Crate Motor Roundup

[Gregg]

Here's one for everyone:

What kit(s) have the best crate motors, Ford and/or Chevy?

What motors do they represent?

What's good about them?

What's not?

Also include tranny options.

Mahalo

[Snake45]

Not sure what you mean, Gregg. As I understand it, a "crate motor" is just a complete (or mostly so) engine in a crate from the original manufacturer or an aftermarket supplier. They're available in a number of configurations. They can be finished off to look completely stock, or as modified as you want. So I'm not real sure what a model "crate engine" would be.

[Greg Myers]

???

Edited July 17, 2015 by Greg Myers

[3100 chevy]

Tweedy pie has a small block chevy 6 carbs and lots of chrome that can be stripped if wanted

I have not built this yet and cannot testify how the parts fit.

[Brett Barrow]

I think of the 5.0 in the Revell 32 Fords as a "crate motor".   Also the SBC with Tremec in the Rat Roaster makes for a popular IRL crate motor/trans combo that can be accessorized as you like it with parts from other kits.    I think this question is a bit more specific than "What's a cool motor?"

[Snake45]

???

If that's what you meant, if you'd asked about "parts pack" engines, we'd have known what to discuss.

[10thumbs]

Hi guys,

I like the Cadillac Motor.  It's different than the usual flavors and it fit perfectly in a Revell 32 Ford;

This was from the Revell Parts Pack though. The Pontiac motor is nice too.  I think they make nice motors for hotrods and customs.  Recently I had the Miss Deal Hemi on the bench and I thought it was excellent too.

Michael

Edited July 18, 2015 by 10thumbs

[Speedfreak]

I get the question, I just don't know enough about kits with what would be considered crate motors to make specific comments. I'm confident there are people who can. I'd like to learn more about this topic. 

Edited July 18, 2015 by Speedfreak

[Art Anderson]

Gee, every Ford Indianapolis 4-cam DOHC Indianapolis engine was a crate motor, before crate motors were cool!  (So was every Offenhauser 4-banger ever built!).

 

Art

[Force]

A "crate motor" is a complete engine with heads also called long block, or a block complete with rotating assembly and no heads also called short block, from the aftermarket delivered in a crate, either it's from the original manufacturer GM, Ford or Mopar, or from Edelbrock or any of the other aftermarket manufacturers who sells engines.
So the "crate motor" term is a bit strange to use when we talk models.
 

[10thumbs]

I don't understand the issue with "crate motors".  I didn't think for a second about real, 1:1 crate motors.  I'll bet when AMT and Revell made these motor kits, the "over the counter" boys in 1:1 dealerships couldn't readily relate to crate motors as they're known today.  Weren't they back then referred to as "whole engines".

A "crate motor" is a complete engine with heads also called long block, or a block complete with rotating assembly and no heads also called short block, from the aftermarket delivered in a crate, either it's from the original manufacturer GM, Ford or Mopar, or from Edelbrock or any of the other aftermarket manufacturers who sells engines.
So the "crate motor" term is a bit strange to use when we talk models.
 

We're talking here models.  Model motors.  AMT crate motors.  Revell crate motors.  This is a modeling site isn't it? 

Anyway, doesn't Mopar send their whole motors in boxes?   Not crates by any means. 

Maybe guys, a bit more imagination would be a good thing.

 

[Force]

Yes we are talking models here, but I would rather have used the phrase "Parts Pack Engines" if that's what I'm asking about as Snake said instead of "Crate Motors" as I believe almost everyone here knows exactly what a parts pack engine is

By the way, even though this is a modeling site we talk real cars and trucks and things related to them too...references you know.
Real engines are shipped in many different packages, some use some use plastic boxes and some use some type of crate made of wood and/or chip board, but they mostly go by the name "crate motors" anyway, 

Edited September 24, 2015 by Force

[Greg Myers]

So what ARE we talkin' about here? 1:1 "crate" motors ( yeah they come in just about everything but a crate)  or "Parts Pack" kits of motors ? or kits that have renditions of 1:1 "Crate" motors ? I.E. 350 Chevys, 5.0 Fords ( as in the Revell '32 Ford kits) ? I was confused with the OP's first post. 

[DRnNY]

Hi all I'm new here and getting back in the hobby after many years.I've been doing a lot of lurking on different websites just to see how far modeling has come since I did it last(about 30yrs ago). Anyway one website I was on,SMBC had some very detailed stock and custom engines....pretty impressive.

[426-Hemi]

???

These really AREN'T "Crate Motors". the 283 Chevy was a stock street engine, as well as the Pontiac 421...... "Crate Motors" normally is a term for engines sold in a wooden crate, that isn't offered in "street" use. Its a race engine most times! For instance, today, you can get Mopar (Chrysler, Dodge, "Ram", Jeep) with the 5.7L Hemi (ONLY Hemi in a Jeep), the 6.1L Hemi, the 6.2L Hemi, and finally the 6.4L Hemi ALL of these are "street" engines, BUT you can get a 7.0L Hemi as well as a 7.2L Hemi now, that are "Crate Engines", NOT offered in regular street use! (HOWEVER one exception, the 2012 Dodge Charger R/T was called "Redline" version kinda like the older Dodge Cornet "Super Bee" but powered with a 7.0L Hemi which is the "new" "426". -ALL of the listed Hemi's 5.7L, 6.1L, 6.2L, 6.4L, 7.0L and finally the 7.2L look exactly the same on the outside there is no physical difference!

Now for Ford and GM, I know of one GM (I know there are A LOT more "Crate Motors" from GM) but the 383. (YES, NOT "Mopar" but GM "Chevy") among others! I have no clue what Fords offering these days!

Normally tho, "Crate Motors", were street engines bored, stroked, and built, for racing ONLY..... BUT resemble the mother block exterior size and look depending how they're assembled/ordered to be. You can take a say old Mopar 528 Hemi, add ALL parts from a 426, and it look NO DIFFERENT on the outside, SO the member that said he wasn't sure what you were asking about, in models would be right as the "Crate Motor" would look the same to the mother block it began as.....

[Greg Myers]

Still begs the question : So what ARE we talkin' about here? 1:1 "crate" motors ( yeah they come in just about everything but a crate)  or "Parts Pack" kits of motors ? or kits that have renditions of 1:1 "Crate" motors ? I.E. 350 Chevys, 5.0 Fords ( as in the Revell '32 Ford kits) ? I was confused with the OP's first post. 

[426-Hemi]

Good question Greg!!!!! What ARE we talking about here? In models, as the REAL "Crate engines" (built for racing) OR parts pack engines?

OR modeling a "Crate Motor" as delivered by the manufacturer only in model form??

[Gregg]

I have gone through four bottles of Excedrin on this.

Why is this so hard?

Brett and Michael seem to get the drift.

A "Crate Motor" is something you can buy now from either a car manufacture, or a lot of aftermarket engine builders.

So, what kits available now, NOT PARTS PACKS, have good replicas of those new "Crate Motors."

Yes, I agree with Brett, the new green '32 Ford has a great engine/motor/drivetrain that could or would be considered as a "Crate Motor."

Let's go with modern engine configurations here, just to be a little bit more clear.

[Greg Myers]

You weren't very clear in the first post and many quarried with no response.  Does any kit really present a "crate" motor ?

[afx]

I would consider NASCAR (80's and newer) and Pro Stock engines as crate motors.

[Greg Myers]

The only kit i can think of with a "Crate" motor is the AMT (all variants) 1966 Nova SS . 

[Jantrix]

 

A "Crate Motor" is something you can buy now from either a car manufacture, or a lot of aftermarket engine builders.

 

For 1/24 the SBC's from the Monogram '37 Fords are a perfect "crate engine".

The Revell 32's have a very good looking small block Ford you could get from any catalog.

The Revell Wagonrod (Chevy), and Phantom Deuce (Ford) each have a modern powerplant that might qualify.

Also most any modern Mustang, Challenger or Camaro would have an engine you could likely buy through the aftermarket if you had deep enough pockets. 

90's Corvettes with a tuned port ejection setup would work perhaps.

Like JC said, any modern NASCAR kit would have a crate engine. 

And ........................... that's all I have to say about that.

[Gregg]

Exactly!

now, I'm an idiot (you can ask friend Gil here) on a lot of things

What types of new motors, re: i.e.: LS3, LSZ, etc., which kits available now, or recently

See, I'm an idiot

Yes, everyone knows more than me, and a lot of people will rush to show that they know more than anyone else, but please, treat this as an educational sort of thing. Not an in-depth college thesis, but more of a How-To for Dummies kind of deal.

Plain engrish, simple terms, for da idiot in Hawai'i

 

[426-Hemi]

Off the top of my head the '70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee "Pro-Street" comes with the 426 DOHC Hemi, thats a heck-of-a "Crate Motor".... THEN as said, ANYTHING I'd say from NASCAR from 1964 to present date, could be taken as a "Crate Motor", Those old ones, specially Mopar, you could only get the 426 Hemi for NASCAR if you were a RACE TEAM back in the day -'till '66, as it different from the 426 Hemi Street version which came out to the general public in '66, it was quite a bit different from one to the other. The new stuff in NASCAR are strictly RACE ONLY, making them "Crate Motors".

Then you have top fuel, you have ANYTHING Drag racing, or 1/4 mile races, (even 1/8th mile) being Crate Motors. As they're ALL made for racing, nothing but!

A look into it as far as models are concerned, you can take ANYTHING we have for engines, and make them "Crate motors, as they're seen from the outward appearance only! SO, who would know if you took that '70 Ford 302 Boss and made it a say, 351 to resemble a crate motor? Only way? IF you told someone you did! This is where "Modelers License" come into play for us as modelers!

[Ace-Garageguy]

"Crate motors" are nothing more nor less than engines assembled by some business entity for a particular purpose...not necessarily for racing, but often for installation in as close to "plug-and-play" mode as is possible with a vehicle engine. Some "crate motors" are sold as "shortblocks" (just the block and reciprocating / rotating parts assembled), "long-blocks" (which include the heads and valvetrain), and "complete engines" which include an induction and ignition system (but usually no headers, as they're installation-specific). Components on these are usually factory matched for the specific type of application, vehicle weight and use, auto-or-manual gearbox, etc.

As stated above, there are no outward appearance differences between "crate motors" and engines built up from junkyard cores by the local machine shop or a guy in his garage...other than, in SOME cases, valve covers or other specific identifiers for a particular company's particular engine...such as color.

Currently GM offers a mass of crate engines based on the venerable old smallblock and big-block Chebbys, many more based on the LS architecture (some complete with stand-alone EFI setups), and several interesting others. Other car manufacturers offer similar engine ranges, as do several aftermarket builders.

For a model, particular valve covers and engine color, perhaps, would be the only identifiers that the represented engine was supposed to be a "crate motor".