The best engine for a hotrod?? Flathead, sbc, etc

Does your Dad know you're using his computer?

 

Small Chevies were so boring in '58!

And by '62, were old hat...

Read this:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416175

 

Please don't!

 

What wouldn't be fun with that? You have answered your own question.

 

Imho, after it's all said and done, there are just a few engines that can be universally be fitted into whatever you want to put them in and still be period correct, and again, imho, they are the smaller hemi's, Cad's, Olds's and nail-head Buick's just like way back then before the SBC got so popular.

As for a modern engine, I'd look hard into a stock 500" Cad. because one just weigh's like 625 pounds ready to go and produce's monsterous power up to only 4,000 rpm! So highway gear accordingly.

And dare to be different a Stude 232"/259"/289"er or so....

That said, an Ardon head equipped flathead is way outta sight!

pdq67

 

and when guys got tired of getting their tails kicked with their flatty by a factory 265 chevy, they put a SBC in. what was going on at the track wasn't always what the average guy could afford, either. hell. the sbc wasn't even around in 1949, so i guess being as how the flatty v8 was the only real option to go fast in that era, they would have been winning with one. if we are limiting ourselves to pre-49, the board is going to get a lot quieter.......

 

Classic..

 

Caddy and Olds in '49... A lot of it really depends on what era he's going for. late 40's and early 50's knock the SBC right out, but there are other fine choices.

 

Your car is much to nice to put a Chevy in.

 

SBC = reliable, easy to get 'fun' numbers out of without over-stressing it, lasts forever, is cheap, and most importantly: replacement parts are easy to find no matter WHERE you are in the world. Flatty's are wicked cool, but where are you gonna find repair parts in a pinch? I think the SBC is a "smart" choice for a frequently driven rod, especially if you plan on taking it on long trips.

 

Best bang for the buck--LS1, great power and mileage. Better yet run a carbed LS1--piss off old school and new school.

 

My 36 had a sbc in it in the late 50's early 60's so those raggin on the sbc can go cry...

Now if I had the means and money was not an object I would go early olds, or a nailhead, heck even an early hemi, so what if you have to make room, it's a hot rod not a stocker...
good luck.

 

I had a flathead-powered roadster...



...and this is my sbc-powered '35 Ford.



I liked both engines equally and for totally different reasons. If the engine were visible, I'd rebuild the flathead. Since it isn't, throw in whatever you want and put a nasty exhaust behind it! No engine could make your car look bad...that thing is sweet!

 

some questions for you all-

1. what is a LS1?

2. why can you not run a hoodless chevy V8? (i know why, but are you kidding me).


i have been in the scene for a while now, but mostly the bike side. here is an example.



i just find it strange that people will just hold on to stuff because they under the impression they are meant to. as i get older it is more important that the shit works. i am working on trying to be less stubborn.

I say this because if i read through the replies most the people suggesting OHV engines are giving me technical reasons why i should choose one. (very convincing indeed)

but that can not really be said for the people suggesting Flatheads, just one liner's like-

'Flatheads are the only way to go'. 'Leave the flathead in it!!!'

BUT WHY?? I wish to know the reasons. and i mean technical reasons, not because it is cool, that is not a reason. i would like to hear more about the blown flathead, other than it is expensive. can it be used as a runner? or is it strictly for fun. does the flathead become more reliable or stronger with a blower? does it use crazy amounts of gas with a blower? would love to hear more please.

finally, i have been asked what era i am going for? i am not. i just see cars i like, could be a 40's/50's/60's hotrod, it could be a street rod, it could be a muscle, shit it could be a British sports car. then i find a way of fusing those ideas together, thats how i build the bikes and i hope it works on the 36 coupe.

 

IMHO the only good thing about a flathead is that it's cool and it's already in the car. As i said before, for me, if I wanted a car to cruise around town that would be enough. If I wanted to cruise all over the North countries I would want to take advantage of the 50 or so years of enginering advancements and go with the SBC. It didn't become a belly buton for no reason.

 

If you do a search for "flathead," you'll get all the info you want. My flathead was dependable and ran cool, once I got it dialed in. First of all, it's already setup for a flathead, so that would be easy. Anyone that would suggest a flathead(me included) is a special breed. The flathead looks and sounds like no other motor, and there's just something about getting one of those old relics running...harkens to the foundational era of modern hot-rodding. It's pretty cool to do it the way it was done in the 40's, on the streets and dry lakebeds. I think you undertstand this, judging by the photo of the bike with a flathead in it.
Technically, and financially, there are no real advantages to running a flathead if you don't have to...parts are harder to get and the power achieved is negligible compared to an OHV engine. Hot-rodding has always been about souping up your car with what you had...removing parts for less weight and affordably getting more horsepower(sometimes not cheap). Swapping motors is a part of that.
If it was my car, I'd bore/stroke the flathead, throw it on an engine stand, and rebuild it. Get some tasteful speed equipment, install, and enjoy. Maybe mill some stock heads and paint them(and throw on some of those nifty chrome acorn nuts) to match the wheels and remove the hood-sides? I don't know, just my thoughts. A sbc is way-cool too Really like your car...

 

LS1 is the newest small block chevy....google it. It's a badass motor. I'm putting one in my 67 gto.


on the decision you have to make.......

I think it pretty obvious that almost any other motor will deliver more power per dollar than a flathead and if you really want to put some serious miles on the car an engine swap is in order.... But what about the hidden cost? you have to consider how you will drive. Do you want to drag race and do burn outs? Or will adapting another engine to your trans and rear work for you because you will be nice to it. I don't think you want to be replacing transmissions all the time because of your overhead valve motors power. When it's all said and done, maybe you could have built that awesome flathead, instead of swapping the whole driveline out. Get my drift?

I think you have a really tough choice ahead. To me it comes down to what you want to do with the car. If you want to put 10,000+ miles a year on it, I would swap the motor/ trans/ rear and never look back. If you only plan to take it out occasionally or have another reliable back up car....just in case Maybe taking the extra cost of swapping the drivetrain with the OHV and adding it to what you are willing to spend on the flattie rebuild is the way to go.

Sorry I am no help at all.

 

You can run hoodless with a chevy V8, especially if it's dressed up right. Have you seen 3WLarry's duece? Nice little SBC done right, with strombergs and a generator, etc. It looked pretty good, period correct, and sounded great with a big cam. I'm sure it performed pretty good too....

 

YES I WANT TO DO BURNOUTS!!

I think after all the advice so far, i am leaning towards putting a 283 chevy in with some nice vintage speed parts. keeping the tranny, running gear and rear end, but i will change it to 3:54. i have already found a few 283's around hear, one for $650 and one for $1200(complete and rebuilt).

i will see how i get on with that, and if i have problems then i will change the tranny and drivetrain. i will keep the flathead for if there is ever a time in my life when 'FUN' is about other things than going faster.

 

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/0710rc_1936_ford_cabriolet/photo_05.html
something to shoot for

 

NOW THERE IS NOTHING 'DONE TO DEATH', 'BORING', OR 'BELLY BOTTON' ABOUT THIS.

 

To me it depends on the funds, I'm going with a sbc in my 30 because i just do not have the funds to build a wicked flattie. The older motors flattie, olds, six's, nailheads ect are so much cooler, but sometimes you have to settle for what the old wallet will letcha have...

 

If you can find a '57 283 you can run it with the stock flathead mounts. The early chevy V8's have front mounts which work really well in the '35-40 Ford frames. I figure a High School student might not weld so swapping in that Chevy from his father's dealership in '57 would have been a piece of cake! And the Ford 3spd and 3.54's are a good choice too! Best of luck!

 

since i'm spending your money.

312 y-block. it will almost triple your h.p., it's the second coolest sounding motor next to the flathead, and they look great.

put in a 5-speed and you can smoke the tires and drive the highways easily.

ford in a ford and all that...

 

beautiful 36 man! flathead all the way

 

How about a Ford FE. The first ones came out in the late 50s, I think 1958, the 283 sbc came out in '57 So if it's acceptable to run a sbc and call it traditional, then it's acceptable to run an FE engine and call it traditional. I don't think many are running the short lived 265 sbc that was only made for three years.

If I wanted an traditional engine, I'd go FE or y block. I'd drool over a hot rod with strong running 390, 427, or 428 FE

 

I'm running a 265 as well as a bunch of others. Just because the FE may have been around in the era doesn't mean that they were used much. The 283 is 100x more period correct and cool for that matter then a FE. Jst my two cents but show me a steady inflow of old hot rods running an FE motor. For every one FE I bet twenty five 283's or 265's for that matter made their way into Hot Rods during the late 50's. Apples and oranges.

 

And like everything else including what I am typing here, this is just another opnion. Look, at the last car show I was at, you see one sbc in one ride, and it's pretty much the same in every car. Boring... I stand by what I say, the FE is period correct. But then again this is just an opinion.

 

Why the insult? It is just my opinion. I had a cadillac 500 in it when I first built it and it was fun, but after about a month I was tired of it. If you are going to drive the car an LS1 is a great option. I drive my car every day, and have driven it all over Texas (temp never gets above 190 even if im setting in traffic for 45 minutes.). I also enjoy taking it to the track every chance I get. On motor it ran 7.20s. The best 1/8 mile pass so far is a 6.53 @ 105 and that was with a 150 shot. I recently switched to a rear mount turbo set up and it should run around a 6.20 @ 110. Plus I still get around 23 mpg. These motors are not for everybody, but if you plan on driving them a lot and for great distances they sure are nice. Plus the 4L60E is an overdrive trans with a lock up converter.

Heres a few pics

 

my choice would be a sbc chevy dress in mid to late 50,s speed goodie,s lots of cool factor to the real people who were there those that roll thier eye,s and say boreing most dodn,t have a car who are so brand loyal that the are blind. flatheads are a very cool looking and sounding motor but not much fun in 90 degree temps and if you love power.y-blocks i love them they look great sound great i just lost the best one i ever had last week -end and looking to replace but is a out dated motor cost alot to rebuild same with caddy,nailhead. and hemi. sbf came out in 60,s know people who had good luck with them but thats the motor you keep the hood closed! only not good looking motor ford ever make but lots like them good luck with ever your chioce is