IMHO the '32 V8 was a great thing back in the day. Chevy only had a L6 pushrod OHV, and for many people "a V8 is better".
The decay of the Ford as a sacred icon began in 1949, when you could get an OHV pushrod, parallel valve, quench chamber (sound familiar? Also describes an LSX) 160 hp Cadillac 331 from a JY that had hot flathead power as it came out of the car. Chrysler closed the door in 1951 with the 331 hemi. Garlits once blew up his Ford dragster engine and used the Chrysler 354 out of his truck, and it was faster...