I've been involved in this hobby a long time, and if I had a dollar for every 34' ford I've seen with a small block chevy in it...

This has been going on for decades. Why? I'm not sure, maybe it's the dollar amount involved. Maybe it's because GM built gazillions of the sbc's. I've never been involved with a ford project of my own that required an engine swap, but I think that if I were building a ford, it would be ford powered. But I definitely get what your saying GW.

Keep in mind guys that this LS engine you speak of has been out since late 96'.
That's 17 years. Shoot, it's already being replaced by the new gen5 LT engines.

true, but look how long the Ford flat head was the big dog.

We can just start with the simple fact that it's FIVE INCHES WIDER than the LARGER displacement 6.2L LS3 480hp motor!

There isn't a spare 5" width (as measured at the valve cover to valve cover) just hanging around --- in many applications - and particularly in 30's hot rods that are already pinched in the nose...

Why go to all the work and expense just to prove some pointless point?

The LS motor is cheap - small - reliable - doesn't leak - is easy to source a multitude of parts for... headers - accessory drives - and on and on....

So the Coyote 5.0L motor is 412hp and costs $6300 and I can buy a 480hp LS3 crate motor that's easier in every way to install for $300 more.... There's really not much of a compelling reason for the "Ford in a Ford" in my book.

The mod motor sucks for hot rodders because it isn't a small block Chevy. :lol:

If you want big power numbers out of a mod motor you're looking at big dollars for an n/a build, or well, a blower motor, which isn't cheap either.

Hot rodders also love big cubes and with the mod motors bore spacing, that becomes an issue.

Mod motors cost a lot of money to work with.

Plus I agree with Greg, I just did a valve spring replacement in my dads 07 F150.... on cylinder #4, The tool was grossly expensive, not to mention you cant even get both hands any wear near anything unless your freakishly small!

SBX or LSX till I die.

Everyone thinks the SBF or SBC/BBC are obsolete unless you spend time on various racing forums. I dont mind seeing an LS9 in a Mustang, but if I see one more 5.3l swap, Im going to puke, lol.

The 8.2" deck SBF is an awful practical engine for a swap into a car with limited space. A 331 SBF with High Port heads will easily hit 500hp and isnt particularly expensive. They sound wonderful shifting at 8000rpm.

The LS is a great motor and is very cost effective. I am often baffled when I see a $100k+ car build and then they dump a crate LS3 into it. As an example they have come out with an updated W409 motor bored to 509ci. The engine puts out near 700hp, is available in all aluminum with efi. Butler Performance is doing similar with Pontiac motors. Another vendor is coming out with new Oldsmobile stuff.

A few years ago, the Gen 4 motor made every Gen 3 obsolete. In the near future the Gen 5 may do the same. Using the cars original engine architecture with new high performance blocks, heads and efi make for a more timeless car build, It also honors the heritage and DNA of the car. For the record, I am not a numbers matching guy.

I am working on a C2 Corvette with a 700hp+ SBC with 8 stack efi and have a chrome bumper C3. The C3 will get a 900hp+ BBC. I stuck with traditional modernized engines for the reasons stated above. Both engines are/will be NA, built with off the shelf parts!

For the record that Mustang with the LS9 could have been built with a 650hp 9.5" deck SBF for a lot less money. The weight argument is moot when you factor in LS9 dry sump and supercharger weight.

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You could order the drag pack motor with the 8 stack and still be $3k-$4k under the cost of the LS9 with all of the hardware. Either engine is available in aluminum.

Ford engineers need to go back to the drawing board and start making something that will work. An inexpensive, compact, 390+ cube aluminum engine.

HP/$ the LSx platform wins every time with EFI. You might be able to do better if you stay carbed with other options but I doubt it. Modern Ford motors are overly complex mechanically. There's nothing superior about the design of a Mod motor and to me, that's sad. I say this because it costs so much to modify one that it drives your hobbyist away compared to many other readily available alternatives be it a SBC/LSX or even a traditional SBF/BBF. People used to believe that OHC was the future given its advantages. The LSx platform crushed that idea. VVT is further proving that OHC is not necessary. Ford went with the "advanced" design and have ended up with an overly complex engine. It's obviously not hurting sales of their vehicles which is all they care about but we are concerned with other factors. The Mod motor just doesn't work for a lot of people. I do like seeing them, for instance Matt's mustang, but I understand the reasons they aren't around as much as the LSx.

Now EcoBoost is cool. That's not motor design though.

Sorry and don't take this personally because it's not meant to be -- but I have to call BS right there at the W409 aluminum block with EFI -- because I called Mister Walden -- the birth father of that particular motor and spoke to him personally and was quoted "Around 50 GRAND" for that particular motor.....


So let's not even consider that as a viable alternative for ANYTHING!

And ya know -- I got to thinking about it --- and the quote might have been 35 GRAND --- It was a couple summers ago....


EITHER WAY -- I couldn't get off the phone fast enough....:confused18: :rofl: