Why would anybody buy this Bring A Trailer "Display Engine"

[Mark Maras]

It makes me wonder how many of us could have, or still can, build a display engine. At the very least it's a very inventive way to sell near worthless parts.

[Zed Head]

The display auction ends today, in about 2 hours, 40 minutes.  One very early bid.  Looks like some sort of odd attempt to generate interest in a bunch of scrap parts.  E88 head on an F54 block.  It doesn't even have value as a display engine.  I bet that the bidder gets paid back by the seller and they both agree that it didn't work.  

Might also just be an advertisement for the shop.  Using BaT for advertising.  They got used, I think.

[Jeff G 78]

Seller claims to not know the lone bidder, but I call shenanigans.  Even if the bidder was legit, why would anybody pick that number as a starting bid?  I could see somebody bidding $100 with the hopes of getting a few usable parts, but $1,350???  Shame on BaT for accepting this listing.  

Edited June 14, 2023 by Jeff G 78
typo

[Jeff G 78]

Shockingly, somebody bid $1,450 in the last few minutes of the auction.  

[siteunseen]

Coyote racing? Another desert similarity.

[siteunseen]

16 hours ago, dutchzcarguy said:

Partnumber says 1981 280zx engine!

Engine Assembly - 1981 Nissan 280ZX (nissanpartsdeal.com)

I wonder what country wouldn't require the EGR emissions system in 1981? Maybe the Netherlands or Japan? 

[Jeff G 78]

9 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

 Maybe the Netherlands or Japan? 

Ad says JDM, so it should be Japan. It's an odd combination. N47 head and no EGR, yet head temp sensor. Wasn't the US the only market that got the L28 before 1979?

[dutchzcarguy]

5 hours ago, siteunseen said:

I wonder what country wouldn't require the EGR emissions system in 1981?

(Btw.. i was talking about the new crate engine) NO, we didn't need the EGR in 1981 also no cath..  Those came with the 300zx somewhere in 1988!

If this engine has no linings in the exhaust manifold it could be a Dutch market engine. (Maybe the rest of euro also..) but the partnumber says california.. (If you compare the number on the valvecover and in the link i gave above.)

[HS30-H]

8 hours ago, Jeff G 78 said:

Ad says JDM, so it should be Japan. It's an odd combination. N47 head and no EGR, yet head temp sensor. Wasn't the US the only market that got the L28 before 1979?

I wouldn't put too much faith in the 'JDM' part of the description by the vendor. The term is often misused. In this case I think it more likely that the vendor is referring to something that was made in Japan, and has come from Japan.

EGR was required in Japan on the S130-series and other domestic market models which used the L28 engine. The L28 was available in Japanese market Cedric and Gloria models from 1975.

Factory type code of this spec L28 engine is shown on the factory label. 'HL469V'. That's the key to correctly identifying it.

[SteveJ]

13 hours ago, Jeff G 78 said:

Shockingly, somebody bid $1,450 in the last few minutes of the auction.  

There is only 1 bid on record for that username (for that "engine") and no comments on record. It can make a reasonable person wonder.