Which is cooler flathead six or OHV V8?

55 Dodge sedan mild custom. Needs engine, can either rebuild the old one with a few hop up goodies or swap in a 360 4 barrel with automatic OD trans.

So, flathead six with 3 on the tree? Or 360 with automatic?

 

Flathead!

 

How much you going to drive it? That's the only important question, if it were mine.

 

I'm gonna have to vote for the side-valve here...

 

If I was just going to cruise slow on the local boulevards, I'd go flat 6 with 3 on tree. If I wanted to blast down a highway to destinations further away, I'd go V8 with OD. ...robber

 

If it will be a nostalgic Sunday cruiser, the flathead is nice.
If it will be a fun practical car the v8 is nice
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Well you asked which was cooler not which is better for a particular purpose. Seems obvious to me........flathead


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Will the V8 even clear the steering box?

 

V8 every time over a 6 cyl

 

If I build a flathead 6 it will be a 265 cu in 160HP more or less. Performance and reliability similar to each other. The V8 would have more HP, the six may be more reliable since it is newly rebuilt. Either will be reliable for cruising and hiway driving up to 70MPH.

Cost and work involved would be similar.

 

It will if you offset the engine an inch or inch and a half to the right. 55s came with a V8 (optional) and have more room under the hood than older models.

 

I already have a Porsche 911 with a flat 6 in it. For the Dodge I was going to use an inline six or V8.

 

Another vote for the flatty six!

My 53 Dodge 6 has more & personality than any V8 I've ever owned.

 

6 Man, 8's are like opinions and orifices that start with an A , as far as cool factor

 

You already have the 6, and it is already in there.

 

and a flatty to boot... bonus points

 

Yes it is, unfortunately the car was stripped for parts before I got it. Intake, exhaust, carburetor, distributor, generator, radiator all gone. Sitting open for who knows how long? Worst case, the engine is a write off.

I have a spare block from an industrial engine (225 cu in) and the crankshaft and rods from another industrial engine (265 cu in). By putting them together with a few new parts I can build a 265 cu in, Chrysler Windsor type engine. Reground cam, milled head, 2 carbs, split exhaust manifold, shaved flywheel and a few other tricks can be added at low cost.

By the way this is a Canadian Dodge that came with the Chrysler/DeSoto "big block" 6, detuned. So the 265 will bolt in.

 

The cooler engine is the one in the car that gets driven. That flatty is cool, but, not cool sitting in the garage. If you think you'll drive them equally either way, go with the flatty. If the flatty will keep you from driving it, go with the 360.

 

So, get off the board, and get to work!

 

V8,,every day of the week. HRP

 

Look who's talking, we have been waiting 4 years for you to paint that avatar. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

 

i love my flathead and it goes down the free way just fine it likes 70 more than 50 in fact 230 dodge truck engine 0.030 over dual carbs headers it has 3 on the tree and 2.73 gears not good off the line or pulling big hills but it goes good enough for me

 

Rusty, you're asking the wrong question sir . You need to determine if , 1, you're going to actually be driving the car, to shows for the purpose of "SHOWING " an old car, , 2, to drive the car on a tour . Now, determine how much time you'll spend finding parts to keep an antique engine running at peak order, or finding a late model engine and running it .Yes, I have one full Antique truck and yes , finding some of the parts to keep it running has been really expensive. Changing some of the running gear out to some more modern stuff would be less expensive , yes. scrubba

 

The 265 Chrysler would be a good choice. Any motor in that car
would be fun. The 265 would look like the 230.

 

I owned a 230 flathead 6. That's a hell of an engine, and it made a belever outta me.

My only mod was a Tom Langdon mini HEI and man that was the best move I made.

Mine was in a 41 Plymouth, the guy who originaly built it ran from Ohio cross PA and NY through Canada back down through Mich and Home to Kent Ohio. No issues. I ran on the freeway to Toledo, got the lomng distance award and home....

My only upset was no one made an A/C bracket for the flat 6

The 230 was still used in many towmotors into the early 80s....

 

Seems to be some contradiction and confusion here... maybe it is just me Your title says you are asking about flathead 6 or OHV V8. I believe any internal combustion engine can be made to be cool. When I posted, I was trying to find out what the end use would be. When you quoted me, you brought up your OT 911. Porsche 911s were built with many different versions of a 6 cylinder...I am pretty sure none of them were flatheads. In line 6 Chrysler brand engines of the early 1950's were flatheads. An inline six can be either flathead or OHV. A V8 can be either a flathead or an OHV. I don't understand how you got from your thread title and my post to OT Porsche 911s... not that it matters ...robber

 

What he said

 

A flat 6 is a horizontally opposed engine. A flathead has the valves in the block. When you said flat 6 I thought you meant flat 6.

I'm thinking more of an inline 6 flathead, or a V8 overhead valve.



End use, I suppose summertime small town everyday driving with occasional trips of 50 or 100 miles. May go to some shows too. A daily driver not a race car or hot rod.

Either engine would do the job and the cost and work would be about equal either way. Parts for Chrysler sixes are pretty cheap and easy to get. I have some parts already, besides the car.

I have the V8 and auto, in another vehicle. It would have to be taken out and transplanted, driveshaft and mounts made, etc.

From reading other threads, it seemed the older more experienced guys have a fondness for old flatheads and six cylinder engines, while the younger crowd can't tear them out and throw them away fast enough. I was curious what everyone thought.

Some very interesting comments and opinons. So far the vote seems to be going to the flathead 6. With strong support for the V8 from the loyal opposition.

 

I'm 60 years young (too old to die young) and I like 'em all! I wish you the best with whatever you decide! ...robber

 

Yeah, it is so far back in storage that I have not seen it in about 3.