Most Ford "Chop Rods" Use Chevy Drivetrains--Why?

Size
Weight
Performance
Availability
Aftermarket support
Familiarity
Affordability

When considering each of the above, numerous engines score well. When considering all of the above, the Chevys reign king.

Me personally, I like different. A BBC in an Olds for example - the Olds guys hate it. Perfect. One day, I’ll build a ‘69 Z28 with a DeSoto Firepower Hemi ... or shit, maybe a drive by wire Coyote. That’ll get ‘em talkin’. My buddy Chris has a ‘68 Chevelle and a 460 BBF ... I’ve almost got him talked into putting it in that Chevelle!

Hot rodders have it made today more than any time in history. The Big3 offer the very best powerplants in their history and crate engine programs to simplify installation in any vehicle. If that’s not your thang, guys like John Kaase have created entirely new opportunity for nearly forgotten engines. Either can be cool - just depends on how deep your pockets are and how different you want to be. Different has always been more expensive ...
 
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Another thing that may have added to the popularity of the small block Chevy - there are tons of parts that can be used on most engines from 1955 to 1986, from the 265 to the small block 400, and all in between. Heads, cranks, rods, lots of exterior parts, etc. I don't think any other mfgrs. engines had that range of compatibility.
 
Another thing that may have added to the popularity of the small block Chevy - there are tons of parts that can be used on most engines from 1955 to 1986, from the 265 to the small block 400, and all in between. Heads, cranks, rods, lots of exterior parts, etc. I don't think any other mfgrs. engines had that range of compatibility.

Pontiac...no big or small block...all one block design from 455 on down. The parts don't interchange from 455 to the little ones.
 
Where's the rule that says you have to put a v8 in a hot rod? In my warped mind, a Ford 2.3 turbo would be cool in one of those little old Fords. Or a hopped up inline 6. Granted, it wouldn't have the eye candy factor of a v8, though.
 
Didn't he wonder why he could swap in a 455 without changing mounts?
Funny you should ask. I was talking to him about our GTOs. I had a '64 and he had a ragged out '73. He was saving up money to buy a 455, and he said he going to buy the new motor mounts and bell housing first. I told him a 455 would bolt right in. That's when he said he had a small block, and the 455 was a big block. I was adamant about trying to share my wisdom. He would not believe me. He threatened to kick my ass, etc. I just said you're wrong, and left a Safe-T-Track burn out when I left. My '64 had a 10 bolt rear end. Pontiac called the Posi-Track a Safe-T-Track. The rear end was identical to Chevy.
 
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Where's the rule that says you have to put a v8 in a hot rod? In my warped mind, a Ford 2.3 turbo would be cool in one of those little old Fords. Or a hopped up inline 6. Granted, it wouldn't have the eye candy factor of a v8, though.

Meh. I spent $1000 souping up my 300cid in my F150. I got the horsepower up to about 160. Waste of money.
 
I do like inline motors, though. My 2JZ in my SC300 makes 225 hp from 3.0 liters. The Ford is 4.9 liters. Seems like I could have made 200 hp out it, but not so.
 
Turbo it for nice power upgrade and it can take it as the 4.9 was built to take hard use. Best to use forged pistons and stronger rods if you add a lot of boost though!

Besides turbos are easy on the engine compared to super chargers or NO2.
 
Your friend may have been 1/2 right. I believe Pontiac used some small block Chevy V8's in some models. At least here in Canada.

I have even seen a domesticly designed and produced Overhead cam In line 6 cylinder in a Pontiac. I didn't know they made them until I saw it.
They used an Oldsmobile 301 in some of them. No Chevy motors from the factory in the States. AFAIK

My "friend" was dead wrong and butt ugly...IMHO.

I'm going to let him slide, though, since it was 1982 (and I don't remember his name).
 
I do like inline motors, though. My 2JZ in my SC300 makes 225 hp from 3.0 liters. The Ford is 4.9 liters. Seems like I could have made 200 hp out it, but not so.
the last truck I restored was a 81 F100 (page is on the ford truck enthusiast site)

sold it to a 17yo kid who was taking shop for his sr year, he had followed my page for the restore as I was also using the truck. was not just a trailer queen. anyways, at age 17 he saved the $$ to buy it, wanted old school. he didnt even know how to drive manual, his bro had to.

well I had done the background work to hop up the 300, my friend who owns the ferrari shop in tucson got a warehouse of parts in LA and in the back was the damn offy 4v-2P manifold for the big block 6 and a n.i.b. holley 390 so honored the deal he made me, to the kid

the kid was able to get from jegs the isky cam, I had the split efi exhausts, I had gotten already the 83 mustang GT egr valve, already installed the fan clutch and the larger radiator. so they rebuilt the motor and installed the parts. legal hp into cats even. it was a canadian truck so its emissions were a little bit different, but I had them working.

the truck was about 3800lb empty, 3L55 rear from an 89, PB, PS added, even had added correct front and rear sway control. It was a sporty little truck using a wide ratio 4spd (SROD). it made as much hp as the 460 did in 1981, and it weighed far less.
 
Meh. I spent $1000 souping up my 300cid in my F150. I got the horsepower up to about 160. Waste of money.
Yeah, my dad always used to try in vain to coax horsepower out of his Chevy sixes -- Clifford split manifolds with duals, four barrel intakes, cams, etc. Seems to me all he ever succeeded in doing was ruining the already marginal gas mileage.
 
There was also an Olds 307 (small bore 350 Olds) used in many mid sized full sized GM RWD cars and my Father had a 2Dr 83 Buick LeSabre he put 450K KM or 279K miles on with it still running like new till he got rid of it as it was starting to rust.
 
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