WTF-J

Originally I was in the market for an LS2 motor.  The Plan (See, there’s that word again.) was to monitor eBay and see whether I could win one with a low bid.  I came real close on a couple to the point where I was a backup on an ’06 Trailblazer SS powertrain that would have been perfect.

I came across Schram’s Auto Parts during the eBay searches and they had motors with less than 100mi on them, often times waaaay less. (~7-10mi)   Turns out that they have a deal with GM to purchase transportation wrecks and other scrap cars for resale as parts.  I found an ’06 Escalade LQ9 with a 4L65e transmission and TC with 500mi with an opening bid of $4300 delivered to my door.

The good news about these motors is that they include all of the front accessories, wiring harnesses, PCMs, starter, CATs, and misc parts that can easily add $1-2K to a build.  I was ready to go $6K for the LS2, but if I could get this one cheap enough, then it was going to be a WTF moment.  Sold!

The motor showed up on a skid and was in perfect condition.  (As the Powertrain was the first major assembly, it’s arrival could be thought of as figuratively crossing the Rubicon!) Schram’s guys had carefully dismantled the donor so I didn’t have any cut wires or bent parts.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The big surprise came ~3months later when I started to get into the electricals and discovered that I was missing the Throttle Actuator Control ("TAC") module and its harnesses for the Electronic Throttle Control ("ETC").  All it took was one e-mail and one phone call to Schram and the TAC module, harnesses, and a new pedal assembly were on there way; Schram didn’t even charge me for the shipping.

The term Caveat Emptor would seem to be tailor made for transacting with a junk yard over eBay, but Schram’s completely exploded that mental model.  It’s too bad that I am surprised by a company acting with integrity, but the complete absence of friction in resolving this issue was a real stunner.

PS…

The motor fired right up and seems to run as good as it looked on the outside.