2008 w/ blown head gasket worth buying?

So I found this truck for sale by owner, this maybe a dumb question but Is it possible to flip this truck for a profit?

2008 DBL Cab SR5 4X4 172,000 miles
$4,500
Truck does not run. Possible blown head gasket. Edit: Was able to get truck started. Extra set of OEM rims included. Will need trailered. Broken shifter cable, will not go into gear.

Now it seems i could pay someone to drop in a new motor and sell it and make a profit? Not sure if this is wise or dumb? I saw the ad dont have anymore info. It did look clean.

 

What would it sell for in great condition with a working motor trans combo? How much would the swap cost? What if there are unforeseen issues? How do you know it’s head gasket? How do you know it’s shifter cable? Definitely a gamble. If you’re doing the work yourself, you could earn yourself the labor part too.

 

Sounds like too many questions for someone wanting to take over a project with the need for mechanical skills and trouble shooting knowledge, and relying on the internet to perform the work. Just saying, not trying to be mean.

 

Are you sure it’s a blown head gasket? These trucks have injector issues and misfires caused by bad coils and the computer can’t tell the difference.

They also are known to have computer related misfires.

I somewhat helped my brother-in-law do a head gasket replacement on his 14’ 5.7L a lot of work.

Dealer mis-diagnosed a bad head gasket. Turned out to be 1 bad Coil, and two bad injectors. Engine codes were not showing the correct issue. A little frustrating for my Bro-in-law, but the truck is running solid now.

 

If you have to pay somebody else to fix it, then no.

The shifter could just be the bushing on the shifter mechanism is broken and wont change gears. You should be able to pop it into gear from underneath the truck.

 

If the “broken shifter cable” turns into an actual transmission issue that needs to be replaced as well as the engine, you could be in for a world of hurt. Seems like unless you know and can verify exactly what’s wrong with it, and how much it will take to fix, it’s a gamble I personally wouldn’t want to undertake.

 

Agreed... Why go there. Especially if it's for profit?

 

What shape is the truck in other than the engine? If it's a one owner little old lady who kept it on a garage when not driving it and only used it on sunny warm days then it has plenty of value. If it was owned by a 20 something who felt that the pedals on the floor are on or off devices and would fail unless they weren't pushed as hard as possible then not so much. How much rust is on it? If there's lots of rust doing an engine swap is going to be much more difficult (dealing with snapped bolts). You could bring a radiator pressure tester with you to confirm a blown head gasket.