Anybody put a Ford sb in a '49 - 54 Chevy?

It's blasphemy! Ohh, the humanity! Man, putting any motor other than a Chevy in a Chevy is just plain wrong. You're better off just cutting a couple of holes in the floorpan and making your Chevy Flintstone powered rather than to ruin it by putting in a inferior ford motor.

 

I assume that is sarcasm.

 

Put a Ford in it. Fuck-em if they can't take a joke!!

 

Get some chrome valve covers and put bowtie emblems on them and confuse the crap out of the masses.Ha! Ha! And be sure and get an HEI for that 302 Ford,that still causes some confusion even though it is becoming more common.

 

At the Lake DeGray run last year, there was a '34 (give or take a year) Chevy coupe with a 426 Hemi in it. The Chevy people cringed, the Mopar people said what a waste of a good motor and the Ford people just stood back and snickered. Kinda like what some of us are doing right now.

 

If the question was "Should I put a SBC in 49-54 Ford" the Chevy boys would be screaming "Hell Yeah", but when you put the shoe on the other foot they start sniveiling little girl tears all over thier bow ties. I say DO IT and display it with a box of Kleenix prominently displayed on the inner fender.

 

that looks like a good combo with the nailhead.

 

I agree!!!

 

Why not its your car hell i put a sbc in my coupe. It was easy for me as i have never owned a ford...Motor that is.

 

F*ck yeah do it!

 

I would do it!!!!

 

I met an old man at the Pomona Swapmeet last year. He was a long bearded ZZ Top looking guy. Really cool old cat. Sold me 2 37-41 axles for $20. He had a 61 Ford truck at his space. I asked him what engine it had. His reply word for word was, "I want it to run. It has a CHEVY engine in it". I just about died laughing.

 

"The engine does not know the name on its valve covers" - Smokey Yunick

 

Yeah, but that's Bitchin'


But Ford, good God son. Go find a '57 Ranchero or somethin' Ford motors won't run in Chevy skin.

Tim

 

YES!!!
And while your at it put a mustang clip on it. Not an aftermarket setup but a for real mustang II clip. Put a ford v 8 emblem on it too. I'm not a "ford guy", I just think it would be cool.

 

I have been planning the same thing for my '37, mainly because I bleed Ford blue. My Dad has offered up a sbc if I would do that instead butthat will never happen.
My engine choice will be between a 235 chevy, 351w, or nailhead. By the way it will have ford rear axle and mii for sure. If the 351w goes in it then the chevy emblems will disappear and Body by Fischer tag will have "Powered by Ford" striped under it.

 

I agree with Von Rigg, I didn't get a rule book either! Man its your car, do what you want and screw the haters!

 

I'll do that in the Yugo I'll be driving in Hell ... according to certain individuals. Hey, I'm lovin' all the passion here people. By the way.. I didn't say it was a done deal.. I was just playing with ideas. I obviously don't have a problem with it and I know once it was setup and done that it would look and run great and it'd be something I'd be quite happy with.

One thing somebody did mention tho' was about resale.. If I ever do re-sell (which I don't see doing with this one.. as it will be the family cruiser) I would probably have a Chevy SB in there. For as we have seen and heard.. I think the majority of Chevy lovers want a Chevy in a Chevy and I don't see a Ford fan buying a Chevy with a Ford motor. However, that being said.. I build to the tune of my own drum.. After all, I will be the one driving and enjoying it.

Haven't taken offense to anything.. If anything all the input has put a smile on my face. Some of the responses are hilarious! A lot of passionate people on this site.. that's a good thing!

Now if I really want to piss people off I can go over to the "TeamBuick" website and post pics of my 55 Buick with that SB Ford sitting in there. ... ha!

 

I miss my nailhead too! Nice motor! Looks great..!

 

I too bleed Blue Oval and I have always loved the 49 to 54 chebby. I'd love to have one with a sbf, aod, MII and a 9 inch. I love the idea of the box of tissues on the inner fender.
All jokes aside, isn't our hobby building cars and trucks the way WE want them built??? Where would hot rodding be without the MII and the 9 inch????

 

Well, maybe you'll have a little more room around the chevy steering box for exhaust than using a chevy. I used a 406 sbc in my 50 and other than moving the radiator in front of the radiator support and fighting interference with the steering box it dropped in ok.
The first [and last] sbf powered hotrod I had was 32 years ago..was a 49 ford pickup with a 67 moostang 289, 2 bbl and a cast iron cruiso 3 speed auto with stock 4.27 ratio rear. The little mustang motor was bone stock with dual exhaust. I really had no problems with it but with the teeny 2 barrel and about 36-3800 lbs of pickup body, it wasn't fast, however, with the low gears it would buzz the engine at anything over 50 MPH. The ford's 3 inch stroke probably saved it from having rod/piston/bearing problems running a constant 3500-3900 RPMs on road trips. A bigger engine with long stroke may have given me trouble at those sustained RPM levels.
I always lived in fear of stripping out the weeenie little octagonal oil pump drive shaft. Seen it several times with friend's sbf's..
Do it but don't get mad when people call you an idiot...personally, I love the 4 inch bore/3 inch stroke ratio the 302 has....works great in a light car..
BTW, my 50 chevy delivery weighed in at 3300 LBS with a full tank. Try to keep your car a light as possible. The short stroke motors dont' make much low end torque...hell, they don't make much top-end torque either.
Helpful hint: Replace the steering box with one from a 53-54 chev. They bolt in place and give you bearings instead of bushings.....much improved handling for little monetary outlay.

 

I allmost put one in my 35 chevy, then I had second thoughts, only because the sbc was a cheaper engine for me to buy and rebuild. I did put a ford fe / 352 engine in a 52 chevy pickup, fit was not to bad. That was a long time ago. Give me hell, I too old to care.L.O.L.

 

Yeah you could start with a Turd SBC in the trunk. It's at least good for weight transfer I guess

 

Be MUCH better car if ya left the 235 in the hole.
Rod

 

Thats how they used to lower em "back in the day"

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Must be an inliner..
It was a good engine for what it was, but it gave up the ghost a long time ago and was passed on to someone with a Stock ride.

I do like the 235's all dressed out.. but just not for me. Prefer the V8's..

 

It always made me scratch my head why these threads always get closed.

Oil pump drive shaft failure...not as common as it sounds.

SBF being under-powered or to weak to push the car? I doubt it will have a problem.

Chevy guys getting pissy cause someone is going against the grain is beautiful! I am not an engine snob per say, but I do get tired of seeing the same thing in every car. I like to see a little variation...and I like this. I dont want to say things get played out becuase there is nothing cliche about building your hotrod, but throwing a little spice in when you can is fun for both the builder and the crowds.

 

I am inclined to follow the marque with mainstream motors...

However, if the vehicle or the engine is somewhat odd or rare then I am all for "exceptions" to the "rule"!

My '53 Bel Air has a Chevy motor and my '52 Caddy has a Caddy motor, but my '26 T roadster has a Pontiac Tempest 194.5" slant 4 and transaxle! My Pickup that I am building out of a ford bed and 1933 Willys sedan will have a Ford flathead.

I think that as long as you are happy with it, everyone else can keep their opinions.

As soon as you start charging admission, then you need to cater to your audience!

 

I dont know about you but when I search 1/4 mile twin turbo mustangs on youtube i am happy!.. It has a hood on it run what ever your lil heart desires!... everyone kept telling me to run a cheap sbc in my f1 and i refused to do it.. jsut cause I was on a budget doesnt mean I want a car i can get parts from walmart to fix it ..lol.. chevys are cheap and parts are dime a dozen... the pans on the crown vic are not that much of a sump as the older front or rear sumps...