The rivalry between Ford and Chevy isn’t as bad as we pretend it is

Something Borrowed

Steven RuppWriter

Most of us have heard the tale of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Two families that shared a dislike of each other that grew to historic proportions. Like most things that go on long enough, I doubt the later generations of each clan even remembered why they hated each other. And while the more civilized feud between Ford and Chevy never—that we know of—escalated to murder, some folks on both sides, take it way too seriously.

In the interest of full discloser, my first car in high school was a 1964 ½ Mustang, which I flogged until I bought my ’67 Camaro as a senior (and ever since I’ve been Chevrolet all the way). Personally, I’ve held the Chevy versus Ford rivalry more in the good-natured ribbing category. After all, without one the other may have never been pushed to be better. The introduction of the Mustang helped motivate Chevrolet to launch the Camaro, and each time one nameplate got faster the other side had to try and outdo them. Which turned out to be a win for everyone.

So, for these reasons, I’ve always been a fan of both since both have their strengths. How many Fords are running Chevy small-block engines? A lot. Why? Because it’s a great, affordable engine. On the other side, look at how many Chevys are fielding Ford 9-inch rears ... more than just a few. One of the easiest, and most affordable, ways to get a fast drag car is to buy a Fox-body Mustang and add an LS engine. It’s a bang-for-your-buck combination that rivals peanut butter and jelly in terms of how well it fits together, but it’s one that gets both sides of the aisle all riled up. Which, if you think about it, is pretty silly. There’s nothing wrong with “stealing” what works from the “enemy,” so if you feel you blood pressure kick up a bit when you spy Blue Oval parts in a Bowtie (or vice versa) then chill out a bit and remember that we all share a common love of American muscle!

Born and raised in Southern California I started as the technical editor for Popular Hot Rodding (PHR) magazine where I learned the business before moving over to work with Nick Licata, at Camaro Performers, as his tech editor. At PHR I built a 1968 Camaro called Bad Penny that was one of the earlier pro-touring cars that actually ran the track hard. We won the first Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in 2008 and placed well several other years. At Camaro Performers we started several project cars and did a ton of tech. Eventually I was made editor of Vette magazine for a short time before being slotted to run Super Chevy magazine. Running the brands was fun, but I've always enjoyed being a technical writer more. So after more than 15 years I'm back to writing tech content, this time for the HOT ROD network. I enjoy being with my family, shooting, and working on my latest car, a 1969 Camaro called Tri Tip.

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