History >>>Proof is in the Pudding:Early Chevy V8 Hot Rods!!!!<<<

Ask any old hot rodder who ran the streets from back in the day. If you didn't run a small block Chevy you weren't sh*t.

People who say they aren't traditional are not playing with a full deck...

 

I dig em....hopefully the Chevy mill haters will stay away....great thread.

 

Those are all really cool additions thanks!! Uncle Larry's 283 looked like it was decked out.

Royalshifter, I think we'll be ok since everyone like pics of Old Hot Rods and that's what I am hoping to fill this thread with!

 

I like chevy v8's. I think the whole traditional thing gets twisted because we all seem to have a different era in our mind when we say traditional. Like duh, a small block is not traditional if you think 40's rods are traditional vs. 60's rods.

 

Here are some more cool cars featuring the Chevy V8 powerplant.













This '29 RPU is one of my favorites. I have this picture frame I like it so much!!!


Lastly this has got to be one of the baddest '33-'34's around. This car is just awesome from top to bottom and it's from Cleveland which makes it all the better. Would love to see this car in person.

 

I've owned a string of Chevy and GMC trucks and my current '95 Suburban with sbc's. But for real cars I've had '34 Ford 4-door, 34 Ford pick up, 56 Ford pick up, '58 Corvette my wife's '28 Ford 2-door and my curret '32 MOPAR. All have been dependable, fun, and mostly real fast. You can buy a whole lot of horse power parts right over the Chevy parts counter. I've never understood the negative comments about them. The're like the girl I always wanted (but never found) in high school cheap, easy to maintain and fast.

 

I remember a friend who had a blue 2dr sedan with one of those 265s from 1954. Car was built by a club in Pennsylvania and running in the fall of '54. Car is in Texas somewhere now. When did they first put the oil filter boss on the SBC? Was that added on later 265s or not till the 283?

 

hey fordnutz, just looking at that write up today from old autos. dated dec 1 2008, cool storie about a classic canadian hot rod, great thread. good pics, thanks, dermott.

 

the sbc are nice, also knew of them beeing used by hot roders back then.
but its all in the eye of the beholder, i still prefer a buick nailhead and woudn't dare think of swaping it out for a chevy block. and no! im not a chevy hater..just giving my opinion. after all, thats what this forum is about right?

 

Nothing sounds better than a 327 winning out at the drags ,likes I dig em...............

 

I never really seen anything on a '54 265 but for some reason that sounds familiar. As far as I knew '55 was the first year of the Chevy V8 and in '56 they started using the filter on the block. That's why I searched out a '56 265 for my buildup!

Nah man, Nailheads are cool and I wouldn't swap one out for a Chevy unless there were issues. The point of me starting the thread was not to throw our noses up more of what I said earlier.....level the field. They are just as cool as any other vintage engine if you like them. I love all vintage engines, caddy's, rocket's, hemi's, flatheads, nailhead, poncho's, and of coarse the Chevy V8. They are all options, and appropriate ones at that.

I know, they have definite distinct sound and is unmistakable. Definitely a good engine to work with if you are spending some time at the track. Ask D.W.!!!!

 

Not a Chevy hater by any means ,but i think the reason there are "Chevy Haters" ,is because they were done to death in the past and still are.They are great engines and i have had many ,but there are other engines that look better IMO in an open hood car.Any engine that has heads that can flow and is built right will run as well a sbc .There popularity sprang from cheap parts with the abilty to interchange them more so than the other makes IMO.Not any better or worse and yes 265's - 327's are just as vintage as Nailheads ,and Rockets in hotrods .They just get old to look at after awhile ...

 

JJ, I think the reference to 54 265 was that the 55 cars came out in fall of 54. And yes the 55 265 was the only one with no oil filter. 56 they had a spot built down low on the block for one. Pat.

 

Uncle Larry had a cool ride. Thanks for shar'in

 

While most of the farmers around my hometown in Pennsylvania continued to buy thier Chevrolets with the tried and proven I6 my grandfather stepped out and ordered his '55 with a 2bbl 265. He made a point of showing it to me right after he brought it home as I couldn't get enough of anything that made wheels go around. I was 10 at the time and had no idea of how many cars and trucks I would own that would be powered by a SBC.

Frank

 

Cool stuff fab32!!!

I think we should focus on the cars posted and not makes this a reason why people do not like the Chevy V8 what ever the reason is. We know they have been done a great deal but if you know what you are looking for only a fraction of them have actually been a period engine.

 

A couple early built ones......

 

great thread, I have a 283 that I'm collecting parts for plan on powerpack heads, edelbrock C-4B, holley 3310, rams horns, and deciding between script covers or early M/T with no breather holes.

 

I like the early sbc's with period parts installed-am a fan of small journal 327's and 283's with vette covers or painted script covers, factory dual fours and an 097 cam if you don't mind adjusting now and then--not modern by any stretch but run well, sound good and look period--toying with putting a fresh 62 327 with either dual fours or an early 58-59 Rochester FI unit with a 57 passenger car air cleaner in my next 40-I haven't seen too many like that-have never had a crate motor-dialing in a 283 HP 57 FI motor right now-don't see too many of these around here-looks unique and will run OK when done I hope (have had this one on and off for 34 yrs)-have 327 in wife's 55 -been there 30 yrs-has early Vette intake,covers,Vette air cleaner,etc.--runs well and looks period in the car
just my 2 cents

 

Here is one iconic early small block cars to infulence the demise of the flathead.
The originally flathead powered Duffy Livingston roadster converted to Chevy and cleaned house among some of the finest engines of the time.
The second car is my 29 roadster from 1959 with a 265 with $20 new Duntov cam and 3 carbs.

 

I like the SBC. I had a blast with the 283 in my 64 Impala, and the 327 in my 67 Impala fastback was a great little motor.

But my Model A still got a flathead.

Pete

 

I'm glad to see this thread. It's a refreshing change from the common sbc bashing. Sure, it's great to see nailheads, y-blocks, and other alternatives for a change, but the sbc is well designed, well proven, and if you look through hot rod mags from 'back in the day', the sbc pretty much ruled, at least on the street.

 

Ames Iowa nineteen and fiddy-nine.

 

awesome thread Jeffrey! viva the cool small block! just got done on the dyno with this one - it made 716 HP

 

when did you bring it home? and when's the engine swap?

 

In 1974 NHRA created PRO COMP racing. Top Alcohol Dragsters with their behemoth motors. Dale Hall became the giant slayer with his SB blown nitro chevy dragster. He won so much, others started to bitch so with weight restrictions they pushed him out. He used original iron blocks to put out the lights of the big boys. I am surprised there are any good blocks left after his reign. Kinda like Big Daddy using up all the Hemi motors.

 

Great thread, no matter how old we may be the small block is a part of our tradition, and while most of might not like to see them dressed up in billet, polished Corvette valve covers or stock chrome valve covers like that very cool deuce 3-window are just as cool as any other engine, or early Hilborns stacks sticking straight up...

 

I hate the term SBC. They used to be Chevy V8s. Now thats trad.

 

Here's my proof from the puddin - two bad ass Chevy V8's

I just love em!!! I love other engines too. I just happened to get weened on em and it's all I know and love. From when I was building models to my first car. They are just what I know. I was shocked when I got tuned into the hamb and heard there were people out there that said bad things about cars with small blocks in them!

Can't wait to see your 265, I am sure it'll be a classic. It ought to run out good with the right cam too.