[71'bu]

every time I tell someone Im putting a 350 in my 71, I get the old . They always say, "you need a 327 or 396" something original. I explain to them the years of the motors and the cars they came in and it falls on deaf ears. Then I tell them my 350 puts out more HP then the original motors, but they just block that out and continue to tell me about the 327 and 396, again. :boring:

 

[CHELKAMINO]

Why do you worry about it?

Try explaining to these type of people that you have a 377 sb in your Chevelle and see the blank look on there face

 

[Steve R]

Like the old saying, opinions are like a** holes, everybody has one.

Don't bother debating strangers, what they think is irrelevant, just stop responding or say thank you for your opinion then turn and walk away.

If its a friend just tell them that's what you are running, it's finished, and you will ask their advice on your next engine. They should get the hint.

Good luck.

Steve R

 

[Derek69SS]

I wouldn't put a 327 or 396 in anything (except a numbers matching L79 or SS396 car)

More power to be had with bigger cubes...

that said though, I wouldn't put a 350 in anything either. Make it an LSX or Bigblock for me. I get the 350 thing though. HP/$ ratio just can't be beat.

 

[71'bu]

yeah I know what you mean Stig, but the 350 I have was free, so when I blow it up, ill go bigger

 

[El Toro]

Chin up There's just a lot of bbc tractor people on here. I've been a sbc guy my whole life and will never change. Most people cant tell the difference between a 265 and a 383 anyway so build what you want it's your ride. Tell them it's a 301 and see what they say.

 

[Tod74]

I would never build a "3" anything.

I had a 396 in my NOVA but it had a 4.5" bore and a 4.25" stroke. Lol


I wouldn't worry about what others say or think. A SBC 350 is a dang good engine.

 

[JOKER11]

I want to throw in my 2 cents.

I had a 66 with a 350 and peanut port heads. I loved it. I had so much fun in that car! There is NOTHING wrong with a 350. Best engine ever built and tons of them were built. Parts in every town you go to. No worries about parts available when you need them TODAY.

Having said that...I always dreamed about a Rat Motor in it. There is no substitute for cubic inches. But I was 16 years old and had no money. So it never happened.

Time passed, I needed money and I lost the Chevelle. Now I am 42 with a wife that loves me and bought this body for me. I happen to already have a 454 that I put together and so guess what the new 66 is getting? It seems to be a matter of money that dictates my directions. I would love to be wealthy and say that I have a barn full of old chevelles and they are all number matching and original down to the last cotter pin. But that is not the world I live in. Sorry.

So put that 350 in it and run around having the time of your life!!!!!

 

[DZAUTO]

Forget 'um. Build and install what you want.
I run a SB400 in the 70 (built it 13yrs ago) and it's still kickin' strong. It would be nice to have a 454-496-502, but, like you, I had some rebuildable SB400s available and a SB400 was a natural (literally) drop-in to replace the original 307. I used what I had at hand and have no regrets. So, forget about the idiots, do your own thing (just check in here first and make sure we approve of it ).

 

[Kaizen]

I completely agree. Whenever the fact that I have a chevelle comes up I of course have to hear the whole lineage of people they knew that had one and how it was rare etc etc then they follow up with what does it have in it. Technically it doesn't have anything but I say 307 which is what is on the stand that came out of it. You 'd have thought I showed em a picture of their grandparents having sex. Followed by oh you should put one of those new 427's or LS1's in that. And its not a real muscle care without a bla bla bla. I tell them if they want to give me one i'd do it just for them.
I usually follow it up with a quick quiz. hmm and how much torque did the 69 307 put out? hmm and when was the last time you were inside a cylinder head? yeah just as I thought.
Its like a sickness. Even my teenage girls know how this plays out. One wore my chevelle hat one night and 3 complete strangers felt the need to go through the lines. Atta girl looked at all of them and at the parking lot and said oh where's your muscle car?

 

[65 Skylark]

so when I blow it up, ill go bigger

Good luck with that. I've been telling myself the same thing for 6 years. Did my first big burnout when it had less than 50 miles on it, and now, 13,000 miles and 115 passes down the dragstrip later it's still running strong. I may have to drain the oil out of it before I have a legitimate excuse to get that LS I've been dreaming of

 

[Thad]

Not a damn thing wrong with a 350.
People tend to compare the smog motor 350s of the mid 1970s to the higher compression 327s of the 60s. The 350 was an upgrade to the 327. (Which I had and liked)

Both are good, little more torque from the 350, quicker revs from the 327.

I thought this thread was going to be about everybody switching to the LS engines.
Which are, I think great.

Big blocks are great, but they cost more to run, if your going to drive the car a lot, that's an issue.

 

[Robinls5]

Mike: " Marooned "...... His small block ran right along beside Bill Burkes, 540 Merlin. Bill did beat him by a fender, Also Mikes " Mighty Mouse " has beat Bills 540. Some folks that knock a small block, Well..
Eddie Matsco from Latrobe Pa. His car a Gold Camaro " Chevy-A-Go Go ". His engine is under 260/270 Cu. inches. He launches at " 9 " Grand. NHRA & AHRA record holder with his Mouse.
Bob

 

[jackie schmidt]

There sure isn't anything wrong with a 350 Chevy. If you build one with everything aluminum except the block, you have one of the best HP per weight combos around.

Everybody knows what I think of the 396. Small block displacement with big block weight.
If you are going to have a 690 lb chunk of cast iron hanging over the front axels, at least have some good ole big block power.

The 327 has sort of an iconic place in many of our hearts because that was what was in the cars we had as kids. My little '65 Malibu SS had a 300 horse 327 under the hood with nothing but an alternator and a water pump hanging on the front. We added Thrush glass packs bolted to a set of cheap headers, a duel point, and a offy intake. Darn little thing would rev like a die grinder.

The 4.11 gear didn't hurt.

 

[jeffs68]

hey steve. put the 350 in and tell your friends its a 327, they won't know the difference...jeff

 

[JWA]

Tell them it is a SB 454 They'll be scratching their heads all the way home. You could also tell them it leaves room for the twin turbos later on

 

[68Cpe307]

i love the small blocks, never had the pleasure of owning a BB anything (ford, chrysler, chevy) in my 45 years.... never say never though....

 

[burrodebo]

The 350 SBC is arguably the best motor ever built. I'm a small block guy. I like the idea of doing more with less. Plus I like the way they look under the hood.

Guys say they love the way a BBC looks under the hood. I feel the same way about how a SBC looks under the hood. Nice small package, room to work ...

"Nothing to see here folks, just a little small block. Nothing to worry about ..."

Admittedly, my small block is pretty big. You should see the way people react when I tell them it's a 408 small block. Most of them think I have no idea what's in my own car. Don't worry about other people.

"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." (That's Dr. Seuss) Bo.

 

[gnicholson]

tell em you put a 327 in with a 1/4 stroke crank.or a .230 stroke to be exact

 

[71350SS]

Admittedly, my small block is pretty big. You should see the way people react when I tell them it's a 408 small block. Most of them think I have no idea what's in my own car. Don't worry about other people.

"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." (That's Dr. Seuss) Bo.

I tried to explain my 406 SBC to someone who used to know his cars and engines.406 I said.He said "how'ed you get a ford in there ?" So I said "it's a 400 CI small block bored 30 over, it's not an old ford motor its a Chevy V8 out of a 74 wagon". So he says must be a Pontiac,Chevy never made a 400. :wacko:
I just answered you're probably right.Just answer like was suggested before and say its a 327 orrrr better yet tell them its an experimental 350 small big block