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

Who cares? I do; that's why I posted my OPINION......like the way you just posted yours. When my opinion of a thread on here is "double yawn", I don't post to it at all.

 

Man, I must be missing something. When I was a kid and started building my "Hot Rods" in 52, most all of the Fords, from Model Ts to Model As and most with original the flatmotors had those "Belly Button" flatheads, the 59ABs better known as the "48 Mercs" and the later 49-53 Mercs with "4 in" cranks!! They were the first "Belly Button" power plants, everyone had one! Almost exclusively, they were flatheads, if you wanted a Hot Rod, it had to have a flathead if you wanted to go fast and beat the others. Lots of speed equip was around in various forms, it was there when you wanted it, it just took bucks!! A few used the Caddys, Olds, and Hemis but they were few and far between and not cheap but we still used a few of them. Then came along the "high winding", light weight, 265, then the 283, with factory hi performance goodies available from dealers. Even in stock form, they would beat most flatheads. The aftermarket guys saw the new opportunity for increased sales for an up and coming new Hot Rod motor. If there was ever thoughts of making speed stuff for this new little giant, it exploded, from adaptors to intakes, cams, headers, pistons, etc. And IMHO, there never has been an engine that is so easy to install in just about anything. If there was ever a item of speed to be engineered,designed, tested and produced, it was for a 265, 283, 327 and so on. I think if the facts could be determined, it would show that there has been more stuff produced for Chevy than probably all the rest combined. I used the flatties, Olds, Caddys, GMCs W motors and so on still have some that I still drive with OMG, a SBC!! I like them all, just depends what I am trying to achieve with whichever project I am working on. Are they Traditional? Its in the eyes of the person who is looking at it. What maybe traditional to you, may not be traditional to others. Once again, as I have said before, "Different Strokes for Different Folks, Whatever Gets Your Juices Flowing" !!!! Oh well, Nuff said by me!! Dave

 

Sheesh...it's like watching two old bald men fight over a hair brush

 

I want one of these.
Wonder what the traditionalists would think of this between the rails of a Deuce? Minus the Eddy carbs.



Arias hemi heads on a big block Chevy.

 

Sbc here is their any other engine . Run what you like and have fun doing it.

 

You know what I've noticed?

Guys who are into hot rods because they appreciate speed and have done some drag racing respect the sbc, what it has done, and what it is still capable of. To me, THAT is tradition. I think a lot of you guys are completely out of touch with the fact that tradional hot rodding was about SPEED, not some stupid "kustom kulture" bullshit where cars are fucking fashion accessories or leaning posts for photo shoots.

On the other hand, there are a bunch of guys who dress like greasers, who WEREN'T THERE to witness the history of our hobby/sport, and who've never been in a proper drag race in their life. And it seems that it's mostly these dudes telling us that sbc's "aren't traditional", among other stupiid things that aren't true.

Yeah, sure Fonzy. Go fix your hair.

 

A freind of mine just had a 32 Roadster built with one of those. Blown with zoomies in a bright yellow car. Personally don't really care for the car, but to each his own.

 

How about an AMC V8 like in Spence Murray's '36?

 

I see nothing wrong with a SBC in a traditional rod, and though I also have a few of them (all circa 1967 or older) I also agree that they do get a little boring to look at. My late fathers 1935 Dodge pickup has a 425 Nailhead in it and it turns heads EVERYWHERE it goes...why - BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT. I think of a hot rod as an extension of your personality just as much as it is a mode of transportation... So, are you a "same as the rest" cookie cutter type hot rodder who prefers practicality and reliability, or are you looking to be unique and get some attention everytime you open the hood or pull into a parking lot regardless of wether or not you can find parts in the next podunk town you break down in? Either one is fine, afterall, we're all of the same cloth regardless of make, model, finish or engine - and that's just about where the debate should begin and end IMO.

 

repoguy nailed it.

 

I guess the naysayers will just have to live with the SBC for a long time to come like it or not. The SBC Chevy is by far the greatest all around engine to come into the hot rod or general transportation arena ever. SBC's forever...................

CRUISER

 

You know - I can't stand these guys either. This "kulture" BS gets really old... and BTW: since when did multicolored sleeves of skulls and devils down a chicks arms make her somehow better looking? It's just plain lame...

 

Yeah,the common SBC,in continious production for more than 40 years.Light,cheap,easy to tune for power.Is it boring? That depends on what's more important,getting people to look at you or your car or getting more performance that any other engine for the money spent.

 

This just about says it all.

What if you went to a dance and all the women had the same outfit on?

 

Then they'd all look the same piled up on the floor...

* Note to self, don't paint my SBC to look like a chicks outfit...

 

For me its been about speed, reliability and cost,not looks and the sbc has been the best power per dollar.

 

When your done dancing and it gets down to buisness, they all have the same outfit.

 

And it comes down to performance, right??

 

"......Guys who are into hot rods because they appreciate speed and have done some drag racing respect the sbc, what it has done, and what it is still capable of. To me, THAT is tradition. I think a lot of you guys are completely out of touch with the fact that tradional hot rodding was about SPEED, not some stupid "kustom kulture" bullshit where cars are fucking fashion accessories or leaning posts for photo shoots......"

This about sums it up for me. Except you can substitute is for was in the speed deal. I'm never be the fastest one there, but I'll always try to go a little faster than the last time I went.


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

You've never been around Rick Santos or Jason Scruggs old cars, have you?
Larry T

 

My 327 cost a grand total of $3,580 to build in 1996 and puts out upwards of 375 hp, revs up to 7,000 rpm. Has hardened seats in 2.02 camel hump heads, a custom grind Comp cam, forged aluminum pistons, all the bullet proof goodies and runs like a striped ass ape. The same flattie, nailhead, hemi, etc... would have cost a minimum of twice as much, and in all honesty, would not be nearly as reliable. Now of course the flattie, hemi, nailhead will get more attention, but with original M/T finned aluminum valve covers, an aluminum Vette intake, and a bad ass rumble my SBC gets looked at and appreciated everytime I open the hood.

 

SBC Guy myself. Traditional is only how you make it.

 

In 1987 I was 18yrs old and fully aware of the smog-junk that was being put out, so we dug around junkyards for what we knew worked.
I had a '67 Camaro with a '69 327 (large journal) and I had a '72 Vega that I stuck a 350 4bolt main out of a '76 Vette into when Lance wanted to go with a 400 SBC in the Vette instead.

Being a hotrodder to me means breaking the rules. I couldn't care less what the motor came out of as long as it performs the way I want it too....and it's carbureted. (personal preference). And hardly anything made in the 80's performed to my standards....except the Buick Grand National's V6.

And back then, if you did have a smog-mobile, the first thing you did was yank that shite out of it, change the intake/carb, put on some headers and dig up an old Vega torque converter at the junkyard.
The state didn't care much what you did back then like they do now.

I'll never forget Jason pulling up in his '84 Camaro with the smog-monster 350/350 in it on Friday. We tore into it and by Monday, he was driving a completely different performing car for only about $150 (with generous donations of parts on my behalf). He was just happy he could finally keep up with my Camaro.

 

http://www.rayscorvette.com/cropped.JPG

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3162086167_3455b05e9e_b.jpg


Only one of these is "traditional"

Horsepower ,cost, availability, ease of installation, mechanical aptitude, etc. ,have nothing to do with it.

 

Now are we talkin motors or paint?..lol
I see a buttload of rusted POS's at car shows that are all wearing the same rusty "dress"....and I don't care what anyone says....if it's not painted....it's not finished. (primer is ok, it's the rusted shite I hate)...it's like saying,
"Hey! Look at me! I'm lazy!"

As for the SBC....it just speaks for itself. Seeing a bunch of cars with SBC's is like going to a gymnastics class. Sure, all those girls look alike....but you just know they all perform...quite...well.

 

I would imagine which one looked the best naked ... and then put the make on her ....

 

Let's see. The definition of traditional is to do somethin in homage to the ways of old. I guess building my car with hand made parts and my personal ingenuity covers that. I try to stay out of catalogs where I can. Is my 1999 Vortec 350 a traditional engine? Hmmm. It wasn't when it was pulled from a wounded pickup. Now it has been gone through with care and attention to detail, I have a very uncommon fuel system planned using a modern intake design. Has it been cheap? Not especially, but I guess that is relative to your paycheck. The gentleman above paying $275 for a 283 in 1956 probably didn't think his was too inexpensive. I do recognize the conflict in visual elements that my '99 model engine has compared to the car I am building, so I am taking steps to camoflage it in some respects. Has that been easy? Not especially. I don't disagree with most of the remarks here, except the fool that thinks the aftermarket supports engines prone to breakage.
Let's see, my sbc is not too cheap, nor easy, it should be reliable, it should make lot's of power, it should look fairly at home in my car, it will be unusual. Hmmm. Why did I choose it? A couple of reasons. I know the sbc because that's where most of my previous experience lies, so I recognize it's best attributes. Why a 1999 model? Evolution. It has the highest development available in any production sbc. Which features mattered most? The cylinder head design and the sealing system. I wanted the best iron head i could get for the money. Vortec is it. I also HATE leaks. Nothing sucks more than pulling a motor or tranny for a drippy rear main seal or changing valve cover gaskets after a race weekend cuz they blew out. I expect my motor will rust up on the outside from lack of lubrication, but it will be shiny new on the inside from the best that Chevy could put into the Gen I small block.
So there you have it. I chose a difficult and unpopular engine for technical reasons that have cost me an arm and a leg. If that isn't traditional, I don't know what is!

 

Holy words!

 

Some people think THAT is traditional. Not where I grew up.

This sounds like a subject for a new thread

 

To me a traditional hot rod always had a flathead in it ! Now that's traditional !
As I always say " When it runs , it's done " now drive it like you stole it !

 

This debate will go on forever, the flat head had its day as has the sbc, now the ls- series of motors are slowly creeping into more and more rides, although still a small block it is not "the" small block....I think any animosity towards the small block chevy apart from "originality"(I have seen that before) may be due to the availability of parts, and prices we have all gone to a cruise and someone pulls in with a decent car and opens the hood and there is a bone stock or autozone built small block leaking oil and with block paint all over the engine compartment with that chrome lokar dipstick and edelbrock air cleaner.

The popularity of the "Traditional" motors (flatheads, y blocks, wedges, hemis rockets what have you) is awesome but technology is catching up and better engines are out there now...just not in my "Traditional" ride that term is gettin beat anyway lets just call it "OLD" now