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Hot Rods The best engine you have ever had- looking back

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Jun 13, 2022.

  1. hipojoe
    Joined: Jul 23, 2021
    Posts: 493

    hipojoe

  2. My wife thinks we're a bunch of kooks, reminiscing about engines we loved.
     
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  3. 296ardun
    Joined: Feb 11, 2009
    Posts: 4,673

    296ardun
    Member

    Ardun.jpg
    Best engine I ever had? That's easy. 296" Ardun, welded stroker, Wilcap mains, Herbert roller cam, Forgetrue pistons, stock rods, Hilborn injectors, flowed by Stu Hilborn himself. I put 70 runs on it, over 40 on straight nitro, ran 137 at 10.51. Sure, a good stocker could exceed that today, but I was using parts from 1955. The only thing I broke were the lifters, when I mis-adjusted them. As Herbert had stopped making them, I took Harley Davidson lifters, reamed out the lifter bosses with a brake hone, and good to go. I have no idea where it is today.
     
  4. Magfiend
    Joined: Sep 11, 2019
    Posts: 432

    Magfiend
    Member

    I DO have what may become my new favorite - correct 69 302 block, unstamped. Could be used for a real Z28 rebuild...
     
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  5. Might tell her at least we aren't talking about best women. Or not!

    Ben
     
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  6. COCONUTS
    Joined: May 5, 2015
    Posts: 1,161

    COCONUTS

    The best looking engine I had was a 241.6, Dodge Red Ram stuffed into a 41 4 door Plymouth. When I first fired it up, it had a skip at idle. Turn out to be a bad valve (1/2 was missing). Had to go to a junk yard and pull another valve out of another 241.6 because the auto part store/machine shop told me that they could not get one. Ended up with a Jeep carb (M-151), new lifters, and a fresh paint job. Not a real power house but ran like a sewing machine.
     
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  7. Koz
    Joined: May 5, 2008
    Posts: 2,699

    Koz
    Member

    Best by far, four bolt high nickel block 350, .030 over, (355) with Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, Crane full roller cam to 30/30 specs, Harland and Sharp roller valve train, H beam rods Mahle pistons, 10 to 1 C.R., Mallory Pro Billet ignition with MSD box, 2x4 or 3x2 depending on my mood. Great balance job and careful assembly. One of those motors where everything just clicked! Absolutely brutal in a light car. Drove the wheels off it reliably with decent (considering) gas mileage.
    upload_2022-7-9_16-58-0.jpeg
     
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  8. lostmind
    Joined: Aug 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,308

    lostmind
    Member

    262 flathead 6 in my last Hudson. 24 miles to gallon with overdrive,
    no oil consumption, trouble free.
    Drove it wherever I needed to go, any state any distance.
    The PO had it rebuilt at a machine shop in New Jersy.
     
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  9. hipojoe
    Joined: Jul 23, 2021
    Posts: 493

    hipojoe

    Heres Dads Favorite engine! IMG_1088.JPG
     
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  10. hipojoe
    Joined: Jul 23, 2021
    Posts: 493

    hipojoe

    Its a Fritz Voight built Full Boogie flat head now installed in the Tom Medley coupe! Cant wait to take it to the Vintage races...
     
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  11. modified1927
    Joined: Nov 22, 2007
    Posts: 158

    modified1927
    Member

    I'm hoping this will be, the one 355 ci, scat crank, h beam rods, heads are now Trick Flow, oh and the Magna Charger I was able to track down on HAMB new old stock. I have a 6" narrow 26 touring front half modified about ready to stab it in, T400 and Franklin. The Power steering was on long block in a 68 firebird, off now

    IMG_4888.JPG
     
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  12. This little 301" SBC by far. Only beat one time in 5 years when the driver lit the red bulb.

    [​IMG]
     
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  13. aussie57wag
    Joined: Jul 13, 2011
    Posts: 671

    aussie57wag
    Member
    from australia

    The trusty old Ford y-block. They dominated nasca in 56-57. They have many performance design features that others just don't have.
    They all have solid lifters. Rocker shafts, high swirl combustion chambers, all conrods are longer than 6.2 inches long, they all have air gap inlet manifolds and everyone a side oiler. The early ones did have some oiling issues. That's not an issue with modern oils and filters. But they have are very dependable and strong and have great performance potential.
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Most memorable was my Mom's '56 Ford sunliner (ragtop) :eek::cool:
    I kept it when she passed, the 292 was fresh, dealership engine when P.O. had engine stolen from in front of his San Francisco apartment! Hood wasn't even removed!
    Ford had a T86 trans w/O.D., rear was 3.90. I did a few things to it, one of them was turning pistons backward, an old Smoky Unich trick for more 'leverage advantage' for offset wrist pins...Cam was a mild regrind by a San Jose speed merchant, John DeLong. (He specified closing valve lash specs to .015", hot.)
    Teapot carb was re-jetted, and ignition was the original distributor, re-curved by Red Mayfield. (my boss)
    This mild Ford would turn 92 in the quarter, (Fremont Drags) in high 13s. Always.
    Ran it on street daily, raced 3 nights a week (street stuff, mostly Chevies)
    Best engine I ever had, including Hemis, big Buicks, etc.
     
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  15. aussie57wag
    Joined: Jul 13, 2011
    Posts: 671

    aussie57wag
    Member
    from australia

    The trusty y-block is one of the most underrated engines ever.
     
  16. Todd553
    Joined: Feb 16, 2005
    Posts: 534

    Todd553
    Member

    Last edited: Aug 8, 2022
  17. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    I've had VERY good luck with SB Fords(260-289-5.0) BUTT........
    This 4.3 V-6 is the beat'n-est (is that a word?!) little engine I have ever owned! 1/4 million miles and the heads have never been off.....still doesn't use any oil !
    I have loaded this truck until the body set down on the rear axle several times and it pulls off and up the road...
    no problem! (It even rides and drives BETTER grossly overloaded)
    I bleed Ford blue but Shivel-lay hit a home run with this combo!!
    6sally6
     
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  18. aussie57wag
    Joined: Jul 13, 2011
    Posts: 671

    aussie57wag
    Member
    from australia

    40,000 or 80,000 isn't very high mileage for a motor to be worn out. Doesn't say much for the brand if they were brand new.
     
  19. I really have a soft spot for ford FEs, 1st car was a 65 Galaxie with a 390, added a holley street dominator, holley 600, mallory dp and voltmaster coil, was pretty fast I thought…. Till I built a 454 for my OT gen.2 chevy.
     
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  20. Nobey
    Joined: May 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,489

    Nobey
    Member

    Has to be my flathead Fords, I've had plenty Chevrolets, but have had flatheads all my life.
    In there stock form they just, run and, run and, run. When you hop them up, that's a different
    story, but you can say that about all engines.......
     
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  21. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    upload_2022-8-11_4-59-36.png 280 hp stock, from the factory in late 1957

    Hello,

    When I was not driving as yet, I always enjoyed it when my older brother’s friends came over to our house for their teenage gab sessions or just to hang around. It was a long standing thing that tools and parts were available at our backyard garage area and the local auto parts store was a bicycle ride up the street. But, I think back and I know the real reason. It was that our mom was a fabulous cook. Her prepared meals were to die for then and now, if we could still get them.

    She was happiest when she served the hungry teenagers plates of sandwiches, her famous hand rolled Sushi and vegetables. Teenagers eating vegetables? That was a new concept, but fresh, coated and/or stir-fried vegetables are/were a way to get hungry teenagers not just eating meat. Char-broiled chicken, steak and hamburgers on a grill were some of the “ordinary” meal items.

    So, when these guys came over, their motors were purring like no other. High performance motors with the correct exhaust pipes just made the teenage mind get in a good place for the cruise or road trips.

    When my brother had me help him install the side Lakes Pipes on his 51 Oldsmobile Sedan, it made some great sounds. Since the motor was stock, it just sounded good. The bad, it was the lowest part of a rake and scrapped the ground on almost every road dip and intersection. So, they bit the dust.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-2-47.png
    My brother did not want to wait for many months of building a fast hot rod for the street and local Lion’s Dragstrip. So, he sold the Oldsmobile and the Model A Coupe sitting in the backyard. Then he drove up to the driveway in a new black 1958 Impala with a 348 motor and 280 hp. It was an instant power hungry sedan, ready to do wonders at the drags.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-3-22.png
    The 348 motor with 280 hp was the most reliable motor set up we ever had in our arsenal. It gave us plenty of satisfied miles going to work, school, with plenty of road trips around So Cal beaches, mountains and nearby lakes. Although it was supposedly a high performance motor, it was also, a daily driver that did not give us any problems in any climate. From three open carbs, to three chrome caps, to finally the best, the top lid chrome stock 3 carb air cleaner.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-5-19.png a smile for selecting a very reliable, powerful hot rod sedan…

    During the hot summer road trips, even idling in traffic, there was no overheating. It was like the Energizer Bunny, “…it takes a licking and keeps on ticking…” You would think that weekly all day drag racing at Lion’s Dragstrip would put a damper on the reliability of the Impala set up from the factory. But, on those cold Monday mornings, one click was all that was necessary to get started for the dreaded Monday morning school blues.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-6-5.png
    The changes over the years to also include a Moon Aluminum Breather set on the chrome valve covers at a later stage.

    We kept it stock as per required rules, but it was set up to race on Fridays and Saturdays while a changeover to daily cruising was back in play for the rest of the week. 4:56 Postitraction gears for racing and 4:11 Positraction for daily driving and an chance encounter on the street was the norm.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-8-33.png
    Until I was able to save up enough money to buy a nice Flathead powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, our surf transportation was the powerful 58 Impala. We got stares and the over-the-top joking comments about our surfing and hot rod sedan. We got the last laugh when our surfing skills far surpassed those that made those comments.

    My brother was a nice older brother, since I had helped him with the Impala since purchasing it in late 57. So, before I got my official license, he allowed me to race the Impala in trial runs and then leading into the elimination runs while he took over the filming on those days.

    After our drag racing recovery days, the 58 Impala still had the trailer hitch from the Willys Coupe towing adventures. So, we utilized a two desert motorcycle size trailer to hold two 250 ccs bikes, tools and other parts. The Impala handled the heat and dust with ease. It had enough pulling power and never got stuck. For those long distance road trips, we used the 3:78 gears for smooth power and cruising. We only wished we had A/C, but it was only for the road trip home.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-9-44.png me at 15 going 14.68 e.t. Thanks, James...

    Jnaki


    Yes, I put in another post on why the 671 supercharged blower spec 292 c.i. SBC motor that we both built for our 1940 Willys Coupe was “the best engine we ever had…” But, that was a drag race motor for certain builds or modified coupes/sedans. The Impala was a true dual-purpose, factory-built powerhouse hot rod for the times and was the most reliable product for the both of us, drags, daily job, or to high school.

    When it was my turn to own the Impala, the reliability continued until we waved goodbye to it, after we sold it to a young teenager we knew, 8 years later.
    upload_2022-8-11_5-11-58.png
    The last stage of the 58 Impala custom race car, prior to all black wheels for the sale to our young friend, in 1965. Thanks for the modified photo by @themoose

    The 348 C.I. 280 hp+ motor was an exemplary motor and car for the times. Thousands of cruising/racing miles without any repairs or damages. It always started in any weather, location or condition (of the car) of the motor in the car. It started, under layers of snow in the local mountains, hot boiling summer weather at the beaches and even after winning trophies at the drags. It started up with the turn of the key and ran well for the rest of the night (s).















     
  22. Besty34
    Joined: Sep 9, 2010
    Posts: 409

    Besty34
    Member

  23. 53studecoupe
    Joined: Nov 25, 2010
    Posts: 379

    53studecoupe
    Member
    from Eagle WI

    Being a Ford guy I don't have a lot of experience with the SBC. Although I do know they are a great engine for little money. But everyone has one. Yeah I am that guy that has to be different.
    I will give my vote to a 1971 Boss 351C . A high reving SB engine with a sound I will never forget. It's those heads that do it for me. If it is modified it just gets better.
    Best engine I ever built. 20160228_160452.jpg
     
  24. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,025

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    Now that I've inherited a 50% share in my dad's cars, the best engine I've owned, and the only V8, must be the Mercedes-Benz M116: 214cu.in., sohc, 200bhp@6500rpm, completely stock. I can't afford to keep it, though.
    MB M116 engine.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2022
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  25. 1953, 57, and 65 buick Nailheads, best engines for me. Still have the 1965 425 in my 29 Ford roadster. Good for about 120 in the quarter.
     
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  26. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,092

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    I had a '67 IH Scout 800 during my teenage years powered by an unassuming 266 ci V8. That motor took everything my teenage ignorance could throw at it, and asked for more.

    -30 deg. F Cold starts - Check
    Cruising all day at 3500 rpms, because no overdrive and a 4:11 rear end - Check
    Mudding in central Minnesota iron mines - Check
    Busting trail through snow covered forest - Check
    Pulling dead demo derby cars off the track because it was too muddy for the skid-steers - Check.
    Going way too long between oil changes - Check

    Let's face it, the 266 was a debored and destroked version of IH's already bullet proof 392 that didn't make enough power to hurt itself, but it still put a lot of smiles on my face.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2022
  27. cabong
    Joined: Nov 29, 2005
    Posts: 881

    cabong
    Member

    Like most, I've had lot's of mills of varying makes and sizes. From the 260 in my Model A to the 427 in a Galaxie, to the big Olds in the El Caballo, to the scream'n little Chevy in my Austin Healy Special. But, the most bang for buck and size, was the wee "60" in my Almquist Special. I vintage raced it for years in different configurations, with the last being the best. It loved 6,000 rpm, and was obnoxiously loud. Lightweight midget headers and pipes made from '36 driveshafts. Those shafts were made of some kind of hardened steel, and would ring like a bell if you tapped on them... It ran 110mph on the first straight at Laguna Seca, and was an adrenaline rush every lap. Crosley Garage 012.jpg
     
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  28. C7063658-FC65-4F07-ACC0-1C0ED7F6F789.jpeg 1986 senior year high school my first car paid 500$
    Previous owner had rebuilt motor all 1200 cc of it but could never get it running
    My father immediately diagnosed the distributor being out 180 degrees
    Didn’t touch distributor just rearranged plug wires
    Ran that car for 2 years with 5:11 rear gears pulling 5500 rpm never missed a beat
    Now the Lucus prince of darkness electrical system is a whole nother subject
    Lawnmowers have a more complicated carb 337E599E-EA18-477D-9B0D-69F53E31C5A6.jpeg
    But my best friend had a’66 fairlane gta 390 so I am kinda parchel to that
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2022
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  29. desotot
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,036

    desotot
    Member

    Probably I will be alone on this but I once picked up a 64 Skylark 300 4 barrel engine with the factory aluminum intake and heads couple to a super turbine 300 and it went very well, but if I was loaded I would get a Ford 427 SOHC. Realitity has been for the most part sbcs and nailheads and desoto hemis
     
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  30. daleeric
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 80

    daleeric
    Member
    from Omak

    I have had several, at 13 a Mac 10 with duel carbs on a caper cycle mini bike, then a 235 chev in my 37 pickup. A 365 cad with factory duels in my 1956 Eldorado Biarritz and a chev 292 six in my 1967 short box pickup. All fun!
     
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