Ford Flathead vs small block chevy debate!

[Frank The Plumber]

This whole thread started because a guy who most likely does not own a Ford read a magazine about street rods.
The cure is simple...stop reading about street rods.
The air will smell fresher.
Your hair will start to grow in thicker and more robust.
Your sex drive will equal that of Adonis.
The ladies will smile at you in the grocery check out.
That little brown dog will stop piddling on your Buster Browns.
The tax man will mis place your audit profile.
Life will be good, simple, easy and happy.

Or you could keep reading drivel.

[Bruce Rossiter]

Originally Posted by Henry Floored

Nonsense! You are walking on thin ice if you are trying to make the point that Chevy engines are used stock as they come from the factory. As a matter of fact I think the Chevy V8 is the engine most in need of the aftermarket to keep pace. The hot rod magazines would never have made it without all the advertisers buying space to peddle their sbc parts over the years. The "magazine writers" had a huge financial stake in promoting the sbc and the sheeple bought it as the only way to go. The mindset still exists today. A lot of good Fords got ruined this way.....

There was no "nonsense" in my statement regarding a Chevy V8 as I wasn't referring to any engine other than a flathead that had been modified. The only point I have tried to make on this topic is the fact that everyone has the choice to use the engine that they prefer and choosing one type of engine over another doesn't mean I'm wrong. It very simply means that I prefer the engine of my choice.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by stagepony

Attachment 41312

Attachment 41313Hi Ford Lovers,

I am new to the club. In San Francisco, 1971, I bought my 1st car, a red/black 1966 Volvo Amazon 122S. The owner was a foxy, hippie brunette. She had great legs inside tight jeans, long curls of hair and deep violet eyes. I liked the Amazon because of it's simple body style.

My next car was a black/red 1962 MGA convertible. Me and the boys rode 3 inside. I liked the body lines and the sound of the muffler. It sounded better than a motorcycle.

My 3rd car was a 1957 Ford Fairlane, 2-door hardtop, 272 Motor, 3 speed Hurst on the floor. It was a big car, difficult to park but I loved the taillights at night, 2 big owl eyes beaming thru the fog. I loved the bench seats, the smell of octane and the way it rumbled softly when idling.

4th car was a gray 1956 Ford Mainline Business Coupe. It carried me everywhere and on the last ride, it even brought me and the boys home from Mexico until the rear end finally gave out.

My Dad was always a Ford man. He owned a 1952 Ford Crestline, 1959 Galaxie and 1967 Chevy Malibu. He was happiest with his Ford cars. The Chevy ran well but it didn't have any magic or romance to it. He would always wash and wax his Fords but I never did see him wash the Chevy.

Older Ford cars have that simple look to them. Sure, they have their rust issues like the rest of them old cars. When I was a kid, I'd look under the hood and frame of all the cars and I could tell that the Fords were made heavier duty. Fords were built better because they were designed for common folks, they were built to give regular people the best for their money.

Currently, I own a 1965 Triumph TR4 and a 1952 Ford Sunliner. It has been difficult for me deciding which car to keep because I only have time and money to keep one.

The gals like the little Triumph because they think it's cute. They think the Ford is an old man's car. But who cares what the gals think. When the chicks are gone, I want the car that will still be idling and purring outside, waiting for me...

Let me know your thoughts!

Gino in Denver

keep the Ford, Flatheads are music to my ears!

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by Bruce Rossiter

Often times when I read some people extolling the virtues of a flathead Ford engine versus a small block Chevrolet engine, I get very confused when I see the many pictures of flathead engines on this forum. If these people are so much in favor of the flathead engine, why do I frequently see pictures of these engines with aftermarket heads, intake manifolds, ignition systems, and headers added to their special engines? Is it because deep down inside they really aren’t happy with the way the engine was originally built?

Its not that at all period correct hot rods had these aftermarket parts...I have hopped up flatheads with finned aluminum heads and i have bone stock 999 point show cars that are bone stock...honestly the reason i use finned aluminum heads is i love the look of them...I also use only original rare heads(evans, harrell, etc) i see it as preserving racing history...as for updating ignition systems i only have one that doesnt have stock ignition and thats a full race flathead with a mag....its not about not being happy with the stock flathead its about building exactly what you like....are you telling me every small block you see is 100% as it came from the factory...no its because people are trying to improve the looks and build what they like....lets face it the flathead is the greatest engine ever made look how long it was built and and how many are still on the road....i spent $16,500 building my last flathead i know that would build an extreme small block....but at the end of the day its still a small block and to me its junk(and i do own small block and big block powered cars but i never drive them and im actually embarassed to own them) im more then glad to dump that money into flatheads everyday

[Bruce Rossiter]

Originally Posted by kwmpa

Its not that at all period correct hot rods had these aftermarket parts...I have hopped up flatheads with finned aluminum heads and i have bone stock 999 point show cars that are bone stock...honestly the reason i use finned aluminum heads is i love the look of them...I also use only original rare heads(evans, harrell, etc) i see it as preserving racing history...as for updating ignition systems i only have one that doesnt have stock ignition and thats a full race flathead with a mag....its not about not being happy with the stock flathead its about building exactly what you like....are you telling me every small block you see is 100% as it came from the factory...no its because people are trying to improve the looks and build what they like....lets face it the flathead is the greatest engine ever made look how long it was built and and how many are still on the road....i spent $16,500 building my last flathead i know that would build an extreme small block....but at the end of the day its still a small block and to me its junk(and i do own small block and big block powered cars but i never drive them and im actually embarassed to own them) im more then glad to dump that money into flatheads everyday

It seems as if you are reading too much into what I stated. The following statement of yours pretty well sums it all up, "its about building exactly what you like".

No where have I ever passed an opinion about any engine being good or bad and yet you've gone on a tirade about how much you think some engines are junk and you are embarrassed to own them. Are we all supposed to feel the same way as you do?

[Milt/Las Vegas]

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A true Ford lover would never put a SBC or a BBC into any Ford.

[Marv]

After Ford came out with the 260 engine there was no reason to use a Chevy engine if you wanted to go with a overhead. Before that Ford overhead valve engines were big and heavy and some cutting was required to install them. I installed a 302 in a 47 coupe several years ago with no cutting or damage to the original car at all. I might add it was a 6 cylinder car and i used the original radiator cleaned out. Marv

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by Bruce Rossiter

It seems as if you are reading too much into what I stated. The following statement of yours pretty well sums it all up, "its about building exactly what you like".

No where have I ever passed an opinion about any engine being good or bad and yet you've gone on a tirade about how much you think some engines are junk and you are embarrassed to own them. Are we all supposed to feel the same way as you do?

No that is my personal opinion I don't expect anyone but myself to feel that way but that is my opinion....the cars I own with small and big blocks were gifts from my parents that hold emotional value to me...53 chevy and a 50 chevy suburban....I also own my trucks like my great-grandfather had for delivery for his business they hold emotional value fore as well but it's been 7 years since I have driven anything other than a flathead ford and any car I drive or build is a flathead....honestly I held back my true opinion....you don't want to know that...but honestly it is america I'm allowed to have my opinion and voice it...this is the perfect place to do it since it is a flathead v-8 group....not a sbc in a ford body group

[felix37]

It's called freedom of choice! This issue can drag on and on forever. many of the good folks on this site have early fords with sbc in them and It doesn't bother me a bit. as I said before,I would rather see an old ford driving down the road with a sbc than not driving at all. many can argue against the street roddders,but if the truth be known if it wasn't for the street rod hobby I doubt we would have the plethora of aftermarket companies that we are all thankful for,as I dont think there is enough of the purist out there to support companies like Bob Drake,Dennis Carpenter and such. as for now I'm enjoying my Flathead and driving the hell out of it. I enjoy the smiles it puts on peoples faces when i drive by,and I don't think they care what motor I have.

[Frank The Plumber]

Originally Posted by Milt/Las Vegas

A true Ford lover would never put a SBC or a BBC into any Ford.

A tear came to my eye when I read this. Bless you Milt.

[Fibber Mcgee]

Is a SBC that ugly thing I see in alot of the Fords at the car shows.

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by Fibber Mcgee

Is a SBC that ugly thing I see in alot of the Fords at the car shows.

Yeah it is

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by felix37

It's called freedom of choice! This issue can drag on and on forever. many of the good folks on this site have early fords with sbc in them and It doesn't bother me a bit. as I said before,I would rather see an old ford driving down the road with a sbc than not driving at all. many can argue against the street roddders,but if the truth be known if it wasn't for the street rod hobby I doubt we would have the plethora of aftermarket companies that we are all thankful for,as I dont think there is enough of the purist out there to support companies like Bob Drake,Dennis Carpenter and such. as for now I'm enjoying my Flathead and driving the hell out of it. I enjoy the smiles it puts on peoples faces when i drive by,and I don't think they care what motor I have.

Yes this is true I just feel very strongly about this issue...v8 fords are my living...they are all I work on at my shop everyone else gets sent packing

[Bruce Rossiter]

Originally Posted by kwmpa

I'm allowed to have my opinion and voice it...this is the perfect place to do it

And that's the point I've been trying to make. We all have the freedom and opinion to choose whatever engine we want and if someone has to downgrade a certain type of engine to justify their choice of engines, so be it.

[Lanny]

Originally Posted by Milt/Las Vegas

A true Ford lover would never put a SBC or a BBC into any Ford.

Originally Posted by Frank The Plumber

A tear came to my eye when I read this. Bless you Milt.

Originally Posted by Fibber Mcgee

Is a SBC that ugly thing I see in alot of the Fords at the car shows.

Originally Posted by kwmpa

Yeah it is

================================================== ========

Ryan owns this site, and he ran a healthy SBC in his '39 Ford coupe,
so does that mean he should be ridiculed for running that engine ?






.

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by Lanny

================================================== ========

Ryan owns this site, and he ran a healthy SBC in his '39 Ford coupe,
so does that mean he should be ridiculed for running that engine ?






.

but he also says that he wishes he kept the flathead in it....ryan also daily drives a badass 39 tudor with a flathead and has a model a with a flat head...to each his own im not speaking down to anyone...just chimed in my opinion guess it ruffled some feathers...like i said i own some 50s chevies with small and big blocks

[Fibber Mcgee]

I think this is funny,Its like if I showed up at a Corvette rally with Ford GT and tried to explain why my GT is better than your Corvette.I think you might just br at the wrong place for this.This is a FLATHEAD forum and if we didnt like FLATHEADS so much we wouldnt be here.

[26 roadster]

As far as I'm concerned there's no debate, I've never heard af a flathead motor breaking a rocker arm or bending a pushrod or streching or breaking a timing chain or collapse a hyd. lifter, add them up, thats 49 more parts to screw up and ruin an engine that flatmotors don't have, even a moron can figure out which is best, and if your not a moron your can put a SBF in your old ford without cutting your firewall, any excuse is better than none for putting a garbage truck (sbc) in a nice olf FORD, END

[Bruce Rossiter]

Originally Posted by 26 roadster

As far as I'm concerned there's no debate, I've never heard af a flathead motor breaking a rocker arm or bending a pushrod or streching or breaking a timing chain or collapse a hyd. lifter, add them up, thats 49 more parts to screw up and ruin an engine that flatmotors don't have, even a moron can figure out which is best, and if your not a moron your can put a SBF in your old ford without cutting your firewall, any excuse is better than none for putting a garbage truck (sbc) in a nice olf FORD, END

Well cousin Festus, Its plain to see you were the captain of the debate team.

[kwmpa]

Originally Posted by 26 roadster

As far as I'm concerned there's no debate, I've never heard af a flathead motor breaking a rocker arm or bending a pushrod or streching or breaking a timing chain or collapse a hyd. lifter, add them up, thats 49 more parts to screw up and ruin an engine that flatmotors don't have, even a moron can figure out which is best, and if your not a moron your can put a SBF in your old ford without cutting your firewall, any excuse is better than none for putting a garbage truck (sbc) in a nice olf FORD, END

Haha well put