The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Are you sure you want a V8 in your next project?

saw that on the HAMB this morning and e-mailed the thread to my bud.....thats one wicked inliner........dave

I can dig it.

Nice

bet you could build two small blocks for the same money...unfortunately,
Scott

Yeah,right on,thats one mean inline six. For what it would cost to set up a six like that,you could buy several used smallblocks in good running order.

It always costs more to stand out from the crowd. You can stand on any street corner in America and take a leak on a small block Chevy. If you want to follow the crowd, that is the way to go.

I'm with Cletis! If it's all just about trying to save money, we should all be driving boring 4-cyl powered econo pickups.

Most of us have more in our project trucks than we do in the family sedan. If I'm willing to pay top dollar for the stuff that goes into building one of these babys, I sure wouldn't be scrimpin' when it came to the power plant. I don't know if this is true everywhere, but I see a definite move away from the tried and true (some say way too usual) 350/350 combo and more to unusual, original, or traditional engines. I like it!!

i don't know would the price be that bad? i mean the cam is what double the price of a v8, pistons a little more than that even. intake and exhaust are higher too. but you would save a little in the machine work since it's 6 vs 8. valves too. you could do the lump kit yourself- not that i have. the chrome stuff like the pan and timing cover really doesn't help the performance but it does look cool. i'm just sayin it will cost more but it not that bad and prob is money well spent. every cam, intake, and piston set we buy we are voting with our pocketbook they need to make more of them and the price should come down. well, i can hope can't i.

It comes down to a balance of purpose against resources. If you want something different a small block isn't likely going to offer that. If you want tons of power you need big cubes and there are no cheap ways to do that unless based on cheap cubes.

Once you have a clear idea your purpose and the limitations on your resources the other decisions should not be too hard to make.

Problem is, to get real power from a 6 you have to add performance technology to get it, which means more money for a shorter lifespan. More cubes, more power, less wear, longer life. I personally would rather go bigger than try to re-invent something smaller, again! When money is a factor, I would rather run with the crowd than try to stand out from it,
Scott

Yes i could have had a 350 and a 700r4 for what i have in my original 235 with a s-10 5 speed.

you are 100% right scott. but, i find a mildly built 6 is plenty for me. i really don't need a all out high pro engine in my truck. slight performance cam, 4 barrel and intake, slight head work- that's about it. would it beat a big block, no way. would i rather have a big block , no way. is anybody else wrong for wanting a big block, no way- well maybe. naw- just kidding.

Making a decision on weather or not you want a V8 should be easy. My past vehicle was a restored '53. It was used as a daily driver around town. My new truck is a '54. I'm putting a V8 in it with automatic trans because when it is finished I am selling my '06 Silverado and will drive the truck not only around town but 2,300 miles to Washington State. If you intend to drive it on long trips then the 6 cylinder won't hack it. Has nothing to do with being "Cool" or "Conforming". It's practical and I like to drive my old cars every day everwhere. . . not just on sunny Sundays.

'54 Daily some of the guys here are going to disagree with your assessment. At least one has circled the country driving a 235 equipped truck and I know of other guys who have taken long trips with the original or original type six under the hood.

I'm inclined to agree that a V-8 is often the best answer, but would not rule out the six without good reason.

I'm curious, your header block says you are in Port Townsend, but you are 2,300 miles from Washington? Where are you?

Port Townsend is only 50 miles from where I live on Bainbridge Island and my six powered Suburban has made that trip many times. I bought my truck from a guy who bought it from a guy in PT about 10 years ago. I actually met that guy at the car show there a few years back when I showed my Suburban.

smart move selling the 06 and driving a older truck! if you are happy with a 350 and automatic that's great. i don't know if i would say a six cyl wouldn't hack it though. if you had a older six, yes it might not be able to sustain the higher rpm's for hours at a time, but the newer style like the 292 (a stock one) would have no problems at all driving to washington and back alongside the v8, even on a rainy saterday.

I've driven my GMC 270 powered Suburban up and down I-5 in Washington at 70+. The only meaningful mods are a 3.08 geared rear, disk brakes in front and Cragar mags with modern radials. And better seats.

I have a second home in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. It's about 9 hours south of the Arizona border. It takes me three days of solid driving to get to Port Townsend. I'm putting in a new 350, Th700R4 trans with .7 on the 4th gear, a 9" Ford rear end with 3.5 gears and Michelin 235 65/R17's. Should turn 2,000 RPM at 70 MPH. With gas prices I think it will work better for me than a 6 cylinder and modified gears in the rear end.

sound like you got a good plan on what will work for you. only problem is that 54 may reject that ford rear end.

You mean reject it like the wrong blood type?

I used the same rear end in my '53. I drove it every day for 15 years. It's from a '70 ford F100. It's 61 3/4" mounting surface of drum to mounting surface of drum. Works fine. The nice thing about it is the Ford doesn't use the axle as the raceway so there isn't wear on the axle. Don't get me wrong, I like purity in show cars & trucks. I also like to drive my trucks daily and leave the Jag's and BMW's for the women. I'm 68 so this vehicle is going to be my last. I need to be able to drive it comfortably for 20 miles or 2,000 miles. With several fractured discs in your back and other situations comfort becomes a must.

My calculations confirm you estimates.

Speed at 2000 is 70 mph.
Tire width is 9.3 inches.
Tire height is 29 inches.

Results Table
RPM Speed
1,000 35 mph
2,000 70 mph
3,000 106 mph

There are two factors that produce the great mileage many modern cars and trucks get, the first is reduced engine speed, but the second is advanced engine management that allows turning the motor slow efficiently. What kind of induction or engine management do you plan to run?

Not sure about the sort of thing you are talking about. Probably I have nothing as an answer. The new GM 350 will have an Edelbrock Air Gap Performer intake and a 600 CFM carb. The choke is electric. The exhaust will be 2" or greater with Edelbrock exhaust manifolds.

yes, i was just kidding around about it rejecting the ford part. if it works well for you and it keeps your truck on the road to enjoy, sounds like a smart move!

I don't know that carb/manifold combo but EFI is the best way to get precise fuel mixture control at slower engine speeds. Running a carb instead of EFI I think you are giving up some potential fuel savings and possibly performance.

Not knowing how often you'll make the trip nor your budget you may have already chose the best compromise.

I took the 327 out and put in a 261. Did a T5 trans with .72 OD gear, 3.08 rear axle, 225-70- 15 tires, fenton headers, clifford intake with TBI injection,261 cam shaft, 9.3 to 1 compression,disc brakes ect.. cruzes nice at 75 mph..

That engine in the first post was awesome. Not what I want in a workhorse, however.

Sixes in stock condition are adequate, although not thrilling. I have a 235 in my 55.2, and am looking into fuel injection. I'll probably end up building my own intake manifold and going port injection if I can find the time. Throttle body injection is an improvement in driveability, but without timed injection not much economy difference is going to be found.

Devin

One great looking and running 6 cyl.engine.However for the money and work invovled I will go with a a smallblock V/8.Not many of us,me included have the money to build something like that,although it would be a heck of a lot of fun to drive.I have two trucks a 1955 with a 350 V/8,and a 1965 with a 500 cu.in. Caddy engine.The 55 will kick some serious [censored],whereas the 65 goes down the highway just cruisin along,with the big boys.Both are a lot of fun to drive,and always get a lot of attention at the cruisins and car shows.Sure there are many 350 equipped hotrods out there,cause it is such an easy ,swap and the performance is really great.If you have the money to build up an inline six like that,go for it and God bless you.

My 63 C10 came stock with a 283 V8, 2 speed Powerglide, and 3.73 rearend. Over the years, I changed the engine several times, but stayed with the V8 (327, 400small block). I also upgraded the Tranny to a TH-400. I didn't think of those changes as compromising, or conforming.

My current 62 C10 came with the inline 6, SM420 4 speed, and 3.90 rearend, but I am still going to a era correct 327 V8. Again, I don't see that as a compromise or as conforming to the crowd. It wasn't a stock option, but the 327 could be had in 1962. If I was to put in a 454 Big Block, now that would be silly, it just wasn't availible in 1962.

I'm not building a stock truck, but I am trying to keep it close to what was availible in 1962. Just my two cents worth.

Some nice motors in that HAMB thread. It's all about preference really. Intended use should be a factor if you're gonna build it to last, but if you're goin for individuality and wow factor, "just another SBC" aint gonna hack it Jack! :P

Performance and longevity dont typicaly go hand in hand, not on a budget anyway. Comes down to the old addage: Pay more once, or pay a lot more later.
I'm facing that on my lil car. Do I build the cheaper hi-po motor with cheap easy to get parts, or should I pay 4-5x as much for a more relaible motor that has the same power & will likely outlast the car?

that is so cool, to bad it cost alot