On Jan 12, 2008, at 2:55 PM, Robert Keezer wrote:

> Whaddya think?

i don't think you can generalize so much.  The main surprise for me
was that I never knew how cheap a used low mileage Zetec was.  On
that basis yeah, rebuilding them or even doing any significant repair
on them just does not make any sense unless it's something you do for
the pleasure of doing it: a hobby.  But I'd guess most hobbyists
would seek out something a bit more esoteric.

It makes perfect sense for them: they are not engine builders, so
make the engine a commodity.  Then you can focus your creativity,
talents, and effort on the things that differentiate you in the
market: the wiring harness for example, or tuning the ECU, or the
overall quality and completeness of the conversion kit.

I don't know what will happen when the Zetec is 10, 15 years old.
Will they still be made?  If not then the low-mileage long block
won't be an option anymore.  But I'd guess that there will always be
something like it, i.e. a commodity "world" engine.

I know that based on what Jim has posted, if we ever need anything
major done to the motor in our Focus, I'm just going to drop in a one
of those $300 long blocks.

Allan