Yes exactly. But can I trust a used motor?

 

What do you guys think it would cost for parts/machine shop work if I completely tore down the motor and reassembled it myself?

 

Bones,
The reason I haven't rebuilt or bought a motor for my son's car is exactly what Shipo is talking about. The car in good running condition is worth about $2,500. For me, It doesn't make financial sense to to spend that amount of money on the car. There are other cars in that price range that I can purchase without the trouble. That being said, you never know what you are getting when buying a used car. If you rebuild or replace the motor there is some comfort in knowing that the engine is good.

About used motors
I purchased a used motor for a 2006 Honda Accord from a place in Michigan and had it shipped to So Cal. They stated that the motor had 80,000 miles. The motor came with a 2 year warranty, as long as I changed the water pump, timing chain, oil pump etc. The car ran great for almost 2 years until my son got in an accident.
The used motors for the Mazda 6cyl are a little pricey. They run about $1,500 - $1,800 shipped. I know you can find them cheaper but I would only buy from a reputable dealer. I checked rebuild price for the my motor and all labor included price would be about $3,800ish.
Unless you are experienced in the rebuild process I am not sure I would recommend doing it yourself. You could however, pull the motor & take it to the shop. Have them rebuild it and you reinstall it. This would probably save you close to $1000.

 

Ok thanks Mp. Yeah that makes sense and is why the car still sits in the garage with nothing done to it. I'd really like to get the car back on the road since they are really fun but I can't seem to find a way to do it in a cost effective manner unless I do the rebuild myself but I have no familiarity with those engines at all.

 

Having never cracked open a Mazda V6 engine, what I'm about to write is mere speculation. That said, it is my understanding the V6 motor in your car is actually the same motor as from a V6 Ford Fusion of that era. If that is indeed true, then my understanding from folks I know who've worked on such motors is they are pretty straight forward. Pull the motor, send the block and heads out for cleaning and machining; either buy a new crank or have yours welded up, and then buy a matched set of piston rods and oversized pistons and rings.

If you have the time and space, it is a fun project. If not, a bone yard motor is still probably faster and less expensive.

 

Ok thanks Shipo. Yeah I'm going to go online and see if I can find any tutorials about rebuilding those motors. I could make time here and there to work on it. Space is a bit of an issue but probably can make space in the garage.