Projects flathead vs sbc engine in a ford coupe

I'll take a look thru my dad's stash and check. Do you remember what Co. the set was made by? I could see it happening when companies were growing and adding fresh college kids with degrees.

 

Best answer yet!

 

For max power, reliability, ease of finding replacement parts anywhere in the US, and lowest cost, the SBC is my recommendation. Had a flattie, never again.

 

There is some sound logic there.

 

Thanks for all the help. Got some good suggestions as well as a few rants. I'm not real sure which way I'm wanting to go with this car yet. I have a 68 Camaro show car that I sunk tons of $$'s in and am always paranoid when out playing in it.
I'm thinking about a traditional hot rod...Black in color of course. I'm gonna finish my 37 Ford Pickup and get it on the road first then start on the 40 so I have some time.

 

so how many times have you taken the camaro on a 600 mile weekend trip? do you plan to take long trips on the highway with the 40? sounds like to me the flathead would be a perfect fit. i know i would be more impressed to see a flathead under the hood than a sbc.

 

If you decide to build the Flathead you have a great Flathead guy near you that builds a lot of them for local hot rodders and members of the V8 Club of America,Andy Mullikin. HRP

 

The way I look at this , the flathead for the purist rodder and the sbc for hot rodder

 

If you have to ask then you do not need it and I will be down to get it this weekend,it would get one of my two Y blocks I have in stock.

 

no toes stepped on, my hamb friendly car is Desoto powered. Your comment is bullshit, its flat-out false. Just open any '55-'60 Hot Rod magazine, and you will see tons of '40 fords with chevy motors.

Oh, and flatheads arent purist traditional anyway. If you need to posture, do it right and build a 4-banger...

 

Without seeing any pictures of the car or knowing what you have planned for the remainder of the build? ie; front and rear suspension wheel and tire combo, ride height desired, transmission you plan to use, chassis setup it's hard to say. You might say that should not matter, but I think it does. But, I would be partial to the SBC. I would save the flathead for a lighter car, maybe a T or an A or some sort of speedster. Nothing more than my thoughts for the moment, Good Luck!

 

To the O/P, put an Olds in it. A '40 is a relatively heavy car, torque is your friend. A (if your good) 220 hp flatty in a 2800lb car? Oh yea, that sounds like fun...

 

Ok ill throw one more thing out there, pull the heads off the flatty, then get some magnetic powder and an atomizer from goodson.com and two large rare earth magnets. Then mag the block from the valves to the cylinders across the deck. If you dont find any cracks then build the flatty, but if you do find cracks then go get what ever tickles your fancy to replace it with. But check into the rebuild costs of various engines and do your research before buying anything.

 

I was thinking of a Cad as well, but performance parts are generally more expensive and harder to find. Good point, the starter changeover for the olds may make it a wash, price-wise. Either one would be a good choice.
I'd figure either one will cost less than finding a usable block and building a good flatty, and make for a WAY nicer car. When you consider that the forty is closing in on 3000lbs with driver, the flatty is gonna be painfully gutless. I know most guys ignore the "modified for increased performance" part of the traditional hot rod definition, but getting waxed by stock late-model econo-boxes is not my idea of hot rodding. I'm just not that cool yet.

And O/P, the "idea" that any car with a sbc cannot be a traditional hot rod is complete bullshit.

 

Have you considered the Pontiac 301?

 

This again huh. Fuck.

If we run out of room on the internet for pornography because of this bullshit Im holding you guys responsible

 

I would say the absolute minimum a mild flat motor can be built for is about 2k..

I am ashamed to say I have north of 5k in my 296... It's plenty fast in a stock 32 roadster but I also built a 29 coupester ...running , driving , painted, liscenensed for less than my flat motor cost... It had a 50 dollar craigslist Chevy in it... Would run circles around my 32.... Lot more fun... Lot less investment

If I had a heavy fat fender car with no motor .. I would buy a 200dollar running Chevy , a hurst mount, an adapter to the stock trans and bolt it in , enjoy the car... You can always change it back... Nothing has to be harmed or cut to put the Chevy in

 

Ha!

 

This again huh. Fuck.

My sentiments, do what you want but do not be afraid to build the flattie, do this and keep with all the disbelivers........


all the power you will need and Henry will smile at you........

 

By all means, if a flattie is what you REALLY want, build one. I'm sure the motor above runs good, for a flattie, and yes, it looks cool. As far as telling some some guy the only path to building a "traditional" hot rod out of his forty is to put a flatty in it, I disagree.

Reality check. a streetable blown flatty will make around 300hp, and as shown above, run you around 10K.
A streetable 283 with pocket-ported 520's, triple rochesters, and an 097 will also make around 300hp, cost around 3K, and be more "traditional" than the above motor.
(lets be clear, so far, we have been told that the flatty is the only choice if you really want to be "traditional" there is nothing "traditional" about a weiand mini-blower, which defeats the reason we have been given as to why you should choose a flattie over a sbc in the first place)

 

sounds like I've pissed some old farts on here off for asking a reasonable question. Damn guys. quit your whining or go get you some fkn cheese to go with it.

 

For me it depends on what the small block looks like....

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

-------I look at it this way...



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Nicely put. I agree with you.

 

what this guy said x2. after this much drama put a LS in it and stir the pot some more

 

I agree with Skidmarks as well. Hey Skid, remember the 40 4-door you bought from me....you made it into a neat driver with a SBC. Nuff said...Clips you'll figure it out, just like we all do. Can't wait to see it on the road whatever you decide..

Murph

 

I have a different view... HRP

 

I kinda had the same decision,slightly different.I've got a 64' Belair that had the original 6 cyl. 75k original miles(run good).Drove it 5 yrs. finally swapped a correct 64' 283 w/ pp heads,small Comp cam,Holley,ect. Really happy with it.I drive mine on road trips so the 6 just wasn't doing it.
So I'd say swap it,but I'd stick with a Ford motor.I just don't think putting a Chevy in a Ford feels right.Now a Hemi....okay.
Whatever you do it's still a 40' Ford...they are so cool.
Just my bs rant for what it's worth.

 

More reading, Flathead vs. SBC

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=612433&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=586715&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=579918&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=547933&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=484322&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332867&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131458&highlight=flathead+sbc

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=798829

 

Aw Shiite, it's twice the power for half the coin.

The decision is easy, this is still a hot rod site right??????