Ive built almost all the popular muscle car engines over the years, and after awhile you get to have favorites, and find some you really think were badly designed.
the reason most guys build a certain engine is simply (IT CAME IN THE CAR) or (PARTS ARE CHEAP AND EASY TO FIND)
now if parts availability and cost were exactly equal (which they obviously are NOT) and you could build any engine series you chose to I doubt 1/2 the current engines would even get a second glance ,or even be considered as a hot rod power plant.
the one thing CHEVY really did correctly was making performance parts , like cams, intakes, crate engines, and most other engine components easily available over the counter at fairly reasonable prices during most of the muscle car era, and constantly show casing the CORVETTE and CAMARO, chevelle as PERFORMANCE CARS
mopar did about the same thing but to a LESSER extent
ford DROPPED the ball back then ,making many components far more expensive and harder to locate, you could have built several big block chevys for the cost of a boss 429 or cammer 427
example
Chevy had the, 350,377,400 sbc, l88,ls7, 572,BBC and aluminum ZR1, LS1
ford had the 427 cammer, 429 boss, boss 302
mopar had the 392-426 and 489 HEMI ENGINES and 440 wedge
Buick and Pontiac 455 engines can be built to produce impressive power levels
olds 455 engines were well regarded in some circles
but given exactly the same cost and parts availability what would you build?
personally Id be looking at the MOPAR HEMIs and cammer, and BOSS ford BIG BLOCKS
and big block chevy engines over any of the others
the reason most guys build a certain engine is simply (IT CAME IN THE CAR) or (PARTS ARE CHEAP AND EASY TO FIND)
now if parts availability and cost were exactly equal (which they obviously are NOT) and you could build any engine series you chose to I doubt 1/2 the current engines would even get a second glance ,or even be considered as a hot rod power plant.
the one thing CHEVY really did correctly was making performance parts , like cams, intakes, crate engines, and most other engine components easily available over the counter at fairly reasonable prices during most of the muscle car era, and constantly show casing the CORVETTE and CAMARO, chevelle as PERFORMANCE CARS
mopar did about the same thing but to a LESSER extent
ford DROPPED the ball back then ,making many components far more expensive and harder to locate, you could have built several big block chevys for the cost of a boss 429 or cammer 427
example
Chevy had the, 350,377,400 sbc, l88,ls7, 572,BBC and aluminum ZR1, LS1
ford had the 427 cammer, 429 boss, boss 302
mopar had the 392-426 and 489 HEMI ENGINES and 440 wedge
Buick and Pontiac 455 engines can be built to produce impressive power levels
olds 455 engines were well regarded in some circles
but given exactly the same cost and parts availability what would you build?
personally Id be looking at the MOPAR HEMIs and cammer, and BOSS ford BIG BLOCKS
and big block chevy engines over any of the others
