Projects Can a guy have too many motors

Last year I bought a couple motors from wrecked trucks to keep in stock and was getting one converted from EFI to carb to go in my F100,today I went and looked at a 351-W that came from a rotten boat and it came with another motor that was still in the boat that turned out to be a 4 bbl 302 but condition unknown since its sat for years. I am still getting all the parts to convert the other 351 to a carb so I said I will take them and will have them next week,all I will have to do it put my Holley 2 bbl and Duraspark distributor on that 351 and its ready to drop in. Now I will have 6 small block Ford motors since I got my old 89 crown vic back and another 302 in a trade plus 2 Y blocks and two 235 Chevy sixes in my stash.

 

Never too many.....makes a nice coffee table

 

You are on the slippery slope to becoming a hoarder.....says the Pot to the Kettle...

Ray

 

Can never have to many, I pushing 40 different engines. Bones

 

Never.

 

i have a few:
29 chevy six
3 216 chevys
2 '55 chevy 235
a pair of 283's
a ford 302
a chevy 305
a couple 327
a chevy 350
a buick 364
a gmc 702.

 

Best Ford block we ever had was a 351W boat block. That thing has been blown up, rods out the pan 3 different times and it's still stock bore and not a scratch on it. Hardest block I have ever seen.
SPark

 

Or the softest rods!.....

 

funny that a motor that blew up 3 times can be called best.

 

Think there might be something wrong on that one.

 

Too many? Never heard of such a thing! I have an 80's 305 Chevy and a 66 289 out of a GT mustang sitting in my storage unit. Do I need em? Nope. Do I have a car to put em in? Nope. I think the 289 might find its way into a falcon project at some point... don't tell my wife!

 

Yes a guy can have too many engines. Only If there's no cars to go with them. A fella can't have too many cars but he can have too many projects.

We took a count on ALL things with pistons that run on gas on the shelf and in their wheels . It was almost 100 but have since sold a bunch of 1,2,4&6 hole stuff.

 

Did get rid of a few when I moved shops a two years ago or so....have about three or more 241 Dodges and a 270 Dodge along with a D500/315....plenty of Merc flatties - that I hope to have a Cali runner out of....my 392's need to be checked out for a new owner...other that those early's....sitting on a few 273's for a 1965 project....and those others....

 

I am about out of room so there will be no more,I could not pass up the boat motors since it will save me money trying to convert the one 351 to a carb. Even if that 302 boat motor is junk it has all the parts I need to convert one of the two other EFI 302s to a carb including a Holley 4 bbl and a 4 bbl intake,the 92 351 I was going to put in the F100 will go in my o/t Bronco. I would like to get a few Olds and Caddy motors to keep in stock but I would be setting myself up for too many future projects.

 

I have to add, may be a problem if you don't have the right place to store them. I have about 10 of them outside, that I'd don't like. But saving grace is there's close to 50 of them under cover...

 

Had to run stock rods and pan in a circle track stock car class in the 80's. Truck or marine rods were the best but even they have their limits. Spread that out over 2 years of racing 3 or 4 nights a week and it's not that bad for what was available for those engines back 30 years ago. I still have the block and it's still std bore. Never needed decked or line bored. Has H beam rods and forged pistons in it now. Last run in 2012 in a dirt mod. Good block.
SPark

 

Checked with wife of forty years, she rolled her eyes and told me not to ask stupid questions.

 

Keep it up and one day you too can be a "COLLECTOR!

 

You'll never know, until you try.



I'm down to fewer than ten, I think.

 

According to code enforcement, yes.

 

So, I decided to get rid of all my extra shit I wasn't gonna use 2 years ago and took all my engines [5 of 'em] to the local swap meet...only the 454 sold so I scrapped the rest of them....meant to get rid of my rented storage garage where they were stored and only kept a 65 chevy 283.
Then I find out the later 283s are not the best to bore to 4" after I threw away the earlier ones. To make matters worse, I still have the rented storage and my wife put a bunch of her crap in there! Shit!
Wish I'd kept my '59 Pontiac 389 motor.

 

I think Rocky hit on the under/over point in post 21 If you have to pay to store them just to have them laying around you have too many.
I honestly don't know how many I have even though it isn't that many.
The ones I can think of off hand
8 BA flathead
226 Ford flathead six
254 Ford Flathead six
292 Chevy six (for the 48)
330 Desoto Hemi
396 Chev (2 of them that are in parts)
455 Olds.
350 Chev ( a couple of them I think)
1948 216 or 235 out of my grandfather's 48 1 ton.
1.6 16 valve 130 Hp 4A-GE out of my Geo Prism GSI that will go in a little OT roadster with a rear wheel drive conversion behind it. I'd really find something like a bug eye sprite for it though.
Then there are a couple of boring ones laying around taking up space. that will go by by when I get the shop finished and start moving stuff around.

 

Doesn't matter how many you have if they rusted solid

 

I'm down to a few, an assembled 396, couple of 327 Chevys, one is a 327/365 small journal that is apart, the last is a later 327 big journal all apart.

 

The only spare motors I'm holding on to are 409's

 

I have been "thinning the herd" and am down to an 8BA, an Early hemi, and an Olds Rocket as spares. Quality over quantity.

 

lets see- not in cars, a 350, 2 or 3 305's, and an early vette 327. Moved in with my girlfriend, built a garage in back, but have a bunch of stuff she does not know about yet.... I think I am in trouble.

 

I have enough. I spend way too much money rebuilding engines and then storing them until I find the right vehicle to put them in. At least they're all stored in a climate-controlled shop.

'31 Model A Banger - Fresh Rebuild
'37 Buick 248 - Runner
'46 Cadillac 346 - Fresh Rebuild
'53 Buick 263 - Fresh Rebuild
'56 354 Hemi - 2500 Miles on Rebuild
'57 392 Hemi - Builder
'58 392 Hemi - Fresh Rebuild
'63 Buick 215 - Builder
'63 Olds 215 - Runner
'64 Olds 394 - Builder
'69 Chev 350 - Builder
'71 Chev 400 - Fresh Rebuild

 

I have wondered : Do AMC engines swirl around me? I had a 401 (off topic) then sold it, later, other engines found me, now I have two 360's, two 343's, a 290, a 304 and not too long ago almost got a 232. And only one car to put those in. So, I need more cars. A strange attractor of AMC engines...

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strange attractor

 

In the shed garden, I have 2 283’s, an early 327, a ‘56 322 and a spare Pinto 2.0.