The old "W" head

[eedgell]

Anyone ever put the old 409 or 348 in our trucks? Can you still get parts for these old BBC's?

[GREASEMONKEY72]

i dont know if anybody has them but i do know you can still get parts im just not sure how good

[cdowns]

parts are readily available at 2-3times what similar small block stuff is// more weight less power and poor reliability as well as the high cost of maintance // other than having cool looking valve covers they seem to be a complete waste of money

[GREASEMONKEY72]

Originally Posted by cdowns

parts are readily available at 2-3times what similar small block stuff is// more weight less power and poor reliability as well as the high cost of maintance // other than having cool looking valve covers they seem to be a complete waste of money

theyre nice as long as youre not looking for racer, from what ive heard

[special-K]

Most classics don`t get driven enough to make any engine impracticle.

[Zoomad75]

Lots of visual impact, but at twice the price. 409's can be built to run for a price. I had a buddy in high school stuff a 348 into a 74 nova just to be different. He did a full rebuild and for the cost of his pistons alone I could have completely rebuilt a 350 from top to bottom and saved at least 100 pounds of wieght from the W engine to the small block.

If your not afraid of the cost, it would give anything it was installed into an old school "wow" factor. Even more so if you dug up a pricey three two barrel intake.

[1970bowtie]

i saw a 409 at a swap meet a while back, first time ive ever seen one. this one had seen better days though, the valve cover had completely rusted threw

[70GMCer]

I'm old school. I remember when the 09's tore the streets up back in the early to mid 60's. A friend of mine in 1966 took a then new 1965 Chevy "Mystery" motor, which was a 427 W head engine, and stuffed it into a brand new 1966 Chevy 1/2 Ton. He never was able to hook up the tires. Today, they do tend to get a bit pricey.

[ratrod67]

Originally Posted by cdowns

parts are readily available at 2-3times what similar small block stuff is// more weight less power and poor reliability as well as the high cost of maintance // other than having cool looking valve covers they seem to be a complete waste of money

If everyone was the same it sure would be a boring world.

[cdowns]

Originally Posted by ratrod67

If everyone was the same it sure would be a boring world.

been there done that before you were born // couldnt agree with you more thats why when i see all the sheep with the flatblack rats it makes me chuckle "how original"

[ratrod67]

Originally Posted by cdowns

been there done that before you were born // couldnt agree with you more thats why when i see all the sheep with the flatblack rats it makes me chuckle "how original"

Typical CDOWNS post. Higher than thou

[GREASEMONKEY72]

lets not get out of hand guys and stay on subject

[rwgregory]

If you didn't use your truck for a daily driver, I think a "W" block would add about 500% to the cool factor of your rig. You can still get parts, but they are not cheap. There are several "W" block clubs/orginizations/boards around and I know they have sources for parts. Back in the early 70's I had a 348 in a '47 Willys jeep. That engine had so much low end grunt I could not keep rear axles in it. The guys at the local jeep parts supply would see me coming and instinctivly go in the back and grab a rear axle before I even made it up to the parts counter. Having said that, if you can get your hands on a "W" motor, go for it.

[streetstar]

Very cool motor --- that would even upstage a sidedraft carbureated 6 cylinder with fenton headers. That would make an ordinary big block or chromed out small block look pale and lifeless (flaccid too?) at a show and shine.

But outside of cool looks , well, like any old engine -- there's a good reason its not made anymore (including the small block - since the new gen 3's have upstaged it)

[Bob B.]

Some people think the GMC V-6's were related to the 348/409's because the valve covers look a bit alike. They were not, however!

[special-K]

Been there,done that,still doing it,want to do it again,enjoy it all.People use 350s because they`re good,abundant,and cheap.But,they got jaded with seeing,yet,another warmed over and dressed up 350.They wanted to see a big block in there.They got what they wanted,all the way up to BIG big blocks.
The hot rods got all plastic and billet,so the rat rods hit the scene.To be different,again.Most rat rods you see were expensive to built.You don`t find old sheetmetal and frames like that laying around waiting for a hopped-up motor to be tossed in.
Vintage performance is a high-end segment of hot rodding.Old Hemis,Nailheads,Rockets,and Caddies are all "up there" along with the 409s,389s,396s,427s,etc.Ain`t got nothin`to do with cheap anymore.In fact,this hobby is out of the grease monkey`s hands and into the high-paid professional`s,now.We just keep trying to play with what we can.

[1bad chevy]

Originally Posted by cdowns

parts are readily available at 2-3times what similar small block stuff is// more weight less power and poor reliability as well as the high cost of maintance // other than having cool looking valve covers they seem to be a complete waste of money

if you have a 409 they were good and worth a good chunk of change to the right people

[7T2]

I bought the 63 C80 I have just to get the 409 out of it to put in the 62 wagon. It's on my "to do" list.

It's almost impossible to find reasonably priced parts for 409's anymore, especially if you want high horsepower. You really have to want that "look" to justify getting one. Very few places make reproduction parts, and I doubt anyone will ever put much effort into reproducing the block or heads at a decent price, so the aftermarket suppliers are going to be harder to find going forward. If you enjoy being part of an elite club, there is a finite amount of these engines out there and the number is going to keep going down.