Why does about 90% of old school hot rods (at least in my area) have 350 Chevys in them??? Is it because they are cheaper? Can you get more power out of them? Do they fit better? I mean, a Chrysler Engine should be in Chrysler Cars, a Chevy Engine would should in a Chevy, and a Ford Engine should be in a Ford.

small block chev. you can find them anywhere.. for a little more than a dime a dozen or less... plus parts are cheap and you can buy most anything you need at Wallmart or K-Mart... and if you put one in a Mopar it becomes a SLOWPAR but that just the way i think lol

Thats why there called Hot Rods.Its been done since the 40s,different engines in different brands,kinda what engine a guy prefers.I myself like seeing a nailhead in say a ford coupe or maybe a early hemi in a chevy or may be a flat head in a plymouth coupe.Its hotrodding.I do agree on the sbc as being way over done and getting old.

You can always tell the uninformed response.

Anyway, The SBC got it's start in the 50's. It was much smaller than most of the V8's of the time, fit the early Fords most were hopping up better and outpowered the stock, or even hot Flathead Ford V8. Granted back in the day teh early Hemi was put into them, but they were expensive, much larger, harder to fit and way heavier. The SBC had a 10 year headstart on the LA engine and it's still smaller than an LA. Not to mention it's not that expensive to make power with the SBC.

Combine all that together and the SBC had a headstart no other engine has over come.

They ain't just in hotrods either. And if you thought it was bad with the gen I/II small blocks, the LS stuff is just as prominent now. And more importantly, they have the backing from just about every aftermarket company under the sun---can't really say that for mopar stuff. Plus what the above poster said, that I have to say was really thought out and written well.

Does it stink to see them in other makes? I guess that is your own take on it. To me, its old school hot rodding---to a certian extent. You cant stick your nose to high in the air and be ignorant, because i'll tell you in building engines chuck full of aftermarket parts that there is more crossbreeding on parts than you can even imagine. Its funny to look at a cylinder head or valve train and you can see almost whose original plans were taken.

I am doing a build on a guys 383 and he just about flipped when I mentioned I had to use spring retainers listed for a BB Chevy. Really!? The engine doesn't know and under the valve covers, neither will anyone else. Shoulda kept my mouth shut. But anyhow, back to the topic, a statement I always pose when someone cries about a SBC in another vehicle, what if that Ford, or Chevy had a 440 or Hemi in it---would you own it? Most still say no.

I can screw together an aluminum headed SBC 383 stroker for about $2500 including outside machine work If the right parts are bought. I don't think your going to do that with a Mopar small block sorry to say--ok, maybe with iron heads you could.

I have a 454 on the stand now that will have about $2500 for an iron headed/roller cam/ mild performance build. As a comparison, there is a 383 and a 440 on the stands also that have real mild performance build with hydralic flat tappets and I am at about $3000 ish on those---to do a roller cam was around around another $1000--maybe about $600-700 if you bought used stuff. Sorry to say, they chevy stuff is just so plentiful and just cheaper to do whether buying new or used.

Then as far as hotrods are concerned, you have to remember some of these older cars got a camaro front clips just making the SBC swap a natural for the simplicity in that situation. Its really up to the individual to do or redo what they feel is right, and sometimes, just sometimes, there is a really interesting story to go along with what was done----like the guy at our track that runes a 68 Nova with a 440 in it.

Make of it what you will, and I totally understand the whole mopar in a mopar thing, but in the end, to each thier own.

Ok, I understand better now. It does get on my nerves a little because I really like uniqueness. So when I see every hot rod has the same engine, I just want something to be different. However, I have seen a 392 and a guy always brings a Ford BB (well I think it is) 32 Roadster at the local car gathering.

I also do understand the fact that some of these guys just want the car of their dreams, an old roadster. However, they are not cheap to build so they go with what will bring more bang for the buck.

This is what led me to post this. Everything had the same engine:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2211755228.html

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2252303567.html

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2204657155.html

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2246516258.html

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2219192005.html

Here is a picture of the Ford BB Roadster:

Thats a Flat head ford in a that rod. A VERY traditional combination.

I feel the same way, hot rodding or not , the same old small block chevy in every rod gets a little old. It seems like some of those guy's would try to be a little different. Heck put in a slant 6, it would probably get more looks. As a matter of fact , there is a guy up in the west Michigan area that has a rat rod pick up with a turbo charged slant 6, people are all over it as it different.

another reason besides the motors being cheap to build is that you can get conversion motor mounts to bolt a sb chevy into just about any car. most people(not me) don`t want to go through the trouble of making the own conversion motor mounts for a mopar.

To be honest, if I were to build a rod right now I would be very hard pressed not to run an LS motor.

Heck, I am even thinking about putting one in the 65 Cuda, I have even measured things out to see if it's possible. Only oil pan issues are apparent.

Why? Simple, dollar for dollar nothing can beat it. Want an all aluminum V8? The LS can accommodate you for less than any MoPar engine. Wnat 500hp? Again, the LS is cheaper, 600hp? Same deal. More than that? you're on crack, lol.

I probably won't cause all my spares are Mopar stuff and I don't want to restock with another brand.

Yeah they are used in everything and over used in my opinion.
I don't care how much power they make or how "CHEAP" they are to build and buy parts for. they do not belong in a mopar I don't care if its a 30 plymouth or a 70 challenger, a mopar deserves a mopar in it.

I have built many streetrod and I always use a mopar in a mopar.
I have built 4 cars with chevys in them
A 40 willys coupe with a small block
A 41 willys coupe with a BB chevy
a 37 chevy sedan with a SBC
and a 34 chevy sedan with a SBC
nothing wrong with those engines in those cars but they were for sale cars I built.
anything I keep will be mopar powered.

I don't care how cheap or easy a chevy is,
I will never build a mopar with one in it
like I said a mopar deserves a mopar in it, and that is just my opinion

the way I look at it if you want to run a chevy engine just get some GM car and have fun, they make some nice cars too.. Ron...

I totally agree Ron, The easiest thing in life is to be just like everybody else. I think one reason we like Mopar so much is because we like different. Randy

I made a street rod out of the first car i ever owned, and i still have it all these years later. It was my dream to put a '54 Dodge Hemi with a mopar four-speed and a mopar rear end in my '36 Plymouth Coupe. Along the way, i'd tell myself I could be on the road if I just went plain vanilla like everyone else and put a SBC in it and be done. That would be enough to shake me out of whatever state of mind I was in, and remind myself I didn't want to be part of the herd. It was slow and frustrating to try and find parts, and what I couldn't find, I would make or tell someone to make what i wanted.
Now, I'm just about done except for a good paint job and interior, and i couldn't be more pleased with the result. The way it runs for a 3 deuce 241 with A-833 four-speed is not to be believed. And the double-takes I get at car shows (when they expected to see a 350/350) is more than worth the extra grief.

I went to the small local cruise last night and ran into an old friend who had brought out his SBC powered T Bucket. The car is very well done with some interesting features which we talked about......basically we talked about everything about the car EXCEPT the engine/drive train.

Then we wandered over to my 57 Plymouth. As usual with the hood down my old Plaza gets a lot of comments about the body style, interior, 4 speed etc. When the hood goes up, inevitably the conversation always revolves around the Tri-Power first generation Hemi and people usually don’t seem to notice the rest of the car it’s in.

What I’m getting at I guess is that most custom builds will have certain areas where the builder will pace there emphasis. Just my opinion, but in case of most of SBC powered rods the drive train itself almost just an afterthought.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not anti SBC...... they’re good engines, but relatively speaking they are the easy way out, not very impressive visually and way over done.

And really which would you really rather have???

To mister "supercuda" ( it ain't very d*** super if you put a sbc in it) and NO you will not find ford or cheby anything in a car of mine. I do own a ford though, its a 65 model 3000 tractor, and even it has a Dodge Ram license plate on it. Randy

Oh I agree, but unless it's a Hemi a MoPar engine isn't all that visually different enough from a SBC or BBC to make it stand out. In fact it could be argued that the SBC has a lot more available to it in the aftermarket to make it stand out visually than a MoPar does.

Me, I am more of a form follows function kind of guy. I prefer the stealth look and want performance over pretty any day. By definition a street rod is more looks over performance and a hot rod is more performance over looks. So I guess it's all in what you want.