injunnut1

Have you guys seen the $$high$$ bid on this Cox 'Venom' ..... twice as $$much$$ as the $$most$$ I've ever received on the ones I have auctioned off in past!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...7606&rd=1&rd=1

hfenn

Outrageous. I let one go for a little under $300. I didn't feel too bad about it because I paid about $20 for it new. This seller needs to buy dome Powerball tickets!

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

It's a good investment as long as the buyer can find someone dumber than he is to pay more for it. You can have about as much fun with a $700 lump of gold as you can staring at a box with a COX engine inside it.

Tim Wiltse-RCU

And to think how easy it is to make a clone of one. Heck I have one in the shop right now. I dare to say the whole 1000 only ever made that everyone says is false too. You see alot of Venoms go on the block on eBay alone. So out of only 1000 there just is to many NIB floating around.

Later,
Tim

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

For the Un-enlightened.... What makes a Venom A "Venom"?

Tim Wiltse-RCU

It was really just all the "best" factory parts stuffed into an off the shelf engine. Good crank(the Venom and Killer Bee shared the same), good bypass porting(same as current Sure Starts but with SPI and big exhaust slits), TD head, the real trick I guess was the light thin walled piston only used in the Venom. It was also it's downfall as of course most Venoms died from blowing the tops off their pistons. If I recall Larry Renger said that the machinest made a change that the designer(s)(Larry I believe) did NOT call for. Of course the Venom was also the only factory red anodized crankcase.

LAter,
Tim

P.S. Skaliwag I should have our project done over this weekend.

Larry Driskill

I have one (NIB) in my cupboard that belongs to a friend. Several times I have told him about what they were selling for on Ebay and he usually asked "Well, is it time to sell it?"

At $700 it may be time . . .

Tim, If you built a clone, and labeled it as such, would they run the same or better and what do you think they would bring?

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Larry,

I made a couple of Venom clones a couple of years ago and auctioned them on eBay. If I remember right they went for around $125-$150 each.

Later,
Tim

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

What a collectible like this has is sentimental value to the guys in a certain age group. Once all those guys pass on, I wouldn't expect the next generation of men to place much value in this stuff. I think NOW is the time [give or take 10 years] to sell COX memorabilia. What age group do you think the buyers of this stuff mainly falls into?

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

45 to 65

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Ok guys, what is this then. I picked it up at a swap meet a few years back with a bunch of other .049s. It has been run and a little gummed up so I soaked it overnight in the tank. Can't beleive this would be worth much!

Bob Harris

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

That price is rediculous.

Nightstalker

Answer:
a) $710.00
b) A nice motor for a red and black scheme Jr. Falcon
c) Something I might buy from Tim W. for under $200 (with cooler anodizing)
d) Cleverly disguised brushless DC

Todd

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Bob,

It looks like a Venom clone. Notice the sharp corner on the back of the prop driver. I looks in the picture to be a standard hex driver like on the Sure Starts that has been machined to remove the hex and the corner wasn't broken. That is was I do to make a clone myself. Not correct spinner as it apears to be an early shoulderless one. Is there a thrust washer between the case and prop driver. Have you taken the tank off to see what it has for a crank? I see the tank has some wear on it but not the case is there any from the starter spring wearing on it?

LAter,
Tim

Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

Tim,

No doubt about the early spinner, but I am not sure about the prop driver. I took a close look at the Venom on Martin Hepperle's site and I don't see any differance in the prop drivers. As for a few screw marks on the tank, this can happen the first time it gets mounted. I wouldn't know if Bob's is (or isn't) authentic without closer evaluation.

______________________

I just have think that this is about the high water mark as far as the price for one is concerned, but who knows. Note that THREE DIFFERENT BIDDERS were willing to pay more than $500 for this example!

We could talk about the price trends of "collectables" all day long and never cover all the variables. Dave's assesment that people between 45 and 65 pretty much make up the market for setting the high prices seems quite plausable. The kids are gone (hopefully - assuming you raised them right) and now you have the time and money to go buy back some of your youth.

Arlen

digital_trucker

It's really simple...any item is worth exactly as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Tim, no thrust washer. As for prop washer I put that on it to compare as I got it with no pro washer. Crankcase has no wear from spring but cylinder has a little where the spring touches. The tank looks identical to some of my Black Widows plastic back. What would the crank look like? Also how many clones did you make. Maybe its one of those! Got it at BARKS I think.

Bob Harris

SGC

Bob,
The venom crank should be the same as the early(1996) killerbee crank-see pic , good description of the venom here :- http://www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/cox_venom.htm
Stewart

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Bob,

I haven't made a Venom clone in over a year and a half and that one went to Florida. I had a data base of all my engines and who they went to but it was lost when my old computer crashed. I have made maybe 6 or so clones but I have anodized a good number of crankcases red that could of been used by others. I also used to add a serial number to the inside of the tank on engines that went on eBay. Also my clones would not have had the KB/Venom style crank rather I used a balanced stock crank.

LAter,
Tim

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Tim, Steve, here is the crank. Now what? Any other markings that I should look for? Have not run it but did give her a clean up and put correct prop washer on it.

Bob Harris

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Bob,

Take a look at the cylinder bypass porting it will be the same as the new Sure Starts. Twin bypass with the extra little boost channelon both sides.

LAter,
Tim

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Yep, its got that also! What do you think? Darn it, I did take off a little of the cylinder black trying to get it off! Maybe it is a Venom. Funny, I beleive I paid $10.00 for a bag of old Cox engines at BARKS with it in it. Now whats so special about this engine? So its got a lighter crank and a Sure Start cylinder with a Tee Dee head?????

Bob Harris

SGC

Bob,
Dont forget the BlackWidow tank assy and the lightened piston- oh the SS cylinder has sub piston induction , seriously tho its just a combination of parts that work well together to give a reedie good performance, nothing you cant acheive with a bit of mix n match and dremel work. I have a SS that I cut the exhaust bridge out of the rear faceing port and cut sub induction into the front faceing exhaust port, trimmed the crankweb to give better balance and fitted a TD head, mylar reed n it screams with a Cox 5x3. , oh i mixed and matched cyl/crankcases till i got a combination with that had the exhausts front n back faceing , thisputs the transfer ports in a more favourable possition.
Stewart

iglowhead

My Feedback: (192)

I wonder how your used Venom would do on the auction block? There is probably someone out there with an empty box that will pay dearly for an engine to go in it. On that note, what do you suppose an empty box would bring? I think the box may be worth more than the engine as it would probably be harder to duplicate.
Here is my $15 swapmeet special. I'm a Cox/Thimble Drome collector so I'll hang onto it. Myself, I believe that only 1000 were made. They rarely come up on eBay. I'm sure less than 12 this past year. I have a search set up for them and watch the auctions. I wish I had printed out the listings when they ended then I would know for sure. The one I have is the only one I have seen outside the internet.

jetpack

My Feedback: (1)

Did Venoms come with a copper reed?