i have a chance to purchase a rajo head and a eisemann magneto with timing cover mounting. can anyone guide me as to what is a fair price to pay?
they appear to be in good condition. thanks for your thoughts.
When I bought my "Roof" overhead I tried to argue with the guy from $100 to $75. I suppose it's gone up since 1976.
Rich
It was complete but the RaJo is a better head.
Stuart I've sold bare heads for 1500.00, complete ones 2500-4000.00, that I've purchased at estate sales
sounds like i had better save my nickels for this one
I bought my perfect BB Rajo with dual carb manifold for $10.95 from Lee's Speed shop in Oakland, CA in 1952. I think times have changed.
Any guesses what a DOHC Fronty is worth?
It's just a bare head...no cams valves or any thing else that isn't permanently attached.
I sold a complete and well founded RAJO BBR with rocker arms, valve, springs and a nice cover for $3500 and he was pleased. I saw another one go for $4500 and it had never been run and was complete with factory exhaust and intake manifolds and no chips on the exhaust fins.
A good deal would be to get a brand new one from Mark Chaffin.
I have two complete Joe Gemsa Heads complete with intakes and exhaust and engine blocks with cranks,cams, valves, water pumps, and oil pressure systems and carburetion, complete with transmissions. NOT FOR THE TIMID.
I was walking around the Long Beach swap meet in 2001 and saw a RaJo head sitting on a tarp with a price of $1200. I looked it over, it was all there and in good shape with pushrods, head bolts, and manifolds, with a nice side draft Stromberg carb.
I walked about 20 feet and thought "I will regret this for years if I don't buy it". Walked back and saw a guy counting hundred dollar bills to the guy selling the head.
I recently sold a take-off running Rajo, Model 30, I think, for around $3500.00
I bought a Rajo BB in great shape off Ebay a few years back. It came with a street intake and exhaust plus a big Winfield updraft and the rocker cover.
It does have a small chip in the exhaust and needed a new rocker assembly and valve job but was otherwise unmolested. I paid $4500 into Humble Howard's retirement fund for my go fast cause.
Within a year, a BBR Rajo came up on the MTFCA classifieds. I grabbed that one for $5,000. The seller who has posted on the Forum believed it to be NOS.
I would love to get a SOHC Fronty SR. I chased one up to $6500 on Ebay a while back before backing away.
At this point, I figure my kids will have to pay for their own college anyway, so I might as well have some kick ass T's. I do not want to play the "I will regret this for years" game.
I used to beg my grandfather to buy T speed equipment when I was young and it was cheap. However, the fear of the wrath of my grandmother triumphed. Oh well, it's only money!
sounds like the values are all over the place. whatever the buyer is willing to part with. with new ones listed for $4200.00, i guess that will be my bench mark. thank you all for your input.
All Rajos are not the same. At the lower end are the 4 valve heads that do little, so they say.
Regarding a 4 valve RAJO - one of my first rides in a Model T automobile (our family had a TT truck) was in a RAJO equipped 4 valve, huge carburetor, Buffalo wires, etc. 1915 runabout with long time Seattle Model T guru - Dick Powell. It was the fastest, scariest ride I'd ever had and I rode motorcycles, drove fast cars and the like.
To stay on topic, I recently sold my extra BBR for $4000 with twin fire distributor, intake & carburetor.
I just bought a Rajo kit from Mark Chaffin, and I consider it to be a good investment ($4200). I heard recently that a guy bought one of Mark's kits and then changed his mind. He was reported to have sold it on Ebay for $5200 after getting it for $4200. Has anyone heard about that, and is there any truth to it?
At least it makes my wife feel better!
To each his own.
Jon
The 4 valve Rajos often tend to sell for more than 8 valve, because they look interesting, and are not seen for sale often. They can be very quick if set up right.
Frank and Allen, thanks for the positive comments regarding our RAJO kit. I believe it is a good value for a new and ready to go complete setup. Most of the quote for original equipment cited previously is pretty accurate. I have a very nice complete RAJO Model B with dual Stromberg 97 carbs, twin intake manifold, polished valve cover and undamaged cast iron exhaust manifold I will be listing soon for $6,000. Price is premium; however, it is out of my collection and I have never seen a better one in this good of condition. In contrast, I also have a very nice complete RAJO Model C35 with a like new intake/exhaust manifold that I will be offering for sale soon. The intake/exhaust manifold is virtually new with great pack nut threads. The manifolds are very hard to find and are often cracked down the center. I will be asking $4,000 for it.