Sounds liike hot rodding to me! Engine swap to suit your self, go for it! Oh, and when you get it done, I'll race ya in my '57 BBC car. 'Scuse me while I try to reach my distributor.. If you need a 'glass nose for the car, I'm selling one. PM me if interested
Yes, it would be nice if guys would update their progress. For many years, there was a 56 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery (imagine that!) , that was always at the downtown Seattle car shows. Stack injected big block wedge motor and typewrite transmission/shifter. It is still around "Eastern Washington", and has had photos of it posted here on the HAMB. Course everything from the firewall forward was replaced for a straight axle; a real straight axle, not one of those recycled truck I-beam axles. I looked at a Model 150 2 door sedan one time, that had a 383 MOPAR and transamatic automission in it. Was priced fairly low, but not low enough for my budget at the time. At least it's fairly easy to do tuneups with the big block wedge motors, with the distributor up front. No commercial kits so-to-speak, but should't be too difficult to fab something up. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
For non-believers...check out Engine Masters 383 Mopar vs 383 Chevy. And remember, a 383 Mopar has a .100 shorter stroke than even a 350 Chevy...3.38 vs 3.48.
Do what you like. It is your car. I do believe that you will greatly damage the resale value of the car though.
I agree. Ford should have Ford mill, Rambler a Rambler, etc. Just my opinion but I think it greatly affects the car's value. Sort of like installing a swimming pool in front yard of an 1800s estate. Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia
Alphabet, if you enjoyed that you should hunt down an old copy of Hot Rod Magazine's October of 1992 issue. They ordered small block crate motors from each of the big 3 and dropped them into cars. The Mopar, a Duster, was the heaviest of the 3 cars. It still handily spanked both the Blue Oval and Bowtie.
Let the folks who stick you in the ground worry about the resale value. Knew a guy back in high school who had a 1957 Chevy 2dr post car with a big block mopar. I like the idea, why not! -Dave
Screw building what the next guy wants to buy. Build your car your way. In a money no object world, I'd have a blown Dodge Street Hemi elephant in my Chevy.
I'm trying to wrap my brain around it. My opinion, all brands had their good and bad body styles. There are lots of Mopars to put the blown hemi in, right? Maybe it's just me but a blown BBC in a Road Runner??? I certainly understand someone on a budget who happens to have a motor laying around and happens across a cheap drag car rolling chassis, otherwise that mix becomes a WHITE elephant. Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia
My Buddy put a 316 Pontiac in his 55 Nomad. He said he would never sell it (and he has been offered some crazy money for it) so he will do as he likes.
Engine swaps are as old as hot rodding itself. Willys, Anglia, Thames, Prefect, all famous in this realm because the original equipment got chucked in favor of American power. How about a Nailhead in a '32 Ford? Road Runners don't count here! *Edit The OP hasn't been seen in 4 years. He's missing out on the delayed pissin' match!*
Sounds like 2 good foundations for the temple of why to do it (as someone who has been contemplating a 440/727 in a Thunderbird)
One thing I wanted to mention (a penny's worth!) Years ago I bought a new Yamaha Enduro street/trail bike, and first thing I did was a tunable expansion chamber, lots of porting, bored, it had a compression release so I could start it. I show it to a buddy who ran a cycle sales/service shop. He said "yea...street/trail, and it doesn't do either one very well. He was right and I never forgot it. There are drag cars and there are street cars. The pro-street cars can be fast...but just don't run John Force. Again, my $0.01 but back in the day all the marks had their great ones, body styles, drive train. Now if someone could explain to me why when the manufacturers finally develop a great product (like a turbo 400), they stop production, I appreciate it! Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia
Now wait a minute! I look at your age...19?...then I look at your avatar and this pretty green T-Bird...is that yours? P.S.---(don't even think about it!) :-( Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia
^^^^ Pro-street? ^^^^ Th400? This is the new world where electronic controls & multi speed overdrive slush boxes rule. I'm happy trying to stay in pre 1965. -Dave
I think a nicely done recycled truck I beam or model A axle looks way better than any straight tube axle as long as it's wide/narrow enough for the application.
That is. Bought it from a guy in Jacksonville after they flooded in 2016. He hadn’t driven it since 2010, and it was not running. It drove for about 4 months since then, currently is down while I figure out the engine. Spent November to May last year getting it running, June drove it to Canada and back, blew a head gasket in October, rebuilt it, and toasted the rings trying to get it started again (I suspect the oil pump was having issues). Waiting until after exams (mid May) to tackle that again.
My thought is you'd save money, headaches and value rebuilding that original motor. Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia
Sevenhills, I completely agree with you here. I'm all about building it your way because it's your car, but ive seen many "white elephants" surface in the local car ads. If you toss a Chevy into a Mopar....or vice-versa...you're going to create a car that most Chevy and Mopar enthusiasts will neither want, nor appreciate. It's not that I don't have love for the Chevy and Blue Oval crowd. I do appreciate their cars. I've even had a few of them over the years. I coveted my older brother's 1970 Mach 1 Mustang right up until he sold it. He refused to sell it to me because as he so eloquently put it: "I just can't deal with watching you drive around in my car." I got it and because im better at such things, I sold the car for him. But the fact remains, I would never consider putting a stout Chrysler 408 stoker into my brother's Mustang. Nor would I ever consider putting a 351 Windsor into my Dart. But that's just me.
Perry, I can almost see your point. At least about late models like you're speaking about. BUT, and there always is one... Sometimes things can get taken to far, as an example I remember seeing a first generation Mustang powered by a Ford flathead banger. This was in the late 70's / early 80's. Let's say you want to repower a 1949 shoebox Ford. An early Cadillac would be sweet and a sbc would fit in nicely. Here's that word again... BUT, It can go to far -unless you've got a good sense of humor- I remember something about an early Camaro that got a Ford V8 of the flathead design. Once heard someone, at a car show, say "That engine is to good for that car!" They were talking about a 348 Chevy in a Ford roadster. Oh well...., -Dave
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