Im building a dezert racing truck for off road. What would be a better motor a 460 or a 351. Both motors will be completly rebuilt. heads rods pistons crank everything! Motor mounts are not an issue as I will be moving the engine towards the center of the truck anyway.

 

You can now have big block power in a smallblock package with the stroker kits and high flow heads that are on the market. A warmed up 460 would make more power than a similar 351 on a shoe string budget, but if you got some money to spend go with the smaller-lighter package.

 

What makes the 351 a better choice? Besides wieght.

 

In high speed racing hp beat tq and you get hp by high rpms. Also lighter weight would make for superior suspension.

 

I bet I could show you a dozen truck pullers that would disagree with this statement, many pulling 9000+rpms constantly.
A 460 will hold together at high rpms just fine if the same precautions are used in building it that are used in building a high reving small block. It's a myth that small blocks rev higher.
The reason a 460 has the rep of low rpms is because you don't normally need high revs to make power with one (you can make over 400hp at under 5000rpm typical 351 will be forced to spin it 6500+ to make the same power) it just means if you cam it, and do the head or use the heads that will flow enough to spin the rpms you will just make that much MORE power.
528cid A heads 900+hp at 7400rpm 5yrs and still running.

You might also want to check out some of the offshore race boats running big blocks (most of them run big blocks) hours on end spinning 6000+rpms in one of hte most extreme forms of abuse you can put an engine through.

 

Cool I think I have decided on the 351 then. Any thing to look for? the guy I was buying the 460 from said he also has a 351. How do I know what 351 it is and which is better to start with? Also he says the c6 trans he has will bolt up to both motors is that true. I always thought there was a big block C6 and a small block C6?

 

if the trans he has will bolt to both motors the 351 he has is the 351M and is NOT the one you want at all. Best case scenerio with that is to change it to a 400 spend a lot of money and maybe get something that will work almost as well as a stock 460. Even the guys that like the 400s will tell you the 351m isn't worth much except as a core block to put a 400 crank and pistons into.
If that is your only two choices you really don't have a choice you have a 460 and some scrape iron.

 

My vote is also for the 351W (if it is the Windsor)

I just got finished with my 466 creation. It won't see anything over 5k rpms however, because I built it on a budget and didn't do anything to the bottom end...