"Organ Grinder" Hot Rod Features 454 Big Block Chevy Engine - Engine Builder Magazine

“Organ Grinder” Hot Rod Features 454 Big Block Chevy Engine

This hot rod isn't flashy, but it certainly earns points for cool factor. Dubbed the "Organ Grinder," this 1930 Ford Model A has a 454 big block Chevy stuffed between the frame rails. Check it out!

Engine of the Week is presented by

Among the many high-dollar, tricked-out, ultra-fast cars that came to race and have fun in the sun at Sick Week, there were a few straight-forward, no-thrills hot rods too. Of course, that doesn’t mean those cars were any less cool – in fact some of them were super cool – like this 1930 Ford Model A with a 454 big block Chevy engine.

1930 Ford Model A

The 92-year-old car belongs to Reggie Moore. Reggie has owned it for 50 years and has entered a number of drag-and-drive events and hot rod runs over the years ever since getting serious about driving the car 18 years ago.

“I bought it when I was 12 years old with my paper route money, so I’ve had it for 50 years,” Moore told us. “I went to school with a buddy who’s dad had a whole yard of Ford Model As. Even at 12 years old I was all messed up. I talked to my buddy’s dad and he said he would sell me one. I got real serious about driving it about 18 years ago and we’ve been running it wide open ever since and having good time. I’ve done about 14 or 15 Hot Rod Reunions in a row with it. I’ve also done Rocky Mountain Race Week 1.0 and 2.0.”

Reggie’s 1930 Ford Model A is dubbed the “Organ Grinder” and it typically has a nicer engine running between the rails. However, a recent dyno issue meant Reggie needed a plan B engine. He remembered he had a junk motor from an RV that he had built years ago still sitting at his shop. He swapped that 454 big block Chevy in Organ Grinder and made it to the inaugural Sick Week.

“I built this motor about 10 years ago for a dually, but I got rid of the dually, so it was just sitting in the shop,” he says. “It’s got dished pistons and not a ton of horsepower, but we put it in there. It’s honestly just a junk motor, but before Sick Week I did swap in a new intake and a different roller cam, rockers and lifters, which kind of woke it up. I have two Carter carbs on top of it. I’m getting about 12-13 mpg. I run 32-inch tires, which let me run about 65 mph pretty comfortably. I have a Super T10 transmission, which is a 4-speed with no overdrive.”

Reggie also told us he built the headers on the hot rod himself in just 20 minutes. He also built the car in only five days back 18 years ago.

“Ever since, I’ve just been putting little stuff here and there on it,” he says. “I don’t have all the high-dollar safety stuff, so I can’t run too fast. I wrote down 11.50 for Sick Week, so that’s our goal.”

Reggie stayed consistent all week in Florida running ETs of 11.63 at 115 mph, 11.76 at 101 mph, 11.90 at 99 mph, and 11.98 at 95 mph for an average of 11.82 at 102 mph. He competed in the Gassers vs. Hot Rods vs. Beetles class.

Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade Motor OilElring – Das Original and Engine & Performance Warehouse Inc./NPW Companies. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected].

You May Also Like

408 cid Nitrous LS Engine

During a tour of SAM Tech, we also got a chance to speak to a few students. One in particular, Jaylon Victorian, was nearing completion of a 408 cid nitrous LS engine. He applied his new engine building knowledge and skill set to the build, and it shines through in our latest Engine of the Week.

408 cid nitrous LS engine

One of the spots we were excited to check out while we were in Houston, TX last fall was the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology, also known as SAM Tech. We’ve been able to showcase the automotive technical school, which has a focus on engine building and machining, in prior features and articles, but we hadn’t been to the facility in person – until now.

760 cid Billet Big Block Chevy Nitrous Engine

Despite what you may think about nitrous engines, and those that are stock big block Chevy bore spacing, these 4.840″ bore space big block Chevy engines have some significant R&D in them. Just check out this 760 cubic inch billet version done at TRE Racing Engines.

Naturally Aspirated 440 cid LT1 Engine

The folks at Late Model Engines in Houston, TX run a top-notch engine and machine shop. You don’t have to look much further than this naturally aspirated 440 cid LT1 engine build to see what we mean. It’s our Engine of the Week!

All-Billet 903 cid Pro Mod Engine

Pat Musi of Musi Racing Engines has been meticulously developing and tweaking his 903 cid Pro Mod engine combo since 2010. We got to see the latest and greatest version of this nitrous-powered billet beauty. Check out our first Engine of the Week of 2024!

Pat Musi Racing Engines 903 cid Pro Mod engine
Naturally Aspirated 540 cid Big Block Chevy Engine

After having issues with an engine built elsewhere, a customer came to H Squared Racing Engines to build him a streetcar combo. Utilizing an existing block and crank, H Squared was given the freedom to spec the rest of the engine. Check out the result!

Other Posts

Stuffing a Supercharged 572 cid SMX Engine in a Porsche 928

For Danny Humphreys, drag racing is a progressive disease. Ever since he watched Tom Cruise outrun a pimp in a 928 Porsche, he’s wanted the car for himself. As soon as he got one, he pulled the engine and the horsepower has gone up from there. Today, Danny has a supercharged 572 cid SMX engine

B&B Performance Adjustable Billet Timing Pointers

Available for SBC, BBC and SBF, pointers come with stainless steel pointer, fasteners and a black anodized finish.

timing pointers
Indy Cylinder Head’s Supercharged 588 cid Hemi Engine

We’ve been following Indy Cylinder Head and the engine work Ken Lazzeri for quite some time. We got a chance to speak with Ken on the final day of the PRI show when he was kind enough to walk us through the details of several of the engines they had on display, including this bracket

Ken Lazzeri Hemi Engine
Logan Yelton’s Turbocharged 5.9L 12-Valve Cummins Engine

During last year’s Ultimate Callout Challenge, Logan Yelton’s ’93 Dodge truck stood out as we walked through the pit area. We got a chance to speak with Logan about his company Loganbuilt and the 5.9L 12-valve Cummins engine under the hood of his vintage Dodge truck. See what went into the build in this Diesel