Projects Don't put a Chevy in that.

Saw the threads on the Olds and Buick. What's the big deal about a Chevy in another G.M. product. Is Ford the only thing acceptable to drop in a Chevy? Of interest to me cause I just got a 64 Skylark drop top and was going with the SBC.

 

Paint it the correct Buick color and then you'll know that the only really interesting people to talk to will be the ones who still knows it a Chevy.

 

Nothing wrong with Chevy engines, but they're kind of boring.... It seems like everyone puts a 350/350 combo in their cars, so it's a lot more interesting to see something else. Pontiac, Buick, Olds and Cadillac all had good engines, too.

 

KIND of boring......VERY boring. Hmm, let's take the easy way out SBC!!!
Do you want a cool ride, or do you want to be a cheap ass. Reliability, whatever! If you take care of your stuff and know how to track down parts shall you have problems, you can drive anything anywhere.

 

holy fuck, dont put a chevy motor into a ford?!?!?! didnt you read the shitstorm goin on about that?

put whatever you want to in your car... its YOUR CAR, and when the day is done and you close the shop up you are the only one that needs to be happy with it.

 

Probably 90% of Rods have SBC in them. The NSRA came up with the Streets of Rods concept last year titled Chevys in Chevys! What a rare & unusual concept!

 

The reason you see SBC in so maney cars is the junk yards are full of chevys

 

I think it would be neater if the Skylark had a Buick 455 with an Art Carr 200-4R transmission. If you want to do something really hard, transplant a flathead Ford into it.

 

bring your wallet.

 

I'm sorry, but I have to admit my 50 Ford has a SBC in it. But, this one is NOT boring. I did not have the funds to build the Flathead the way I wanted to and my customer I gave it to was very happy.

 

I'm not ragging on anybody or telling anybody what to do. Just throwing out an option.
Every vehicle I own has a SBC in it, so I can't throw any stones. Or money.

 

A "ran when pulled by someone else" 455 came with it. Think I want something a little calmer, less cash to keep going. Last car had a built 6 in it so I'm due a cookie cutter. I just wondered why the Fords don't get flack when other makes do.

 

In the early 60's, me and most of my friends would buy a running, AFFORDABLE engine wherever we could find one and we'd make it fit. More often than not, it'd be a SBC - easy to find, affordable, parts widely available and could be made to run like a sumovabitch. Now a lot of guys on here look down their noses at 'em and claim they're "boring" and make apologies for having one in their car - WTF? Guess there's a lot more scratch around now that there was way back then.

BTW, when did HAMB stop being a traditional board ????

 

I think it's preferrable to put a matching engine in a car, however, it depends on your wallet and what's available. I put a SBC in my Pontiac because it fit the budget and there's a lot of info about them out there. This was my first engine build and I needed something that would give me a little confidence. Maybe somewhere down the road I'll put a Pontiac Tri-Power in it or something, but for now it's SBC. Put whatever YOU want in it. It's YOUR car.

 

This isn't the same issue of putting a small block into a hot rod. Model A's came with 4 bangers. '32's had V8's but you can only get so much out of them. Everything else with a 6 cylinder in it. People put newer motors in them, including small blocks, for that reason. It's not an anti-SBC issue either. They are great motors with tons of potential and are appropriate in very many applications.

But '60's cars...Skylarks, Cutlasses, Tempests, etc, all had good motors in them from the beginning. Buick, Olds, and Pontiac 350s or 455's (or any other C.I. versions) can and do make tons of power. So what is the point of pulling out a decent motor to drop a small block in it? Part of the pride of owning a certain make of car is the powerplant. Even if there is no motor in the car to start with, why go through the trouble to put something different in it? A BOP automatic transmission wont bolt up, or if it's a stick you'll have to get another bellhousing. The exhaust will have to be redone. Mounts wont be a big deal but thats still something you have to change. Starter is on the different side so you'll have to rewire. '64's are odd across the board so you might have radiator hoses on the wrong side.

Small block BOP motors are not hard to find at all. They aren't as plentiful as Chevy's of course, but there are still plenty in the yards. They all were eventually updated to HEI ignition so thats an easy retrofit. Rebuild kits and speed parts are all over the place.

There's just not any good reason to put a small block Chevy where one of these motors should be.

 

Well put and I agree completely. Everyone does an SBC. And I'm no purist by any means, but I just plain like the idea of building an Olds motor for an Oldsmobile. Someday, I might drop in a 455... but that motor may be from a Buick. Who knows. Variety is the spice of life. Ha.

 

Hey Fidgiter, Very well put...

 

A friend of mine was showing me his restored Model A coupe. I told him it was nice except it didn't have a model A engine. He said "sure it did". I told him no that a model A engine was a SBC, he grinned said yell I guess you're right.

 

shit man, im not either... im speakin from the voice of experiance with large displacement buick mills... its cubic dollars dude

 

The Fidgiter was right on, once you get into say mid 50's and especially the 60's, it just doesn't make a lot of sense. But, there's not too many motors that are more traditional in a hot rod, than a sbc, like it or not.

 

Yep...I feel the same way..
I'd NEVER swap a sbc in a 60's car that wasn't a Chevy. Too many good motors already in place and that dosn't matter if it's a GM product or not..
But i would still use one in my hot rod builds regardless of what make..Simple reason, i like sbc's

Well Put Fidgiter

Tony

 

Leave the hood closed,and and don't worry about it.

Cars look better with the hood closed any way.

 

Nobody looks under the hood and says "Wow,..its a 350!"...Bellybuttons!...everybodys got one.

 

Flathead Ford...303 Olds....SBC....HEMI....all good all popular...

I don't like going to shows and seeing SBC after SBC after SBC...For some people SBCs are like flat black and red wheels ya know?? BORING But they are great engines...cheap to build, they run great, and they seem to be the generic swap for everything...

I love "odd ball" engines...here's a list of mine..

1. 320 Buick Str 8
2. 223 Ford Six
3. 213 Chysler 6
3. 394 Olds Sky Rocket
4. x2 303 Olds
5. x2 425 Olds
6. 500 Cad
7. 401 Amc
8. 240 Olds Str 8
9. 200 Pontiac Six
10. 440 Interceptor...Dodge
11. 460 Ford
12. 455 Olds

These are just currently the ones I'm working on...I have about 40 more engines, I love the real goofy ones...all the ones above have a project to go with...

If you can afford it go for something different...but theres nothing wrong with the chevy.

 

For a "closed hood" car, SBC's the best bang for the buck, and parts out on the road are easiest to find in the event of a break-down. For a Hot Rod with no hood, SBC's the best bang for the buck, and parts out on the road are easiest to find in the event of a break-down (just not as sexy)

 

i must be boring,..i am going to put a blown 454 in a 29 Dodge coupe.
it probably won't be too boring when i hit the gas pedal,....or the brake pedal.
stay tuned....

 

Put whatever engine you like into it and as Unkl Ian says, "keep the hood closed."

Use a fairly common engine if you plan to drive long distances.

 

pretty good amount of canadian cars came with sbc instead of motor matching emblems. pontiac was prime example.

 

Go check out www.v8buick.com and click on the small block forum. Those guys are doing some AMAZING things with the buick 350. One dude over these even made over 1000 hp on pump gas with one, and another guy is selling dual turbo kits for the buick 350.

You might actually be surprised about what a small block buick can offer you. From the first ever all aluminum production small block [215] to the first turbocharged production american V8, to the lightest [and arguably] the best designed SB [350], with more torque stock than a 396 corvette engine [70 350 4v].

Cap screw rods [indy style] came stock in the 350 after '73, the stock heads flow massive ammounts of air and they can be ported like there's no tomorrow. small block mopar valves will fit foroversized applications, cams, pistons, intakes, etc are all readily available.

True, you will spend a few more bucks to build one, but the first time you hit the gas pedal and expirence that infamous buick torque, you will instantly know it was money well spent.

 

ah what does it matter if you use a chevy engine or an original?? i agree that sometimes using chevy motors just fit the budget which is very understandable from my end, but theres nothing wrong with original motors if you got em, u may not has the baddest motor out there, but its something else to look at and can be very cool/fun

yet i agree with some others...its YOUR car, do what makes YOU happy