What's your Favorite Vintage Hot Rod engine

To me there are three engines that look good in a hotrod.

Flathead, Nailhead and a hemi.

I'm not a big hemi guy, so that leaves two.
I don't know enough first hand about flatheads other than they are expensive to work on so for me it's the nailhead!

That's what's in the plans for my 29 anyway.
Next one might run with a banger though. Another cool engine.

 

Absolutely! Here's mine.

 

Cool Valve covers! Beautiful engine.

 

If money was no object, it would be a Miller V12 in my rod and a 427 Ford in my 60s car. Preferably a cammer.

 

Any of the old car Craft , Rod and Custom, Customs illistrated magazines that featured any and all of Gene Winfield, Daryl Starbird's or Bill Cushenberry's work ! scrubba

 

As a diehard Chevy guy my vote is for the 327 Chevy with 1.94 fueler heads, but I also think there's not much that's cooler than an early hemi!

 

Dig those cammers.

dka

 

Well... there's the ones I have...

303 Olds V8 x2
394 Olds V8
425 Olds V8
223 Ford Straight 6
218 Mopar Straight 6 x2
248 Buick Straight 8

And the ones I want...

Vintage-ish
460 Ford V8
440 Mopar V8

Newer-
2.3L Ford 4
4.3L Chevy V6
2Jzgte Toyota 6cyl
20R or 22R Toyota 4cyl
4.0L Jeep/AMC 6cyl

 

Y-block (see avatar)
Early hemi
Flathead
409
Nailhead

I like engines that just look different. I've seen enough sbf's & sbc's to last a lifetime.

 

Hemi

 

Had a 1955 Cadillac with a 331 and hydro; it was always fun to mash the pedal!

 

this one kinda does it for me-been playing with it for 34 yrs on and off-I know, it's a small block but it runs great, sounds great and don't see too many-love the sound of a solid lifter 283/327--350's don't do it for me though.
Also a fan of nailheads and flatheads.

 

^^^^^Awesome!^^^^^

 

Flathead and Hemi ! But there are so many more really great hotrod engine from back in the day !

Retro Jim

 

Pre WWII would be the Packard Twin 6. Post WWII Hemi and Buick nail heads. All three are built well and made to last.

 

got a 292 y-block (going in the A) and a 394 Olds (going in something that'll do it justice a quarter mile at a time), but the holy grail would be a blown cammer on fuel

 

flathead hands down

 

sv345. The forgotten Y block.

 

303 and 324 Olds

 

Looks like a great car it brings back some memory's of the early funny car wars

 

I'm going to say a 409 "W" engine only because thats what just got done at the machine shop for my sedan.

 

For shear awesome looks,its the old Hemi. But my favorite for running is the FE Ford; I've had everything from a 352 to a Tunnel Port and I love them.

 

On my avatar...40 runs on straight nitro, wish I still had it.

 

That's one of my favorites as well.. Here's mine..

 

Early Olds rocket 303ci.

 

SBC 327 first then SBC 302 DZ

 

Besides a Flatty, maybe a hopped up 312 Thunderbird.

 

The 4 banger we're working on out of my 32.

 

That`s a HOTROD ! With a Hot Rod engine !

 

Someone lives in a very small world.