289 HiPo parts?

[Detector]

I have decided to take my 289 HiPo and trade it for a good project car. I want to add the few things it is missing like exhaust manifolds, dual point distributor, intake and main caps. If you remember my engine was all HiPo but had the standard main caps for some reason. My question is how critical is it to replace these, if possible, with originals rather than reproductions?

I see I can get reproduction main caps for around $500, exhaust manifolds for around $250, distributor for around $250 and intake for about the same. will using reproductions really hurt the trade value of the engine?

Also, on the intake I've got a aluminum one that I bought with my engine. Would it be better to get a cast iron original/reproduction as far as trade value? Here is the intake I've got.

Thanks

 

[StangDreamin']

Are you talking about just the engine or or a whole car that originally came with that engine? It makes a difference to a "serious" collector. Finding origianl parts, especially with matching date codes could make the engine worth some major bank from somebody doing a "correct restoration" of their rolling shell-type show project. It's not to hard to "re-create" a 271 HP solid-lifter 289; you could do it mostly out of a Summit or Jeg's catalog. Making it a "matching numbers" engine (not just matching the date codes on the block and heads; but also matching their Mustang's (or Fairlane's) build date is a lot harder. And therefore a matching numbers and date codes engine is worth more bones that one that was "built" from a mix of OEM and aftermarket parts.

It pretty much boils down to
How much do you want for it?
"How soon do you want it?"
How long are you willing to wait for "the perfect buyer"?

 

[Detector]

It is just the engine. When I got it the owner( a 70 year old hot-rodder) said he put the dual point distributor in a falcon some years back and also put on a 2 barrel manifold and carb for better mileage some years back. It still has the HiPo heads, crank and hatchet/bob counter weight and correct harmonic balancer. It has standard main caps though. Not sure just what the deal is with that.

I'm wondering if I should buying a set of HiPo main caps would be worth it for trade value or trade it as it is?