All time greatest engine?

If you are a biker, it's a knuckle head. If you are a rodder, it's a nailhead.

 

You said it!

 

SOHC427 and I'm a GM fan

 

I'll never doubt the attributes or the greatness of the sbc, they are a great bang for buck.......BUT they sure have had plenty of help along the way. Never realized it when I was younger but it became obvious later that many times when the sbc started getting beat some crafty rulesmakers protected the sbc platform to keep the cost of racing down. The most famous example I can think of was when the NHRA kept "refactoring" the weight breaks on the Mopar and Ford pro stocks to keep the Chevys in the game during the 1970's. A similar rule at my local "roundy round" track outlawed any Cleveland headed Ford except in Modified Sportsman where I guess they felt the 100 cubic inch larger bbc's could hold them off. NASCAR has been "leveling" the playing field since the day after the sbc's were deemed to be tapped out powerwise. NASCAR's final solution was to let every manufacturer build their own version of the basic 351 Cleveland. These measures were taken I believe to keep the cheapest engine competitive.

I submit the greatest pushrod American V8 is the 385 Series Ford V8. The most basic version is capable of attaining 550+ cubes in a factory block. The standard heads even in the smog years will support 500hp easily with basic work. They are tough and reliable and have no inherent weaknesses to 500hp. You don't need special this or special that. There is no need to find a "tall deck" or double hump or rectangle port or Stage whatever. The mass produced basic factory parts will give you all kinds of power with a bit more compression, cam and carburator. These things are basically big 351 Windsor blocks that are capable of huge displacements and are topped off with Cleveland head technology.

I firmly believe, in a street car on pump gas with the highest content of standard run of the mill factory parts the 385 Series BBF has no equal. It truely is the greatest engine ever.

 

small block chevy

 

"best"

500 caddy is the fastest, strongest production engine ever built.

There can be no argument, none, not any, that it is the greatest american v8 ever produced

Only gasoline powered car to go 400 mph? Caddy 500, stock bottom end.

As far as ford flatheads go Hudson 308 inline 6 kicks the shit out of any ford flathead ever built.

Now ford 300 6, thats a helluva motor, same guy that designed the hudson 308

"most iconic"

winfield

 

Yea sure there's been some crazy sbc's over the years but for the modern consumer unless you start with an old bowtie block a sbc is all based on a block made of crap recycled iron with bits of plastic and copper dissolved all through it.

Same reason you haven't been able to purchase a quality mass-produced kitchen knife since 1985.

I'm all for recycled metal... in my re-pop tail light bezels...

 

Well I am of the opinion that these are the greatest because those that don't have one would like to have one these.

 

An example of the potential of the production based BBF.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcYp3yHw_g

The camera guy does'nt even shoot the timer in the Mustang's lane because he expects the Hemi to run the number I'm sure. The Mustang ran a 9.84 on that pass, a standing record for this type of racing. Outside of trucks the potential of this engine family is largely untapped.

 

331-392 hemi

 

Olds and Caddy look great,i love nailheads and an Ardun is the prettiest engine ever but a sbc wins easy,cheap ,reliable and proven very cool!

 

I don't know if you can really pin point a single engine as the greatest as they all have their followings by various applications to the rodding world as we know it, but I will say that real music to my ears and always will be is the 327 Chevrolet with some compression and a solid lifter 30/30 Duntov.......a real symphony in my book. Just my 2 cents worth

 

Sbc

 

We got a lot of young racers driving diggers with B&S based engines.
SBC fueler would be the next logical step.
as for me... pushrods, pistons, headers and a wild bumpstick in anything, can you smell the Turbo Blue?

 

"So, what is THE all-time classic rodder's engine?"

theres the original question. 302 zapper, 385 series ford(love 'em great engine), 500 caddy, SOHC, none of these are even old enough to qualify. Briggs & Stratton in a 2400-2800lb street rod?? Might be a tad underpowered, YA THINK???This thread has wandered so far off-topic it should be shot and put out of its misery...

 

Well my first hot rod I put in a sbc which was not that popular in 56'. And a lot of us didnt know a dam thing about them. But it 'depends'. I was lucky to be there when all the different overheads were first coming out. for power the GMC 6 was on top for a short time, In 49 Caddy an Olds came out, Chryslers in 51, Stude's and Dodge were about same cubes as flatheads. Buick straight 8,s held till 53 when the nailhead come out. but overall my opinion the sbc is the champ.

 

Ford GAA, grandfather of the 427 Cammer- aluminum side-oiler block and DOHC 4-valve heads, 4 bolt main caps with splayed bolts, gear driven valvetrain, twin carbs, 1,000 lbs-ft of torque at idle, and doesn't weigh much more than an iron BBC- in 1937
With all the "modern" design features used and passed on to other notable engines, the way it performed, and considering that it powered a couple somewhat notable vehicles, the American Sherman and Pershing tanks in WWII, even mentioning a belly-button sbc in the same sentence, with "greatness", doesn't even pass as ridiculous
And think an early Hemi looks (and sounds) good?
Kinda fills up that Mustang, and pretty popular with the pulling crowd, too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9C8TkU4Urs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4inUtKYhk1o&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1E_OBPpEVs&feature=fvwrel

 

A great thing about the early SBC's is listening to some one ramble on about thousands of dollars of parts and machine work on their motor and then saying "Yeah thats all nice, but you don't stand a chance, I've got POWER PACK heads."

 

gotta agree

 

And a bolt in kit to install it !!!

 

Small block Ford.

BUT, as far as the Original Topic is concerned, I would submit the Hemi, or the FE.

 

I am running a built 1933 Flathead but, you can't beat a 327/365 solid lifter sbc.

 

Turbo Buick v6. The basic engine has been around for 50 years and you many have built 231 ci engines that put out 600 hp on the street and get great mileage too.

 

SBC & Flathead

 

Sbc! That's why their Everywere, because they work! I love flatheads and many other engines but I think this ones a no brainer!

 

Talking pre '48 cars here, but how many flatheads and sixes were replaced by small block Chevrolets back in the day? Got to be a reason in there somewhere. I got 283 and 327 powered hot rods, but nailheads and hemis look cooler.

 

Ya know , there's a reason for that , sbc is the only way to go......

 

All time greatest engine?

Bit like asking who has the best wife?

Everyone has a different idea.

 

The all time classic rodders engine? The small block chevy . Look at all of the shit that interchanges on those motors. The price for a start up on that deal? Build any 300 hp engine in your garage for the price of a small block chevy , any small block chevy: 265 , 283 , 302, 307 , 327 , 3 fucking 50. I 've never even owned one( not counting my daily burbo). More research and publications and parts and accessories .....it's the standard format dyno motor, blah blah blah . Yes! there are alot of winning engines out there, CHRIST, even the Hemi has it's own legacy but still. Be realistic about this . All time rodders engine? C'mon..... I've never been a chevy guy and never will be but I'll give em that ! They've been starting young guys on shoestring budgets out in the hobby forever. nuff said. go argue with yourself........

 

bump.....