Thread: What's the best street rod engine?

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The coolest engine is: what you have available that fills your needs power and looks wise IMHO.

I wanted something unusual to put in my T bucket build, and I had a spare engine sitting around from some previous Fiero follies, so I give you the "northstar T".



As if the N* wasn't enough I'm also using ITB injection of my own design on top, and a 5 speed trans behind it. Holly Commander cpu.
I hope to have it on the road by summers end. It's not the easiest engine to manage, electronics wise, but once set up you're not likely to see another one next to you at a show. all aluminum, quad cam, 300 hp and 300 ft lb stock with pretty much unlimited aftermarket horsepower available.

Russ

What a loaded question, and no world war three yet!!!!!
I think if you building a light weight rod, a small block anything is the way to go. For a street strip car where you need obscene hp, then a big block! As to make a 327 vette engine is mighty impressive as is the 4.7 litre Ford. Hemis are just plain cool! Then you can go from there to more obscure engines, that are interesting because they are rare. I still believe a 350 Chevy will give you your biggest bang for the buck, but why do the sensible economic thing!

Originally Posted by stovens

I still believe a 350 Chevy will give you your biggest bang for the buck, but why do the sensible economic thing!

You mean like building a street rod? what's sensible and economic got to do with it (sounds like a great song title)

From the dawn of time, hot rodding has been about using what was available, along with a large dose of engine-ewity, to come up with a unique and "better" vehicle. I've grown weary of 350/350 9" Ford powertrains. might as well drive a VW.

Russ

well i do not care what anyone thinks i use a mild bbc not as wide as may of the others makes of big blocks so they fit nice were not to many big blocks will fit . OH they can run and getting a stock block to 500 cid is EZ .sensible /economic hot rod ? that one is hard for me but a LS1 then if no room at all 4.3

Well, I used to think that the engine that gave the most power was the best one, as hot rodding was about "More Power".

So I have a 540 cube BBC and blower in my bucket and its pretty cool, but its a pain to keep cool in town, it eats fuel like a fat kid eats ice cream.

Sometimes all I want is a nice little stroked 392 Hemi with an 8 stack Hilborn converted to EFI so i can go out cruising a bit more.

I guess I dont do sensible and economical so well.

Engines are an important visual part of a hot rod so I cant get excited about a SBC with a single 4 barrrel, even tho they dominate the hot rod world.

I prefer One that runs. He He
Creep

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Todd

Well, I used to think that the engine that gave the most power was the best one, as hot rodding was about "More Power".

So I have a 540 cube BBC and blower in my bucket and its pretty cool, but its a pain to keep cool in town, it eats fuel like a fat kid eats ice cream.

well i have a 548 in a 50chevy it s not bad on fuel much better then many would think .as for running hot.. well power makes heat .i can get away with driving it here but if very hot out i do not drive it .i am more of a night driver weather cooler and the blower likes cool air your open wheel car should not run hot . but whats your ideal of hot ? i did a open wheel car that i put a 14.9 cr 548 in i was thinking its going to run hot in this car the 548 allways did in my GTO hot was 230+ .the gto had bigger rad but not by much .but the open wheel car had a nice shot for the air to move round the engine and get to the rad core were on the gto there was grills screwing with the air flow

Some great answers and I thank you for your responses. I grew up with flatheads and it was the first engine I tore apart and did a partial rebuild. For looks and just plain sound of a nice flathead with open pipes, I don't think anything can beat it, but as Pat says for the big HP and torque you can't argue with the BB. I always like the 348 and 409 engines and back in their days they were untouchable and then the 396 came along and did them in. Everyone has there own opion and that was what I was looking for. My preference as stated is the 327 as I owned 6 of them growing up in my teens and early 20's.

Thanks Pat,

With the temp sender in the head by the exhaust port, with the old blown 454, the engine guage showed we would run over 230.

Tried three different radiators, getting deeper & lower as we went, because we couldnt go any higher. Strange thing was that with the radiator shops temperature probe in the top of the radiator, it didnt show 170.

I have an old competition manifold with no provision for a thermostat. Maybe the waters just racing thru too quickly to cool down.

Engine has a pair of 1050 dominators on it. They arent so good for fuel economy

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Todd

Thanks Pat,

With the temp sender in the head by the exhaust port, with the old blown 454, the engine guage showed we would run over 230.

Tried three different radiators, getting deeper & lower as we went, because we couldnt go any higher. Strange thing was that with the radiator shops temperature probe in the top of the radiator, it didnt show 170.

I have an old competition manifold with no provision for a thermostat. Maybe the waters just racing thru too quickly to cool down.

Engine has a pair of 1050 dominators on it. They arent so good for fuel economy

well i have two edelbrocks750 re work abit before they made 800s i check the EGT on it and it s fine as for thremostat i think i have 160 stat in it with a stewart water pump.the two 1050 are abit over kill for street use .they can work on the street i have a 9377 that i used for 20 years on the street . but with no power valve set up there going to be hard on fuel picking up water temp by the ex port is not the best i think

I guess that I'm the oddball. I am building an 80 AMC Spirit right now and the 258 was removed a few years ago and a 360 sits in its place. I do have a 401 that may go in sometime this year. I also have a 40 Nash that has AMC's 304 in it now because I want something to take on long trips with decent mileage. I also have 2 Chevy pickup cabs that I will build if they don't sell. It will have whatever is not in the Spirit. If you haven't guessed yet, my preferred motor is AMC and I would love to find an early AMC 327 from the mid to late 50's to play with but don't have the money for that one either.

got a AMC 401 in the shop right now for work---different looking engine--makes people ask what it is??

yep i have a 36 caddy flat head WEEEEEeeeee when that leaves i going to have a party

Is that an invitation????

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Is that an invitation????

,,,,you bet