I’m not very farmilliar with the olds motors as much as I am with the nailheads. I have worked on some 401s and 425s but from what I’ve heard they’re all the same. So I know the other big gm motor is the olds rocket. The 303-371. I love the look of a 303 olds and would take the look of an olds over a nailhead any day. But they’re pretty damn hard to find and super expensive to build. So I just want to hear from you guys what you prefer and why. Because they’re just so iconic and look so amazing! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
It’s all about the engines (traditional look) but personally I would go with the nailhead just because of parts availability. Though I am going to just going to stick with my inliners.
In my opinion, the best lookin' engine ever is a nailhead with the finned goodies (valve and spark plug covers) and hilborn injection (think the engines in Ivo's twin Buick dragster.). I have a '51 Rocket that I like a lot, but that Buick just does it for me.
Just adding, don't forget about the 394 Olds as the largest of the first gen Olds V8 family. I do think a nailhead is hard to beat on the appearance scale. Either one does best with open engine compartment. Sent from dumb operator on a smart phone
Nothing looks better then Nailheads distinctive "straight up" valve covers. They seem to be the consensus by far of posters on this thread as well.
If we knew what area of the country you live in, someone might be able to help you find one. I always liked the way the Olds heads and valve covers looked.
I’ve always liked them both and I couldn’t choose so my roadster has an Olds and my little pickup has a Buick. I’ve also got a nice Pontiac that’s currently homeless. I just love those early OHVs. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My dad had a 394 Olds in a '50 Willys 2wd wagon. Said you could stand a nickel on its side on air cleaner as it idled it ran so smooth.
The Chevy engine owners can make their engine look like an Olds but they can't make it look like a Buick.
My first swap was an Olds 303 with the hydramatic, and I loved it. The next one was a Buick, and I loved it as well. The most difficult thing with the Buick back in 62, was that I had to run the Dynaslo until I could find a manual transmission. The last of the oldies, was a 394 swap, and it was also a wonderful engine. I would take any of them in a heartbeat. Bob
We have these two in our shop the Buick is a thumper and pulls like a big block and the Olds revs like and sounds like a small block Chevy. Both are fun and reliable
My vote is for an Olds, Pontiac, or Caddy over the nailhead, but it depends on what you consider hot rodding and what you want out of the engine. Most people in this thread have responded with aesthetic judgments favoring the nailhead, which is their prerogative and all good. The way I was brought up in hot rodding is that affordable performance is king and looks come second. Nailheads only look cool because of their oddball heads, but they are also a crap head design for performance compared to their late 50's contemporaries. The main reason people crammed nailheads in their mid/late-50's hot rods wasn't for the look but because of the cubic inches and torque Buick was putting out before other manufacturers. As soon as better engine designs (particularly head design) with larger displacements came out in the late 50's, the nailhead was largely left in the dust. A properly hopped up Olds 371/394, Pontiac 370/389, or Caddy 365/390 will smoke a 364/401 nialhead. A 425 is a mid-60's engine and would still be smoked by these Olds, Pontiac, and Caddy engines and smoked harder by its mid-60's contemporaries (396, 455, 429, etc.). A nailhead definitely looks bitchin, and some people prefer looks over performance. I'd rather have a good-looking engine that can fend off similar hot rods at the strip or stop light. Another issue that informs my opinion about nailheads is that parts are nowhere near as available, plentiful, and affordable as they once were. If you price out what it will cost for parts and machining on a 401/425 and spend time discovering the limited availability of performance parts, you might be surprised at the high bill and frustration. For your trouble and expense, you may as well build whatever contemporary engine you prefer.
Why would anyone want to make a Chevy look like a Buick ? Oh,now I know why............HP The proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing thing. Or Cadillac Actually thats debateable. Depends on which Caddy you choose and what if anything you do to it.
Hello, Both motors played a big part in our early hot rod days. For the amount of hot rods with those conversions, the Oldsmobile had more installs over the Buick. But, both put out good horsepower. The first install we saw in 1960, of a Buick motor was in a red 1940 Ford sedan. Hooked up to a LaSalle 3 speed was the transmission of choice. The first Olds power was an install in a 1934 Ford 5 window coupe for a daily driver and weekend racer. At the drags, the Olds motors vs the Buick motors were the engine of choice for the A and B/Gas class racers. Some of those were up there in the cubic inch race. Later on, for most, it was the 283 SBC for the easy installations. As the years rolled by, more horsepower for faster speeds ended up with the Hemi powered race cars. The Buick motors and the Olds motors played a huge part of early drag racing in the top racers in all of the classes, including Top Eliminator. (See the progression of the SWC Willys Gas Coupes) KS Pittman Olds powered A/Gas and B/Gas Coupe Class. Jim Morris Buick Street Roadster Stone Woods Cook Olds powered Willys coupe For any hot rod, symmetry plays a big part of the finished product. With 4 evenly spaced exhausts, the Buick has it in a smooth flowing design. The upright valve covers and 4 evenly spaced exhaust ports give the symmetry that makes for easy individual headers coordinated with injectors or carbs. Buick powered FED race cars associated with the Tommy Ivo camp. (including the famous upswept headers) Tommy Ivo single injected Buick FED + Prudhomme Jnaki As much as I like Buick powered cars, there is no discounting the Olds powered FED of Mickey Brown and Quincy Automotive. Engle Cams were synonymous with high powered Oldsmobile motors and race cars. 1959 Lions Mickey Brown Olds FED But, my brother did own a pristine 1951 Oldsmobile 2 door sedan from 1955 to late 1957. It was fast for a big sedan. The Moon Discs made it look even faster!!! Ha!
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