I like small blocks (Ford, Chevy, MoPar) but they shouldn't be included in this discussion. They are easily bought just about anywhere. Maybe BOSS motors can be included, but 289,350 and even 327 are nothing special. They just look good when dressed properly and are reliable, NOT special!!
Any motor someone has held on to for whatever reason to me,has that "special" element.It doesnt have to be rare.Ive bought old caddys,nailheads,413's that I thought were the coolest,but didnt really do anything with them,but have had my 409 and an early 327 that I just wont sell in any car,to get the deal done.Id rather let them sit I guess.
I get the point your making, but 350 chevy's and fords should be put into whatever car your going to drive the shit out of, those motors aren't to be pampered! I'm going to drive the shit out of my 289 and not think twice. If it blows, so what! I'll just go down to 7/11 and buy another one off the shelf!
I have had a Olds and two 331 Caddy engines I can't seem to part with,.. One of the 331 Caddy's I have had for around 35 years,... The Olds has been kicking around for at least the last 20 years. I almost put it in the barn find 34 Coupe,.. But deciding not to,.. So now it's back on it's roll around cart, taking up room again. You can see the back of the carbs,....
Well......if you really need to get rid of a 331......I got a home for it. Trade for a cracked one????
i pulled the rocket out of my 58 olds and am going to save it......for something. the 58 will get something boring that will do the job of daily driving.
I've got a 400 SBC. Given to me by a friend, sold to another friend, then bought it back from that friend. I've got $1200 in it already, and it's still a disassembled short block, without heads or a cam. Bare block is sitting in a barn on an engine stand wrapped in pallet wrap plastic. I'll get to it one day and put it in this. <<<<<<<
I've got a 69 454 that was my grandads. Given to me after he passed away. Came out of his 41 willys, 11:1 with a xc96 cross ram on it. This is going into my 55 im building. Getting a single holley Dp at the moment, But the cross ram when i can afford to swap some cyl heads and carbs. The only way i'll let it go, Is if I Scatter it across the blacktop... For serious.
I have a small block that is in its 5th body I think right now. I have found that I can normally close enough for a bare body to not make it worth building a new engine if I have a good one and the small block in question is a keeper. The wife and i were discussing this just the other day. We own two exceptional engines and three pretty good bodies right now. I may have to raise cash for something non car related but pretty important if I am going to continue to do this for awhile. So I was talking about selling out and starting over when the dust settles. We came to the conclusion that we can't replace the engines so it will probably just be bosdies and extra parts that get sold.
How about had a good motor and never used it? Two buddies I know that rent a shop together both had this happen at the same time. I built a 460 for a OT car, CJ valves in some good iron heads that had a real nice port job on them, it was a stout engine, I was told that it was going in the car when he got it back from me. So I broke the engine in on my test stand, changed oil, all ran well, and I was happy with how it ran. So he gets the engine, and looses ambition, the engine is on a stand in his shop for a few years, then it flooded one year. Both that 460 and his shop mates 383 mopar were ruined. They both shrug it off like oh well... They both lost ambition in their cars, and to this day they still sit. I bet they still have water in the pans.
I've got a 322 nailhead that I bought cheap, mainly because it was complete and had a stick flywheel and Hurst mounts on it. When I got it home and began to disassemble it, I found Jahns pistons, adjustable rocker arms, and an Isky roller cam inside. For what I paid for it, I could make a nice profit from selling it....but I've kept it around in hopes of finding the right body to drop it in.
I have an extra 350 block (condition?) and a 50 flatty (condition?). If the flatty is no good, I plan on buying another til I get a good one going. If I wind up with a couple, I plan on painting up the bad ones, and displaying them for "garage art".
Right now I have a sbc roller motor in my Blazer that will be in one of the hot rods, another 350 sbc w/2.02 Double hump heads that will always be in one or another of the hot rods. Those two will stay whether the cars do or not. Still working on a low compression bbc for my 671 to add to my engine keeper list. Sometimes you have to get rid of cars you'd rather keep, but I learned the hard way that you can keep the 'heart' of some of your favorites; i.e. the L88 I let go of in the early 70's and the factory 302, 11.0:1 compression sbc that I let go with my '37 Ford Sedan Delivery when I sold it in '83. THOSE two I still have nightmares about letting go of because (short of making clones) I'll never be able to afford again. . . .Sigh
I have 2 flatties one 52 Ford and one 50 Merc. 4 Hemis, 270 Dodge, 276 Desoto, 345 Desoto/2x4 factory intake, 53 331 Chrys. and 2 440's. I've had them for at least 15 yrs. The 270 is in my 31 Model A now. Lee
Got some speed parts I'd rather hang on to, but blocks and heads can come and go as they please. Maybe l haven't come across anything as rare as all you sbc guys have
How 'bout a 1 HP O.S. two stroke with a gear reduction box and a pulley for a belt..... It "may" be an old kart engine of some sort.... It'd be cool in a pedal car.....but just sets on my shelf..... It doesn't have to be "rare" to be SPECIAL......
First engine I ever found was from a 1915 Ford T back in the early 1960's, took it all apart with the idea of repairing the hole in the side the rod punched through. Who knows, maybe some day I'll get back to that project, one of my originals.
63 401 nailhead with 6 94's on an eelco intake,offy valve covers,obrian valley pan,sp400.sitting in my 28 sedan frame.i think i'll sell the sedan off but i can't let that pretty motor go.it's great mechanical art.
i have saved; two 318 mopar engines spare parts for beater, a 702 gmc 16k miles, 216 chevy six out of a restored car turned hotrod, 302 ford 39k, 250 chevy, rebuilt stroked 283 and a mercury flat head. saving for future projects if i live long enough.
although I have some 30 odd motors stored away for future projects - Hemi's, flatheads, my Studes and a Yblock - it's my 340's (mopar) that seem to be going in one car than another and hard to part with....did let one go with a 4 speed car I built the other day....but I did get another one (hehehe) before the car left to a happy new owner.....
Tri Power system my wife bought me from Pony Carbs a long time ago. If I don't have a motor to put it on it sits on the coffee table in the den
This one was in my avatar back in the 60's. First engine I brought back to life. 1960 Pontiac block, .060 over to 400 inches. Jahns pistons, big Isky cam, Edelbrock with two AFBs, Cal Custom scoops, Mallory dual point, even Rajah clips! Mothballed in 1966 when I left for Nam. About 12 to 1 comp. cause we had 100+ octane Chevron Supreme. Totally uncivilized! Now sports completely reworked '64 GTO heads and nowhere to go.
I always wanted a hemi, so I found & built it, then I looked for a car, put in my 29 A, then pulled it when it sold, now in the 50 chevy truck.
The Jalopy Journal
