Hey everyone, been years messing around with these old engines, thought I’d just dump my notes on that Buick 215 aluminum V8. You know, the one folks keep arguing about what it’s really worth. Here’s the deal from my bench.
Finding the Thing & The Initial Shock
Stumbled across one completely by accident last month. Friend called me up, says “Hey, you know engines, right? Got something weird buried behind Jimbo’s old shed.” Went over, pushed aside some rotted tarps and rusty lawnmowers, and bam – there it sat. Covered in decades of grime, leaves stuffed in the ports, looked like total scrap. Honestly, my first thought was “Junk.” But something about the shape… knew it was that aluminum Buick right away.
Getting it home was a project itself. Block was cracked open, no intake, one head missing. Dragged what was left onto my trailer. Thing was light, I’ll give it that. Way lighter than hauling an iron Chevy small block. Got it home, hosed it down just to see what the heck I even had.
Breaking It Down – The Ugly Truth
Started stripping it. Took off the one head it had. Pistons were seized solid. Like, frozen. Tried all my tricks – penetrating oil, heat, gentle persuasion with a dead blow hammer. Nada. That right there? Huge red flag. Meant water got in there at some point and just… welded it shut internally. Needed to see the crank though.
- Pulled the oil pan off. Sludge city. Like thick, black tar. Scooped it out by the handful. Nightmare.
- Looked at the crank journals. Under all the sludge and rust? They were scored. Badly. Deep scratches you could feel with your fingernail. Forget polishing; needed machining or probably replacement.
- Found the other head later. Jimbo remembered tossing it in his scrap pile “years ago.” Dug it out. Valve seats? Trashed. Rockers? Worn down to almost nothing. One stud was snapped clean off.
Felt a pit in my stomach. This wasn’t a rebuild project; this was starting from almost nothing usable. Block core? Maybe. Heads? Maybe salvageable, but needed serious work. The crank? Probably boat anchor material unless you wanna spend big bucks.
The Reality Check – Hunting Prices
Okay, so what is a pile like this worth? Everyone online screams “Buick 215! Rare! Aluminum! Big money!” Decided to actually ask around, not just read forum hype.
Called the local machinist – the guy who knows his stuff and doesn’t blow smoke. Explained the seized pistons, scored crank, trashed heads. He just laughed. Said “Son, that’s a core charge engine. Best case, maybe couple hundred bucks IF the block itself checks out okay and isn’t warped or cracked somewhere you missed.” Oof.
Checked parts availability and cost out of sheer masochism:
- Good, rebuildable crank? Nearly impossible to find locally. Online? People asking stupid money for cores that might be just as bad.
- Decent set of heads? Forget finding used ones that don’t need valves, seats, guides… basically a full rebuild. Found one guy selling a “decent” pair for $700. Yeah, right.
- New pistons, bearings, gaskets? Added up quick. Found a “rebuilt long block” online listed for $5000. FIVE THOUSAND! Seriously?
Frustration Hits Hard
Then you see the clowns online. Someone lists just a bare, untested block – not even cleaned – for $1500. Another guy wants $2000 for a “running” one pulled from some crusty boat that hasn’t moved since Nixon was president. Zero proof it runs, zero. Just hoping some sucker bites on the “aluminum” and “rare” keywords.
What really grinds my gears? The dudes arguing in forums: “Oh, this engine is worth at least $3000 complete!” Ask them if they’ve ever bought one, or tried to build one recently? Crickets. It’s just regurgitated nonsense from decades ago. People hear “aluminum” and immediately think “valuable.” Doesn’t work that way. Not when the reality is piles of scrap needing thousands to fix.
My takeaway? Unless you trip over a genuinely good, complete, running pull-out for a few hundred bucks, most 215s you find will be like mine. A sad pile of expensive potential. Their real value is barely above scrap aluminum price, plus maybe a core charge. The wild online prices are just dreamers and crooks trying to rip people off. Period. Save your cash and the headache.
