That is true and I agree with you on that point. But at the same time that Dart block, AFR heads, Scat crank, rods etc are still somewhat based off a Ford design (or GM... Chrysler what have you). Although some engine builders have told me that many of the aftermarket connecting rods will go into other makes of engines... using Chevy rods in a Ford engine (although technically not production Chevy parts). If you look close enough some actually use the same part numbers. I am using a DUI HEI distributor in my 84 F150 to fire my 300 six. My buddies give me a hard time and say I am using a GM distributor, when in fact that distributor will not fit anything other than a Ford 300 six. So I ask them "Okay which GM motor is that distributor used in?" UH HUH! None of them! Nothing against any of the other manufacturers, they all have made good stuff and they all have made junk. As far as engines go... keep it Ford, keep it GM, keep it Chrysler. Swapping other things over such as rear ends, brakes, front end components... little things in my eyes isn't a big deal. I am using GM calipers on my rear disk brake conversion on one of my trucks. The 9" Ford is one of the most popular rear ends to use in street rods, race cars, off road vehicles, etc. Due to the abundance of aftermarket support. But to change the engine is like taking the heart and soul out of the vehicle. Let's face it there is nothing special or unique about a 32 Ford coupe with a 350/TH350 Chevy in it. I would use something more original like hopping up an old Flathead or a 429 Cobra Jet... you never see that. A Ford powerplant can be built to be just as if not more reliable and durable than any Chevy motor.

 

The only simillarity the aftermarket part has in relation to the OE designed part is bolt holes and bore/port spacing, after that, they aint a thing simillar, its NOT ford any longer, dont forget the same company pushing the aftermarket ford part, has a catalog for every other make/model (generally). In my mind, if a group takes an OE head/longblock, invests many hours and countless dollars to make it flow/generate what they want, then that is something to appreciate and marvel but when you go straight aftermarket, then you skip the hard work and then your working with what is likely imported from china or australia but I guarantee has never seen the four walls of a ford plant.

I agree some cars are cooler with OE setups, and I agree a ford engine could be just as reliable as a chevy but have you compared a 5.4 vs a chevy 5.3. My goodness, I guarandamntee the group that designed that 5.4 drive imports to work, doing something as simple as changing spark plugs turns into an ordeal akin to trying to write your name with your elbow.

Now a days, well before the economy took a dump, the whole concept of OE original, really had lost its novelty, as far as, what people were willing to pay. Who knew the discovery channel would ultimately control main stream gearheads and what they purchase...first it was the motorcycle shows, bam, everyone wants a motorcycle, then came the hot rod shows, bam, the prices on that old piece of crap sitting in the back yard collecting dust, waiting for that special day, when it would be rebuilt, suddenly doubled, then tripled in price.

 

Yep I agree, basically what the aftermarket companies do is rework and redesign a OEM components to improve strength, durability, and overall performance. They take the extra time and money to get the maximum potential out of these parts, which is something the OE manufacturers simply cannot afford to do in a mass production operation... and still have an affordable product. Aside of being built overseas, that is the reason why many of the exotic cars (Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, etc) are so expensive... they are all hand made with extreme attention to detail and in limited production numbers.

Ford vs Chevy reliability... I'll take Ford hands down, and maybe it's due to bad experiences with GM products and better luck with Fords. Have you ever watched a Ford vs Chevy motor blow up contest... the Chevys hardly ever win. I had a 95 GMC Jimmy with a 4.3 Vortec, that 4.3 wasn't half the motor my 4.9 is (either of them) I had a lot of other problems with that vehicle as well. Yeah I would have to agree that the 5.3 GM motor is better than than some of the earlier 5.4 Fords, especially from a performance standpoint. But then again I know of a few people running 5.4s with well over 200k or 300k on the clock with few if any problems. The V10s should never have came to be IMO, there was nothing wrong with the 460 big block. I really don't care for the overhead cam design of the newer Ford engines, although the SOHC 4.0 V6 in the Rangers is an animal... talk about a powerhouse! A couple friends of mine lined em up one afternoon, 99 GMC Sonoma Hi Rider 4.3/auto vs 2002 Ranger FX4 Level II 4.0 SOHC/auto. The Ranger stomped the Sonoma and put it to bed, no contest!

Yeah isn't it crazy how a couple TV shows sparked up so much interest in motorcycles and hot rods and what not? In a way that is a good thing IMO, it seemed like people were losing interest in putting something together. Although these shows do not depict it from a realistic standpoint... people don't realize what it takes to put together a first class hot rod or show vehicle. I am doing a frame off resto/mod on my 84 F150, this December it will be 2 years since I started the project and it's still not finished yet. The details are everything, and it just takes time, patience, and a deep pocket.

 

I give the old six banger (300) its due, it lasts forever but then again, its a flippin turd. If it didnt last forever then it would be worst than a piece of crap. With that said, a GM I-6 is known as being dependable for the same reasons.

As far as say a 302/351w vs a 305/350. My experience says, you can expect the ford to wear out the main bearings sooner than later and power wise, the 302 wins out vs a 305, just because of the bore difference between the 305/302, as far as power, mpg wise, youd be suprised what kinda mpg a 305 can get, even in a fullsize truck, every 302 equipped ford truck ive driven, you could watch the fuel gauge move as you cruised, I also like a 3.55:1 gear though. 350 vs 351w, power wise, depends on how much cash you have, and which end of the block you want the distributor on, but there aint much difference. I would have to give it to chevy though. Best ford could muster up was the ******* GT40/GT40P head put on limited vehicles, where as GM put their vortec head on any and everything, and that sumbitch can flow and be made to flow even better. One thing that puzzled me from the get go, is why ford didnt mass produce the hell out of the 351w efi and hell I dont know, stick one in an mustang.

 

A Ford six (just like any other motor) is going to be a turd if it isn't geared right. My 84 F150 4wd with a 300/ 4spd 4.10s will kill my 96 F150 300/ 5spd 2.73s off the line... but the truck with the taller gears wins on the top side every time. I would hardly concider a 300 a turd, you wanna talk about a turd of an inline six... the Chevy 250 integral sixes gutless wimpy gas eating pigs. The 292 sixes were tough and torquey, but they still couldn't touch the hp/tq numbers the 300s made. I guess to a guy who is used to snappy small block V8 power, they all could be concidered turds. I have a very hard time believing the Ford will wear out before the Chevy, what it really comes down to is how well the engine/vehicle is maintained... and what kind of environment it's being used in. Nearly very small block Chevy motor I have seen, once the bottom end gets loose and rattley... the end is near and they die fast. I have seen many Ford engines rattle, hammer, and knock for weeks, months, sometimes years before they finally let loose completely. I honestly am not making this up, I have been to enough mud runs and trail rides to know who makes the toughest motors. I won't argue the fact that 350 SBCs are pretty good motors, they pretty much have unlimited power potential... they certainly are retard proof. Any half-brained idiot can build one, I guess in my eyes that is what bores me the most about them... dime a dozen. Ford did put 351 windsors in Mustangs in the late 60s they were carbed versions though. Why they didn't continue... who knows? Yeah Chevy pretty much has it in the small block department, mainly due to popularity of the consumers. They sure couldn't build a big block like Ford or Chrysler for that matter, seems like most of em were slugs that would throw the bottom end out around 80k. I have never seen a big block Chevy that really impressed me, especially at the truck pulls. The 460 Fords IMO are the king of big blocks, next would be the 440 Chrysler. I have two good friends of mine, one has a 78 F150 with a 460 that has been pounded harder than any machine should ever have to deal with; and the other has a 91 Dodge pickup with a 440 that has been overevved countless times. Just from what I have seen these engines go through, the kind of punishment they deal with... and just keep going. The 454s just don't seem to hold up, I guess that's why most Chevy guys don't like em.

 

Its probably just my experience but trust me, the SBF's didnt like their main bearings. In the same regards as everyone having 350's, same can be said for 302's, only because ford wasnt smart enough to pump out 351w's left and right.
Everyone says they have 300's cause they wanna be different, actually, your not different as 75% of the trucks for any given year, were 300's, your just part of an unspoken mainstream crowd.

250 chevy is a turd, less TQ than the 300, as I would imagine giving up 50 ci, but that little ******* will run forever under hard work, Ive seen'em do wonderful things, just slowly.


Stock to stock on average, Ford BB better than chevy BB. Hell no...no way, no how.

 

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess. I have never seen a BB chevy that impressed me, they just don't live.

 

The thought I had the other day It would be fun to take a old chevrolet pickup 53 vintage or something along those lines and install a 4200 and transmission

It would be a lot better than a 350 engine.

 

Not an opinion, the BBF heads arent known as performers in general. Take about five seconds in the BB forums to see, folks arent exactly overwhelmed with their performance.

I wish that wasnt the case, or I woulda already have done the conversion.

 

That's okay, at least BBF bottom ends don't come apart like wet kleenex when you overrev them... they exentually will if you beat em hard enough. I have never seen a BBC that could hold the RPMs that a BBF would hold... good example... 396, 409, 454? The best revving big block as far as I'm concerned is the 440 Chrysler. I kid you not, one of my good friends runs a Dodge pickup with a mildly built 440, it's going on 4 years of hitting 6500 RPM pretty regularly. It's starting to get a little tired but nowhere close to needing an overhaul. What I am getting at is, what good is performance without durability? BTW which BBF heads are you talking about, 385 series or FE? Last I knew anything Cobra Jet was nothing to sneeze at, what about Tunnel Port heads?