For Sale 2x size kerzel hit and miss pricing

[Naiveambition]

Hey all, I’m looking into what would be a fair pricing of a motor I can no longer finish and would hate to see it in the scrap pile.
I made a double size kerzel hit and miss from plans on the internet, so anyone should be able take over from here. As you can see i made the alum. body, with cast iron sleeve , the piston, rings,(ready for heat treatment)., the crank may need attention, I planned to remake but could be repinned.
The caps , bronze bearings, and the base. I have a303 stainless chunk ready for the head. Also have 6 inch cast iron flywheels. I know the crank is 4031 or somewhere there ( I forget the actual number but made for shafts and was ground
Any info would be greatly appreciated, I have no idea how to price this, quite frankly for the amount of time I have spent on it,—The price would be astronomical but looking for unbiased opinions from people that know about machining

 

[hopperwhistle]

It always strikes me as sad how little even wonderful unfinished projects bring. You can compare your project to a couple of Associated hit & miss projects at a similar stage of completion that I listed for sale a few day ago. So far they haven't received much interest either.

 

[stevehuckss396]

I guess it depends on how bad you want to see it finished. The lower the price the more likely someone will be interested in picking it up. The fact that you doubled its size will make cost of materials go way up so someone will factor that in. Also consider that taking over someone's project comes with a certain level of risk. There's no telling how much of it is good. Will any parts need to be remade. Basically your thinking how much are you willing to risk.

I once looked at a hodgson 18 cylinder that was unfinished due to the builder passing away. It was 85% complete. After looking at it and doing some diagnosis I found that the crankshaft was loose. Also of the 18 cylinders only 2 had cylinders that had compression. All of which could be repaired. I offered 650 bucks for it. Of course they were offended because they saw one that sold for thousands.

I know it sux but the only way to see it completed is to price it to make it worth the risk and expense of finishing it.

 

[awake]

It is a unique market. The persons who are most likely to appreciate the amount of work that goes into a project like this are also the same people who may prefer to do their own projects rather than finish someone else's.

 

[minh-thanh]

My opinion is...get it done.
Make it run, paint it, finish it beautifully., and it will be pride !
Try a little harder...or find a friend who can help with some parts ...

 

[awake]

I guess it depends on how bad you want to see it finished. The lower the price the more likely someone will be interested in picking it up. The fact that you doubled its size will make cost of materials go way up so someone will factor that in. Also consider that taking over someone's project comes with a certain level of risk. There's no telling how much of it is good. Will any parts need to be remade. Basically your thinking how much are you willing to risk.

I once looked at a hodgson 18 cylinder that was unfinished due to the builder passing away. It was 85% complete. After looking at it and doing some diagnosis I found that the crankshaft was loose. Also of the 18 cylinders only 2 had cylinders that had compression. All of which could be repaired. I offered 650 bucks for it. Of course they were offended because they saw one that sold for thousands.

I know it sux but the only way to see it completed is to price it to make it worth the risk and expense of finishing it.

This is a good point. As I have passed the age of 60 and counting, I find myself increasingly changing my goals with respect to a number of things. One is disposing of no-longer-needed items. I grew up in a culture of extreme thrift, where the goal was to get the very best price for anything we sold. These days, I'm more worried about 1) getting it out of my way, and 2) making sure it goes to "a good home."

The above in NO WAY suggests that this should be the OP's attitude, not at all. Different circumstances, different contexts = different goals. It may well be that getting the best price is essential.

I wonder if there might be an alternative possibility. If the primary goal is to see it finished, would there be any sort of model engineering club in the vicinity that would be willing to take this on as a group project? With the final result living either with the club or with you? Honestly, I would be far more likely to volunteer my time for something like that than I would be to buy a half-completed project. But again, that's me, and mileage may vary ...

 

[Naiveambition]

Admittedly the more I look at it, the more I still want to finish the model. It was to a point that most operations are lathe related as I still have my lathe. After selling off the mill and it’s related workholding, the task seems rather daunting.
I’ve been looking into small milling attachments for my Southbend, but wow, the prices are a lot more than I expected. I will most likely find a angle plate and go that route for cost reasons.
Looking back at my build thread I saw my cost for materials alone would have been about a 1000$. So definitely puts it into perspective about what it costs to build or acquire a model of this size.
But as we all know the world has become mighty expensive and the costs sometimes outweigh the much wanted goal.
My handle here is naive ambition- or the ability to see the grand outcome without realizing all the work in between.
So who knows may just pack it away and keep piece working it
Thanks for the reply’s gentlemen . It’s nice to have different perspectives

 

[Mike Ginn]

I have sold part complete engines and tools (Quorn etc) on eBay. Let the market decide on the price BUT make sure you give a full description including an image of what it would/could look like when finished (use Google to find an image). Its a 7 day auction and you need to hold your nerve. Set a good starting bid. Analysis of eBay sales shows that a very low starting bid encourages further bids and interest so I always start at £1 or £10. Also try to have the auction finishing on a Sunday evening for best results.

Best of luck

Mike

 

[James Barker]

I will begin the bidding at 150$ USD ,,,,