There has always been a rivalry between car guys when it comes to their choices for a resto mod build’s power source.
For many, the default position is a Chevy small block because they are readily available and have a reasonable price tag.
Additionally, the GM engines are easier to wedge into a vintage ride because of their popularity–plus subsequent aftermarket conversion kits make the Chevy transplant easier than the same process with an engine from the vehicle’s parent company.
Jim Sutherland
For many car guys, the rivalry heats up to a full boil when a car guy puts a GM small block in a Ford or Chrysler product and opens the hood in front of the two other Big Three’s fans. In fact, their reaction might even make the Hatfield-McCoy dust-up seem like a Smurf lovefest.
The scorn heaped upon a car guy who uses a Chevy small block in his non-GM vintage ride may not be a big problem but, if the car guy is also a numbers guy, he may want to keep it in the family when it comes to engine choices.
Mainly because a non-GM retro ride armed with an upgraded powertrain from its parent car company is worth considerably more than a similar vintage ride equipped with a Chevy small block. Chevy fans may wonder why the non-Chevy fans are so worked up-right up until somebody shoves a Ford or Mopar engine in a Tri-Five or Camaro and tanks their value.
The choices for a modern engine swap are relatively easy if a buyer decides to use them for a resto mod. An LS (Chevy), Coyote (Ford), or Hemi (Mopar) engine will provide an amazing upgrade in performance for vehicles from their automotive families, but we decided to pick three 1960s-era small blocks that would have answered the call for more power back in the day.
The first swap-worthy small block engine on our list is the famous Chevy L84 327 that was built as an option for the 1964-65 Corvettes and pumped out 375 horsepower. This bloodthirsty beast of a small block was not produced in great numbers, but one can be sure the first L84-equipped Vette totalled via a dangerously incompetent driver donated its engine to a local hotrodder at the time.
The second factory donor engine from a bygone era is Ford’s 289 Hi-Po (High Performance) small block that debuted in 1963 with the Fairlane models before it became a part of Mustang’s warp drive choices between 1964 ½ and 1967.
The Hi-Po 289 churned out 271 horses and provided lively performance for Ford owners during the 1960s. It was an easy choice for a donor engine for Ford owners who wanted to stay in the Blue Oval family for a power upgrade.
Chrysler was the junior member of the Big Three club back in the Sixties and defined the go-fast movement with its big blocks, most notably the 426 Hemi, affectionally know as an Elephant because of its massive size.
However, the 340 LA small block engine was Chrysler’s secret weapon in the muscle car wars of the late 1960s because it was lightning in a compact bottle. The 340 was listed (very conservatively) at 290 horsepower, but most believe it pushed out well over 300 horses when pedal met metal.
Consequently, a 340 was a solid choice for car guys who wanted to stay in the Mopar lane when they built a hot rod with Chrysler roots all those years ago.
Resto mods are on fire in today’s market because they blend classic style with modern power, but we believe our three retro small block choices would easily fit into the performance plan even in 2026.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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