You know that feeling when you have a terrible idea, but the math just makes too much sense to ignore? That’s pretty much the foundation of Alex’s and my entire friendship.
In this week’s episode of the Days of Pain and Victory Podcast, we tackled a topic that I know tempts every budget-minded gearhead scrolling Marketplace at 2 AM: buying a derelict motor home just to steal the engine.
It sounds perfect on paper, right? You find some rotting 1980s Winnebago that’s been sitting in a field since the Clinton administration. The seller just wants it gone. You drag it home for pennies, rip out a low-mileage 454 Big Block, and scrap the rest. Boom—cheap horsepower.
We did it. Twice. And let me tell you, while the Victory (the engine) is sweet, the Pain… well, the pain smells like 30-year-old cat pee and ammonia.
The “Boy Math” (The Victory)
Here’s why we did it, and why you’re probably going to do it too despite my warnings.
Alex found us two motor homes. One was a 32-footer, the other a 37-footer. We paid roughly $100 a piece. If you go buy a 454 out of a square body Chevy truck, it’s probably got 150,000 miles on it and needs a full machine shop rebuild. These motor home engines? They usually have like 28,000 miles. They’re barely broken in.
Plus, if you’re a scavenger like me, it’s a gold mine. I’m talking heavy-gauge battery cables (perfect for welder leads), a generator, propane tanks, and enough hose clamps to last a lifetime. We even sold the roof AC units and an old tube TV (seriously, someone paid $50 for it) and made our money back.
So technically, the engine was free. That’s the “Boy Math” we live by.
The Sketchy Reality (The Pain)
Now for the part they don’t tell you.
1. The Towing: Flat-towing a 12,000-pound brick with no brakes is… a spiritual experience. I towed the 32-footer 120 miles, and I’m pretty sure it tried to push my truck into the ditch on every corner. It’s white-knuckle city.
2. The Demo: Motor homes are built around the engine. They don’t want to give it up. You aren’t just unbolting a hood; you’re cutting through fiberglass, wood, and insulation with a reciprocating saw, covered in dust that probably contains ancient diseases.
3. The Smell: This is the big one. Ours had been used as a litter box by every stray cat in the county. The ammonia hit you like a physical wall. We found “chunky” milk in the fridge and vacuum-sealed beef stew that was… squishy. It’s nasty work, guys.
Fantasy Build: The $5,000 Pro-Street Challenge
To lighten the mood (and escape the smell), we did another Fantasy Build segment. The rules: $5,000 budget, must include the purchase of a motor home for the engine swap.
Alex threw me a curveball with a cheap GM sedan (looked like a ’65-ish full-size). My plan?
- The Engine: The “free” motor home 454.
- The Vibe: Pro Street. I’m talking tubbed rear end, 3.73 posi, and big-n-little tires.
- The Wheels: Cragar drag stars.
- The Sound: Flowmaster 40s (obviously).
Alex, meanwhile, is trying to stuff a Ford 460 into a tiny Courier/Ranger pickup. He wants to narrow a 9-inch rear end and put massive slicks on it. It’s ridiculous, and I honestly want to see him try it just to watch him fit that massive big block into that tiny engine bay.
Shop Updates
On the home front, things are moving. I successfully rebuilt the transmission in my wife’s car (huge victory), so I’m feeling like a real transmission guy now. I also bought a backhoe to break ground on the new 40×60 shop. Naturally, I already broke the backhoe, so I have to fix that before I can dig the hole for the shop to fix the cars. The cycle continues.
So, Is It Worth It?
If you have a place to burn the wood, a way to scrap the frame, and a stomach of steel? Yes. It is the cheapest way to get big power.
Just do yourself a favor: bring a respirator. And maybe some Vicks VapoRub for your nose.
Wheel it, wreck it wrench it repeat!
–Josh
Days of Pain and Victory 
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