Ford Flathead vs small block chevy debate!

[Frank The Plumber]

These guys are far to nice a crowd of old gentlemen to tell you what you are hoping to induce them into exclaiming.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

I can't understand why anybody would even want to put some off-brand engine in their Ford.

[Bruce Rossiter]

I'm neither stupid nor lazy and I'll be damned if I would use a certain type of engine because someone who is not paying for it thinks I should change my thinking. Its nice to have brand loyalty but the consumer should be the one to choose the brand.

[Henry Floored]

Oh I don't know if this subject is totally worn out. In fact I'm amazed that you don't hear more about it. I saw a special on TV recently and the subject was the indredible turnaround that the Ford Motor Company has made recently. In this special there was a young man featured who I believe is Henry Ford's great grandson. He is into hot rods and classic cars. It reminded me about something that I have always wondered ..... Ford is one of the very few Fortune 500, 100+ year old companies still under the control of the family of it's founder. If the sea of early Fords with brand X power chaps me what do Henry Ford's ancestors think about it? Do they care? All you ever hear about is Mustang heritage, what about the V8 Fords and their mark on auto culture? There is little or no effort to answer the GM into Ford practice by the Ford Motor Company. It's all Mustangs and Nascar. They have conceded this category to GM and that's really unfortunate.

[296 V8]

Incredible turnaround?
I’m sure most of there diesel truck customers would disagree.
My boss’s F350 has had over $7000 in repairs in just this last year (he has ordered a GMC) and the other 3 at work aren’t far behind.
The one gas pickup is no better …. Has ejected / shot 3 spark plugs out stripping the treads

Its sad that with 100 years plus years under there belt this is the best they can do.

[Henry Floored]

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Originally Posted by 296 V8

Incredible turnaround?
I’m sure most of there diesel truck customers would disagree.
My boss’s F350 has had over $7000 in repairs in just this last year (he has ordered a GMC) and the other 3 at work aren’t far behind.
The one gas pickup is no better …. Has ejected / shot 3 spark plugs out stripping the treads

Its sad that with 100 years plus years under there belt this is the best they can do.

Don't want to knock this thread off subject but I'm talking about the company as a whole. The company is on the road to recovery and is the only non- government owned/controlled company left out of the "Big 3". You are talking about the vendor built diesel problems. Ford has entirely replaced that package with their own engine that looks like it's gonna be very good. The spark plug issue was fixed as well, quite a while ago. The Modular series has been a very good workhorse overall. By comparison GM had problems with their 5.3 cyl heads leaking water due to porosity. No one is perfect.

[Fordestes]

There should be no debate , the ford flathead has been around a lot longer than the chev. sounds like quality, any engine that can last nearly 80 years without a full flow oil filter.
and be installed in almost ever vehicle and machine one can imagine, I would say deserves to be recognized as almost indestructable, I have owned a few chevs. and believe me I have found some weaknesses, for a light weight high winding dime a dozen cheap alternative.
the small block chev. does the job, I personally am dedicated to preserving automotive history, and hate to see a nice vehicle such as an early ford wasted by installing a wrong engine , whether it be a late overhead valve of any sort, placed where a real
piece of Dearborn iron belongs.You asked for our opinions and this is mine!
no insults intended.
Good day,
Fordestes

[Fordestes]

There should be no debate , the ford flathead has been around a lot longer than the chev. sounds like quality, any engine that can last nearly 80 years without a full flow oil filter.
and be installed in almost ever vehicle and machine one can imagine, I would say deserves to be recognized as almost indestructable, I have owned a few chevs. and believe me I have found some weaknesses, for a light weight high winding dime a dozen cheap alternative.
the small block chev. does the job, I personally am dedicated to preserving automotive history, and hate to see a nice vehicle such as an early ford wasted by installing a wrong engine , whether it be a late overhead valve of any sort, placed where a real
piece of Dearborn iron belongs.You asked for our opinions and this is mine!
no insults intended.
Good day,
Fordestes

[Marvin/TN]

Flatheads were driven across country up and down this country

Yes they were and during that time Western Auto had Flat Head parts, find a Western Auto today let alone Flat head parts. I like Flat Heads also and like I said above I have one in my Stock 46 Coupe but that being said I wouldn't want to drive from here to CA and back with no parts availability, and Flat Heads do break down just like SBC or SBF's. If it's mechanical it will break, just a matter of when not if. I doubt that you could even buy a set of points at a parts store today. Yeah, you can order parts out on the road and while waiting you can cool your heals in maybe some 2 bit motel out in Podunk ID, or some where. Now thats not a slam against ID, so don't get your panties in a wad all you Guys from ID.

[Marvin/TN]

Ol' Ron I respect your knowledge and ability about Flat Head's and I would bet you have forgotten more about them than most of us will ever know. But it isn't being lazy putting a SBC in a Ford and as far as not being able to afford to build one, not all of us have an unlimited bank account, so please tell me where can I purchase a brand new out of the box Flat Head Engine for less than $1500.00. I can do that with a SBC and probably can a SBF, but the SBC fits better with no Mods to sheet metal or frame.

[Flathead]

The Flathead has "mojo", but the Chevy really doesn't. The Chevy is a fine engine, but it will never be as "cool" as a Flathead. If the Flathead doesn't appeal to you that's fine, but your on the wrong Forum

[Fibber Mcgee]

Lets face it, the only reason people could even think about putting a sbc in a Ford must be because they have never owned a FLATHEAD because if they had they would know better.

[Ol' Ron]

Some people just can't take a joke.

[curleeman]

It seems to me that this topic upsets a lot of you?? What do yall think happens every Sunday in Nascar? Brands battleing brands, FORD,Chevy, mopar, even toyota.. This debate will never go away as long as competition lives. I was just simply stating that almost 90% of every ford hotrod has a small block cheap chevy engine all souped up and dressed up with vintage looking parts passing it off as nostalgic. It just sounds stupid and embarrasing to me to say, yeah I got this beautiful 32 duece coupe with a hopped up chevy small block.Where's the interest in that? The spectators are looking for the heart of the beast,otherwise it just becomes almost lost in the sea of every other hotrod. Throw in a 50+ year old dressed iron flathead in that car and now you've stirred some interest & emotion in your ride. History is where it's at,that's what we are trying to preserve. They even have a special catagory at all the major car shows for, "best ford in a ford" Really!!! See what I mean? They don't have a catagory for "best chevy in a ford, or best mopar in a ford"...No, that's how rare it is now to put an original ford motor in a ford vehicle..I just think it is well worth the extra effort to put an original motor in where it belongs, not just take the easy and cheap way out...What fun and challenge is that? You can't deny that is is pretty boring walking around a car show and see countless numbers of small block chevys in 4 out of 5 cars.. Nowadays everyone is gathered around the traditional style hotrods(rat rods??) because they are interesting and true to their roots,usually by using an old flathead or four banger..No need to get bent out of shape, yeah this topic has been debated for years and will continue to be,so man up & stick to your guns and lay it on the line, say how you really feel about it.. Nothing compares to the infamous flathead or four banger, we all know that hotrodding,drag racing and nascar would'nt be what it is today if it wasn't for what old Henry perfected...These times they are changing,nostalgia and originality reigns supreme,no more are the days of building a great hotrod and just throwing in a cheap souped up chevy small block. Next time you go to a car show,check out what everyone is usually crowded around,not the duece with a typical dressed chevy, but the nostalgic,original, even rusted hotrod with an original flathead that still lives between it's framerails....That's what hotrodding is all about, originality, nostalgia and hard work to keep it real,not just taking the easy way out by throwing in another typical small block chevy....But that's my opinion....

[37 Coupe]

The last few years of car shows,the local ones and cruise ins around here people seemed to be excited with new cars,ones they could go to the new car lot and look at. Mustangs,Camaros and the Dodge Chargers or whatever they are called. I know of two people right now that have bought brand new $40,000-$50,000 Mustangs to take to cruse ins and shows and they win trophys,I don't get it. At these events the nicest flathead Ford is just an old car,may as well be a Model T an A or whatever.

[Fibber Mcgee]

I am not upset about about a sbc in a Ford,I probably would have done it not to long ago too but as a recent Flathead convert I really do think they might change their mind if they drove one a while.Its not the fastest ,it doesnt turn 7000 rpm and its surely not high tech but its kind of like a stray dog you bring home, its hard to understand but you fall in love with it after a while.I,m only 37 and after two years of owning one I dont want anything else.

[Bruce Rossiter]

If building a Hot Rod is the owner's personal choice, how is it wrong if they install an engine that someone else doesn't approve of? Do we all need to conform to the wishes of other people if we choose to build our project car the way we want it?

[Jay Ess]

Best of both worlds?

I own a 40 Ford coupe in which the previous owner had installed a Jack Merkel built 383 stroker. I love the car and love the engine. Goes like stink. I also have a 51 Ford Tudor mild Kustom with a slightly modified Flathead. Last August it spun a main bearing. Given the choice of a SBC or spending a small fortune on the Flathead, I chose the later. Had it rebuilt by an old timer who specializes in Flatheads. Heard it run last week for the first time. Nothing sounds like a Flathead, and I just could not see ruining the "period correctness" (you know what I mean) of the 51. Did I mention how great it sounded?

js

[Jim NC]

I also have a mild custom '51 sedan with it's original flathead, have a '34 Roadster that is getting a mildly modified '52 Merc and 5 speed, a '33 coupe with a crate sbc and several more Chevrolets w/small blocks and big blocks. Love 'em all - but can't beat the sound of a flathead w/dual glass packs!!! Just thankful to live in a country where I'm able to do whatever I want with my stuff (at least for the time being)!!!

[cuzncletus]

We're talking hot rods here, OK? Not stockers or mildly modified old cars. Two points:

What if a 40 coupe shows up with an early Olds, nailhead, or Hemi? Everyone would say that's the way it was done in the day, back when we read the "little books." I've got crates of 'em. Unfortunately for this chat line, dating back to the mid-50's in these old magazines many old Fords started running Chevs for all the discussed reasons. Chevy's can be period correct. They're cheap and powerful, two things traditional rodders valued.

Second, the author originally wrote about 32 roadsters. Any big show has dozens of 'em. Most will be 'glass, maybe an occasional Brookville high-dollar build, but rarely an original 32 roadster body. Across the spectrum, a high percentage of street rods are 'glass and I have no problem with that. Who can afford a real Willys or 32 three-window? Now a 'glass car may look like a Ford, but it's not a Ford. It's a reproduction at best. So who cares what goes into something that wasn't originally one brand or another? It's a street rod, not a Ford or Chev or anything else. And the're are some pretty damn nice ones out there.

In my garage I have two Fords and one Chevy. One Ford is powered by a period correct FE motor. My 39 project is getting a built flattie. That's because I WANT a flathead, not because I consider it better. It's just what evokes memories from my childhood. My flathead has an aluminum radiator, electric fan, and generator all tied to a late model 5 speed and halted by discs up front. There are many on this chat line who'll thumbs down me for these transgressions. They're missing the whole point of this hobby. We want to drive these cars because we're individualists. Given the money, most here would buy a 32 coupe with the same money that would buy a new Mercedes. We like what we like, not neccessarily what the other guy desires. We don't share a communal taste and there are no strict standards, ala AACA, which say what is correct and what is not.

If a guy wants a Chevy in a Ford, it's his car and he won't be the first guy to do it. That's his choice. This chat line is dedicated to flatheads. That's our choice. What's right and what's wrong is a subjective opinion. This is a hobby where we do what makes us happy and personal satisfaction is the only grading standard.