Thread: What's the best street rod engine?

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As much as we car nuts rag on the other guys because they like Ford, or Chevy, or Mopar, etc, etc, the fact is every American car manufacturer has turned out some really fantastic products over the years. To say one is better than another is pretty tough. Even companies like American Motors, which is out of the mainstream compared to Ford and Chevy, has built some very impressive engines and cars.

Another factor in a hot rod engine is "prettiness." Some engines are just prettier and have less components hanging off of them than others. One example would be the 430-455 Buick motors, very good engines but not very pretty in a hoodless car. Things like oil pumps hanging off that make them not only difficult to fit into an early chassis, but also that make them kind of spread out cosmetically. That is a subjective observation, but I think everyone will agree that the Chevy sb and Ford sb are "tighter" in their appearance and doll up better.

But just when you make a statement like that someone builds a car with one of the less attractive engines and blows everyone away.

Don

Well I like my SB Chevy (early '80's 350 with triple carbs) for the simple reason that was in the car when purchased with a Quadjet on it. I am rebuilding the car to a '60's looking bucket and ideally would of loved a Buick Nailhead with multi carbs. but they are very rare down here and probably very costly to rebuild too. I must be getting older and wiser because I have a burning desire to own an old style flat head.gearbox back to an old banjo diff in an old style Model A roadster ,but NOT a rat rod look.

I like some of the V8 quad cam engines that have been developed in the last 15 or so years. Most of them look pretty cool if you can junk the plastic covers that hide them.

Thers the Caddy Northstar, the Ford 5.4 engine (ex Australia) the Old Aurora? and then theres the Japanese engines and theres a bunch out of Europe too including offerings from Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi.

I probably wouldnt have them in a traditional looking hot rod, but think they would be fine in a street rod.