purple cam scam?

[gagfitz]

I got a mopar purple cam off ebay and just recieved it. The seller advertised it was brand new in box. I've never seen a brand new purple cam so help me out. The shaft is black and very rough and the lobes arent shiny and polished looking but dark and with rough edges. the box it came in is very worn out. Could this happen if it was used? I think he may have swapped a generic into a Mopar box. Any help?

[rumblefish360]

Anytime I got a purple cam, it was loose in the box. The shaft was purple except the unit in the create short block. It was black. The lobes should not be shinny at all. If they were, it would be used. If in anyway your unhappy, send it back and reorder one new elsewhere.
It'll pay to have peace of mind. Its worth more than anything else in the world.

[gagfitz]

When I look at the picture of a new one in summit magazine they look really shiny and purple and mine dont look close to the picture.

[mystery_dude]

Purple Shaft Hydraulic types are as purple as this web page, and the entire lobe, side to side, is lapped to a finish like the bearing journals. YOU WAS ROBBED!

[gagfitz]

thanks. I'm going to get ahold of the seller and see whats up.

[fast68plymouth]

actually the last one someone brought me, that was new in the box, wasnt purple, and the lobes werent polished. instead it just looked like any other cam except it had a splash of purple paint.
i was suprised to see it wasnt purple with the polished lobes as well, but i took it out of the unopened box myself.

[gagfitz]

Is there any way to find out for sure? There are some numbers stamped in it. And there are some paint markings, one white with some blue in it and one green dot.

[6pakman]

put the damn thing back in the box and return it to the person. when it comes to cams there are alot to choose from and never buy one without doin your homework. for what you probably paid for it + shipping you could of got one new in the box + lifters. buyin that stuff on e bay is a gamble. plus if you put it in your engine and it takes a dump, you got trouble. never buy a used cam. sometimes worn lobes are hard to spot. purple shaft cams have purple paint. that number on the end is a stock no. call mopar performance with that no. and they will tell you what lift and duration it is. good luck.

[fat bastard]

My brand new purple shaft out of the box was dull also, and had no purple paint on it except for a little dab. You could take it to a shop and have it measured, if there is any "blueing" it is a used piece as well.

[Billydelrio]

I was wondering if MOPAR still called them "Purple Shaft cams." On p. 92 in the 2001 catalog, they still calim the "Purple Shaft cam" has the best horsepower to dollar value. As several of you have experienced, the purple shaft is only a dab of purple paint. Maybe in the "old days" they used a couple of dabs of purple paint. My P4120657 and P4452759 cams had only a dab of purple paint on them.
Billy

[prostreetchallenger]

i have a .508 cam for a small block i have never used and it is purple everywhere except on the journals and lobes. it looks like it is a very well built cam.

[pishta]

Just check the part number. If there is any color change across any lobe, or if the gear is shiny, it is used. My Koeller Purple shaft has just one band of purple pain and a few paint dots on the end, had a good part number, and was black as the bottom of a barbeque. Those shiny cams they show in the Summit catalog under MP Cams look like billet roller jobs from the uniform silver shine. the MP cams are ugly, but they get the job done. When was the last time you popped the hood and said, "look at that shiny cam!"

[gagfitz]

turns out the guy bought a crate 360 short block. Took the brand new cam in it out and put in a purple cam. Then he put the old cam in the box and sold it to my dumbass. Dont trust ebay with vital engine parts. Im in the process of trying to get my $50.00 back. What a headache. Thanks for all the help.

[pishta]

Threaten him with Interstate mail fraud, like an FBI type crime! Of course tell Ebay about him, he might just get another selling name, but the fraud charge might scare him enough to get your cash back. that wasnt a 360/380 crate cam was it? You might be ahead! I hate seeing people get scammed on Ebay, I do alot of honest stuff there.