The guys over at Hot Rod Magazine need your help. They’ve compiled the most detailed and thorough survey about American V8 engines anyone ever has, or probably ever will. The Hot Rod staff is going to use the data collected by the survey to help them put a story (which we assume is about V8 engines) together. This is one very complete list. Every V8 engine we can think of has been included.
For those of your off brand or orphan brand fans, fear not. Olds is in here, Pontiac, Stude, AMC, and all the rest are present and accounted for. Going even a level deeper than that, every engine family from said brands is also included, meaning that for Buicks, let’s say, there is a section for Nailheads, then the shared BOP engines, and finally the larger displacement Buick engines (400,430,455). Overall there are 30, yes, 30 different sections and within each one are several different factors to rate each engine on like looks, performance, ease to wrench on, cool factor, availability, etc.
Hit the link below and take the survey – it is a far better way to spend an afternoon that actually doing work!
SURVEY LINK: HOT ROD MAGAZINE’S BEST V8 OF ALL TIME SURVEY
too long!
How could they forget the almighty Packard V-8?
IT STARTED WITH THE CHEVY 265 C.I. THEN THE 283,302,305,327,350,400, AND THE BLOCKS, HEADS,INTAKES CRANKS AND ALMOST ALL PARTS WILL INTERCHANGE FOR ALMOST 45 YEARS. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF STREET RODS, DRAG CARS, ROAD RACE AND LAND SPEED CARS HAVE BEEN POWERED BY THESE MOTORS. NOW WE HAVE THE LS PLATFORM, WHILE GRANTED THEY ARE UGLY AND DON’T LEND THEMSELVES TO RUNNING IN A STREET ROD WITH NO HOOD OR SIDE PANELS THEY RANGE FROM 327 C.I. TO 427 C.I. WITH AS MUCH AS 650 H.P. AND LSI, LS2 AND LS3 WILL GET 25 MPG. IN A 345 TO 500 H.P. MOTOR. SOME OLDER FORDS AND MUSTANGS YOU HAD TO KNOW THE BODY COLOR TO PURCHASE HEADS, INTAKES, BELLHOUSINGS, ETC. UNTIL THE 1990’S ANY BACKYARD MECHANIC COULD WORK ON THE SMALL BLOCK CHEVY.
IT STARTED WITH THE CHEVY 265 C.I. THEN THE 283,302,305,327,350,400, AND THE BLOCKS, HEADS,INTAKES CRANKS AND ALMOST ALL PARTS WILL INTERCHANGE FOR ALMOST 45 YEARS. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF STREET RODS, DRAG CARS, ROAD RACE AND LAND SPEED CARS HAVE BEEN POWERED BY THESE MOTORS. NOW WE HAVE THE LS PLATFORM, WHILE GRANTED THEY ARE UGLY AND DON’T LEND THEMSELVES TO RUNNING IN A STREET ROD WITH NO HOOD OR SIDE PANELS THEY RANGE FROM 327 C.I. TO 427 C.I. WITH AS MUCH AS 650 H.P. AND LSI, LS2 AND LS3 WILL GET 25 MPG. IN A 345 TO 500 H.P. MOTOR. SOME OLDER FORDS AND MUSTANGS YOU HAD TO KNOW THE BODY COLOR TO PURCHASE HEADS, INTAKES, BELLHOUSINGS, ETC. UNTIL THE 1990’S ANY BACKYARD MECHANIC COULD WORK ON THE SMALL BLOCK CHEVY.
I wondered about the missing Packard V-8, especially since they included the Studebaker V-8. I fear that no matter what we all think is the “best” V-8, the most popular will win whether it is the best or not.
428 Ford FE – how in the f* could you not put that in there?
6.2 Ford – they don’t make a 5.8 Modular – how stoned were these guys?
They got most of ’em but missed the Packard 352 series (’55 & 56 only, to the best of my knowledge). But I like the weird-os.
Fun survey and they got most of ’em right. I’ll forgive an error or two.
Some, like the Ford modulars, I had to leave blank as I simply have no hands-on with them.
Dan
2013 GT500 has a 5.8L mod motor.