Thread: Which motor should I use for a 32-34 ford coupe, 460 or a small block

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I have a fresh rebuilt 460 with a C6 ready to go or should I rebuild a small block,302 or 351 with a aod transmission, and put that in a 32 or 34 Ford coupe?
The 460 with the C6 is in my 64 Ford Galaxie which I was going to restore but
I decided to take the 460 with the C6 out of the Galaxie and sell it. Would the 460 be to big or a overkill for the Ford coupe?
Any advice I sure would appreciate it.

Lots of front end weight with the 460. Depends on what you're planning on doing with the car

Thats what I was worried about with the 460. It's going to be daily driver.
Thanks for the info.

The smallblock will be a much easier fit, and will leave more room inside the cabin.

If you are worried about missing out on streetloads of torque, you can always stroke the engine. Or add vortex supercharger and go real fast like those 5.0 Mustang guys do.

I know you said you only wanted it for street, but hotrods deserve a trip to your local dragstrip too.

Small block for a daily driver. Smaller, lighter, handle better, and better mileage.

As much as I love big block Fords, I have to agree with the guys. In this particular car the dimensions and weight will make it not as good of a fit as the small block. Even if you trim some weight with aluminum heads and intake, these babies are still BIG.

Plus, that C6 doesn't leave much room under the floorboards, compared to a C4 or AOD.

Don

I appreciate the question, but for me, that is what building a street rod is all about. It's what you as an individual want your car to be, or represent.

No flaming please. Build your car the way YOU want, not what others suggest. It's good to get ideas, as brainstorming is a positive thing. There are always things you wont think of, that others will hit on. But build it for YOU. I noticed that you are also asking about a 32 or a 34 coupe. I assume that you are looking at a fiberglass body. Here again, why ask 32 or 34? Build the car You like. If you like the lines of a 32 then build that one. Rod building should be an individual decision, because its reflects your personality, and when finished should represent what YOU stand for. Not someone else.

just 2 cents worth of my opinion.

Jeff

While I agree with your position that it is his car and should be built to please him, I think you missed the last line of his post. He was LOOKING for advice, and it would have been very unfair to him for all of us to say "it's your car, build it the way you want." He was soliciting opinions from others to help him make an informed decision, and that is what he got.

Whenever I have posted similar questions, seeking advice, I appreciate the pro and con opinions because I can then sift through them and try to make the right decision. I'm sure someone will post on here that they have put a 460 in their early Ford and it is the cat's meow. The fact is, any motor can be put into any car with enough work and skill. The question becomes, how good of an outcome do you end up with after all that work?

I think most of the people on here who have shoehorned various engines into various cars will agree that a more compact, lighter engine setup gives a better handling end result, less clearance issues, and is way easier to install.

Don

Stick with the small block as stated above. Also gas milage is much better. Those new small block ford engines produce some amazing horsepower, and if you put in a computer controlled one, you can tune it for what you are using it for! The 351 would be a very cool twist for a coupe, lots of power, and a classic in it's own right!
Some of the guys here have mentioned some problems with the Ford engines related to the length of the engine with the water pump installed, but they have also mentioned solutions. Read Don's (Itoldyouso) recent threads for his 27 build.
Of course you can always use a chevy, which alot of folks chose because of the above mentioned problems, and the cheaper to build reasons. I'm a Ford guy, so I say a good 289, or 302 would be nice!
Whatever you chose have fun!

To install a BBF in an early car, you need to extend the wheelbase between the cowl and the radiator by 12-15 inches so you can run the OEM cooling components and enjoy bulletproof cooling results.

I used a 117 inch wheelbase on my 27 Ford roadster, 429/C6, with all the additional length between the cowl and the radiator. Worked out well. In my opinion, it makes the car look better as well. I have always thought that the early cars are too short from the cowl forward.

Thanks guys for the info. I have two 302's. I might just rebuild one and go with a aod transmission.

start a build thread with pics! We'd love to see your car progress.