I guess I won’t sell anymore NP542 @$500.00 without cores from now on
It's interesting...IF you have great sources, sometimes you can get quality used parts at reasonable prices. But it really is a "big IF". My perception is the NP542 was commonly used in medium-duty dump trucks, delivery trucks and school buses...decades ago, by Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge. I suspect there really isn't a big market for them today, and most of the used ones have a lot of miles on them.
Last week I was searching for some AT545 stuff and went to the Allison dealer in SLC to talk with the parts guy. I have zero interest in buying new parts from Allison as the pricing is beyond eye-watering. The parts guy knows I'm not a company with deep pockets, but rather some knucklehead with this weird attachment to snowcats. He suggested I call a fellow at Weller Truck Parts just down the road. (Weller is a nationwide company and they sell rebuilt Allison transmissions and a whole bunch of other stuff.) When I called, I mentioned the possibility of buying a core with the desired parts configuration. I was told they charge $2K for a "core"! (Huh? YGTBSM!) Needless to say, the conversation ended quickly (the guy was very nice, though)
The powertrain WJBuffetJr is selling came from Snowzilla, as we call it. That machine was originally owned by PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric), was subsequently acquired by Snotrans and I purchased it from the guy who bought it from Snotrans. When I got it, there were just under 500 hours of usage. Bill Cook, the former East Coast Tucker dealer, told me he considers one hour of snowcat use equivalent to 40 miles of automotive driving. Doing that quick math the powertrain would have the equivalent of 20,000 miles. That's pretty darn low, and one could be reasonably confident the transmission (for example) will provide years of service without needing major repair.
To me, a significant part of the value of this package is its completeness. The buyer can bolt it in and not spend hours and hours and hours tracking down various parts. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:
My first Tucker was a 1543 bought from Snotrans. They had acquired it from the government, as it was a US Forest Service machine used at the Plumas National Forest in California. The engine was seized and Snotrans installed a rebuilt 318 engine. But when I got it home I noticed a lot of the alternator mounting hardware was incorrect, and the pulley and belt alignment was off. (The phrase "Mickey Mouse" comes to mind.) Rather than the correct Chrysler supplied brackets, spacers, washers, bolts, etc, it was somewhat jury rigged with an assortment of "stuff from who knows where". I like my vehicles to be "correct" and then sought out the right parts. No kidding, I went to 17 different salvage yards in Utah, Idaho and Montana before finding what I needed. The parts cost less than $20, but how many hours were spent trying to find them?
Could one acquire all the parts in this package for less money? I honestly doubt it - if you compare apples-to-apples in terms of usage, and get the same parts. But if you value your time at all, you'll be "underwater" quickly in trying to save what amounts to a few dollars. You'll also have the "pleasure" of multiple wild-goose chases as people, salvage yards, etc misrepresent both what they have and its condition.