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How to sell my Thorneycroft 154?


Billlion

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I am taking a Thorneycroft 154 and Borg Warner Velvet drive out  of my boat to fit a replacement engine.  It has a few oil leaks, eg from sump gasket but it runs well otherwise. How do I go about selling the old engine? Would it be best to advertise it while still in the boat so a potential buyer can see it running? Is there a market for engines that are nearly 40 years old?

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There is a market for BMCs. Lots of boats have them but it does depend on price. I sold two a while back. One in a boat I sold and one that I had as spares. I didn't get much for the spares engine but it was no good to me once I sold my boat. You can advertise it on Apollo Duck or Boats and Outboards or you can post here. There is a forum for selling on this board I believe.

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2 hours ago, Billlion said:

Would it be best to advertise it while still in the boat so a potential buyer can see it running?

 

Yes.

Once out of the boat boat and unable to run, the value will plummet.

Would you BUY an engine you could not see running? 

 

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8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes.

Once out of the boat boat and unable to run, the value will plummet.

Would you BUY an engine you could not see running? 

 

I bought mine when it had been in a Sunken Boat for 3 Months and then left in a Yard for 6 Years seized Solid..

Was Cheap though....

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8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes.

Once out of the boat boat and unable to run, the value will plummet.

Would you BUY an engine you could not see running? 

 

It's not beyond the realms of possibility to run an engine out of a boat or a car or a truck. I ran my spare on my garage workbench tied to a pallet with a plastic can for a diesel tank. But then negativity is the norm on this forum. I will admit it wasn't running when I sold it as I had stripped most of the good stuff off to go with the boat. I do agree on the point that an engine not seen running will not fetch much. To be honest any BMC, or any other engine for that matter,  that has been in a boat and taken out to be replaced and not had anything done to it will not fetch much even if it is running. you can,  or could, buy fully reconditioned BMCs for a couple of thousand.

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4 minutes ago, pete.i said:

It's not beyond the realms of possibility to run an engine out of a boat or a car or a truck. I ran my spare on my garage workbench tied to a pallet with a plastic can for a diesel tank. But then negativity is the norm on this forum.

 

I wasn’t being negative. My fault for sloppy use of language.

I was trying to suggest an engine installed in a boat and capable of a thorough and extended demonstration or test run, is likely to fetch a significantly higher price that one on a pallet. 

I was trying to be helpful by answering the OP question! 

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If you have a garage, or a front drive, or even a bit of garden space, then it should be easy to get an engine running for a quick demo. You will need a fuel can, a couple of flexible fuel lines and maybe some suitable fittings, a battery and some thick cables. A makeshift engine bed can be made from a palette and a couple of bits of 4 by 2, though you can actually do it with the engine just sat on the ground. Better to make a simple bed as you don't want the engine jumping about and rattling and sounding rubbish. If you are the sort of person who has bits of hose and cable lying around then its easy, if you need to go out and buy all this stuff then it gets a bit more costly.

..........Dave

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5 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Make a quick video with sound of the engine running in the boat, and underway if you can. Buyers love watching telly.

 

This is what I did when I sold my horrible Beta BD3. Listed it on ebay, video on youtube with walk around of it, then starting and running it. 

One bloke responded, came for a thorough test run which ended up taking two hours, then gave me £4.5k for it. 

Pretty sure I would not have got that much for it had I tried to sell in on a pallet.

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Thanks that is all really good advice. I will make a video of it running. Advertise it on ebay etc , and if I cant sell it before it comes out set it up on a stand with improvised starting and cooling arrangements. If I was buying it me preference would be to see it still in the boat, and to have it craned straight out of the boat in to my trailer.

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17 minutes ago, koukouvagia said:

Yes.  That's how I bought my Seffle ?.

 

Ah but you’re clearly mad, as am I. I however got to see my Skandia hot bulb diesel running before buying, and that still turned out to be an expensive disaster! 

Now... who here would ever buy a boat without a survey??

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for your advice. I videoed the engine starting just in case, and advertised it on "Boats and Outboards" (I will try ebay as well), The boat is on the hard now waiting for the new engine, so if I find a buyer they can still see t running (with a hose for cooling).

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 21/04/2018 at 23:14, RLWP said:

Presumably the Thornycroft 154 is a BMC 2.5

What are you asking for it?

It is on ebay as an auction (so people can try their luck!)  and buy it now, also on boats and outboards for 800. I have video of it running and it is out of the boat

I made videos of it starting and running on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znR3dggwduI&feature=youtu.be and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwg_Mns13Y&feature=youtu.be

 


It is on a pallet in Grimsby. I am hoping it will find a new life somewhere, perhas as a replacement for a similar engine that is knackered.

 

Thanks for your advice folks

Edited by Billlion
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17 minutes ago, koukouvagia said:

Er, yes.  Both the Seffle and the Kelvin were on the bank when I bought them. :P

 

I have done the same with vintage engines. I had no idea whether the Gleniffer or the Samofa were runners when I bought them. 

 

Not that I would ever admit this in public, obviously...

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I bought 4 engines not running. Every single one was a worn out pile of old iron. I also owned 2 Allegros, a Fiat 128 where the front chassis leg broke off when I used the brake, a J4 van that steered itself into random things, a Ford Thames van with no front floor, oh the list goes on and on. Not much I don't know about engines and machinery...........sob.

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