Ford Chevy Mix... Cardinal Sin?

[Thankful]

Hello Rat Rod Brethren,

I am kind of a purist and like to keep things all in the same family. Just my feeling - but not a big deal.

I have noticed a lot of guys running old Model A's with Chevy Small Block Engines in them.

I am sure there are hard core guys out there that would say NO WAY!!!!

But since I have seen so many of them - I figure it may not be that big of a deal.

Just looking for some insights from you guys.

Thanks for your guidance in advance,

 

[42chevy]

I don't know why it matters to some. I love the SBC but I have an Olds 350 in my '42 Chevy and I just used what I had. It runs great and I have an Olds 425 I am eventually rebuilding to install in it's place. I say run what you want to unless you are worried about resale value or something.

 

[ratdog]

I dont know why it would matter. I got a model A , because thats what I found, if it was a chevy or sometning else I would have taken that. Then I am using a small block chevy because I have worked on them and rebuild them on previous vehicles so I figure use something familiar. They are all motors that run the same on the same fuel, yes some might look a little better or different,but in the end as long as they do their job,who really cares what make they are.

 

[kelseydum]

This is a funny thing to me. It's funny that Ford, Chevy, Mopar, etc... all HATE each other, but when you think about it each had something great that was better than the others. Ford had GREAT body style in my opinion but
Chevy had better motors ( for the most part). Could you imagine if these companies just all worked together what type of vehicle they could make! You would have the best of all worlds and that's what we do with our rods.

We use what works best for the application whether it be a Model A body or a small block chevy motor... a Ford rear end with awesome finned Buick drums. The options are endless and if everyone would quit hating on each other America would have even better vehicles than we do.

Just my 2 cents. Can't we all just get along!

 

[Bonehead]

I have a 39 Chevy PU with a 292 Ford Y block in it, and not only was the surgery a success, the donor parts were not rejected.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Mopar folks seem to be the most vocal about their hate for the SBC. Screw 'em. It's my truck!

 

[rustybeercan]

I like 30's For body's but like Chevy motors. And case in point, it's a whole lot cheaper to build big horsepower with a Chevy motor. Just look at the difference in Chevy and Ford crate motors. If the big Ford motor builders can't make cheap horsepower what chance does an everyday guy on the street have? My .02! Mopar? What's that? And trust me, our forefathers had no problems ripping those old Ford motors out either!

Beercan

 

[Krooser]

As a recovering Chevy lover I just shake my head and laugh when some guys tell me they used a SBC 'cuz they are a lot cheaper to build than a Ford or MOPAR.

They are usually the guys with the aluminum heads, fancy rods and pistons, all the shiny stuff on the engine... I used to get that from the guys who ran 'pro-built' Chevy motors in their stock cars (at a cost of $15-20K) while I was running a home built Ford. Sure they had more power but they spent 12K more to get it.

The fact is many of these diehard Chevy guys have never worked on anything else... ask 'em about a Ford, Olds or Plymouth engine and they look at you like you've got three eyes! They get that glassy-eyed look...

Let's face it there are lots of great engines out there... and this lower buck traditional hot rod scene has brought out a lot of formerly forgotten set-ups. When I grew up in the 50's/60's we liked all of those engines... whether it was a Packard, Buick, Rambler or Chevy... the shop I cut my teeth in favored GM products BUT we never turned down any work regardless of the make/model. By the time I was 17 I had rebuilt Hemi's, Nailheads, Rockets and more.

The next show you're at just sit back and see what engines really keep 'em coming back for another look... it probably won't be an SBC... how many of them can a guy see in his lifetime and still get excited about?

So you can put anything in anything... that''s an old hot rod tradition... but at least TRY to get a little more creative than a 350/350 combo. A 283 or 327 would be a great place to start.

And, please, no more tall chrome Moroso valve covers... I think I'll puke the next time I see another pair of those.

 

[dmw56]

I like AMCs! [ddd They make way more HP and torque per cubic inch than Chevy, Ford or Mopars.

 

[Tripper]

I like AMCs! [ddd They make way more HP and torque per cubic inch than Chevy, Ford or Mopars.

Ford, Chevy, AMC & Mopar... they all suck! Buicks make more power! [ddd[ddd[ddd

BoB

 

[Willowbilly3]

I think a Ford engine in a Chevy is perfectly ok. Oh wait, that wasn't the question, was it?
All of my Fords have always had Ford engines except one 1950 F2 that had a 303 Olds. My "Ford" rod would have had an Olds if I had found one, almost had a 425 Caddy at one point until I found out it was a 368 and even had a 429 in it for a while but ended up with a 260 Ford. I personaly find 350 Chevy powered rods a bit boring but it is about running what you have. Just don't put one those cheap ebay chrome valve covers on it.

 

[Corsair]

I don't mind common SBC engines, but have yet to swap one into any car of mine. I have stockpiled a bunch of Olds stuff, and those serve as my powerplants. Their basic weirdness imparts its own brand of happiness.

 

[RPM]

Built Ford tough with Chevy stuff....Seems to be the thing around here.

 

[Shea Laking]

Chevrolet V-8 Power....Supplanting Ford's Flathead since 1955...Or so the history books tell me....

Amazing why people want to p!$$ on a tradition that's over 50 years old....[S

Then again, the world of modified cars is an even freer one than the world outside, so why not run whatever makes you happy? And respect the decisions of others to run what they want, even if it is just "another boring smallblock chevy?"

Regards,
Shea

 

[Mr.Gussett]

Yea a sbc in a model A is ok but I love my BBC in my model A! Love the Big Blocks!!![cl[dr[dr

 

[Gregster]

yea a sbc in a model a is ok but i love my bbc in my model a! Love the big blocks!!![cl[dr[dr

amen !!!!!!!

 

[bob w]

I've got 9 sbc's in the garage along with 2-292 Chevy 6's. After I build 10 more hot rods, the 11th will have a different brand of engine.

 

[Shea Laking]

I've got 9 sbc's in the garage along with 2-292 Chevy 6's. After I build 10 more hot rods, the 11th will have a different brand of engine.

Okay, now that's just funny right there!

Regards,
Shea

 

[brad]

Packard Power!

 

[Rat33pickmup]

I am Odd man out then, My 58 IH has Olds in it, my 33 ford has Toyota Hemi 4 Banger, 65 ford F100 has SBC, my 82 D50 has SBC, my 66 Krew Kab has a 250 chevy 6 and 4 speed. Might be that I am all messed up. I dont use ford engines in ANYTHING because they hate me, I gave them MANY chances but they didnt make the cut.

Jim