look for options to get my roller running again, I see there are several complete engines for sale. One 3.4 in particular has about 20k miles and said to run excellently, but has no documentation other than external pics. Price is what I consider to be top of the range.
Seller is an eBay regular out of CA and has good feedback and many parts for sale, but offers no history of the part other than �runs excellent�.
I know eBay and these engines can be a roll of the dice, but looking for others experience with buying used engines.
I think it's fine to purchase off eBay, but make sure that you get enough information to feel good about it. No real way to verify claims of low mileage unless you can see the donor vehicle. If you can get the donor VIN, you can run a carfax to see if the mileage is in the range of reasonable.
I bought an engine from QualityPorscheParts off eBay last year, but before I did, I researched the hell out of it. I heard it run, saw the car it came from, and where the damage was on the donor, I got pictures of the odometer, I ran the carfax on the donor car, and searched the 'net until I found enough to make me feel good about it. Even then, I made sure to replace everything I could think of while it was out of the car before installing (AOS, RMS, plug tubes, plugs, orings, seals, belt, thermostat/housing, waterpump, etc.).
PS. It is for sale here on Rennlist, either the engine alone, the entire car intact, or almost any combination in between.
Year/make/model of your car? M96/01/02/03 replacement engine? What's the ebay engine number? What DME version do you have and what DME version for the ebay engine? And to answer your question....no, not sight unseen and not without hearing it run.
I did get the VIN, mileage is correct, it was a one owner car that appears to have been dealer serviced.
the bad news: it is a flood car out of Florida.
