History Tell me again the SBC isn't traditional...1963 Hot Rod Annual

Everyone had a bellybutton back then too. Traditional doesn't equate cool. They are cheap, run what you want, but if you think a sbc is going to get the attention a Hemi gets, think again.

 

Traditional yes... but WITHOUT those UGLY 69 and later heads with the mounting holes... use a 350 but put early heads on it! And keep those Moroso valve covers off 'em, too!

You'll never see my Hemi with a set of Hot Heads on it....more ugly!

 

Nobody looks under the hood and says "Wow, it's a small block chevy!" Nobody.

 

265-327 are cool. My 350 is dressed older style. Someday the orginal 283 will be rebuilt to reunite w/ the Impala.

 

traditional shure there traditional but every body has one.

 

Hahahaha!!! This made me laugh out loud.


They're good motors, but eightbanger hit it right on the head.

 

the belly button 350 is not traditional

 

THIS is the only sensible comment in an otherwise worthless thread. The argument will never be solved. Tradition/cool is in the eye of the beholder. Build what you like. Maybe a Hemi in a streetable hotrod says overkill/too much money to you or maybe a Nailhead's too weird or Flatheader's trying too hard to impress that they're "traditional". I like them all, but it's not for me-or you to say. And none of them are really "unique". A Deusenberg, an Allison, maybe an early Ferrari, now you are really unique-but not Traditional. 60000 HAMBers have 60000 opinions and they're all right. I'm moving on.

 

Price dictated my mill choice as much as anything. I wanted to stay as "era correct" as possible, so I went with a '58 283. I did ensure to avoid things like alternators, HEI ignition, etc. I'm very pleased with the outcome. Hell, half the parts on it are H.A.M.B. "sourced."

 

SBC may not be as "cool" or unique as many other Hot Rod motors. But, will always, not only be acceptable, but will always be the "more bang for the buck" motor that ever lived

 

looks nice to me..

 

There are ways to make a sbc unique. And many do do that.....but............so many people don't and that's the one's you see the most of. I am by birth, a Ford man. But in true respect of being a real car guy, I like all makes, and I have the upmost respect for almost all cars....(not a Yugo)hehehe. I have in my life had alot of sbc's, and will probably have many more, when I think using one is going to make me feel right about having it in the build. I am one that doesn't pick up a catalog and buy all new, shiny stuff to put on an engine....period. Whether I want it to look tradtional or not. I like the look of old stuff, and also like to recycle old stuff so it might see another day, or turn some more rpm's.

 

By the late Fifties and early Sixties the guys around here that were still running the "traditional" makes in their hotrods started losing street races to the 283 or 301 Chevrolets. They weren't called small blocks back then. It didn't take much to make one run and the local dealer sold the parts to make it run even better. It would fit in almost anything. I do remember the occasional Flathead and Jimmy six diehard even into the mid Sixties ( and some of them were quick!). I too enjoy seeing different makes under the hood, but back then, they went with what got them to the other end first. I also agree with keeping a car period correct. Use a smallblock, but dress it to the era you're aiming for.

 

Very true and there is a very reason for that. They were the mainstay of performance/racing because of availability, cost and reliability.

 

I respect all engine choices and will look under the hood of any car just to see where the owner's choices took them. I'll never walk away from a car just because it has one engine or another in it.
Having said that I prefer the SBC for it's ease and cost. I do definitely plan on building a different engine someday for another project. But for me right now...I'll be putting a chevy in my chevy.

 

Again,I,m 70, and I built my first rod, a model A 2dr in 1956. Built it just like they did in 48. Duece crossmember,32 front end 48 brakes,48 stick, stock A rear end and stock radiator. Fairly good body with old ratty paint. Got it running in my senior year of high school with after school job paying the way. Got a 1956', 265, [in 56'] it was my daily driver. Everything I got for it was begged, borrowed, or traded [cept the motor, $275 from Nash Osborne in LA]. Was a dependable great runnin car drove it everywhere no problems. It was pretty traditional to me.

 

I would like to see a good ole GMC 6 Cylinder put the whoop ass on a flat head, they are more efficient than a flatty...........Flat Heads are cool.........but I would bet that after you got smoked by a SBC a few times, it was time to jump ship.......When I was a kid in late 60's at the drag strips in Ohio it was not easy to see what cars had record holder written on the cars, and class winner stickers in the windows......I never saw a flatty.........did not know what one was.......don't think any one cared, as we were there to win.................so has beens were never a topic.

 

you tell em' Randy!!!

 

Exactly Thankyou

 

You are absolutly correct as long as your tradition includes 1963. If your tradition is 1953, than the SBC isn't quite as good a choice. but everybody knows it's a great motor.

 

Who wouldn,t want Todds small block.....

 

Well, not everybody.....love them or hate them, but a thread like this one will always produce at least a few moronic statements like storm king came up with. I guess flatheads must be scrap, too; just look at all of the aftermarket parts that are available for them! Come to think of it, there are almost no aftermarket parts for 287 Rambler V8s, so they must be the best engine ever.

 

love 'em or hate 'em, they'll probably be around alot longer than most of us here!

 

When I see two exhaust ports close to gether in the middle, I loose intrest, why I don't know, I guess it a feeling of a cop out. There cheep, reliable to a point, but I loose intrest, and right away. My 3 cents. Iceman

 

Well, WAKE UP! There's a lot more than SBC's with the exhaust ports you mentioned

 

My 35 Ford has a 283 in it. It's standard bore with some old stock TRW forged pistons. Runs sweet.
It even has a powerglide behind it...with a kit

It's low bucks, but everything is in top shape and set up well. I wouldn't be afraid to cross the country in it.

 

I first settled on a flathead for my new 34 ford coupe project....but I wanted more power so I scarfed up a 472 caddy for the car.....turned out to have a busted piston and I didn't love it enough to sink mucho $$$ in it....so I decided to build a 301 SBC because they rock and I've got almost all the ingredients already....doesn't mean I won't be on the lookout for a trick pontiac V/8 while I'm driving the chevy small block...
The chevys still give the most bang for the buck but the chevy LS series engines are gaining popularity daily and getting cheaper to build....the 4.6 / 5.4 fords are cool too but the LS is gonna be the new smallblock chevy, which is the new flathead ford.

 

I'm writing a book on Stroker LS engines right now... man, it's freaking amazing how much good old fashioned hot rodder technology went into them: longer rods, bushed wrist pins, shorter lightweight pistons, pedestal mounted rockers, capscrews for the rods rather than bolts with nuts and washers, light weight valve spring retainers, and the list goes on. It's like a bunch of racers sat down and designed the engine.

-Brad

 

Yep, I wholeheartedly agree. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people build incredibly well thought out rods with unique ideas and creative solutions, but then stick an 350 in it. I'm not bagging it, it's just not my cup o tea and seems to be an afterthought.

 

this is getting boreing i,m 62 yrs old and i put sbc in most cars because i like them when i was in my 20,s we pulled flatheads, nailheads,and yes hemi,s out of any car to put a sbc in it cause they were fast easy to fix and they had the cool factor not that other motor don,t have it flathead dress up ,a early baby hemi dress in a open hood car pretty but if you a hot rodder you know that a sbc is you best bang for the buck just my 2 cents