D0VE heads

Alright boys I spent a lot of time on here a couple years ago schooling myself for a 1970 F100 build w/a 429 I was working on. Ended up selling it a while back. I was cleaning out the garage and found a set of D0VE-C heads I had bought for it and never got around to putting on. I'm wanting to sell them but cant seem to find a way to value them since they are pretty hard to come by. As they sit right now they will need to be rebuilt. Was wondering what I could get for them 1)as is 2)disassembled, cleaned and magnafluxed and 3) completely rebuilt. Thanks

mxer0022 wrote:Alright boys I spent a lot of time on here a couple years ago schooling myself for a 1970 F100 build w/a 429 I was working on. Ended up selling it a while back. I was cleaning out the garage and found a set of D0VE-C heads I had bought for it and never got around to putting on. I'm wanting to sell them but cant seem to find a way to value them since they are pretty hard to come by. As they sit right now they will need to be rebuilt. Was wondering what I could get for them 1)as is 2)disassembled, cleaned and magnafluxed and 3) completely rebuilt. Thanks

Without hard exhaust seats, not much ... maybe 100 bucks apiece if they have no cracks anywhere.

And with hardened exhaust seats?

mxer0022 wrote:And with hardened exhaust seats?

Probably less, unless they have been run that way to prove the seats were installed correctly.

I guess I'm ignorant on this whole hardened exhaust seat thing. Sounds like I need to do some more reading.

mxer0022 wrote:I...Was wondering what I could get for them 1)as is

$400 per pair, all day long, day in and day out, on eBay. I get that all the time.  You must be willing to ship.

The early heads are getting hard to find and some people need them for restoration while others néed them for performance builds (they are the most practical choice for 600 hp and below, and can support more power than that).

What if they've been rebuilt?

Also what would I be looking at as far as shipping? Worst case scenario from Utah to east coast if I cover shipping?

Paul Kane wrote:

mxer0022 wrote:I...Was wondering what I could get for them 1)as is

$400 per pair, all day long, day in and day out, on eBay. I get that all the time.  You must be willing to ship.

The early heads are getting hard to find and some people need them for restoration while others néed them for performance builds (they are the most practical choice for 600 hp and below, and can support more power than that).

For GOOD head castings, Paul ... not for a "pig in the poke".

Well that's what I was asking. How much if they were good castings. Cleaned up and checked and whatnot.

mxer0022 wrote:Well that's what I was asking. How much if they were good castings. Cleaned up and checked and whatnot.

One of the things I think you asked was "As they sit right now" and that is what I was referring to.

You are correct I did say that. I just want to know how I can make the most money out of them. Even if it means getting them rebuilt myself.

rmcomprandy wrote:

Paul Kane wrote:

mxer0022 wrote:I...Was wondering what I could get for them 1)as is

$400 per pair, all day long, day in and day out, on eBay. I get that all the time.  You must be willing to ship.

The early heads are getting hard to find and some people need them for restoration while others néed them for performance builds (they are the most practical choice for 600 hp and below, and can support more power than that).

For GOOD head castings, Paul ... not for a "pig in the poke".

I’m not sure what you mean by “good” heads, or what your “pig” reference means.  I quoted/answered the OP’s request for “as is,” but I suppose I don’t know for sure even what he means by that.

And in case I wasn’t clear about my own interpretation of “as is,” I’ll explain:  I’m assuming 100,000+ mile engine core, heads are fresh take-offs, literally untouched.  And by “fresh take-offs” I mean still greasy, not disassembled, not crack checked, unknown condition of seats, etc.   I usually get around $400 per pair for C8VE /C9VE / D0VE heads like that on eBay, plus the shipping costs also paid by the purchaser on top of the final selling price.  

As I noted earlier, the early heads are getting harder to find (used for just four years of the engine’s thirty-year production run) and some people need them for restoration while others néed them for performance builds.

The only time I’ll sell them for less is if the customer is having me rework them (I give a price break on the factory iron that I set up entirely).

The best thing would be to have them cleaned up and magnaflux tested for cracks, and do nothing else. If you rebuild them, would you rebuild them to stock specs?....the next guy may not want stock valves and springs. He may want to put in a set of quality stainless valves and springs that match his cam profile.

mxer0022 wrote:  What if they've been rebuilt?

You will not necessarily increase your profit margin by rebuilding them, and in fact rebuilt/built up heads may net you a narrower margin.

mxer0022 wrote:Also what would I be looking at as far as shipping? Worst case scenario from Utah to east coast if I cover shipping?

Fully assembled stock heads weigh 66-69 pounds apiece.  Use a shipper’s online calculated and figure it out.

Thank you for that info Paul. It was exactly what I was looking for.

Yeah, the early heads[DOVE and earlier] weren't made for unleaded fuels, [all street gas].
The valves will erode valveseats pretty fast without leaded racegas.