Featured Hot Rods 354 Hemi vs SBC

As nice as your 3 window 1934 Ford Coupe is shown, why damage the great design with an oddball hood bulge? It is not worth the fact of owning a physically large Hemi motor, despite the Hemi motor fan club.

Hello,

When my old friend had a 1934 5 window, he decided to have an Oldsmobile motor for power. A 394 C.I. motor stock had 315 hp with a 4 barrel. He changed it to a dual quad set up and gained more horsepower. He could have put on a supercharger, but it was his daily driver to school and work. So, it had carburetors for reliability. The motor also fit inside of the hood.

He had the option of making it an all out drag racer, but he liked racing in the gas coupe/sedan cl***. His 394 c.i. motor put him in A/Gas cl***. He accomplished his goal of winning some cl*** trophies at Lion’s Dragstrip.

My first hot rod coupe ride on the street with a large Oldsmobile motor and LaSalle transmission.

He also had the choice to run with the hood open, as he did several times on the street. But, with an open hood, one cannot leave the hot rod out on the street anywhere, back then or even today. Even at school, as the parking spots were general public curb side parking next to the high school.

If you get a hemi motor, you will have to alter the hood with bulges that make it look like a pregnant beluga whale. If that is ok with you, then go for it. If owning a smooth outline of a 34 coupe or sedan as it originally was designed, then keep the SBC motor for reliability. You can always add on a supercharger on it if you need “more horsepower.” YRMV

A 1934 Ford, 5 window coupe for his daily driver to school and work. But, somewhere between all of that time, he installed a big Oldsmobile motor with a myriad of carb changes over time. The 4 barrel ran the best, but, the log manifold with 6 Strombergs sounded and felt the most powerful.

With the hood securely in place, the parking for the high school was right in front of the main building with hundreds of students walking by daily. Every English Cl*** in the lower level also gazed out of the windows all day long. So, it was a safe place to park. Other than the auto shop driveway in the back of the school. We learned those premier parking spots for our own teenage hot rods and fast sedans. It was always a race to get to school early for those coveted spots.
I was a young teen and saw this 1934 coupe in our driveway. I could not get over the idea that some kid, a teenager, had the time and skills to build such a cool looking, sounding hot rod. I eventually got a ride in it and it met all of my dreams of going fast and much faster. The acceleration in this 1934 5 window coupe was pretty awesome.

This to me was a daily driver to our high school. It also ran in the A/Gas cl*** at Lions Dragstrip. It did well for a carburetor provided Oldsmobile power in the cl***. When the big names started coming to Lions on a weekly basis, the compe***ion in A/Gas got a little hectic and definitely harder to win in the cl***.

One of the final looks prior to selling the 1934 Oldsmobile powered 34 coupe.

Jnaki

My friend was a fast teenager in his 34 coupe and was probably the fastest car in Bixby Knolls at the time. But, there were two 55 and 56 Chevy sedans running a 352 c.i. motors that were also in the top 3.

I found out several days too late to buy the black Oldsmobile powered 1934 Ford Coupe as my first hot rod. By the time I was 15.5, he had to sell the coupe and it got away from me…

Note:
Many years later, I photographed one of the coolest 1934 three window Ford Coupe in So Cal. The look was excellent as the stance was at the right height and rake. The color also played a big part in influencing the editors to select my photo shoot story to be published with a color magazine page. YES! It was a Hilborn Port Injected SBC motor modified for everyday street use. The Hilborn Port Injectors worked perfectly and the SBC motor sounded as if it was staging at Lion's Dragstrip, when we moved the 34 for different photo angles in the Long Beach Harbor location. This 34 Ford Coupe had one of the only daily driven Hilborn Port Injectors adjusted for street driving.

 

So your saying with a few more "agrgessive" parts you can take a 280 HP 354 and produce 560-680 HP or that the 300B got those parts to get up to 340?
https://www.jegs.com/p/ATK-Engines/...lock-Chevy-383ci-500HP-505TQ/5194747/10002/-1.
500 HP by mail order for a tick over $5500. Probably a 560-680 hp out there. I just typed in 500 and several crate engines showed up. Can you build a 560-680 N/A 354?

 

I have a 34 Dodge with a sbc, a 29 Ford with a 389 Pontiac, a 56 Nomad, with a sbc, and a 31 Ford with a 354 Hemi. Just me, but my favorite is the sbc for lots of reasons. But if you like COOL ? go Hemi

 

I vote no on the Hemi!

Lots of nose weight expensive, and when it is all said and done it will never out perform the Small Block Chevy

 

WAY too practical for this crowd...moderator,smite him!

 

Beautiful car ! Stay with the SBC IMO, BUT Your Money, Your Car, Your decision. I never understand this type of question thread. All that matters is Your thoughts, what makes You happy. I noticed nobody mentioned that is not going to just drop in there easy/peasy, lot of work with fab work required. old Hemi parts, guessing a problem, $$ goes on and on, Be sure you know/understand what you're getting into. NOTE ! my advice is worth the price you paid. Good Luck !

 

How many on here drive their cars where they would use that horsepower or take advantage of the extra horse over a hemi ?

Most posts on here are about getting the best milage not how to extract the most horsepower.

Cool factor definitely goes to the hemi, honestly the cool factor wins over the horsepower that will probably never be used or exercised anyway.

650 horse is cool for bragging rights but worthless in a car that never see's the redline on the tach or the go pedal buried deep into the carpet...

...

 

That heavy weight will definitely change the way your car drives, stops, etc. don’t get me wrong I love the look of a hemi or wide DOHC but not one that takes away the look of a nice full fendered hooded car.
Today if I was building anything I would look at weight first. With all the aluminum parts or even complete engines it’s a must!

 

Is it just going to be a motor change, or do you plan on changing the entire direction of the car from its current standing?

If the plan is to change the entire direction, go with the HEMI (its not my money ).

If the plan is just to change the motor, stick with the belly ****on (its not my car ).

Installing the Hemi while trying to keep the rest of the car pretty much as is, you will probably have an expensive and disappointing outcome.

 

Here’s my take on it. With the dark color, chopped top and race car style wheels, the car has a “mean” hot rod vibe to it in the picture (with the exception of the horns and the cowl lights). If you are looking for a change I would install the Hemi with little chrome or polish, lose the hood sides, and cowl lights and hide the horns. Full-on mean hot rod….
Otherwise, leave it as it is. Putting a full hood with bulges over the Hemi defeats the purpose. JMO.

 

I've got experience with the unusual engine, as many of us do. With my Buick 455 I can say that the increased cost of going to an unusual engine doesn't end when you build it, but continues every time it needs parts that are engine specific. While it's cool to be unusual, a SBC is much easier, cheaper, and just plain works. Your car is already together and looks killer with the SBC, I'd personally keep it SBC, and keep from potential disappointment with the (cost of the) hemi down the road.

 

Best of Both Worlds?


I did this 20 or 30 years ago. I came by these DeSoto covers and mounted them on some old Chevy tin valve covers. Kept 'em on for a month or two. More than 1/2 the guys didn't think anything about them and congratulated me on my new Hemi!

 

bingo! Go hemi!

 

I´m great at spending other guy´s money, so, go build the Hemi cool and ***y and give me the 350 cheap. Deal?

 

From personal experience, I think the first question to ask is how long will the car be off the road if you go Hemi?

Anything I pull apart for an "improvement" seems to shortly after become 1) a money pit and 2) a long term project.

Time matters - as you get closer to the end of the toilet roll, it empties out faster. Now in my 60s, Im seeing the same stuff happening with life.

 

IF YOU HAVE TO ASK......it's really not that important to you... jmho

 

13 k just to this point

 

Hemi! But I'm biased.

 

I'm sorry I don't get it... I really don't understand.

Guys will sink +15k in a paint job... another +10k in interior, another 5k in magnesium wheels then build a belly ****on motor or push building a belly ****on motor because it might be 5k cheaper... if I'm wasting money it's going motor first...

Just asking for a friend....

...

 

My plan was to do that very thing, build the engine first so if the $$$ ran out I wouldn't have to compromise with a "belly****on" sbc crate engine, well, the money did run out but boy did I end up with a pile of neat stuff.

 

It's kind of like if you asked us what color shirt should you put on in the morning. What do you want.

 

Short trips around town, or long trips halfway across the country? Parts available when the inevitable breakdown occurs in the middle of nowhere?

 

. . . and as to performance -- this old thing set 7 El Mirage and Bonneville Street Roadster records (some our own) with a best of 210 MPH -- all with SBC engines.

 

"Both take a whole bunch of money to get half the HP of a mild SBC."

A stock factory 354 Chrysler Hemi from the factory rated at 280 or 340 HP.
You stated that this HP rating was half that of a mild SBC. Your claim that a mild SBC has twice this HP would mean that the SBC would have a rating between 560-680 HP.
What's your definition of a mild build?
Your mild build engine that you refence states;
High-Performance 383 Stroker for Street/Strip
If the above is a mild SBC build, then I would claim this is a mild Hemi build.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3540504516...1291&msclkid=372119440e701894b6c570e38c161fd7

 

Don't know much about Desoto's but I'm guessing that the parts are higher cost due to their scarcity. Would love to see a breakdown cost of your build.

 

Although some deride the SBC as a "belly****on" it seems irrational. It's not popular for no reason. But, first of all, aren't 32 and 34 Ford's the prototypical hot rod belly****on cars? Maybe 40 Ford's too. And flatheads are a dime a dozen. Powerplants. Some early Hemi's are rare but 354 Hemi's ain't nothing special. If you want to break the mold I like the idea of an Old's 394, a Caddy 365, a Lincoln 430, or a six cylinder. A Mopar 413 or a polysphere 354 engine would be real cool.

 

The OP doesn't really give much to go on. If this was a build thread with the body work, upholstery, paint, wiring, suspension still to go, I would go for the Hemi.
Besides the $5000 plus to get the Hemi back to stock, there would be a lot of work to change the exhaust, transmission mount, maybe firewall. to install the Hemi.
If it were mine, I would throw away those ugly dual horns up front and drive the hell out of it as is and find another project for the Hemi.
This coming from a guy that just dropped a 55 331 Chrysler Hemi off at the machine shop yesterday.

 

You can fix the SBC by the weekend. The "learning curve" has already flattened out. Biggest impact (besides weight) is visual. Hood will not close so total rethink on style. Nothing early HEMI is reasonably priced compared to the SBC. At the end of the day you'll go from 18-20 MPG down to 15 if you behave. You won't. Performance won't be noticed unless you rock it really hard ($$$$$), and at that it really won't be much faster if at all. Fun project motor tho. Build it, buy a car, drop it in, chase parts with the 3W, life don't get much better then, does it? The build is ½ the juice.

 

At first, I was thinking the 354, but then I looked at your car and changed to the 350. It's already in there and should be plenty of power.

Also, I am in the middle, or towards the end, of a 354 build. Figure out $5-$7k to build a 354.

 

On this one, I could afford a hemi or shiny paint. Guess what I chose.