anyone else caught themselves doing this?

i was at a small show the other day checkin out some traditionalish cars, and i caught myself noticing that as soon as id find a car with an sbc, id quit looking at the motor for more details.

i never noticed myself doing this before, and it kinda sucks, cause ive been building a vintage sbc for my coupester with the thought that well, because its authentic and truely an old motor it would still hold my interest whle also fitting into my limited budget.

but now ive realized that these motors dont hold my interest. so fuck. anyone else find themselves overlooking cars just purely because they are powered by a sbc?

 

Nope a cool car is a cool car....by the way Small Blocks are traditional....been around since 55.....

 

no, I'm not ashamed to say that there are motors that are certainly uglier than an SBC. If you're building it because of cost then you probably are bored with it.
Peddle it and all the period correct pieces that ypou have taken a lot of time to find and buy what you want. Problem solved.

 

Yes but Ive always been a ford guy...

 

No.

Lotsa interesting cars out there and many times SBC owners have come up with some clever answers to problems that others can use.

You may want to stick with the SBC due to resale value is improved with many potential buyers.

Even if you have a hot rod style coupe or roadster, build the SBC as a sleeper motor.

Park at the rod run and leave the hood closed if it bothers you.
Most guys think you'll be running SBC regardless of what you have under the hood.


Looks better with the hood closed anyway....

 

SBC are fine, but I definitely bypassed a lot of cool rods at pamona because of the SBC. It's probably way worse there because there are piles of 32 roadsters there and a lot have the sbc. I think its kind of the latest fad, odd, new and extrememely different (without being ridulous) powerplants are just interesting!

 

SBC's are a dime a dozen, but when you do see one that is done very well, that is what catches your attention. When they are done just like thousands of others, they do get boring, but not unlike any other engine that has nothing too special about it either.

Honestly, hemis can be kind of boring too as they are fairly popular too and if they are just plain old hemis, I find that is just what I think in my head when I see one.

But, I also think a motor can be just very plain and simple and is best to be if that is what you are after or if you want to emphasize other parts of your car. Sometimes less is more, even when it comes to the motor. Not every motor needs to stand out and sometimes if it does, it might detract from something else.

 

I like em all. I've always been a Ford guy at heart. My car has a 350. Not HAMB friendly but it's roots are. Just like the SBF. I can't fault the Chevy engine.
I do like the guys that use vintage parts on them. I'm just messing with changing it's Street Rod look. Cars with different or older engines always get my attention.
I do get tired of seeing Chevelles and Camaros.

 

In my case Ford & Mopar!

 

No. . .

 

Cad,olds,Dodge red ram has been around a lot longer-Thats traditional to me. Hate to say it but in this day and time doing a SBC is just lazy to me. Use to build a lot of SBC for hot rods and finally quit cause I got to feeling like a proctologist. Every one has ones .Dare to be different!

 

The Cadillac engines are cheap,make mega torque,with aluminum intake and some headers they are close in weight to a sbc.They are traditional and near bullet proof.Why is everyone so addicted to sbc ?They are good engines,but why copy everybody else? No need,no advantage,and shows no originality.just my humble opinion...

 

see this is kind of a suprise to me, your the second person to tell me that a sbc will be better for resale. my thought was that an odd motor would attract more attention, thus, more potential buyers.

not that im building the car strictly for resale, but it is a consideration that if money gets tight i may be forced to unload it.

 

Naw ... 'cause I like it all. But I will say that something out of the ordinary does get me fired up.

 

I'm a died in the wool Chevy guy, but I find myself doing damn near the same thing, but with a twist. I glance at the small block to see if the heads have the accessory holes in the front, if not I tend to look further into it at the details. In order to stand out with that motor you have to come up with all early stuff.

 

YA well I would rather spend ten thousand on paint and five thousand on an interior then fifteen thousand on a "traditional" engine on my Custom I dont open the hood, it is very very well detailed and has a dual quad set up, and looks everybit traditional and is very reliable, if I was building an open car I would op for a nailhead, but I can't see spending tons of money on a car you will never open the hood on! Yes I am building an Olds for my 51 but it will probably never get in the car! Hey Ray whats in the blue roadster for an engine???? And if we are going by what engine came first like you say we should all be using engines out of model t's right????

 

funny thing is, so many people whine about the SBC being soooo commonplace. but HERE, it seems like EVERYONE has caddys, flattys, or hemis. hell, i feel like the outsider!

hemis and caddys are the new SBC.....

 

What interests me are the details. I can tell from a glance whether it is worth looking any further for the little things. If it's got the 29.95 chrome dress up kit from Pep Boys then I rarely go any further but if it has a detailed SBC with parts from the day then I can spend an hour drinking up all the details that make it stand out in my mind.

I spend a little time on the cookie cutter nostalgia roadsters just looking at the professional execution of the assembly but they have become a turn off to me lately. Most are an assemblage of reproduction kit parts.

The Chevrolet motor doesn't turn me off. It's the execution of the build that leaves me flat.

 

some day I hope to be cool enough to join the HAMB SBC haters group. until then I'll just watch from the sidelines.

 

i actually dont look at cars that dont have GM motors

 

No way, say what you want, still my favorite low buck motor.

 

That's what was in the Merc when I bought it. It works. Someday I'll probably put a Ford in it. I have a Nailhead waiting in the wings to go in a RPU

 

You mean the endless whinning about the SBC?

 

Nothing like beating a dead horse. How many post are out there knocking SBC ? .......................... I bet a couple thousand.

 

hahah thats funny. actually its more like im whining about the cost to get this desoto hemi back together so i dont have to use this sbc.

 

Not a chance. SBCs are cool!

 

Nope there nothing wrong or boring to me about a SBC, I wanted to put a Buick 455 in my 58 Buick, but since I am on a budget and I could not fine one cheap, I bought a complete chevy truck for $300.00, which give me the 350 4 bolt, 350 TH trans and 12 bolt rear plus other little shit.

I will put a retro intake with the oil fill in front and solid valve covers to make it look a little older

 

If all a guy cares about is what motor my car has in it, then I'm glad he keeps moving onto the next car - those guys bore me way more than my sbc bores them.

 

last saturday i was at the local once a week cruse in and there was a t-sedan with a SBC, it was a nicely done up engine but it did cross my mind it would of look alot sweeter with almost any other engine in there, it was a beautiful car just the same and most likey could be driven anywhere.

 

I leave all the Chevy parts out side until the swapmeet...

To answer your question YES I do exactly the same thing I was just at the NHRA Museum I did it there TOO...Sorry I have 6 Hemi's 6 Flathead's and 2 Olds Rockets...