There's a couple of different angles that this can be looked at. I can certainly respect where you're coming from in regards to the Gen III platform. In a repair sense, mostly gone are the engine oil leaks from intake manifolds and oil pans and coolant leaks from intakes and water pumps. The Gen III design didn't totally get rid of the leakage issues but it certainly minimized them. Doors in performance realm were opened up and these engines have a higher revving potential via a stronger construction. Personally though, I have a love for the ol' SBC as there's a deserved respect for an engine that lasted 45 years. I won't tell you that you're wrong necessarily but modding Gen I and II engines is
anything but a waste of time IMO. A well built SBC is still more than a match for alot of the Gen III equipped rides out there.
Additionally, the "no replacement for displacement" rule still applies in my book. In my world anything that can be done with smaller displacement engines can
only be made better by doing the same exact things to a larger displacement engine.
With all that being said, being a guy who loves hot rodding, I still enjoy a good engine build no matter what size the powerplant is. To your point about the smaller engines I will say that it's always fun to see a fella who's taken the time with a smaller displacement engine kick the tail of the competition that may have not put the same time and money into their larger cubed engine.
Just my
You must be registered for see images attach