The old engines are built for as many reasons as there are guys still building them.
1. Because we did it when we were young
2. Because our dad, uncle, brother, etc had one
3. Because they are serious engines
4. Because they look great
5. Because they sound great
6. Because they make a lot of V8 guys blush
7. Because we have piles of them
8. Because other people throw them away
9. Because they are " traditional"
10. Because they are different
11. Because that is what came in the car
12. Because we don't know any better
13. Because we just like them
The list goes on, and then SOMEONE
comes up with an engine that fits into our narrow perception of what an engine should be but because of it's newness we're out of our comfort zone. The thing makes more HP stock than any inline I've ever built, but it just doesn't look right. It gets great gas milage,but it's not a "traditional" inline. I remember in '57 looking into the engine bay of a '40 Ford sedan admiring an almost new 283 that we had just installed in my brother's friend's car. Traditional? Not in '57, except for the #1 hot rod tradition. Which is: Take something from something and put it in something to make it do something you want done better. You can substitute any of the "somethings" for something else.
I only know two guys that have used 4.2s, Marc and Danny. I haven't had a ride in either pickup yet. Here are some old pics of Danny's
4200 . You can see the mods he did to the crossmember. Marc's new pan would have fixed that. It takes up all the under hood space. Most people looking at it don't know what it is. These are old shots. It's much cleaner now. The rest of our members have a tough time keeping up on cruises, especially when Danny passes a gas station. Traditional? You bet! The worst thing. their numbers are limited. Beater
