sb Ford vs sb Chevy

[RACER X #99]

Most of the Chevy crowd are still insisting you can build a sb Chevy for a lot less than a sb Ford.
Well I disagree. If you just want to build a medium hp engine with everyday used parts then they are right. Lots more used Chevy parts around then Ford parts. But if you want to build a good high performane sb that can win and run just as fast as anybody else than you have to get the parts new and also from the top shelf.

For example top shelf major parts for a Ford and Chevy sb.

Dart Iron Eagle Block Chevy $1999 Ford $1999
AFR heads 210 cc Chevy$1999 205 cc Ford $1799
4340 USA Forg. Crank Chevy $1479 Ford $1549

Since these are the major components of any engine I fail to see where the Chevy sb is cheaper to build than the Ford.

OK I know you can buy a 4 bolt Chevy block for $500, but this is not top shelf and this is not as good as the Dart stuff.

I am also not talking Cup motors where both are priced out of site and are really just built for the upper levels of racing.

Any Chevy fans out there?

Cranky

[scottj]

Cranky- Is that how much that stuff costs? When I picked up my engine from the builder last night the only item listed on the bill was: 1. Aluminum engine and Total amount due on delivery.

[RACER X #99]

Scott,
I'm taking my poison a little at a time rather than one big dose at the end.

Cranky

[scottj]

There's an end?

[RACER X #99]

Scott,
It could be worse. Just imagine the costs of building one of those BB engines. A lot more than a sb and we still get to blow them away.

Cranky

[Carroll DeWeese]

In general, it seems that more Chevy parts and engines are available with the Chevy engines normally being less quirky. If you look at the web sites, the Ford engines seem to require more expertise to build properly. From what I can tell, having a reliable engine builder is a must not a plus for a Ford engine. Some of the cost difference is the avaliability of expertise.

[Satanpez]

I think it has a lot to do with old school mentality.

Yes, I do believe a SBC is cheaper to build. The costs aren't that dramatic tho. 10 years ago they were.

You can generally buy similar SBC aluminum heads cheaper than SBF heads. Not enough to justify custom building an exhaust, linkage, and mounts to slap it in your ford.

-steve in nj-

[TerrysSPF]

I don't know if it is that much "cheaper" to build a SB Chevy than a SB Ford, but good parts are difinitely more plentiful. Manufacturers simply make more parts for Chevy's than they do for Fords (although they seem to be coming around lately and making some more Ford parts). I hear AFR is finally going to start building heads for BB Fords but not for awhile (1 to 2 yrs.). Chevy has always been more popular on the track / drags and they are easier to work on. Hate to say it, but they usually make more power too ( I may get in trouble for that one). But if we're talking about what to put into a Cobra, there's no question that you should drop a Ford in there. When I first started looking at getting a Cobra, I had my mind made up that I was going to put in the new Chevy ZL-1 all alum BB crate engine. Then I got slapped around a little bit, and came to my senses.

[aumoore]

Any red neck can build a chevy but it takes an expert to build a Ford. I'm kidding

The main advantage to chevy's is all small block chevy's use the same parts while fords have many engine specific parts. Ex distributor in a 289/302 will not work in a 351.

[RACER X #99]

Did any of you guys even read my opening post???

Terry, AFR has been making sb Ford heads for a coupe of years now and a lot of Mustang guys are running them.

SB Chevys making more HP than sb Fords? Not anymore guys. Do some research, every aftermarket co is jumping on the Ford parade. Years ago the Camaros outnumbered everbody at the Drag strip. Now it's the Mustangs all over the place. Do the Chevy powered cars still outnumber the Ford Powered Cars? Yes but that does not make them better only more popular with the guys that don't know any better.


BB Chevys is a different story. Ford doesn't make an engine that can compete with them.

Cranky

[Anthony]

Scottj, if you don't mind telling, what was your bill for your dry-sump all aluminum 434 sb?

Do you have new block, heads, crank, or used block, heads crank?

I would think if you are going to build any all aluminum engine, with top quality parts, the total price would not be that different whether it be a sbc, bbc, sbf, bbf, ford fe, hemi, etc. Exception would be using a used LS1 chevy engine.

If you are going to put all that money in an all aluminum engine, for a 427 cobra, unless you get a great deal on a used engine, I would think that you would be best to buy Shelby's block as the basis, even though your options for other parts are limited. The engine would make more power than you would need anyways. I would think it would have the best resale value (desireable) should you ever wish to sale it, not that any other all-aluminum engine would not be desireable.

[TerrysSPF]

Cranky: I said AFR didn't make heads for a BB Ford (not SB.....the 418 I'm looking at has AFR205 heads). You have SB's in your head! (I don't mean that in a bad way).
True, you can make a SB Ford pretty powerful nowadays, but at what cost? Dollar for dollar, I still think you can make more HP in a Chevy than you can a Ford. Big Blocks on the other hand are RULED by Chevy. Power and Price, theres no comparison.

[bmalone]

Roger, I have said this one before (agree with you): used to be true you could build a SB chevy for cheaper. Sometime in the last five years SB Fords have become ubiquitous, just like the chevys. As a result, prices have come down. Nowadays, you can almost see SB Ford builders on every street corner--this definitely was not true years ago. I attribute the popularity to NASCAR and the various Ford programs in NASCAR.

Now for HP, it was true before, you could make plenty or more than a chevy, (just cost more); but today, you can still make more--it just costs less.

[RACER X #99]

Terry, OOOPPPS you did say BB my mistake on that but on the most HP in a sb. I guess you are not a Nascar fan. The Nascar Fords with Yates heads are making the most hp in Nascar land. That's why the Chevy guys cry so much. They even got the sb2 heads approved for Nascar just trying to catch up. Some of the Nascar Fords claim 800 hp out of 358 ci and they twist them to 9500 rpm. Not just for a 7 second run but for 500 miles. It took a long time but Ford cought and passed Chevy in the sb hp dept.

Anthony,
I don't think the guys that build race Cobras care much about resale. I know I spend as much or more money on engine parts, race tires, shocks, repaint jobs than the show guys do on chrome parts and I have a lot less to show for it. Track time is not for everybody. Big expense little rewards.
Cranky

[BT SNAKE]

Ford SB timing case F67Z6019AA ....$307.89
Chevy SB timing case... $24.58

Ford SB water pump F67Z8501CA....$137.58
Chevy SB water pump....................... $39.29

Ford SB Crank pulley F67Z6312AA.......$94.89
Chevy SB Crank pulley..........................$48.19

There was an article sometime back, maybe two years, in Hot Rod magazine where they built a SB ford and a SB chevy.
The chevy engine came out on top as I remember on the dyno.
Maybe some of you guys have that magazine.

Anyway this is a never ending debate that will continue until
the end of the gasoline engine.

Cranker, you keep it up buddy, Before long you will have the record for the most pages on a thread.


Hersh

[scottj]

Anthony,

I built new and just got it back from its first freshen. Pro Power Racing Engines does my engines. They are one of the top dirt Late Model engine builders in the country and build both Ford and Chevy.

A year ago an all new 18 deg. Chevy was 27,000 and a new Ford SC1 was 31,000. That's without a carb ($1200), pumps ($2200), or lines, filters, tank, etc. The Chevy tall-deck block ($6300) would add another $2,000 over the price of a Dart, Rodeck, or Brodix block. These are pretty much standard prices for this type of engine and from a builder of their caliber.

The Ford makes about 35 more HP on the dyno and fully lightened, weighs about 30 lbs more also.

They do the SB2.2 for around 30,000, but like the Ford, it's not used very much.

Dirt Late Model racing is my passion, so I never even considered any other engine for the Cobra. As far as resale value, I never considered it.
Scott

[CobraDan]

http://www.cobragt40.co.za/East%20Lo...ag%20Times.htm

[RACER X #99]

Dan, those are very impressive times especially the sb Chevy quicker than the BB Chevy.
But drag racing is not my thing and not really what Cobras were built for. I'll stick to the lefts and rights.

Hersh,
I paid $120. for my front timing cover and $36 for a steel water pump. Your shopping for your Ford parts at the wrong store.

Cranky

[leslie.files]

I have been racing dirt stock cars and dirt modifieds for about 12 years and have always raced SBC for the cost and availability of parts. when I started my cobra project in May 2002 I knew that only a Ford motor would be in it. Easier to find the parts to fit a cobra as a Ford.

[scottj]

Since my Cobra was designed around the C4 Corvette suspension, I didn't wan't to bastardize it by putting a Ford engine in it.

Leslie.files- I see you run WISSOTA, what tracks do you race at?