The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

[dogsdad]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Not all small-block Chevies are created equal. The 350 is the one they all wanna be when they grow up! <br /><br />Ford's little 2.3 Liter 4-banger was a good engine. So was the 302. The 351 Cleveland was capable of impressive performance The 427 crossbolt and the 427 SOHC are engines for connosuers.<br /><br />Chrysler's original Hemi engines made their mark on the drag strip, and the 440 was a brute to be reckoned with too. The 225 slant-6 is legendary for its reliability.<br /><br />Ford, GM, and Chrysler all have built some pretty good stuff!<br /><br />The 350 Chevy comes out on top, in my mind, though.<br /><br /><br />-dd-

 

[QC]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

The VW 1.8T is pretty amazing. 100+ bhp per liter and used in a LOT of stuff. Passat, GTI, A4, TT. The TT uses a 225 bhp version, if translated to a 5.7 liter SBC 350 that's 712 bhp for a STOCK engine . . .

 

[ZooMbr]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Worked on many engines as many have and each has some +/-'s. Inline engines seem to get a bad rap; but, for reliability they around the top.<br /><br />I like the SBC and RX's; for smooth power go RX. I'm been running and working with Subaru's the last few years. Pu ting one in a manx dune buggy and another in a VW Van (want hot water heat) doing a megasquirt (DIY ECU) for spark/EFI/Turbo control. The Subaru engine rates right at the top in my book. Main bearing for each rod - very strong crank support. Company in AU getting up to 650 HP; easy to get 300+ from these engines and they are reliable.

 

[mvaughn]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

5.9L Cummins, long life, awesome torque. Hard to hear yourself think though.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Name one engine that has been in production for the last 52 years.<br /><br />The small block chevy.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Booner]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Gas: I would vote for the Cheby small block.<br /><br />Diesel: hands down the Cummings B series

 

[Drybo]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Chevy 350, 300,000 miles on one. VW flat 4 has to be up there, designed to run across desert w/o water.

 

[theriver]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

flat 4 V-dub <br />3.0-3.2 litre air/oil cooled Porsche 6 cyl.<br />Anything by Subaru<br /><br />The guiness record holder is a 1966 P1800 Volvo...

 

[LubeDude]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

All the small blocks from the top three were great engines. <br /><br />Chevy: 265, 283, 327, [My personal favotite], 350, 400.<br /><br />Chrysler: 273, 318, 340, 360, [ A gas hog].<br /><br />Ford: 260, 289, 302, 351.<br /> <br />My rotary has 279,000 miles and still pulls strong.<br /><br />Rotaries, [three moving parts], are sooooo smooooth. Thats why they have to put a rev limiter and a little beeper on them so you remember to shift. You put your foot in them and they just keep building power right straight through. You wont believe it untill you feel it.

 

[OLDSPUD]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

I have always liked the old ford 289, whitch I think emerged into the 302, but I am also a big fan of the chev 327.<br />Spud<br /><br />didn't Shelby put the 289 into the first Cobra's

 

[JB]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

The FIRST Cobras used the Ford 260, which evolved from a 244.<br /><br />The Chebby small block was introduced in 1955, KIZ. That makes it 50 years, but a great engine.

 

[bekosh]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

I'm partial to the Ford big blocks myself.<br />Had a Galaxy 500 with a 352 in it. 180k miles and still running strong when I sold her. FIL had one with a 390 in it. So much torque he had touble keeping the auto trany in one piece. Finaly had to put a stick in it.

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

Chevy 283, Reliable, easy to work on, before the technological age.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

The Ford modular motors like the 4.6 and the 5.4 will be the next "350 chevy", IMHO... <br /><br />Cross bolted main caps, excellent block and head design, allows those motors too sustain some serious HP when put under boost... <br /><br />I'd love to see ford come out with marinized versions of those two motors...<br /><br />But for now, the SB chevy rules the roost..

 

[davemaxi1970]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

rover3.5v8<br />nissan 2.0 16v unbreakable!(i have one)<br />saab 2.0 turbo 170-200bhp(just sold mine)<br />volvo 2-2.3 700series never to be killed (wifes car)had 174k no problems and no wear my friend had 250k again no probs<br />and we must bow to the small block chevy v8 its a mechanical god

 

[steamboatwilly]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

I was going to say small block chevy.I drive a 400 in my truck.But I dont know,you all have named some good motors.I run my sawmill with a 1903 Frick steamengine.Seven tons,fourteen feet long,twelve feet high,two hundred rpm,twenty-two hp.My family bought it new.Now I own it.It about equals one-hundred hp. diesel. NO GAS!!!!!!

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

I vote for the SBC as one of the best also. I prefer to drive a Ford but when I raced it was chevy only. <br /><br />As a side note many of you are saying SBC for 50 years. Not true at all. NOTHING from the current LS1/LS6 SBC will interchange with the earlier SBC's. In the last 10 years the SBC that you liked the most was replaced with the new style motors.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

yeah, the Chevy push-rod v-8 is the greatest.......excuse me while I laugh myself to death. The Toyota 20-R and 22-RE. Or the Toyota 5MGE or 5MTGE, or the Toyota JZ series. Nothing made in in America post Babbitt rods compared to the Jap motors. For service free miles on the odometer, noting touches Toyota, except maybe Nissan or Volvo or Honda.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

SW, there is a lot more smallblocks out there in the big wide world compared to toyobangers. That speaks volumes for longevity and reliability.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: The Absolute Best Engine Ever put in an Automobile

As far as American engines, I am a fan of the Ford smallblocks. As far as world wide, I have to go with the Japanese engines. Toyota, Honda, Subaru, they make brilliant, strong, reliable engines. I used a work truck that was an Isuzu NPR cab-over with a small 4-ish liter diesel that pulled very well, and was very economical. I had a 1980 Subaru wagon and that flat four just ran and ran. I have never had any bad experiences with Japanese engines, and my Fords i have had also have been quite reliable. I have been around a lot of blown up or poorly running GMs, but I am not sure if that indicates quality or just bad maintenance/abuse.<br /><br />I am not going to bash the smallblock Chevy, it is fine, but the fact that there are millions just indicates the shear number that was manufactured, and you can't beat the aftermarket availability. There is a percieved cheapness to the Chevy smallblock, but I am sure that it is just due to the numbers and how inexpensive they are to manufacture. Me, I would rather pay more for an engine that will last longer.