Thread: What is the best engine, and why?

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Ok, this is the type of question that gets us all stirred up. So which engine did you choose and why is it the best for you??

I think the new LS1 engine is the best thing around. It is light, high tech, all aluminum, cheap, simple, plentiful, and powerful in stock form. It winds up fast in what GM refers to as "race to redline".

327 chevy is undoubtedly the best engine ever built
light weight high reving power and reliability
what more can u ask for?
ps that is a retorical question!!
lol ha ha ha

AH, the age old question. Heres my opinion [and of course, just an opinion ]

The small block chevys are common, reliable, cheap [sorry, I don't consider an all aluminium LS1 'cheap', its an exotic] and decent performers. You usually can't go wrong with them.

Small block fords cost more to do, but there are some amazing performers out there that are still plentiful and can help keep a ford rod all ford.

Big blocks on the other hand are heavy and hard to fit into a rod, but I do love the torque! even a fairly stock engine [read reliable] can give 500+ ft-lb, more than enough for a strong launch. These is the ones I like. There is NO substitue for cubic inches.

But still, who can resist a slight smile when they tell people thay have a hemi under the hood or see the puzzled look when people spot the tri carbed offenhauser on top of a flat head. Exotics have a certain appeal that make the added expense worth it.

I don't think there is any 'one' right engine, it depends on what you want out of it.

I definately love the sound of a big block, and the torque without going too crazy on the build, is outta this world. I like the idea of a hemi myself, but the 427 Ford is a great engine. Throw a 428 crank in there and you're over 454 cubes....

For sheer nostalgia, nothing beats a built flathead V8. Nothing looks like it, sounds like it or dresses up quite so purdy. You'll always turn heads at the cruise nights with a flattie loping through dual steel packs. Basic machine work and bolt-ons yield huge HP gains (although you still won't have gobs of it by today's standards because they didn't have a lot in the first place). Parts are readily available and building one costs about the same as doing a modern small block Ford.

chevy BB. i like the torque.
plus i got lucky the other day buying three aluminum blocks for USD 3000.

otherwise i like the look of these "exotic" engines, like flatheads.

dom

MY FAVORITE ENGINE OF ALL TIMES IS THE CHEVROLET 400 SMALL BLOCK. IT HAS BIG BLOCK TORQUE, POWER DOWN LOW(CUASE CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, YOUR WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR, AND POWER STEERING WERE NOT MADE FOR GOBS OF RPM'S),AND CUBIC INCHES. PLENTIFUL, 350 ACCESSORIES FIT, CHEAP TO BUY PARTS FOR , AND GREAT TO LEAVE THE START LINE WITH.

Has everyone forgotten the older stuff? I'm an early hemi fan myself. Buick nailheads and early Olds motors are really cool also. The best engine is up to the opinion of the individual. I believe that the more unique it is, the better it is. A hot rodder builds an engine to be seen. A 241 Dodge hemi doesn't have the power potential of a 350 Chev but it will sure as shoot get more attention!

Chevy 283 bored .125. What a sweet sounding engine. Man those engines can get the r's up. I also like the early corvette 327's, 340 365 & 375 HP engines that's what a engine should sound like. And of course the 426 hemi there is no equal. Unless you consider the 500 inch funny car motor (John the main man Force) When those cars go by you can feel the power go right threw your body. Rich

Hi- I am listing some of my favorites............301 chevy 302 chevy 400 sm block chevy- 390-427 ford[solid lifter] 403 Olds is also a good one. and last but not least an engine I will use in an upcoming project-a series 1 3800 GM v6 with supercharger and a pulley/chip swap[315HP]goes up in front-traditional rear wheel drive[ with an S-10 trans from a 2.8 v6]....these are hot little engines and are vitrually INDESTRUCTIBLE...hey we gotta face reality -some of our dream engines are just out of reach price-wise and in unavailability for most of us!!

my absolute favorite of all time is a 427 cobra but the 390 460 429 440 455 502 were also very nice I know an engine that pulls quite a bit of torque for it's size is a 4.3 ltr chevy v-6 (I know because my brother has an astro with one in it and Iv'e felt it do 120 and it wasn't that hard because it had a little more to give even with that much weight.)And they are everywhere you can pick them up cheap at junk yards and play with them for what ever you want wether its work or play.

My favorite engine is a Dusenburg. If you drive one you will never forget how powerfull & fast a 70 + yr car can be. Since I can not afford one I have put SBC in all 5 of my cars including a Rolls RoyC:\Program Files\America Online 7.0\download\Shadow 011.jpgce

The buick turbo V-6 does a pretty good job of maintaining a high HP to engine size ratio. It makes me want to turbo, intercool, and fuel inject my big chevy and go really fast.

Everyone overlooks the old Studebaker 289 V-8's. They came from the factory with forged steel cranks, timing gears, and high nichol blocks. They where healthy engines that stood up to the supercharging. They also dress up very nicely with offy covers and 3 duce setups. I know the Studebaker has gone by the way, but my next one will be all Studebaker. Not the 350 chevy roller engine I now have.