Hot Rods Spending the money building vintage engines

The amount of $$$$$ wasted or not, on going for big HP,still can get lost in bad bit or too many lbs. of car and poor tuning. Often the real shows up, of what counts "HP to weight ratio" an good tuning.
Cool factor is another thing,in my case I have old 1928 hot rod powered by old Ford Y-block 292 w 4x2 ect. but is under 1800 lbs loaded with me an gas.
Raced a early 60s Vett ,very cool car with lots more HP. But the Vett is a lot more lbs. so he lost too a much older design engine. Ya,that really pissed him off.
Sure I could put a SBC in my old rod,HP would go up,but to me cool factor would drop a lot. I like SBC V8s,even raced them as power in my oval track cars for years,still have 2 in the garage. My son has a SBC V8 in his 23 T-bucket,that will blow me in the weeds.
Point is,there a lot of $$$$ used on getting even more HP,some times would of been better used for other parts of car.

 

There is something cool about the old technology that rounds out the whole package with vintage autos.

 

Of course, I just remembered I have a really nice flathead that needs a home!? Maybe my 27 roadster or 29 pickup?

 

Just two words, Flat Head.

--louis

 

That's usually how it starts. I buy an engine I don't need and build a car around it.

 

I thought I was the only one that did that.

--louis

 

Shoot...I usually start with a '37 Ford V8 60 tube axle! Engines, I GOT!

 

I built my curent 3 cars with that same blueprint. I spend more on the engines than I do paint, and often more than paint and interior. To me a hot rod is not a paint job and some wheels/tires. If it cant burn 'em, I don't yearn 'em"

 

My reasons exactly for going the 'cheap' crate sbc route. Plus its a lot easier to live with here in the UK.
Sadly, the '32 might now never get finished with the job loss as a result of this bloody virus.

 

Hang in there buddy. It'll either get better or we will all die.

 

- look at price for a built Hi-performance set up with all of the right parts

 

I went through the same thing with my 54 Olds. I bought the car with no engine or trans. I had a 58 Pontiac 370 with factory Tri-Power that we had went through in 1970, bored .030, big cam etc. that we ran in a modified pulling tractor. Pulled the 370 in 1973 in favor of a 427 Chevy. The Pontiac was oiled and put in storage. I put it in the 54 Olds with a 4 speed Hydro. Now all the Olds guys get on my ass for using the Pontiac and all the Pontiac guys give me hell for putting it in the Olds. I have a dude wanting to buy it, he doesn't know a lug nut from a horse turd and his money is green so it might go down the road.

 

High five on that one.

 

I have very few pants that have deep pockets and the ones that do , have holes in them.

 

You're not alone here Root; anyone can put an sbc in anything if they want a belly-button mobile. I could have put one in my '40 but then I'd have just another '40 with just another sbc in it. The Cad may have cost more to put together but it's way cooler IMHO.

 

people say I'm fkn nutz but so be it................ya only live once go for whatever gusto please's ya..... Go Roothawg

 

and remember...............

 

You're definitely not alone. I've been collecting stuff to build a 394 Oldsmobile for awhile now. I think I've got pretty much everything I need to start at it. To make mine even more challenging, I've only bought used or n.o.s parts for it from pre '65. (Including some from hamb members). Trust Me, it's not easy to find vintage parts and most of it cost as much or more than ordering new components. But it has been alot of fun doing that treasure hunt. Does it make any sense?...probably not, but it is fun. I'll add that I was still in bag dad when the 394 was available...I was born in 71.

 

27 Roadster pickup on 32 rails.

 

i call it the cost of cool
fabricator john
miss you dad

 

Only a mild build on the 365 I’ve put together (mild cam and 390 heads)along with manual box,but it’s dressed for a big night out!
My thoughts are the torque this fine looking engine will produce while in a little A will enable me to scoot around for a long time with a big grind on the dial. Plus the stockish hp produced and torque will shread tyres if the urge is there.
A thread I was reading recently from a builder with lots of Cad experience suggested trying to make one rev like a sbc (=$$$$$) is not required when their torque is produced down low as designed. Mildly enhanced and dressing up is still not cheap on these but enables me to have as much fun I can probably handle anyway.

 

For what I have invested in a low buck Desoto hemi build with an a833 four speed behind it I could have had an expensive paint job and a 305 auto. Not much question which is cooler.

 

Most of the engines I’ve had or built have been sbc, rebuilt a y block just because it would suit the truck and you know what? I’m converted, looks great, sounds awesome, so what if it’s heavy, quirky, low hp, most sbc’s aren’t powerful in stock form either.

 

wrapping up a 500 caddy, I personally feel it was a bargain for the low torque its supposed to produce

 

I know, I have a Cad 390 and just to put it back to a stock running piece it's costing bucks. But like you said. IT'S COOL

 

I had a 390 in a 62 Sedan DeVille that weighs in at 4700 lbs. it scooted right along, just don't stop or turn.

 

Don't get me started on my little 273 Commando a factory 10.5 popper....

 

I too, started with a $200 390 caddy that quickly turned into a +$1000 and it's not even running yet.
Worst thing is that I don't have anything small to put it in.

 

You just never learn do you ?

 

Your not the first guy to start with one piece and buy everything else to go around it to make a Hot Rod. My avitar started out a Vision, a Grill and a set of Hubcaps.