Hot Rods In your opinion what is the best all around cubic inch combination for a hot rod?

I’m sure that this is one of those questions that doesn’t have a definitive answer. It’s more of a talking point really.

I personally like Caddys. No one makes go fast stuff for them, but I just kinda like em. No real reason. I just do.

I like small journal stuff like the 265’s and 283’s.

I like the FE stuff, although I have never owned one. They just have a distinctive sound.

I also like the Y blocks even though they hardly fit in anything without surgery.

It’s bench racing, there is no right answer.

 

It’s probably been brought up. But a guy can stroke a Ford Windsor and have reliable fun as well. And it’s not terribly expensive. 331,347 363,408


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I'm not going to answer your question other than to say I'm largely over the idea of high horsepower, bigger-is-better mentality when it comes to hot rod and custom engines. To begin with my affinity for traditionally styled cars and engines runs directly counter to the end goal of making a car as powerful and as fast as possible. That's a fact. Old cars are not as fast as new cars, and there is no moral victory in spending $25000 on an engine and trans combination only to get gapped by a 20 year old with an LS-swapped turbo Fox body or off-the-showroom Tesla Model X. I don't really subscribe the mindset that "it's fast for what it is" is good enough. Speed is objective. Cool is subjective, and that's why I'd rather have something that looks, sounds, and runs awesome rather than strictly concern myself with power and performance.

In a light car, especially on street tires, I don't think much more than 400 hp is even usable in a hot rod. You can get that out of pretty much anything with enough work.

 

Apologies to the traditionalists (and Ford guys).
Anyone contemplating a big cube SBC build needs this book.

 

Stroker McGurk said a Long time ago" that there was no subitute for cubic inches"

 

I like and run 383", 385" and 389" SBC's. The motor that Chevy should have made...
There's NO replacement for displacement, period!

 

Yep! Them things do have that horsepower..

 

F

For a street driven traditional rod, it's hard to beat the looks of a 392 Chrysler.

 

Whatever the crap is laying around the shop.
As far as looks and sound, a flatly zipping through zephyr gears is hard to beat.
I like the sj SBC stuff as well.
235/261s with split exhaust is one of my favorite.
Caddys, FEs, poncho, Hemi .........there is no wrong answer.

 

"Whatever the crap is laying around the shop." If they are laying all around the shop pick the best one and you ate done. If best includes fun you are right on.

 

Those Big Block results pretty much mirror the results they got with the 4.03" x 3.75" "383 stroker" SBC vs 4.155 x 3.48" "377 de-stroker" SBC's test they did a number of years prior.

Small bore/long stroke does not make sume magical increased amount of torque just because it has a long stroke.