I think it just comes down to what you like, sometimes it's what you have on hand.Im a MOPAR guy, most all of my family has owned mopars so i've been around them all my life.I don't think there is a simpler engine to work on.than a BBchry. But thats my opinion,others will disagree.The SBC is easy to work on also,it became the most popular engine to "hot rod" if you will. it has gazillions of hours of R/D behind it and I think thats one reason its popular. An engine is an air pump it does"nt know what name is on the valve cover.
a 383 Mope will beat a chevy small block 383cid, b/c the Mope can go easily to 489 cid and keeps the distributor in the front, to clear the firewall. Plus there's the larger cam lifter bores that allow for a streetable cam profile with more lift than a Chevy would do before needing roller lifters. But, front mount distributors can mean a front oil pump that won't clear the front suspension. like most said, people pick what they can, and an Impala small block with Vette parts thrown on...what's not to like? its one stop shopping at the junkyard, compared to a Ford 302 where there's many changes in parts, and have you found a RoadRunner in the junkyard lately to steal Magnum heads from?
I thought the chevy v8 would make up 60-70% of the Hot Rod motors out there to but in the engine poll i just started last week out of the over 600 votes only about one third (33%) are chevy v8's. but i bet out of that 33% about 70% are SBC's.
I grew up working on fords, however, chevy's were easier and cheaper to build, for me chevy's just aren't appealing, in looks or sound...but you can buy a truck full of parts for it where Ford's you can't...there's nothing that sounds like a Y-block or flatty for that matter...so, i'm ford all the way...just because its easy doesn't mean its worth it...
A lot of good cars have been ruined that way. Nobody stops to think that in 10 years, the 25 year old junkyard suspension they are installing will be 35 years old and just as obsolete as the one they are replacing. It would be easier, cheaper and better to rebuild the original in most cases. Studebaker made some light weight cars. The stock 289 was about all they could handle for weight. The Cadillac 331 and Packard 352 that some of them got, made them nose heavy and loused up the traction and handling to a certain extent. A Chev small block is lighter than the 289 and makes a good engine for these cars.
Bingo. Someone who's good with engines and actually understands how they do what they do can improve on most any "stock" engine- in power, and durability. In my experience, most of the folks who beat the sbc drum the loudest, while preaching cheap, dependable, blah blah blah, actually do not build their own engines or know how, and get all their "facts" from listening to someone else or reading too many magazines. I like my FE's because they have a very strong "Big League" racing heritage, I can build them economically and get lots of power out of them, and no matter what, when you pull in somewhere with a 427 with a lotta squeeze and a lotta stick, it's gonna be the 800lb gorilla- might not always win, but in the day won more than it's share, but it'll always give it a good go, and sound the best doing it- and the LOUDEST mutha in the valley
Here's the poll. It's still open too so feel free to vote if you haven't already.http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=781336h
I've had the benefit over the years to own a good number of cars and engines....I found that I like the SBF Fords esp the later roller Windsors...have built a number of these for various applications and a couple with crazy power adders (OT cars)....I love them. Also like the SBC and have had a number of great ones.... Don't really care for the LS even though I have one (just too new, or something)... To fit in an early frame the SBC is about as easy as it can get....good positioning of bumps as noted above, but also wide selection of accessory mounts (alternator, etc.)... not to mention pulleys are pretty universal for the most part (Ford pullys are a nightmare if you need to mix/match)... oil pan positioning is subjective of the frame, but most early cars like the rear sump of the Chev. I did let (2) motors get away, one was a 427 Chev from a buddies Yenko that sat under my bench for (15) years before I needed a new furnace, the other was a 427 Ford SOHC in a local wrecking yard (how on earth did he get it?) that I could not scrape the 1000 bucks to buy back in 1981 (actually I think he wanted less than 1K)... Chev/Ford, Ford/Chev, Mopar/Ford Chev......it's all good.... Tom
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