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I know there are alot of them out there, but I'm looking for your opion on what is the best STOCK street rod engine be it chevy, ford, chrysler, etc. Mine would be the reliable 327. You could get a nice running 300 HP or up to I think 365 with great torque as these engine would really rev. My second choice would be the ford 302.
for oooohs and aaaahs yu got to have the HEMI
In my opinion, there is no "best" because the engine is
part of the theme.....most builders have no theme but the
really good cars are built with a consistency in mind....the
engine, paint, wheels/tires, plating, upholstery, etc work
together to make the statement that was intended.
Too many cars have mixed themes which make them look
awkward. An early 50's style roadster would look kinda
strange with a blown LS motor while a late model
Camaro would seem strange with a flathead....
We all recognize the billet mirror on a period rod but the
other stuff is equally important....gotta have a theme
a you gotta stick to it. Like mixing chrome and polished
aluminum, mixed themes are hard to pull off.
mike in tucson
Very well said Mike. To that I might also add extra points for same brand (or at least same corporation) swaps in in non-chevy streeet rods.
Mike, IMO, came about as close as possible with his response. If I were to build an early Ford personally I would use a SB Ford. Of course with that said, there are thousands with that optional engine, a SB Chebbie which is also a great choice. But that doesn't make either of them "right" for the next guy. A MoPar hemi was also mentioned, but there are challenges to installing that engine that many could not handle. Since I'm about done with my current car, I'm "considering" something different and out of the ordinary for the next (hope the wife wont read this:whacked:)
IC2 HE! HE! HE! Ithought I was the only one that felt like that about the wife!!!
Kurt
Quote:
Originally Posted by vara4
Something like that shout I heard yesterday "YOU JUST GOT SOME MORE CAR PARTS" when the UPS guy dropped off a Summit box. :whacked::LOL::LOL::LOL:
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. :D
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.
SB Chevy 350 :cool:
A question like that is like asking me which of my children that I love the most?
It's hard for me to justify the words best, always or never in Rodding and I also believe that the type of car helps dictate the motor!
My plans are for 33 roadster, quick change rear with a 392 hemi and a ford flathead that I switch back and forth every so often----only one parking spot, one paint and upholstery.
I built my wife a 34 3 window with an 96 LT1 and 4l60 and 9 inch ford----good performance on whatever you put in the tank and milage in the mid 20s!!!!
Oh and I forgot---cabrilet for younger son with 4.6 quad cam Lincoln Mk 8 and 5 speed--something he can drive to high school( well now he's married, 27 years old, etc,etc,etc!!!!
And if you want wow-----look at the 32 5w I built for a customer in my gallery
The coolest engine is: what you have available that fills your needs power and looks wise IMHO.
I wanted something unusual to put in my T bucket build, and I had a spare engine sitting around from some previous Fiero follies, so I give you the "northstar T".
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL827.../388971536.jpg
As if the N* wasn't enough I'm also using ITB injection of my own design on top, and a 5 speed trans behind it. Holly Commander cpu.
I hope to have it on the road by summers end. It's not the easiest engine to manage, electronics wise, but once set up you're not likely to see another one next to you at a show. ;) all aluminum, quad cam, 300 hp and 300 ft lb stock with pretty much unlimited aftermarket horsepower available.
Russ
What a loaded question, and no world war three yet!!!!!:LOL::3dSMILE:
I think if you building a light weight rod, a small block anything is the way to go. For a street strip car where you need obscene hp, then a big block! As to make a 327 vette engine is mighty impressive as is the 4.7 litre Ford. Hemis are just plain cool! Then you can go from there to more obscure engines, that are interesting because they are rare. I still believe a 350 Chevy will give you your biggest bang for the buck, but why do the sensible economic thing!:LOL::3dSMILE:
You mean like building a street rod? ;) what's sensible and economic got to do with it (sounds like a great song title) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by stovens
From the dawn of time, hot rodding has been about using what was available, along with a large dose of engine-ewity, to come up with a unique and "better" vehicle. I've grown weary of 350/350 9" Ford powertrains. might as well drive a VW.
Russ
well i do not care what anyone thinks:3dSMILE: i use a mild bbc not as wide as may of the others makes of big blocks so they fit nice were not to many big blocks will fit . OH they can run and getting a stock block to 500 cid is EZ .sensible /economic hot rod ? that one is hard for me :) but a LS1 then if no room at all 4.3
Well, I used to think that the engine that gave the most power was the best one, as hot rodding was about "More Power".
So I have a 540 cube BBC and blower in my bucket and its pretty cool, but its a pain to keep cool in town, it eats fuel like a fat kid eats ice cream.
Sometimes all I want is a nice little stroked 392 Hemi with an 8 stack Hilborn converted to EFI so i can go out cruising a bit more.
I guess I dont do sensible and economical so well.
Engines are an important visual part of a hot rod so I cant get excited about a SBC with a single 4 barrrel, even tho they dominate the hot rod world.
I prefer One that runs. He He
Creep
well i have a 548 in a 50chevy it s not bad on fuel much better then many would think .as for running hot.. well power makes heat .i can get away with driving it here but if very hot out i do not drive it .i am more of a night driver weather cooler and the blower likes cool air :D your open wheel car should not run hot . but whats your ideal of hot ? i did a open wheel car that i put a 14.9 cr 548 in i was thinking its going to run hot in this car the 548 allways did in my GTO hot was 230+ .the gto had bigger rad but not by much .but the open wheel car had a nice shot for the air to move round the engine and get to the rad core were on the gto there was grills screwing with the air flowQuote:
Originally Posted by Hot Rod Todd
Some great answers and I thank you for your responses. I grew up with flatheads and it was the first engine I tore apart and did a partial rebuild. For looks and just plain sound of a nice flathead with open pipes, I don't think anything can beat it, but as Pat says for the big HP and torque you can't argue with the BB. I always like the 348 and 409 engines and back in their days they were untouchable and then the 396 came along and did them in. Everyone has there own opion and that was what I was looking for. My preference as stated is the 327 as I owned 6 of them growing up in my teens and early 20's.
Thanks Pat,
With the temp sender in the head by the exhaust port, with the old blown 454, the engine guage showed we would run over 230.
Tried three different radiators, getting deeper & lower as we went, because we couldnt go any higher. Strange thing was that with the radiator shops temperature probe in the top of the radiator, it didnt show 170.
I have an old competition manifold with no provision for a thermostat. Maybe the waters just racing thru too quickly to cool down.
Engine has a pair of 1050 dominators on it. They arent so good for fuel economy
well i have two edelbrocks750 re work abit before they made 800s i check the EGT on it and it s fine as for thremostat i think i have 160 stat in it with a stewart water pump.the two 1050 are abit over kill for street use .they can work on the street i have a 9377 that i used for 20 years on the street . but with no power valve set up there going to be hard on fuel picking up water temp by the ex port is not the best i thinkQuote:
Originally Posted by Hot Rod Todd
I guess that I'm the oddball. I am building an 80 AMC Spirit right now and the 258 was removed a few years ago and a 360 sits in its place. I do have a 401 that may go in sometime this year. I also have a 40 Nash that has AMC's 304 in it now because I want something to take on long trips with decent mileage. I also have 2 Chevy pickup cabs that I will build if they don't sell. It will have whatever is not in the Spirit. If you haven't guessed yet, my preferred motor is AMC and I would love to find an early AMC 327 from the mid to late 50's to play with but don't have the money for that one either.
got a AMC 401 in the shop right now for work---different looking engine--makes people ask what it is??
yep i have a 36 caddy flat head WEEEEEeeeee when that leaves i going to have a party
Is that an invitation????
,,,,you bet:3dSMILE:Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton