You don't see a big block everday. Small blocks are common. I am not saying a 396 with a split block is worth investing in but in the history of the muscle car the 396 was an important motor for those who appreciate what it stood for and in this day is quite a rare find. Not everyone builds a car strictly for !/4 mile times or to be a street hero. No matter how much you spend and how fast you are there will always be someone who spent more and is faster but not everyone will own a big block, let alone a low production motor such as a 396 or 427. The 454 is a different story in that it can be made into a high displacement motor and is much more common and thus more readily available. It all depends on what you want and what you place value in. By the way, I have nothing against small blocks and agree with 90% of what you say.
a 396 with a split block!!
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I don't build cars for people to look under the hood and go "OOOH!" and " AAAH!", I build machinery to perform a given function, and to fulfill a given set of parameters. Quarter mile times are only one of those parameters, as braking, fuel economy, ease of maintenance, comfort and handling all weigh equally to drag strip times for me. I even go so far as to sand down the chrome pieces and paint them the same gloss black as the rest of the engine so that it looks stock. Small Block cars generally handle better. Big block cars are only good for a straight line unless you do significant work to the chassis to rebalance the weight distribution, or build an aluminum block engine.
If I really wanted some stares at a car show, I would build a 69 Camaro with a good Japanese engine like a Toyota Supra's 2JZ-GTE or a Nissan Skyline's RB26DETT. Now that's something you REALLY don't see every day!
If I really wanted some stares at a car show, I would build a 69 Camaro with a good Japanese engine like a Toyota Supra's 2JZ-GTE or a Nissan Skyline's RB26DETT. Now that's something you REALLY don't see every day!
It is painfully obvious you feel that your opinions are more valuble and correct than anyone else's and are unwilling to acknowledge anything other than what you believe to be true. A discussion with you is not possible but I'll bet arguments are. I am done on this topic and I am definitely done on your pompous attitude. When you start believing you are better than everyone else you have a major problem man.
You are the one who started with the " It's quite obvious you have never owned a big block" comment, not me. I was giving a very practical analysis of the question being asked, which was whether or not it was worth it to fix a cracked 396 block. In my opinion it is not worth it to fix it unless it is a numbers matching block being used in a restoration. It would likely be cheaper and more practical to either use a truck 454 or a small block instead. That was all I was saying until you made that condescending remark about me. I know more about a larger number of cars and technologies than probably 90% of car people do and do not like being talked down to. Yes, most here have played with V8's of varying descriptions, but I have also worked on oddballs like the Fiat 850, done swaps into Acura Integras, know AMC's played with turbo DSM's, done about 7 engine swaps into Mustangs alone, installed quarter panels, do all my own wiring, paint and body, etc. You on the other hand, seem to think that the mere size of the engine makes you a superstar, so why don't you just use a truck 366 instead? It has no performance potential, but hey, it's big!
This is fun to watch, I wouldnt argue with 85 cutlass, because he seems to know tons of tech stuff and is very good at explaining it. I dont think you have to own something to have knowledge or an opinion about it. I have never worn or owned thong underwear but have strong opinion of who should :lol: BTW I am building a 454 elky for street driving and didnt think his comments were condesending, simply practical and thought provoking. HP per $, handling, braking,parts support,Ease of installation, ETC... hands down goto SBC. If you have a specific reason you want a BBC in your car (as I do) go for it
79elky454ss said:
If you enjoy reading 900 words all packed together that really could have been covered in 15 words.
He might know some stuff, but he does force his opinion on people and does come across as a "know-it-all".
Anyway, there are just as many reasons to build a big block as there are to build a small block. Each one has its pros and cons.
87MonteSS said:
I acctually enjoy the detail in his posts. and he comes off as a knows-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-me, and Im not afraid to admit that he does, so I am willing to conscider his advice and opinions and learn from them. After all we are discussing our cars not our wives. We shouldnt be so sensitive.
All I have to say is that I am not the one who made this into a pissing contest, the other guy did. "He drew first blood, not me!" I never intended to be insulting, just practical and answer a simple economic and technical question about using a 396 with a cracked block, not to diss the whole BBC community. As for my posts being long and detailed, they are written without knowing the level of knowledge of the intended audience. I try to make them understandable and educational to a wide range of people, not just the overly tech savvy like myself. I try to give the pros an cons of specific choices where necessary so as to give enough room for thought.
The only issue I see here is that you try impress your opinions on others.
Stating that a 396 block is only good for a numbers matching car is your opinion, not a fact.
Nobody said anything about fuel economy but you added that in as well.
There are all kinds of pros and cons on both sides, but your post was all con for the big block and all pro for the small block.
Stating that a 396 block is only good for a numbers matching car is your opinion, not a fact.
Nobody said anything about fuel economy but you added that in as well.
There are all kinds of pros and cons on both sides, but your post was all con for the big block and all pro for the small block.
Sorry for having an opinion! The thing is, you are taking it as if I believe everyone has to take what I say as gospel. I believe I am right, but in the end the person who owns the car will make the final decision as to what to do with it. This is the internet, it is full of opinions and information, some good, some bad. You are free to post your own here as is anyone else who signs up for the forum. It is up to the end user to determine that which is trash and that which is treasure. Believing everything you read on the net is as bad as believing the TV news is presented in an unbiased, purely factual sense or that science is a pure search for the truth without bias. I would tell everyone to think for themselves and decide what they want to do by considering all points of view. However, it is up to them to find those opinions, not up to me to present all points of view that may be contrary to my own. If I did that, my posts would be twice as long.
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