Seems like to be "best" it has to have been in use for a very long time, reliable, and has been upgraded in its basic form for many years . The small block chevy and all its derivatives have met that definition for longer than just about any engine IMO. There have been a lot of great engines named on this thread but none have had the longevity of the small block chevy.
yep, seen a show once talkin' bout how many (100 million?) or some such were made... got the original 265 in my 55 Bel Air sport coupe, still runs good... like to build an L79 327 (350 HP) for it... cant bring myself to rip that old mouse outta' there......
I learned some good stuff about other engines in this thread - and thanks for that - but my thinking runs with these above posts. Have run every production version of the SBs (and the BBs as well) and the 327 seems to have been the best overall. The L79 327/350 that 7mm Loco would like was what came in the 1967 Corvette. I do seem to like it best.
You prefer 327 large or small journal?
I preferred the large journal, but the 327 wasn't available with 4 bolt mains except for a few race engines. Pretty sure that didn't happen until the 350 came along and even then only in the HP versions, the DZ engines, and some prototypes.
Not to diss the small block Ford engines- they were great engines also, but not quite as popular in racing , weren't around as long, and for a long time didn't have nearly the aftermarket the SB Chevy engine had.
My second choice would have been the LS engine family- I think that in time it will be recognized as one of the great engine families every designed- if nothing else just for the incredible modularity of the interchangeable parts available for them and the hot rod aftermarket that has grown up around them.
