Buying/selling a car?

From both a buyers and a sellers perspective, is a rebuilt or new engine a good thing or does that greatly take the value down?

WAY too many variables.

Is it a rebuilt performance engine?

Or is the same junky engine, just rebuilt?

And who rebuilt it?

How long ago was it rebuilt?

Why was the car driven so hard that it needed a rebuild?

And given that it needed a rebuild, what else is wrong with the car since it was driven that way?

Etc.

A rebuilt or new engine, raises a LOT of questions.

It CAN be a good thing. It just depends on what the answers to the questions are.

Say, it's a Geo Metro, and the engine exploded. Even if you spent $5000 rebuilding the engine, I wouldn't pay more than $1000 for the car.

If it's a 1976 Corvette, with a rebuilt engine.....I'd say that'd definitely bump the value up some. Say you're asking 6k before rebuild. 5k into the engine....ask 9k for the car, for example.

One key thing to mention, is that the cost of the rebuild does NOT just get added to the cost of the car. It only helps. A $500 car with a $10,000 rebuilt engine, is not a $10,500 car.

WAY too many variables.

Is it a rebuilt performance engine?

Or is the same junky engine, just rebuilt?

And who rebuilt it?

How long ago was it rebuilt?

Why was the car driven so hard that it needed a rebuild?

And given that it needed a rebuild, what else is wrong with the car since it was driven that way?

Etc.

A rebuilt or new engine, raises a LOT of questions.

It CAN be a good thing. It just depends on what the answers to the questions are.

Say, it's a Geo Metro, and the engine exploded. Even if you spent $5000 rebuilding the engine, I wouldn't pay more than $1000 for the car.

If it's a 1976 Corvette, with a rebuilt engine.....I'd say that'd definitely bump the value up some. Say you're asking 6k before rebuild. 5k into the engine....ask 9k for the car, for example.

One key thing to mention, is that the cost of the rebuild does NOT just get added to the cost of the car. It only helps. A $500 car with a $10,000 rebuilt engine, is not a $10,500 car.

As a buyer if the car is older than 7 years I'd like to have the engine rebuilt before buying. Of course I'd like to see the receipt for the work and how long ago it was done.